Green Lava Studios Volume 1 - Review

 

I like off the wall games such as Rub Rabbits, Project Rub, Warioware, Catherine, Snakey Bus, and Strange Flesh. They stand out and show the risk-taking side of developers, naturally, when Limited Run Games announced they were releasing Green Lava Studios Volume 1 I decided to check it out, three bizarre games bundled together, My Name Is Mayo, Mr Massagy and My Name is Mayo 2. The concept for each sounded bizarre and thought, yes, I want to try this nuttiness.

In 2020 just before everything got locked down I got to achieve something on my bucket list, a hot wings challenge, it was both scary and exhilarating. It all became pretty serious when they handed me blue gloves and goggles to wear as if it touches my skin or eyes it would be bad, extremely bad. I had to consume twelve wings in twelve minutes, no drinks allowed and I just managed it. It was crazy but awesome and after downing about two litres of milk, I felt awesome. Playing Green Lava Studios Volume 1 I found myself asking was this too crazy or even worth it?

Story

My Name Is Mayo

Ever wondered what it is like to be a jar of Mayonaise? Me neither. There are lots of mini-stories about the Mayonaise, love, dreams and philosophy. Sounds crazy right?  It is, but also really fun. 

Mr Massagy 

You play as Johnny, a guy on a dating app, whose sidekick is an abusive overweight parrot. The idea is for you to take all the local females out on dates, get a high score with them and get a massage to become Mr Massagy. The characters in the game are a lot of fun and extremely varied my favourite being the werewolf girl (not even the weirdest one). 

My Name Is Mayo 2

The game builds upon the first game with improved stories and a lot more jokes, in some ways the studio leans into the silliness even more. There also more mini-games to enjoy within the game making it more engaging. But what will you learn this time?

Overall the three games are a lot of fun, very crazy and off the wall, I love a studio that is not trying to follow the pack but creates something different, very different.

Visuals

My Name Is Mayo 

The visuals, a 1930's style look and design that is very minimal looking, the only thing that changes are the costumes as you progress the story along with a few props. As it is a mini-game of sorts it is hard to bash it too hard on the lack of visuals and/or quality.

Mr Massagy

There is a clip art feel to this one or low budget anime but they can be quite fun to look at especially some of the character designs. Could the visuals be better? Yes, but for the type of game it is, it is not a deal-breaker.

My Name Is Mayo 2

This time the visuals are much improved with fun backgrounds, more detailed costumes and even the UI itself is much more user friendly.

Music

My Name Is Mayo and My Name Is Mayo 2

Both feature just one track on a loop, it sounds like the music from an old 1950's sitcom and reminded me of the music used in the original The Sims game. 

Mr Massagy

The game features ten tracks and a selection of artists responsible for them; Skullex, DefunctMeeck3y, Emotional Soul, DJ Teen Mom, Papi Calfornia, BullDawg, By Crescendolly, Moustacho, and DJ Coconut. While the soundtrack runs just shy of twenty minutes there were some standout tracks for me; 'I Just Pushed A Button', 'Deeper In You', 'Quiero un Mojito'. 

    

Overall there is very little music in the games, but with them being so short it is not really necessary.

Gameplay

My Name Is Mayo and My Name Is Mayo 2

The gameplay is simple, extremely simple, yet tough. It is a clicker game, you need to click on the jar of Mayonaise thousands of times to complete the game. At certain points, you unlock a new story and then can choose to follow it before moving on to the next one. 

The dialogue along with the crazy costumes really what make the game so much fun, but the best way to play is with a friend because like all things it is good to share, unless it's food. Overall fun, crazy and short but not in a bad way.

Mr Massagy 

This game certainly offers more depth than My Name Is Mayo and My Name Is Mayo 2. You will have to use your Linder app to find local females to date, then once you are on the date you have the option to ask and answer questions in the hope of getting a three-star rating. But getting one-star can be as much fun just for the reactions and depending on the answers you even have the option to get collectables.

The dialogue is a lot of fun and offers some really random responses to questions. There is even a final boss of sorts which makes for some good laughs.

Final Thoughts

So, after a mere three hours how did I feel? Like I played a crazy set of games and I liked it. They all offer a zany story, fun, if not low budget visuals, a catchy soundtrack and more gameplay than you might expect from something so simple. It's not a big-budget game, it is not based in reality but it is not trying to be and is a great escape from the norm, so with that being said this one gets a 3 out of 5

Doom Eternal - Review

 

Any gamer, no matter their experience or skill level knows the name 'Doom'. Doom creator John Romero's impact on first-person gaming is huge and showed that the genre could be more than just a simple shooter.  I feel the same way about Half-Life creator Gabe Newell who mixed puzzles with great storytelling to create something more. In 2016 id Software released a next-generation version of Doom which was a lot of fun, I didn't play the sequel when it was released but recently saw it available on XBOX Game Pass and thought now is the time to play it.

To me buffalo wings with a beer are one of the most perfect snacks, that is until you accidentally order a family size amount of them and decide to eat forty wings in a sitting. I have no regrets, apart from the rapid and explosive bowel movements that followed the next day. Buffalo Wing sauce is amazing, and while normally I am not a blue cheese fan, as a dip it works perfectly. Playing Doom Eternal I found myself asking was ripping and tearing through those wings enough to keep me sated?

Story 

The original story of Doom was based on Mars where humans do what they do best and open a dimension to hell, oops. Doom 2016 and Doom Eternal has evolved the story significantly beyond that point, explaining not only what drives 'Doom Guy' but also so why he is so important. Doom Eternal focuses on the struggle between good and evil, but as always things are rarely black and white and with the fight now being on Earth the stakes are higher than ever before.

Ancient Gods Part 1 and 2

There are two DLC for the game, one of which was only released in the last couple of weeks called the Ancient Gods Part One and Two. The story follows on from the main storyline and answers many questions not only about the Doom Universe but about Doom Guy himself.  

Overall the main story, and that in the DLC is amazing and features a lot of lore which is available in the form of collectables spread throughout the game. I would love to get a book on it but sadly only seems available in the collector's editions which according to reviews online does not always feature it. Right, back on track, amazing story that made me really want to know more about the Doom Universe and find every collectable.

Visuals

Doom 2016's visuals were quite impressive and a serious upscale from Doom 3, Doom Eternal's visuals are on another level. Everything is improved from the backdrops and level designs to the enemies and weapons, all look more well rounded. A big part of the Doom combat are glory kills which are used not only to acquire health but also look badass. There are different types of glory kills that can be performed on each enemy and they all look awesome, some are extremely visceral, others are explosive and some are just fun like pulling out an enemies eyes and hearing them make a satisfying popping sound. There are the classic Doom enemies but there also some new additions, including more bio-mechanical enemies and high powered beings who look like highly advanced robots. The backdrops are really cool, the ones on Earth in particular as it looks and feels like what Earth would be if invaded by a demon army.

Ancient Gods Part 1 and 2

The visuals and backdrops in the DLC are quite different to the base game. The UAC Atlantica Facility brought you a little closer to the survivors of the world, up to this point they are always at arm's length and like a unicorn seems like they may not exist at all.  There are some really cool new enemies that drastically change the gameplay, you also get some great cut sequences and get to the deepest darkest parts of hell.

Overall the visuals are impressive and are so much sharper and greatly improved over the Doom 2016 release, the DLC step things up and certainly give you a bit more of a connection with humanity. I can't even imagine how good the next game will look. 

Music 

The Doom series has always featured a metal soundtrack that suits the gameplay and style of the game perfectly. It pumps you up and gets your adrenaline flowing and really focuses you. The music is created by Australian composer Mick Gordon, his works include the soundtracks for Prey, Wolfenstein: The New Colossus, SOMA, Mirrors Edge Catalyst, and Dead Space 3 to name but a few.

Ancient Ones Part 1 and 2

The Ancient One's Part One and Two was created by American Composer Andrew Hulshult rather than Mick Gordon due to fallout between himself and id Software. Hultshult has worked on and created the music for, Prodeus, 3D Realms Anthology: The Re-Rockestrated, Amid Evil, and Dusk (which on my list of games to play later this year).

The base game feature over four hours of music and the DLC features well over three hours created a fairly large soundtrack, especially for a first-person shooter. My favourite tracks between the two soundtracks include:

Cultist Base

BFG Divison 2020

Urdak 

The DOOM Hunter 

The Super Gore Nest 

The Only Thing They Fear Is You

Usuper Gore

Doom Eternal

End Of Level

UAC Atlantic Heavy

Blood Swamps Light

Overall the soundtrack is pretty good but is likely to stay with me, that being said when playing the game it is the music you need.

Gameplay

Let's get on with the ripping and the tearing! The gameplay is immense, intense and so much fun! The weapons feel more balanced than before, Doom Eternal has the addition of a new weapon that offers the same and perhaps even more damage than that of the BFG (a weapon that with just one shot can take out every enemy in a room), the Unmakyr. It offers single and chain shots which are great for some of the larger enemies. The Super Shotgun is great and now has a hook on it that can be used to pull you towards enemies. If that was not enough you know have a shoulder attachment that can be used to burn or freeze enemies and really is a game-changer, additionally, enemies that are burned or set frozen will drop armor for you. Similar to Doom 2016 most weapons can be modded and upgraded providing very different types of damage, once fully upgraded can devastate even the largest enemies. 

Killing demons never gets old, but just in case it does you will sometimes get random harder enemies thrown in or even better an intense boss battle. These battles are tough but you quickly need to get used to them as afterwards, they will appear more often in standard battles.

Need a moment for yourself to escape the crazy? Head to your floating Fortress of Doom, a cross between a castle and a futuristic ship. Here there are unlockable items, including weapons mods, Praetorian tokens (used to upgrade your suit), albums, and toys which can be found on each level and look awesome.

The game is not just a shooter and will require you to figure out some minor puzzles to get to other areas of the game, especially the hidden ones, it takes you away from the combat for a short time but is often a welcome distraction.

Hurt Me Plenty is one of the difficulty types (basically normal), but if that is not enough you can play it on much harder modes including Ultra Nightmare. While I am not bad at first-person shooters there were certainly parts of the game that I found challenging. The game has a great way of pushing to use everything you have, to keep moving and never falter, which feels awesome and every victory feels damn good.

Multiplayer allows you to have three characters, Doom Guy versus two enemies, it is challenging for both parties as while Doom Guy is no push over some of the larger enemies have some great abilities and while AI is good the human element really makes things more intense. While I am not a huge multiplayer head it is hard to deny the greatness of Doom Eternal.

Ancient Ones Part 1 and 2

The gameplay in the DLC felt a lot more hardcore even with keeping the difficulty the same. Most of the time the challenge was enjoyable and the new additions of enemies that need to be killed in certain ways were fun. That being said it did feel a little unbalanced at times, I really felt this way with the final boss. The first three health bars, simple, the last two felt like even a minor mistake would really screw you. Not against a challenge, far from it, but occasional unbalanced gameplay was a little frustrating.

Overall the gameplay is awesome and fairly well balanced with the only exception being the DLC which seemed to be a lot tougher than the base game. That being said the challenge was a welcome one and stopped me from becoming compliant. 

Final Thoughts

So, after over forty hours of playing how did I feel? Pumped up and curious to try the hard difficulties. The story is amazing, and collectable lore in each level expands on everything to provide something really well rounded. The visuals are really interesting and have some really great backdrops and when it comes to the DLC id Software did not leave me feeling short-changed. The music is pretty good and certainly creates a great atmosphere in the game and intensifies the gameplay. The gameplay is amazing, it is brutal, fast and unrelenting, there is so no going slow or taking it easy, go hard or go home - in a body bag. Overall Doom Eternal gets a solid 4 out of 5 

Saints Row 3 Remastered - Review

 

Many moons ago some of the guys at HMV where I working at the time were talking about Saints Row 3. I had played a small amount of Saints Row 2 and was pretty underwhelmed, it felt like a cheap clone of the Grand Theft Auto. They told me to ignore any preconceptions I had and play it, so I did, and oh boy was I wrong. The game was so much fun and overshadowed most of the Grand Theft Auto games to date. When it was announced it was being remastered for PlayStation 4 and XBOX One I was more than a little excited.

My joy of sweets started from when I was a child, one of my early memories was chewing on Rowntree's Fruit Pastilles. Chewy, juicy, along with containing and being covered in lots of sugar. Once every now and then I would be inhaling them with such vigor that I would get a piece of foil. Now at the time (and up to about a week ago) I had no fillings, and while the taste was not pleasant it was manageable.  Nowadays I eat them a little slower, but when I do get a bit of foil it seems worse than when I was child and not as tolerable. Playing Saints Row 3 Remastered I found myself asking was that bit of foil a little too bad to ignore?

Story 

The Third Street Saints were once a tough street gang and have almost become a parody of themselves. They have their own clothing brand, stores and energy drinks. They have all the important people paid off to look the other way. As many movies, TV series and books have taught us you can't be number one forever and there is always someone looking to knock you off the top spot. The someone is the Syndicate, a collection of gangs and bad guys who seem to be taking over the place. They offer a deal to the Saints who decide to give them the middle finger, this does not work so well. Turned into a public enemy and having all resources drained they must find a way to stop the Syndicate and get back on top.

Despite the story sounding very serious the game does not take itself seriously, there a lots of gags, breaking of the fourth wall and more crude comedy than you can imagine. A fun story, that has some heart and a hell of a lot of laughs. 

Visuals

This visual in the original release of Saints Row 3 (and Saints Row 4), is a blend of realism mixed with an almost comic book style characters (the above image is a good example). The original visuals were good but were far from top notch for the time. While it difficult to know for sure personally I don't think it was a priority for developers Deep Silver and Volition. That being said if you have a good quality story and gameplay it can be overlooked. The biggest thing that stood out for my visually in the original was the variety of backdrops, Steelport itself admittedly is fairly similar across the connect islands, Genki, and VR activities were a lot of fun, and near the end of act two there is an almost Tron inspired mission which looks really cool. 

Remasters released on the PlayStation 4 and XBOX One can have a tendency to feel like a cash grab by companies with little notable differences made to the game. That is not the case with Saints Row 3, especially visually. One of the best representations of this is the image below. Overall Deep Silver and Volition has done a great job of remastering the game visually while at the same time leaving the core unchanged.

Music

The music is combination of rock, pop, R&B, Metal and Classical. There is background music but along with great radio stations with some fantastic tracks. The music is composed by Malcom Kirby Jnr. He has produced a rich tapestry of music for many TV series, movies and games, including; CSI, Training Day, Saints Row IV, NBA Street Home Court. He produced sounds for some of the biggest studios including; Warner Bros, Paramount Pictures, CBS, MTV and more. He is a massively talented musician playing Jazz with many musicians.

The soundtrack is hours and hours long, and while naturally some tracks and pieces repeat over time there is plenty for your ear drums to enjoy. The Mix was by far my favorite radio station music from; Adam Ant, Bonnie Taylor, Faith No More, and Run DMC. Overall a great selection of music no matter your music taste.

Gameplay

When it comes to gameplay its hard to match the fun, manic and often hilarious gameplay. There is so much to discuss so lets get on with it. There are story missions that rather than just having all missions being 'drive to point A, destroy something and move on'. Often there are a couple of options to complete a mission, some which give you respect (SR3 version of experience points), or cashes bonuses. Upgrade, not just a good movie but also a large part of SR3. Cars can be upgrades to incredible degree, want a supped up Golf Cart that has nitrous and spikes sticking out the wheels to knee cap anyone and everyone done? Want to be able to throw a fart grenade at an enemy make the puke and then kill them with a dildo the size of a large dog? Done. Tired of your gender, want bigger breasts, want to look like an alien, cover yourself in tattoos? Done. There were very few games at the time the game was originally released that offered that level of customization. 

There are three games modes available; campaign (it is what it is), Co-Op (tons of fun), and Whored Mode (like horde mode but sexy - not really). The game offers a lot of play options including different difficulty levels. That combined with the ability to make story choice means there is a lot of replay value.

In a similar way to series like Yakuza and GTA the story missions are just a small part of what makes up the game. There are challenges, car theft and assassination missions, along with my favorite of all activities. There are so many activities to complete; Insurance Fraud which involves you getting knocked around like a rag doll by cars. Mayhem, which is all about doing as much damage as possible in a limited time, Genki Bowl, which involves you killing armed mascots, and scoring high enough to win the top prize, filled with traps and angry foxes and pandas. There are more than just these but does help give a taste of what there is on offer.

A year after SR3 was originally released there was a complete edition called Full Package Edition. This featured the three add-ons; The Trouble With Clones, Genki Bowl VII, and Gangsta's In Space. All are available in the remastered edition along with a ton of extra content, new vehicles, clothes, and new weapons. All the new content is available once you get your first crib. All offer a lot of fun and many more hours of gameplay.

Okay I have said lots of good things about the game now for some bad. Shortly after finishing act two the game failed to saved. Instead there was the save icon was constantly showing, I tried reloading an older save the same issue happened, got it working again for it then fail. This also affected all the progression including stats and trophies. The other down side is that the save message appears where mission information appears meaning it was not always possible to know what I was supposed to be doing. I persisted until I completed the game but left a bitter taste in my mouth and certainly ruined the last few hours of gameplay.

Overall the gameplay is fairly solid, but the save issue was pretty big for me, that being said it only seems to affect a few people and is seems I was just unlucky as my partner in crime never experienced the issue and we purchased it at the pretty much the same time.

Final Thoughts

Sooooo, after thirty hours in Steelport how did I feel? Pretty good. The story was as fun as I remember and the characters themselves are quite memorable. The visuals are nicely polished and remastered, the music is as good as I remember. The gameplay was crazy fun and the only complaint I had was the save issue which was pretty big and if it had occurred earlier in the game may have caused me to give up playing it. This one was a tough one to score but in the end managed to slide in with a 4 out of 5

Five Dates - Review

 

Really been on a Wales Interactive kick the last few weeks, and thought why not keep going with it? Five Dates was released last year and is about digital dating during lockdown (yes, actual Covid-19 lockdown - this game is on point). It seemed like a fun idea and I thought my partner in crime Nollsy would really like it too so we decide to play it together.

Potatoes. There's a reason we Irish love them - they're so versatile and a few key decisions can create chips, mash and more can completely change how you experience the humble potato. Five Dates is similar, which hundreds of choices meaning every playthrough is a different experience did we find the perfect chips or mash?

Story

The story is about a single guy named Vinny, about whom we can't tell you much because you have to choose his industry, interests, and general preferences throughout the game. His bro Callum has encouraged him to try online dating, and this game starts with a phone call between them in which Vinny (you) admit you have signed up. The same five girls are always available, but how well you gel with them and what kind of a person Vinny is, are all determined by the choices you make throughout the game.

The girls you can date are:

Maya, from Spain, and feels very much the life of the party

Shaina, a nurse during COVID-19, living with her family and very family orientated

Grace, a well to do professional, and a bit of a mystery

Paige, an influencer (don't tell her it is not a real job), and has trust issues

Saffron, spiritual, insightful and a little cooky

Very different people but all quite interesting in their own way. Overall a really interesting set of stories that really focuses on how small things can really change the way we look at people and they look at us.

Visuals

The visuals create an extremely intimate feeling, talking to someone in their room and through video calls and the dating app feel real and not quite spying but like you are part of it. The bedrooms and living rooms all look and feel like the real deal and not staged. One thing Nolls noticed was that within a single date, the lighting in the background could completely change the time of day. The audio quality also sometimes changed, but rather than being to the detriment of the game it actually made us appreciate even more how this whole game was conceptualized, filmed and developed during the lockdown. The acting was, broadly, very good also and the transition between scenes as you waited to make, or made, choices was very smoothly done, with even careful editing including one character's voice chatting over a camera swivel to the other character. This really added to the organic feel of watching a real date (think First Dates Ireland, close up).

Music

Similar to The Complex there were no signs of a soundtrack being available to listen to outside of the game itself. The music is sparse, but in a game so heavily focused on the story, it is not really a big deal. Given that the game is entirely dialogue-based, it's important to be able to clearly hear what's being said at all times, and while the music may not have had much impact itself, it's noticeable that it also definitely didn't detract from the dialogue.

Gameplay

The gameplay is very simple and straightforward - it's a game designed to be replayed multiple times and the initial setup is quick. You start by setting up your online dating profile, and because you're on the free trial you can only choose three of the five dates available. There are 762 scenes in this game (7 hours of recorded footage) and almost as many choices to be made. The first of these choices include your profile picture, your industry, your star sign and a set of three interests. These will actually influence the scenes that come up with different dates. 

At each stage, you must choose one person fewer so you have three first dates, two-second dates, and one-third date. Each first date is broadly about getting to know each other, while each second date generally involves a game such as Truth Or Dare or Never Have I Ever. You can imagine how many different choices you can make playing such games, and all of this long-winded talking boils down to this - Nolls replayed this game at least 5 times in order to get each of the girls to the 3rd date. At the same time, she deliberately chose different options in the 1st and 2nd dates she had to go back through, and she noted that she learned vastly different things about each girl depending on what choices she made. 

One of the absolute best elements of this game is how complex and layered each girl's personality and life is - depending on your choices, you can form spectacularly different opinions on them on different playthroughs. Saffron, a vegan yoga enthusiast who doesn't like horror movies would not be at the top of Noll's list on paper, and indeed the first time we played through, we actually failed to get a second date with Saffron (yes, you can piss off each girl to the degree that they decline any further dates!). But on a second run-through, we discovered her love of clay boobs, her incredibly interesting way of using Tarot to encourage self-reflection, and one final big shocker that we won't share, because we want your response to be as authentic as ours was when it happened. Saffron is easily one of our two favourite characters (the other being Maya if you're interested). And all of this is just about Saffron - image how much there is to say about all the other characters, including your own character and the available choices there. We highly recommend multiple playthroughs of this game.

Another fun element of the game is your bro Callum who checks in with you before and after your dates for a debrief. 

Final Thoughts

Nollsy wants to give this game a 5/5 for ingenuity, authenticity, and appreciation of imagining people complexly. The whole game acts as an exercise in being non-judgemental and you learn a lot about yourself along the way too. There's a very good chance Nolls is going to keep playing it until she gets all the scenes because she's so impressed with the game. This one gets a solid 5 out of 5

Maneater - Review

 

For some time I have been toying with buying Maneater, not the popular song by Nelly Furtado, who apparently is still making music. The reason for my hesitation was that I thought a game where you play a shark the whole game sounded fun but might get old quickly. However it was on special the other day in the PlayStation Store and thought why not?

I love crisps and the last couple of years that has increased ten fold, because of this I am always looking for something new to try. Pringles has just released Sizzlin' Extra Hot Cheese Chilli, seeing them in my local Tesco I thought why not pick up a tube. It's important to know I like heat in my crisps and really like cheese so the two combined is amazing. I tried one and very quickly the tube was out of crisps, perhaps I got a faulty batch as I can't remember eating them all. They are tasty as hell and could be mine new favorite but only time will tell. Playing I found myself asking was the tube nearly empty only just after I started?

Story

The game is about a TV series called Maneater which follows the exploits of Scaly Pete, a shark hunter like his father before him. The story starts with you as a fully grown bull shark, quickly Pete catches you and guts you...like a fish. Inside he finds a female pup, he decides to cut the hell out of it and throw it into the ocean so he can identify it later in life. That is dark, not Black Ops Dark or Space Dark but pretty dark all the same. You take over playing as this baby shark (do do do do do) whose traumatic birth means you want revenge, but don't worry it's not all serious. The game is commentated by a couple of different people as you play, lot of wit and comical banter. Outside of this there are many nods to pop culture presented in the best possible way.

Overall the story is really good, the humor reminded me of that in Saints Rows 3, and is also a reason I have now download the remastered edition of that game yesterday, whoop whoop!

Visuals 

The visuals are really cool, the waters you traverse are filled with life, when brushing off plants they move, fish scatter when you near and having a mixture of industrial areas and marinas is great. There are also deep sea caves, and if you are feeling adventurous you can leap onto the golf course. Something really fun is do the classical Jaws move and leave your fin out of the water while moving fast, it looks good and makes you feel like Queen of the Waters.

I think most people who play games can agree what levels in games generally suck, for a multitude of reasons. One issue can be that it can look bland and difficult to see clearly, rarely did I find that to the case with Maneater, and the ability to use sonar made even dense areas easy enough to navigate.

Music

The music features a mixture of Cajun, epic movie score sounds and the kind of music you would find in David Attenborough documentaries, but does it work? Yes it does! The score is created by LA based composer Daniel James, best known for his work on Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Honor Of Kings, Call Of Duty Black Ops Cold War and a host of shorts, animated shows and movies.

The soundtrack is around an hour long and features twenty-six tracks. Some of my favorite tracks included; 'A Taste Of Flesh', 'The Great Hunter', 'They Bite Back', 'Unfortunate Outcomes', 'What You Sow', and 'Apex Predators'. Overall an awesome soundtrack!

Gameplay

I cannot express enough how fun the gameplay is, you go from innocent looking pup to killer of the sea. With the ocean being an all you can eat buffet it is easy to level up, all you need to do is keep on swimming.

Initially you start as small pup bull shark, completing main story missions, objects and devouring collectibles you will grow in size, but wait there's more. As the game progresses you can change the look of the shark massively, from a more delicate almost dragon look to a prehistoric looking machine of death. Each part of the body can be then upgraded to make you faster and stronger and as the game progresses you are going to need it. Outside of the upgrading the body there other abilities which can help increase your sonar ability, health and even how long you can last on land before you need to jump back into the big blue.

There is lots to do, from culling sea life in the way only a shark can, to consuming pesky humans, collecting nutrient crates, license plates and landmarks (probably my favorite due to the dialogue). The are apex predators which can sometimes be tough going, and if you are looking to make a name for yourself and love the power you get from biting humans in half you will incur the wrath of bounty hunters. Also if you are like me each area has a percentage completion attached to it which really helps encourages to do everything in the game.

Overall the gameplay is fantastic and part of me wanted the game to be longer, which is great because in January 2021 Tripwire and Blindside Interactive announced they were working on a DLC, yay!

Final Thoughts

So, after fifteen hours how did I feel? Excited, happy and wanting more. The main storyline is serious and everything else is covered in healthy serving of silliness. The visuals look great and very rarely did I have issues with navigating the ocean depths. The music really good and is nice blend of styles. The gameplay is awesome and never got too flustered playing even with the final boss who was a pain. This one gets a solid 5 out of 5