The Challenge X is a refresh to one of the best gaming chairs on the market. It's another collaboration between Playseat and Logitech following in the footsteps of the excellent 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:Playseat Trophy Logitech G Edition.
A more living room-friendly option rather than a full-size, rigid racing cockpit, the Challenge X offers a folding design andź¦ a lower Ā£259/$299 price pšoint that makes it better suited to more casual setups.
Thereās a bit of DIY to do before you can go racing but constructing the PÜ«layseat Challenge X Logitech G Edition was an impressively simple task. I tackled the build solo and never felt like a second pair of hands was necessary.
The printed instructions are clear and easy to follow and if youād rather watch someone else put it together first tāhen Playseat has a follow-along video on YouTube too. Theš combination of these simple instructions and the fact there are relatively few pieces overall meant the whole thing took less than half an hour to put together.
On first inspection, youād be forgiven for thinking the Playseat Challenge X was simply a new coat ošf paint on the original Challenge. Taking a closer look, however, youāll find this is a meaningful upgrade worthy of the new name with a handful of small but notable changes.
There is a new coat of paint, of course, being a Logitech G Edition the black of the original Challenge becomes a steely grey with a few flashes of elecą½§tric blue that add extāra character. Itās the same overall style as youāll find on the G Edition Playseat Trophy and itās refreshing to step away from solely dark black finishes on a bit of sim racing gear. The Challenge Xās steel frame is a little thicker in places than the original but the lighter colour scheme softens it off and itās a less dominating presence in the room as a result.
The true beauty of the Playseat Challenge X is its collapsible design that makes it easier to move to one side and store when youāre not hitting the virtual tracks. This is a far more living room-friendly option than the giant, rigid Playseat Trophy and not unlike the racing equivalent of a folding deck chair. That practicality is seldom found in even the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:best console gaming chairs, save for 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:The Foldable Gaming Chair, that is.
The X-shaped frame here is locked in place by a quick-release adapter thatās one of the new additions to the X variant. Itās a nice step up from the simple strap solutišon of the original model with six positions labelled on each side. Thereās quite a range of movement as you cycle through each position so itās worth trying one (though youāll need to get up each time to adjust it), Iām six foot and found the flattest setting put me in the most comfortable position.
The pedal mount also received an upgrade on the Challenge X, mainly because it now actually exists. The angled steel supports come with pre-drilled holes that perfectly line up the bottom of the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:Logitech G Pro Pedal base and there are a few different positions to choose from. While itās good to see some consideration here compared to previous efforts, the edge-only offeringā means pedal comšpatibility is limited out of the box. My MOZA SR-P Pedals for example would need extra BYO hardware to be able to be mounted. While itās understandable that Playseat would focus on its brand partner Logitechās pedals, simple cross bars or a tray similar to whatās included on the Playseat Trophy would have made the Challenge X far more widely compatible.
Forš the first time, Playseat has includedš gear shifter support as standard on the Challenge X in a move that begins to offset the price rise compared to previous generations. What was previously a Ā£25 added extra, the additional steel beam that clamps to the wheel deck is now in the box and while I didnāt take advantage of it I will always applaud extras that donāt cost extra.
Iāve logged many a lap in the Playseat Trophy Logitech G Edition so the move to a more mid-range option in the range was an interesting one. The compromises needed to achieve a more portable form were clear from the start. These aren't necessarily criticisms though; the Trophy is so heavily braced that the experiences arenāt that comparable, in all honesty. Ultimately, as a flexible sim racing chair to pair with one of the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:best racing wheels for PC, the Playseat Challenge X is excellent.
Like the Playseat Trophy, the Playseat Challenge X, features a frameless seat rather than a solid bucket, with an ActiFit fabric sleeve supported by an outer frame. Itās a comfortable, effective solution that I was happy sitting in for long sessions. Throughout a full-length race in EA F1 23, I found the Challenge Xās hammock-like seat remained comfortable and the mesh fabric meant I didnāt overheat or feel the need to adjust my position. Thereās a good amount of support offered by the suspended seat which almost hugs you in and moves with yšou to absorb quick direction changes.
I bolted the 11Nm direct drive Logitech G Pro racing wheel onto the Challenge X, which is probably a lot more than the chair would ideally like to be dealing with. Notably, all of Playseatās marketing features the lightweight, entry-level 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:Logitech G923 which is the kind of wheel I expect the Cš„hallenge X would rather ride with. That said, even under the extra weight anš°d strain of the top-end G Pro, the Challenge X performed well.
The major drawback of the Challenge X is the noticeaš»ble amount of bounce and wobble thatās present at all times. Given the wheel deck is essentially balancing on a pole this wasnāt a surprise though. The rigidity and bracing points just donāt exist in a design like this so compromises need to be accepted. I didnāt find the movement impacted my gameplay and when I was zoned into a race I would often stop noticing it anyway. Again I imagine a lighter, less powerful wheel like the G923 may offer a more stable experience.
Youāre limited to just one fixed mounting position for the wheel, with a limited amount of tilt adjustment forward and back. Given the choice, I would have moved the wheel a little further away but it was still in a comfortable enough range to not be a problem. Cleverly, the crossbar supporting the wheel is hinged on one side, allowing you to open up the cockpit and climb in and out with a little more dignity and ease. Itās a welcome feature though I found the G Pro Wheel is evidently heavier than the Challenge X is accustomed to and even with the extra tilt support bar extended the whź¦ole rig felt like it was in danger of toppling over when the bar was fully open.
The pedal area offers the greatest amount of customization on the Challenge X with an impressive range of distance adjustment available. The metal poles that slide in and out are only clamped in place by a pair of thumb screws though, and on multiple occasions, I found they gave out in a heavy braking zone and the pedals slid out from under my feet. Itās another compromise of the portable setup with little opportunity for šmore substantial bracing so youāll just need to check and tighten them between races and pretend itās a brake failure if it happens mid-race. A word of advice too, youāll need to fully retract the pedals if you plan to fold up the Challenge X so grab a Sharpieš§ and mark where your ideal length is to save setup time in future sessions.
With racing done with, the Challenge X does collapse down into a compact bundle but in my case not quite as compactly as some of the marketing photos suggest. The larger G Pro wheelbase collides with the seat before the frame is fully folded and leaves a slightly larger footprint as a result. The same is true with the long G Pro pedal base. This fouls thše crossbar under the seat so sticks out further than is ideal. The whole package is still much smaller than a fixed rig like the Playseat Trophy however and much easier to move around and store.
Once again Playseat has collaborated with Logitech on a refresh that brings fundamental improvements to one of its existing racing seats. The Challenge X is an excellent option for lÜ«iving room racers with upgrades ovź¦er the previous model that make a noticeable difference day to day.
There are a couple of concessšions youāll need to live with but compared to awkwardly sitting at a coffee table or dominating your lounge with a giant fixed rig, this is a high-quality sim racing seat that performs well. If you need something that'll store away easily, this is a great option.
I used the Playseat Challenge X Logitech G Edition for a number of races in EA F1 23 and Forza Motorsport paired with a Logitech G Pro Racing Wheel and Pedals. I also checked for compatibility withš the MOZA R12 wheelbase and MOZA SR-P Pedals.
For more on our testing ideology here at GamesRadar+, take a look at our 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:hardware policy.
Want to go console-specific on your racing setup? Check out the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:best PS5 steering wheel, the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:best Xbox steering wheel, and if you're expanding into the skies, the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:best joysticks.
]]>Release date: February 21, 2023
Platform(s): PS5, PS4, PC, Xbox Series X, Xbox One
Developer: Mundfish
Publisher: Focus Interactive
Atomic Heart lacks nuance in everything that it does, which works to its detriment asš further ideas are layered into the mix. In comes the commentary šØon the eroding lines between communism, capitalism, and socialism, too complex to be explored in short conversations between an ambivalent action hero and his talking glove. Fetch quests build around outrageously convoluted lock and key systems, signaling an artificiality to the story and spaces. New enemy types emerge as the result of a symbiosis between bioengineered plants and human corpses. The dead start to speak. Audio diaries amass. Weapon vendors are uncomfortably, audibly horny for resources. And through it all, Agent P-3 has the emotional maturity and biting wit of a teenager who just discovered Reddit and the concept of internet anonymity.
What if, rather than receding from the world stage in the aftermath of World War 2, the USSR rose to conquer it through the development of advanced robotics and astronautics? Conceptually, It's an interesting thought experiment. Efforts to explore alternative histories aren't uncommon in the science-fiction shooter landscape;š Prey sought to actualize an accelerated Space Race, while a pair of Wolfenstein adventures let us quash a resurgent Nazi Germany.
Crucially, MachineGames found so much āsuccess with The New Order and The New Colossus because we viewed these twš®isted timelines through the stoic eyes of B.J. Blazkowicz ā a steadied hand amongst oversized carnage. Perhaps the greatest mistake Atomic Heart developer Mundfish makes is with how it handles its protagonist, Major Sergei Nechaev ā a wholly unremarkable avatar of destruction, stumbling through the launch of Communism 2.0 with such an aversion to curiosity that I can't help but share in his brutish animosity to it all.
Have you ever ordered a sci-fi book from the backpages of a pulp magazine (or to a Kindle via Amazon, such is the future we find ourselves in) because you were drawn in by the promise of the cover art, ꦺonly to find the internals lacking? Disappointment festers when informed expectation collides with unfulfilled potential. That's something I felt keenly by the time I was being thrown from one anticlimactic boss battle to the next, struggling to unpack layering lines of exposition as mistakenly-amplified audio tracks drowned dialogue and subtitles shrunk into the environments. Here's the thing though: Atomic Heart has one hell of a beautiful front cover. Mundfish has engineered an undeniably gorgeous playspace, the sort of world that you'll want to get lost in ā plot, pacing, and narrative design be damned. At least for š °a time anyway.
I encountered a plethora of frustrating bugs throughout my time with Atomic Heart. Whether it was collected resources sticking to the side of the UI, swelling audio which refuses to subside after combat concludes, enemies getting caught in the enviroānment, powers refusing to switch, and so on. Additionally, while Atomic Heart is certainly a good-looking game for the most part, the quality of some of its visual assets (particularly in cutscenes) really decays towards the backend of the story.
Despite the appearance of a Deus '0451' Ex reference before you've even had the oš¬pportunity to work out whether you want to invert the thumbsticks, Atomic Heart was never pitched as an immersive sim. Even still, I wish that Mundfish better capitalized on the wondrous world it engineered. You're given the space to explore environments, which are largely gated by frustratingly oblique lockpicking minigames and the terms outlined by quest progression. You can idle forward gradually if you want to ā in both the core missionset (predefined facilities that you move through linearly) and the wastelandish open-area which connects the campaign together. Given this framing, I was surprised to find so little to do, see, or find. That there was no life ā only death and decay spread throughout every nook and cranny.
Consider the worlds put forward by BioShock ā the underwater odyssey of Rapture; and Columbia's floating castle in the clouds. What these environments lack in points of interactivity, they make up for with a stunning sense of time and place. They feel lived-in, as if they existed long before you clicked in from the start menšu, and will continue to do so long after you leave it all behind. Conversely, Atomic Heart, with its empty laboratories, pristine museums, and crumbling underground facilities, feels somewhat hollow ā a 4K facade dressed in a stunning ambient lighting model.
Even with its messy narrative frame and fractured world design, I had high hopes for the combat. Inspect the underlying mechanical design of Atomic Heart, and it's possible to detect echoes of influence from a distinct set of first-person adventures. Atomic Heart takes aim at the physical-presence exhibited throughout Half-Life 2, the heavy-melee combat that became a trademark of the Dying Light games, the caustic gunplay of Wolfenstein and Doom, and the interweaving powersets that defined BioShock. This may be the š²debut video game from Mundfish, a studio founded just five years ago, but Atomic Heart arrives with big ambitions.
And Atomic Heart certainly has some nice ideas ā an intuitive approach to looting is appreciated, so too is an imaginative approach to enemy spawns, as spores reanimate mangled coršpses and androids stalk bloodied halls close to their assigned workstations. However, it fails to pair them with a forward-thinking approach to the basics. I found movement to be jittery around the edges, melee combat is pondź§erous, the firearms lack distinction, and tracking enemies is a hassle.
Atomic Heart does an exceptionally poor job of explaining the intricacies of its combat systems. One area I wish Mundfish had emphasized further concerns the use of elemental and energy damage. Special elemental cartridges can be installed onto weapons, imbuing them with the power of fire, ice, and electricity ā an interesting wrinkle if you're trying to make things more visually spectacular. It's also possible to accuą¦mulate energy with melee weapons, and discharge it to help hold enemies at bay; an interesting idea, though the less time spent fighting with floaty clubs and axes the better.
Ammunition becomes plentiful by the time Atomic Heart completely loses sight of the story it's trying to tell, allowing you to reliably hold hordes of enemies at bay from a distance, but there's a severe focus on melee before you reach that point. Initially, the androids can be relentless threats, shoving you into corners of which you have little ability to escape. Atomic Heart has a dodge function, but what it reaālly needs is a block ā there's little back and forth to encounters, making it feel as if you are robotically, weightlessly, exchanging blows in turn until something hits the ground.
The expanš ding set of Polymer powers do introduce some variety to combat, although the visual spectacle can only arrest attention for so long. Shok chains electric bolts through metal chassis, Mass Telekinesis thrusts rooms of enemies into the air, and Frostbite can freeze foes with jets of ice. Polymer Throw is designed to help you chain these abilities together, an accelerant which heightens elemental effects of anything it touches with expressive results. While entertaining enough when used sparingly, the powerset isn't diverse or intuitive enough to really change the cadence of combat. I routinely encountered a bug whereby I couldn't switch between the two powers I had installed; māost of the time, I simply relied on Mass Telekinesis for crowd control while I drained the ammunition reserves of a quietly chattering Kalashnikov rifle.
Among the most baffling creative decisions that Mundfish made surround the inclusion of first-person platforming and capitulation toward a trend of open world distraction. I can count on two hands the number of first-person shooters that handle platforming from this perspective well, and Atomic Heart is not one oāf them. While the framerate holds at a steady 60 frames-per second, player animation isn't fluid enough to support intricate movement. The sections of play where you're forced to navigate between yellow beams and shifting platforms are among the most frustrating, particularly as shaky collision detection will often push you away from elements in the environment that you should be able to reach. And heaven forbid you invest in the ability which mitigates fall damage, causing P-3 to combat roll oą¼ff of platforms that he should hit with sure footing.
Mercifully, platforming is kept to a (relative) minimum through Atomic Heart's five main facilities, with much of it held for the test sites scattered across the banal open world ā padding between campaign missions. These puzzle rooms are designed to make intuitive use of your Polymer Powers, but in reality are exercises in frustration mitigation. While optional, manyš ŗ of Atomic Heart's more interesting weapon upgrades are hidden within these underground labs, and you'll want those to help breathe a little life into the combat ā and to make all that rummaging through office desks and kitchen cabinets for valuable resources and crafting recipes worthwhile.
AtomšÆic Heart is a mā±essy video game with big ideas and a desperate need for refinement
Shooters with this style of crafting economy rely on a steady escalation of power ā you begin weak, and gradually become more of a threat as six types of collected metal are exchanged for new ways to shoot and slice through enemies. Sadly, I never found (or was allocated, Atoꦬmic Heart doesn't make this clear) the crafting recipes for two of the more interesting weapons, nor was I ever able to acquire even a single Neuromodule after 20 hours of playtime ā that's the resource necessary to craft some of the otherworldly weapon effects seen in much of the pre-release mašterial.
Atomic Heart lacks focus. It's a messy video game with big ideas and a desperate need for refinement, and further optimization. This is perhaps best reflected in the decision to dilute the linear nature of the core campaign with a wide-open space to explore. There's exceptionally little to see in this sprawling area, which is populated with a small set of repeating houses, one model of vehicle that you can careen into patrolling enemies, and an unwieldy alarm-detection system that often leaves you battling waves of androids with little reprieve. Atomic Heart wants to be a lot of things all at once, andą¼ while that ambition is certainly commendable, Mundfish isn't able to execute its ideas with any consistency or clarity.
Atomic Heart was reviewed on PS5, with a code provided by the publisher
]]>Release date: January 24, 2023
Platform(s): PS5, PC
Developer: Luminous Productions
Publisher: Square Enix
While much noise has been made about Forspoken's narrative ā which includes contributions fromš° Gary Whitta (screenwriter of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), and Amy Hennig (creative director of the Uncharted franchise) ā the game is underpinned by a number of standard RPG tropes. Protagonist Frey Holland, an orphan from New York, is whisked away to the fantasy land of Athia through a magical portal after unintentionally finding herself as the bearer of a sentient bracelet, Cuff, that absolutely will not shut up. Upon arrival, she discovers that the world is in a bad way, with the corruptive Break spreading throughout, and the last remnants of humanity living in the single Break-free city of Cipal.
Enter Frey, who can mysteriously survive in the Break and also use magic. She rather reluctantly comes to help the people of Cipal for what are admittedly quite selfish reasons. First and foremost, she wants to go home, and the initial set of NPCs point her in the direction of some enemies to fight. But then things get complicated, and there are more enemies to fight, and that gets further complicated, and so on and so forth until you'š»rꦯe done roughly 22 hours later.
That said, the critical path in Forspoken is just one small slice of what the game actually has to offer. The ruins of Athia are littered with different landmarks to find equipment like cloaks or necklaces, monuments to cat familiars and Athia's magical rulers the Tantas, Break-corrupted infestations to clear out, abandoned guilds to explore, and much, much more. At no point did it feel like I ever moved out of being within a clear line of sight of something to do on the map, whšich is both a blessing and a curse depending onঠyour level of investment in the world.
It's been clear from the moment Fš orspoken was revealed that a major selling point would be the magical parkour, offering Frey the ability to traverse the world of Athia swiftly and without much trouble. In practice, this largely bears out, and scooting across and over the landscape is just as satisfying as it looked in the promotional videos. And Forspoken's feeling of density is only further exacerbated by using stamina to quickly and effortlessly zoom about ā Frey's movement is initially limited by the relatively small pool of available staš°mina, though the resource gradually expands throughout the adventure.
The various detours and map markers are a good example of the issue that Forspoken has in its magic system, too; there's just so much there, but only a fraction of it is actually necessary. The problem with Forspoken'sš relatively massive library of magical spells is twofold. Picking and choosing which spells to invest in can be a bit of a headache, and the vast majority of them become available so late in the game that there's essentially no impetus to even bother doing so ā save for a cursory exploration in order to make use of enemies' vulnerabilities.
Despite spendiš„ng mana ā which can be gained through both leveling up, or simply passing through a font of mana out in the wild ā on spells from all the different elemental schools regularly and with gusto, I found that I rarely felt the need to mix things up beyond shifting between the different "schools" of spells. There are essentially four types of spells ā support, attack, surge, and purely utility ā and I can count on one hand the number of times I felt compelled to actually change a support spell to something else instead of simply shifting to a different element altogether.
"Barring a few rare setpieces, š¦Forspoken seems to prefer to tell rather than show"
Forspoken's mistake here seems to be confusing the technical limitations inherent to providing so many options with meaningful choice. Both mechanically and narratively, I cannot think of a single meaningful choice I had to make beyond where to spend my time ā after initially doing quite a bit of exploring all the noš oks and crannies of Athia, I chose to focus my attention instead on the main quest and only the main quest.
It's just unfortunate that said main quest is so dull. Barring a few rare setpieces, Forspoken seems to prefer to tell rather than show with one particularly egregious sequence later in the game devoted to revealing exactly what's been going on in full, lest there be any misunderstanding. Even taking Forspoken on its own terms, for what it actually does rather than what I would have preferred, it came across as an exposition dump at the conclusion of a plot that didn't exactly endear mše to Frey or Cuff, the two characters that get the most lines of anyone.
The kindest thing I can say about Forspoken is that it is aggressively fine. The good and bad parts are roughly equal such that it comes to be, in summation, an exceptionally middling experience. The magical parkour is exhilarating, but nošt really backed up by significance when you get to where you're going, and while half the game might have you moving from place to place, the other half is what you do when you arrive. The wide variety of spells is appreciated, but there's basically no reason to bother beyond a few favorites. Forspoken wants to be a game about hope and choice and community, and it's willing to hit you over the head with those themes explicitly to make sure it gets across though it never manages to insąµ²till them organically, which is a shame.
Forspoken was reviewed on PS5, with code provided by Square Enix.
]]>The sim racing market grew by around 50% year-on-year from 2020 to 2021, but that number doesnāt tell the whole story. Supply chain issues meant that manufacturers simply couldnāt meet public demand, meaning everything from entry-level wheels to F1 simulator-grade rigs was sold out on online stores for long perioą¹ds. In short, the market might have grown by 50%, but the public appetite has likely grown by orders of magnitude more than that.
Thatās the context for Thrustmasterās latest entry-level wheel, the T128 ($199/Ā£180). Itās priced considerably cheaper than the Logitech G923 ($399.99/Ā£349.99) and aimed squarely at younger gamers without huge financial reserves and beginners who may not want to make a massive investment with their first 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:PS4 or PS5 steering wheels or 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:steering wheel for PC gaming.
But hereās the thing: this market moves especially slowly. Three new 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:gaming headsets were announced just in the time Iāve been typing this sentence, but force feedback wheels are released and iterated on onlyš® once every few years and itās a much less crowded market than other gaming seā±ctors. And according to my early noughties business studies NVQ, less competition is bad for consumers. How does that play out when it comes to this new sim racing setup?
The instant you pull the wheel and pedals out of the box, you unšderstand that the T128 is about delivering a sim racing platform while looking for any and all opportunities to keep the costs down. Thatās fair eź§nough.
The giveaways here are the finish of the wheel, which is hard black plastic without any rubberised or pleather grip you might find on costlier models, and an exceptional small brake and throttle platform, again comprised of black plastic. Thatāsź¦ a notable difference to the existing T150 and TMX wheels in Thrustmasterās existing range, both of which offer some fāorm of grippy surface around the wheel at a similar price point to the T128.
Whereas higher-end models are a bit mꩵore modular in design - detachable wheels and independent servo units with optional handbrake and shifter add-ons - this T128 is an all-in-one proposition. The downside is that thereās no real upgrade potential down the line here, so if you decide to invest more in sim racing youād need to buy a whole new unit rather than just swapping in sšome better pedals or a new wheel. The upside is considerable though - simplicity and affordability.
On the front of the wheel, youāll find a gamepad-style d-špad and face buttons within easy reach of your thumbs if youāre driving at the ten-and-two position. The L2/R2/L3/R3 buttons are a longer stretch, but theyāre still handy inputs for binds you donāt use so often. Headlights, pit stop request button, camera change - that sort of thing.
Right at the centre of the wheel are four more buttons and an LED rev indicator to aid your gear shifts, and on the rear, some satiš¬sfyiš¤Ŗngly clicky shifters. You canāt fault it for number of inputs.
Both the wheel and the pedals unit are exceptionally small, so if youāre a younger racer (or shopping for one) this is a good pick. Grown-ups with WWE-proportioned hands and feet might have difficulty finessing their iāØnputs in such a tight space, though.
The look is functional above all else, but not without the odd flourish. The centre point indicator on the wheel is a sā±mart red brushed steel effect, and the rev indicatoš¤Ŗr might have been considered a higher-end feature only a few years ago and proves genuinely useful.
When it comes to actually wrestling to maintain control of a vehicle in-game, the lack of a grippy surface does become a problem. Particularly in longer sessions when your hands get a bit clammy, you long for some purchase. Thereās an inexpensive homemade solution though: bicycle bar tape. About $10/Ā£10 will get you a nice roll of grippy, š cushioned tape to wrap around the wheel, and this elevates the experience no end. Seriously, try it.
The precision and detail of the force feedback here are roughly in line with the price point. Thrustmasterās top-end servo units deliver incredible sensation, but a lot of thatās been shed here to achieve a cheaper unit. The T128 canāt match the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:Logitech G923 for convincing rumble and articulate feedback under traction loss or weight transfer, but it does give you enough to keep you informed. Putting in the laps in racing sims with a controller is, of course, totally doable and racers achieve some incredible times with only analog sticks and buttons, but even this entry-level wheel offers so much more detail and granular input than a 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:PC controller or 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:PS5 controller can.
The pedals unit, however, has some serious probź§lems. Not only are the throttle and brake pedals sprung extremely slack which makes finding a consistent brake biting point very difficult, but theyāre also extremely close together, and thatās simply uncomfortable. Shoes, socks, regardless - you feel like youāre cramming your feet into a toy car.
Worse still, itās so light and lacking in adhesion at the base that pressing on the pš edals lifts up the front. This happens whether you have the pedals freestanding šon your floor, or pressed up against a wall. And thatās really distracting, regardless of your experience level in sim racing or your size. Elsewhere the compromises for the price point make sense, but when it comes to the pedals too much has been sacrificed from your experience.
Thrustmasterās latest racing wheel can be a decent option for younger or beginner sim racers, but if you do buy one youāll probably need to put in a bit more work to turn it into a comfortable rig. Spending a little more on a pricier option like Thrustmasterās own TMX or T248 wheels or Logiās G923 makes those problems disappear, but if youāre determined to keep costs down this T128 offerą¶£s a taste of the benefits that force feedback wheels offer.
We employ what we call The Rihanna Method here when it comes to testing racing wheels: shut up and drive. That means hotlapping for hours on end in ACC, F1 22 and Project CARS 2, but aź¦lso tweaking the input settings in those games to try to find the sweet spot in force feedback strength, deadzones and the like.
The benefit of testing in several games is that you gain an appreciation of how much youāre feeling is coming from the individual vehicle or game eš®ngineās handling model, and how much iį©į©į©į©į©į©ā¤ā¤ā¤ā¤į©ā¤ā¤ā¤ā¤į©ā¤ā¤ā¤ā¤į©š±į©į©į©s the wheel itself. Itās particularly illuminating to try some precise open-wheeler stuff like an F1 game, then some driftier road cars where youāre slipping out of traction and balancing on the traction loss limit through corners.
Looking for other kinds of controller? Check out our guides to the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:best Xbox One steering wheel, as well as the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:best joysticks, and 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:best Xbox Series X controller.
]]>What Nintendo Switch Sports does well is to mix that nostalgia witāh plenty of freshness. Tennis, bowling, and sword fighting (now Chambara) return from Wii Sports and its sequel Wii Sports Resort, and then there are three new sports entering the ring ā badminton, volleyball, and football. There are brilliantly simple tutorials for each sport, both new and old, and the controls are equally easy to grasp. The accessibility and intuitiveness of the controls have always been such a huge part of the appeal of these games, and thankfully Switch Sports doesn't mess with any of that. If anything, controls are more refined and nuanced thanks to the Joy-Cons' responsiveness.
Oddly for someone who has no interest in the real sport whatsoever, it's football that I've had the most fun with in Switch Sports. There are three 1-2 player modes ā along with a free practice option ā where you work to score goals with an oversized ball. There are one-on-one or four-on-four options, where you either work alone or with three other CPU players. You move around the pitch with the right Joy-Con, while moving the left Joy-Con lets you kick in a varšŗiety of directions, leap up, or sprint. It's surprisingly involved ā particularly as the other sports will automatically move your characters for you ā and brilliantly chaotic when another human player gets involved in local multiplayer. You can control passes, do mad flailing headers, and sprint around to get the edge on your component. There's even a little stamina system to contend with. Yes, it's more like a football take on air hockey than real soccer, but I've never been so passionate about football in my life.
The third football mode is Shoot-Out, which can only be played if you've got the special leg strap accessory. If you already own Ring Fit Adventure you can just use the one that came bundled in, but it can now also be bought separately too. With the left Joy-Con strapped to your preferred kicking leg, Shoot-Out is basically a pretty basic penalty shootout miź¦ni-game. There's no option to control the direction of the ball with your kick, it's all down to good timing to ensure a goal. It's simple, but surprisingly effective, although I imagine for those who actually can kick anything with accuracy they may find it underwhelming - particularly if you've invested additional cash in š the leg strap.
Then you've got badminton, which isn't quite as high-octane as football, but just as fun. You don't have to manually move your avatar so, like tennis, it's all about timing and aiming your racket swings with a single Joy-Con. There's a surprising nuance that can be achieved just with the timing of your shots, where different strategies can unlock different shot types along with the cheeky dropshot you can pull off with a pull of𦩠ZR/ZL. Switch Sports ā¤doesn't really tell you how to pull these more powerful shots off though, so there's a pleasing level of expertise that comes with repeated trial and error.
Although it's not new, tennis operates on a similar wavelength and control scheme both to its original iteration in Wii Sports and to the new baš®dminton mode. You're always playing doubles, so if you're playing solo you also control the swing of your shadowy partner standing nearer the net, but you can also play with up to four real players at one time in local multiplayer. It's very similar to what we've had before, but when it already works so well, you can forgive the lack of improvements.
The last new sport is volleyball, which šI šinitially found pretty disappointing. Unlike the other activities in Switch Sports, volleyball feels incredibly scripted when playing solo. The game literally tells you what move to pull off next, which leaves you feeling more like you've triggered a QTE than really engaged. The more real opponents you add the less mechanical it feels ā although move prompts still appear in the corners of the screen ā but multiplayer also heightens the complexity. It's difficult to track the ball's movement on the screen, where your fellow players are situated, and thus it's harder to know when to start moving. The more you play the easier it gets, but it's definitely the least approachable of all the Sports.
As a nod to the Japanese film genre, Swordplay has been renamed Chambara. Like the other activities in Switch Sportsš, it's easy to learn and difficulš¬t to master ā you use Joy-Con movements to attack and block incoming swipes, as you ultimately attempt to knock your enemy repeatedly backwards and off a platform. Attacks must follow the direction of an opponent's block to land successfully, or you need to move when the other player isn't blocking. Chambara can range from being tense and strategic to a manic clashing of blades, but it's great fun regardless.
And then there's the ultimate classic, bowling. It's just as brilliant today as it was when Wii Sports made its debut in 2006, with options to change the angle of your swing, add spin, and other tweaks to your bowl. It also now comes with an added Special Mode that puts obstacles along the lane for you to bowl around for your strikes. It's not quite a crazy golf take on bowling, but it's close. It's simplicity has always been its sštrength, and it's a really great way to kick off the Switch Sports experience with someone who has never had to chance to try it.
Interestingly, Nintendo has already confirmed that there are more features coming later for Switch Sports. First, you'll get leg strap support for the one-on-one and four-on-four football matches in Summer 2022, and then in the fall, the seventh sport ā golf ā will be added to the game. It's an interesting way of distributing content, and feels more like š¦©features that weren't quite š¦ready for its April 29 release date than a meaningful roadmap for Switch Sports.
Other new elements include character customization - like with Mario Kart 8 and other titles, Nintendo has also moved away from Miis for Switch Sports. Insteš±ad, you get a customizable character with a more realistic look, albeit still a rather adorable one. There are options for your face and hair, and some basic clothing color options to begin with, but online play will give you the opportunity to earn more cosmetic items.
Online allošws you to earn points by simply just taking part in each sport, with multipliers kicking in for winning, scoring goals, your "hustle", and other elements of play. These points accumulate and for every 100 you earn, you can trade them in for a cosmetic item - ranging from entire outfits, hats, and masks, to new rackets, balls, and Chambara swords. They're grouped into collections, and it's a random draw from each one as to what you'll actually unlock. Those collections are on rotation too, with the initial offerings available for around two weeks, before something new comes along. It's a surprisingly rewarding system, as it's always clear how close you are to the next item unlock, so it's forever perpetuating the 'just one more go' mentality.
Adding online multiplayer also adds another layer of enjoyment to the entire game. Firstly, it adds a few online specific šmodes, including my favorite which is a manic 16-player battle royale-esque bowling tournament, where you bowl your best to stop being eliminated in each round. Somehow people are already bowling strike after strike flawlessly, so it's encouraged me to go back into single-player and perfect my technique. Football, like some of the other sports, scales up to maximum player counts, meaning eight players go head to head in the four-on-four mode, just for added chaos.
Online is such a great way to experience each of the Sports on offer, particularly if you don't regularly have other people to play with in-person. I totally lost myself in the grind for new gear that the game gave me a "take a break" warning aš«fter playing for an hour straight. No wonder my arm hurt!
Switch Sports' entire success really does hinge on your access to other players, which is why the online mode being worthwhile is so important. While Switch Sports is fun fÜ«or a while solo, it lacks incentives to carry on playing beyond just enjoying yourself, and the lack of variety in the locations you play in doesn't help. It's just one locale, the visually impressive Spocco Park. If you've got friends to play with of course ā either locally or online ā the enjoyment increases tenfold. It really is a social game through and through.
Nintendo Switch Sports officially launches on April 29, exclusively on Switch.
Release Date: March 31
Platform(s): PS4, Xbox One, PC
Developer: WolfEye Studios
Publisher: Devolver Digital
Weird West's story is split into five distinct chapters, and in each, you'll play as a different character. There's Jane Bell, the retired gunslinger, The Pigman, Across Lakes of the native tribe, the powerful protector, and the witch. Their stories are connected and intertwined, a murky soup of occult practices, witches, flesh-eaters, and regret, told through dialogue, documents, and the environments you travel through. While they all have their own individual plotlines and different journeys to go on, they can pleasingly overlap. Once you've finished Bell's story, for instance, you can go back as another character and recruit her to your posse. It's nice, seeing an old friend, at least until youš get her killed.
The actual gameplay is a mix of gunplay, strategic use of the environment - like lamps that can be shot to cause a blaze, barrels of oil, toxic chemicals - careful inventory management, and special powers afforded to your characters by collectible playing cards and relics. The isometric perspective does take some getting used to when you're wielding your rifles and bows and shotguns, but the guideline helps accuracy (those lamps are pretty tiny) and I adapted faster than I expected. You've also got the opštion to go for stealth, sneaking up behind enemies, knocking them out, and hiding them in the bushes, but in my case, things got so chaotic so often this approach was only ever the amuse-bouche before a feast of bullets. I did manage to complete a main story mission where I had to sneak through a brothel, throw someone off a balcony and raid an office all without being spotted, but I'll die before I tell you how many saves and reloads it took. It took me ages, but I did free some oppressed sex workers so, worth it.
Unexpected consequences are Weird West's real calling card, and a new sort of stress for people-pleasers like me who like to complete stories the "right" way. Anyone (apart from your character during their chapter) can die, permanently, even significant NPCs. You might think that's only a worry for psychos who like to play the ultimate villain iš¤”n their RPGs, but in a place full of monsters, explosives, and guns, accidents happen more than yošu think. When it comes to completing quests there always seems to be more than one way to get it done. There's the classic charging at the front door, weapons drawn, the old stealthily creeping between rooms, waiting for guards to wander just far enough away, but there are also other methods that reward the experimental, like running across the rooftops to find a skylight and avoiding people entirely, or uncovering a well and finding a secret way into a house. Which method you choose will determine your reputation in the world, which can affect prices in stores and who will travel with you, and maybe spark a vendetta, if you kill someone and their nearest and dearest flee promising revenge.
At times the crazy, 'anythingš¦ can happen' emergent gameplay stops being delightful and starts causing problems. Fighting a horde of monstrous Ridgebacks in one town, a dynamite blast somehow carried through a wall (without breaking it) and wiped out a few random members of an innocent family I couldn't even see inside. Suddenly I was being labeled a murderer, the father had a vendetta against me, and the townsfolk ignored my monster clearing services and piled out of the church, ready to fight. There's always an option to quicksave before you try something risky, or reload if something goes wrong, but it's all too easy for things tāo escalate before you've even considered protecting your progress.
The same problems arise when you add to your posse. Even significant characters can die, and do because they're not the smartest about not running into your line of fire or avoiding lakes of burning oil. It made me anxious I was missing out on big story beats because my new friends lacked any self-preservation skills. You can bolster their chances by sharing better equipment with them and healing them, but in a giant firefight, you just won't get to them in time. I don't even have any answers about how a game designer would balance the freedom of choice with these petty irritations, other they're just two sides of the same coin. The very things that annoyed me will thrill more chaotic players, who'll no doubt find ways to wipe out whole towns with a few sticks of dynaš¹mite and ride laughing into the sunset on a stź¦olen horse.
Smart choices have been made that preserve the feeling of exploration without needing to construct a fully open world. You'll travel between markers on the world map, bš²ut you'll have random encounters - some good, some bad - along the way and you can choose anywhere to stop and hunt or sleep when you need to top up your HP. Other than time limits on bounties and selected side quests you're free to delay your main mission and hop between locations looking for fights or treasure or to see how the residents you met previously are doing. Some widows will have remarried, so you'll see their names changed, and graves you dug for friends or your victims (or both) stay where you left them. Some areas that had their popź§ulation wiped out become full of outlaws or monsters. I live for open-world games, wasting time picking herbs and wandering around, and there was just enough of that feeling in Weird West to hook me. It was rare to visit even a random location and not find something, a battle, loot, even an unexpected sidequest, that gives you a little dopamine reward for getting distracted.
In the end, Weird West makes the rollercoaster ride through its world so compelling that you'll just stop caring about doing everything perfectly. The consequences are just twists in the story you're creating alongside the main narrative, and it's hard to imagine that two people&ąµ²apos;s playthroughs will ever look exactly alike. Though if you find yourself having an existential crisis after eating too many corpses, do feel free to slide into my DMs. I think I'm going to start a support group.
Reviewed on PS5 with a code provided by the publisher.
]]>As any casual racing fan who's tried playing (to take the most extreme example) a rally game knows, driving aids do not automatically make a game approachable ā which makes what Grid Legends has achieved here all the more impressive. Make no mistake, you can give yourself an unforgivingly realisticź¦ racing experience if you want, complete with the ability to total your car. Spend a few seconds in the menu, however, and you can adjust elements of Grid Legends to create a driving model that's simple without being insulting. AI difficulty, individual aids, the visible racing line, and more can be tweaked to your liking until you have your perfect platter for play.
Release date: February 25, 2022
Platform(s): PS5, PC, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X
Developer: Codemasters
Publisher: EA
Racing games aren't traditionally known for their storytelling, and I'd wager that nobody expects or wants that to change. Regardless, Codemasters went all oāut here. Grid Legends has a lavishly produced story mode, which uses a VFX technique employed in The Mandalorian, and boasts Ncuti Gatwa of Sex Education fame among its cast.
You play a rookie driver, only ever known as "Driver 22", who's recently joined the struggling Seneca Racing team. As fun as the blend between live action scenes and actual play can be throughout the campaign, there is an enormous discoš§ønnect between the scripted action and your accomplishments. Even if you win several races in a row, the story will continue as though you're barely scraping through. Not that it's a particularly compelling story anyway; despite some good šÆdirection, the acting is rather hit and miss, with one actor in particular practically begging for a moustache to twiddle to complete his comic-book villain act.
Nonetheless, the story mode should be your first port of call in Grid Legends ā and you can skip all the FMV scenes if you want to. It's an excellent tour of what the game has to offer, with a wide variety of vehicles, tracks, and events to sample. Roaring around the track in a formula car is a speed-focussed rush, while trucks prove unstable over ramps and around corners in the best way possible, usually just failing to tip over. Racing Minis through London in the rain, meanwhile, is sure to bring a smile to even the most stiff of British upper lips. All very different cars with very different handling, but they all feel right.
The Nemesis system from 2019's Grid makes a return, and has quite an impact on offline races. If you smash into an opponent too hard, they become your Nemesis, and will gleefully ram you back whenever they get a chance. That's the idea, at least; occasionally, I'd acquire a Nemesis because they hit me, or seemingly simply beāØcause I overtook them or drafted them for too long. Mostly though, it's clear why an opponent has become my Nemesis and, yes, multiple racers can have it in for you atš° once.
The Nemesis status remains for the whole race, aānd even carries over to the next if it's some sort of championship. I found myself trying to avoid creating Nemeses whenever I could help it, because a revenge smash at the wrong moment can, and sometimes does, cost me a hard-earned place or two in the pack. The aim seems to be to recreate the feeling of online rivalries and, while it doesn't quite get there, it does add a welcome flavour of danger to each race.
Career mode is more traditionally structured, with new cars and events slowly unlocked as you progress. It's also where XP, in-game cash, and levelling up comes into play. XP is earned during every single race event you compete in, on-screen messą²ages telling you how much you've earned for overtakes, drafting, keeping to the ideal racing line, etc. This feeds into your Driver level, which dictates what upgrades are available to you.
Upgrades in Career mode are split between Mechanic and Teammate types, and can be bought to, say, reduce the cost of new cars, or improve your teammate's performance. You can even, in a grimly amusing demonstration of capitalistic game design, pay to reduce his share of the race winnings. Am⦠am I the baddie?
Individual car upgrades meanwhile are unlocked according to miles driven, which can feel a little unfair when you've only unlocked two events for that vehicle so far. Of course, you can contribute to those miles by using the car outside of the career, but you need š½to have unlocked and/or bought it in order to do so.
There are over 100 cars in Grid Legends, and it's going to take many, many hours to get your eager little hands on all of them for your garage (and many more to fully upgrade them). However, a superb compromise has been struck in order to ensure that yoš¦u can drive any car you like straight away. If you want to use a car thš¼at you don't own in a race, you can do so free of charge; but in exchange for a huge dent in your race winnings, and the understanding that none of the miles driven will count towards unlocking that car's upgrades.
This instant access to the full roster of cars ensures that the race creator meets its full potential. It works much as you'd expect, in that you can choose the track, event type, weather, time of day, and so oš³n, and can be raced either online or offline. You can choose which class of car comāpetes or build out a Multi Class exhibition, which lets you set up-to five different types of car against one another. Trucks against GT cars? Maybe with some pimped-out racers in there? Why not! Grid Legends will automatically apply a head start to any significantly outclassed cars, but you can disable that if you're feeling like a villainā¦
What I found particularly interesting was thatš my confidence, and dare I say my skill, evolved šŗthe longer I played ā and Grid Legends was more than happy to join me on the journey. Not only does each class handle uniquely, the 130+ tracks offer a variety of demands. Some have long stretches to build up speed, others require you to master regular tight corners, and so on. Being asked to regularly adapt to different vehicles and different routes, I think, teaches as well as entertains.
While there are a few bumps in the road ā boost gates in electric car races feel unnecessary and rather silly (thankfully optional in race creator), and the AI is sometimes bafflingly slow to recover from major crashes ā they're easy to forgive. There's not a single bad track in the mix of real and fictional routes, and ā on PS5 as I've played it, at least ā the ašll-important frame rate is consistently smooth. Throw in cars that are as pleasing to drive as they are varied, and you've got a nice little runner.
Grid Legends was reviewed on PS5 with code provided by the publisher.
]]>Thatās true for owners of the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:best gaming PCs and 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:best gaming laptops, and now Sony PS5 owners too. While the PC is compatible with countless SSDs, the PS5ās requirements are much narrower and the Crucial P5 Plus is one of the lowest-priced M.2 PCIe Gen 4 PS5 SSD options that are fast enough to make the grade.
Of course, itās only fairly receź¦ntly that any device, be that PC or console, has supportedš the latest and speediest Gen 4 version of the PCI Express protocol. This is probably why Crucial hasnāt bothered until now.
Cruꦿcial does all of its own homework in-house. In other words, it makes not only its own flash memory but also controller chipsets. It doesnāt just buy those bits in like a lot of SSD brands. The most obvious upside is that the Crucial P5 Plus sports parent company Micronās latest triple-level flash memory chips, otherwise known as TLC memory. Micron reckons these new 176-layer chips are a big upgrade over the 96-layer stuff it has been making and supplying to the SSD industry. Improvements include more bandwidth, lower latency, and longer enduranš¶ce.
More of a māystery is Crucialās latest controller chip with PCIe Gen 4 support. Controller chips tend to be black boxes, so the lack of information isnāt unusual. All we can say for sure is that itās an eight-channel chip, itās paired with 1GB of DDR4 cache memorą¹y, and supports both hardware-based AES 256-bit encryption and high-speed SLC cache mode, the latter feature allowing a portion of the drive to be dynamically allocated to run in faster single-level-cell mode.
Anyway, as ever Crucial is aiming for a more mainstream product rather than going after the bleeding edge. So the headline specs of 6,600MB/s reads and 5,000MB/s for writes wonāt scare the high-end competition. The same goes for random access. Crucial pegs the P5 Plus 1TB at 630K read IOPS and 700K write IOPS. Big numbers, but still bettered by the best, like the gang of drives based on the Phison E18 controller, including the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:Kingston Fury Renegade and 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:PNY XLR8 CS3140, which are good for a million IOPS.
For the record, Crucial rates the P5 Plus 1TB at 600TB of write endurance and backs that with a five-year warranty, which should be enough for most users, and bundles both its own drive management soź¦ftware and Acronis Cloning, the latter coming in useful on the PC if youāre shunting an existinš ŗg OS onto a new drive.
The latest crop of PCIe Gen 4 drives has pushed up expectations when it comes to performance. The Crucial P5 Plus is hardly a slouch, but canāt quite match them. Not with reads of around 6,800MB/s and writes of 5,000MB/s in CrystalDiskMark 7. It also isnāt the snappiest of performers when it comes to 4K random access performance at short queue depths. QD1 reads of 69MB/s and writes of 174MB/s are not terrible. But top-end Gen 4 drives like the Samsung 980 Pro, 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:WD BLACK SN850, and PNY XLR8 CS3140 all do quite a bit better.
In terms of sustained performance, performance drops off after roughly 300GB of writes, very likely due to saturatiź¦ng the high-speed SLC cache rather than due to thermaź§l throttling. That said, the P5 Plus hits 69 degrees C under load, which is a tiny bit higher than weād like. It also suggests adding a compatible heat sink to this essentially bare M.2 2280 drive would be a good idea for slotting into the PS5. PC users will probably be fine as it is.
Overall, the Crucial P5 Plus doesnāt set new standards. But it is attractively priced for a PCIe Gen 4 drive with proper TLC fÜ«lash memory rather than that cheapo QLC stuff. It does run a little warm, which is more of a concern for the Sony PS5 than for PC. But we doubt it would actually cause any problems, especially with a heat sink applied. As a fast but affordable option for adding significant storage, the Crucial P5 Plus should be on your shortlist.
And if your search is more for something externally-shaped then check out our guides to the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:best external hard drives, 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:best PS5 external hard drives, and 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:best Xbox Series X external hard drives to cover your bases.
]]>Exactly how quick? Well, Sabrentās website has the following verbatim quote which might just pique your interest: "The worldās fastest NVMe SSD." Righto. More specifically, weāve got our dirty paws on the beefy 2TB model, which is claimed to be good for 7,000MB/s reads aānd 6,850MB/s writes. So, it matches Samsungās 980 Pro 2TB for reads and spanks the 980ās 5,100MB/s writes.
Problem is, there are actually faster SSDs on paper. Just as a 'for instance', the 2TB 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:PNY XLR8 CS3140 is rated at 7,500MB/s for reads. Of course, thereās much more to SSD performance than headline sequential throughput claims. It all comes down to the fine details with the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:best SSDs for gaming.
The beating heart of the Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus is the Phison E18 controller. Itās a very popular solution for high-performance PCI Express Gen 4.0 drives and has proved extremeā¤ly effective, including on the aforementioned PNY XLR8 drive. SSD controller chips tend to be mysterious black boxes,ļ·ŗ but we know at least that the E18 has five CPU cores, two of which are Phison own design, eight memory channels, four PCIe 4.0 lanes and supports up to one million IOPS (Sabrent only claims 650K read IOPS and 700K write IOPS for the 4 PLus), all of which makes for very much a cutting-edge storage solution.
The same goes for the Micron-made 3D TLC flash memory and 2GB of DDR cache, not to mention the 1,400TB rated write endurance and a healthy five-year warranty. It all bodes well. For the record, this is a standard M.2 2280 form factor drive, so compatible with most PC motherboards. It also meets the performance specifications for the Sony PS5ās M.2 upgrade slot and with fully 2TB of capacity would enable a very extensive installed games library. Sabrent also offers both a fat inch-thick heatsink for PCs and a slimmer one specifically designed as a PS5 SSD. The drive itself is, of course, a non-starter for those looking for 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:Xbox Series X hard drives. Like all full-length M.2š° drives, this is one š„for PC and PS5 fans, only.
Anyway, ꦫin testing, this SSD mostly delivers on the on-paper promise. During our pre-flight prep routine, which involves filling the drive right up and deleting the data before testing, the Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus 2TB sustains peak performance for fully 600GB of internal file copying, which has got to be enough for most users.
As for peak performance, it pretty much delivers on the paper promises with 7.1GB/s reads and 6.6GB/s writes in CrystalDiskMark 7. Arguably more important for the day-to-day sense of snappy system performance is 4K random access performance. Here, the Sabrent is certainly strong, notching up 285MB/s for 4K writes, second only in our testing of flash-based SSDs to the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:WD BLACK SN850. The Rocket 4 Plusās 73MB/s reads inš the same metric are a little less competitive but hardly tardy.
A couple of additional factors worth noting involve thermals and alternative drives. The Rocket runs a tiny bit warmer than weād like under load at around 65 degrees C. Also, there are now slightly faster drives based on the Phison E18 controller, including the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:Kingston Fury Renegade and PNY XLR8 CS3140, both of which run much cooler, which is great for those eyeing something up to add to one of 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:best gaming PCs or 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:best gaming laptops.
All told, this is a very quick SSD. Is it actually the worldās fastest? No. Will you feel the difference in the real world compared to drives that crank out slightly better numbers in certain benchmarks? Equally, not likely. As is so often the case, then, the Rocket 4 Plusās appeal hinges on value. Like all drives based on the Phison E18 controller, the Rocket is pretty pricey. The WD Black SN850 2TB can be had for a fair bit less, ditto the Samsung 980 Pro in the sź¦ame capacity. Weād find the WD drive in particular hard to ignore.
]]>On paper, itās one of the fastest of the current generation of PCIe Generation 4 drives. Yes, yes, Gen 5 SSDs are incoming and will support up to twice the bandwidth. But itās going to take years before both drives and the Gen 5-compatible platforms required to run them, including games consoles as well as the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:best gaming PCs and the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:best gaming laptops, become widely available. For now, then, the likes oļ·½f the PNY XLR8 CS3140 1TB are about as good as it gets, by the specs at least.
Speaking of specs, PNY isnāt exactly expansive when it comes to the details. The drive comes with a healthy five-year warranty, but PNY doesnāt get into the specifics regarding write endurance or theᣠidentity of the controller chipset used.
Not that PNY has anything to hide. Turns out this drive packs the popular Phison PS5018-E18 controller, plus four 256GB packages of Micron 96-Layer 3D TLC NAND and 1GB of DDR4 cache memory. Itās quality stuff, especially that Phison controller. Itās an š·eight-channel chip with five cores, two of Phisonās own design, and good for no fewer than one million IOPS.
As for the CS3140ās physical bearing, the basics involve a conventional M.2 2280 SSD. But itās optionally available and reviewed here with a very beefy heat sink. The benefits of that kind of cooling on an SSD vary, but it doesnāt add a lot of cost and could help with both immediate performance and long-term reliabilityš§.
That said, itās a very large heat sink, taking the overall thickness of the drive to over 20mm and nearly double the maximum supported by theꩵ Sony PS5. Indeed, itās fat enough that weād recommend PC users check it doesnāt foul other components on their motherboards.
You can get the CS3140 without the heatsink and PNY also sells a PS5 SSD version with a heatsink too. Obviously, this drive is a non-starter for those looking for 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:Xbox Series X hard drives.
Along with that headline read speed, PNY says this 1TB model is good for 5,650MB/s writes (the larger 2TB model clocks in at 6,850MB/s). In our testing, it doesnāt quite achieve thošse claimed highs, topš¦ping out at just over 7,000MB/s reads and around 5,200MB/s writes in CrystalDiskMark 7. In other synthetic measures of peak performance, youāll see a similar picture - good performance, but a little short of the claims.
Still, that puts it up there and on par with the very fastest 1TB Gen 4 drives weāve seen, including the WD SN850 and Samsung 980 Pro. The new 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:Kingston Fury Renegade is a little quicker for reads, at 7,350MB/s. But weāre splitting haiā rs. When it comes to peak sequential performance, this thing flies. Weāre talking about many gigabytes of performance in both directions.
Itās a little less impressive when ą²it comes to 4K random access performance. By way of example, the WD SN850 cranks out 316MB/s at queue depth one and the Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus is good ൩for 285MB/s. The XLR8? It manages 251MB/s.
But what of sustained performance? In our pre-test drive fill procedure using an internal file copy process, the XLR8ās performance drops off dramatically after around 300GB/s. Virtually all drives exhibit performance drop-offs at some point and, generally, there are two reasons for that - overheating and š„running out of SLC cache.
The XLR8 runs at a remarkably cool 36 degrees C even under load, no doubt aided by that big heat sink. So, the 300GB limitation almost certainly reflešcts the proportions of the 1TB capacity thatās allocated to operate in faster SLC mode rather than any thermal throttling. Either way, 300GB of unfettered performance should be plenty for most users.
The PNY XLR8 CS3140 1TB is a speedy top-performing SSD based on well-proven technology in the Phison controller and Micron fš§lash memory, all backed by a five-year warranty. It also runs nice and cool, which bodes well for long-term reliability.
Of course, the heź¦fty heat sink may limit physical compatibility with some PC configurationsš¼ and also means itās not an option for consoles. But if thereās a real deal-breaker, itās pricing. The CS3140 is admittedly pitched at a similar point in the market to other PCIe Gen 4 drives based on the Phison E18 controller. However, some very good Gen 4 drives based on alternative technology, including the WD SN850, can be had for as much as 20 percent less money. Thatās hard to ignore.
And if your search is more for something externally-shaped then check out our guides to the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:best external hard drives, 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:best PS5 external hard drives, and 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:best Xbox Series X external hard drives to cover your bases.
]]>All told, Rainbow Six Extraction is good at what it sets out to doā±. In its most frantic and explosive set-pieces, it can be great. In its quieter, more pensive and expositional momź¦ents, it can be terrifying. So why, then, does it feel lacking in identity?
Release Date: January 20, 2022
Platform(s): PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Stadia
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher: Ubisoft
Before addressing that question, it's worth considering Extraction's long road to release. First revealed at E3 2019, the shooter, then known as Rainbow Six Quarantine, was pencilled for launch at some point the following year. Less than ten months later, however, the global pandemic offset Ubisoft Montreal's plans ā forcing three subsequent delays and a name change, all within circumstances that better reflected a Tom Clancy novel than our pre-2020 reality. And yet unlike the opening cinematics of The Division and Siege ā where we're sold a once far-fetched-now-entirely believable story about a glā±obal virus; and are introduced to a team of crackshot world-defenders by Hollywood actress Angela Bassett ā Extraction's arrival is subtle, bordering underwhelming.
Set on New York City's Liberty Island, we're shown tourists shuttling between souvenir stalls and the Statue of Liberty, before getting our first glimpse of the Chimera Parasite. Arcing stalagmite, tree root-like 'Carapace' structures burst from the asphalt, as a tough, grey and gooey biofilm named the 'Sprawl' spreads itself with menacing purpose. With that, we're zipped off to the REACT HQ ā the home of Extraction's expert team of anti-alien freedom fighters ā and then, in essence, are dropped straight into the danger zone, to take down hordes of Archaeans in New York, San Francisco, and Alaska among a hšandāful of other locations.
There's an air of uncertainty about the whole set-up, though. It all feels a bit rushed, as if Extraction is keen to distance itself from its drawn-out past, its previous ties to 'Quarantine' against the current reality, and the core themes we're otherwise used to seeing embellished in Rainbow Six games. Perhaps a broader introduction was ꦯwhittled down over time, who knows, but, given the fact this is a breakaway project born from an experiment, a limited-time mode that launched three-and-a-bit years ago for a different game entirely, more on the narrative front would've helped me care more about the characters risking their lives for salvation. And I suspect the same will apply to newcomers unfamiliar with Siege whatsoever.
That said, it's also worth noting that, like Siege, Ubisoft has big plans for growing Extraction over time, of cultivating a player-base anād tinkerinꩵg with the formula post-launch assuming the interest is there. And, even if I'm reading too deep into how Extraction establishes itself, it is abundantly clear that the game is most confident with its boots on the ground.
To this end, New York City marks the first of Rainbow Six Extraction&aposšÆ;s four main deployment areas, each of which boasts three separate locations. These central locations are spread across a trio of so-called 'subzones', wherein specific objectives determine how you'll explore and plunder each map inside a 15-minute time-limit. The game describes this as its 'infiltration/exfiltration loop', which might see you storming an NYC police station to collect Archaean biopsy samples on one mission, or wading through the Sprawl-infested remains of a San Francisco casino to liberate a trapped VIP before transporting them over your shoulder to the extraction zone on another.
As you might expect, the deeper you go and the more experience you garner (and thus the better equipment, weapons, and tech you can unlock), the tougher things get. The breed of Archaean you face, and their propensity for parasitic mutation, for example, varies in-line with each incursion's difficulty. Moderate ventures only feature basic-level enemies, while Cautious, Severe, and Critical missions tend to feature a full ecosystem of foes (of which there are over ten), any and all of which can mutate into tougher, more formidable beasts ā ranging from armoured nests that can spawn unlimited Archaeans, to invisible alien badš¼dies and Archaeans that leverage Chimera Fog to get the drop on you. Not so tough spamming those smoke bombs now the aliens have their own, are you?
Those familiar with Siege will appreciate the nods to how Extraction sets itself up in battle. Over and above smoke bombs, players are encouraged to send ground-running drones into the dšŖanger zone to scope out targets, flag points of interest, and, crucially, identify enemy placement. But, unlike Siege, your Archaean antagonists pay little mind to the reconnaissance tech wheeling around at their feet, giving you free roam until the batteries run out of juice. Similarly, environmental destruction plays its part here ā a central tenet of Siege since launch ā but the wiser you get to each Archaean type's move-set, the more you realise busting down a partition wall with Sledge's hammer and going gung-ho with a shotty is a last resort against pretty much any other plan of attack.
Sleuthing around in the shadows and picking off prey undetected is instead a far better way of getting ahead, especially inside the infiltration half of proceedings. And it's in these moments where Rainbow Six Extraction shines ā when it's doing its own thing, not striving to replicate Siege or be the next Left 4 Dead; when it makes you consider every decision, every action, every consequence, the XP you might gain or lose, and the resulting XCOM-like incremental decision-making you&apoš s;ll face at the other end. While each incursion is composed of three distinct subzones, you can extract at any time, again underlining the importance of the survival vs success dichotomy. Live, and make off with whatever XP you've scavenged to that point. Die, and lose it all.
When things do go belly-up, fallen operators šare rendered MIA and placed in a stasis form within whichever map they've been downed. Anyone familiar with the television show The Crystal Maze will know the drill, but, while you lose immediate control of the fallen operator in these instances, you will ultimately get the chance to rescue them, and whatever upgraded gear and tech they're equipped with, during a later 'MIA Rescue' objective. These bouts involve shooting targets that look like glowing flowers attached to giant umbilical cords while pulling your pal from the clutches of a giant, slimy tree. Yes, really.
All of the above can be tackled in single-player mode, but it's invariably more fun with pals. In the absence of proper populated servers pre-release, I teamed up with two members of the GamesRadar+ team for some squad-baāsed antics (maximum groups of three) in cross-play, with two of us playing on PS5 and another on Xbox. Extraction is fully cross-playable on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X via Ubisoft Connect, which autošÆmatically syncs on PC and can be linked to console profiles in-game.
Not that going it alone in Extraction isn't fun, but there's something infinitely more entertaining about undertš°aking a 'Specimen' incursion ā wherein you're tasked with luring an Archaean from deep within the map to a trap mounted on the extraction site in order to capture it alive ā while your buddies hum the Benny Hill theme tune through their headsets. Likewise, when conducting one of theš aforementioned flower / umbilical cord / sticky tree missions (or 'MIA Rescue' as the game prefers), coordinating with gun-toting lookouts over each shoulder as hordes of Archaeans burst through walls in all directions really helped us recapture missing-in-action agents under pressure.
Moreover, later challšÆenges involve travelling to alternate dimensions to take on shape-shifting 'Protean' Archaeans. These enemies mimic the likeness and skill sets of REACT operators themselves, and, bloody hell, three-player teams in these set-tos are barely enough.
With an ensemble of 18 plašyable operators to send into the breach, including a host of Siege-familiar favourites; upgradable tech, including body armour, revive kits andā scan grenades; and a handful of explosive and reinforcements to tinker with, Rainbow Six Extraction offers plenty beyond the battlefield. In the weeks following launch, Ubisoft plans to evolve its uber-challenging 'Maelstrom Protocol' mode, with weekly assignments and combat and assault modes promising to add flavour to the get-in-extract-get-out fundamentals of the core Extraction experience.
The thing is, all of this depends on Extraction hitting the ground running from the off and garnering that initial player-base it hopes to develop, sustain, and grow. With its inclusion in Xbox's Game Pass initiative, and the fact that the remainder of this month is relatively light on the big releases front, Extraį©į©į©į©į©į©ā¤ā¤ā¤ā¤į©ā¤ā¤ā¤ā¤į©ā¤ā¤ā¤ā¤į©š±į©į©į©ction has a good chance of doing so šin the short-term. How Extraction will fare longer-term remains to be seen.
The fact that we're still talking about Rainbow Six Siege and (its now-retired) Outbreak mode today speaks volumes for their long-lasting appeal, but by flying so closely to its inspiration, Rainbow Six Extraction suffers a bit of an identity crisis. It's often good but rarely great. In its darker, action horror-driven moments, it can be brilliant; but when forcing gratuitous gunplay that fails to live up to Siege's prestige, it can be repetišøtive. If Rainbow Six Extraction is to achieve long-term success and build a healthy community, then it must play to its strengths, it must be its own thing, and it must escape the long shadow cast by the very source material responsible for its existence.
Reviewed on PS5 with a code provided by the publisher.
]]>The promise of a new operating system, more fitness features, and faster performance are weš¦©lcome benefits, but are they worth the price of admission over previous modešls? Or would we forsake them all for better battery life? Let's take a look.
Before we really get stuck in though, letās clear something up. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic sees the series split into two different modelš°s. This āClassicāā model is the direct follow-up to 2020ās Galaxy Watch 3, complete with a distinct rotating bezel design.
Alternatively, there is a new version, simply calšled the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, coming without a rotating bezel where you swipe around the edge of the screen in a circular motion to replicate the bezel action of the Classic. The non-Classic model also comes with smaller displays but otherwise carries the same specs and features. The biggest difference is the price.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic is priced at $349 / Ā£349 (42mm) and $379 / Ā£369 (46mm), while the standard Watch 4 is considerably cheaper at $219 (40mm) / Ā£249 and š°$279 / Ā£269 (44mm).
There are certainly benefitā¦s to having the rotating bezel and even the larger displays due to some small text issues (more on that later). Turning the bezel on the classic has a satisfying click and is the best way to navigate menus between app tiles. The Classic is the model Iāve been using for a few months now, whereas I only spent an hour or so at a preview event using the model without a bezel. That was enough time to see that using the screen edges was much clumsier for navigation - but you do have the option of just āswiping between apps too.
If you are caught between the two, Iād advise heading into an electronics store with some display models and playing with the app tiles on both models to see which you prefer. Considering the price difference between the two, itās certainly worth looking at the cheaper model if youāre able to give it a hands-on try beforeā you buy. For the rest of this review, as we dive into software features, Iāll generally be referring to the Watch 4 Classic as just the Watch 4.
Weāre now getting the new Wear OS 3 which was built between Google and Samsung spš®ecifically for the Watch 4 series. Itās been a long time coming as, on the Watch 3 and earlier models, there has always been an odd disconnect between the watch and how we expectš Samsung Galaxy apps to work together.
The biggest change is that the Google Play store is now supported on the Watch 4 models, meaning you can download many of the same apps you have on your phone, as long as they support a watch version - so yes, Google Maps is finally on your wrist withoutš any dodgy third-partšØy apps that have disappointed over the years.
Looking at maps on your wrist is of course another good excuse to get a larger display. As a first attempt, itās not a bad effort, but it does crash sometimesź§ and forget to refresh as youāre walking. You canāt zoom in further on the route either to see some of the other street names or scroll ahead without backing out from the routeās navigation. Hopefully, a few updates will tidy it all up and allow us to banish holding our phone while navigating and looking like tourists.
Letās get back to navigating the Galaxy Watch 4 though. You can now swipe up to see alšl your apps in a list that looks similar to the layout on an Apple Watch, albeit strictly in a vertical scroll. As for app tiles/widgets themselves, theyāre still accessed by swiping from the side or using the bezel and this area feels very similar to the last watch. Itās a little underwhelming considering this is supposed to be a new operating system.
The extra app support is of course much appreciated, but it would hašve been nice for the tiles to get a bit of an overhaul too. I have to say though, everything does run much smoother when youāre flying through various tiles, and firing up apps is now super quick. The Watch 3 seemed to almost crash whenever taking a manual heart rate measurement, but the Watch 4 series now does it in a few seconds with no irritating stuttering that previously tempted you to start the process again. The sensors seem to do a better job too and arenāt as fussy with warnings youāre not wearing the Watch 4 tight enough.
There are more watch faces to choose from once again and it cašn be tricky finding one that supports the Complications (the awful name used by Apple and Samsung alike ꦯfor onscreen data widgets) you want to see represented.
In some watch faces, you can choose from any of the widgets across the range with step counters, battery, weather, compass, workouts, and everything in between available to choose from. Whereas others will only support a small amount of them meaning youāll have to dive into apps/tiles to get the inꦬfo you want rather than have it at a glance when looking at the main screeą²n on raising the watch.
Byš± this stage, you should at least be able to put the four standard widgets along the rounded edges of the screen on any watch face of your choosing, but many of them insist on being super clean and clutter-free - they lošok nice but are functionally disappointing.
My review model was the 42mm version and some of the text on the widgets is really small, too small to read at a glance š¹in all honesty. I had a 45mm version of the Watch 3 and the same widgets were much easier to read, so Iād certainly advise going for the largest model here, which is the 46mm one - certainly something to bear in mind over the non-classic Watch 4 as it only comes in 40mm/44mm.
While the Galaxy Watch 4 series has made some nice improvš¼ements over the previous models, it continues to disappoint in terms of battery life, with it essentially requiring a daily charge if you wanį©į©į©į©į©į©ā¤ā¤ā¤ā¤į©ā¤ā¤ā¤ā¤į©ā¤ā¤ā¤ā¤į©š±į©į©į©t to enjoy its full feature set.
Typically, I would have the display set just below half of the max brightness and have features like blood oxygen and heartbeat monitoring constantly running in the background during the day and have sleep and snoring detection enabled during the night. Even without doing anything else particularly intensive (music playback, taking calls, or vigorous exercise), Iād be down to around 30% by the time Iād be thinking of headiš ng to bed. Going to bed without charging it would run the risk of hitting zero percent while sleeping and losing the sleep-tracking data or the watch vibrating to warn me the battery was running low during the night - an irritating and further battery-draining quirk that needs to be killed on all phones and smartwatches.
If I was closer to 40% Iād sometimes get away with it and only have to charge it up in the morning with a few percent⨠remaining. Charging times from near-empty are 70-80 minutes via the small supplied wireless USB charging base - youāll need to supply your own plug.
So while youāll occasionally get over a day of charge, youāll still find yourself charging on a dailš¦y basis in order to avoid being caught short. Setting the heart rate monitor to every ten minutes instead of constant didnāt give me much more juice and if youāre turning off these health settings in order to eke out a bit more power then you have to ask if itās worth spending this much money on a smartwatch in the first placeā?
Sleep monitoring wonāt be for everyone, aą“nd you might get a day and a half on a regular basis if youārše not wearing the watch overnight. But Iāve actually found this feature to be one of the Watch 4ās standout features.
The Watch 4 series is certainly ambitious and really gunning for not just Apple but also smartwatches from fitness specialists, Garmin and Fitbit. Workout sessions track a huge range of activities walking, runnišng, squats, stretches, swimming, weights, ellipticals, leg curls, aerobics, and more.
The gyro sensors are much better than those on the Watch 3 too as they register movements much more accurately, especially on your hourly stretches if you haveᣠthe prompt set on the watch to remind you to get out of your office chair/off the sofa more often during the day.
Previouslšy, on a set of ten reps it would take four or five before the watch would start counting them. Now they all seem to be counted, although one or too sloppy reps still wonāt get counted if you half-ass it, but it always feels fair now.
Heart rate tracking seems more reliable this time around and is best left to always-on, rather thanź§ just manual testing if you want to set some decent baselines for regular ratings at resting and exertion.
More in-depth health features are a bit hit and miss. The new body composition metrics measurement sensor enabled by placing fingers oꦰn the two buttons for a short time gives readings for body fat, skeletal muscle, BMI, body water, and more after you give it your weight.
Results seem to vary quite wildly unless you strictly stick with doing it at the same time every day, and even then you can get different results if your arms are in slightly different positions during the scan. Youād be much better off using the results from a proper set of BMI scales reašlly, especially as theyāre pretty cheap nowadays.
Thereās an ECG scanner as well (only if you have a Samsung phone) whš ich looks for any patterns you might be concerned about. Samsung is clear that the Watch 4 isnāt a medical piece of equipment, so take it all with a pinch of salt. Or not if youāre already dining out on snacks too much.
I haą¦ve to give a shout-out to the sleš“ep detection though as this has turned out to be one of the Watch 4ās best features. Wearing a watch to bed isnāt something Iād usually do at all, and it has presented issues on when to charge the damn thing, but Iāve found myself wearing the Watch 4 every night for a few months now and will be carrying on for the foreseeable.
The watch is capable of giving you readings for how much REM, light, and deep sleep you get as well as how often you woke up during the night via a colored timeline display you can view in the morning. Youāre told how much actual sleep you had and itās also scored. The score isnāt particularly helpful though as it varies wildly. Iāve had a high score on an erratic nightās sleep of fewer than five hours, but middling to low scores on relatively uā±ninterrupted six or seven-hour sessions.
Blood oxygen is monitored during the night and you can set up snore detection if you have your phone next to your bed as it will record it for you to playback in the morning. Thankfully, Iāve only snored twice in the last few months which is plenty enough given the creepy audio on the rš ecording.
You can use your phone to scroll back through the data to see how much sleep youāve been getting over longer periods of time, but the way the data is presented in the app is misleading. The graphs tend to highlight the amount of time youāve tried to sleep, rather than the actual sleep you had. Click on an individual day and then you get the full breakdown of how much sleep you had, along with what types. So itās a bit back to front, but overall, Iām impressed with the tracking itself which does seem to accurately pick šup genuine sleep rather than me lying in bed watching TV or those nights where Iām spending more time lying there with my eyes closešd.
I was keen to try out the blood pressure monitorą¹ing, but have not been able to due to the requirement of setting up the device with an initial one-time reading from a proper blood-pressure cuff. Oddly enough, I donāt have one of these lying around at home and the idea of heading down to my local doctorās during a pandemic so I could get a š²measurement to help me write my little smartwatch review seemed to be a bad idea.
An important note: most health features are compatible with any Android phone, but the ECG and blood pressure features only work on Sš“amsung phones. Not the biggest of deal-breakers and I wouldnāt lament their loss if youāre thinking of pairing the Watcą¼ŗh 4 with something from OnePlus or maybe one of Googleās Pixel phones - although a Pixel watch is heavily rumored to be coming this year too.
If youāre already an Android phonāe user, especially a Galaxy model, then this is one of the best smartwatches you could possibly buy (the Galaxy Watch 4 series is not compatible with iPhones at all). Itās a decent upgrade over previous models with a snappier operating system and improved health features, with exercise and sleep tracking being the standoutsš.
The display is super clear and bright, although weād opt for the largest size you can for the smaller text on some watch faces. The raise to activate display works mš uch better than previous models too. The Watch 4 is also pretty damn good for taking quick phone calls thanks to the built-in speaker and mic. Google assistant is still missing, so youāll have to rely on Bixby for voice commands - we all know you wonāt though.
The Watch 4 Classic is a harder sell if you picked up last yearās Watch 3 as thereās not a huge difference despite the new operating system. The battery continues to be a letdown (as it does on Appleās latest watches ź¦too to be fair), so thatās something to bear in mind if charging daily will be a hassle for you. Garmin and Fitbit have models with better battery life, but theyāre much more lacking in general smart features.
Overall though, the Watch 4 Classic is the best smartwatch Samsung has ever made and the bezel-free standard Watch 4 provides a far cheaper alternative that should be considered if you wantā to save some cash or if you prefer that cleaner open design.
]]>The Razer Kraken V3 HyperSense is wired so if you're after one of the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:best wireless gaming headsets on the market, you may need to wait for the Kraken V3 Pro that's coming later down the line. The V3 HyperSense's retail price of $129.99 / Ā£129.99 means it certainly won't go down as one of the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:best cheap gaming headsets, but it's more than worth the money if you're after a compą¶£etitively priced premiuš m gaming experience this year.
This time around Razer has opted for a black-on-black color scheme which is suitably understated save for the large RGB badge that adorns either cup on the Razer Kraken V3 HyperSense. Thereš¦¹'s no accounting for taste, of course, but I think this is one of the more stylish gaming headsets that the company has ever put out, especially when considering the memory foam and leatherette construction combined with the steel-reinforced headband. Because of the lighting, I won't go for far as to call its overall aesthetics subtle, but it is one of the cleaner-looking headsets in the brand's line-up for sure.
Unsurprisingly from a premium Razer gaming headset, the Razer Kraken V3 HyperSense is exceedingly comfortable for long periods of time, too, without any pinching of the head, nor ear soreness that can build up in some cheaper gaming headsets made of less premium materials. The overall build quality as a whole is to be commended, being a major step-up from the likes of the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:Razer Kraken Tournament Edition, and the subsequent X line of budget models in the range, so if you're after a long-lastšingā headset, the Razer Kraken V3 HyperSense definitely delivers on this front.
The standout feature of the Razer Kraken V3 HyperSense has to be the haptic in-ear feedback, the titularꦬ HyperSense technology. This provides an adjustable level of physical responsive rumble that adapts in real-time to your games and music. I'll preface my next point by saying that my daily driver headphones for almost three years were the Skullcandy Crushers, one of the first and most popular headphone models to feature haptic feedback, and quite frankly the sophistication of the HyperSense built into the Razer Kraken V3 HyperSense blows them cleaź¦nly out of the water.
This level of engrossment isn't going to be for everyone, and some gamers might find the maximum setting a little too intense. I personally didn't have this issue, and it's easily alleviated anyway due to a dedicated toggle button where you canš§ø set the strength, but it's something to keep in mind. I found that actively switching between medium and high worked most efficiently for games šsuch as Deathloop and Far Cry 5, especially when you can physically feel the power of a shotgun blast tearing a man to shreds or a sniper round blitzing straight through an unaware guard's helmet, and frontal cortex, from far away. Simply put, there's nothing else like it on the market right now from its competition, and it's a feature that aids immersion to no end that I just can't get enough of.
The physical controls present on the back and underside of both cups are simple but get the job done well, as you can feel the differences easily between the voluź§ me slider, HyperSense toggle, and microphone mute button. I've never been a fan of touch functionality when editing on-the-fly audio preferences, so I'm happy Razer chose to go the tactile route here.
The Razer Kraken V3 HyperSense features 50mm TriForce Titanium audio drivers that have been present in many of the brand's more recent gaming headsets, such as the excellent 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:Razer BlackShark V2, and these drivers sound every bit as good here, too. There is a real sense of warmth, dš¼epth, and clarity to the sound prowess on display with faithful and accurate audio reproduction aš °cross the board.
Headset microphones are never going to rival the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:best microphones for gaming though the detachable cardioid microphone present on the Razer Kraken V3 HyperSense does a good job of making you sound every bit as clear and loud as you need to be. I found this out through extensive testing of Far Cry 5's co-op campaign mode issuing commands to my partner while mounting the gun turret on the side of an attack helicopter that all came through clear as day. I also tested the microphone up against my Blue Snowball USB microphone and was similarly š¬impressed by how close the two compared through Audacity and Reaper for voice recordings.
The functionality with Razer Synapse is fairly basic but it ticks all the boxes that you need to tailor your audio experience to yoš¬ur liking. Particular focus is placed upon the microphone control, with options to add real-time normalization and vocal clarity (aāctive noise reduction) which I found to work exceptionally well removing any need to add any post effects that I would otherwise use with my dedicated microphones.
In terms of pure gaming support, the sound mixing option allows you to toggle game-specific settings for titles that include THX Spatial integration, as well as any music or video apps you may be using on your PC. As expected, there's also Razer Chroma / Visualizer support for the lighting, too. It isn't the most in-depth, but you've got more than enough customization here for most situations, and I found myself hot-swapping š”between the 'music' and 'gaming' preset to mušch success.
THX Spatial is present and accounted for as one of the better ways to experience 3D Audio surround sound in-game right now, and it does a fine job of providing a realistic soundscape that matches the visuals onscreen. This was mosš³t apparent when I could hear a conversation taking place in an apartment building in Deathloop from a rooftop ꦔfrom a distance - it genuinely sounded as though they were not only underneath me but also behind several walls, too.
The Razer Kraken V3 HyperSense has been advertised as also being compatible with PS5 as well, and while the haptic feedback wasn't quite as dynamic on the console, the headset sounded great when plugged into that system. What's more, because the console has support for THX Spatial 7.1 surround sound, you're getting that immersive audio experience as well. There's little doubt in my mind that the Razer Kraken V3 HyperSense could be one of the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:best PS5 headsets arš„ound, though the cable might prove a little short to see it truly excel here.
The Razer Kraken V3 HyperSense is not only my favorite gaming headset that I've used all year but also an easy contender for the best 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:PC headset for gaming going right now. It's not going to do ašs much for the console crowd, but if you've been after an incredible sounding, all-encompassing headset with a few tricks up its sleeve then it's a very easy recommendation. A world-beater, and a triumphant return - or refresh - of the Kraken name.
]]>This new controller clearly shares some of the design traits of the Nacon's previous flagship console andź¦ PC gamepads but does the Revolution X Pro controller do enough to dethrone them?
The Nacon Revolution X Pro controller coš¤Ŗmes with a few physical customization options that help it stand out from š·its contemporaries. These include physical weights for the grips, replaceable thumbstick heads, and a set of metal shafts to loosen or restrict the movement of your analog sticks.
Looking closer at the controller itself, however, and you will notice features that wouldn't be out of place on other esports-centric gamepads. There is a dedicaꦺted button for changing profiles, of which four are stored at any one time, as well as two large programmable buttons on the back of the unit, which can be dialed in to do anything you would want them to.
On the audio fāront, Dolby Atmos is baked into the Nacon RevšÆolution X Pro Controller's software and it works as you might expect, though there are admittedly few options to drastically alter the soundscapes through the 3.5mm jack. The most that you can do is shift around the EQ settings, but I genuinely found that it sounded very similar through all the wired headphones and headsets I ran through it.
š¼The software, unfortunately, still isn&apāos;t perfect. You can download the Revolution X application from either the Windows Store on PC or the online storefront on your Xbox Series X console. Through the application, you can create your own custom controller profile (or edit existing ones) but there isn't much of a discernible difference that can be felt between the four options. I'll be honest, too, the vague descriptors such as 'FPS', 'Stealth' and 'Action' didn't seem to alter very much at all.
With one obvious exception, the Nacon Revolution X Pro Controller looks very similar to the standard Xbox Wireless Controller. It's hard to miss the prominent RGB light ring that surrounds the right analog stick, and there's no accounting for taste, but I think it lends an aura of interest and novelāty to what would otherwise be a fairly by-the-numbers gamepad. There's an almost military-style, angular feel to the controller with its deliberate carved lines that run underneath the left analog stick and the face buttons; it's very subtle, but it looks cool.
Similarly nuanced is the rubber patterned grip that adorns the back of the gamepad. Unlike some controllers which can get slippery in the hand, this texture ensures that you've got a good handle on the unit at all times. Really though, I'm just glad that the Nacon Revolution X Pro controller wasn't wrapped in a glossy black finisš·h; no one wants a lubricious fingerprint magnet.
Now, all the extra bells and whistles in the world would mean nothing if the controller itself wasn't pleasant to use, and thankfully, the Nacon Revolution X Pro controller - it's one of the best gamepads that I've had my hands on in recent memory. I found that there was a decent amount of weight to it in the hands, with the face buttons, bumpers, and triggers providing a satisfying amount š³of feedback without being either spongey or too clicky - a delicate middlāe ground.
In terms of switching profiles and remapping the butź¦tons on the back goes, it all worked as intended, and I was swapping between different modes - that had been configured in software - as quickly as I would like.
It should be noted that, unlike the Revolution Unlimited Pro, the Nacon Revolution X Pro isn't wireless. Having a physical tethered āconnection to your system of choice goes a long way to eliminate the likes of input lag and latency issues which are particularly pressing when playing competitively, sure, but I would have liked the option to sync up via Bluetooth (or 2.4GHz wireless) for the sake of convenience.
One thing that received criticism on older Nacon Revolution controllers is the D-pad, but I found that the directional buttons on the Nacon Revolution X Pro controller were responsive and tactile when I put it through its paces in Mortal Kombat 11š°, Tekken 7, Sonic Mania, and pretty much anything else I trialed that required a digital input.
After a few minutes of playing around with the weights and the stick sš§hafts, I quickly found a setup that worked for me: the 16g set in each grip and the thinnest washer I could find to allow for the greatest degree of movement. I quickly put this configuration through its paces in Max Payne 3 in free-aim (soft-lock turned off completely) and was able to reliably score headsets in both full-speed gameplay and bullet time, so I had the desired amount of accuracy and precision needed.
I'm comfortable recommending the Nacon Revolution X Pro controller for both Xbox Series X users and PC gamers. If you've been after a controller which offers customizability options for a cheaper price than that of the Xbox Elite Series 2 controller, then you're likely to be very happy with what the Nacon Revolution X Pro Controller does. It feels and looks just as good as you would expect from aļ·½n esports gamepad and doesn't skimp on any featureš§øs to maintain its competitive asking price.
]]>However, thatās only theoretically. Being that the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:best Xbox Series X monitors are rivaling the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:best TV for PS5 and Xbox Series X, and this display is large enough to directly compete with some of the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:best gaming TVs on the marš²ket, does the Philips Momentum 559M1RYV do enough to justify its Ā£1,299.99 price tag?
Keep in mind, if you are interested in this particular gaming monitor, it's currently not available in the US, but will be launching holiday season for $1,599.99.
Aside from its size, thereās little that would catch your eye regarding the aesthetics of the Philips Momentum 559M1RYV, save for the exception of the soundbarź§ underneath which is something fairly uncommon on gaming monitors even to this day; there's also a small remote included, which is another rarity on displays of this ilk. Be advised that thereās a decent weight to the monitor, so if youāre intending on moving the unit around, you should probably employ the help of someone else; it could be especially tricky to line the display flush against a wall to bring out the best of the Ambiglļ·½ow (Ambilight but for monitors) features.
Speaking of Ambiglow functionality, however, it is one of the more disappointing additions to this particular Philips monitor. Given that the company has been honing this technology for years, it's a genuine shame that it didn't seem to work properly on our particular review unit. No matter which of the customizable modes that we tested (we normally settled on āFollow Videoā to allow the display to blend into the background), the panel always defaulted tš„o a harsh static green after we made changes on-screen; including but not limited to: changing the HDR modes, adjusting tā¤he color saturation, and opening the menu.
The viewing angles arenāt the best. Given that the Philips Momentum 559M1RYV is a gaming monitor, youāre going to want to be sat dead center in front of it, with the screen titled to your liking. No matter where I sat (or stood) at any angle close to, or far away from, the display, I was met with aggressive greying as opposed to deep blacks. This comes back to the panel type itself though, youāre not getting the color production potential of an IPS panel, and you donāt benefit from the likes of OLED or QLED which, given that this gaming monitor retails for as much as it doeās for a decidedly average picture, is disheartening.
Things are better on the audio front, however, the Bowers and Wilkins soundbar below is suitably loud and sufficiently clear with its 40w 2.1 channel stereo. Itās not the most bass-heavy speaker that weāve ever heard, but itās distinct enough to make your games sound the way they shouldą½§. The Xbox Series X features Dolby Atmos surround, too, so either way, youāll be getting far superior audio quality compared to internal speakers on some monitors and gaming TVs.
Screen size: 55-inch
Resolution: 3840 x 2160 UHD 4K
Panel type: VA
Refresh rate: 120Hz (HDMI 2.1); 144Hz (DisplayPort 1.4)
Response time: 4ms
Aspect ratio: 16:9
V-Sync method: Adaptive Sync
Contrast ratio: 4,000:1
Ports: HDMI 2.1 (x3), DisplayPort 1.4 (x1), USB-C (x1), USB-B (š¦x1), USB 3.2 (x4)
From a technical perspective, the Philips Momentum 559M1RYV includes all the ports that you would hope to fšind on a premium gaming monitor, complete with one DisplayPort 1.4 and 3x HDMI 2.1. We primarily tested this španel hooked up to an Xbox Series X running games at 120Hz (or High-Performance mode as itās called in certain games that support it). However, we did also test the Momentum's capacity as a big-screen PC monitor with one of our Razer Blade laptops to less enthusiastic results at 144Hz.
While our time testing PC games on the panel was consistently smooth and aiming around those kinds of āframe rates, the overall picture quality was a little dull and muted, and lacked the vibrancy of what was possibš°le on Xbox Series X. Because of this, we wouldn't recommend it as a PC gaming monitor. Regardless of the platform, as far as pure performance was concerned, we found that variable refresh rate (VVR) and Adaptive sync went a long way in reducing visual artifacts, screen tearing, and ghosting, though thereās one major caveat to this rule as far as the actual picture quality is concerned.
The VA LCD panel used is more than serviceable when in motion, especially utilizing the āXboxā HDR mode thatās been formulated for use with the system, but the blacks (and darker colors of any kind really) are prone to some serious, ugly blooming. Itās most noticeable when the screen goes dark, as is common in such games as Ori and theā Will of the Wisps, Doom Eternal, and Devil May Cry 5, where excessive white bloom and ghosting would completely blow out the picture quality and made for an overall unpleasant gaming experience in those moments. Considering the 4000:1 contrast ratio, the blacks just arenāt up to par, and we found that the colors were washed out regardless of HDR setting when plugged into our gaming laptop setup regardless of which HDR mode we took advantage of.
Now, it's worth remembering that despite its size, the Philips Momentum 559M1RYV is a gaming monitor, meaning it māisses out on the Dolby Vš”ision HDR format that has begun to be rolled out on the platform. That said, the included SmartImage HDR modes (HDR Game, HDR Movie, āXboxā, etc.) all generally looked pretty good, with faithful color reproduction as you may expect from a panel with sRGB 125% coverage. However, the advertised mode, DisplayHDR 1000, looked lifeless and dull, especially in vivid games like Doom Eternal with its dark orange and bright red visual design. We recommend keeping the monitor in āXboxā mode for the most consistent picture quality, unless you intend to stream media, then HDR Movie is more than fine.
With š§all that said, how does the Philips Momentum 559M1RYV hold up when gaming at 120Hz in some of the latest games? Well, performance is stable with no flickering, ghosting, or distortion when in motion. We touched upon above about how the colors can be disappointing when youāre specifically watching for it, but when gaming, in Dirt 5 and Doom Eternal specifically, the onscreen action is silky smooth at all times, with no discernible stuttering or frame rate dips to speak of.
In a world where high-end gaming TVs, such as the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:LG OLED CX (which is our number one pick for best TV Xbox Series X) retail for a similar rate to the Momentum 559M1RYV, and offer superior picture quality and features yet, it becomes a very hard sell. Console gamers after high refresh rates in Ultra HD are much better off with choice cuts from our 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:best 120Hz 4K TV roundup in all honesty.
Not unlike some other high refresh rate monitors, the Philips Momentum 559M1RYV trades performance for picture quality and ulš½timately suffers for it. While everything on the display looks great in motion and benefits from vivid colors, the overall package is harmed by weak blacks and poor viewing angles, which could make everything else that you do on this monitor far from ideal when you're not just gaming.
The Philips Momentum 559M1RYV is available from and . Coming soon to the USA.
]]>At $399/Ā£299, though, it's not what you'd call entry-level pricing, even if some of the high-end purist models and rig-seat combos see some truly eye-watering costs. But, if you've dabbled in wheels before and are looking for an upgrade, the Thrustmaster T248 is one you should certainly be looking at as one of the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:best PS4 and PS5 steering wheels and 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:best steering wheels for PC gaming. Let's take a look at why.
The T248 is fully compatible with PS5, PS4, and PC (a separate Xbox version is coming soon too). I tested the wheel on PS5 with next-gen versions of Dirt 5, F1 2021, and also the backward-compatible PS4 racing-sim Project Cars 2. Project Cars 3 is supported too, but its new arcadey leanings had me looking back to its meaner days to really give Thrustmaster's latest a sterner test. 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:Gran Turismo 7 is still a while off, but you can expect full support from the T248 when the game launches inšø March 2022.
For your money, you're getting one of the most feature-rich steering wheels on the market, with plenty of the špremium finishes you'd expect at this price. Extra controls like dual-encoders (hello, Assetto Corsa fans), magnetic paddle gear changers, and even an LED telemetry display are all included, along with a very powerful Force Feedback system powering a wheel with 900 degrees of rotation.
Instead of a standarād two-pedal setup you're getting three here, giving you the option of clutch control in addition to the accelerator and brake. The pedals themselves are metal, but the arms and base are all plastic.
The wheel is covered with a nice leather material that feels grippyš and solid enough to really wrestle with - andą² you'll need to do just that on more chaotic racers like Dirt 5. The rest of the wheel is all plastic, but it looks and feels seriously robust and far from cheap.
The LED telemetry display is a feature that you won't find on cheaper gaming steering wheels and supports a range of in-race features. You can adjust it to show various items like speed, race position, lap times, RPM, and gear number. How useful you'll find it all depends on your seating position, as you'll need the wheel to be quite high up on your line of sight to make it easy to glance at while driving. Otherwise, the corner displays on the game screen itself might be less risky to tš¦ake a look at.
The Thrustmaster T248 clearly wants to be ešnjoyed in a proper racing-rig seating position, but we've ātested it at a standard desk as that's how most players use a racing wheel. You can forget about trying to rest this on your lap right now thanks to the sheer power of the Force Feedback system.
Clamps under the wheel do a great job of securing it to a flat surfaces and I just about managed to maneuver past the metašl frame near the edge of the underside of my own desk, but it wasļ·ŗ a close one.
Getting the pedal base to sit still is an altogether different story though. On hard floors, the rubber grips are no help at keeping theź¦ pedals in place - you might fair better if you're on a carpet. It can be screwed inź§to a racing rig if you're going for the all-in enthusiast setup though.
If your desk has a rear rail near the floor, or is against the wall, that will help. I found the best option was to put a small but sturdy bź¦ox behind the pedal base against the wall in order to bring the pedals closer to me.
I needed to get closer mainly because sitting at a higher angle (than a racing rig chair), meant the amount of pressure required to use the very stiff brake pedal was pretty extreme. So much so that using a regular wheeled chair at my desk saw me getting pushed away from my desk every time I used the brake unless I was pulling myself into the desk via the wheel - exhausting. The angle of the pedals exacerbated this situation and that's on the default setš¼ting. You can flip them around, but that would only make the angle even steeper.
There is an option to make the spring a little softer by removing a circular block, but this only made things slightly easier. Another spring is included if you want to go even harder (!), butź¦ that's one for proper racing chair users only for sure.
Realistic? Perhaps, but very tricky to get right without dediꦔcating a huge space at home purely to a racing rig. But if you have the space and enthusiasm to do sšo, then the Thrustmaster T248 is shaping up rather nicely for a proper setup.
Thankfully, even with my apparently lesšs than optimal setup, I eventually managed to find that sweet spot of being able to rest my foot on the brake and getting a better angle on it as to not require as much force. Using in-game settings to make the brakes more sensitive and adding a bit of deadzone to avoid my resting foot doing any unwanted braking made the world of difference too.
If it sounds like your patience might be tested getting the pedals set up to work at a desk, rest assured, the wheel is much more fun što enjoy immediately. If you're coming into racing wheels without much experience, then I'd advise adjusting the rotation settings in-game so you don't have to rotate the wheel too much in order to make the sharper turns. Getting used to spinning the wheel back and returning it to a central starting position can take some getting used to.
The Thrustmaster is very much at home with any compatible racing game. Sliding around the muddy tracks and trading paint with rivals heading into corners in Dirt 5 is a must for rally āfans, although it can be a tough place to start witš²h a wheel.
Head over to something like F1 2021, though, and you'll really be able to build up your confidence and abilities behind the wheel. The game does an excellent job of appealing to all skill levels with a mix of settings for difficulty, realism, and braking aids allowing you to hšave fun straight away.
A common complaint with ā±some racing wheels is that the buttons can be a little awkward to hit, especially mid turn. But the placement of the T248's varioš¶us PlayStation buttons are actually nice and easy to reach for the most part and the games we tested support full remapping, including the gear shift paddles.
So, if yošu want to make sure things like KERS or overtake functions are within better reach for where you hold the wheel, it's all very adjustable. If you're not a fan of manual gears in Dirt 5, then using the paddles to activate the rear camera anš¶d handbrake is super intuitive if you lose track of the other buttons easily when fighting to keep the wheel in line. Be warned though, the paddles are very noisy with a loud metallic thunk with every pull.
The Force Feedback system has three levels of power or well, violence. It really is a monster, especially on Dirt 5. You&š¦¹apos;ll need to hold on tight or risk the wheel being ripped from your grip as it's prone to quickly spinning around with more violent scrapes, the inevitable torpedo into a tree, or tumble down a mountainside.
One particular gripe that kept coming up in all games I tested, though, is that the wheel sometimes struggles to recentre itself after a big crash. Even with in-game damage turned off in F1 2021 (and Dirt 5 doesn't even do handling damage), having a big crash, or spinning out would sometimes result in the wheel not quite acknowledging I'd returned it to its natural starting position. At the very least, when opting to reset to the track instead, it would be nice if the wheel would automatically spin itself back into a central steer. Tꦯhis is probably as much an issue with the games themselves as well as the wheel. Either way though, the wheel getting stuck in a turn in-game after trying to get back into a race meant quite a few frustrating restarts rather than trying to salvage several botched returns to the track.
Back to the general handling though. After the rather mad, but fun, chaos of rallying, F1 2021 is much more nuanced and you can adjust the game&ą²apos;s feedback settings to feešÆl the differences between surfaces as you claw your way out of the gravel pit, or your wheels slide over the rumble strip curbs. The appeal of a well-built racing wheel really starts to click with a game like this.
When cornering, or accelerating out of tight turns, being able to physically feel your car's tires slipping away from you in your hands rather than solely relying on visuals (by the time you see the car sliding it's already too late), makes the world of difference to how connected you feel with the game. š¦Sure it might take a while to get your lap times on a par with a controller if you've not used wheels before but there's no denying the Thrustmaster T248 wą¹ill make you faster in the long run.
The shoddy grip on the pedal base is disappointing (but workable with a few tweaks to your setup) anš¹d having to write off some races due to the occasional recentering issues is frustrating, but patches could improve the latter further down the line.
It's a lot of money to stump up as a first raš°cing wheel, but if youā±'re already a massive racing fan looking to dive in and essentially get a feature-packed wheel with the all-important Force Feedback, then the Thrustmaster T248 is hard to resist.
]]>Release date: September 24, 2021
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and S
Developer: Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
Publisher: Sega
Thatās what Lost Judgment feels like. The sequel to Ryu Ga Gotokuās 2019 spin-ofšf of the action-brawler Yakuza series has the player once again stepping into the shoes of red light district laź§wyer-turned-detective Takayuki Yagami. A few years after his dramatic showdown on a national level with the government, an Alzheimer's drug, and a serial killer with more dead bodies than Agent 47, Yagami and his cohorts are hot on the heels of another case. What starts out as a bullying scandal at a local secondary school quickly spirals into something more sinister, which will come as absolutely no surprise to anyone familiar with Ryu Ga Gotoku Studiosā past games.
Lost Judgment feels like more of what came before. Yagami once again kicks faces in and snaps bones with the precision of a machine in a fast-paced and responsive combat system, which this time switches things up by adding in a new combat style focused around parrying attacks aꦺt the last second. Recognizing that its riff on Yakuza 6: The Song of Lifeāš±s robust real-time combat system worked superbly in 2019, thereās not a whole lot of change from Ryu Ga Gotoku to be found in Lost Judgmentās action-battle system, but the developer instead builds on what came before with more options layered atop the same foundations. Thatās pretty emblematic of the whole game, really.
That being said, a lot of what Judgment did brilliantly back in 2019 - its fluid combat, sublime storytelling and characters, and nonsensical side stories - was in itź¦self a product of over a decade of iteration on the Yakuza franchise. More of the same isnāt necessarily a bad thing, especially when developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio is taking what itās learned from over a decade of the Yakuza series going from strength to strength around the world, and applying it to its latest releases like Lost Judgment. Perhaps itās not fair to criticize Lost Judgment as being more ofąµ² the same when what came before is so excellent.
Arguably the most overhauled aspect of Lost Judgment is actually the detective work itself. In his 2019 adventure, Yagamiās detective work wasš basically restricted to either gawking at crime scenes, pacing over the same scenery until one of several clues was located to advance the overall plot, or solving a problem with his fists Kazuma Kiryu-style, battering people until a resolution popped out of them and a plot point was neatly wrapped up in a bow.
Lost Judgment gives the detective a whole lot more to work with. Yagami now comes armed with devices like a directional microphone, which can be ušsed to isolate and pick out certain noises from the bustling cityscapes of Yokohama and Kamurocho, and a tracker which picks out and leads our detective to devices like wiretaps. You can even comb through nearby chat logs and social media posts, pairing posts with specific story-specific keywords to try and pick up a clue for a case, and every aforementioned aspect combines to gently nudge Lost Judgment towards being a morš e satisfying detective mystery.
Side cases are back once again, and they help breathe life into the new area of Yokohama. Picking up after Ichibanās adventures in the southwest Tokyo city in Like a Dragon, Yagami ventures into Yokohama to unravel the main case heās been hired for, but quickly comes across all sorts of weird and wonderful characters in need of a helping hand. Thereās the likes of a UFO sighting, a detective dog that sniffs out crime, and a mystery revolving around a āscience mannequin that comes to life at night and roams the hallways of the local high school. If you thought Yagamiās side cases were going to be anythingš within the realms of normality after tracking down a perverted trio composed of the Panty Professor, Ass Katchum, and Judge Creep nā Peep in 2019, youāre very much mistaken.
In many ways, Lost Judgmentās eclectic side cases are the perfect foil to its mš ore somber main storyline. Lost Judgmentās localization director Scott Strichart warned players prior to launch that it dealt with āvarious traumasā, requesting that potential customers look after themselves and make sure theyāre in the right headspace before delving into Yagamiās new case. Strichart was right to issue such a warning because Lost Judgment doesnāt back down from bullying and the fallout from sšuch social isolation, casting an intense analytical gaze over not just the bullies themselves, but the individuals in our adult society who allow such bullying to proceed uninterrupted.
After Judgmentās tale of studying those who have power in society using it to lord over those who donāt, Lost Judgment feels sš¤Ŗincere in studying bullying throughout childhood, and how it casts an inescapable shadow over those who intimately know the victim. Ryu Ga Gotokuās sequel feels genuinely critical of a society that allows children to be bullied and taken advantage of, and, like the original game, not pulling its punches when studying the perpetual nature of police violence and self-service, Lost Judgment isnāt afraid to tackle these tough topics.
Lost Judgment proves a sequel can feel overtly iterative and still succeed. There are relativšely few changes to be found from Yagamiās original outing outside of increased depth to an already-bombastic combat system, but thatās no bad thing when what came before was so enjoyable. Lost Judgment provides laughs aplenty with a brilliant array of side cases and characters, but š§it crucially tackles trauma and bullying with refreshing honesty and steely conviction when it needs to.
Reviewed on PS5 with a code provided by the publisher.
]]>Release date: September 16, 2021
Platform(s): PC, Nintendo Switch
Publisher: Chucklefish
Developer: Pixpil
That starts with our duo of heroes. Eastward follows the story of John, a man of zero words who happens to be incredibly handy with a saucepan ā both in the kitchen and against various monsters. He's accompanied by Sam, a young, hyper-enthusiastic girl with a shock of pure wź¦hite hair and energy-wielding capabilities. As I mentioned in my Eastward preview, the pair have a certain energy that instantly draws parallels between it and The Last of Us, especially in the balance between the pair ā John's silence and strength against Sam's childish eagerness and effervescent personality, John's position as a stalwart father-figure to this little lost kid.
The strength of their connection is evident from the beginning of the game. So close in fact are these two that their health bars are linked, with one array of hearts counting for both heroes. So while you'll spend the majority of the game controlling both characters and simply switching between them to utilize their unique skillsš¦, you will at times have to split them up to solve puzzles ā so watch that health bar if you're leaving them unattended.
Although I will say that Eastward's health system can cause some frustrations. You can regain lost health bars by eating food, which John can either prepare himself by combining three ingredients at stoves that you'll find dotted around each area or bought from shops. The cooking mini-game is sweet, and well-executed, but Eastward's decision to limit where you can cook to set locales is where the issues come in. Sometimes you'll end up in a long section where there isn&apš¼os;t a stove or shop for a lengthy period of time, meaning I had to do one unexpected boss battleą¼ŗ with just three hearts to my name and no way of healing.
Monitoring the duo's health is especially important because, despite her powers, Sam isn't a fighter. She's the one who can use her energy powers to clear the way of special plants, light up dark spaces, interact with certain items, or freeze enemies in their tracks. John's the protector, the attacker, the one who's got a flamethrower, a shotgun, and a selection of bombs alongside his trusty frying pan to use in battle. It means you'll quickly find yourself comparing John's movements and abilities to Link from The Legend of Zelda series. The way the combat and puzzle-solving works is very evocative of classic Zelda dungeons ā particularly in its use of bombs aš·nd John's pan being a shoe-in for Link's sword. But really, it's the way you figure out the various ways the pair can work together in battle in brilliantly satisfying ways that make Eastward's combat stand out against its inspirations.
There's also more to this Zelda-like than meets the eye. One of the endearing things about the first roughly 15 hours of Eastward is that there's no obvious overarching goal, no one clear mission that drives the entire game forward, so your own coꩲmpulsion to just live in the moment and move from beat to beat mirrors that of John and Sam's relationship. Neither you nor they will ever imagine what's going to happen next, with the story taking plenty of unexpected turns. This is a far darker and more sci-fi-influenced story than the trailers and the demos released so far have hinted, and it's a wonderful surprise.
But, that's not to say it's a compleš§øte success with the story that it does tell. Over the course of my 30-or-so hours with the game, certain seeds are dropped about a bigger secret that lies at the heart of Eastward. And yet, despite its length, it never really resolves that intrigue, leaving the clues that are littered through the game almost hanging, and asking you to draw your own rather confused conclusions. It's disappointing for a game that has such wonderful narrative moments and poignant events. It&aposā;s blisteringly dark in places, to the point where I had to walk away from my PC at one point to process what had just happened. In fact, you could argue that the closing 10 hours of the game lose track of themselves, and go off on tangents that don't really add much to what Eastward delivers in the first two-thirds.
What carries the game all the way through though are Eastward's characters. The game has a limited crew of permanent fixtures, with the story ą½§instead letting you get attached to the oddities and other creatures you'll meet on your travels literally eastward. As you're forciblꩲy evicted from the starting area, you'll keep traveling east, initially ā as I mentioned ā with no goal beyond finding somewhere to lay your head. Through meticulously crafted underground dwellings to cities and the countryside between them, you'll meet a whole entourage of loveable rogues that will touch John and Sam's lives in various ways. Even if your time with these characters is brief before moving on, there's a depth to their presentation that's unexpected and utterly absorbing.
Their designs are so memorable too, with developer Pixpil's stunning art style adding unique elements to every single person you meet, from the jester-like Jasper to the simian robot Daniel. Every place you encounter has little details that also make it unique, encouraging you to dive into every alley and cave to see what you can find. Sad tales, surprises, and secrš§ets lurk off Eastward's beaten paths and there's always some kind of reward for being nosy ā even if they don't aālways feel like a pleasant gift.
It's that attention to the little detail that bumps up Eastward's appeal. Another little thing I love is that Eastward doesn't have a run button. Instead, it gently adjusts the pace you move at according to the situation ā a leisurely walk through the forest is an amble, while a chaotic moment where the clock is ticking is more of a manic scrambling of limbs. It helps šset the pace throughout the story, and is just one example of how Eastward constantly surprises.
And it's because of that, it's easy to recommend Eastward. Even if the final hours left me scratching my head somewhat, I won't forget the people John and Sam meet oš¦r the places they find themselves in. Pixpil's tale is a slice of sci-fi that coulÜ«d well be taken from one of Zelda's darker timelines, but it does well to be unique and utterly memorable.
Reviewed on PC with a code provided by the publisher.
]]>Release date: September 10, 2021
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Intelligent Systems
The game opens withšø the Story Mode offering, which - if you've ever experienced a WarioWare title before - is very much the traditional microgame experience. Playable solo or in two-player co-op, you'll work your way through a variety of game packs, each themed around the new character it introduces to the game. For example, 9-Volt offers up microgame takes on Nintendo Classics, from Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Pikmin to Animal Crossing and Splatoon. But like anything in WarioWare: Get It Together, they're only as fuą¹n as the character you choose to play with.
The narrative follows Wario and his friends as they attempt to create their own video game, but thanks to a load of development bugs, they're all physically sucked into the digital realm. For the first time, rather than having dedicated mini-game sections dedicated to them, many of the well-known characters from the WarioWare games are playable characters in Get It Together. Now, while that sounds awesome, each one has a specific power or skill set that makes them unique, but so much so that it means they can clash with the minigames in a way that makes it ultāra dissatisfying to play.
Take the kindergartener ninja duo Kat and Anna for example. This pair is constantly jumping, one only able to fire left and the other right, meaning they play best when you're doubling up with a friend in co-op. However, many of the miš¤Ŗcrogames you'll play through will require precision item selection, such as matching a Wario cowboy-looklike to his wanted picture, and when you have very little control over the movements of your character it's maddening.
Each one of the characters, pretty much bar Wario himself, have some kind of quirk from movement styles to attack directions. But regardless of the specifics, every impingement makes completing the microgames more awkwaꦦrd, especially as you'll only ever have seven seconds or so to figure out what's being asked of you. For every Story level, you select a roster of characters that you'll cycle through with each change of microgame, meaning whatever pairing of character and challenge you end up with is random. Some will play more nicely together than others, but with limited lives, I ended up failing levels for reasons out of my control. Quickly the silliness and wonderfully weird elements of Warioware: Get It Together were overshadowed by immense frustration.
WarioWare: Get It Together does do well to tell a story that's of the same quality as previous games, with the classic heavy sprinkling of ridiculousness that we've come to expect. It's just a shame it's so short. Playing solo, it's possible to complete the Story in just three hours, with some of the levels just offering a selection of the previous microgames in a new "Remixed" offering. When you get the right combo of character and game, you can really appreciate the microgame designs. Some are just beautifully executed, like the aforementioned Nintendo-inspired options, while others are just plain inspired silšÆliness - which is what you'd hope for with a WarioWare title.
But only once you've ticked off the campaign, you'll unlock the further modes offered by the game: Variety Pack, Play-o-pedia, Crew, and Wario Cup. Play-o-pedia lets you replay any of the microgames you've unlocked; Crew lets you check out the characters, upgrade them, and view your play stats; and the Wario Cup offers a weekly challenge to complete. Variety Pack, though, is a selection of party games for one to four players, and offers some pretty brilliant takes on the classic WarioWare formula. My particular favorite is Puck 'er Up, which is a version of Air Hockey where you battle to first score a goal, and then to play the microgame contained within the puck itself. Whoever wins the goal gets to play the microgame, while the other player can try to sabotage them. It's a greaš¼t way to get competitive with your friends without needing to worry too much about picking a selection of characters.
But that is a big part of the problem. Trying to get my partner to play WarioWare: Get It Together with mļ·½e wasn't just a case of him diving in and having some fun, but rather me trying to explš ain the specific movesets of each character before we started playing. I can't imagine having a big group of friends round to play it would be much different either - these aren't recognizable characters with known traits that we've all got plenty of experience with, and that makes that drop-in and play aesthetic much harder to enjoy with WarioWare: Get It Together.
It's such a shāame because ašfter the 18 months we've all had, I was overjoyed at the idea of having something new and frivolous to play with friends over a few beers. But, WarioWare: Get It Together has lost sight of what made it brilliant, and instead overcomplicates the formula to its detriment.
Reviewed on Switch with code provided by the publisher.
]]>Aliens: Fireteam Elite is not a š°deftly handled tool that only belongs in the hands of a well-trained professional, but a big ol' hammer looking for some nails to beaļ·½t in. Those nails are the xenos, and there's plenty of them to go around. Aliens: Fireteam Elite feels like the ideological and mechanical sequel to Alien: Isolation - the gaming version of Aliens to Alien.
Release date: August 24
Platform(s): PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Publisher: Cold Iron Studios
Developer: Cold Iron Studios
Aliens: Fireteam Elite drops you into tense and often chaotic firefights that pit your souped-up team of Colonial Marines against waves of varying xenomorphs and Weyland-Yutani synthetics. It&aposš °;s clearly meant to be played with friends - despite the lack of crossplay - and the gameplay mechanics that lend themselves to co-op play are simple yet effective. šøAliens: Fireteam Elite won't blow your mind with a nuanced approach to gameplay or groundbreaking graphics, but it will keep you and a group of friends entertained for several solid hours.
The first Aliens: Fireteam Eliteą¶£ mission is set on an oil refinery called the Katanga that's full of the industrial hallways and tight spaces you'd expect from an Aliens game. Thankfully, however, Aliens: Fireteam Elite doesn't just invoke the Aliens film in its level design, as the second mission takes you to the planet Katanga is orbiting - and straight onto what could be a set from the 2012 film Prometheus.
There, during a lāovely reprieve from an hour of metal-lined hallways, you explore ruins left by the Engineers, an alien race credited with the creation of mankind. Those ruins are being used by Weyland-Yutani as a xenomorph breeding farm. Because of course, it is. The story at the core of Aliens: Fireteam Elite is a sign of Cold Iron Studios's dedication to its source material. Any fan of the Alien franchise wiź¦ll enjoy picking up the random hidden lore items or getting a bit of exposition from NPCs while aboard your ship.
That's why it's so odd that there are no cut scenes or even animated faces in Aliens: Fireteam Elite. There's little to no dialogue from the character you choose to play as - a nameless Colonial Marine you can customize in ways that nod to the Aliens' film squad. Your character emits the occasional grunt, warning, or heads up as they're healing - but nothing else. However, there&ašpos;s plenty of talking coming from Sergeant Herrera, who acts like this game's Cortana, directing you via comms from the safety of the ship. She's often joined by a few other heavenly voices, including a doctor you save early on and a synthetic named Esther. Herrera and the side characters propel the story as you play, acting as commentators fulfilling different archetypes.
When you're on the ship you can talk to other members of the Colonial Marines by choosing dialogue options from a simplistic menu. And while the voice acting here is surprisingly good, the Marines simply shift through some cycling animations as they chat, their faces frozen in an uncanny caricature of humanity. As I play, I can't help but wonder why Cold Iron Studios didn't animate these scenes - espš“ecially since Aliens: Fireteam Elite has no cutscenes that could suck up precious dev time. It's an odd choice that pesters me throughout, but certainly not a deal-breaker.
Aliens: Fireteam Elite feels like a solid arcade shooter from the late 2010s with some added perks. There's nothing here gameplay-wise that will wow you, but its core features have been tried and tested by its predecessorās, and they work. While you can pick from one of five classes - Gunner, Demolisher, Technician, Doc, and Recon - some of them feel half-baked, especially the underwhelming Doc. There are RPG elements, but they seem equally half-baked. However, the classes will definitely help mšake co-op sessions more fun, especially if everyone is fighting over the heavy flamethrower that only the Demolisher can carry.
Aliens: Fireteam Elite feels like Left 4 Dead and Gears of šWar made a baby that then burst through someone's stomach. It sends waves upon waves of xenomorphs at you that scurrš“y over chest-high walls at your lumbering Colonial Marine who is armed to the teeth. Some of the guns feel disappointingly light, while others (like the flamethrower) afford you all the power of an absolutely unhinged soldier facing something out of their nightmares. You can't help but scream with all the himbo power of the late Bill Paxton's Hudson when firing some of these guns and unlocking attachments, which comes from opening crates or buying them with in-game credits from the vendor, helps make the weaker ones feel better.
There are four campaigns in Aliens: Fireteam Elite, each split up into three missionsź¦. The basic mission structure is as such: head through several spaces clearing aliens, arrive at a bigger space that requires you to set up perimeter defenses before triggering a gigantic horde, defeat that horde and end the mission. Yes, this format can get a bit stale, but Cold Iron Studios is banking on the variety that comes with co-op and a bevy of Challenge Cards (which we'll getš to in a moment) to keep you from getting too bored.
The first mission in Aliens: Fireteam Elite throws only a handful of xenomorph enemy types at me like swarming, skittering soldiers and acid-spitting spitters, but as the campaign progresses I run into a nice variety of baddies. There are xenomorph warriors that stand 7-feet-tall and charge you like a horrific bipedaāl bull, twitchy facehuggers that leap out of unfurled eggs, Weyland-Yutani šsynthetics wielding flamethrowers, and a semi-invisible enemy known as the Leon stalker. Aliens: Fireteam Elite does a great job of capturing the feel of Aliens, where a seemingly impossible amount of xenomorphs swarm and leap out at you at every turn. It can quickly get overwhelming, and playing with friends means there will be a lot of panicked laughter.
The only save points come at the end of each mission, which can run anywhere fršÆom 20-40 minutes depending on your difficulty level. Yes, that means you could get all the way to the end of a nearly 30-minute stretch of gameplay and have to restart it because you died, so mentally prepare yourself for this. I was only playing on casual and this happened to me more than once - the most painful of which was when I felled two xenomorph praetorians (the biggest you š“can get aside from the queen) just to get a single swipe from a lowly foot soldier and die right before the mission ended.
Despite my struggles and the fact that I only played with two AšÆI teammates hilariously skinned like friendly Weyland-Yutanši synths, I'm done with Aliens: Fireteam Elite in about five hours on a casual playthrough. Beating it on casual automatically unlocks the option to play through the missions on both 'extreme' and 'insanity' difficulties, which will definitely entice achievement chasers.
Then there are the Challenge Cards, which Cold Iron Studios is very clearly banking on in terms of replayability. There are over 40 different Challenge Cards that act as mutators, either making your play-throughs more difficult, more easy, or just more chaotic. I don't use any Challenge Cards during my play-through as I'm keenly aware of my review time limit, but myself, Sam Loveridge, and Leon Hurley used a few during an 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:Aliens: Fireteam Elite hands-on preview. They're definitely fun, but serve the same purpose in terms of replayability as the difficulty levels, in that it will only entice achievement chasers or players who like to repeatedly up the ante. For those of us who crave new content or a longer campaign, it doesn't seem like Aliens: Fireteam Elite has any plans tā±o deliver on that.
With the short campaign and focus on three-person multiplayer (sans crossplay), I can't help but wonder if Cold Iron Studios should implement a share-play option. At $40, Aliens: Fireteam Elite is not a full-priced game, but witš¹h the experience so heavily invested in the concept of getting friends togešÆther on the same consoles, it would be nice to offer a way into the fray for free - even if it's just for a mission or two.
Aliens: Fireteašm Elite is just okay as a solo shooter, but the inclusion of friends makes the gameplay sing. As far as the curse of Alien games goes, Aliens: Fireteam Elite seems to have safely avoided it - this is a fun, frantic third-person shooter set to a score that feels like James Horner himself wrote it. Xenomorphs will rain down from the ceiling, scammer over walls, and jump out of ventilation shafts almost ceaselessly, which makes for a really fun, fast playthrough. Whether or not Aliens: Fireā±team Elite will keep players enticed for a second go-round has yet to be determined...
Reviewed on Xbox Series S with a code provided by the publisher.
For a first-time premium gaming chair builder like myself, I found that the Iskur X was relatively painless to throw togethš er - albeit for one particular difficulty early on. I'll cut to the chase, you're going to need at least two people to assemble the unit and this is because the backrest - which bolts directly onto the hinges via four long hex-head screws (tightened via a sturdy Allen wrench) - requires a decent amount of force to keep in place when lining everything up correctly.
Similarly, with the Iskur proper, the assembly instructions were provided on a thick, large laminated piece of card which was straightforward in nature and consequently very easy to understand, withᦠdetailed diagrams highlighting exactly the tšype of screws needed, which washer fits where, etc.
The chair itself comes well-wrapped in clear bags that are distinctly pre-caštegorized in the box. Overall, the full construction time totaled just over 45 minutes - and that includesź¦ the five or so that were spent agonizing over the backrest piece solo before getting some much-needed help. It should be noted, that while buried deep in its forums, Razer has provided a that may prove useful to you if you get stuck.
Upon first glance, it's very unlikely that you would be able to tell any discernible difference between tāØhe two Razer gaming chair variants. Our review model came in the brand's iconic black/green color scheme made of synthetic leather - currently, the only option at the time of writing, and its aesthetics are by far the best thing about this chair in my opinion - with its sharp, angular edges, snakeskin pattern and aggressive racing style.
There is, however, one caveat as far as the visuals are concerned, and while there's no accounting for taste, I am personally not a fan of the stitched-in Razer slogan: 'By Gamers. For Gamers' that adorns the front of the seat itself. It's a bit on the gaudy side and detractsš from the overall sleek and menacing figure it would otherwise cut. Fortunately, as this gaming chair is likely to be under a desk - catchphrase out of view 99.9% of the time, I think it hardly matters.
The embroidered emblem at the top of the backrest on the inside looks clean-cut in and of itself, and the company logo wą¼ŗritten on the back is unobtrusive and subtle enough to not be much of an issue. The best thing I can say about how it is put together is the stellar green stitching that accents every curve well, along with the carbon-fiber-inspired edge that lines the sides of the seat and backrest nicely.
I was initially worried that the Razer Iskur X would prove to be a little too hard upon the first inspection, but that aš nxiety quickly crept away when I began using it for work for days on end. While initially not the comfiest thing I've ever sat in, its hugging sides and, whatź§ Razer calls its 'high-density foam cushions became cozier the more time went on - to a point where sitting in anything else around the office felt like a genuine downgrade.
It's only when being sat in it can you understand where the pennies were saved in comparison to the original; as the Razer Iskur X model lacks the built-in sculped adjustable lumbar support - something that could be seen as a bit of a death knell in the eyes of a would-be buyer wš¦hen considering that this chair retails for $399 / Ā£399.99!
On that subject, if you've glanced at the product page, you'll notice the lack of any headrest or lumbar pillows included within that cost. You'd find chairs from rival brands usually include a headrest cushion as standard. Hell, most of the items on our 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:cheap gaming chair deals have one too. As someone who has struggled with back pain, I personally found that this chairā was accommodating enough to whatever upright ošr more slouched over seating positions I would take throughout my time in it, but it's definitely something to consider if you've struggled to get comfortable in chairs in the past.
As far as the ergonomics are concerned, it's worth bringing up the recommended height and weight limit of up to 6ft2 / 1.88m and 299lbs / 135.6kg. For the record, I stand at 6 feet tall and am approximately 185lbs - finding that the backrest supported my spine and shoulder blades efficiently, even if my head was left suš²spended in the air. If you happen to be a taller person - or have a larger frame - you may need to look elsewhere.
It gets a little tricky talking about legroom because - let's faceš it - heights don't really determine how long someone's legs are. On that wavelength, I found that I had more than enough space behind my knees to sit however I wanted without feeling restricted - though this was with the backrest brought as far up as it would go and at its tallest height.
The othšer notable exemption from the Razer Iskur X - and by all means the lesser of the two - is the 2D armrests - meaning they can be adjusted by height and swivel slightly left or right with minimal force - as opposed to the 4D versions found on the Iskur standard - which can also be tilted up and down as well as forwards and backward. In my experience, I found that the armrests worked well enough for keeping my elbows in place when typing things out - so they very much did their job regardless.
It may seem a touch trivial, but the 6cm caster š§wheels proved themselves to be extraordinarily rigid, with no give even after well over a week of constant use. It didn't matter the surface we used it on - be it the thin office carpet or hardwood flooring throughout the building - we still needed to drag the chair around with more force than pretty much any other alternative we had to hand. If you're looking for a smooth, blissful glide between your desk and other areas of your living/bedroom this may not be what you're after.
Talking about stiffness, the lever to recline the chašøir back was - out of the box - something you had to fight with to get any joy out of, but this tribulation didn't last long with continued use. There were no problems at all with the gas-lifting mechanism to raise and lower the Iskur X - which has continued to work flawlessly. Also of note, the backrest can recline to 139 degrees, which is enough to slump back in, but don't expect to lay flat.
Let's get one thing straight about the Iskur X, it's still a remarkably comfortable gaming chair that both looks and feels exceptional - even if the corners cut by Razer to bring the asking price down aren't fully justifiable. If you're dead set on getting a member of Iskur line, for an extra $99/Ā£99.99 it's a much safer bet to spend that little bit more to get the coveted lumbar support and more premium features as mentioned š·above.
For the MSRP of $399, however, that's where this chair becomes difficult to recommend for the money over something like the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:SecretLab Omega or Titan 2020 range which has those missing inclusions with some new tricks of their own. It's likely if you're a Razer fan that you've already made up your mind, and while it is expensive - if it's a price šyou can justify with all things considered - it's a solid chair that does the job well with only a few concessions.
]]>Thing is, raw storage bandwidth isnāt always a major limitation to performance. Not if the context is the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:best gaming PC or the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:best gaming laptop. For sure, you want plenty of bandwidth, but diminishing returns do kick in. While this drive isnāt up there with the very fastest in terms of peakā throughput, that doesnāt necessarily impact real-world performance including game level load times.
So, itās arguably other metrics that decide just how compelling an SSD is. Like value, features, reliabilityź¦, and some of thš¶e finer details of performance, including random access. The latter can have a much bigger impact on how responsive your PC feels than the big, fat sequential read and write numbers.
With that in mind, the numbers bode pretty well for the SK Hynix Gold Pź¦31. For starters, išt uses TLC rather than QLC flash memory. That means it can store three bits of data per memory cell rather than four. Thatās an obvious density disadvantage, but itās also a clear performance win as QLC memory is far slower than TLC.
Of course, SLC or single-bit memory is even faster, which is why the SK Hynix Gold P31 has around 90GB of its TLC memory allocated dynamically in SLC mode (in practice that requires three times that much actual TLC capacity). Itās a feature commonly offered by modern SSDs and it šimproves immediate performance under extreme load, after which data can be re-allocated into TLC cells in the background while the dršÆive is idling.
The other notable spec point is the quad-lane PCIe 3.0 rather than 4.0 interfaą¼ŗce. That obviously limits performance but itās also somewhat academic if your PC doesnāt support PCIe 4.0, something true of all Intel-based systems prior to the introduction of the latest Rocket Lake chips.
As for how this actually translates into performance, SK Hynix says the Gold P31 is good for peak reads and writes of 3,500MB/s and 3,200MB/s respectively. However, those figures are for SLC mode; the underlying write speed of the TLC memory is actually 1,700MB/s. Thereās a similar split for cląµ²aimed random access performance, with 570K read IOPS and 600K write IOPS in SLC mode, while the base performance of the TLC cells is rated at 500K read and 370K write IOPS.
Backing this up is 1GB of DRR4 DRAM cache and itās all marshalled by SK Hynixās own Cepheus controllerš¹ chip. All told, the Gold P31 1TB is said to be good for 750TB of write endurance, which is very good and reflects the superior endurance of TLC memory compared to cheaper QLC chips.
One arguable weak area is a lack of hardware encryption. Granted, data can still be encrypted using software tools, but at the cost of CPU load. If you want all your data encrypted all the time, thatās a serious problem. But unless your gaming PC also doubles as, well, a server system in a bank or other business, thatās unlikely to be an issue. Yšou can simply encrypt seleꦯctively.
For the record, the SK Hynix Gold P31 1TB comes in fully biodegradable packaging, which is an unusual detail in this class of device. That attention paid to sustainability may also explain the slightly ugly green PCB board on which the board is based. That has no relevance for short-term performance, though degradable materials may raise lāong-term reliability concerns. Conspicuously, the SK Hynix Gold P31 also lacks any kind of cooling or a heat spreader. That said, this drive comes with a full five-year warranty for peace of mind, too.
Finally, at fully 1TB this drive is big enough fš¦©or a moderately generous games library. Certainly, itās large enouāgh to have all your favourites and regulars available via speedy solid-state storage, relegating occasional flings to mass storage on that clunky old magnetic secondary drive.
The SK Hynix Gold P31 1TBās keyā± performance metrics are mostly what youād expect for this class of drive. Peak bandwidth is around 3.5GB/s for both reads and writes, which is plenty.
The story around random access performance is a little more complicated. In theš¦ first few runs, 4K QD1 performance is 74MB/s. But that drops into the mid-50s, hence the relatively poor scaling as the queue depth increases. The numbers arenāt bad per se, itās just a small blot on a broadly positive perforź¦mance copybook.
As for game level load performance, well, SSD performance only has a limited impact on that. The likes of, say, a Samsung 980 Pro offers twice the peak bandwidth of this drive. But when it comes to game level loads itās nine and a bit seconds versus 11 and a bit seconds in the Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers benchmark, which handily records level load times. In truth, much of the bottleneck when it comes to game load times is due to the PC platform, not SSD performance. That may change whšÆen Microsoft's Direct Storage technology comes to the PC with Windows 11 later this year.
But what of that 90GB SLC cache, what impact does that have? Sure enough, after around 90GB/s of sustained data transfer when copying large video files internallyā, drive performance does drop off. But itās not a huge fall. Initial internal file copy performance is 1.2GB/s, which then drops to 900MB/s for a further 200GB. The drive then sustains around 750MB/s to 900MB/s until completely full, which should be fine for all bš¹ut the most demanding users.
If youāre in the market for a good value 1TB M.2 SSD with decent all-round performance, then the answer has to be affirmative. The SK Hynix Gold P31 doesnāt set any performance records. It might not reach the ridiculous speeds and performance of the likes of the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:WD AN1500 and WD SN850, for example, bšut itās a solid ršeal-world performer, comes with a five-year warranty, and is very likely all the SSD you actually need.
]]>The full, heavy, deck sports a strong range of features, though the Ngenuity software still doesn't quite keep up with the customization options of some of the competitors, and overall offers up an excellent typing feel and facilitatļ·½es speedy in-game reactions. While some quality of life drops do let the board down, a lower price point than the previous entry may just help you forget about the lack of wrist rest and cable management difficuź¦lties.
Average price: $129.99 / £139.99
Type: Mechanical
Size: Full sized
Connectivity: Wired
Switches: HyperX Red
Keycaps: ABS double-shot pudding
Media keys: Dedicated
Wrist rest: None
USB passthrough: Yes
Those proprietary switches are certainly a departure from the Cherry MX found in previous models. There's far less𤔠travel time in each key press which means you're getting both the speed of a far more sensitive deck while also keeping the breathing room that many prefer in a red switch. The result is extremely comfortable and nicely responsive for both typing and faster action games, however it should be noted that you're getting far fewer switch options this time around, with just the reds available at the moment.
That means those relying on twitch reflex actuation bumps will feel a little sluggish here still, though you're getting a faster, smoother response than higher Cherry reds without the clacky sound of a speešd-focāused blue switch, for example.
With dedicated media keys, each with štheir own satisfying clicks, and a less tactile volume scroll wheel you're getting plenty of additional functionality along the top row. That feature set hasn't evolved much from the original Alloy Elite, but it was never broken in the first place. You are, however, losing the wrist rest that originally accompanied the prevą¦ious model which does make for some tough longer sessions.
šŖThere's also USB passthrough packed in here, and while that does require an additional USB port to be freed up it's handy to free up𤪠space on your main machine. Plus, if you're running USB 3.0 ports you won't need to plug both USB connectors in.
It's impossible to look at the HyperX Alloy Elite 2 and not notice the incredible RGB lį¦ighting erupting from each key. The whole deck is bathed in bold, bright colors, with all-encompassing LEDs shining straight through those proprietary ABS keycaps. With štranslucent sides, each key is free to beam light across the full deck, supported by double-shot legends offering just as much illumination up top as well.
It certainly sets the Alloy Elite 2 aparšØt from weediš er RGB competitors, but if you find those flashes too distracting they can be toned down in the Ngenuity software.
Supporting all that light and speed is a durable steel frame with a plastic underside. That means no bend and no sliding during more heated moments, but you are sacrificing a little ease of use here. This certainly isn't the gaming keyboard for throwing into a backpack and taking on the go. A full solid steel base mļ·½eans considerable weight, and add a chunky cable into the mix and this is definitely one you'll be keeping firmly in place on the desk.
It's a shame that such a premium, durable chassis is let down by fairly cš¼heap feeling keycaps. The ABS plastic here is comfortable enough, but after two weeks of heavy usše we're already seeing some shine on regularly tapped keys, and there's very little grip texture here as well.
The HyperX Alloy Elite 2 performs just as well in an everyday setting as it does in the middle of the battlefield. Typing speed and feelā is still incredibly smooth, while also facilitating the sensitivity required during heavier gaming moments. That lower travel time means there's little actuation force required to register here, but the linear switch design still keeps things feeling tight. That means you're still getting the speāed required to compete but without the need to learn your board as quickly to avoid accidental presses.
Everything feels slick and precise, even in the messiest Fall Guys runs and the most desperate Rocket League goal attempts. Plus, with a full-sized deck and three onboard profiles to store your own macro custoš±mizations, there's plenty of flexibility across the whole deck here.
Longer gaming sessions were somewhat hampered by the lack of wrist rest, though the deck isn't set too high which means you won't be arching your wrists too far to comfortable travš„el across the deck.
The HyperX Alšloy Elite 2 inhabits a hybrid space on the market right now. You're not getting the fastest keyboard in the game here, but you are picking up a rare middle ground that is difficult to parallel in its responsive actuations and smooth, snappy travel times.
There are plenty of keyboards vying at this popular $129.99 / Ā£139.99 upper mid-range price point (the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:Razer BlackWidow Elite is also competing in this space thanks to regular discounts these days, as is the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:Corsair K95 RGB Platinum XT), but very few offer this particular experience. HyperX's proprietary switches and pudding keycaps are certainly carving out their own space within the industry, and the responsive feel, solid case, trimmed down chassis, and USB-passthrough add extra value to that proposition that you may miss in other modelsš¹.
There are a few quality-of-life quirks here, like the lack of wrist rest and heavy form factor, ź§and šHyperX's Ngenuity software is still very much a work in progress, but this is certainly an impressive deck at this price point.
]]>The result is a mixed bag. There's a lot to love about the Roccat Kone Pro Air and its non-wireless sibling (the Roccat Kone Pro), but they alsoš» make a few missteps.
Price: $129.99 / £119.99
Form factor: Right-handed
Connectivity: Wireless (2.4GHz, Bluetooth), wired (PhantomFlex)
Buttons: 6
DPI: 19,000
IPS: Up to 400 per second
Acceleration: Up to 50G
Sensor: Roccat Owl-Eye
Switches: Titan Switch Optical
Feet: Heat-treated pure PTFE
Weight: 2.6oz (75g)
Tested on an -powered gaming PC
Roccat Kone Pro: What makes the Air different to the standard Kone Pro? The Air is a little more expensive (the normal Kone Pro costs $79.99 / £69.99) and is ever-so-slightly heavier thanks to its wireless capabilities, but it's otherwise identical.
The Roccat Kone Pro range sees Roccat nipping at Razer's heels with optical switches beneath its primary buttons (the same ones seen in the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:Roccat Burst Pro). These are slightly faster than mechanical equivalents becausš¤Ŗe they operate via beams of lighź§t, but they still maintain that weighty 'click' feeling nonetheless.
As for the new optical Owl-Eye sensor, it provides a DPI of 19K toš go with an acceleration of up to 50g. This sits alongside heat-treated PTFE glides and a 'bionic' shell that's only 0.16lbs (75g) in weight. That's thanks to a honeycomb design and a hollow, aluminium Titan scroll wheel.
It can provide five hours of gaming after just šÆ10 šminutes of charging
Whileš both mice offer the above, the Roccat Kone Pro Air goes one better with wireless and Bluetooth functionality to go with a Phantomflex USB-C charging cable if you'd prefer to stay wired. According to Roccat, it can provide five hours of gaming aꦯfter just 10 minutes of charging.
OK, own up - where's the DPI button, Roccat? A mainstay for any self-respecting gaming mouse, this ašllows you to switch sensor speeds on the fly. And it's completely absentꩵ from the Kone Pro and Kone Pro Air. Although there's a 'profile' button on the underside you can press while scrolling up or down to swap DPI sensitivities, it's not easier and it's not intuitive.
I'll admit that this isn't a catastrophe, but it's a weird choice for a modern gaming mouse - particularly šone with as storied a history as the Kone. One step forward, two š¦¹steps back.
Anyway. Elsewhere, the Roccat Kone Pro range has an ergonomic shell, a covered honeycomb design for the buttons that glow with underlit RGB, two thumb buttons on the left-hand side, and a hollow scroll wheel that's reminiscent of an old mill's water wheel. It's a fun look, and although it isn't as sleek as the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:Roccat Kain 120 AIMO, it's still very handsome.
The Roccat Kone Pro Air and I got off on the wrong foot. Before I downloaded the firmware, the mouse was oddly juddery and imprecise; it didn't like small movements and I needed to compensate with broad, sweeping motions. Oh no, I thought. Here we go.
Luckily, this was short-lived. The issue (mostly) sorted itself out the mį£oment I downloaded the update. From there, it could start to show off. Which is just as well - this is a rather lovely piece of kit, and it caught me off guard with weighty clicš¦ks and a surprisingly comfortable shape.
The grips were much better than I'd anticipated, too; they look very slight, but provide ample purchase even in a heated battle. It's a ź§very comfy mouse, more so than I thought it'd be. That's true of the scroll wheel as well.
In action, the switches and sensor perform juą¹st as admirably. Both are quick and reliable with everything I threw at them, so I've got no complaints there. The sź¦ide buttons are well positioned too, sitting within easy reach. So far, so good.
The Kone Pršo Air doesn't 'wow'𤔠me in any particular regard
Well, sort of. I'm still bummed out by the lack of a DPI button. Not having one available is fine, but I miss it. Plus, the Kone Pro Air doesn't 'wow' me in any particular regard. Both mice in the range are good, but not incredible at any one thing; the likes of the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:Razer Naga Pro are far more responsive in action, even if they don't glide as well. That makes ꦰthe Air hard to recommend over other, similarly priceād mice.
The one consolation prize? Roccat's ź¦downloadable Swarm softwareš„ is better than it's ever been.
Fans of the Kone range will find an excellent gaming companion in the Roccat Kone Pro Air. It's a good mouse in isolation. However, I'm not sure it does enough for me to recommend it over anything else within the same price-bracket. If you want a good esports mouse, you're better off with something like the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:Razer Viper 8K Hz instead.
]]>ThatšÆ won't be easy. While it stops short of five-star territory, the Xbox-exclusivꦫe Razer Kaira Pro is good enough to leave an impression.
Price: $149.99 / £149.99
Compatibility: Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, mobile
Connectivity: Wireless, Bluetooth 5.0
Noise cancellation: No
Surround sound: Yes
Battery life: Up to 15hrs
Drivers: 50mm
Frequency response: 20Hz ā 20kHz
Impedence: 32 Ī© at 1kHz
Weight: 0.73lbs (330g)
As a headset designed for every tier of thš e Xbox experience (from console to mobile), it won't come as a surprise to hear that the Razer Kaira Pro puts portability first and foremost. Whether that's through wireless and Bluetooth 5.0 connections or a built-in mobile mic, this headset has flexibility in mind. Swapping between devices is easy, too; you can quickly switch from your Xbox to your cell.
That isn't to say the audio experiencš§e suffers, though. The Kaira Pro is fitted with Razer Triforce titanium 50mm drivers, offering a wider breadth of sound in the high, mid, and low ranges. In addition, you get an onboard dial to balance game sound or chat.
Rounding out the package is a Razer HyperClear Supercardiod mic, RGB lightišng, and 'FlowKnit' memory foam padding on each earcup.
Curious about how it differs from the standard Razer Kaira? The Pro has a detachable mic, Bluetooth 5.0, and RGB lighting. Otherwise, they're identical. That Bluetooth functionality is the crucial factor here; you can use the Kaira Pro on your mobile or with Discord, but that's not possible with the 'normal' entryꦯ-level Kaira. Want flexibility? The Pro is probably a better choice.
Visually, the Kaira Pro is a cross between the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:Razer Kraken Tournament Edition and its cheaper sibling, the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:Razer Kraken X; it's got a streamlined look that emphasizes smooth lines and matte black plastic, but it still manages to sneak in 'gamer' green accents nonetheless. While it's not going to be forš everļ·ŗyone, the fact that it's an Xbox exclusive sells those splashes of color. It feels special.
It's a classy design, too. Although the Kaira Pro doesn't give off the same air of luxury you'd get on a premium headset like the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:ASUS ROG Delta S, it doesn't seem cheap either.
At this sort of price, you'd hope that the Razer Kaira Pro offers a great performance. And fortunately, it does. While the audio crackles very, very occasionally for reasons that I can't figure out, it was reliable enough to impress in every other regard. This is an excellent piece of kit, and one of the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:best Xbox Series X headsets overall.
No šømatter what you play, you're in for rich and full audio; the Pro's 50mm drivers strike an admirable balance between lows, mids, and hišghs, with each one being easily identifiable in the heat of battle.
Surround sound is equally good, and you can tell precisely where enemy fire is coming from (or how far away it is). 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:Outriders becomes so much more immersive witšh attacks whistling past before thudding into a nearby wall, for example. Even the howlišng wind of Europa in Destiny 2's latest season gives a convincing illusion of being all around you. It sells a sense of place in a way the speakers on your TV never could.
Set up the free Razer headset software on ą¹Xbox and things get even better. You can either tweak levels to taste or opt for pre-set profiles (which are also available by pressing the EQ button twice), and either enriches the experience by a long way. The latter allows you to choose between an FPS mix š¼- which is fantastically crisp - or a bass option that offers rumbling, punchy gunfire. When teamed with the chat/game balancer, the Razer Kaia Pro becomes an alluring package. Not able to hear some of your teammates over the din of battle? This helps you fix that.
I just wish I could evangelize about the HyperClear Supercardiod mic in the same way. It's pretty good, yet it wasn't as effective as I'd hoped. It isn't bad by any means, but we've seen better.
Similarly, I have to wonder why thš ·e Razer headset software and pre-set profiles aren't better advertised. I wasn't aware they existed until digging into the fine-print, for instance, and I can't imagine I'm alone. The Pro doesn't do enough to make users know that these cool settings are available, and you're missing the best part of the experience without them. And who would think to press the EQ button twice to cycle pre-set audio modes?
The wireless battery could do a little better, too - it holds its own for around 15 hours with RGB on, which isn't ideal. It's not unheard of for the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:best gaming headsets (and is in a similar ballpark to the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:Razer BlackShark V2 and 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:SteelSeries Arctis 9X), but still. Its main competition though is the even cheaper official 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:Microsoft Xbox Wireless Headset which we covered earlier this yꦔear, but alas that one has pretty much sold out since launch.
The Razer Kaira Pro is good when you start using it right out of the box, but it gets even better when you start fiddling wšith the downloadable software. This is one hell of a way to ring inā a new generation of consoles.
]]>Release date: May 25, 2021
Platform(s): PS4, Xbox One, PC
Developer: Experiment 101
Publisher: THQ Nordix
Biomutant has been a long time coming. Originally announced back in 2017, Biomutant has been plagued by delš°ays ā both from the key developer having major back surgery and from a change in vision and scope ā but unfortunately, it hš¦©asn't benefited from being released in 2021. It has emerged in the shadow of other big, ambitious open-world RPGs like Assassin's Creed Valhalla, which has only further exposed Biomutant's flaws.
The game is set against a backdrop of a post-apocalypse world, where humanity has been wiped out by pollution, corporate greed, and nuclear power exploration. The world left behind is dominated by the titular Biomutants ā strange animal hybrids that are part cat, part rabbit, and 100% capable of wielding weaponry. These creatures have formed six tribes, whš o'll you need to either unite or destroy to bring harmony to the land, which is also plagued by four world eaters ā known as Puffs, for some reason. These huge beasts have been attacking the world tree (the last bastion of life on earth), and it's up to you to defeat all four and protect what's left. Sounds dramatic, right?
Well, it's undercut by the fact the narrative is delivered in the most painful of ways. Characters will speak to you in gibbeš“rish, then after a pause, a narrator tells you what they've said. It's so slow that I found myself skipping the gibberish to get to the narration, only to accidentally skip over both, losing crucial slices of information or quest objectives. Like Horizon Zero Dawn, the characters have developed their own names for various human elements, which only adds to the fact the narrative can feel like a children's storybook. For example, a piano is a 'string plonk', a guitar is a 'twing-twang', and your mother is yą¹our Mooma, which is said with such drawn-out vowels it's almost impossible to take seriously. The childish language constantly butts heads with the old-world commentary, failing to strike the sort of tone you might expect from a game with such bright and inviting visuals, and the fuzziest of casts.
It doesn't help that the character creation is quite off-putting. Despite my best attempts ā an almost an hour of tweaking ā I couldn't ever settle on a character that I was drawnš to or found even vaguely adorable. Big buck teeth, teenie eyes, mismatched body parts, and other oddities were seemingly the only options, with all of that exaggerated by the Biomutant breed you opted for. The Biomutant poster child that we've been seeing for years is far removed from the little fuzzy fighter I ended up with.
The character creation and story beats are just the beginning though, as this game continues to feel at odds with itself. Struggle through the very linear opening, and the world folds out before you, only to reveal that Biomutant suffers from having an abundance of systems to get to grips with ā none of which are ever particularly well explained. It's part looter shooter grind, with new weapons and armor hidden in old furniture and chests across the world, but there's also an odd and overly complicated crafting system too. I am particularly attached to an electric sword I made from an old toilet brush, but it's definitely far from the easiest system to get to grips with. There's just so much stuff.
Plus, you can upgrade your character in various ways, including enhancing abilities related to the class type you picked, your resistance što different environmental elements like the cold or radiation, and the option to unlock weapon-type specific combos. But Biomutant's nested sub-menus and use of different upgrade currencies are scattershot and awkward, especially when plenty of the upgrades can also be achieved using the mountain of gear you'll discover as you exploź¦re.
The same can be said of the combat, which regularly flips from feeling clumsy and clunky to brilliantly silly, with comic book-inspired exclaims and descriptions popping up for certain combos and movements that don't ever get used anywhere else ā another of Biomutant's odd design decisions. Overly subtle button prompts can leave you mashing buttons trying to return the projectiles needed to smash through defenseš s, and the combo patterns all depend on wšÆhat you've unlocked and what weapon type you're using. The combination of ranged and melee weapons, along with Psi Powers can be great fun, though their success does rely on finding the arsenal mix that really works for your play style and class type.
There's also a morality āsystem, with your character capable of moving between dark and light polarities depending on the decisions you make. But, it constantly invades the story, makes little sense, and has seemingly no effect on the ending outcome ā to the point where I am stią¹ll absolutely seething about the game's closing moments.
That's not to say that there isn't plenty to love in Biomutant, especially when it comes to the world it offers up. It's certainly not a graphical marvel ā even running on PC on maximum settings ā but there's definitely a beauty to it. It's a game rich with things to discover, from remnants of the old world, to funky weaponry and unusš°ual foes. Some areas will be inaccessible until you've found the right gadget or better armor to protect you too, which adds a level of unexpectedness to your travels. If you're partial to a little relaxing map mopping as I am, there's lots to keep you busy and that's meant I've spent 30+ hours enjoying Biomutant despite its flaws and oddities.
The main narrative is engaging too, with a whimsical cast of characters, excellent set pieces, and bizarre story moments. Plus, the four boss battlšøes are particularly memorable. A core part of the campaign is unlocking new gadgets, like a mech suit and jetski, which you'll need to take down each of the World Eatš·er Puffs ā that are ridiculously named Hoof Puff, Jumbo Puff, Muck Puff, and Porky Puff, which sound more like types of potato chip than big bads. But that's just part of Biomutant's overwhelming jovial personality, which relies on humor more than drama to propel you through ā even if it is a little puerile and toilet-centric at times.
But, eź¦very time you really enjoy a moment in Biomutant, it finds the capacity to frustrate you. Like the endless repetition of dialogue, side missions, and hidden areas. The assaults you mount as you try to unite the tribes are intensely formulaic ā to the point that they reuse the same barrack and invasion sequence multiple times. Hidden vaults have exactly the same layout and aesthetics, to the point that, after you'd discovered one, you'll notice that loot and discoverables were in the exact same spots across multiple locations. And yet, there are moments where the game's attention to detail is great, such as usinšg the ice weapon will make enemies skid across the ground like an excerpt from a Ratchet and Clank adventure.
It's such a shame, because there is a great game in here. Biomutant's world and its characters are wonderful and brilliantly silly, but these elements clash against some of the more serious elements of the core story. The intensely formulaic and repetitive moments distract from the brilliant ones that'll have you nodding in approval, or laughing at its bizarreness. And it all comes down to the fact it doesn't really know exactly what it į£is or wants to be. If you got Biomutant in a sale, you wouldn't be sad, but as a full-priced offering, it feels too confused to easily recommend.
Reviewed on PC with a code provided by the publisher.
]]>Thatās the context for the shiny new WD Black SN850 SSD. By the numbers, this thing absolutely rips, and is definitely a contender for 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:best SSD for gaming. Itās a PCIe 4.0 drive with some serišøous performance specs, including 7GB/s peak sequential performance and up to 1 million IOPS. Scary, but in a good way.
Of course, performance on the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:best gaming PC (or 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:best gaming laptops, for thatš matter) doesnāt necessarily benefit from ever-faster SSDs. Itās actually pretty hard to tell from measures like game loading times whether thereās a plain old SATA SSD or the latest M.2 NVMe beast under the hood, for example.
The reasons for all this are pretty technical, but boil down to the fact that storage bottlenecks involving IO requests and CPU load tend to be the limit to performance, not raw bandwidth. The catch is that this is set to change thanks to a new next-gen-games-console derived technology for Windows known as DirectStorage. Due later this year, it might just give the likes of the new WD Black SN850 (or the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:WD AN1500 to namedrop another belter) real purpoāse when itš comes to PC gaming performance.
Tested here in 1TB capacity, the WD Black SN850 is also available in 500GB and 2TB variants. All three are M.2 NVMe SSDs with quad-lane Pš¤”CIe 4.0 interfaces. So, theyāre right at the bleeding edge of PC storage technology.
Peak sequential performance is quoted at 7,000MB/s read and 5,300MB/s write for this 1TB model. As for random access performance, āpeak performance is pegged at 1 million read IOPS and 720K write IOPS. Underpinning all that is a WD/Sandisk NVMe G2 controller chipset, SanDiskās 96L 3D TLC flash memory, and 1GB of DDR4 DRAM.
The more detailed configuration includes up to 300GB of the 1š§TB of flash memory dynamically set aside to operate as a fast SLC ź¦cache, a feature known as nCache in WD nomenclature. As for endurance, WD backs the drive for five years and 600TB of writes, which is enough for 100GB of data written daily, wait for it, 16 years. Yeah, that should have you covered.
As with most M.2 SSDs, physically the WD Black SN850 is largely unremarkable. Still, it is worth noting the SN850 doesnāt have much by way of cooling as standard, despite the fact heat dissipation can often be an issue for sustainꦿed SSD performance. A heat sink is available as a cost option.
Speaking of performance, this drive does a pretty decentź¦ job of blitzing our benchmarks. It isnāt necessarily the fastest M.2 drive on the market by every measure. The likes of the Samsung 980 Pro and Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus have the edge by some metrics. But the SN850 puts in some very niļ·½ce numbers: 6996 MB/s read and 5205 MB/s write on CrystalDIskMark, to provide some context.
Peak performance is in line with the claimed specs, with sequential reads of a whisker under 7GB/s and writes around 5.2GB/s. As nice as those numbers are, itās actually the š°4K performance that most impresses. 4K queue depth one read speed is right up there with the Samsung 980 Pro at 81MB/s, while the 250MB/s write speed for the same test is the fastest weāve ever seen.
As for susātained perfāormance, it drops off right where youād expect given the SLC cache provision, with sequential write throughput roughly halving after around 300GB of data. That ought to be plenty for most users.
No question, the WD Black SN850 is up there with the very best PCIe Gen 4 M.2 SSDs. Ultimately, youād be hard-pressed to tell the difference between this SSD and the Samsung 980 Pro or Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus; theyāre all hella quick. The only problem is thatās true of a lot of cheaper PCIe 3.0 drives, too. In the real world, youāre not going to notice games loading tanšgibly faster with this SSD versus a PCIe 3.0 drive thatās either cheaper or offers more storage for the same money.
Whether that changes with the arrival of DirectStorage, weāll have to wait and see. Money no object, we have no hesitation recommending this SSD: it really is fast enough to put the frighteners on Samsung and co, but not exactly a bargain. But, having said that, money is very much an object for most people. So as good as it is, weāre not entirely sold on the WD Black SN850ās value proposition.
]]>It's also a first. The Razer Huntsman V2 Analog does something we've never experienced before, and it stands out in any lineup of the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:best gaming keyboards as a result.
Average price: $249.99 / £249.99
Type: Optical
Size: Full
Switches: Razer Analog Optical
Keycaps: Double-shot PBT
Media keys: Dedicated keys, volume dial
Wrist rest: Magnetic, leatherette
USB passthrough: USB 3.0
Tested on an -powered gaming PC
The selling point of the Razer Huntsman V2 Analog is right there in the name: it exists to bring the feel of an analog stiš¤”ck to the keyboard. It does this via variable actuation points, meaning you can use degrees of pressure to get a different response in-game. Push harder and youšr character will run faster, for example.
You can even set up a dual-step action for the likes of grenades. A hź§alf-press will equip your weapon, while pushing the key down throws it. Want to cancel that order, on the other hand? Just let go.
That's not to say the Analog abandons recent advances, though. Much like the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:Razer Huntsman Mini, it still uses opticaį£l switches for a quicker response. They š¬maintain that tactile mechanical feel, too.
Dedicated media controls āround out the packaź§ge. Besides separate play, back, and forward buttons, the V2 Analog brings us a volume dial with a mute option on the top for greater versatility - as does a port for USB 3.0 passthrough (even if it does require a double USB-A / USB-C power cable).
A magnetic leatherette wrist rest offers a fą²inal, RGB-laden touch. Much like the underlit doubleshot PBT keycaps and the bottom of the device itself, it features a Razer Chroma lighting strip to make the undersš„ide glow.
If you're already a fan of 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:Razer keyboards, your first impression of the Huntsman V2 Analog will be good. This is a heavy-set monster with some real heft behind it, especially thanks to its braidšed cable with split USB-A / USB-C wires.
The wrist rest is equally chunky, but the bezel-less design gives it a sleek, modern edge. Whack in some RGB tomfoolery and you've got what is very cleašrly a premium bit of kit.
That RGB is rather smart to look at, by the way, and as with the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:Razer Huntsman Elite, the Chroma strišp tšhat goes all the way around the device's side elevates its design.
This is Razer through and through, then, complete with a matte black aluminium body and tall, weighty keys. Indeed, the media controls match the rest of the Huntsman and BlackWidowš§ ranges; we're getting wide plastic buttons and a textured rubber dial for volume that can be rolled up or down.
To put it bluntly, the V2 Analog isn't reinventing the wheel and norꦦ is it trying to.
So, how is the Razer Huntsman V2 Analog to use? As you'd expect from the price tag (ź¦more on that in a bit), it's wonderful. While it's not as 'clicky' as the Razer BlackWidow Pro, its keys offer a fantastic action that's satisfying to type with nonetheless. It gives off a more muted sound as well, so nobody in your house or office will have to wear earplugs to escape the incessant, noisy clacking of rā¦ival keyboards.
In terms of those analog features, the V2 is an even greater success - for the most part. To start with, it makes a surprising difference in games such as 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:Watch Dogs Legion. Most keyboards lack subtlety when it comes to movement, but the Analog? It gives WASD š„keys a sense of precision they simply haven't had before. Rather than sprinting everywhere unless you've hit a specific 'walk' function, this one allows you to stroll down the streets of London before breaking into a jog - and then a run - after seeing a mugging in progress. You can also gently amble around corners in your car rāather than pinballing across the city.
It's the same story with 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:Apex Legends. Nudging the Analog's keys down just a little lets you move so much more cautiously, especially if you're a player that prefers to take a softly-softly approach with sniper rifles in tow. Sure, none of this is 'necessary' to enjoy š§the game. But it makes a huge difference, particularly if you're more familiar with contąµ²rollers than keyboards.
Similarly, hopping into a starfighter for 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:Elite: Dangerous with the Analog at your beck and call allows for gentler, more gradual movements. It won't match the ease of the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:best joysticks, but iꦬt's certainly less jerky than a standard keyboard. More specifically, I was better able to edge around asteroids and quietly adjust my flight path to avoid collisions instead of relying on the imprecise, sweeping motions I was used to. The coź§mpetition feels clunky by comparison.
However, the V2 Analog is not without issue. In Legion, it's a hammer rather than a scalpel. It's easy enough to swap your keys around to joystick mode, but the game becomes convinced you're using a controller if you so much as touch WASD. This makes driving a nuisance, because the game thinks that acceleration and braking are assigned to triggers⦠which obviously don't exist. As such, you've got to assign these inputs to yet more ą¹keys, resulting in a slightly awkward contortion as you try to speed up and turn at the same time. So yes, you can use the Analog as intended out of the box (well, nearly - you've got to assign everything in Razer Synapse first). But it requires fine-tuning.
It doesn't always work with the games you'd expect it to, either. I struggled to get 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:Call of Duty Warzone on board, for example; it refused to acknowledge my WASD keys at all when swapping them to their controller function. Beš¬cause you can play Warzone with a controller normally, I'm not sure what the issue is.
What's more, the literal cost of all this is staggering. The Huntsman V2 Analog will set you back $250 / Ā£250, and that's a tremendous amount of cashā to drop on any keyboard.
I'm notź¦ saying it isn't worthwhile, of course. It's a gorgeous device. But this price tag is high enough for me to advise proceediną¹g with more caution than normal.
The Razer Huntsman V2 Analog isšÆ a curious experiment, and an ambitious one too. It sets out to do something no-one else has, and it's largely successful in the effort. It won't necessarily work with all of your games, but it's a nice enough device to warrant a look in spite of that. In fact, it's one of the best keyboards I've ever used.
]]>The key draw here is the virtual 7.1 surround sound provided by HyperX's Ngenuity software. The Stinger S promises trueā three-dimensional audio designed for gaming, allowing you to pinpoint your enemies' positions with your ears as well as your eyes. But is it successful?
It absolutely is successful. The virtual surround sound is genuinely fantastic, matching more ļ·½costly headsets in terms of baseline performance. Ngenuity is a somewhat fiddly and limited piece of software (it doesn't allow as much audio customisation as we'd like) but it's worth it for the 7.1 surround sound alone.
The 50mm neodymium drivers delivešr a rich, balanced soundscape, with impressive bass given the Stinger S's lightweight frame. The earcups are memory foam wrašpped in a soft leatherette for maximum comfort.
The microphone doesn't appear to be anything special upon first inspection, but it's actually a sophisticated liļ·ŗttle piece of tech. Folding the rigid boom arm up mutes the mic automatically, and it also packs noiseš °-cancelling technology to help eliminate background sounds like keyboard clatter. Beyond this, the Stinger S is somewhat feature-light, but within this price range we don't really expect a killer unique selling point.
Visually, there's nothing beyond the ordinary here. The exterior casing has a simple matte black finish, with the HyperX logo emblazoned on each earcup in white. It connects via a basic non-detachable 2.5m cable with a standard 3.5mm headphone jack. There's no 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:Razer headset style RGB lighting or coloured tšrim on display with the Stinger S, which should please those who prefer a more minimalistꦿic headset.
In addition to the padded earcups, the headband has a similar leatherette padding along the top. It's adjustable on both sides up to 35mm, and the earcups can be rotated up to ninety degrees, allowing the headset šøto lie flat for storage or around your neck between matches. A simple plastic slider with a textured finish on the right-hand side provides on-the-fly voš¬lume control.
At 275g, the Stinger S isn't tāhe most lightweight headset we've seen, but it's certainly not too heavy. In order to keep the weight down, the outer casing is entirely plastic, with steel sliders in the headband for adjuą¦sting the fit. Although it doesn't feel flimsy, it definitely lacks the refined build quality of HyperX's more expensive headsets, and we'd be afraid of damaging the Stinger S should we drop or knock it.
For extended gaming sessions, the Cloud Stinger S is great. The leatherette padding on the earcups is surprisingly breathable, preventing sweaty heads during sweaty online games. The cable is long enough to allow for good mobility, and with a little height adjustment, the Stinger S sits very cšomfortably over the head.
In practice, the microphone didn't blow us away, but the noise-cancelling tech worked as advertised and audio input was clear and crisp, ideal for barking commands in multiplayer games. Microphone audio does come across relatively quiet even at higher sensitivities, so we'd advise getting a dedicated mic (like a contender for 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:best microphone for streaming) if you're going to be streaming or recording audio using the Stinger S as yourꦰ go-to headset.
The headset speaker sound, on the other hand, is amazing. The bassy kick of grenades and shotgun blasts in Call of Duty: Warzone feels incredible, and the audio clarity is good enough for you to easily pick up enemy footsteps with the help of the virtual surround sound. The audio range on show here beats out most cheaper competitors with little effort. It's no slouch when it comes to playing music either, although serious audiophiles will likely want to look elsewhere at the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:best headphones. For a casual Spotify binge while cracking out some work ošn your PC, it does the job well.
The physical controls are functional, if not particularly impressive. Flipping the mic up to mute it works well, although a dedicated mute button would've been nice too. The volumą²e slider matches the casing with a somewhat cheap, loose feel to it, meaning that it's quite easy to accidentally max or mute your audio while adjusting the headset.
Any complaints we have about the Cloud Stinger S really feel quite minor, though, petty, even. At a fundamental level, it's a good headset for any gamer; comfortable, effective, and not overpriced. HyperX is a trusted brand when it comes to audio peripherals, and it's evident after a few lengthy sessions that this headset is very much cut from the same cloth, showing exactly why they make some of the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:best gaming headsets going.
There are cheaper gaming headsets offering 7.1 surround sound, but fortunately that's not all the Stinger S brings to the table. An effective noise-cancelling mic and HyperX's signature comfort features round the package off nicely, making this headset well worth the sixty-pound asking price. If you want a 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:PC headset for gaming that's good buāt not overcomplicated, the Cloud Stinger S could be right up your alleį©į©į©į©į©į©ā¤ā¤ā¤ā¤į©ā¤ā¤ā¤ā¤į©ā¤ā¤ā¤ā¤į©š±į©į©į©y.
]]>Game system: D&D 5e
Players: 2 - 6
Difficulty: Hard
Set-up time: Variable
Time to play: Multiple sessions
Average price: $100 / £80
It's fitting that Curse of Strahd Revamped caught me off guard. From the promotional material I'd seen of the updated Dungeons and Dragons campaign, it seemed to be a dainty box of goodies no bigger than an A4 sheet of paper. And then it arrived at my door. Oh my, what a sweet summer child I was. As is only right for an adventure with so many twists, it's not what I expected - it's bigger, more intricate, ašønd unfailingly grand.
Much like its bloodsucking villain, Curse of Strahd Revamped raises one of the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:best tabletop RPGs from the dead; although it brings back a 2016 storyline, it has its roots in a fan-favorite adventure from the early 1980s.š§ More specifically, players must once again brave the terrors of Barovia in a plot that pits them against the vampire Count Strahd von Zarovich.
It's suitably imposing as a result. Pull aside the cardboard slip and you'll find a coffin box covered with gorgeous, embossed patterns that cement its premium feel. Lurkiš³ng within is artwork of the titular vampire sleeping in his crypt, a softcover version of the Curse of Strahd book, an oversized Tarokka deck featuring raised backs and suitably grim artwork, a booklet on how to read those cards, a two-sided map, four handoutsš used during the campaign, a separate Monsters & NPCs booklet, and a unique Dungeon Master screen of thicker, harder stock. It even comes with 12 themed postcards with which you can invite your players to the game's gothic setting.
While all of this earns a suitably high price tag, I'd say it's worth the investmenšt. For the most part, anyway. Sure, the $100 US cost is on the steep side. But the Tarokka cards, DM screen, and unique monsters can always be carried over to other sessionsš. There's plenty of value on offer as a result, even after your group has finished the main quest.
Just remember, this isn't an all-new adventure. Other than a few small tweaks, it's the same campaign as tāhe original Curse of Strahd.
Not that this is a bad thing. Curse of Strahd Revamped is far from a one-hit wonder. The original campaign was famous for its sandbox of content, and nothing's changed in that regard. In fact, this is an adventure you could theoretically play over and over again. To be precise, essential tools and boss locations change every time you start fresh - they are decided by a Tarokka reading before the story begins. That means you can never be sure where your party will end up. Plus, Strahd's cursed nature means that he will always return... eventually (yošu can't keep a good monster dowš§øn, clearly).
You certainly won't mind another visit to Barovia. As with the 2016 release, this version of Curse is crammed with more locations, scenarios, and ideas than you could possibly encounter in one run. That makes the campaign ideal for those who want to experience D&D at its best, to say nothing of a game without limits or railroading. You can literally go anywhere and do anything; there's a staggering amount of possibilities on the tabšøle here, up to and including character death or possession.
However, that can make it an intimidating proposition for newcomers. There's a lot to chew on here, be it copious amounts of information on Strahd's realm or numerous plotlines for each area. Furthermore, it's not always laid out in a user-friendš”ly way. Considering the fact that the Monsters & NPCs section was given its own booklet this time, I would have preferred to see the same approach with Barovia's various regions. This would make it much easier to find and flip through content during play.
Basically, new DMs should proceed with caution. It's an overwhelming prospect, especially because anyone running the game will need to be well-versed in all eventualities and possible outcomes. It's a big step up from storylines like the one found in the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:Dungeons and Dragons Starter Set.
This seems to be the only downside I can find, though. The adventure itself is memorable, packed with character, and fantastically atmospheric. The creativity of each area is arresting; the bizarre individuals you'll find should stay with you for quitšŖe a while. It's unlike anything else in D&D.
The physical props contained within this special edition - including stylised artwork on the DM screen - heighten the mood even further. The Tarokka deck in particular is a delight to flip through, and it provides an eerie tension to gameplay when providing your players š»with a reading.
Problematic elements of the book's past also appear to ą½§have been exorcised. Namely, harmful stereotypes about a culture inspired by real-world Romš§ani society are gone. This is a more considerate take, and Curse of Strahd Revamped is all the better for it.
As such, fans of the original and DMs who have yet to step into Strahd's world shouldn't hesitate to pick up Revamped. No matter whether you want something new for your group, a Halloween-themed detour, ošr išnspiration for a world of your own, this set has something to offer. It's the definitive version of a beloved classic.
]]>By and large, it succeeds. Will it knock the standard DeathAdder V2 off its perch as the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:best gaming mouse? š¦No. But it's a great alternative if you find the original to be too bulky. And at a sub-$50 / Ā£40 price point, the Razer DeathAdder V2 Mini is crammed with quality and value.
Price: $49.99 / £39.99
Form factor: Right-handed
DPI: 8,500
Buttons: 6
Switches: Razer Optical
Connectivity: Wired (Razer Speedflex)
Feet: 100% PTFE
Weight: 0.14lbs (62g)
Tested on an -powered gaming PC
Broadly speaking, the Razer DeathAdder V2 Mini is the same excellent mouse on a smaller scale. This one clocks in at 4.5in (114.2mm) long and 2.6in (65.4mm) wide, which makes it approximately 10% smaller than the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:Razer DeathAdder V2 overall. Meanwhile, it weighs just 0.1ā4lbs (62g) compared to the original's 0.18lbs (82g). This is a properly featherweight mouse.
As for its other features, the Mini sees the return of Razer's Opticšal Switches - powered by the much faster infrared light instead of physical contact - for lighš ŗtning-fast clicks. In addition, it comes with a braided Speedflex cable to reduce drag, six programmable buttons, stick-on grips, 100% PTFE feet, and 8,500DPI.
Let's not beat⦠around the bush: the Mini is a shrunken version of the DeathAdder V2. That means it has the same gently curving shape, matte black plastic, slightly flared left and right buttons, a deep groove down the middle, a ridged scroll wheel, two thumb buttons, and a Razer RGB logo on the palm-rest. Business as usual, in other words, just scaled down proportionally.
However, it differs in a couple of key ways. Whereas the standard DeathAdder V2 has an RGB scroll-wheel, this one doesn't. There's also only onš§e DPI button in the center rather than two. Finally, it doesn't have any grips out of the box. Rather, it comes with stick-on rubber anti-slip tape that's designed to fit the flanks and pļ·½rimary buttons. When they're attached, it feels like a very different mouse.
As you'd expect, the Razer DeathAdder V2 Mini possesses all the comfort and speed of its full-fat sibling. There'sš¦ a reason why the Dš³eathAdder is often called the best mouse for gaming overall; it balances superb performance with a reasonable price. As such, this one hits the same notes - especially so because it's a little cheaper.
Alright, so a couple of features have been removed to accommodate the smaller size. It's not all bad, though. For example, you won't miss the standard DeathAddešÆr's thumb grips. If anything, the grip tape is better than the alternative. Featuring a small rubber diamond pattern and deep grooves that keep the mouse firmly underhand, it provides arguably greater precision (even if it gathers dust and fluff all too easily). Going back to the original seems slippy and clumsy by comparison. A sweat-absorbenš¼t design also helps.
That reduced size allowed me to fully appreciate the Razer Optical Switches, too. Their crisp click is sharper and just a tiny bit less 'squishy' than on the standard V2. That doesn't mean it actuates any faster, of course - both DeathAdders are blindšingly quick, much like the smooth PTFE feet that help you glideꦿ across the map in a game like DOTA 2. When paired with the -powered gaming PC we use for testing, it was quite the experience.
What's not as fast is its DPI, sadly. Rather than reaching ź¦the heady limits of 20,000 like its normal-sized counterpart, the Mini only has 8,500DPI. That's significantly less, and although it's not enough for me to avoid recommending the mouse, it's something to keep in mind when hunting down a new pointer. I can only assume there's some sort of technical or cost-related reaš¦son for that decision. Either way, it means the DeathAdder V2 Mini isn't a great choice for tournament or competitive use. It's reasonably priced and portable, but you're sacrificing a lot of speed.
That said, this won't be a sticking point if you don't care about being the quickest draw in the west. And to be perfectly honest, 8,500DPI is enough to see you through most of the time. It got me through a few matches of 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:Call of Duty: Warzone without any trouble, for example. Unless you're familiar with faster mice, you mš±ay not even notice a difference - particularly if you've only ever used office pointers.
This is where the Mini really shines. If it's your first gaming mouse or you'll mainly be playing games that don't require twitchy responses, it's perfect. And if you have smaller hands, then you won't find a better 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:Razer mouse than the Razer DeathAdder Mini V2.
Interested in all things Razer? Be sure to check out our guides to 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:Razer headsets, 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:Razer laptops, and the best 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:Razer controller you can get (not to mention our top picks for the best 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:Razer streaming gear).
]]>Compare the Sensei Ten to any other SteelSeries mouse on paper and the immediate discerning feature iās it being the only one so far to utilise the TrueMove Pro optical sensor. This means the Sensei Ten has the widest DPI range of any SteelSeries mouse, from 50-18,000 in 50 DPI increments. That's 6,000 higher than any other.
Aside from DPI, one of the most important aspects of a gšøaming mouse is how many reprogrammable buttons there are. The Sensei Ten has eight. Now this is a decent amount; two on the left-hand side, two on the right, the two main mouse buttons, the scroll wheel, and a middle button that defaults to DPI. The unfortunate problem here is that depending on what hand you're using, the two extra buttons on the side of the mouse (where your pinky lies) are hard to use without some practice. Manoeuvring your ring or pinky fingers to activate these can be a pain and is slightly uncomfortable, so in essence, the mouse only has six buttons.
When it comes to software, the SteelSeries Engine 3 program is what you'll be using - a nifty application that lists all of your SteelSeries products in a row and allows you to jump in and customise almost every aspect. For the Sensei Ten, it's simple to enteš¹r and adjust eveź§rything from macros and the reprogrammable buttons to the LED colours, patterns, DPI levels, polling rate... the list goes on. It's possibly one of the most accessible pieces of software for a mouse I've used - it's astoundingly simple to understand.
The second youš pick up the SteelSeries Sensei Ten, perhaps the most noticeable aspect is the "Soft Touch" outer material. Featured only in the SteelSeries Rival line of gaming mice until now, this is undoubtedly the comfiest mouse I've ever used. Soft to the touch and smooth to use, its all-black coating and symmetrical design also makes it one of the most aesthetically pleasing mice on the market.
This symmetrical design may seem like a purely aesthetic choice ā and for those new to gaming mice, it might not appear noteworthy ā but thanks to gaming mice offering extra reprogrammable buttons, it means left-handed gamers are able to use it without any discomfort at all. It can be frustrating for left-handed PC players to get used to a mouse in a market geared towards right-handed people, but the SteelSeries Sensei Ten aims to cater to both with this ambidextrous design. Now, I'm right-handed so I can't review the mouse from this angle, but I can appreciate what it's trying to do.
The other thing to mention when it comes to the design is the weight; 92g is heavier than a number of other mice on the market like the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:ASUS ROG Strix Impact II I reviewed not long ago, but it feels much lightšer than that.
Unfortunately, a note needź¦s to be made about the cable. Rather than opting for a tough braided cable like you'd find in a top-notch gaming mouse, the Sensei Ten cable is just rubberised, and not with a particularly strong rubber at that. I've only been using it for a week or two but there's no avoiding the fact that the cable may well be the first thing to falter here.
That said, the SteelSeries Sensei Ten is ā without a shadow of a doubt ā an impressive mouse. It glides along the mouse mat surface, looks outstanding in any setup, and has an impressively short travel time between clicks. Adjusting all of the settings has never been easier and yošu can even store your preferred settings within the mouse, so you can plug it in and play with any system and it'll remember your configurations.
Thš„e excellent tilt tracking also means that when you lift the mouse up and place it back down, there's little to no interference in the mouse position thanks to the TrueMove Pro.
It's also suitable for every š¦grip, wš„hether you're a claw, palm, or fingertip player, meaning it'll be comfortable no matter what. So where does the Sensei Ten trip up?
This criticism certainly won't apply to everyone, but my favourite mouse is the Logitech G502 (our guide names it as the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:best gaming mouse, too). It's much weightier, and those who prefer heavier mice may not be well served by the Sensei Ten. I often find when using it in tense situations or fast reflexive shooters, I grip too hard and accidentally lift the mouse from the table. This isn't ideal, even when you take into consideration the TrueMove Pro sensor allš°eviating most of the tracking errors. It's a small gripe to have but when it's happening frequently, it simply makes the Sensei Ten unsuitable for me personally.
There's also an issue when using the scroll wheel rapidly; the input is far too light and means that scrolling up or down a web browser quickly ź¦will cause the middle click to activate. It's not a huge problem but boy does it get irritating quickly.
While the Sensei Ten is possibly the best left-handed mouse available thanks to how ambidextrous it is, it is also fairly light with no extras to increase the𤔠weight. If there were a tier š”list of gaming mice, the Sensei Ten doesn't do enough to be put into the very top, S-rank level of mice, but it can comfily sit one below that at A-rank. And for those who like that lighter build, this may well be one of the top options out there.
]]>The thing is, those differences won't add up to a worthwhile investment for many of us - the Nacon Asymmetric Wireless Controller has more in common with the disappointing 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:SteelSeries Stratus Duo and 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:Nacon Revolution Pro Controller V3 than anything else.
Price: $50+ / £45
Works with: PS4, PC
Extra buttons: None
Customization: None
Connectivity: Wireless (dongle), wired
Battery life: Up to 7 hours
What does the Nacon Asymmetric Wireless Controller offer that you canāt get with the standard handset? As youād expect, asymmetric thumbsticks are the headlining act. If youāre someone who couldnāt get their head around the DualShock 4ās layout, Nacon has your back. While switching the d-pad and left thumbstick may not sound like much, it makes a huge difference in practice if youāre an Xbox user or are new to PlayStaź§tion. The bulkier heft of the Asymmetric will be more familiar to Xbox One gamers, too.
Otherwise itās business as usual. Itās true thaāt weāre lacking a lightbar, motion-sensing, and controller-based audio, but I doubt many of us will miss those features anyway.
In fact, the only thing I was left pining for was true Bluetooth connectivity. This controller works via wireless USB dongle on both PS4 and PC, so I haš d concerns about whether thatād cause a slight input delay.
Asymmetric thumbsticks aside, this handset sees Nacon doing its best DualShock 4 impression. And itās not bad. You wonāt be fooled, though. Naconās version is somewhat plumper, as if a PS4 controller overindulged during the Holiday season. Which isnāt a bad thing, of course. This is one of the more inviting 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:PS4 accessories you'll find. Even the face buttons are chunkier in a friendly soārāt of way.
Unfortunately, the Asymmetric looks⦠well, a bit cheaper than I'd like. Although the build-quality is as excellent as ever, it's made of a somewhat dull black plastic. It lacks standard DualShock 4 touches such as grips or a lightbar, too. On the plus side, this means you can get your hands on it for less. Finding a 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:PS4 controller cheap isnāt easy, so affāordable alternatives like this are always welcome.
Luckily, my doubts amounted to nothing. While Iām sure youād see ša millisecond's difference if you dug into the numbers, this controllerās performance seems to match the DualShock 4 on a šsurface level. If thereās any lag, itās imperceptible.
Even though itās a fraction heavier, itās comfortable to use for long periods of timše as well. Indeed, I ended up preferring its chunkier frame; it fit my hands bettešr than PlayStation's official version.
Naconās reliable hardware is also on display elsewhere. Those thumbsticks are precise and offer good resistance, much like the triggers (though I wonder whether your fingers would tire as a result of their stiffness). Additionally, thereās a satisfying click to each and every button. Itās just as effective on PC too, not to mention less expensive than the Xbox One equivalent. Oh, and it's dead-easy to connect on bš oth systems. Simply insert the USB dongle and get down to business.
Not there isnāt room for improvement. The Asymmetricās spongy d-pad is a step down from the DualShock 4's, for exampš¦©le. But this isnāt a deal-breaker. For the most part, Nacon injects its controller with the feel of an Xbox One handset while holding on to what makes the DualShock special.
Of course, the real question is whether youāre bothered enough by those DualShock 4 thumbsticks (or the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:best gaming mouse and 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:best gaming keyboard, if you're playing on PC) to try something else. The ź¦Asymmetric isnāt much cheaper or ābetterā than PlayStation's offering, so Iād onlꦺy advise getting it if youāre not a fan of the latter's setup.
The Asymmetric wonāt hold uą¹p as a like-for-like replacement of the DualShock 4, but itās a good choice if youāre not keen on the PlayStation layout; it switches things up without lšosing what makes the DualShock great in the first place. Affordable and mechanically sound, Naconās latest will satisfy those longing for an Xbox-style control scheme on PS4.
That said, I'm not sure there's much here for anyone else. You're better off saving for the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:Nacon Revolution Unlimited instead.
]]>The high end gaming keyboard and mouse that are the core of the Turret package are modeled after two of the peripherals in our 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:best gaming keyboard and 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:best gaming mouse roundups, a tenkeyless version of the BlacākWidow keyboard and a modified version of the Mamba mouse. The keyboard is built around Razer's excellent proprietary Green switches, which are clicky and tactile - great for gaming. Unsurprisingly, they perform as well in the Turret model as they do in Razer's other gaming keyboard offerings. They're extremely responsive and, if you do much text chatting or are going to use the Turret with your PC, fantastic to type on as well.
The mouse is an excellent wireless unit, exhibiting no perceptibź¦le lag and high sensitivity (it packs a 16,000 CPI optical sensor), and both the keyboard and mouse pair to your Xbox One through a single wireless 2.4 GHz dongle. The mouse and keyboard can be turned on and off independently, a nice touch if you're just using the keyboard to navigate menus. The Turret is unlikely to completely displace your controller for navigation, however, as I was unable to toggle through some sub-menus with the arrow keys on the keyboard (and at the dashboard level there's virtually no mouse support whatsoever, at least for now). I couldn't, for instance, switch between wired and wireless internet connection options, despite all the surface menu levels being totally navigable with the keyboard.
In-game, Warframe controlled with the silky smšooth precision you expecš t from a keyboard and mouse on PC; if you didn't know what platform the Turret was connected to, it would be easy to forget you're playing a console game. The mouse glides around the pad with ease and I never suffered any issues with latency or the sensor losing tracking across several hours of gameplay. Interestingly, Fortnite has already implemented a player split based on what kind of inputs players are using, so controller bound players won't find themselves mercilessly owned by gamers wielding a mouse and keyboard. While only 15 games (so far) support mouse and keyboard play, it'll be interesting to see if other developers follow suit as the library of compatible games expands.
The extra height on the raišsed keycaps works well to showcase the RGB lighting on the deck, and while there is a wrist rest that extends several inches from the base, it's the same unforgiving metal as the rest of the board. While it offers some much needed support, it's not nearly as cozy as some of the plush leatherette ošfferings that come with a number of modern gaming keyboards. The slide out mouse pad is excellent, on the other hand, offering just enough space to move the mouse around comfortably while not tilting way over the edge of your lap. The sturdy metal chassis of the keyboard is solid and surprisingly heavy, which may seem like a con at first blush but actually helps when you've got it balanced across your lap. It certainly feels designed to take some punishment or, in a pinch in the midst of a zombie apocalypse, deal some out when wielded like a bludgeon.
If the board does slide off to one side, it comes with a set of built in magnets that ensure the mouse won't go flying off to crash into your coffee table or tumble down on your living room floor. While the keyboard is tenkeyless and šÆlacks PC oriented featš§ures like macro keys or dedicated media controls, the mouse is as fully featured as its PC counterpart. It's lightweight for a wireless mouse, with a pair of thumb buttons and CPI buttons, and it fits the hand comfortably and utilizes Razer's top notch switches. It's even got a slot in the bottom where the wireless dongle can be stashed when not in use.
Razer promises up to 40 hours of use on one charge for both peripherals, and I certainly never got close to depleting the battery across several long sessions of use, first on the office Xbox One and then paired with my PC. There's also a handy, dedicated Xbox One button in place of right Ctrl, which saves you having to scrounge up and power on a controller every time you wantš¹ to jump back to the dashboard.
The Turret's not a cheap proposition, retailing for $249.99 (it's currently available for preorder on the and should ship today or tomorrow), but you'd pay roughly the same for an excellent mechanical gaming keyboard and mouse. It's an amazing package for anyone looking to play console games with a keyboard and mouse, with some thoughtful features designed specifically for use in the living room on a big screen TV. It's a touch expensive if you're buying it exclusively to play the occasional console game, but if you're also going to use it in conjunction with your main PC (or for laptop play at home), it's a solid value peripheral that's very thoughtfully designedšŖ and built.
]]>Thanks to excellent build quality, this is also the Formula 1 car of game controllers. Finely tuned, expensive, and precise, the Razer Raiju Tournament Edition is a handset designed to perform. That makes it a front-runner as one of the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:best PS4 controllers. However, thš³e asking price (roughly $160 / Ā£150) is arguably too high for anyone but the most š§dedicated eSports player.
Price: /
Works with: PS4, PC
Extra buttons: Two back paddles, two bonus multi-function shoulder buttons, trigger stops
Customization: Button mapping, rumble intensity, sensitivity clutch options
Connectivity: Wireless, wired (braided micro-USB cable)
Battery life: Up to 19 hours
Because itās primarily geared toward shooters and fighting games, the Razer Raiju Tournament Edition is optimised with Mecha-Tactile face buttons for an action that's more mouse-like than anything else. What&aš pos;s more, it adds in four extra buttons that happen to programmable. Humble though they may seem, these buttons are the controllerās secret weapon. Capable of becoming any input you choose, theyāre strategically placed so yꦰou donāt have to waste precious moments reaching for anything.
Specifically, two are positioned at the back of the handset where your middšle fingers sit (replacing X and O on default mode) while two more are nestled within easy reach of the L2 and R2 triggers (defaulting to ā and ā respectively). These remove the need for face buttons altogether; users are able to keep their thumbs on the sticks and their index fingers on the triggers at all times to increase response time. Itās a similar story with the much-touted āHair Trigger Modeā. Two sš witches lock L2 and R2 so you donāt have to press as hard to get a response.
Itās easy to change what these buttons do, too. The companion app syncs to your controller via Bluetooth and provides a simple, user-friendly interfꦔace to swap things around. Whatās more, you can set up quick-select profiles and even alter the level of rumble on eaź¦ch side of the controller. When combined with wired or wireless play on both PS4 and PC, the Raiju Tournament Edition is a simple yet versatile piece of kit.
Rather than following the DualShock 4ās example or that of its more expensive counterpart, the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:Razer Raiju Ultimate, this controller seems to have been inspired by the Xbox One. Blending asymmetric joysticks, a thicker body, and chunky shoulder buttons like the PC and mobile-based 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:SteelSeries Stratus Duo, it wouldnāāt look out of place beside Microsoftās console.
Longtime PS4 fans may find this difficult to adjust to, but itās a small complaint in the grand scheme of things; the Raiju Tournament brings to the table a comforting weight, textured grips, and deeply satisfying, tactile buttons that click with each press. Meanwhile, thereās a pleasant bounce to the triggers as the controller gently pushes back against your fingers. The Raiju Tournamentās a premium product, and - as per the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:Nacon Revolution Unlimited - youāre reminded of that fact every time š§you use it.
This is the case with its smootš¶h, responsive sticks as well. While the concave tops arenāt as grippy as they should be, itās not a failing ą“thatāll bother you much when playing. I quickly forgot about the issue because it didnāt negatively impact on performance.
When itź§ comes to color-schemź¦es, you can either opt for a tried-and-tested black design, a clean Mercury White, or an attractive Quartz Pink scheme with gray grips.
Luckily, the quality of the Raiju Tournament Editionās hardware extends to its effect on gameplay. It's ready to respond at the slightest input thanks to Mecha-Tactile buttons that offer a speed and 'click' more akin to mice than anything else. What's more, those extra buttons really do give a split-second advantage over other players. Rather than reaching for X,š O, ā, or ā , whatever you need is instantly accessible. This allows you to respond to threats ever so slightly faster.
You can also do more simultanź¦ eously. For example, you can still aim with the right stick while jumping out of danger or hitting the crouch button. Even though itās not going to revolutionise how you play, itāll give you a welcome edge all the same. Weāre talking a hairās breadth of difference here, but in a firefight thatās what separates diving behind cover and being turned into a human pincushion.
This is true of Hair Triggāer Mode as well, albeit to a less noticeable degree. Pro players will appreciate it in the same way theyāll enjoy the ease of programming new layouts via the companion app.
Unfortunately, the Raiju Tournament Editionās biggest strength moonlights as its greatest weakness. Those rear buttons are large and, by virtue of where they are, too easily pressed in error. Pros will adapt quickly. Everyone else faces a learning curve in which theyāre accidentally bouncing around or exiting menus when ź¦they donāt mean to. As youād expect, that can be pretty frustrating. Accordingly, the Tournament Edition isnāt ideal as a controller for single player games. It wasnāt designed to play them, sure, but this reduces the handsetās appeal nonetheless.
As such, $160 / Ā£150+ is an awful lot of money to spend on something with such a specific focus (there's no way this is ever being considered for our '澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:cheap PS4 controller' list). Unless youāre a dedicated competitive player who specialises in eSports, itās therefore hard to justify -š“ especially when the standard DualShock 4 is already so fantastic.
Generally speaking, this duality sums up the Razer Raiju Tournament Edition. If youāre a competitive player looking for an edge in 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:Overwatch or Fortnite, itās an excellent controller thatāll deliver with a premium sheen. In fact, thereās an argument to be made that itās better than the 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:Raiju Ultimate, its more expensive cousin. Despite lacking the išnterchangeable sticks and chroma effects of the latter, šitās essentially the same product for less.
For everyone else, though? Itās probably not worth the price of admittance. Although itās a good controller and one of the best 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:PS4 accessories overall, Iām not convinced itās enough to warranšt shelling out so much cash if youāre looking for a new pad.
Interested in all things Razer? Be sure to check out our guides to 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:Razer headsets, 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:Razer laptops, 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:Razer keyboards, and the best 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:Razer mouse you can get (not to mention our top picks for the best 澳擲幸čæ5å¼å„å·ē åå²ę„询:Razer streaming gear).
]]>Dirt Rally is a racing sim that recalls an era long gone, before tutorials and hand holding. Iš¬tās curious that Codemasters has decided to attach its latest rally sim to the Dirt brand - a series that, along with its sister franchise GRID, was famed for allowing players to rewind time when they made a mistake, as well as decorating the action with something as close to a storyline as youāre ever likely to get in a racing sim.
No such measures are taken within Dirt Rally. Within 20 minutes of picking up your first car, youāll take to the track in the snowy slopes of Switzerland and the plains of Finland. Before long, youāll be having a splash in the muddy fields of a damp and dreary Wą¼ales. DiRT Rally never lets you take a ride on a test track, or flash scores of instructions across the screen. You belt up, listen to your orders from your co-driver and go.
Rather than taking you directly to the gameās showroom to pick up your first car, Dirt Rally trusts you and lets you buy one at your own pace. Itās a small point, but one that sets the tone for everyš thing that follows. On the track, Dirt Rally is a particularly unforgiving beast. Every bump, every puddle, every patch of ice has an impact on your vehicle. Thatās especially true dušring your first championship, when you only have access to a batch of cars from the 1960s - cars which sometimes drive like an old tin bath with four pram wheels stuck to the bottom.
It was when attempting to scale the heights of the Swiss alps in the now 50-year-old Lancia Fulvia,š wheezing as it does like a 40-a-day smoker, that Dirt Rallyās true intent became clear to me. This is not an arcade racer, or even a rally sim for the fans of the popular but comparatively simple Colin McRae. Dirt Rally is a genuine, blunt simulation of rallysport. If you think youāre going to get an easy ride in the first contest or two, youāre mistaken. Youāll be lucky to even finish.
Fortunately, however, Dirt Rally gives you plenty of races to recover. Championships, which make up the main thread of playā¦, are broken down into multiple events, which in standard rallies consist of four separate time trials. With no indication as to how youāre doing other than split times comparing you to the race leader, success in Dirt Rally is a case of keeping your car on the straight and narrow, pressing your foot down when you dare and listening to the ceaseless commands from your co-driver. Throughout play, he is your one consistent aid, although listening to his calls - which rarely leave room for breath - feels like cracš³king a code Alan Turing would be proud of. Thereās no āeasy leftā or āhard rightā here. Every bend is graded from one to six, with 90 degree turns or hairpins highlighted with particular caution. Crests, bumps, and hazards all tumble from your co-driverās mouth like a foreign language. Visual aids stream across the screen at the same time, in an attempt to keep you up to speed.
At first, attempting to follow commands in any meaningful fashion seems like an impossible task, but it soon starts to feed into your subconscious. Focusing on the vanishing point and delicately snaking your way through its stages starts to become second nature. The variety of these stages is arguably Dirt Rallyās greatestā strength. Speedš·ing through the forests of Finland is a distinctly different thing to successfully scaling the icy heights of one of the gameās many mountain passes. Jumping from one event to the next constantly keeps you on your toes. With its narrow, perilous tracks, Dirt Rally never allows you to feel comfortable.
Crashing into a stray tree or clipping a stone wall not only slows you down, but also has an impact on your car. Tires burst, radiators overheat, and you can frequently find yourself hobbling over the finish line with a slack time simply because youāve lost control of your car once in an otherwise clean and competitive race. Veering off track or recovering your car after flipping it will trigger a time penalty. A bigger concern is the ease with which you can write your car off altogether. Repairs can be carried out in between races, but majorš incidents in the middle of a challenge can be fatal, with restarts chipping away at the credit you pick up for completing an event. It's perfectly fairā¤, but devilishly unforgiving.
As an aside to the standard rallies, Codemasters has also spiced up play with hill climbs and official FIA World Rallycross Championship challenges - the latter enabling you to race other cars directly on the track. These rallycross events are split into qualifying heats, semi finals and a final encouā±nter, with a 'Joker lapā - a trickier, longer stretch of track you have to deviate down at least once in a race - adding a smart tactical element što proceedings. The better you perform in these rallycross encounters, the more credit you pick up at the end.
Itās this credit that enables your progress. Success in Dirt Rallyās championship lets you to purchase new cars in additional classes (15 classes available in all, with 46 cars on offer in total) and upgrade your existing vehicles. Switching ošff all driving aids rewards you with additional credit at the end of each event, and you can also alter the sensitivity of your drive to suit your tastes, softening the suspension or switching the brake bias š to fit your driving style. For dedicated players, fiddling with these settings is a time consuming but rewarding sideline which, once mastered, can shave vital seconds off your best time.
Dirt Rally seems designed to ensure that you get the most out of the cars you already own before taking the step uꦰp to more powerful beasts. As your ability increases, your engineers become better equipped to deal with each car the longer you drive it. In a game where success intentionally feels like a hard earned treꦦat, the knowledge that sticking by the four wheels you own - rather than racing ahead to something more lethal - is a comforting one.
There are opportunities to drive Dirt Rallyās more advanced cars sooner rather than later, however. Online daily challenges enable you to race cars already in your collection, or those still locked away in the main game. They also contribute credit to the main pool, enabling you to keep progressing through championship after championship while breaking play up with a fresh challenge at the same time. Itās a balance that enables Dirt Rallyš§ø to stay varied without diluting it with any short-term arcade thrills.
More than anything, itās Codemastersā decision to chase realism that will botš¤”h entice and repel players. This is the rally sim that Richard Burns fans have been waiting the last ten years for, but Dirt Rallyās remorseless tracks, designed to punish the faintest of mistakes, will mean many quit before theyāve truly started. Itās hard to imagine Dirt Rally scaling the top of the charts for too long, if at all, but for dedicated rally fans this is as true an incarnation of the sport as youāre likely to encounter
This game was reviewed on Xbox One
]]>The gameās main event is campaign mode, which allows you to unlock Penariumās three arenas while enjoying a simple but satisfying tale withšø a clearly defined beginning, middle and end. The story introdą¼ŗuces Willy, a simple farm boy who is working on his fatherās land one day when a mysterious masked stranger appears and tempts him into the back of his circus wagon. Willy is anticipating an adventure, but soon realises he has in fact stepped into a nightmare. If he is to escape the sadistic circus extravaganza known as Penarium, he must learn to perform death-defying feats and survive long enough to beat the gameās nameless champion.
The controls are straightforward ā left, right, jump, double jump ā and if you exit the screen on one side you will automatically appear on the other, adding a useful last-ditch escape route tāo your limited list of defensive options. Objectives are easy to grasp š°but difficult to fulfil. Youāll be asked to smash barrels, burst balloons, press buttons, chase spotlights, and catch precious bottles before they break. However, aside from some black humour-laced guidance given by the masked man, there is little else to aid you in your attempts to overcome Penariumās quirky cornucopia of obstacles.
Homing missiles, fireworį£ks, dragons, water cannons, icicles ā as the levels progress the weapons aimed at you not only become wildly more varied and unpredictable, but also quicker and deadlier. In every arena your screen will be transformed into a spectacular tableau of chaos, and you can forget about planning ahead ā obstacles shift their patterns with every retry.
Beyond the main scenario there are two additional modes availableš°: arcade and multiplayer. Arcade utāilises the classic one life, one run formula ā you just have to go with it, prancing across platforms for as long as possible to improve your top score on the leader board. You can also collect coins that allow you to purchase power-ups in Penariumās shop, such as increased movement speed and the ability to fly.
Meanwhile, multiplayer allows two players to battle it out in local co-op as contestants Willy and Rajiv; versus has you dodging traps and pressing buttons in a first past the post situation, while co-op has you pushing buttons together until you both bite the dust. It has its charms, but doesnāt quite capture the appealing more the merrier feel of sšomething like TowerFall.
The highlight of Penarium is its offbeat brand of hectic gameplay, a hotā mess of awkwardly arranged platforms and circus-themed stumbling blocks. Tackling wave after wave of new obstacles is unexpectedly rewarding and a nod to Donkey Kong in the final arena is a nice retro treat. On the flip side of the coin, there is not much aesthetic variety ā the gameās three arenas look very similar ā unlockable content is notably scarce and multiplayer mode is limited, which is a shame because this is a title ripe for expansion.
Despite a few missed opportunities waiting in the wings, Penarium is ultimately what an arcade-style game should be ā fun and frustrating. Pick it up, put it down, pick it up again ā it can be enjoyed at the drop šof a ringmasterās top hat by beginners and arcade veterans alike
]]>Okay, perhaps weāre allowing our imaginations to run away with us a little, but weāre making a serious point here. Until now VooFoo Studios has followed a similar template to reasonable success. Both Pure Chess and Pure Pool are exceptionally polished takes on their š½chosen pastimes, boasting luxuriant looks and ꦿno little style. Thereās certainly no shame in appreciating their premium aesthetic: look around the mahogany tables with their expensive baize and injection-moulded chips, all lovingly rendered in pin-sharp definition, and the lifestyle of a high-stakes gambler suddenly seems a whole lot more appealing. Even if it does mean subjecting yourself to a soundtrack of Anchorman-style jazz flute, fifth-rate hip-hop or bizarre big-band numbers espousing the joys of poker.
But much as thereāsš an undeniable tactile pleasure to Pure Holdāem, itās a game with a fundamental problem at its heart. Put simply, the inability to see your opponent makes it a poor substitute for the real thing. Holdāem is a game about reading tells and learning behaviours. Over time youāll gain an instinct for when a rival has a good hand and when theyāre bluffing, and you do that not just by spotting play patterns, but watching how confident they look, how carefully they consiš¦der their options before checking or raising - even how often they glance at their cards.
When playing Pure Holdāem online, all you can see is a progress bar that fills up while a human opponent is pondering their next move; any AI players filling the spaces aroundš the table will make their play instantly. Youāve only got 15 seconds per turn, so even the most cautious player doesnāt have a great deal of thinking time. Admittedly, itās a problem that isnāt exclusive to Pure Holdāem, but it seems more noticeable here ā perhaps because VooFoo has otherwise gone to such great lengths to replicate the look of a real game, and so the absence of humanity is āmore keenly felt.
Then, of course, thereās the inherent issue of gambling with fake money. Each table has a buy-in fee, and your meagre supply of chips at the outset means youāll need to spend plenty of time on the Joker and Jack tournaments for novices to earn entry to the Aces and Masters events. Alternatively, you can spend a little real world cash if you want to up the ante a little sooner: we bought 1,000,000 chips at Ā£4.79 to get a spot at the top tables. Yet even players whoāve shelled out for these tokens are going to be unrealistically comfortable taking risks. During our second online session we watched one opponent gain 900,000 chips before losing it alš¼l by going all-in on a pair of queens. Meanwhile, offline play gives you a short bio for each of the AI characters as a primer for their playstyle, but thereās not much difference between most of them ā only the ultra-cautious and consistently reckless competitors stand out.
For all our complaints, šÆweāre sure thereās an audience out there for a game of digital poker thatās put a little more effort into dressing for the occasion than its perfunctory peers. And with its gorgeously lit environments, its trio of smartly designed card sets and its customisable cloth pšŗatterns, Pure Holdāem is undoubtedly a class act. We just wish it had a little more soul.
]]>This is surprising for two reasons. Firstly, itās a solid idea: a racing game in the vein of Mashed or Micro Machines where the object is to get far enougļ·½h ahead of your opponents to push them off the screen ā only here the race takes the form of a platformer. The Gourmet Races in Nintendo's Kirby games are perhapsš its closest relative, but thereās little else quite like it. Second, it borrows plenty from the fairly decent Twisted Dreams, and weāre not just talking some thrifty asset reuse.
Like that game, itās about racing through gaudily coloured environments, collecting gems and bouncing on enemies to kill them. Even the switching mechanic returns, though rather than tš¼riggering the change from sunshine and flowers to red skies and doom clouds with the push of a button, you pass through dream gates, prompting environmental shifts desigš¤”ned to confuse or slow your rivals.
Troubšle is, none of it works. Each of the nine stages ā with genero-names like Soarstone Crag and Stranglevine Ruins - have to function as both platform stages and race tracks, and the level design simply ļ·ŗisnāt good enough to accommodate both. The loose handling of the sisters, an occasional issue during Twisted Dreamsā more exacting sequences, is a constant problem here.
With feeble sound effects and a necessarily distant camera, thereās no sense of connection to the world. Dreadful audiovisual feedback and environments that rarely seems conducive to flow mean eveꩲry race has a halting, staccato rhythm. Most of the time, it looks like four drunks wiź¦th severe hamstring injuries trying parkour for the first time.
Because the action is so zoomed out and the levels so visuaālly busy, itās often hard to tell quite whatās going on. Power-ups add to the confusion: theyāre both entirely forgettable ā well, apart from the one that allows you to drop three large pink owls behind you ā and have negligible effect on your opponents. Being stunned slows you down very briefly, but since all four competitors spend roughly half the race in a daze, it rarely makes a tangible difference to the outcome. Thereās a dash move that can be charged up, but itās so hard to reliably control that as often as not youāll end up bumping into scenery and getting pushed out of contention.
Races can drag on interminably, too. Once the fourth-placed racer has disappeared from view, a countdown will kick in to end the race early, with a star awarded to whoeverās in first when the timer hits zero. And yet hitting the front often leaves you so close to the edge of the screen as to be unable to react to any incoming hazards, leaving the pack so tightly bunched that it can take several minutes before anyone is far behind enough āto drop out. Then again, we were inexplicably awarded the decisive thirš¦d star in one race despite being well back in last place.
It improves as a local multiplayer game, but thatās not saying much: shovelling dog eggs is more fun with friends, too, and we wouldnāt recommend you spend eight pounds doing that. Throw in bargaiš¶n-basement presentation and the most offensively boring Achievements imaginable, and itās clear the Giana Sisters have a long way to go ābefore they can consider themselves Great again.
]]>Itās easy to assume that Spy Chameleon will be a low-šŗprice-low-content piece of arcade fluff, and the early missions donāt help with that. Spy Chameleonās first task is to sneak into a starletās hotel room, and the levels leading up to it are in danger of becoming cut-and-past copies of each other. Give the little RGB Agent a chance, though, and youāll get a fun challšenge in return, ranging from pilfering the secret formula for āCoca-Cloakā to hacking into a top secret computer.
It seems so easy written down, but thatās the beauty of the game. The core mechanic is deceptively simple ā avoid being spotted byą½§ changing into one of four different colours and using the environment ā butš it becomes more complex as new elements are gradually woven in to the levels, until youāre flipping out and running in circles to avoid the gaze of three sentry robots at once.
The robots are the most common enemies youāll face: little saltshakers that trundle around in patrol patterns, sweep their cone of vision backwards and forwards, or else just staring determinedly right at the door you need to go through. They quicklyᦠbecome the least of your worries when you're faced with a combo of security cameras that hone in on you if you stay out of camouflage for too long, giant goldfish that spin round at the slighteš¦st touch, and moving screens that only give you a moment to hide.
The colour change mechanic is the key to successfully avoiding detection. Luckily every building in the gą¼ame had the same decorator, and heās a fan of bright scatter carpets. Spy Chameleon can blend with them in the blink of an eye, but heās limited to the colours on your controller ā A for green, B for Red and so on ā and itās easy to forget which is which when you only have a split second to get it right. If you donāt have a carpet handy then knocking over a paint can, or using light up floors, will do in a pinch, but woe betide any chameleon that gets caught moving oą¹n or off them. By woe, of course, we mean that an alarm will sound and youāll get pushed back to your last checkpoint.
The alarm gets jarring if you hear it a lot, which youāre likely to, because although Spy Chameleon is a game all about rhythm and timing sometimes it seems a little fickle about it. In a dance where one partner is a small lizard, ā and the other is a patrolling giant lab rat, itās annoying when the šgame teaches you steps but you have to rely on trial and error to get them right.
When you remove the time it takes to get frustrated and repeat the same tiny section over and over again then a level averages out to about ninety seconds to complete. There are seventy-fiveš all told, and each has a time challenge as well as two types of collectible to find. Taken altogether and Spy Chameleon becomes a perfect pick-up-and-play game with a shocking amount of replay value.
If youāre still unconvinced then you should know that later levels provide the traditional spyās cardboard box to sneak around in. Snake might be the fan-favourite when it comes to espionage, but he should be looking over his shoulder for anothešr reptile. If he can even spot it cominź¦g, that is.
]]>Let us explain. On paper, the task Mega Coin Squad puts in front of you seems simple enough. At the beginning of each round, you're givš²en a coin quota you have to meet, and then you're set loose in a self-contained 2D environment, where you whip around the various platforms, gobbling up coins and (hopefully) avoiding the various regions' native wildlife, who plainly have nothing better to do than potter around making life awkward for would-be treasure hunters.
You begin each stage with three lives, but it's preferable nš“ot to get hit at all because when you do, your character flings a large portion of the coins they've collected in the air like a big old drama queen. You can negate this risk by 'banking' your current haul in your piggy bank - literally, a giant grinning pig who is stationed at a fixed point in the level.
Your porcelain porcine is pretty much the only pš„art of the level furniture that's nailed to the ground, however. The rest of the stage is comprised of various transient platforming mini-sections. After a short while, they fade out of existence (along with any enemies or uncollected coins associated with it), only to be replaced by another, different layout somewhere nearbšy.
It's a kind of organised chaos. While there's no way of predicting what layouts will spawn next, they're drawn from a cache of pre-determined designsšÆ, some of which are harder than others. So after a while, you begin to recognise which layouts are money in the bank, and which are likely to leave you bankrupt, and gravitate towards the former wherever possible.
Since there's no official time limit, you can make things as comfortable for yourself as you like. If simply reaching the end credits is your only ambition, you can play it slow and steady, cherry-picking from favourable layouts and banking regularly. Multipšle lives, no time limit, banking coins - three safety nets that make Mega Coin Squad as easy as you want it to be, and three safety nets that the game delights in convincing you to kick out from underneath your own feet as often as possible.
A safe but slow approach, you see, isn't really in the spirit the developers intended. The meta goal of the game is to burn through its 16 stages as quickly as possible - at time of writing the record on Xbox One currently stands at an impressive 16 minutes, and our egos really can't bare a trip to the Stream leaderboards, where the game has been out for a while now and the top tšimes are likely eye-wateringly fast. If you want to even get a whiff of the top ten leaderboard, even on Xbox One,, a š ŗsoftly softly approach clearly isn't going to cut the mustard.
The most effective way to improve your completion times is to power up your character whenever possible ā this is done by earningā± up to three gems from each stage, each of which translates to one spin of an end-of-level rouletteź§. Here you earn permanent upgrades ā grenade launchers, assault rifles, double jumps, and stat boosts to your ground-pound or side-dashing manouveres. The quick on the ball among you will have already figured out what three criteria need to be met to rinse a level of all three gems ā complete it without dying, to a strict time limit, while banking all your coins in one fell swoop. Was that the sound of safety nets being cut we could hear?
Playing Mega Coin Squad as a speedrunner completely changes the complexion of the game for the better. Played at a leisurely pace, it's a charming but awkward platformer. At speed, and with a character that's suitably beefed up, the game's various mechanics crystalise to form a tense, pulsating and extremely aggressive-minded platformer., Once you find your feet you barely use them agaāin, tearing around the arena like a banshee, drilling through obstacles with fiery dash-strikes that are capable of destroying all but the toughest of platforming blocks, and seeking out and terrorising enemies that you once avoided like Lemon Tango, just to squeeze out a precious few extra coins. With a bit of practice, you'll sometimes find yourself going upwards of a minute without touching the ground. The set-up is so plainly biased towards mastery and perfection in fact the lack of an instant reset button can often be frustrating.
Whether or not Mega Coin Squad is for you or not depends entirely on your gaming philosophy. If you're in it for the thrill of the journey, then cast your eyes elsewhere ā you'll get an hour's entertainment,š max. But if you really like getting your nails dirty by digging deep into a game's systems ā endlessly experimenting and strategising with an ever-expanding moveset in an attempt to squeeze a tiny slither of performance from your next runthrougāh, then you'll find Mega Coin Squad endlessly rewarding. For a game that conjures up most of its level design on the fly, this is an exceptionally well sculpted speedrunning game.
]]>Itās pretty hard to know who Schrƶdingerās Cat is actually for. Itās like an educational special aimed in the direction of internet millenials, but the self-referential meme jokes have been dumbed down to the point whereš³ you can't tell if they're ironic anymore. Take the titular SC, for example. He has a variety of generic in-game exclamations, most of them formed by suffixing a scientific-sounding word with ātasticā, e.g. āPhystastic!ā. Imagine a grown man, alone in a sound booth, earnestly shouting āSla-bam!ā and āCombotastic!ā for this game. On the one hand, SC seems as exasperated by the gentle physics jokes and almost willful wackiness of the Zooās staff as you are; on the other he says āDerp!ā when you screw up. And screw up you wš°ill. A lot.
SC can punch andš jump with the best of his platforming compatriots, but core to playing Schrƶdingerās Cat is prudent usage of Quarks. Theyāre cušte, floating particle pick-ups in bright colours, they sound like Elmo, and can be combined in groups of three to produce different physical effects. They come in four varieties: Up; Down; Top; Bottom. Three Up Quarks give you a little helicopter, three Bottom Quarks make a platform to stand on. And those can be combined further - mix those two examples to get a moving platform and so on and so forth.
Tą¹his is actually really fun, and a truly innovative mechanic. The best bits of the game are bouncing around the connective levels beꦦtween zoo enclosures, where the supply of quarks is plentiful and you can helicopter and parachute like a lunatic. These areas have a lot of the feel of a Worms game, all awkward angles and randomly generated destructible platforms - perhaps not so surprising when you realise that Team 17, creator of the Worms franchise, was involved in publishing the game.
Inside the enclosures is a different matter. For these more confined puzzle sections youāre only given a few specific quarks - if you use the wrong ones you just have to try again. Some puzzles areą± enjoyably challenging, but it can become almost unbelievably hard without warning, Thereās a chļ·ŗance youāll find yourself on your knees, begging, āwhat do you want from me?ā and repeating the same puzzle indefinitely.
It doesnāt help that the enclosures all follow the same basic fetch-quest format, so the feeling of repetition is amplified. Add to that getting all your mošves given to you within the first ten minutes, and youāre left with no teasing out of the experience or new techniques to keep you feeling refreshed. The only change-up is getting new enemies, but youāre in more danger from your own mistakes than their attacks.
That the levels generate differently for every playthrough is touted as replay value by developer Italic Pig, which, to be fair, it technically is. We leave it up to you to decide how often you want to re-live frustration at theš§ø same basic experience shuffled into a different order, and mildly patronizing science jokes hitting you at a ratio of one zinger for every three flops.
]]>Jellyfish who amble randomly around the playing area are about as good as it gets - almost everything else makes it their lifeās work to home in on your position at varying rates of aggression. Even worse are the things that donāt - thereās this yellow jerk who canāt even be bothered with moving - he just recalibrates your position every few seconds and pings a massive laser blast your way. When one (or, more often, lots) of these sedentary scumbags are on the screen, they simply have to be taken out as a matter of priority.
Not stressful enough for you yet? There are also these indestructible ships that periodically pop up and fire a wall of pure laser death across the entire screen, forcing you to alternatively shift from the left hand side of the playing field to the right until they take a hike. Whatās that? You want even more stress? Strewth. I hear Yemenās lovely this time of year. Well, how about this: your only weapon is a short-range flamethrower that extends just a few weedy inches fšrom ą“your ship, meaning you have to tackle your problems head-on.
Youāll grow to resent your weaponās shortcomings, but it also makes the game. Think of it as a shooter with only melee attacks enabled - once youāve identified your next target (and once you learn all the different enemy types, youāll realise thereās a very distinct hierarchy of danger to your livelihood), you have to weave your shāip through a sea of clingy, low-threat enemies, arrive at their location and dispatch them manually. Adding to your woes, you canāt just point your flamethrower in one direction and plough onwards - when the flames hit an enemy, it stunts its range for a split-second, allowing his pals to move in for the kill. Itās a simple design twist that, in turn, adds around a dozen more convoluted turns to your journey.
The set-up is such that the screen real estate will inevitably get clogged up with enemies of all shapes and sizes. As such, your primary goal at all times should be to collect the trinkets that pop up across the arena ą¼- not only do they boost your multiplier, but collect enough of these and youāll unlock a Superbeam that cuts through the waves like a hot knife through Battenberg, giving rare range to your attack and essentially resetting your situation so you have room to breath for a second before the onslaught resumes.
Iāve played so many uninspired Robotron clones over the years that any arena shooter prepared to hang its hat on something new gets a lšÆot of time from me. We Are Doomedās premise of shorting the distance of engaāgement is a novel one, and one that gives the action a panicky tempo that, at its very best, is irresistably frantic.
Unfortunately, the visual style isnāt so well thought out. This type of game has two options open to it - the minimalism of, say, a Geometry Wars, so players can pick out whatās happening ošne the field at a glance, or plan b) break their freaking eyes with psychedelic mayhem.
We Are Doomed has gone down the latter route, with a vivid, searing palette clearly inspired by Super Hexagon, Rez et al, and itās a pź¦oor fit for a game where success relies so heavily on clarity of thought and decisiveness of action. Throw in fizzy, unsatisfying sound effects and youāve got a game where the audio and visual seem to actively work against the game mechanics, and manufacture confusion and frustration even where the underlying design is sound.
]]>Available in Early Access on Steam since August, The Escapists, now in its final form on PC and Xbox One, hands overź¦ six different prisons for your freedom-desiring sensibilities to crack their way out of. Whether itās the relaxed Center Perks or frankly terrifying HMP Irongate, itās your job to plan your escape around a strict regime.
Not only does giving each day a rigid schedule instantly delą¼ŗiver a ānew kid in schoolā vibe as you explore and work out stylishly pixelated allegiances over breakfast, it also handily institutionalises you. As you obey the clock, toe the line in front of the guards and befriend other inmates you also have to attend three meals a day, perform well in your menial job, exercise for an hour and, oh yes, try to get out.
The tools for your exit are all within your reach but itās knowing what to do with them that counts.ᦠSeemingly endless items can be stolen from the cells of other inmates to curry favour or be made into weapons and tools, and contraband is everywhere. Crafting is key and thankfully ā for those so inclined ā thereās already a comprehensive wiki available detailing tꦬhe ways to create the most useful tools.
Our take? While recipes can be bought from other cons with hard-earned cash, the šÆlikelihood is that youāll never get out of Center Perks without a good read online. Plus, the need for a certain level of intellect when building tools adds a satisfying slog to proceedings as you spend a day or two on best behaviour in the library to improš¼ve your IQ.
The need for a tablet beside you is a small complaint as the glorious possibilities of each unique prison become apparent. Perhaps youāll instantly steal plastic spoons from the lunch room, cover the bars with bed sheets and start digging? Or maybe youāll get your mitts on a screwdriver and disappear into a vent shaft, a boą¼dy made ofঠpillows and blankets fooling the guards into thinking youāre still in bed.
Whź§ile performing laundry work, the knowledge of an underground tunnel fušll of contraband weapons stretching from your cell all the way to the prison yard is a level of Dufresne smugness we didnāt even think possible. Even if you do still need to find a way to beat the snipersā¦
Itās not easy. But, if popular culture teaches us anything, neither is prison. Punishment is swift and you can find yourself set back four days as youāre sent to solitary. Prison relations are key, and itās the precise juggling of guards, fellow cons and the daily grind that The Escapists gets so right.š Snappy writing and endless possibilities mean you really donāt want that Get Out Of Jail Free card.
]]>Presentation here is starkly minimal. Thereās a hexagonal grid that game pieces move around on. Combat, crafting, healingš and other actions are controlled by selecting icons and reading text descriptions of the outcome. Itās almost a weird hybrid between board game and choose your own adventure, and requires a similšar level of imagination to really appreciate.
Oddly, it works. We easily lost ourselves in thāe world: wincing as cold and uncaring bullet points informed us that someone was being clubbed to death as they slept. Fights, that consisted of little more than clicking boxes labelled āchargeā, āadvanceā or ātackleā, became desperate grubby struggles in the dirt for one more turn of life. Beating a feral dogās head in with a crowbar (and then eating it) was another low point that is remembeāred with far more vivid details than the icon āflurry of blowsā would suggest.
Itās always a struggle in a harshly realistic way. If all there is between life and death is a handful oāf suspicious mushrooms and some dirty water, what are you goingꦰ to do? Starve, or swallow hard and hope you donāt get a message about poisoning symptoms or cholera a few turns down the line?
In many ways this is reminiscent of FTL. Itās that same brutal learning curve of sudden deaths and scrabbling fights to postpone the inevitabšle, as you work out the intricacies of the gameplay. Although here, it swaps the humour of engine room fires and airlocks for the grim discovery that you can drag the body of the man you just killed, and a cleaver, into the crafting menu and make meat.
Every surviving turn is fought for and earned as you learn wš„hat to prioritise and how to deal with situations. As itās random, sometimes it can feel unfair, with crucial items simply not being found. A container to carry stuff and a sleeping bag are vital, but sometimes a game can last a few turns where you find neither and freeze to death within minutes, never really having had a chance. Other times it can feel just plain broken ā one game ended with our character bleeding to death, despite having only a single mild cut that had been bandaged with clean rags (having learned how to sterilise them).
There is a larger game here about trying to survive long enough to āfigure out who you really areā and reach a distant city. But in all honesty we never even got close. After ten hours, simply the strš³uggle to survive was game enough. The only downside is the price: at Ā£10.99 it feels a little oveš„r the odds. Itās a harsh and compelling survival experience with plenty of replayability, but one thatās probably best picked up in the sales. Possibly the post-apocalyptic ones, if youāre really thrifty.
]]>It will take time to wrap your grey matter around the intricacies of Scrolls, then, but the idea is easy to grasp. Before you lies a grid of 30 hexes, split evenly down the middle for each player and divvied up into five rows. Lining the left and right edge of the playfield are miniature obelisks, also called idols, with ten life each. Desecrate any three before the opposition can do the same to yours to heap glory and in-game gold upon yourself. But as per collectible card game (CCG) tradition, you donāt do that directly ā instead you play scrolls (read: cards) to summon an army of brave knights, deadly swamp monstrosities and killer wolves onto the grid to slash, corrode and gnaw away ź¦at the problem for you. And you support that hodgepodge force with immobile structures and buff them up with spells and enchantments.
So far, so Magic: The Gathering or Hearthstone, and Scrolls owes𤔠a debt to both. Itās there in itsą“ Arena mode-alike, Judgement. Itās there in its menagerie of units and structures, each with an attack and health stat. And itās there in a host of powers condensed down to simple keywords. So a ducal skirmisher with Relentless on it isnāt the aftermath of a sugary drink spillage, but is telling you that it will keep on attacking units until its points are used up.
Instead of all your critters attacking every turn as they do in Hearthstone or Magic, though, Scrolls is all about cooldown management and board positioning. Every creature and structure on view also has a countdowšøn stat, telling you how many turns need to tick by before it delivers its attack or special power, and most creatures can move one hex per turn.
It doesnāt sound like much, but adds a jolt of fresh smarts, asking you to think spatially as well as weave a tricksy web of effects. Youāll want to plan a few turns ahead, sliding your creatures into place to rip holes in your foeās defences. And youāll be forced to make hard choices about how you rejiggle your defenderš¤”s to cover your idolsą± without exposing glaring weak-spots of your own. Throw in spells and effects that can alter cooldowns or otherwise upset the status quo and thereās dizzying, but brilliant, new room for mind games.
Mojang isnāt quite done shaking things up there, either. Once per turn, you may give up one of the cards in your hand for either two new ones, or to swell your resource pool, which is what you use to pay for everything you play. This, again, is transformative. Hearthstone solved the ꦿmana screw problem of Magic - where bad drawing luck robs you of the ability to stay competitive - by granting players an increasing number of crystals each turn, whereas Scrolls puts the choice of whichever kind of scarcity you want to deal with into your own hands. All taken together, it ensures most turns present something to tickle your neurons, though that does mean games tend to last upwards of 30 minutes.
The selection of modes doesnāt tinker much with that core, but thereās some variety. Alongside the usual quick match, AI skirmish and ranked play, thereās a meaty list of Trials that tweak the rules of engagement, perhaps gifting your AI foe with some quirky combo, such as an army of prolifically spawning bunnies thatās almost too cute to massacre. Judgement, meanwhile, is a pay-to-enter challenge that charges 800 in-game gold or 120 shards (which cost real money, but 120 is roughly 60 of your English pence). It offers the chance to build a new deck by repeatedly selecting one of four random cards from the 350 total, then offers one chance to tweak it before itās frozen. After that, you try to rack up wins before you suffer two losses, with progressively better rewards for success. Mojang resists aggressive monetisation elsewhere too, dishing out a deck for each faction through play, plenty of achievements with a little pot of gold attached, and sprinkling you with lucre at match end. Shards ease the grind to a new pack or deck, ꦿbut little else.
No, where Scrolls reveals its tears is pāresentation. Not in terms of looks - the card art is lavish, the animation full of character ā but in communicating itself visually. Where Hearthstone wreathes its minions in effects so you can read the board at a glance, this is less forthcoming. Youāll have to mouse over a unit, click, and then pore over its card to discover what it does. If you want to know what keywords mean, youāll have to click again to flip it over. Cards in your own hand are too small to read without enlarging, too. Just understanding what everything does can gobble ten to 20 seconds of your 90-second turn time, and probably a fair bit longer for the majority of newcomers.
It showās in the small player base. Finding normal matches is quick, but you can wait a while for Judgement ones. Patience is required, which also goes for the current metagame. As with many collectible card games, a lot of decks build up inertia, so those who fall too far behind will stay there. Thatās not an issue when matches last five minutes total, but it can be trying when you lost a game ten minutes ago and youāre waiting for it to end. You can always surrender, but it feels dirty - and our mamas didnāt raise no quitters.
All of this can be fixed in time, and even while Mojang partially clouds Scrollsā many finer points behind a tš¹ough, hide-bound exterior, it doesn't obscure the magic completely. šNow all that remains is to blow away the lingering dust of its physical heritage and welcome players more readily, rather than limiting this gripping card game to only the most dedicated of scholars.
]]>Itās tempting to rely on a clichĆ© here - āyou get what you pay forā - but considering that this World War II-based first-person shooter only sells for about ten bucks less than the norm, youāre actually paying too much.
Treading much the same ground as the near-classic shooter Return to Castle Wolfenstein (except it isnāt nearly as good), Ubersoldier begins with the death of the player character, a German officer in WWII. However, you are quickly resurrected as a supersoldier through Nazi science and, in a hoary plot twist too outlandish to believe, programmed to obey the first person to give you an order. And that just happens to be the conspicuously shapely Maria Schneiderš
·, a leader of the German resistance who has broken into the hospital ā and your room ā at that exact moment. Thus, she tells you to go forth and kill Nazis instead of the rest of the world and you do, thereby turning the Nazis' unholy experimentation back upon them. Riiight.