Steve C
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TheSixthAxis Latest Reviews
Of all the depressing studio closures of the past few years (and there have been far too many) one that hit me particularly hard was that of Piranha Bytes, the legendary pioneers of the Eurojank RPG. Famous for creating the hugely influential Gothic series, as well as Risen and Elex, all of their games shared a unique feel that garnered a loyal fanbase. While the settings were different, each title featured unforgiving combat and a sense of openness that made many other RPGs feel claustrophobically restrained. A remake of the first Gothic game is still in the works but there is clearly a gap in the market for RPGs that share the DNA of Piranha Bytes’ canon. Of Ash and Steel is one of the first games to aim at filling this niche, and it certainly succeeds in that aim, although this isn’t always a good thing.
As creative collaborations go, the combination of Spec Ops: The Line’s Cory Davis and Robin Finck from Nine Inch Nails is as enticing as it gets. When Sleep Awake was first announced, the names involved left me anticipating a thrilling and subversive narrative backed up by a thumping industrial soundtrack. The actual game we got certainly ticks those boxes to some degree, but is it another success story for Blumhouse Games after the excellent Fear The Spotlight?
For long stretches since Routine was announced way back in 2012, it’s been easy to assume this was vapourware, that it would never be released. It is therefore with great delight that I can confirm that, not only is it fully complete, but it has actually turned out to fulfil all my expectations and more. The retro-futuristic stylings, the moments of sheer terror, and the fascinating storyline all combine to produce a game that is well worth the wait.
For long stretches since Routine was announced way back in 2012, it’s been easy to assume this was vapourware, that it would never be released. It is therefore with great delight that I can confirm that, not only is it fully complete, but it has actually turned out to fulfil all my expectations and more. The retro-futuristic stylings, the moments of sheer terror, and the fascinating storyline all combine to produce a game that is well worth the wait.
I’m too old to have experienced SpongeBob SquarePants in its original cartoon form, but it’s impossible to be a denizen of the internet without being exposed to the endless memes and references to the iconic series. Even without that, there have been a whole host of games starring the lovable sponge over a multitude of different consoles. The best of these by far have been the 3D platformers following on from Battle for Bikini Bottom, with developers Purple Lamp continuing to produce high quality games that capture the madcap nature of the cartoon whilst also providing genuinely entertaining gameplay. SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of Tide sees an interesting new batch of mechanics and some real standout moments, but how does it match up to its predecessors?
In the realm of gaming auteurs, Swery and Suda51 are synonymous with incredible and outlandish presentation. The likes of Deadly Premonition, Killer 7, No More Heroes, and many more all share a style DNA whilst managing to retain their own identity. If you’re a fan of these creators then you’ll be well used to zany dialogue, weird moments, and a requisite amount of jank. Hotel Barcelona feels like the perfect distillation of this collaboration as it oozes style, but requires some perseverance to overcome the initial limitations.
Way back when it was announced, Playtonic’s Yooka-Laylee attracted a huge amount of excitement and anticipation, promising to bring back the lost art of the collectathon 3D platformer. With ex-Rare devs leading the way, and their former employer subject to the whims of Microsoft’s inner workings, fans were hoping that the lizard and bat combination would resurrect the golden age of Banjo-Kazooie et al. The end result was one of the biggest disappointments in gaming memory. Yooka-Laylee wasn’t a complete disaster but felt unfinished and strangely empty, especially in the later levels. The 2D spin-off Impossible Lair was far more complete and therefore better received but it was clear that Playtonic felt that there was unfinished business with the first game. Enter Yooka-Replaylee.
Back in the ancient past of the late 20th century there was a real push towards games emulating animated films. While this was generally more a matter of marketing spiel than anything substantial, the true pioneer of this approach was the classic (albeit terrible) Dragon’s Lair, a game which used the beautiful animation of Don Bluth to stitch together gameplay that was more akin to a lengthy QTE than anything else. The timeless nature of this approach means that the original game still holds up visually to this day. Modern gaming has taken a turn towards hyper-realism with the increase in processing power, so Bye Sweet Carole stands out as much as Dragon’s Lair did, for different reasons.
The original Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines is one of the best broken games you’ll ever play. I’m old enough to have been working in Game when it was released and it was one of the most refunded games I can remember, thanks to the retail release being utterly bug-ridden and borderline unplayable. Years later and after numerous fan patches and improvements, though, it’s been transformed into a masterpiece of Gothic RPG storytelling. The long wait for a sequel has been almost as uncomfortable as that original release, with a change of developer to The Chinese Room and many delays surrounding it, but the wait is finally over. Having spent 20 hours stalking the streets of Seattle, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is good, but the modern day smoothing down of rough gameplay edges has led to a more streamlined, but less unique game.
The recent release of Chibi-Robo on the Switch 2 Online service was welcome news as the Gamecube title is one of my favourite games of all time. The adventures of a tiny robot whose purpose is to clean may not have sounded like the most exciting premise for a game, but the charm and design elevated it to a true classic. Misc. A Tiny Tale is very clearly inspired by the earlier game and offers a more linear and focused take on the gameplay elements while retaining the charm and humour in spades.