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Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion Review
Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion Review A Titanic Fumble Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion wastes no time in getting the player right into the action, even if it means the player will be confused for much of the opening hours. The game follows a fully voiced and customizable protagonist who is saved by their friend, Nerve, from an experiment by the Sovereign Axiom to turn them into a biological weapon called a Centurion. The Sovereign Axiom is an organization of Outers, an offshoot of humanity enhanced by Femto, a substance with multiple applications throughout the world of Daemon X Machina . Nerve and the player then make their escape from the Garden, an orbital station above a post-apocalyptic, war torn world, with Nerve sacrificing himself to send the player down to the planet below. The player is taken in by the Reclaimers, a rebel group of Humans who oppose the oppression of the Sovereign Axiom. This begins an action-packed adventure of rebellion, twists, turns, anime-style mech fighting, and narrative flourishes, with a story that juggles too many things haphazardly for its own good. It's a package that fails to meet the quality standards recommended for a premium-price game. In a bold move, Titanic Scion ditches the larger mechs of the previous game for smaller, human-sized ones that act more like exosuits than vehicular weapons. To the game’s credit, this allows for animations to feel incredibly natural with fun flourishes and details, and enables non-mech characters to utilize unique effects without feeling too small. The combat animation quality for the player is definitely the highlight of the game's presentation, one that paints a stark contrast to the rest of the game. While the art direction can be interesting at times, the world and characters fit an extremely by-the-numbers anime post-apocalyptic society. But even when the game shows some personality, the visuals themselves are so blocky and low-res that nothing sticks out. The game is split up into three large areas to explore: a desert, a forest, and a mountain range. Unfortunately, the desert is so devoid of color that more often than not it comes off as garish and uninteresting. The forest and mountain range are somewhat more colorful, but both of them have so much foliage that it becomes difficult to tell them apart visually. Cutscenes also suffer from a lack of fidelity. While the small number of choreographed action scenes are fun, most of the cutscenes involve characters standing around and talking. While not a big sin in and of itself, the animations of the character models leave a lot to be desired, and the jagged, stiff facial animations are the biggest offenders. [caption id="attachment_166837" align="alignnone" width="640"] A big win is being able to choose between a dog and a cat to inhabit the base.[/caption] Gameplay and systems are going to be the sticking point for most in a game of this type, and the bones of the combat are certainly there. Titanic Scion boasts a staggering amount of weapon types and build customization, to the point that players might discover their favorite weapon type later into their playthrough than most would expect. Each weapon type, long or short range, feels unique, and the ability to equip four main weapons, a shoulder weapon, and a throwable grenade allows for immense customization. Swords and other melee weapons offer a satisfying crunch with every hit, while the damage numbers and visual effects of long range weapons do a good job of separating gun types from each other. The only weapon type that feels out of place is bows. Using them snaps the player to an over-the-shoulder view that has to be canceled out of with a button press, and movement in this view is incredibly restrictive. Bows are the only weapon type to do this, which can be disorienting for those who haven't spent time getting used to it. Shoulder weapons typically require the player to hold down the button until the target is registered before releasing, but a lack of visual feedback on when the conditions for firing are met means it's far more consistent to equip a shoulder weapon that heals instead. Unfortunately, the game's movement and camera hold the combat back quite a bit. Movement comes in two flavors: painfully slow or way too fast. Normal walk and float speeds are so slow that it is tempting to use the dash, which will then result in the player completely overshooting their mark, resulting in melee-centric players resorting to using an attack so they can snap to their target. Bigger problems come when some enemies and one particularly annoying boss disappear from view and cannot be locked onto, which also disables the player's melee weapons snapping on them. The weapon still lunges forward, but without a target it becomes incredibly likely to completely whiff even if the player has every visual indication that they are right next to the enemy. The camera is even a problem with massive targets, as the camera fails to pull out or do anything to accommodate the massive size of the enemy, resulting in close combat being a visual mess most of the time. [caption id="attachment_166835" align="alignnone" width="640"] This boss specifically caused some camera issues.[/caption] Combat and customization aren't the only elements of  Titanic Scion 's gameplay. The game's open world structure effectively mandates a large collection of sidequests and activities. Side missions range from standard fetch quests, escort missions, side stories, or even just meeting certain equipment conditions. The game further boasts a coliseum with a ranking system, an in-game trading card game complete with collectible cards, and more. The problem is that the game rarely properly incentivizes actually engaging with these systems, because the main story never guides the player towards these in a meaningful way, so players engaging and enjoying these systems is entirely contingent on whether or not they enjoy the core gameplay and want to experience more. Unfortunately, the game's technical state leaves much to be desired. On a base PlayStation 5, stuttering abounds at the most random times, especially when travelling large distances in the open world. Loading times are also extremely long, especially for a game with such poor visual fidelity at times. Worse still is the fact that every time the player loads into an area, they risk being locked in a loading elevator (independent of the actual loading screen) for an extended period of time. While this isn't exactly an infinite loading glitch, it does kill pacing and turns side content into more of a chore than it should be. On the topic of the main story, even at the best of times it is still a complete mess. The game's disappointing presentational quality aside, the actual plot is a collection of interesting ideas and concepts given absolutely no time to be developed properly. Every two missions there seems to be a major twist that theoretically upends the entire story, but none of these twists seem to change the characters' perspectives or actions much. Major events will happen back-to-back-to-back, but then the player will suddenly be sent on an errand to collect materials to unlock a new combat or gameplay feature, bringing the pacing to a complete halt for no reason. Several instances will occur where characters will mention a concept that was never addressed before, which will leave many just confused because it never gets proper execution or explanation. The narrative also doesn't seem to have a grasp of its own themes, as it is constantly picking and choosing themes to evoke for certain narrative beats rather than weaving them together naturally. One moment the game will be about oppressors versus the oppressed, the next it will be about what it means to be human, before suddenly veering into a war story, the list goes on. It's a real shame too, because the ideas presented, while certainly cliche in areas, are interesting. But the execution of these ideas is so poor that the narrative easily becomes the game's weakest element. [caption id="attachment_166836" align="alignnone" width="640"] An example of the low visual fidelity not aiding the game's art direction.[/caption] That said, what does shine is the voice acting. Several prominent video game and anime voice actors, such as Damien Haas as Nerve and Mela Lee as Hex, are present and all of them elevate the dialogue into enjoyable campiness rather than just boring word soup. Special mention must go to Paul Castro Jr. for his performance as Ash, who, by all accounts, should be easily the most annoying character in the game by a long shot. He's constantly berating the player, he's never shown to be competent, and is just all around a pretty miserable character on paper. Castro Jr. elevates this by going completely overboard on almost every line delivery, transforming Ash from a boring jerk to the angriest, loudest, goofiest character of every scene. While this doesn't change anything about the story, it does go to highlight that a good performance can go a long way in making a character palatable. The soundtrack is another example of this, as the music does an excellent job of shaping Titanic Scion 's identity with a metal-infused symphonic sound that is at once familiar and unique. It's a shame that the soundtrack does feel limited in scope when it comes to enemy encounters, with only a few bosses having memorable, unique themes. Ultimately, Daemon X Machina: Titantic Scion is difficult to recommend. While the bones of combat and customization are well executed, the open world element feels tacked on to an abysmal main narrative, and technical issues hold the game back even further. While these things are forgivable on their own, the full launch price tag feels extremely steep for such an underbaked game that has paid DLC customization options on top of it. Those who enjoy the mech-fighting genre will certainly find something to enjoy here, but others will find a game that feels incredibly undercooked.   Disclosure: This review is based on a free copy of the game provided by the publisher. The post Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion Review appeared first on RPGamer .
Sep 19
Review: Hyke: Northern Light(s) Sends Us on a Witch Road Trip
Review: Hyke: Northern Light(s) Sends Us on a Witch Road Trip Can an action RPG about cutting and blasting through waves of mutated enemies in a dilapidated world after an apocalypse be cozy and relaxing? Hyke: Northern Light(s) certainly makes it seem possible. It’s a beautiful road trip through a dilapidated, pixel art world with adorable witch characters who happen to have enough power to just annihilate anything in their path. It definitely feels unique, even if the actual combat can get a bit clumsy. Hyke: Northern Light(s) begins with a peek at life before the war destroyed things. We see a woman, revealed to be Hyke’s mother, fighting against human enemies. She’s a witch, and she’s making a final push to reach the captain of the forces. Once she does, things fade away and we meet Hyke, her daughter who she loved and was fighting for. Now that Hyke’s grown, she’s headed out into the world in the car her father left her in search of her mother alongside Riko, another witch she met on her journey. The path they tread means they, as well as the player, will learn more about the current state of the world, the war, witches, and Hyke’s mom.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WV8ZIVDO3hc To start, I adore the character design in Hyke: Northern Light(s) . Every ally and enemy looks incredible. Especially considering the size of the sprites for them. They actually match the elaborate character designs shown on the official site, which is amazing. They also tend to have some cute personalities, even if people aren’t always well fleshed out as I’d like. But then, the camp scenes do help with that a bit. When Hyke: Northern Light(s) begins, we have access to Hyke and her friend Riko. However, as the two travel across the country, additional characters join our party. Each one plays in her own way and has different types of movesets and specialties. For example, Hyke has ranged attacks, as well as a special that circles around her, as the game starts. Riko is more of a close-range melee user who swaps between a glass cannon, faster approach that heals with each hit and a giant rabbit transformation that lumbers around and hits harder. We can switch between them, as well as other characters in the party, on the fly. When outside of stages, we can upgrade their abilities. Not to mention before heading into a location, we can cook a meal for a buff and choose one random buff to apply to that outing. People feel unique, which I appreciate. Screenshots by Siliconera I just wish Hyke: Northern Light(s) gameplay felt tighter. We have an option to manually control these heroines or tap a button to lock on to targets. However, neither feels competent enough to make the combat feel good. If you don’t bother with the locking on option, getting the positioning right to hit foes and close distances with attacks is imprecise. If the lock-on option is enabled, the game randomly picks who to attack and, while those hits land, I felt like more powerful hits were wasted.  Especially since enemies do get more powerful in what can feel like a satisfying way as we reach new areas. When Hyke first heads into the forest on her own for the very first stage, there are only small, squirrel or bug-size enemies and an occasional deer. But then we see larger opponents that can deal major ranged damage, have more unexpected movesets, or even look really cool like a mutated giant spider that makes a car into its exoskeleton.  Images via Aniplex Aside from both the character and enemy designs looking great, there’s honestly some fun and visually intriguing stage design at play here too. When we happen upon inhabited areas, they look like they’ve been through it. The camp ground customization involves some cute accessories. Food looks good. I appreciate there’s a journal we can look through to see the pixel art more closely. When we reach new areas, each new stage doesn’t always feel like a rehash or slightly different take on the previous one, as there’s a sense of progression involving a change to the environment, more hints about the war, and also areas affected by possible magic and otherworldly elements. I don’t want to spoil things, but there are also some environmental aspects that affect progression, with the first forested area involving some one-way “gates” and poisonous polluted spots. I love the ambiance surrounding Hyke: Northern Light(s), as well as the witch character designs. It’s a beautiful game, for sure, and sometimes it can even feel cozy. I just wish it felt a bit more responsive when playing. The different movesets for each character are great! But sometimes, the execution doesn’t make it feel as tight and precise as it could be. Hyke: Northern Light(s) is available for the Switch, PS5, and PC .  The post Review: Hyke: Northern Light(s) Sends Us on a Witch Road Trip appeared first on Siliconera .
Sep 18
Class of Heroes 3 Remaster – Review
Class of Heroes 3 Remaster – ReviewLast year, PQube brought the classic dungeon-crawling series Class of Heroes to modern platforms with Class of Heroes: Anniversary Edition and Class of Heroes 2G: Remaster Edition. The return of these games marked the end of a decade-long absence of the series, but there was still a major elephant in the room: Class of Heroes 3. While that game saw some success on the PSP in Japan, it never made it over to the West. A localized release was planned for PS3 in 2018, but ultimately ended up being cancelled. With the arrival of Class of Heroes 3 Remaster, fans of the series can finally discover what they’ve been missing out on. If you’re anything like us, however, you might be unfamiliar with the series in general, although we did play the spinoff game Adventure Academia. Is Class of Heroes 3 Remaster a good entry point for newcomers, or is this the kind of title that just preaches to the choir? Story Technically speaking, Class of Heroes 3 does have a story, but it’s paper-thin and serves as little more than a barebones framework for the game’s dungeon-crawling action. The premise is that you are a student at a school for heroes. There are three schools to choose from, but it doesn’t really matter which one you pick, as the narrative will play out in the same way regardless, and the cast of characters is forgettable and interchangeable. Things start out normal enough, with you and a group of students taking on quests from teachers and faculty, until you’re eventually drawn into a larger conflict with an apocalyptic evil that the school forgot to mention upfront. It’s your typical good-vs-evil story with no real depth. With the cast embodying stereotypical anime tropes and showing no character growth, it’s difficult to really care about what happens to them. To make matters worse, the story doesn’t adapt to the in-game relationship system or your party’s dynamics, with links between characters being a purely mechanical element, not a narrative one. Graphics The bright, anime-style visuals are perhaps the most appealing aspect of Class of Heroes 3. While the students embody a wide variety of fantasy races, including Elves and Halflings, their designs don’t necessarily match the way they are typically depicted. Dwarves, for example, don’t look like they do in The Lord of the Rings here, but are anthropomorphic animals instead. Character portraits are distinct and charming, and there is a limited opportunity to customize your self-inserted student. There is also a wide visual variety when it comes to the dungeon environments, with forests, deserts, and ruins all making an appearance. That said, the word “Remaster” in the title does a lot of heavy lifting here, with the game’s roots as a PSP title being very much visible when it comes to the game’s graphics. Everything that isn’t a 2D illustration looks dated, with dungeons suffering from low-res textures and a surprisingly shoddy framerate. Attack animation effects are underwhelming, and portraits are unsurprisingly very static, both in combat and in story scenes. Sound The way Class of Heroes 3 embraces tropey characters is pushed even further with the game’s voice acting. The game only offers Japanese voice acting, and even then, it isn’t fully voiced. The voice cast leans heavily into the one-dimensional personalities of the characters, with exaggerated, hammy performances. Contrasting this is the game’s soundtrack. While the music is varied and fits the different scenes and environments, it isn’t exactly memorable, serving as little more than functional background noise. At least it doesn’t get repetitive over time. Sound effects and ambience are mostly serviceable and don’t stand out either. Gameplay Like its predecessors, Class of Heroes 3 is a first-person dungeon crawler JRPG, in the same vein as the Etrian Odyssey games. The game’s hero-training school setting ties into the gameplay: tutorials are disguised as classes that you attend, and the school itself acts as a hub area where you can manage your party, use alchemy, and spend your earnings in shops. From the school, you set out to labyrinthian dungeons, where you explore, fight monsters, and grind for loot and XP. Upon completing a dungeon, you return to the school, upgrade your party, and then set out on the next quest. Your dungeon-crawling party can contain up to six characters. With a wide variety of races and classes at your disposal, this gives you a ton of different options to explore and strategies to try out in the game’s turn-based battles. On top of this, you create a web of relationships between characters, deciding who likes or dislikes each other. This affects synergy attacks, buffs, and debuffs in battle. It’s a neat idea in theory, although as we mentioned earlier, it doesn’t tie into the narrative aspects of the game, and could’ve used more depth. Battles involve setting different commands, including attack and magic, and then watching everything resolve. With enemies appearing in rows of up to 18, and no way to automate or speed up battles, fights are lengthy and repetitive affairs, however. It doesn’t help that dungeon exploration is a tedious affair too. Early-game dungeons are simple enough, but later ones are larger and more complex, with traps and hidden tricks. Initially, there is no minimap to refer to, and you’ll need to unlock it, which adds more frustration. Add in severe difficulty spikes that require hours of grinding to overcome, and the result is something that simply isn’t fun to play. Everything about Class of Heroes 3’s core gameplay design feels archaic. While this will probably appeal to a niche of hardcore old-school dungeon-crawling fans, this approach will be a turn-off for most players. On paper, Class of Heroes 3 offers an incredibly generous package in terms of content, with three different schools, tons of classes, and a wide variety of unlockables. Each school route takes around 40 hours to complete, adding up to well over 100 hours of content if you engage with everything. However, said content is so dense and grind-heavy that unless you are in the very specific niche that Class of Heroes 3 targets, you simply won’t get your €29.99 worth of enjoyment out of it. Conclusion It’s safe to say that Class of Heroes 3 didn’t convince us of the series’ merit. This is a niche title for a very specific audience. To its credit, the game very much sticks to its design roots as a mid-2010s PSP title, but over the last decade, audience expectations have evolved. Fans of yesteryear’s dungeon-crawling experience will find a dense, punishing playground here, but anyone looking for a more modern, streamlined experience is better off elsewhere.
Sep 18
Bone Lake Opening Scene Reveals Naked Couple Trying to Survive in Vacation Gone Wrong
Bone Lake Opening Scene Reveals Naked Couple Trying to Survive in Vacation Gone Wrong After opening to revered reviews at the Fantastic Fest Film Festival last year, Bone Lake is arriving in theatres this fall, and the opening for the erotic thriller has now been unveiled. The opening features a n-ked couple frantically running through the forest before getting hunted down. The man decides to run for his life […] This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
Sep 17
Roblox 99 Nights in the Forest Classes Tier List – Which Is The Best Class In The Game?
Roblox 99 Nights in the Forest Classes Tier List – Which Is The Best Class In The Game? Classes in Roblox 99 Nights in the Forest offer players new starter items, weapons, perks, unique bonuses, and much more. You can purchase all Classes from the General Store in the game. Here’s a tier list for every Class in 99 Nights in the Forest to determine which is the best one. 1. S-Tier Here […] This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
Sep 15
Top 5 Weapons In Roblox 99 Nights in the Forest That You Need To Try Out Right Now
Top 5 Weapons In Roblox 99 Nights in the Forest That You Need To Try Out Right Now If you survive the terror and the monsters lurking around in Roblox 99 Nights in the Forest, you’ll need the right weapons. Out of all options, five in particular, such as the Chainsaw, Raygun, and others, stand out as true-gamer changers. However, which one of them truly shines the best at destruction? Let’s take a […] This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
Sep 10
Every Twilight Vampire’s Powers Ranked From Useless to Best: The Cullen Edition
Every Twilight Vampire’s Powers Ranked From Useless to Best: The Cullen Edition Stephanie Meyer‘s Twilight Saga is rife with vampires. From Italy to the Amazonian rainforests, the undead immortals exist in pockets of civilization all over the world. Gifted with enhanced strength, speed, and beauty, these creatures are not only alluring predators but ruthless in every way imaginable. But the only thing that separates each vampire from […] This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
Sep 6
Military Conflict: Vietnam Free Download (Build 19753672)
Military Conflict: Vietnam Free Download (Build 19753672)Military Conflict: Vietnam Direct Download: It’s 1968 in Vietnam, the time to ‘Make War Not Love’. Side with the Viet Cong or U.S. Army in this intense, fast-paced FPS set in the Vietnam War. Choose from over 200+ weapons of destruction. Kill or be killed! Rainbow Herbicides – The horrors of the deforestation chemicals like […] The post Military Conflict: Vietnam Free Download (Build 19753672) first appeared on WorldofPCGames .
Sep 3
Sword Hero Has Released Its Combat Arena Demo on Steam
Sword Hero Has Released Its Combat Arena Demo on SteamCrytivo and ForestWare have released the Sword Hero Combat Arena demo on Steam as part of the Sword Celebration event. The post Sword Hero Has Released Its Combat Arena Demo on Steam appeared first on COGconnected .
Sep 2
How to solve the Senedra Forest Door Puzzle in Hell Is Us?
How to solve the Senedra Forest Door Puzzle in Hell Is Us? Right after you start playing Hell Is Us, you’re going to face puzzles to progress the game. In the Senedra Forest, you’ll find a door to ruins with an injured soldier outside. If you’re having trouble opening it up, we’ve created this guide for you. Additionally, we’ve also put the solution for the second door […] This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
Sep 1
Prop Haunt Has Brought Its Horror on Steam Early Access
Prop Haunt Has Brought Its Horror on Steam Early AccessSilent Forest Games has officially launched Prop Haunt, a 4v1 psychological horror game, in Steam Early Access. The post Prop Haunt Has Brought Its Horror on Steam Early Access appeared first on COGconnected .
Aug 30
How to Use the Frog Keys in Roblox 99 Nights in the Forest?
How to Use the Frog Keys in Roblox 99 Nights in the Forest? The Frog Keys in 99 Nights in the Forest can open gates to one of the richest caves on the entire map. We are talking about the Frog Cave that exists on the other side of the whirlpool, where the Frog King spawns. Unlocking the said cave will require you to use a total of […] This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
Aug 29
Shadowverse: Worlds Beyond: How to contact the customer support service
Shadowverse: Worlds Beyond: How to contact the customer support serviceShadowverse: Worlds Beyond is a gorgeous, strategy-packed collectible card game by Cygames with an expansive deckbuilding experience. Whether you’re crafting a hyper-aggressive Forestcraft deck, exploring the story mode, or climbing PvP ranks, there’s always something to do. But even in a finely-tuned game like this, bugs, connection hiccups, or missing rewards can happen. Table Of … The post Shadowverse: Worlds Beyond: How to contact the customer support service appeared first on GamingonPhone .
Aug 25
Enter The House of Mists to fight a boss in Stygian: Outer Gods
Enter The House of Mists to fight a boss in Stygian: Outer GodsA new content update for Stygian: Outer Gods opens the door to something new – literally. Currently in Early Access, this update adds the House of Mists with its surrounding Blood Forest area for players, with new characters and enemies to survive. Obviously this also means items, quests, and so forth have been added. But in more bloodchilling news, this update means Stygian: Outer Gods has its first boss fight! Some quality of life updates complete the picture. To celebrate, you can currently get Stygian: Outer Gods for 20% off on Steam, so check that out if you’ve been wanting to get the game.
Aug 24
Funguys Swarm Free Download (v0.1)
Funguys Swarm Free Download (v0.1)Funguys Swarm Direct Download: Funguys Swarm is a survivor-style roguelite where you play as forest weirdos fighting the Fire King’s flaming minions. Level up, unlock new heroes, pets, skills—even mechas—and rescue creatures to grow your Forest Sanctuary for permanent upgrades. Perfect for both newcomers and seasoned survivors! Choose from a cast of silly funguys, each […] The post Funguys Swarm Free Download (v0.1) first appeared on WorldofPCGames .
Aug 23
Mad Skills BMX 2 – Review
Mad Skills BMX 2 – ReviewBack in 2018, Turborilla launched Mad Skills BMX 2 on Android and iOS. Although the free-to-play title was undoubtedly successful, racking up over 50 million downloads over the course of seven years, we didn’t have a 2025 Switch port of the game on our bingo card. Stranger things have happened though, and Switch owners can now indulge in portable BMX races on their hybrid handhelds. Mad Skills BMX 2 is an unexpected port, but is it a good one? Story There is no story to be found in Mad Skills BMX 2. While the game does boast a Career Mode where you race across different environments and even face off against bosses, there is no backstory given here. The game is purely about racing, improving your skills, unlocking gear, and competing. While the addition of some kind of narrative structure definitely would have been appreciated here, Mad Skills BMX 2 is still a port of a mobile game, of course, and those aren’t particularly well-known for including gripping stories. Graphics Prioritizing functionality and readability over realism, Mad Skills BMX 2’s 2D graphics are clean and stylized, but lacking in detail. To its credit, the game is varied when it comes to the different environments that the race tracks are set in, ranging from forests to deserts and urban areas. However, those very same environments, as well as the rest of Mad Skills BMX 2’s visuals, come across as uninspired and generic. Mad Skills BMX 2 lacks a visual identity of its own. The benefit of the inherent simplicity of the graphics is that the game doesn’t push the hardware. Mad Skills BMX 2 is a technically competent port that runs at a consistent 60 FPS, which is a claim that many other ported games can’t make on the ageing, underpowered hardware. Sound Mobile games typically don’t tend to put a lot of effort into their soundscapes, as most people play them with the sound off. That’s the case with Mad Skills BMX 2 as well, with the audio leaning more towards functionality than immersion. Music in particular is bland and forgettable. Sound effects fare better. The way your bike interacts with the environment is emphasized through noise, reinforcing a sense of momentum as you jump, stunt, and land across the tracks. Unsurprisingly, Mad Skills BMX 2’s soundscape doesn’t include any voice acting. Gameplay Before we get to the nitty-gritty of Mad Skills BMX 2’s gameplay, it’s important to note that we’re specifically looking at the Switch port of the game instead of the original mobile version. While the port is by and large the same game, there are some fundamental differences between both versions of the game, mainly concerning the game’s pacing and sense of progression. At the core of Mad Skills BMX 2 lies a simple 2D side-scrolling BMX racer, where you race 1v1 on tracks filled with ramps, slopes, and jumps. Momentum and physics are the heart of the gameplay. Landing smoothly and timing jumps properly is critical here, since bad landings slow you down. Races are designed for quick, pick-up-and-play sessions. Controls are intuitive and accessible. The original game was designed to be played with a touch screen, but the Switch port implements button controls instead, and these are seamlessly integrated. The controller’s shoulder buttons control jumping and momentum, and there are dedicated buttons for performing backflips or using rockets. Speaking of rockets, these act as consumable speed boosts. Although Mad Skills BMX 2 is a very accessible game, it does ramp up the difficulty, and rockets can really turn the tide in some of the game’s tougher races. Even though Mad Skills BMX 2 purports to be an accessible game at its core, it has a fairly high difficulty level. While things like rockets and different unlockable bike types can help with overcoming spikes, the real key to progressing is familiarizing yourself with the tracks. Each of these feels like a self-contained puzzle where timing and precision are key. The game really nails that “skill” requirement from its title. The Career Mode is fairly meaty, but anyone looking to test their mettle beyond that can get stuck in additional Challenges, including time attacks and blackflip contests, as well as so-called Pro Zones, which feature expert-level tracks. Beyond those, the game offers local 1v1 multiplayer, although the online component present in the mobile version of the game has been removed. For the most part, the transition of Mad Skills BMX 2’s core game to the Switch was handled well, but there are some areas where the game’s mobile roots are still showing. In the mobile version of the game, players could speed up game progress through microtransactions, enabling faster access to better bikes or more rockets. Microtransactions have been removed entirely here, with a one-time €9.99 payment giving you access to the full game. Unfortunately, Mad Skills BMX 2’s in-game costs weren’t adjusted accordingly (or at least, not enough), resulting in a poorly paced game where progression can feel grindy as bike costs inflate, and difficulty spikes push you to revisit old tracks over and over again. The game ends up keeping a freemium feel, even though this is a paid console version. Conclusion There is a genuinely good game hiding somewhere in Mad Skills BMX 2’s mechanics, but it doesn’t completely shine through here. While the fast-paced core experience is as accessible as it is skill-based, the Switch port could’ve done with some rebalancing to even out the removal of microtransactions. The game’s presentation didn’t wow us either, but given that the simplicity of the visuals allowed the game to run more smoothly on the Switch than most other games, this is something that can be overlooked. As it stands, Mad Skills BMX 2 is a decent and serviceable title, but not an outstanding one.
Aug 23
Fire Country Season 4: Release Date, Cast, Plot, and All You Need to Know
Fire Country Season 4: Release Date, Cast, Plot, and All You Need to Know Fire Country has been turning up the heat ever since it blazed onto screens in 2022, and it’s showing no signs of cooling off. Co-created by Max Thieriot, Tony Phelan, and Joan Rater, the series doesn’t just chase flames in the forests—it chases the sparks, burns, and bruises in its characters’ lives, too. Front and […] This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
Aug 13
Support the RZSS with STORY OF SEASONS’ upcoming DLC
Support the RZSS with STORY OF SEASONS’ upcoming DLCMarvelous Europe has announced a special DLC set for the upcoming STORY OF SEASONS: Grand Bazaar. The so-called Pine Hoverfly Outfit Set includes a sweater, beanie, and glider for in-game use, with all net proceeds going directly to the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) to support invertebrate conservation. This initiative continues a partnership that began in 2020 between Marvelous Europe, RZSS, and Jellymedia, aimed at protecting the critically endangered pine hoverfly. Once restricted to a single forest patch in Scotland, the species plays an important ecological role as both pollinator and waste recycler. Funding from that previous collaboration allowed the RZSS to expand its breeding programme from 170 to 8,000 individuals annually, resulting in the first sightings of adult pine hoverflies reproducing in the wild in eight years. STORY OF SEASONS: Grand Bazaar is the latest entry in the long-running farming life simulation series, set in the mountainside town of Zephyr. Players will raise animals, grow crops, and sell goods at the weekly open-air market to restore the town’s prosperity. The game features wind-powered gliding for easy travel, scenic landscapes, and a variety of characters to befriend or romance. The Pine Hoverfly Outfit Set DLC will be available worldwide at launch, with 100% of proceeds going to RZSS to further conservation work. STORY OF SEASONS: Grand Bazaar and its charity DLC will be available globally on 27 August 2025 for Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, and Windows PC via Steam.
Aug 12
Fantastic Four: First Steps Post-Credits Theory Hints It Wasn’t Doctor Doom With Franklin Richards
Fantastic Four: First Steps Post-Credits Theory Hints It Wasn’t Doctor Doom With Franklin Richards The Fantastic Four post-credits scene involved a sneaky cameo that pleased the whole fandom, but a new theory suggests that not all that meets the eye may be true. In fact, the iconic forest green hood, cape, and silver mask that are (undoubtedly) associated with Doctor Doom might only be a misdirection to swerve our […] This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
Aug 10
Top Hat Studios and Crypt Custodian Developer Reveal WELL DWELLER, out 2026
Top Hat Studios and Crypt Custodian Developer Reveal WELL DWELLER, out 2026AUGUST 8th, PHILADELPHIA: Deep within the forest, at the bottom of a well, lives the only creature brave enough to challenge the Queen. Top Hat Studios, Inc. is pleased to announce WELL DWELLER, a new dark, bizarre, twisted fairy-tale metroidvania by Kyle Thompson (Crypt Custodian, Islets). Play as Glimmer – a tiny bird armed with […] The post Top Hat Studios and Crypt Custodian Developer Reveal WELL DWELLER, out 2026 appeared first on Capsule Computers .
Aug 8
The ForestAs the lone survivor of a passenger jet crash, you find yourself in a mysterious forest battling to stay alive against a society of cannibalistic mutants. Build, explore, survive in this terrifying first person survival horror simulator.