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#DRIVE Rally enters Early Access on September 25

Od: Liam Dawe
22. Srpen 2024 v 13:50
#DRIVE Rally is an arcade-inspired rally-driving experience set in the golden racing era of the ‘90s, and now there's a new trailer along with a confirmed release date for Early Access of September 25th.

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Read the full article on GamingOnLinux.

  • ✇Eurogamer.net
  • GTA: San Andreas VR "on hold indefinitely" Meta confirms, nearly three years after it was announcedVictoria Kennedy
    If you cast your minds back to October 2021, you may recall the news that Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was set to make its way to the VR headset, Oculus Quest 2. While details on the project were thin on the ground at this time, it was said to have been "many years in the making".However, not quite three years since that initial announcement, Meta has now said work on the VR port is "on hold indefinitely".In response to a YouTube commenter inquiring as to the whereabouts of GTA: San Andreas VR
     

GTA: San Andreas VR "on hold indefinitely" Meta confirms, nearly three years after it was announced

16. Srpen 2024 v 16:49

If you cast your minds back to October 2021, you may recall the news that Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was set to make its way to the VR headset, Oculus Quest 2. While details on the project were thin on the ground at this time, it was said to have been "many years in the making".

However, not quite three years since that initial announcement, Meta has now said work on the VR port is "on hold indefinitely".

In response to a YouTube commenter inquiring as to the whereabouts of GTA: San Andreas VR, the official Meta Quest Vr account replied: "GTA: San Andreas is on hold indefinitely while we both focus on other projects."

Read more

  • ✇Eurogamer.net
  • Acclaimed biking game Lonely Mountains: Downhill is getting a skiing sequelMatt Wales
    Lonely Mountains: Downhill, the brilliantly serene/controller-snappingly infuriating mountain biking game from developer Megagon Industries, is trading its wheels for a pair of skis later this year, with the arrival of newly announced follow-up, Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders. Much like its predecessor, Snow Riders is all about getting from up to down as elegantly and/or speedily as possible. This time, though, its gorgeous mountain vistas are blanketed in thick snow and ice, lending a differe
     

Acclaimed biking game Lonely Mountains: Downhill is getting a skiing sequel

15. Srpen 2024 v 19:35

Lonely Mountains: Downhill, the brilliantly serene/controller-snappingly infuriating mountain biking game from developer Megagon Industries, is trading its wheels for a pair of skis later this year, with the arrival of newly announced follow-up, Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders.

Much like its predecessor, Snow Riders is all about getting from up to down as elegantly and/or speedily as possible. This time, though, its gorgeous mountain vistas are blanketed in thick snow and ice, lending a different dimension to proceedings as players attempt to perform tricks, discover shortcuts, and beat their best times with a pair of skis strapped to their feet.

Once again, there'll be challenges to complete and new equipment, outfits, and tricks to unlock during play, but Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders also introduces online competitive and co-operative multiplayer across a variety of modes.

Read more

  • ✇Boing Boing
  • ILL-ABILITIES showcases amazing differently-abled breakdancersJennifer Sandlin
    Check out the amazingly talented dancers of ILL-ABILITIES. On their website, ILL-ABILITIES states that they are: an International Breakdance Crew comprised of eight members from around the world:  Luca "Lazylegz" Patuelli (Canada); Jacob "Kujo" Lyons (USA); Sergio "Checho" Carvajal (Chile); Redouan "Redo" Ait Chitt (The Netherlands); Jung Soo "Krops" Lee (South Korea); Samuel Henrique "Samuka" da Silveira Lima (Brazil) ; Lucas "Perninha" Machado (Brazil); "Junior" Bosila Banya (France). — Rea
     

ILL-ABILITIES showcases amazing differently-abled breakdancers

20. Srpen 2024 v 19:02
Image: YouTube

Check out the amazingly talented dancers of ILL-ABILITIES. On their website, ILL-ABILITIES states that they are:

an International Breakdance Crew comprised of eight members from around the world:  Luca "Lazylegz" Patuelli (Canada); Jacob "Kujo" Lyons (USA); Sergio "Checho" Carvajal (Chile); Redouan "Redo" Ait Chitt (The Netherlands); Jung Soo "Krops" Lee (South Korea); Samuel Henrique "Samuka" da Silveira Lima (Brazil) ; Lucas "Perninha" Machado (Brazil); "Junior" Bosila Banya (France).

Read the rest

The post ILL-ABILITIES showcases amazing differently-abled breakdancers appeared first on Boing Boing.

  • ✇Boing Boing
  • Australian otter's tribute to Rachael "Raygun" GunnJennifer Sandlin
    Of all the memes inspired by Rachael "Raygun" Gunn, the B-girl from Australia who scored zero points in breakdancing at the Paris Olympics, my favorite spoof is this one shared by the Sydney Zoo, titled "Everyone is doing the Raygun!" The video features adorable otters showing off their Raygun-like moves, such as wriggling in the grass and squirming on the rocks. — Read the rest The post Australian otter's tribute to Rachael "Raygun" Gunn appeared first on Boing Boing.
     

Australian otter's tribute to Rachael "Raygun" Gunn

19. Srpen 2024 v 20:35
Eric Isselee / Shutterstock

Of all the memes inspired by Rachael "Raygun" Gunn, the B-girl from Australia who scored zero points in breakdancing at the Paris Olympics, my favorite spoof is this one shared by the Sydney Zoo, titled "Everyone is doing the Raygun!" The video features adorable otters showing off their Raygun-like moves, such as wriggling in the grass and squirming on the rocks. — Read the rest

The post Australian otter's tribute to Rachael "Raygun" Gunn appeared first on Boing Boing.

  • ✇Gamecritics.com
  • Super Woden GP II ReviewCj Salcedo
    Almost At The Podium HIGH A solid mix of racing game ideas.  LOW Unnecessarily difficult in some places. WTF We need more homages to Gran Turismo!  I seek out different kinds of racing games, especially when I review here at GameCritis. It’s an important and beloved genre for me, and there’s no shortage of exciting stuff coming out — offerings range from simulators to over-the-top arcade stuff, and anything in between. Of course, most of the titles I play tend to show off cut
     

Super Woden GP II Review

15. Srpen 2024 v 13:00

Almost At The Podium

HIGH A solid mix of racing game ideas. 

LOW Unnecessarily difficult in some places.

WTF We need more homages to Gran Turismo


I seek out different kinds of racing games, especially when I review here at GameCritis. It’s an important and beloved genre for me, and there’s no shortage of exciting stuff coming out — offerings range from simulators to over-the-top arcade stuff, and anything in between. Of course, most of the titles I play tend to show off cutting-edge graphics, real-world cars and massive worlds to drive around in. Super Woden GP II is decidedly not that, but it did lure me in with some welcome ideas. 

Played from an isometric angle, SWGP is an arcade racer with several modes. On the surface, it seems like a deceptively simple experience with visuals and gameplay reminiscent of older arcade titles (think Over Top or Super Drift Out) but the depth becomes apparent thanks to the sheer amount of content. 

The most prominent offering is Career mode, which sees players competing in championships on closed circuits. Each of these competitions revolves around a series of races that net players credits to buy cars that can then be upgraded for more events. Pulling from the likes of the original Gran Turismo (down to the main menu’s design) there’s a great loop of racing, upgrading, and car collecting here that I appreciated.

There are over 100+ cars here, each from different countries and manufacturers. While all fictional, it’s not hard to spot clear homages to the Ford GT or Toyota AE86, and every vehicle has a distinct handling model, with stats that can be upgraded. Similar to the original GT, there’s a special kind of joy in buying a cheap car early on and building it up to compete against the best of the best.

While I appreciated the gameplay loop, I do have to admit the lack of a lot of accessibility options soured the experience overall. Part of this is that I found SWGP quite difficult at first, thanks to my inexperience with isometric racers. Turning corners and keeping up with AI-controlled opponents was rough initially, and the lack of a controller map was odd, not to mention the confusion caused by a lack of any tutorials.

Despite those initial frustrations, I did find myself enjoying it, and play was more manageable once I bumped the difficulty down to easy and practiced on tight corners. I did appreciate the onscreen indicators that told me when to turn or to watch for hazards, but I did wish there were more optional concessions made for newcomers. 

Other modes outside of Career include Time Trials where players can compete for the best times on global leaderboards and the best mode, if you ask me — is rally mode, where players race on various terrain under extreme conditions. Being forced to race a clock that’s winding down and trying hard to hit every checkpoint is not for the faint of heart, but I know with some practice I can get there. 

Overall, Super Woden GP II’s marriage of old-school arcade racing and a modern focus on car collecting is a fairly successful one, as I certainly enjoyed buying cool-looking cars and building them up for the big leagues. While the lack of options and accessibility features can use some fine-tuning, I’m certain those with a love of racing games (and a lot of patience) will get some good mileage out of this one. 

Rating: 7.5 out of 10


Disclosures: This game is published by Eastasiasoft and developed by Vijuda. It is available on PC, PS5, PS4, XBO/S/X and Switch. This copy was obtained via publisher and was reviewed on PS5. Approximately 5 hours were spent in single-player and the game was not completed. There is multiplayer.

Parents: According to the ESRB, this game is rated E10 for Mild Violence and Alcohol Reference. Nothing objectionable here, as it’s just racing. Players can crash but the damage model can be turned off in the main menu.

Colorblind Modes: Colorblind modes are not present in the options menu.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Gamers: There are plenty of visual cues in gameplay, but there are no options to resize any of the text or menus. Even so, I’d say it’s fully accessible.

Remappable Controls: The controls cannot be remapped and there are no diagrams. On PS5, R2 is to accelerate and L2 is brake/reverse. The Left Stick is used to steer.

  • ✇Operation Sports
  • RIDE 5 Included For PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium MembersSteve Noah
    RIDE 5 is now included for PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium members on the PS Store. The game released back in August 2023 with a new career mode, dynamic weather and much more. Rev up your engine and get ready to hit the track with RIDE 5. An adrenaline-filled gaming experience that is so authentic it will make you feel like you’re truly racing at break-neck speed. Find your favorite bikes and check out new ones in the ultimate motorcycle game! Race on over 35 tracks and col
     

RIDE 5 Included For PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium Members

21. Srpen 2024 v 00:51

RIDE 5 is now included for PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium members on the PS Store. The game released back in August 2023 with a new career mode, dynamic weather and much more.

Rev up your engine and get ready to hit the track with RIDE 5. An adrenaline-filled gaming experience that is so authentic it will make you feel like you’re truly racing at break-neck speed. Find your favorite bikes and check out new ones in the ultimate motorcycle game! Race on over 35 tracks and collect more than 200 bikes from world-renowned manufacturers, each element is designed to feel like you’re riding a real bike.

PlayStation Plus August Game Catalog games live today:

➕ The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
➕ Wild Hearts
➕ Cult of the Lamb
➕ Ride 5
➕ Watch Dogs 2
➕ Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker
➕ 4 Sword Art Online titles pic.twitter.com/l2jVxdE6ni

— PlayStation (@PlayStation) August 20, 2024

The post RIDE 5 Included For PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium Members appeared first on Operation Sports.

  • ✇Operation Sports
  • EA Sports F1 24 Patch 1.8 Available Today - Patch NotesSteve Noah
    EA Sports F1 24 patch 1.8 is now available on all platforms, fixing a rare crash when entering a new session after a League race and a Two Player Career bug that trapped players on the Negotiation screen after multi-season contracts. The update also ensures HDR settings persist after a restart and fixed a specific flickering ERS bar issue during Overtake attempts at full deployment. Check out the patch notes below for all the details. MULTIPLAYER The Invites and Requests option has be
     

EA Sports F1 24 Patch 1.8 Available Today - Patch Notes

20. Srpen 2024 v 03:01

EA Sports F1 24 patch 1.8 is now available on all platforms, fixing a rare crash when entering a new session after a League race and a Two Player Career bug that trapped players on the Negotiation screen after multi-season contracts. The update also ensures HDR settings persist after a restart and fixed a specific flickering ERS bar issue during Overtake attempts at full deployment. Check out the patch notes below for all the details.

MULTIPLAYER

  • The Invites and Requests option has been added to the pause menu in single player session types
  • Fixed an issue which could prevent the Flying Lap and Return to Garage options from being available in Single Player sessions after previously exiting from a multiplayer session
  • Fixed a rare issue in Multiplayer races where a player could be disqualified from the race after being removed from the Formation lap
  • Fixed an issue where the incorrect Qualifying session type would be shown in a Multiplayer lobby if the host switched from an F1 to an F2 rac

GRAPHICS/VISUALS

  • AI vehicles in F1 World Series and Solo Events will now use a wider variety of liveries and badges
  • Detached wheels will now stay closer to the car as wheel tethers have been shortened

TRACKS

  • Corrected the Pit Lane speed limit at Jeddah to 80kph
  • Some changes have been made to prevent exploiting off-track areas to record faster times at certain circuits in Time Trial
  • Fixed a rare issue where a player on the track could incorrectly receive a blocking penalty when another car was in the Pit Lane exit and not directly behind them

CAREER

  • In Career modes, AI teammates can now purchase Upgrades on the last day of a season if they have enough Resource Points

PERIPHERALS

  • Added support for additional Moza bases on Xbox when using the Moza Racing ES steering wheel
  • Added support for Telemetry on the Turtle Beach VelocityOne™ Race Wheel for Xbox consoles

MISCELLANEOUS

  • “True Fan” Achievement/Trophy will now correctly unlock when the player has accumulated 10,000 Fanzone points
  • Fixed an issue where the goal of “Achieve three purple sectors during a race weekend” could sometimes not pass despite the requirements being met
  • Dynamic Objectives involving Engine Temperature will no longer pass or fail incorrectly due to rounding up decimal places during calculations
  • Given the AI drivers a good talking to, so they will no longer celebrate a victory too early and potentially lose the race
  • Various UI improvements in many areas of the game have been made
  • General Stability Improvements
  • Various Minor Fixes

The team is also actively tracking and investigating various F1 24 issues being reported by the community. Below is the full list which is continuously updated.

  • AI – AI pace seemingly inconsistent between qualifying and race
  • AI – Possible additional work AI ERS/DRS trains
  • F1 World – Team Member mod effects do not last the whole duration
  • Multiplayer – Inconsistent host advantage on lights-out
  • Multiplayer – Equal team performance setting not applying correctly in some scenarios
  • Tracks – Potential ongoing issue with invisible bump at Turn 13 (Spain)
  • Tracks – Invisible bump at Turn 1 (Bahrain), Turns 14-15 (Miami), and Turn 15 (Silverstone)
  • Tracks – Unusual collision behaviour with kerb at exit of Turn 13 (China)

The post EA Sports F1 24 Patch 1.8 Available Today - Patch Notes appeared first on Operation Sports.

  • ✇Latest
  • A Day Care Worker Who Says She Was Documenting Diaper Rashes Got 126 Years for Taking 8 PhotosJacob Sullum
    A few years ago, Roseberline Turenne, an 18-year-old aide at a Maryland day care center, used her cellphone to take photographs showing "the naked genitals and pubic areas" of eight little girls. Seven of the girls were lying on changing tables, while the eighth was standing in a bathroom. Turenne later claimed she was documenting preexisting diaper rashes, lest she be blamed for allowing them to develop while the girls were in her care. Turenne
     

A Day Care Worker Who Says She Was Documenting Diaper Rashes Got 126 Years for Taking 8 Photos

19. Srpen 2024 v 21:40
A wall-mounted diaper changing table | eBay

A few years ago, Roseberline Turenne, an 18-year-old aide at a Maryland day care center, used her cellphone to take photographs showing "the naked genitals and pubic areas" of eight little girls. Seven of the girls were lying on changing tables, while the eighth was standing in a bathroom. Turenne later claimed she was documenting preexisting diaper rashes, lest she be blamed for allowing them to develop while the girls were in her care.

Turenne was fired after the pictures were discovered because they violated the day care center's policies, which prohibited staff members from photographing children. She also was charged with eight counts each of child sexual abuse, production of child pornography, and possession of child pornography.

Discounting Turenne's explanation of her motive for taking the pictures, a jury convicted her on all 24 counts, resulting in a 126-year prison sentence. Last Friday, the Maryland Supreme Court upheld Turenne's convictions, concluding that the jury reasonably rejected her account, that her conduct met the elements of the three crimes, and that "the evidence was sufficient for the jury to conclude that Ms. Turenne took the photos of the children for the purpose of sexual gratification."

Although Turenne's astonishingly severe sentence was not at issue in this appeal, it vividly illustrates how laws related to child pornography can generate penalties that make little sense. Even if you join the jurors, the intermediate appeals court, and the Maryland Supreme Court in disbelieving her account of why she took the pictures, she did not share them with anyone, and she was not accused of assaulting the girls. Yet under Maryland law, Turenne will have to serve at least a quarter of her 126-year sentence—nearly 32 years—before she is eligible for parole.

People convicted of violent crimes in Maryland have to serve at least half of their sentences before they are eligible for parole. But someone who was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and received the maximum 10-year sentence still would have a shot at parole after five years. Even someone convicted of first-degree rape, which triggers a mandatory 25-year minimum, could end up serving less time than Turenne faces for noncontact offenses that consisted of nothing more than taking pictures.

That reality is especially troubling because it is not clear that Turenne committed the crimes with which she was charged. Just four out of seven justices agreed that all of her convictions were valid. In a partial dissent joined by Justice Brynja Booth, Chief Justice Matthew Fader concluded that there was insufficient evidence to convict Turenne of producing and possessing child pornography. Justice Shirley Watts concurred, and she filed a separate dissent arguing that Turenne's sexual abuse convictions also should be overturned.

As relevant here, Maryland law defines child pornography as a "visual representation" that "depicts a minor engaged as a subject…in sexual conduct," which includes the "lascivious exhibition of the genitals or pubic area of any person." Although the statute does not define "lascivious exhibition," the Maryland Supreme Court settled on a "content-plus-context" test for determining "whether the image is objectively sexual in nature."

The production and possession charges, in other words, did not hinge on Turenne's personal motivation. In concluding that Turenne's pictures were "objectively sexual," the majority noted that "all eight girls were partially or fully nude," that "all had nude genitals and pubic areas on display," that "none of the children's faces are visible in the photographs," that the picture "were all very similar to one another," and that several girls were in "poses that resemble what one might see in some adult pornography: the subject on her back, her legs spread, displaying her genitals."

Fader agreed with the test used by his colleagues but argued that they misapplied it. "I would conclude that none of the eight photographs at issue depicts a 'lascivious exhibition of the genitals,'" he writes. "Seven of the photographs depict a child on a diaper-changing table, naked, in a position that is fully consistent with a child having her diaper changed. The final picture depicts a child in a standing position in a bathroom, naked from sternum to the knees. None of the children are posed in anything resembling a sexual position. There are no other people in any of the photographs, nor are there any objects that are sexual in nature or that change the nature of the images from children getting diaper changes to anything objectively sexual."

Although "the framing of the photographs is a relevant consideration," Fader says, "the
framing here still makes clear that the pictures are of children during the process of a diaper change." And contrary to the majority's claim that the girls' "poses" are reminiscent of adult pornography, he adds, "the children are situated in the midst of diaper changes—a perfectly ordinary, nonsexual event—not posed in sexual positions. That an image of an adult posed in a similar manner might be viewed as an objectively sexual image—perhaps viewed as sexual because the position is unnatural for an adult in the ordinary course of a day, or perhaps just because of anatomical development—is irrelevant, because these are images of infants, not adults."

Fader says other "contextual elements" cited by the majority—including the photos' similarity to each other, the fact that "they were all taken at a daycare center," the fact that "they were all taken in the center's bathroom, where Ms. Turenne was secluded," her initial statement that the photos had "no meaning," and her "implausible documentation-of-diaper rash explanation"—were "relevant to the jury's consideration of Ms. Turenne's likely purpose in taking and keeping the images." They therefore were "proper considerations for the jury in determining whether Ms. Turenne exploited the children for her own benefit in connection with the child sexual abuse charges." But the test that the majority applied in upholding the child pornography convictions is supposed to be "objective," making her motivation irrelevant.

"The only contextual element that is relevant to the jury's understanding of what is depicted in the images themselves, to the extent it is unclear in any of them, is that the children in seven of the eight images were lying on a changing table and the eighth was in a bathroom," Fader writes. "But knowledge of the setting in which the pictures were taken does not add any element of objective sexuality to them, separate and apart from Ms. Turenne's subjective motivation. The other contextual elements identified by the Majority speak to Ms. Turenne's subjective motivation, not what is depicted in the images themselves."

To convict Turenne of the sexual abuse charges, the prosecution had to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the photos constituted "exploitation of a minor," meaning she "took advantage of or unjustly or improperly used the child for…her own benefit." That "benefit," according to the prosecution, was "sexual gratification." Fader agreed with the majority that "there was sufficient evidence for the jury to infer that Ms. Turenne took the eight pictures at issue for her own benefit."

Watts, however, dissented on that point too. She notes that the prosecution made much of Turenne's sexual orientation, which Watts thinks improperly figured in the verdict.

During Turenne's trial, a prosecutor asked her if she was attracted to women. "I wouldn't say attracted to women," she replied. "I'm bisexual, like, I'm still confused about what I like between men or women. But not children, no."

The prosecution, which noted that all the photographs featured girls and presented testimony from a co-worker who said Turenne had told her "she was gay," argued that her sexual orientation was relevant in assessing why she took the pictures. Prosecutors also noted that Turenne had adult pornography featuring both men and women on her phone—although, contrary to what you might expect given the charges against her, there was no indication that she had "conducted any internet searches for child pornography."

The Maryland Supreme Court explicitly declined to consider that evidence. But Watts argues that it played an important role in the case. Turenne "was prejudiced by the admission of the evidence," Watts says. And "with these circumstances omitted, the remaining evidence is insufficient to support Ms. Turenne's convictions for child sexual abuse."

Watts suggests that Turenne's explanation of her behavior is more plausible than her colleagues think. "Some of the photos show redness or darkened areas—i.e., consistent with diaper rashes—near the genital area and/or in the fold of the buttocks, and one of them shows diaper cream in and around the fold of the buttocks," she writes. "Ms. Turenne testified that she took the photos to prove that children had diaper rashes before she started watching them. Although the jury evidently did not find this part of Ms. Turenne's testimony credible, the nature of the photos and the circumstances surrounding them being taken do not alone establish that the photos were taken for the purpose of sexual gratification."

The majority emphasized that Turenne initially denied taking the pictures, later said they had "no meaning," and did not offer the diaper-rash explanation until her trial. But Watts thinks Turenne's evasiveness and reticence are understandable in the circumstances, even without accepting the prosecution's theory of why she took the photos.

"Although the photos were taken clandestinely in violation of the daycare center's no-photo policy and Ms. Turenne initially denied having taken them, these facts were not sufficient for a rational juror to infer that the photos were taken for sexual gratification," Watts writes. "A rational juror could have inferred that Ms. Turenne took the photos because she was concerned about being blamed for diaper rashes and lied about having taken them because she knew doing so was against the daycare center's policy. A rational juror also could have inferred that Ms. Turenne took the photos while she was alone with the children because she knew that taking the photos was against the center's policy….Without consideration of evidence admitted at trial concerning Ms. Turenne's sexual orientation and possession of adult pornography, no rational juror could have found beyond a reasonable doubt based on the appearance of the photos that they were taken for sexual gratification."

Although Turenne did not challenge her sentence in this appeal, Watts notes that "the circuit court imposed an aggregate sentence of 280 years of imprisonment, with all but 126 years suspended, followed by 5 years of probation and lifetime registration as a sex offender." While "criminal offenses against children are heinous and must be dealt with appropriately," she says, "it is disproportionate and draconian to impose an aggregate sentence of nearly 3 centuries of imprisonment, with all but 126 years suspended, under the circumstances of this case." Whatever you make of Turenne's defense, that much seems clearly true.

The post A Day Care Worker Who Says She Was Documenting Diaper Rashes Got 126 Years for Taking 8 Photos appeared first on Reason.com.

JDM: Rise Of The Scorpion offers a free prologue of drift racing around rural Japan

JDM: Rise Of The Scorpion is a free prologue for JDM: Japanese Drift Master, a racing game about - who could guess - drift racing in Japan. It's got an open world set in rural towns to burn rubber around as well as several story missions to play. You can download it from Steam now.

Read more

Mellow mountain biker Lonely Mountains: Downhill is getting a wintry sequel about skiing

The mountain biking of Lonely Mountains: Downhill was sometimes a relaxing ride down gentle slopes, and at other times a hairy hurtle down declivitous cliffs. Alongside the likes of the Descenders and Riders Republic, it offered a more laid-back game, open to furious time trialling but always remembering to let you stop and appreciate the view. Both the stakes and the poly count were low. Happy news then, that it is getting a snowy sequel. In Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders you'll be swapping your bike for a pair of skis, and you'll be able to barrel down the mountainside with friends in co-op.

Read more

  • ✇Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed
  • The 11 best racing games on PCBrendan Caldwell
    Vroom vroom. That is the sound of 11 rivals revving their engines as they blink the sweat out of their eyes and exhale years of self-doubt from their lungs. Today is their day. We have lined up these racing games on a starting grid and are interested to see how things shake out. Will the realism-obsessed driving sims take the lead with their sublime physics engines? Might the futuristic combat racers simply destroy the opposition with explosive rockets? Or perhaps a nippy arcade crowd-pleaser w
     

The 11 best racing games on PC

Vroom vroom. That is the sound of 11 rivals revving their engines as they blink the sweat out of their eyes and exhale years of self-doubt from their lungs. Today is their day. We have lined up these racing games on a starting grid and are interested to see how things shake out. Will the realism-obsessed driving sims take the lead with their sublime physics engines? Might the futuristic combat racers simply destroy the opposition with explosive rockets? Or perhaps a nippy arcade crowd-pleaser will soar to the finish line, propelled by the sound of roaring cheers. It's all to play for here at our incredibly messed-up grand prix with a worrying lack of rules or regulation. Start your engines, everyone, these are the 11 best racing games on PC. 3! 2! 1! ...

Read more

JDM: Rise Of The Scorpion offers a free prologue of drift racing around rural Japan

17. Srpen 2024 v 23:41

JDM: Rise Of The Scorpion is a free prologue for JDM: Japanese Drift Master, a racing game about - who could guess - drift racing in Japan. It's got an open world set in rural towns to burn rubber around as well as several story missions to play. You can download it from Steam now.

Read more

  • ✇Rock, Paper, Shotgun
  • Mellow mountain biker Lonely Mountains: Downhill is getting a wintry sequel about skiingBrendan Caldwell
    The mountain biking of Lonely Mountains: Downhill was sometimes a relaxing ride down gentle slopes, and at other times a hairy hurtle down declivitous cliffs. Alongside the likes of the Descenders and Riders Republic, it offered a more laid-back game, open to furious time trialling but always remembering to let you stop and appreciate the view. Both the stakes and the poly count were low. Happy news then, that it is getting a snowy sequel. In Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders you'll be swapping you
     

Mellow mountain biker Lonely Mountains: Downhill is getting a wintry sequel about skiing

16. Srpen 2024 v 11:52

The mountain biking of Lonely Mountains: Downhill was sometimes a relaxing ride down gentle slopes, and at other times a hairy hurtle down declivitous cliffs. Alongside the likes of the Descenders and Riders Republic, it offered a more laid-back game, open to furious time trialling but always remembering to let you stop and appreciate the view. Both the stakes and the poly count were low. Happy news then, that it is getting a snowy sequel. In Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders you'll be swapping your bike for a pair of skis, and you'll be able to barrel down the mountainside with friends in co-op.

Read more

  • ✇Rock, Paper, Shotgun
  • The 11 best racing games on PCBrendan Caldwell
    Vroom vroom. That is the sound of 11 rivals revving their engines as they blink the sweat out of their eyes and exhale years of self-doubt from their lungs. Today is their day. We have lined up these racing games on a starting grid and are interested to see how things shake out. Will the realism-obsessed driving sims take the lead with their sublime physics engines? Might the futuristic combat racers simply destroy the opposition with explosive rockets? Or perhaps a nippy arcade crowd-pleaser w
     

The 11 best racing games on PC

14. Srpen 2024 v 18:33

Vroom vroom. That is the sound of 11 rivals revving their engines as they blink the sweat out of their eyes and exhale years of self-doubt from their lungs. Today is their day. We have lined up these racing games on a starting grid and are interested to see how things shake out. Will the realism-obsessed driving sims take the lead with their sublime physics engines? Might the futuristic combat racers simply destroy the opposition with explosive rockets? Or perhaps a nippy arcade crowd-pleaser will soar to the finish line, propelled by the sound of roaring cheers. It's all to play for here at our incredibly messed-up grand prix with a worrying lack of rules or regulation. Start your engines, everyone, these are the 11 best racing games on PC. 3! 2! 1! ...

Read more

  • ✇WePlayGames.net: Home for all Gamers
  • Burnout Paradise Remastered – Olschool Destruction RacesPetko
    Title: Burnout Paradise RemasteredType of Game: Arcade RacingDeveloper: Criterion GamesPublisher: Electronic ArtsReleased: March 16, 2018Platforms Available: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo SwitchPlatform Reviewed: PlayStation 4Level of Maturity: E10+ (Everyone 10 and older)Reading Time: 7 minutes Long before the Forza Horizon franchise came along and stole the title of the best arcade racing under the sun, the Burnout brand held that position, along with rival and legendary FlatOut. Bu
     

Burnout Paradise Remastered – Olschool Destruction Races

Od: Petko
20. Srpen 2024 v 08:30

Title: Burnout Paradise Remastered
Type of Game: Arcade Racing
Developer: Criterion Games
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Released: March 16, 2018
Platforms Available: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch
Platform Reviewed: PlayStation 4
Level of Maturity: E10+ (Everyone 10 and older)
Reading Time: 7 minutes

Long before the Forza Horizon franchise came along and stole the title of the best arcade racing under the sun, the Burnout brand held that position, along with rival and legendary FlatOut. Burnout Paradise came out sixteen years ago, but many gamers still consider it an unrivaled affair in many ways. It’s all about the sense of speed, the level of mayhem, and the ultimate handling of cars that don’t need an official license to be scrapped ideally. All three of these essential things are 100% preserved in the remaster. All the vehicles handle precisely the same things they did years ago. The physics of crashing and the uncontrollable, very satisfying feeling for the viewer of hurtling down the road with a tail of sparks in your back and being in complete control have also been retained.

The Visual Revamp: A Subtle Transformation

The only thing that has undergone a remastering process is the graphics. The difference is noticeable when you put the old PlayStation 3 version alongside the newer PlayStation 4 version. The textures are much more detailed, especially in the roads and landscapes around you. Not that it’s a difference like night and day, but it counts. Often, it even achieves the desired effect with remasters that the game “looks” like your memories, and thus, you’re subconsciously disappointed because you think they’ve shoved an essentially unchanged title in front of you.

But once you confront your memory with the 16-year-old original, you never want to return to it. Of course, 60fps is retained, and the resolution of text and informational images is increased. We reviewed the game on a PlayStation 4 with a smaller TV, and the difference between the original and the remastered Burnout (running at 720p) was huge.

Preserving the Core: Unchanged for Good Reason

However, the visual upgrade could only go so far that it didn’t ruin the gameplay experience. Of course, as part of the rework, the authors could afford to completely change some parts of the map and tweak the design of the cars or improve the resolution of the civilian traffic that’s meant to get in your way. Thankfully, this isn’t the case, as doing so would have ruined what makes Burnout Burnout.

In this game, everything is subordinate to maximum speed, but you have maximum control over it. However, it may seem like something other than it to the casual passerby. A change in, for example, the lighting conditions or the colors of specific locations would cause the game not to work either. Logically, this raises the question of whether there is any point in remastering such a game when virtually nothing can be changed. Fortunately, it does make sense. And for two reasons. Both are so compelling that you must invest in the game if you’ve played it for the past sixteen years.

Online Mode: Reviving a World of Challenges

The first reason is the online mode. This is seamlessly tied to the single-player skirmishes, and you switch into it with the press of two buttons. Suddenly, a new world opens before you, where you rarely race from A to B. 500 challenges will have you jumping over others on a bridge. Doing 50 drifts around a fountain. Smash 20 billboards around the city. And finally, you’ll get to race now and then. The problem with the old console version was the number of players. Sixteen years later, you occasionally ran into a lone player, but the experience was just half the experience when the lobby was half full.

All the Extras: The Complete Package

The second reason is all the bonus additions that came out as part of “Year of Paradise” twelve months after the original game’s release. That means new cars, new bikes, and new achievements/trophies and challenges associated with them. None of these are significant, including the biggest, Big Surf Island, which adds a new and not-so-small section of the map. However, if you’ve looked forward to them in the past and always justified their no/buy by saying you wouldn’t have anyone to try them with anyway, now you get them in a complete package. You can see why neither reason is compelling enough to make you consider buying them.

The Timeless Magic of Burnout Paradise

But the essence of the whole Burnout Paradise magic is somewhere a little different. It’s primarily that “those” games don’t come out anymore. Even Forza Horizon, which is ideologically closest to it, can’t match the adrenaline rush of a race where everything falls into place, from the choice of car to the opponents to the great soundtrack on the radio. By the way, no song from the original setlist is missing in the remastered version, for which the authors deserve a big thanks.

Although this is indeed a reworked version, in which everything is 1:1 and not even things that we take for granted today have been “fixed” (for example, there is no fast travel, and absolutely all races end in one of the eight locations on the map), Burnout Paradise has something to say to the world even in 2024, especially to those of you who have not enjoyed it so far and are just in the mood to drive at high speed with a high percentage of twisted bodies. Just don’t expect miracles from it. After all, it’s getting on in years.

Conclusion

Games like this just aren’t made anymore, plain and simple. Burnout Paradise Remastered is a sad reminder of the good old days of racing games, but it proves that its design was so timeless that it can still work brilliantly sixteen years later. However, there’s nothing extra to be found here compared to the original version.

Where to Buy Burnout Paradise Remastered

PlayStation Store (PS4): Available for $19.99. You can purchase it directly from the PlayStation Store.
Xbox Store (Xbox One): Available for $19.99. Check it out on the Xbox Store.
Steam (PC): Available for $19.99. You can purchase it directly from Steam.
Epic Games Store (PC): Available for $19.99. Purchase it from the Epic Games Store.
Nintendo Shop (Switch): Available for $29.99. Purchase it from the Nintendo Shop.

For more content like this, stay tuned on our website!

The post Burnout Paradise Remastered – Olschool Destruction Races appeared first on WePlayGames.net: Home for Top Gamers.

  • ✇CGMagazine
  • Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks Preview — Driving Through the Death & DestructionZubi Khan
    Henry Cavill and fellow Warhammer enthusiasts will be eating well with the abundance of new Warhammer projects on the horizon, including Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2. Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks has graced my Steam library with a fresh take on the vehicular combat genre that seldom gets enough love. Based on the 2018 boardgame, Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks, like other videogame adaptations of the storied franchise, successfully transforms the tabletop experience into a fun and famil
     

Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks Preview — Driving Through the Death & Destruction

Od: Zubi Khan
6. Srpen 2024 v 17:00
Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks

Henry Cavill and fellow Warhammer enthusiasts will be eating well with the abundance of new Warhammer projects on the horizon, including Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2. Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks has graced my Steam library with a fresh take on the vehicular combat genre that seldom gets enough love.

Based on the 2018 boardgame, Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks, like other videogame adaptations of the storied franchise, successfully transforms the tabletop experience into a fun and familiar-feeling online experience that feels like a mashup of games, including the beloved Twisted Metal series and even cult classics such as Cel Damage, presented in an unmistakably Warhammer coat of paint, complete with the wear and tear of a well-loved set of miniatures.

Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks Preview — Driving through the Death & Destruction

Now, if you’re unfamiliar with the Warhammer franchise, or if you’re like me and mostly know it through its videogame releases, fear not, as Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks holds up entirely on its 4 wheels thanks to a solid gameplay loop and distinct and easy-to-control vehicles.

In its current iteration, Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks features two game modes, Deff Rally and Kill Konvoy, spread across six maps, including Krump Canyon, Rok Rush, Mob Mountain and Burna Valley. Frozen Dakka and the Ded’ard Desert make up the remaining final maps, exclusive to the Kill Konvoy game type.

“Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks holds up entirely on its 4 wheels thanks to a solid gameplay loop and distinct and easy-to-control vehicles.”

Starting with the latter, Kill Konvoy tasks players in protecting their Stompa, a behemoth of a tank-like payload given to both teams. The object of the game requires either side to find a bomb that spawns somewhere on the map, pick it up and then crash into the opponent’s Stompa, kamikaze style. In other words, Kill Konvoy feels like what would happen if Rocket League was set in a Mad Max-inspired post-apocalyptic setting.

Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks Preview — Driving through the Death & Destruction

Conversely, Deff Rally emphasizes racing more, with players scrambling towards various control points. When successfully taken, these points prompt the next leg of the race, slowly racking up points towards the end of the round. Naturally, this sets up some fun moments of tension between both sides as they collide and clash for control on the rather expansive and open-ended maps.

In terms of vehicle variety, Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks currently features four racers to choose from: the Boomdakka Snazzwagon, the Kustom Boosta Blasta, the Looted Wagon, and finally, the Rukkatrukk Squigbuggy.

“Overall, the vehicle variety in Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks is solid, particularly for a free-to-play title.”

Starting with the Boomdakka Snazzwagon, which can be considered your best all-arounder type of vehicle, this two-seater comes complete with a chaingun turret, making it perfect for DPS and fast manoeuvrability during races. Next up is the Kustom Boosta Blasta, similar to the former in terms of manoeuvrability; what sets this car apart is its arsenal, which features a live orc that can be thrown in an arc as a powerful mini-nuke, plus a powerful primary shot, making it feel like a shotgun on wheels.

Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks Preview — Driving through the Death & Destruction

The Looted Wagon is your big, hulky, tank class of vehicle. While significantly slower than the other cars, the Looted Wagon makes a great last line of defence when trying to claim control or protect your Stompa in a game of Kill Konvoy. Finally, to round things out, the Rukkatrukk Squigbuggy, the only real support-styled vehicle, can heal teammates in an AoE when nearby, making it worthwhile to have around when in the heat of battle or securing points on the map.

Overall, the vehicle variety in Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks is solid, particularly for a free-to-play title. Every racer feels fun to control, with weapons that pack a punch and are satisfying to use against the opposing team. If you’re familiar with the source material, you’ll definitely appreciate the attention to detail Caged Element has put into adapting the board game for the screen.

Additionally, like most free-to-play affairs, Speed Freeks features a healthy amount of premium cosmetics that can be purchased with real money to deck your racers of choice further. It should also be noted that completing races will grant you EXP, which can, in turn, be used to level up and earn some free goodies, making it a fair and fun balance for all.

Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks Preview — Driving through the Death & Destruction

If there was one point of concern or criticism I have towards Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks, it would be its map variety. Although the game features a good number of various sandboxes to play in, most, if not all, maps feel fairly similar as far as mechanics and stage hazards go, something I hope evolves as the game matures.

Ultimately, Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks is coming together nicely, making it a worthwhile vehicular combat experience worth checking out for fans of not only the source material but also for those who miss the niche and woefully underappreciated genre of car-based carnage.

  • ✇Buy Cheap PS4 Games BuyGames
  • Ride 5: A Gamer's Paradise of Racing Excitementnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)
    Ah, the allure of RIDE 5, a siren's call to all those who crave the visceral sensation of hurtling down the asphalt at breakneck speeds. Whether it's the blinding rays of a scorching sun or the relentless barrage of raindrops, the visual spectacle is nothing short of jaw-dropping. In a game where every pixel matters, RIDE 5 delivers a sensory onslaught that's nothing short of breathtaking. The thrill of jockeying for position, the satisfaction of overtaking a rival on that final lap—it's all her
     

Ride 5: A Gamer's Paradise of Racing Excitement

Ah, the allure of RIDE 5, a siren's call to all those who crave the visceral sensation of hurtling down the asphalt at breakneck speeds. Whether it's the blinding rays of a scorching sun or the relentless barrage of raindrops, the visual spectacle is nothing short of jaw-dropping. In a game where every pixel matters, RIDE 5 delivers a sensory onslaught that's nothing short of breathtaking.

Riding a fully customized bike through Ride 5's urban jungle.

The thrill of jockeying for position, the satisfaction of overtaking a rival on that final lap—it's all here. If you like to buy cheap PS5 games, RIDE 5 is the best racing game you can find in that price bracket. Now, while RIDE 5 is undeniably a fantastic racing game, it's not without its share of challenges. Just like a daring rider on a hairpin turn, Milestone must navigate through some treacherous terrain to make this game truly flawless.

Difficulty Balancing: A Slippery Slope

One area that calls for immediate attention is the difficulty balancing. At times, it feels like a rollercoaster with abrupt ups and downs. While a certain degree of challenge is expected and even welcome, RIDE 5 occasionally teeters on the precipice of frustration. Still, I was happy to buy RIDE 5 for PlayStation. The potential is clearly there, there is no doubt about it, and the game is already at a very high level, even if not yet the best. With a few tweaks and adjustments, I believe that RIDE 5 could shoot for the first position, or at least move up to even greater heights than now.

AI Adaptability: A Stumbling Block

While they provide a decent challenge, there are moments when their behavior feels a tad too predictable. Racing against AI should be a dynamic and unpredictable experience, but in some races, it feels like I'm racing against a well-programmed script rather than sentient competitors. Injecting more variability and unpredictability into AI behavior would add a layer of excitement that's currently missing.

Unleashing Ride 5's roaring engine in a high-speed race.

Challenges Await

Imagine facing off against a formidable opponent in a head-to-head race, both of you pushing your bikes to the limit. Do you want to buy PS5 racing games and race against human opponents in multiplayer mode or against AI in single-player mode? The tension in the air is palpable as you jockey for position, each twist and turn a calculated move in this high-stakes ballet of speed and strategy. Single-player challenges, a plethora of them in RIDE 5, will push your skills to the edge, making every victory a sweet symphony of triumph.

Career Celebrations: A Missed Opportunity

As I progress through my virtual racing career in Ride 5, there's a sense of accomplishment that accompanies each victory. However, this triumph is somewhat dampened by the game's approach to career celebrations. Instead of immersive post-race celebrations or podium moments, Ride 5 opts for static images of your in-game character, robbing you of the visceral satisfaction that comes with a hard-earned victory.

A Glimpse into the Future: The Potential of RIDE 5

Despite these minor hiccups, RIDE 5 is a testament to Milestone's commitment to delivering a top-tier motorcycle racing experience. Picture the thrill of crossing the finish line first, the crowd roaring in approval, and the taste of victory sweet on your lips. Unfortunately, Ride 5's career celebrations lack this sense of immersion and spectacle. With plenty of "pros" and a few "cons", this motorbike racing game should be on many players' radars. RIDE 5 is like a high-performance bike with a few scuffs that need buffing out. So, gear up, race on, and let the roar of the engine guide you through this high-speed journey.

  • ✇NekoJonez's Gaming Blog
  • First Impression: Another Code: Recollection (Switch) ~ The Remembering Of A RemakeNekoJonez
    Nintendo.co.uk microsite – Wikipedia page Next year, I’ll be blogging for 15 years. I have taken a look at quite a lot of games. Now, if you go back to the start of this blog, you might notice that I only started in May 2013. The three years before that, I wrote a personal life blog in my native language. I have since deleted that for personal reasons and started blogging in English in 2013. On my Dutch blog, I wrote an article about Another Code – Two Memories, but I haven’t written one
     

First Impression: Another Code: Recollection (Switch) ~ The Remembering Of A Remake

Od: NekoJonez
10. Březen 2024 v 15:12

Nintendo.co.uk micrositeWikipedia page

Next year, I’ll be blogging for 15 years. I have taken a look at quite a lot of games. Now, if you go back to the start of this blog, you might notice that I only started in May 2013. The three years before that, I wrote a personal life blog in my native language. I have since deleted that for personal reasons and started blogging in English in 2013. On my Dutch blog, I wrote an article about Another Code – Two Memories, but I haven’t written one for my English blog. Yet, I have mentioned it in 2014 in a top 25 list of my favorite DS games of all time. I have written an article on the Wii sequel called Another Code: R – A Journey Into Lost Memories in 2013. While my old articles aren’t up to my personal standards anymore, I still leave them up to see the growth I have gone through over the years. Now, these two titles became classics in my eyes. When Cing went under, I didn’t hold up hope of these games ever seeing a sequel or a remake. But, we got a big surprise this year. Suddenly, both games were coming to the Nintendo Switch and not only that, they were remade from the ground up. Did these two games grow like I did in my writing, or is it something that should be better left to the past? Well, that’s what I’m going to discover with you in this article. Feel free to leave a comment in the comment section with your thoughts and/or opinions on the game and/or the content of the article, but now, let’s dive right in.

Editorial note: shameless self-promotion: if you want to see me and my buddy Klamath playing through this title… We started streaming it. So, more opinions can be found in the streams. Here is a link to the playlist.

The Remembering Of A Remake

In this game, we follow the adventures of Ashley Mizuki Robins. In the first part of the game, Ashley got a letter from her presumed dead father to come to Blood Edward island to meet him on the day right before her 14th birthday. On that journey, she meets a ghost named D, who has lost his memories.

In the second part of the game, we fast-forward two years. Ashley takes a camping trip to a lake. When she arrives at lake Juliet, she gets flashbacks from when she was very little. Not only that, she meets a young boy whose father wanted to build a holiday resort at that lake but was blamed for the pollution of the lake.

Since this game is a point-and-click game and is quite story depended, I’m not going to talk more about the story than the two small blurbs above. In terms of the story, this game tells a very heartfelt story with very nice life lessons. The writing in this game is extremely well done. The build up towards the ending of the story is very natural and stays true to the themes of the game. The biggest theme in this game is memories and history. Overall, this game is quite relaxing, and the story is never really in a rush to move forward.

New in this version is that there is voice acting. While not the whole game is voice acted, most of it is and the non voice acted scenes have little grunts and vocalizations to indicate the emotions of what’s being told. I have to say that the voice acting in this game is fantastic. I wish the voice actors of this game had more of an online presence, since I had a hard time finding other works by these voice actors. The fact that these voice actors didn’t really promote that they worked on this game on their socials is a shame.

The voice acting in this game brings so much charm to the game. For this article, I replayed parts of the original DS and Wii game and I kept hearing those characters talk in the voice of the remakes. They fit the characters like a glove, which is a hard thing to do since when you have voiceless characters… Everybody has their voice in their head, and that doesn’t always match up with the official voice acting.

Now, in terms of differences between the original games and this remake… There are quite a lot of things. On the Cing wiki, there is a long list of changes. But I would highly advise you don’t read that before you finished the game. Since, it contains a lot of spoilers. I can say this without spoiling anything. The list of changes on the game article page has no real spoilers. If you haven’t played the originals, you won’t really notice a lot of the changes. Especially because most of the changes are done to improve the flow of the game and the story. Other changes have been done because some puzzles used the special features of the Nintendo DS or the Nintendo Wii in unique ways.

Arc System Works worked together with several members of the original development team, and I have to say that it really feels like this is the definitive way to experience these stories. Both stories now flow into each other, and it feels more like one big story. If you didn’t know better, you could think it’s just one huge game with those major chapters. They have done an amazing job of translating the story into a modern area without destroying the original messages and atmosphere of the story.

Fuzzy memories make imperfections

In terms of visuals, this game goes for a cel shaded look. This makes the remake of the original DS game look more in line with the Wii title. In the original DS game, the game was played as a top-down puzzle game, with some moments you could see a 2D scene that you could explore.

Visually, this game is quite detailed and looks amazing. Yet, I have noticed some rough models here and there. A book here, a window there. Some of them really stick out like a sore thumb. Now, I might be very critical on these things since I review games as a hobby. But let me tell you this as well. Overall, this game looks amazing. Timeless even. There are only a handful of objects that could use some touching up.

I have the same opinion on the animations. Overall, the animations are fantastic. Seeing the first game in 3D was breathtaking. It brought the game to life in such a different way, and I’m all for it. There were a few stiff animations, but if you aren’t looking for them, I can guarantee you that you won’t notice most of them. I especially love the comic book style cutscenes where the characters speaking go inside their own square next to each other. The animations in these cutscenes add some charm to this game, it makes the more relaxing nature of this game shine even brighter.

The controls of this game are excellent. Sometimes the motion control puzzles are a little bit wonky, but overall they work perfectly. The only thing I really don’t like is how, by the press of a button, you can see the orientation of Ashley. Now, what do I dislike about this? Well, it has a sort of build in walkthrough attached to it. This is something that’s too easily accessible, and I have pressed the button too many times.

Something I’m mixed about is how the additional lore spots are now somewhat easier to find. In the original DS game, you could find special cartridges with additional story lore on them. In this game, the hiding spot is located on your map. So, if you have missed one, you can quickly see on your map in which room you need to look. Now, some of them are hidden in very tricky places. During the stream, I have seen Klamath walk past two of them several times. If you want all the additional lore, you will have to keep your eyes peeled.

If you have played any point-and-click adventure game, you’ll know what to expect here. Personally, I compare this game quite a lot to Broken Sword 3, but without the platforming. You can explore the environment, and you have to solve various puzzles. Something unique is that you can also take pictures. And let me tell you, keep every mechanic the game teaches you in mind. The fact you can take pictures is something that is going to be quite helpful during the solving of the puzzles.

The only complaint I have is that solving some puzzles have a bit too much menu work involved. I especially remember one puzzle in the first part of the game where you have to weigh coins. Instead of them being all five on the table, you have to take them from your inventory each and every time. And the annoying part is that the last two you used, move to the last spot in your inventory. There are a handful of puzzles where some quality of life improvements would be very welcome.

Relaxing with puzzles

There are some amazing new features in this game as well. One of my favorite things is that you can access a big board where all the relationships between the characters are mapped out. Not only that, when you open the profile, you can read a small note about them. If you click on Ashley’s profile, you will read a small hint on what to do next. So, if you put this game down for a while, you can catch yourself up quite quickly.

Also, something I adore is the attention to detail in this game. For example, in one of the puzzles, Ashley digs into a building blocks box. After she found what she was looking for, you will notice a small building she built next to the box with the blocks she took out. There are various other moments like this, and it adds to the charm and realism of this game quite a lot.

The more relaxing nature of this game not only comes through the visuals and gameplay, but also through the music. The music in this game is a rather calming and relaxing soundtrack. The main motive is piano through the whole soundtrack. Other major instruments are violin and acoustic guitar. The soundtracks fit this game like a glove. Now, it is tense when it needs to be, but it never steps out of its lane. It keeps being that relaxing soundtracks that brings this game more to life, and I have no complaints about it.

The biggest strength of this game is the charm of it all. The writing, the music, the sound effects, the puzzles… It all flows together so well. While the game is only roughly 15 hours long, if you know what you are doing, it’s a very enjoyable time to play through. In this remake, the game also auto saves now but outside of cutscenes, you can save at any time in 15 different save slots.

Currently, I’m over midway in the second part of the game and I have been enjoying it quite a lot. While the game has it’s minor shortcomings like some rough object models and some annoying menu’ing during puzzles… I’m falling in love with these titles all over again. If you would ask me if the remakes or the originals are better, I’d have to say both. Both versions still have their charm but if you want to experience both these titles, I’d really advice to go for the Switch version. Since, it brings both titles together in a lot better way.

I mostly have minor complaints about these remakes. Like how silly it is that you can only have ten pictures saved and deleting them is a bit too fincky. But overall, the issues I have with this game are mostly minor. Maybe a bit more time in the oven or a polishing patch will bring this game to perfection.

A lot of other reviewers are giving this game lower marks since it’s slower paced or it’s a remake of a rather obscure duology. I personally disagree with these lower scores. These two games deserve another chance in the lime light since they are quite amazing games. I personally don’t mind the slower paced gameplay, since it’s refreshing to be able to wind down with a slower game. On top of that, if you look at the care the developers put into remaking this game and bringing it to modern audiences while not chaging too much to alienate fans of the original is such a fine line to walk on… And they never fell off that line in my opinion.

I can totally understand that this game isn’t everybody’s cup of tea. But, the complaints that this game is linear and doesn’t have a lot of replay value, I find ridiculous. I mean, does every game need to have a lot of replay value and let you explore a wide open world? No, it’s okay to play a game where you need to go from point A to B. It’s okay that the story looses some of it’s charm because you know how it’s going to end. It’s how that experience impacts you, that’s what matters.

The reason why I’m so happy to see remakes of these DS and Wii titles is because we now have remakes of amazing titles like this one and Ghost Trick for example. Now, because these two games have been remade, I’m holding out hope that Cing’s other titles like the amazing Hotel Dusk and it’s sequels are being remade as well. And if they are, I hope the same team is working on them since the love and care they placed into remaking these two titles is amazing.

I remember Klamath’s reaction when I suggested this game for streaming. He was worried that it was going to have low numbers and not a lot of interest. But, after our first stream, he started calling this game a hidden gem. I mean, if this game can have that kind of an impact on somebody who loves point-and-click games and the fact that we had a very high number of viewers watching our streams, it must mean something.

This game has a lot of impact and I hope that others who enjoy puzzle, adventure and/or point-and-click games give this game a chance. It’s something different especially since it’s slower paced but if you let it take you by the hand and if you walk along the journey, you won’t regret the powerful journey you are going on. It’s a journey that will stick with you and sometimes a memory will pop back into your head. You’ll remember the fun and relaxing times you had with this game. While the game isn’t perfect, the positives far outweigh the negatives and it’s one of those games where going along with the ride is the most important. Since, the ride of this game is one of the best point-and-click games I have ever played.

And with that said, I have said everything I wanted to say about this game for now. I want to thank you so much for reading this article and I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I’m curious to hear what you thought about this game and/or the content of this article. So, feel free to leave a comment in the comment section down below. I also hope to welcome you in another article, but until then have a great rest of your day and take care.

  • ✇Classic-Games.net
  • Looney Tunes: Space Racelordmrw
    Developer: Melbourne House    Publisher: Infogrames    Release: 11/28/00   Genre: Racing Despite its short life the Dreamcast managed to receive a few kart racing games as the genre was exploding in popularity. And to be completely honest they are all bad.... The post Looney Tunes: Space Race appeared first on Classic-Games.net.
     

Looney Tunes: Space Race

Od: lordmrw
22. Červenec 2024 v 13:43

Developer: Melbourne House    Publisher: Infogrames    Release: 11/28/00   Genre: Racing Despite its short life the Dreamcast managed to receive a few kart racing games as the genre was exploding in popularity. And to be completely honest they are all bad....

The post Looney Tunes: Space Race appeared first on Classic-Games.net.

Does a game being 'mobile-first' limit the amount a developer can charge on console?

Some of the biggest titles of the past few years have demonstrated that mobile platforms do not need to be a lesser alternative to a title's home console editions.

Genshin Impact – consistently one of the most popular action-adventure games with gacha elements on the market – was simultaneously released for Android, iOS, PlayStation 4, and PC in September 2020, and for PlayStation 5 a year later. Other titles from major IP holders are now set to have simultaneous releases across both home consoles, PC, and mobile devices.

That is the result of increasing parity in performance between devices, and companies like Netflix investing heavily in bringing games to mobile devices through its app. Games like the upcoming Tales of the Shire are set to release on Netflix on day one, and the recently-released Paper Trail also launched simultaneously on the platform and on PC/consoles.

Read more

  • ✇Eurogamer.net
  • Wreckfest 2, Darksiders tease, Gothic 1 Remake gameplay, and everything else from THQ Nordic's showcaseMatt Wales
    Somehow, it's that time of the year again already! THQ Nordic's annual gaming showcase has returned to offer a look at its upcoming slate of releases, both previously known and newly announced. This time around, the long-awaited Gothic 1 Remake and Titan Quest 2 both got gameplay reveals, and Epic Mickey: Rebrushed popped up to remind us all it's coming out relatively soon. As for the new stuff, Wreckfest is getting a sequel, Little Nightmares studio Tarsier's creepy new game has been teased (
     

Wreckfest 2, Darksiders tease, Gothic 1 Remake gameplay, and everything else from THQ Nordic's showcase

2. Srpen 2024 v 21:35

Somehow, it's that time of the year again already! THQ Nordic's annual gaming showcase has returned to offer a look at its upcoming slate of releases, both previously known and newly announced. This time around, the long-awaited Gothic 1 Remake and Titan Quest 2 both got gameplay reveals, and Epic Mickey: Rebrushed popped up to remind us all it's coming out relatively soon. As for the new stuff, Wreckfest is getting a sequel, Little Nightmares studio Tarsier's creepy new game has been teased (as has a new Darksiders), while strikingly animated platforming adventure The Eternal Life of Goldman looks like a real gem.

So if you didn't catch the showcase and are curious to see what you missed, you'll find a full round-up - augmented by a few additional details from an earlier press briefing - below.

We were big fans of 2018 demolition derby racer Wreckfest ("Wreckfest offers primal pleasures," wrote Martin Robinson, "with little by way of pretension), and developer Bugbear Entertainment is ready to do it all over again in the newly announced Wreckfest 2. Details are relatively scant at this early juncture, but it promises "unmatched deformation and physical damage models" as its high-octane single-player and multiplayer racing unfolds.

Read more

  • ✇Eurogamer.net
  • Thrasher feels like a psychedelic cross between Fruit Ninja Kinect and Child of EdenIan Higton
    Remember the Kinect? Back when it was known as 'Project Natal' I had some pretty lofty hopes for the tech. To be fair, those hopes were probably made a little more lofty by some tech demos that were, well, let's just say... slightly economical with the truth.When Kinect came out it was a big bag of broken, but, there were some games on there that came close to greatness. I had a whale of a time with Fruit Ninja Kinect and would often whip it out (ooer) at house parties, while Ubisoft's Child of
     

Thrasher feels like a psychedelic cross between Fruit Ninja Kinect and Child of Eden

28. Červenec 2024 v 15:00

Remember the Kinect? Back when it was known as 'Project Natal' I had some pretty lofty hopes for the tech. To be fair, those hopes were probably made a little more lofty by some tech demos that were, well, let's just say... slightly economical with the truth.

When Kinect came out it was a big bag of broken, but, there were some games on there that came close to greatness. I had a whale of a time with Fruit Ninja Kinect and would often whip it out (ooer) at house parties, while Ubisoft's Child of Eden was a certified banger.

And that leads me on to Thrasher, the spiritual successor to Thumper, which has just released on Meta Quest and Apple Vision Pro. As you'll see in this week's episode of VR Corner, Thrasher eschews Thumper's industrially soundtracked uphill toboggan ride of doom and instead opts for a gameplay loop that is one part Fruit Ninja and one part Child of Eden. With a bit of Jeff Minter-y psychedelia thrown in for good measure too.

Read more

  • ✇Free Gamer - Open Source Games (Free/Libre)
  • Yorg 0.11 released, now with split-screen multiplayer!Julius
    Yorg, the Panda3D based arcade racer has been updated to version 0.11 which includes some long awaited features. Most notably split-screen multiplayer: Really cool is also the new controller support and awesome particle effects (a pet-peeve of mine in previous versions ;) ). Add to that some significant performance improvements due to an update to the latest version of Panda3d. Read the full release announcement on the Yorg website here. And download it from itch.io. Comment on this in our
     

Yorg 0.11 released, now with split-screen multiplayer!

Yorg, the Panda3D based arcade racer has been updated to version 0.11 which includes some long awaited features. Most notably split-screen multiplayer:


Really cool is also the new controller support and awesome particle effects (a pet-peeve of mine in previous versions ;) ).
Add to that some significant performance improvements due to an update to the latest version of Panda3d.

Read the full release announcement on the Yorg website here. And download it from itch.io.

Comment on this in our forums here.

This post was retrieved from freegamer.blogspot.com.

  • ✇Free Gamer - Open Source Games (Free/Libre)
  • SuperTuxKart 1.0 releaseJulius
    It's been a long and winding road for mascot racer SuperTuxKart, but after more than ten years of continuous and dedicated progress, the team has finally announced the release of build 1.0, marking an important development milestone for the project.  As quoted from the official release post: Yes, if you have followed our development a bit, that might be a bit of a surprise. But we have been asked why we don't call this release 1.0, and the majority of us developers discussed this and decid
     

SuperTuxKart 1.0 release


It's been a long and winding road for mascot racer SuperTuxKart, but after more than ten years of continuous and dedicated progress, the team has finally announced the release of build 1.0, marking an important development milestone for the project.

 As quoted from the official release post:

Yes, if you have followed our development a bit, that might be a bit of a surprise. But we have been asked why we don't call this release 1.0, and the majority of us developers discussed this and decided that indeed this release is a major milestone that deserves the big 1.0 number.

Indeed a nice surprise and definitely a big step forward with the inclusion of online multiplayer!

See more new features in the official release video:



As usual you can download the game here. Also don't forget to head over to our forums to provide some feedback to the developers.


Code License: GPLv3
Assets License:
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0

This post was retrieved from freegamer.blogspot.com.

Highlights from HPG Conference 2024: Four exciting new research papers

5. Srpen 2024 v 20:48

AMD GPUOpen - Graphics and game developer resources

Learn more about our award-winning new papers covering HIP RT, ray tracing, geometry compression, and procedural generation with work graphs.

The post Highlights from HPG Conference 2024: Four exciting new research papers appeared first on AMD GPUOpen.

  • ✇Ars Technica - All content
  • Path to precision: Targeted cancer drugs go from table to trials to bedsideBeth Mole
    Enlarge (credit: Aurich Lawson) In 1972, Janet Rowley sat at her dining room table and cut tiny chromosomes from photographs she had taken in her laboratory. One by one, she snipped out the small figures her children teasingly called paper dolls. She then carefully laid them out in 23 matching pairs—and warned her kids not to sneeze. The physician-scientist had just mastered a new chromosome-staining technique in a year-long sabbatical at Oxford. But it was in the dining room
     

Path to precision: Targeted cancer drugs go from table to trials to bedside

Od: Beth Mole
5. Srpen 2024 v 13:00
Path to precision: Targeted cancer drugs go from table to trials to bedside

Enlarge (credit: Aurich Lawson)

In 1972, Janet Rowley sat at her dining room table and cut tiny chromosomes from photographs she had taken in her laboratory. One by one, she snipped out the small figures her children teasingly called paper dolls. She then carefully laid them out in 23 matching pairs—and warned her kids not to sneeze.

The physician-scientist had just mastered a new chromosome-staining technique in a year-long sabbatical at Oxford. But it was in the dining room of her Chicago home where she made the discovery that would dramatically alter the course of cancer research.

Read 29 remaining paragraphs | Comments

  • ✇Eurogamer.net
  • Wreckfest 2, Darksiders tease, Gothic 1 Remake gameplay, and everything else from THQ Nordic's showcaseMatt Wales
    Somehow, it's that time of the year again already! THQ Nordic's annual gaming showcase has returned to offer a look at its upcoming slate of releases, both previously known and newly announced. This time around, the long-awaited Gothic 1 Remake and Titan Quest 2 both got gameplay reveals, and Epic Mickey: Rebrushed popped up to remind us all it's coming out relatively soon. As for the new stuff, Wreckfest is getting a sequel, Little Nightmares studio Tarsier's creepy new game has been teased (
     

Wreckfest 2, Darksiders tease, Gothic 1 Remake gameplay, and everything else from THQ Nordic's showcase

2. Srpen 2024 v 21:35

Somehow, it's that time of the year again already! THQ Nordic's annual gaming showcase has returned to offer a look at its upcoming slate of releases, both previously known and newly announced. This time around, the long-awaited Gothic 1 Remake and Titan Quest 2 both got gameplay reveals, and Epic Mickey: Rebrushed popped up to remind us all it's coming out relatively soon. As for the new stuff, Wreckfest is getting a sequel, Little Nightmares studio Tarsier's creepy new game has been teased (as has a new Darksiders), while strikingly animated platforming adventure The Eternal Life of Goldman looks like a real gem.

So if you didn't catch the showcase and are curious to see what you missed, you'll find a full round-up - augmented by a few additional details from an earlier press briefing - below.

We were big fans of 2018 demolition derby racer Wreckfest ("Wreckfest offers primal pleasures," wrote Martin Robinson, "with little by way of pretension), and developer Bugbear Entertainment is ready to do it all over again in the newly announced Wreckfest 2. Details are relatively scant at this early juncture, but it promises "unmatched deformation and physical damage models" as its high-octane single-player and multiplayer racing unfolds.

Read more

  • ✇Eurogamer.net
  • Thrasher feels like a psychedelic cross between Fruit Ninja Kinect and Child of EdenIan Higton
    Remember the Kinect? Back when it was known as 'Project Natal' I had some pretty lofty hopes for the tech. To be fair, those hopes were probably made a little more lofty by some tech demos that were, well, let's just say... slightly economical with the truth.When Kinect came out it was a big bag of broken, but, there were some games on there that came close to greatness. I had a whale of a time with Fruit Ninja Kinect and would often whip it out (ooer) at house parties, while Ubisoft's Child of
     

Thrasher feels like a psychedelic cross between Fruit Ninja Kinect and Child of Eden

28. Červenec 2024 v 15:00

Remember the Kinect? Back when it was known as 'Project Natal' I had some pretty lofty hopes for the tech. To be fair, those hopes were probably made a little more lofty by some tech demos that were, well, let's just say... slightly economical with the truth.

When Kinect came out it was a big bag of broken, but, there were some games on there that came close to greatness. I had a whale of a time with Fruit Ninja Kinect and would often whip it out (ooer) at house parties, while Ubisoft's Child of Eden was a certified banger.

And that leads me on to Thrasher, the spiritual successor to Thumper, which has just released on Meta Quest and Apple Vision Pro. As you'll see in this week's episode of VR Corner, Thrasher eschews Thumper's industrially soundtracked uphill toboggan ride of doom and instead opts for a gameplay loop that is one part Fruit Ninja and one part Child of Eden. With a bit of Jeff Minter-y psychedelia thrown in for good measure too.

Read more

  • ✇Eurogamer.net
  • Gaming's most serious racing sim Gran Turismo 7 has a seriously funny bugVikki Blake
    Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No! It's a car in Gran Turismo 7.Gran Turismo 7 players have flocked to social media to share examples of, uh, unusual driving physics after the racer's 1.49 update added a new setting that seemingly fills vehicles with helium.Where developer Polyphony Digital had hoped to introduce "more natural weight" for players, cars are instead launching themselves into the air, making for some extraordinarily amusing clips: Read more
     

Gaming's most serious racing sim Gran Turismo 7 has a seriously funny bug

26. Červenec 2024 v 12:14

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No! It's a car in Gran Turismo 7.

Gran Turismo 7 players have flocked to social media to share examples of, uh, unusual driving physics after the racer's 1.49 update added a new setting that seemingly fills vehicles with helium.

Where developer Polyphony Digital had hoped to introduce "more natural weight" for players, cars are instead launching themselves into the air, making for some extraordinarily amusing clips:

Read more

  • ✇Free Gamer - Open Source Games (Free/Libre)
  • Yorg 0.11 released, now with split-screen multiplayer!Julius
    Yorg, the Panda3D based arcade racer has been updated to version 0.11 which includes some long awaited features. Most notably split-screen multiplayer: Really cool is also the new controller support and awesome particle effects (a pet-peeve of mine in previous versions ;) ). Add to that some significant performance improvements due to an update to the latest version of Panda3d. Read the full release announcement on the Yorg website here. And download it from itch.io. Comment on this in our
     

Yorg 0.11 released, now with split-screen multiplayer!

Yorg, the Panda3D based arcade racer has been updated to version 0.11 which includes some long awaited features. Most notably split-screen multiplayer:


Really cool is also the new controller support and awesome particle effects (a pet-peeve of mine in previous versions ;) ).
Add to that some significant performance improvements due to an update to the latest version of Panda3d.

Read the full release announcement on the Yorg website here. And download it from itch.io.

Comment on this in our forums here.

This post was retrieved from freegamer.blogspot.com.

  • ✇Free Gamer - Open Source Games (Free/Libre)
  • SuperTuxKart 1.0 releaseJulius
    It's been a long and winding road for mascot racer SuperTuxKart, but after more than ten years of continuous and dedicated progress, the team has finally announced the release of build 1.0, marking an important development milestone for the project.  As quoted from the official release post: Yes, if you have followed our development a bit, that might be a bit of a surprise. But we have been asked why we don't call this release 1.0, and the majority of us developers discussed this and decid
     

SuperTuxKart 1.0 release


It's been a long and winding road for mascot racer SuperTuxKart, but after more than ten years of continuous and dedicated progress, the team has finally announced the release of build 1.0, marking an important development milestone for the project.

 As quoted from the official release post:

Yes, if you have followed our development a bit, that might be a bit of a surprise. But we have been asked why we don't call this release 1.0, and the majority of us developers discussed this and decided that indeed this release is a major milestone that deserves the big 1.0 number.

Indeed a nice surprise and definitely a big step forward with the inclusion of online multiplayer!

See more new features in the official release video:



As usual you can download the game here. Also don't forget to head over to our forums to provide some feedback to the developers.


Code License: GPLv3
Assets License:
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0

This post was retrieved from freegamer.blogspot.com.

Wreckfest 2 Finally Revealed – Bugbear’s second Symphony of Destruction is coming after 10 years

Od: Petko
3. Srpen 2024 v 15:16

Ten years since the release of the wild destruction races, we get the announcement of Wreckfest 2. The sequel promises an unrivaled damage model and a lot of game modes. Fans of destruction on wheels will enjoy the closed tracks where the rules of the road don’t apply. You can push, demolish, and blast your opponents, but you have to be careful not to damage your car too much.

Wreckfest 2 Official Trailer

Next-Level Destruction Dynamics

At THQ’s press presentation, they revealed that in addition to the damage simulation, the audio side has also moved on. The sound should be on a whole new level and you should even be able to tell by the sound what and where in the car is clicking or squeaking, banging, and where things could potentially have problems or damaged parts.

You can also use the rumored detailed editor. Of course, not only are there different colors and liveries, but the car can be “enhanced” with various other effects like rust and mud. We don’t know the release date of Wreckfest 2 yet, all we know is that it will be released on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. In the meantime, you can check out the link to my earlier review of the first installment of this great game, and possibly buy and play it, which I highly recommend.

The post Wreckfest 2 Finally Revealed – Bugbear’s second Symphony of Destruction is coming after 10 years appeared first on WePlayGames.net: Home for Top Gamers.

  • ✇WePlayGames.net: Home for all Gamers
  • The Crew 2 Multi-Discipline Motorsport Across The United StatesPetko
    Title: The Crew 2Type of Game: Arcade RacingDeveloper: Ivory TowerPublisher: UbisoftReleased: June 29, 2018Platforms Available: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC GamePlatform Reviewed: PlayStation 4Level of Maturity: T (Teen)Reading Time: 8 minutes While the first installment in the 2015 racing series The Crew aimed to be a racing MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game), the second installment, three years later, expands the possibilities of the huge world to include boats, planes,
     

The Crew 2 Multi-Discipline Motorsport Across The United States

Od: Petko
1. Srpen 2024 v 12:14

Title: The Crew 2
Type of Game: Arcade Racing
Developer: Ivory Tower
Publisher: Ubisoft
Released: June 29, 2018
Platforms Available: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC Game
Platform Reviewed: PlayStation 4
Level of Maturity: T (Teen)
Reading Time: 8 minutes

While the first installment in the 2015 racing series The Crew aimed to be a racing MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game), the second installment, three years later, expands the possibilities of the huge world to include boats, planes, and a variety of disciplines. Once again, we’re driving around a smaller version of the United States, but all the big cities and most famous landmarks are on display, such as the Statue of Liberty and the Mount Rushmore monument with presidents carved into the rock. Although the developers haven’t admitted it, The Crew 2 is essentially a reboot of the original game.

And while everything didn’t turn out perfectly, it’s better in every way. While I wasn’t able to get into the first game, I played roughly forty hours in the second game for the platinum trophy, and I didn’t even use half of the game’s content. The game struck me from the start as somewhat related to the top-tier Forza Horizon series. Both games share an open game world and freedom, but here it’s a cheaper and lighter version. Forza Horizon can be described as a simcade, and as a result, strikes me as more of a “celebration of motoring” than the proclaimed tagline of The Crew 2.

Arcade Bliss: Playfulness at its Core

The Crew 2, on the other hand, is an arcade to the core, with not only a number of disciplines but also plenty of challenges such as slalom, escape, and traversing a speed trap at top speed, as well as my very favorite drifts, which I simply fell in love with. You can then instantly see how you are doing compared to players from all over the world. The Crew 2 is more playful in this regard, whether it’s just for fun randomly around the map or in the various ranked activities. Another strong point is the powerful photo mode, where you can view and edit the last few minutes. There are really a lot of options, from changing weather, time, and filters to exposure, transport, and more.

Diverse Disciplines and Endless Customization

All the activities in the game are hidden into four main Hubs: Street Racing, Offroad, Freestyle, and Pro Racing. There’s classic street racing, motocross, rallying, aerobatics, boat racing, formula racing, and monster trucks. Of course, not everything is accessible at the start; you unlock new disciplines and additional challenges as you play. The game’s storyline is quite modest and it’s all about you as a driver who gradually becomes a star, this aspect of the game is spiced up by gaining followers on social media. Not to worry though, it’s a completely traditional experience points, just named differently.

Followers are gained not only after completing a race, but also when performing various tricks, jumps, and other stunts while moving freely in the game world. Once you reach the Icon level, the entire game opens up before you, including advanced car customization options such as traction, ABS, brake balancing… if anyone was looking for something like that here. As far as car brands go, there really are a lot of options to choose from, and along with a decent engine and car sound system overall, there’s not too much to complain about.

A Jack of All Trades: The Game’s Strength and Weakness

Ironically, the broad scope of the game can also be seen as a barrier. While there are motorbikes and aerobatics in planes, if you’re only interested in street racing, for example, The Crew 2 isn’t for you. There’s a bit of everything in the game, but the discipline in question doesn’t logically stand in for a full game in that category. Of course, not all of the disciplines suited me 100% either, but I enjoyed most of them, so the progression through the game was smooth. So nothing will happen if you ignore two or three disciplines completely. I mostly enjoy the aforementioned drifting discipline or the regular bike races and off-road in the vast countryside, which includes adrenaline rushes through checkpoints, racing on and off the motocross track, and, relatively speaking, rallying.

Immersive Exploration: A Seamless Open World

Omitting the opening long loading (played on PS4), in free mode you can drive across the entire United States without a loading screen. Meanwhile, you can zoom in and out of the entire map smoothly, Google Maps style, which looks incredibly cool. The smaller villages and countryside look great, the cities feel a bit sterile and bland at times, but it’s enough for adrenaline rushes. The map also comes in handy when completing photo challenges. If you’re in the location of a landmark, near an animal or other points of interest, the game will offer you the chance to complete a challenge. Simply switch to photo mode, meet the conditions (for example, jump on a motorbike with a view of the moon), and press the camera shutter.

Smart Navigation and Customization

However, you can complete challenges in a targeted manner, which is what the great map is for. By the way, you don’t just have to find activities on the map. You can easily view all of them together through bookmarks directly from the menu and launch them right away. Or rather, the game will take you from the menu to the start of the event. You can then admire and, more importantly, modify your car fleet from your headquarters in Miami. Completing activities earns you random pieces of equipment, which you use to gradually upgrade your car fleet. For cars, this includes top speed, engine power, braking distance, etc. The new parts are triple quality. The moment you have sufficiently upgraded your car, you can start performing activities at a higher difficulty.

Growing Prestige: From Beginner to Icon

When you reach the Icon level, you also gain points to invest in various areas, such as replenishing your nitro faster or increasing your chances of getting better gear. The in-game economy is set up quite reasonably. While there is dual currency, it’s optional as with Forza Horizon 3, the game certainly didn’t push me into anything. I would also have welcomed more types of AI opponent behavior, which is currently set up in such a way that in normal races your opponents are constantly on your back and it’s relatively difficult to outrun them in the lower car classes. This wasn’t a problem in the supersport though. My last small complaint concerns inconsistent collisions: for some objects, the game is benevolent, for others, it stops you almost immediately. This mainly concerns cities, in the countryside I find the physics set up well.

Verdict: An Entertaining Mixed Bag

The Crew 2 is an arcade game to the very depths of the soul, allowing you to have pure fun in the open world in a lot of disciplines. While it presents itself as an online game, I enjoyed it solo with the occasional live player I met in the open world. There was certainly no compulsion for me to play co-op. It’s not a perfect game, but it has its charms. And despite my general distaste for Ubisoft titles, I had a lot of fun, and the game especially with its variety of content and freedom on a large and nicely crafted map won me over.

Where to Buy The Crew 2

Steam (PC): The standard edition is available for $49.99, as well as the special edition, priced at $59.99.
STEAM SPECIAL PROMOTION!: Buy The Crew 2 Special Edition 80% off for 11,99€ offer ends 4 August
Xbox Store (Xbox One): The standard edition is available for $49.99, as well as the special edition, priced at $59.99.
PlayStation Store (PS4): The standard edition is available for $49.99, as well as the special edition, priced at $59.99.
Epic Games Store (PC): Special edition available for $59.99. Purchase it from the Epic Games Store.

Official Page: Visit the official The Crew 2 page for more information.
Subreddit: Join the discussion on the The Crew 2 Subreddit.

The post The Crew 2 Multi-Discipline Motorsport Across The United States appeared first on WePlayGames.net: Home for Top Gamers.

  • ✇WePlayGames.net: Home for all Gamers
  • Need for Speed: Heat – Chases In The Heat Of The NightPetko
    Title: Need for Speed: HeatType of Game: Arcade RacingDeveloper: Ghost GamesPublisher: Electronic ArtsReleased: November 8, 2019Platforms Available: PlayStation, Xbox, Pc GamePlatform Reviewed: PlayStation 5Level of Maturity: T for TeenReading Time: Approx. 9 minutes Reviving the Series with a New Twist Nothing special has ever been expected from a new Need for Speed game in recent years. Heat, however, is a surprisingly interesting title that unfortunately suffers from the same old proble
     

Need for Speed: Heat – Chases In The Heat Of The Night

Od: Petko
29. Červenec 2024 v 10:45

Title: Need for Speed: Heat
Type of Game: Arcade Racing
Developer: Ghost Games
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Released: November 8, 2019
Platforms Available: PlayStation, Xbox, Pc Game
Platform Reviewed: PlayStation 5
Level of Maturity: T for Teen
Reading Time: Approx. 9 minutes

Reviving the Series with a New Twist

Nothing special has ever been expected from a new Need for Speed game in recent years. Heat, however, is a surprisingly interesting title that unfortunately suffers from the same old problems. The Need for Speed brand has not been in good shape in recent years. Not even a controversially received reboot in 2015, which saw the return of tuning and street racing, could save the series. Two years later, the bad situation was exacerbated by the microtransaction-filled if otherwise quite acceptable Payback. No wonder no one was jumping in the air with joy after the announcement of Heat. Moreover, the previews before the release didn’t look very convincing. However, the result is not bad at all. But there are a number of big “BUTs”.

Need for Speed Heat Starting grid
Need for Speed Heat Starting grid

A Nod to the Franchise’s Legacy

In 2019 franchise celebrated 25 years since the release of the first installment when NFS: Heat was released. Forget about returning to the brand’s roots for this addition, though. The developers at Ghost Games are continuing in the same vein, once again targeting fans of Underground, Most Wanted and Carbon in particular. The main role is played by tuning, street racing, and chases with the police.

Tuning and Upgrades: A Double-Edged Sword

The upgrade options for individual cars are again robust and are undoubtedly one of the game’s plus points. In addition to the visual modifications, there is no shortage of performance ones, which were ruined by the lootbox system in the aforementioned Payback, for which EA deservedly received criticism. Thankfully, there are no lootboxes in Heat, so you won’t feel like you’re playing a free-to-play title anymore.

As for cars, the game offers a total of 127 models and 33 different brands, which is a decent shift from Payback, which “only” had 74 different cars. For example, a large group of Ferrari cars returns after some time. With these cars, Need for Speed Heat takes you to the fictional city of Palm City, which is inspired by Miami. To my disappointment, the developers have failed to bring the vibrancy and diversity of the big city into the game here. Traffic on the roads is sparse and the city as a whole feels very generic. In this respect, NFS has missed the time and the developers need to do something about this problem in the future.

Need for Speed Heat Palm City map
Need for Speed Heat Palm City map

The Visual Dichotomy: Day vs. Night

So the environment doesn’t look amazing, but at least it can be destroyed decently. The destruction of the landscape is significantly more extensive than before. The car easily destroys smaller trees, street lighting, fences, or other similar objects. A close-up view of falling palm trees to the ground might make you think it doesn’t look pretty, but in the frantic pace of racing, the destructibility of the environment is justified.

You’ll suffer most from the dead environment during the day. That’s also when the graphics don’t excel. The developers were obviously aware of this, so they tried to cover up the weaker textures and details with almost permanent rain outside. However, the potential of the Frostbite engine only really comes into its own at night, when the combination of lighting, raindrops, glare, and neon creates a nice atmospheric mix that’s very pretty to look at. The optimization deserves better care. This is because more tense scenes sometimes result in more pronounced frame drops and occasional game crashes.

Need for Speed Heat Off Road race stunts
Need for Speed Heat Off-Road Race Stunts

Dynamic Day-Night Cycle

The method of alternating day and night also plays an important role and is one of the main innovations of Heat. While during the day you’re racing legally on fixed tracks (but still on regular roads), at night you become an illegal street racer, driving through the streets of the city and its surrounding area in full traffic. What’s great is that you can easily switch the time of day almost any time you want as well. The game doesn’t push you into doing one type of race or another unnecessarily, which again is a nice change from earlier installments.

Need for Speed Heat hood view
Need for Speed Heat hood view

High-Stakes Police Pursuits

As always, the police play a very important role. During the day, you can run at the speed of sound around town and the police don’t care. At night, however, they’re after you whether you’re currently breaking the rules or not. The game’s economy is built on the regular alternation of day and night races. During the day, you win money with which you buy new cars and visual or performance upgrades.

At night, on the other hand, you collect respect points, which unlock cars and upgrades and allow you to progress through the story. After winning a regular day race, the money is added to your account and you never lose it again. At night, however, it’s not enough to finish first. Since fast travel is limited at this time, you also have to get rid of the police, who often join the race as well. If caught, you lose most of the earned respect points, which adds a certain sense of tension to the game.

Need for Speed Heat Chevrolet Corvette on Highway
Need for Speed Heat Chevrolet Corvette on Highway

Versatile Racing Experiences

In addition to the fun on closed tracks or between designated points, there are also the traditional drifts and rough off-road racing known as Payback. However, you’d be hard-pressed to find sprints. For different types of racing, it’s a good idea to play around with the car setup. Drivability or drifting can be largely adjusted simply by playing the game or buying the right parts from the garage.

The absolutely awful performance upgrade method from the last game has thankfully been abandoned by the developers. On the other hand, you have to expect a weak story with characters again. As expected, it revolves around the duel between racers and police officers. It’s a kind of classic filler between races, from which you’d better not expect anything. For the first time ever, you can choose and subsequently customize your own character. In a racing game, however, it’s understandably not a big deal.

Need for Speed Heat Chevrolet Corvette night drifts
Need for Speed Heat Chevrolet Corvette night drifts

The AI Conundrum

I would have much rather welcomed the better intelligence of the other racers. They, unlike the police, look quite foolish and sometimes illogically slow down or speed up. Their variability isn’t helped by a mere three difficulty levels. Need for Speed loses in this aspect too. I would also have welcomed a more varied soundtrack, the composition of which seems to me to be quite similar to the last few episodes without major changes. On the other hand, traditionally the soundscape is saved from my point of view by very solid car sounds.


Need-for-Speed-Heat Chevrolet Camaro at the gas station
Need-for-Speed-Heat Chevrolet Camaro at the gas station

Multiplayer and Final Thoughts

Traditionally, Need for Speed doesn’t lack an online part either. In multiplayer, there can be up to sixteen drivers on the map. Unless you have a group of friends to ride the world with together, there’s not much point in going into multiplayer without them. You can also play completely offline. Need for Speed Heat doesn’t bring any revolution. Only two years after the previous Playback, it wasn’t even to be expected. However, despite the limited time, the developers have managed to fix a few major issues that dragged the previous games down.

Need for Speed Heat Busted by the police at night
Need for Speed Heat Busted by the police at night

Final Drive

NFS is still a fun arcade game years later, with detailed tuning, aggressive police, and a fun driving model. Plus, unlike the last few installments, it doesn’t annoy you with unnecessary stuff and provides surprising freedom. However, the developers have fallen asleep on the spot in some areas, which is especially evident when looking at the world and story treatment.

Where To Buy Need For Speed: Heat

Steam (PC): Delux edition available for $69.99. You can purchase it directly from Steam.
Xbox Store (Xbox One): Available for $59.99. Check it out on the Xbox Store.
PlayStation Store (PS5): Available for $59.99. You can find it on the PlayStation Store.
Epic Games Store (PC): Delux Edition available for $69.99. Purchase it from the Epic Games Store.

Official Page: Visit the official Need for Speed: Heat page for more information.
Subreddit: Join the discussion on the Need for Speed Subreddit.

The post Need for Speed: Heat – Chases In The Heat Of The Night appeared first on WePlayGames.net: Home for Top Gamers.

  • ✇WePlayGames.net: Home for all Gamers
  • Asphalt Legends Unite: Arcade Racing Full of NostalgiaPetko
    Title: Asphalt Legends Unite (formerly Asphalt 9: Legends)Type of Game: RacingDeveloper: GameloftPublisher: GameloftReleased: February 26, 2018Platforms Available: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, iOS, AndroidPlatform Reviewed: PCLevel of Maturity: Everyone 10+Reading Time: 6 minutes Arcade Racing Reborn The era of frantic arcade racing is almost gone by now. Games like Forza Horizon and The Crew Motorfest may have taken the lead in this gaming area. Still, as g
     

Asphalt Legends Unite: Arcade Racing Full of Nostalgia

Od: Petko
24. Červenec 2024 v 18:45

Title: Asphalt Legends Unite (formerly Asphalt 9: Legends)
Type of Game: Racing
Developer: Gameloft
Publisher: Gameloft
Released: February 26, 2018
Platforms Available: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, iOS, Android
Platform Reviewed: PC
Level of Maturity: Everyone 10+
Reading Time: 6 minutes

Arcade Racing Reborn

The era of frantic arcade racing is almost gone by now. Games like Forza Horizon and The Crew Motorfest may have taken the lead in this gaming area. Still, as gamers, we miss the days of sliding our Ferrari F50 around corners at just the right angles, with a first or second-generation Sony console sitting on the shelf next to the TV, pumping blood through our veins under insane pressure, providing the perfect atmosphere. Asphalt Legends Unite, which came out a week or so ago on PlayStation 5, would be criminal to compare to classics of decades past, such as 2006’s OutRun, which I experienced (though certainly not at the original time of release per se). Still, it’s probably the closest comparison I could find to the PS5 of today.

Weplaygames.net Youtube Channel: Asphalt Legends Unite Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X finishing first

Free-to-Play Frenzy: The Microtransaction Minefield

The first major thing I’d start with is one big and hard-to-overlook negative (unsurprisingly): this is a free-to-play game, so there are loot boxes, card packs, microtransactions, and more at every turn. New cars are unlocked by collecting cards and earning duplicates to increase their stats, like Disney Speedstorm. You’re also limited by the petrol tank, which does regenerate over time. Still, you want to play for a long time. In that case, you need to have more cars because you can’t use the same one over and over, which, of course, also tempts you to pay for some of it from your actual wallet with bonus currency to refill that all-important petrol immediately if you don’t want to wait.

Asphalt Legends Unite Porsche Carrera 911 4 GTS
Asphalt Legends Unite Porsche Carrera 911 4 GTS

Gameplay That Defies Gravity

Now, on the other hand, for what you will surely enjoy. On the other hand, the gameplay is outstanding, at least by the standards of pure, unadulterated arcades. Tracks like San Francisco and the Himalayas are (in a good way) ridiculously oversaturated, with one race having you sprinting down a mountain. At the same time, hot air balloons fly above you. It captures that beloved nostalgia of “old school” titles. It’s not over the top, but the game won’t leave you sitting comfortably in your chair. Despite including real cars, the game defies physics quite a bit. Double-tapping the handbrake button will allow your car to rotate 360 degrees. You can pair this with a ramp, effectively spinning you in the air before landing. These tricks, including the classic drift, complement the vital turbo that often decides who gets to the finish line first. Tapping the button for a more robust version of the extra power at the right time for “Perfect Nitro” will also add extra speed.

Weplaygames.net Youtube Channel: Asphalt Legends Unite Camaro LT

Tracks That Keep You Coming Back

As for the tracks above, while there aren’t many of them, they still manage to keep you entertained over and over again due to the absurd scenes that keep happening and the intense pace of the game. The car upgrade system is traditionally straightforward but adequate for a mobile game. You need to use the car often and gradually grind it out. The career, which is probably the most comprehensive part of the game, is in the spirit of constantly unlocking more and more repetitive race combinations, which are searched in about 10 identical locations. However, this is compensated by the pace mentioned above and the races’ intensity. Again, there’s quite a variety of tricks you’ll be performing across the races on your opponents. The repetitiveness will slap you in the face, but you’ll go through all the amazing action with hardly any real feeling.

Asphalt Legends Unite Porshe on 1st place
Asphalt Legends Unite Porshe on 1st place

Sonic Bliss which Steals the Show

Before the actual verdict, I’d like to mention Asphalt Legends Unite’s soundtrack, which is simply perfect and atmospheric and will suck you into an already frantic pace. Every song in the game is well-chosen and fits the game perfectly. We’re certainly not a fan of music from recent years, but here the music simply suited my taste. Rock, pop, and rap are the most represented here. No one genre overpowers another here; everything is balanced, specifically rap, which I generally don’t like. It was also excellent here, and I enjoyed it. No vulgarisms or anything like that. Just and only decent music. The music has become my favorite aspect of the game, which still keeps me glued to the monitor despite the overall traditional, straightforward mobile game concept, which I’m not used to as a regular PlayStation gamer. It’s a shame that the latest titles in the Need for Speed series don’t have this kind of music. The game world would be a more beautiful place right away.

Weplaygames.net Youtube Channel: Asphalt Legends Unite Nissan 370S

The Final Lap

The monetization may put off a lot of gamers. Still, the free-to-play format means anyone can jump in and enjoy the sheer absurdity of some tracks and cars. It’s a very action-packed, intense, and utterly absurd gameplay experience with phenomenal music that’s designed to be played in relatively short bursts, so if you’re craving something silly, simple, and utterly over-the-top to play after a grueling day at work, there aren’t many better options on the PS5. Sometimes, all a game needs is simple albeit silly fun, and Asphalt Legends Unite offers precisely that. I was initially going to give the game 70% at best, but the music of this game won me over, so finally, the rating is a little higher. Feel free to lynch me for this, but I stand by it! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I will move on.
Rating: 75%

Asphalt Legends Unite Lamborghini Drifting
Asphalt Legends Unite Lamborghini Drifting picture

Where to Buy Asphalt 9: Legends

Steam (PC): Available for free. You can download it directly from Steam.

Xbox Store (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S): Available for free. Check it out on the Xbox Store.

PlayStation Store (PS4, PS5): Available for free. You can find it on the PlayStation Store.

App Store (iOS): Available for free. Download it from the App Store.

Google Play (Android): Available for free. Purchase it from Google Play.

Epic Games Store (PC): Available for free. Purchase it from the Epic Games Store.

Official Page: Visit the official Asphalt 9: Legends page for more information.

Subreddit: Join the discussion on the Asphalt 9 Subreddit.

Weplaygames.net Youtube Channel: Asphalt Legends Unite Camaro LT Spinning

Asphalt Legends Unite Security Team Knockdown
Asphalt Legends Unite Security Team Knockdown

The post Asphalt Legends Unite: Arcade Racing Full of Nostalgia appeared first on WePlayGames.net: Home for Top Gamers.

  • ✇Semiconductor Engineering
  • MTJ-Based CRAM ArrayTechnical Paper Link
    A new technical paper titled “Experimental demonstration of magnetic tunnel junction-based computational random-access memory” was published by researchers at University of Minnesota and University of Arizona, Tucson. Abstract “The conventional computing paradigm struggles to fulfill the rapidly growing demands from emerging applications, especially those for machine intelligence because much of the power and energy is consumed by constant data transfers between logic and memory modules. A new p
     

MTJ-Based CRAM Array

A new technical paper titled “Experimental demonstration of magnetic tunnel junction-based computational random-access memory” was published by researchers at University of Minnesota and University of Arizona, Tucson.

Abstract

“The conventional computing paradigm struggles to fulfill the rapidly growing demands from emerging applications, especially those for machine intelligence because much of the power and energy is consumed by constant data transfers between logic and memory modules. A new paradigm, called “computational random-access memory (CRAM),” has emerged to address this fundamental limitation. CRAM performs logic operations directly using the memory cells themselves, without having the data ever leave the memory. The energy and performance benefits of CRAM for both conventional and emerging applications have been well established by prior numerical studies. However, there is a lack of experimental demonstration and study of CRAM to evaluate its computational accuracy, which is a realistic and application-critical metric for its technological feasibility and competitiveness. In this work, a CRAM array based on magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) is experimentally demonstrated. First, basic memory operations, as well as 2-, 3-, and 5-input logic operations, are studied. Then, a 1-bit full adder with two different designs is demonstrated. Based on the experimental results, a suite of models has been developed to characterize the accuracy of CRAM computation. Scalar addition, multiplication, and matrix multiplication, which are essential building blocks for many conventional and machine intelligence applications, are evaluated and show promising accuracy performance. With the confirmation of MTJ-based CRAM’s accuracy, there is a strong case that this technology will have a significant impact on power- and energy-demanding applications of machine intelligence.”

Find the technical paper here. Published July 2024.  Find the University of Minnesota’s news release here.

Lv, Y., Zink, B.R., Bloom, R.P. et al. Experimental demonstration of magnetic tunnel junction-based computational random-access memory. npj Unconv. Comput. 1, 3 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44335-024-00003-3.

The post MTJ-Based CRAM Array appeared first on Semiconductor Engineering.

  • ✇PCGamer latest
  • Car destruction lovers rejoice, Wreckfest 2 is on the way
    Wreckfest 2 was announced today, with developer Bubear and publisher THQ Nordic prepared to reprise the successful game where you race, sure, but also smash your car directly into other cars on purpose to win. Where other racing games whine and complain about cars going smash, Wreckfest does not. The announcement was made at today's THQ Nordic 2024 showcase.In the announcement trailer, a pensive driver-mechanic swaps between melodramatic brooding over his damage
     

Car destruction lovers rejoice, Wreckfest 2 is on the way

2. Srpen 2024 v 21:51

Wreckfest 2 was announced today, with developer Bubear and publisher THQ Nordic prepared to reprise the successful game where you race, sure, but also smash your car directly into other cars on purpose to win. Where other racing games whine and complain about cars going smash, Wreckfest does not. The announcement was made at today's THQ Nordic 2024 showcase.

In the announcement trailer, a pensive driver-mechanic swaps between melodramatic brooding over his damaged car and an in-game driver camera as he slings trash talk while barreling down a dusty track as other cars smash and sideswipe each other—before a particularly well-angled hit from another driver sends him rolling across the course.

Wreckfest 2 will have a revamped, remodeled physics engine set up to take advantage of modern hardware. That means, as the description says, "even higher crash fidelity, a deeper armor and damage system" and "more intricate component damage simulation" among many other improvements.

Wreckfest 2 is also emphasizing its game modes getting a revamp, starting with greater car customization. The career mode is described as "entirely reimagined" and that it "supports every playstyle on your mission to become the true champion." There will also be singleplayer challenges featuring vehicles that you should not try to put on a racetrack. It'll also have multiplayer, complete with skill-based matchmaking, and a local split-screen mode.

The first Wreckfest was notable back in 2018 because it's from the developers of the also-beloved also-car-smashing FlatOut series. It did pretty well for itself because of its robust physics simulation combined with its relatively serious tone, which the PC Gamer review of Wreckfest says is because it was—and still is—"unlike anything else in the genre."

Wreckfest 2 doesn't yet have a release date, but you can find more details on THQ Nordic's website and on Steam

© Bugbear Entertainment

  • ✇The Game Slush Pile
  • NeoSprint Steam Reviewmordridakon
    NeoSprint is a top down racer for Switch, Steam and other platforms. I reviewed the Steam version for this review. I found it fun, thought rough around the edges, too easy spin out and lose the race. But lets back up. There’s single player and multiplayer. In multiplayer you have a campaign mode, a gran-prix mode, free-race and obstacle races. The campaign is the meat of single player. There are three campaigns, made up of sixteen tracks divided into 4 sets. In each set you have three regular ra
     

NeoSprint Steam Review

23. Červenec 2024 v 21:15

NeoSprint is a top down racer for Switch, Steam and other platforms. I reviewed the Steam version for this review. I found it fun, thought rough around the edges, too easy spin out and lose the race. But lets back up. There’s single player and multiplayer. In multiplayer you have a campaign mode, a gran-prix mode, free-race and obstacle races. The campaign is the meat of single player. There are three campaigns, made up of sixteen tracks divided into 4 sets. In each set you have three regular races, and then a must-win duel with the area’s champion. The gran-prix is just four race sets of any tracks you like. Obstacle races are time trails, except there are obstacles you must avoid, hit them and lose seconds.

Game play on steam is with the keyboard. WASD or arrow keys plus right shift for hand-brake/drift. However you can change them if you like. Driving is easy, hard to master. My problem is that is too easy lose a race with one mistake. In the campaign, there are only three retries available in each set. Good luck! Still I had fun with NeoSprint in the time I played. Its not too taxing and you’ll want to play more.

Finally, you can build your own tracks in NeoSprint. however, I found the editor nearly unusable. There’s no mouse support, so placing tracks is with WASD keys, and precision placement is night impossible. But if you want to try your luck, I’m sure you can create masterpieces. Overall, I give Neo Sprint a Recommended Verdict with a seven-back end score.

Overall: NeoSprint is a fun-little racer that is rough at times, but overall I found it fun! I gave it a Recommended verdict.

Verdict: Recommended

eShop Page

Release Date6/27/24
Cost$24.99
PublisherAtari
ESRB RatingE

P.S, For another top down racer I reviewed, try Go Rally!

The post NeoSprint Steam Review appeared first on The Game Slush Pile.

Wreckfest 2 announced with trailer abundant in fender-bending and newly rageful drivers

I've never learned to drive, but every so often a well-meaning friend tells me I'd be good at it, because 'look, Edwin, you play all those driving games, surely they've taught you the basics'. Friend, here is what driving games have taught me: traffic lights are there for regional flavour; drifting is the same thing as cornering; other cars exist to serve as bumper cushions when overshooting a turn. Certainly, nobody wants a guy whose ideas about automobiles come from 2018's Wreckfest to be involved in the school run. On which note: THQ Nordic have just announced Wreckfest 2 - a fresh helping of destruction derby with fancified visuals and newly animate drivers who flinch and gesticulate when other drivers smash into them. Witness the carnage in the announcement trailer below.

Read more

  • ✇Rock, Paper, Shotgun
  • Wreckfest 2 announced with trailer abundant in fender-bending and newly rageful driversEdwin Evans-Thirlwell
    I've never learned to drive, but every so often a well-meaning friend tells me I'd be good at it, because 'look, Edwin, you play all those driving games, surely they've taught you the basics'. Friend, here is what driving games have taught me: traffic lights are there for regional flavour; drifting is the same thing as cornering; other cars exist to serve as bumper cushions when overshooting a turn. Certainly, nobody wants a guy whose ideas about automobiles come from 2018's Wreckfest to be in
     

Wreckfest 2 announced with trailer abundant in fender-bending and newly rageful drivers

2. Srpen 2024 v 21:54

I've never learned to drive, but every so often a well-meaning friend tells me I'd be good at it, because 'look, Edwin, you play all those driving games, surely they've taught you the basics'. Friend, here is what driving games have taught me: traffic lights are there for regional flavour; drifting is the same thing as cornering; other cars exist to serve as bumper cushions when overshooting a turn. Certainly, nobody wants a guy whose ideas about automobiles come from 2018's Wreckfest to be involved in the school run. On which note: THQ Nordic have just announced Wreckfest 2 - a fresh helping of destruction derby with fancified visuals and newly animate drivers who flinch and gesticulate when other drivers smash into them. Witness the carnage in the announcement trailer below.

Read more

FlatOut 1, 2 and Ultimate Carnage all get Workshop support, Deck verification in new updates

I like my car combat to be focused on collisions not guns, and for the vehicular argy-bargy to be an additional layer of excitement and strategy upon a racing core. FlatOut, then. A series of bumper car racing which managed to impress with its crumple zones long before the era of Wreckfest or BeamNG.

Now FlatOut, FlatOut 2 and FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage have all received an update on Steam to add Workshop support, Steam Deck verified status, improved performance, and in the case of FlatOut 2, re-enabled online multiplayer.

Read more

Pacific Drive's summer update adds a photomode and is the first of a new roadmap of free updates to come this year

Station wagon survival 'em up Pacific Drive has received a summer update which adds a photomode, new upgrades for garage machinery, a new sideways dodge manouver for the car, and a piece of paid cosmetic DLC. This is the first of a new roadmap of post-release updates still to come.

Read more

  • ✇Rock, Paper, Shotgun
  • FlatOut 1, 2 and Ultimate Carnage all get Workshop support, Deck verification in new updatesGraham Smith
    I like my car combat to be focused on collisions not guns, and for the vehicular argy-bargy to be an additional layer of excitement and strategy upon a racing core. FlatOut, then. A series of bumper car racing which managed to impress with its crumple zones long before the era of Wreckfest or BeamNG. Now FlatOut, FlatOut 2 and FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage have all received an update on Steam to add Workshop support, Steam Deck verified status, improved performance, and in the case of FlatOut 2, r
     

FlatOut 1, 2 and Ultimate Carnage all get Workshop support, Deck verification in new updates

20. Červenec 2024 v 22:38

I like my car combat to be focused on collisions not guns, and for the vehicular argy-bargy to be an additional layer of excitement and strategy upon a racing core. FlatOut, then. A series of bumper car racing which managed to impress with its crumple zones long before the era of Wreckfest or BeamNG.

Now FlatOut, FlatOut 2 and FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage have all received an update on Steam to add Workshop support, Steam Deck verified status, improved performance, and in the case of FlatOut 2, re-enabled online multiplayer.

Read more

Pacific Drive's summer update adds a photomode and is the first of a new roadmap of free updates to come this year

20. Červenec 2024 v 19:42

Station wagon survival 'em up Pacific Drive has received a summer update which adds a photomode, new upgrades for garage machinery, a new sideways dodge manouver for the car, and a piece of paid cosmetic DLC. This is the first of a new roadmap of post-release updates still to come.

Read more

  • ✇AMD GPUOpen
  • Introducing AMD FidelityFX™ BrixelizerGPUOpen
    AMD GPUOpen - Graphics and game developer resources As of FidelityFX SDK version 1.1, Brixelizer and Brixelizer GI are now unleashed to world so in this article we aim to discuss a few practical use cases and provide you with some tips you can apply for getting the most performance out of Brixelizer in your application. The post Introducing AMD FidelityFX™ Brixelizer appeared first on AMD GPUOpen.
     

Introducing AMD FidelityFX™ Brixelizer

Od: GPUOpen
9. Červenec 2024 v 14:45

AMD GPUOpen - Graphics and game developer resources

As of FidelityFX SDK version 1.1, Brixelizer and Brixelizer GI are now unleashed to world so in this article we aim to discuss a few practical use cases and provide you with some tips you can apply for getting the most performance out of Brixelizer in your application.

The post Introducing AMD FidelityFX™ Brixelizer appeared first on AMD GPUOpen.

Triggered by the current steam sale: how do devs feel about years of their hard work being sold for 50, 70, 90% off? Is there some bitterness about it, or just ‘eh, part of the industry’

3. Červenec 2024 v 18:02

I don't think the emotion we feel is bitterness so much as it is a bit of sadness. Prices falling is normal and unavoidable. It is unlikely the games I worked on early in my career could be sold for anything today. I have mixed feelings about Steam sales in general.

I think there is a valid and growing concern among game developers that Steam sales are devaluing games as a whole. Instead of finding a great game at a bargain and appreciating it when playing it, Steam Sales have become this seasonal event where players buy a large number of games that they rarely play. The games we buy are just text lines in the library. There's even a pile-of-shame tracker that tells people how many unplayed games they have in their Steam libraries.

What I care about as a game dev is that players enjoy playing the games I worked on. I feel sad when I think about players who may boot the game up for a few minutes, give up, and throw the game away, never getting to see the work I put into it. I feel sad when I think about the amazing games I got to play that were so formative for my career, and how many players today would ignore them since they're old and cheap. I think that's the real tragedy of Steam sales and the like - if it doesn't cost you anything for a game, there's very little reason to invest yourself into it. We ultimately build games for players to enjoy. Steam sales perversely make it both easier for players to see my work and harder for them to actually enjoy it.

[Join us on Discord] and/or [Support us on Patreon]

Got a burning question you want answered?

  • ✇Eurogamer.net
  • FIFA may not have a football game right now, but it does have a Rocket League esports tournamentVikki Blake
    FIFA may not have released a licensed football game recently, but it's ready to team up with Rocket League to introduce an all-new category to its FIFA Esports World Cup.In a "groundbreaking partnership", FIFAe – that's FIFA's esports arm – says Rocket League will feature in the upcoming FIFAe World Cup, "signif[ying] a major step in FIFA's commitment to embrace the entire ecosystem and drive the global growth of football esports globally".The competition invites the 16 participating nations to
     

FIFA may not have a football game right now, but it does have a Rocket League esports tournament

24. Červen 2024 v 16:45

FIFA may not have released a licensed football game recently, but it's ready to team up with Rocket League to introduce an all-new category to its FIFA Esports World Cup.

In a "groundbreaking partnership", FIFAe – that's FIFA's esports arm – says Rocket League will feature in the upcoming FIFAe World Cup, "signif[ying] a major step in FIFA's commitment to embrace the entire ecosystem and drive the global growth of football esports globally".

The competition invites the 16 participating nations to submit three players and one substitute, with the nations themselves selected "based on the number of representatives from each country in previous Rocket League Majors".

Read more

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