His cargo holding backpack has been hung up for good as the courier Sam Porter (Norman Reedus) as he lives a reclusive existence with baby Lou.

But this peaceful existence isn’t to last. His courier services are required once more.

Set in a post-apocalyptic world where the United Cities of America are connected via a Chiral network and the prior governing body known as BRIDGES has been decommissioned in favour of AI.

Although unrecognisable gameplay is within two countries, Mexico and Australia.

Eleven months after the first game, Sam is visited by an old ally Fragile. Thinking he was well hidden, for the protection of Lou, Fragile tracks him down and requests he aides her to expand the Chiral network.

He agrees, but only for the safety and wellbeing of Lou.

This new AI, called APAS uses automated vehicles, and this is where Death Stranding 2: On the Beach has some real differences to the first.

No longer can it be labelled a walking simulator, Sam has access to vehicles for faster travel, and trust me, you need fast travel. Your environments are sparse and wide. While you can opt to walk it, and doing so you may meet a few NPCs, friend, foe or in need, as well as a few pick ups, you’re far better to get a ride.

Vehicles offer some customisation too. Being electric their batteries will die out. Need to go longer, faster? Upgrade with a better battery, if you have it. Need some firepower? Add a gun turret.

Sam must face with some very challenging environmental issues too.

At any moment, both procedurally and sporadically weather changes can go wild, with deadly sandstorms that can immerse from seemingly nowhere, earthquakes can disrupt your path ahead. This is an unforgiving and difficult world for a mild mannered delivery guy.

If you played the first Death Stranding you will notice, soon in to play, a much more amped up level of combat. Here you can choose differing ways to take down a foe via stealth, direct, or simply run a different, at times, more difficult path.

Asides from quick thinking in combat choices you also need employ real world logistics and strategy. Consider the path ahead. The terrain, is Sam’s backpack going to slow him down, can he navigate across perilious rocky outcrops without losing balance and falling to his death.

From delivering supplies to encampments and outworld survivors, to rebuilding infrastructures and more, this is one cinematic masterpiece that graphically out does any other current gen title on any platform.

You can lose yourselves for hours, days even, just exploring the higely vast open world.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach sees Hideo Kojima once again writing and directing the game. Bringing in present day, real world events, as epic as it is, it could also be seen as a warning to humankind.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is a game you need to play and likely the only game I’ll give a full 5 / 5 score this year.

The post Death Stranding 2: On the Beach (Review) PlayStation 5 appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

The timeless tale of Pinocchio and his creator Geppetto took a twisty and dark road with the release of Lies of P in 2023.

A third person action adventure game with RPG mechanics and an unforgiving combat difficulty.

Beautifully designed you are P, a puppet with unique abilities. You are special. You’re the only puppet with human-like intelligence. The only puppet who is able to tell a lie.

Set in a 19th century cyberpunk-like world in a city known as Krat, where puppets that once served man went postal.

Now the developers have just released one epic DLC, that could have been a singular game release entirely, Lies of P: Overture.

P is warped back to the beginning. Overture is a prequel to the main game, before the puppets went on a murderous massacre.

Guided by a mysterious Stalker, P will uncover the reason why the cyber puppets went rogue.

This is a whole different Krat than we have seen before, as the adeventure takes you beyond the city and only you know of what the near future is about to hold.

Lies of P: Overture plays similarly to the original game, with RPG elements and that brutal unforgiving combat.

This new DLC is only accessible via completing the full game, up to Chapter 9. You of course need the original game and the patience and tolerance to forge through.

Expect to die. A lot. Lies of P is not a ‘run and gun’, combat needs to have a more strategic method in order to survive.

Lies of P is coming on to two years since release but is still one of the most beautifully styled games available. The Overture DLC simply adds to this, while maintaining the original playstyle and expanding upon the darkest Pinocchio story ever told.

The post Lies of P: Overture (Xbox Series X|S) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Lost in Random is a surprise indie adventure and strategy game released by EA Games in 2021.

A dark narrative where children are giving a number when they turn a certain age. The ‘lucky’ ones are chosen to live in the Queen’s tower. But this is simply by chance, by a roll of the dice.

Now developers Thunrderfull and Stormteller Games has released the second chapter; Lost in Random: The Eternal Die.

But things have changed since the first game.

You take on the role of the now dethroned Queen Aleksandra, who once reigned and controlled the citizens of Random. She is joined by her companion Fortune, a dice.

This new adventure, styled in the same way graphically mixes up the gameplay across four procedurally generated worlds.

As the Queen you now must battle your way through different stages and survive boss battles.

What makes both Lost in Random games different is the combat.

You use the animorphic dice in order to roll a ‘punch’ or use a combat skill. In The Eternal Die Fortune can also be used to pave the path ahead, sometimes the journey is hidden.

But The Eternal Die takes a more battle arena feel as opposed to an adventure. Areas you go to and from are much like arenas and are only escapapble by clearing the area of enemies, and of course surviving.

Difficulty spikes almost immediately from the first combat scene. The Eternal Die is not kids play at all.

Fortune and Queen Aleksandra will encounter many NPC’s. Some will need you to do things for them before they offer any help, others just have a grudge against the once ruling monarch.

Lost in Random: The Eternal Die is a commitment of a play. Given that levels newly generate, each play through is different, you die and return, but it’s not what it was before.

This definitely makes the game refreshing, although the actual gameplay is somewhat repetitive.

The Eternal Die is a worthy play, if you have the patience and are familiar with the first game.

If you’re new to the world of Random, my recommendation is start with the first game before taking this one on.

The post Lost in Random: The Eternal Die (Xbox Series X|S) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Indie has swung back in to the realm of video gaming in one epic adventure from Bethesda.

The once exclusive to Xbox and PC, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has now released on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro.

The first person action see’s a classic (and young Harrison Ford) taking moments from the classic trilogy of films, intertwining these with a new storyline.

It’s 1937 and Indiana Jones is on a mission to prevent the power of the ‘Great Circle’ from falling into the hands of those that would use it for no good.

From China to Egypt, Vatican City and Thailand the sites in these nations combined result in the ‘perfect circle’ when viewed on a map.

The Professor and Archaeologist, Indiana (or Indie) must leave the classroom and keep these powers safe from evil.

Graphically Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is stunningly detailed. Gameplay, while first person breaks off into third person moments as FMV sequences kick in. Depending on the moment, especially if it is a high adrenaline action play, this can be a bit jarring at times.

Your environment is mostly linear, that said, in moments where you have more free roam, it definitely pays to explore. Being the astute archaeologist, there’s many items to be discovered such as Adventure Books which serve as a boost.

These give you Adventure Points which can be earned via differing objectives.

Combat sees you having a punch out, using your signature whip both as a weapon and a tool, and where applicable make use of stealth take downs. There is usually environmental objects to be found. These can be used as a weapon, but they aren’t the sturdiest and will usually break after a short time.

You also have a revolver, but finding ammo is a challenge in itself.

But you can’t pummel an enemy for hours, Indie has a stamina bar. So, if you find yourself in a heated fisticuff, pace yourself. Indie’s signature hat serves as a lifeline.

NPC’s that you come across have their own side gigs that they will need your help with.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is near-to another chapter in the cinematic trilogy of films while you snap photo’s, solve ancient puzzles and take down enemies who want to wield the power of the ‘Great Circle’ for nefarious reasons.

A blockbuster sized play-through and for the sheer adventure, I recommend, and for the players who tend to stray away for first person titles – there’s some serious adventure and action to be had.

The post Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (PlayStation 5) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Ubisoft’s long-running Assassin’s Creed saga visits feudal Japan with Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

Fans have long cried out for an Assassin’s Creed game set in Japan. The romanticised idea of ninjas and samurais, honour and battle, sits well with the series’ themes and gameplay.

2020’s Ghost of Tsushima had Sucker Punch Productions and Sony Interactive Entertainment beat Ubisoft to it with a game that was Assassin’s Creed in all but name. Drawing more from a Westernised fantasy melded with films of Akira Kurosawa than historical accuracy, Ghost of Tsushima nevertheless set a high bar for Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

Whilst I’m a huge fan of Assassin’s Creed games, the rocky path of this latest game, with its lengthy delay and controversies during development, gave me cause for concern. With Star Wars Outcasts not being as well received as the publisher would have liked, Ubisoft has a lot riding on Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

Thankfully, the extended development time seems to have paid off, with Assassin’s Creed Shadows being one of the most beautiful games I’ve ever played and possibly the best Assassin’s Creed game in a while. But I didn’t find it instantly appealing.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows starts slowly, introducing the character of Yasuke, the black samurai who has caused much of the game’s controversy. Controlling the powerful warrior, players unleash hell through a carefully scripted sequence that has none of the open-world gameplay that the series is known for.

Players then switch to Naoe, a young shinobi, the polar opposite of the brutal samurai. Again, players are led through a curated sequence. With this, the game tries to ingrain its stealth mechanics into the player via a rather unforgiving scenario. Whilst it had me cursing, it wasn’t too long before I got to grips with Naoe’s moves. By the end of the prologue, I appreciated what the developers were trying to do, even if it was a bit on the nose and a chore at times.

As a reward for my efforts, the game world then opened up. And what a world it is.

The game builds on the vast open areas of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla whilst not ignoring the back-to-basics intent of Assassin’s Creed Mirage’s combat system. The result is a gorgeous-looking game that offers players enemy opponents that actually present a challenge. The enemy AI can sometimes be just as iffy as it has always been, allowing for some gaming of the system, by and large, though you’ll still need your wits about you.

The ninja/shinobi abilities of Naoe are totally befitting an Assassin’s Creed game. The animations as she leaps and runs across rooftops are straight out of pop culture references to the shadowy warriors. Whilst Naoe’s movements may be closer to Frank Miller’s depiction of ninjas in his Daredevil comics than historical reality, it ticks the box for me.

Whilst Valhalla’s Eivor gave me no inspiration for any finesse when dealing with fortified sites with multiple enemies (she is a Viking warrior, for God’s sake, a people not renowned for any subtlety), things are different with Naoe. Not only will attacks from multiple enemies quickly become overwhelming in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, but Naoe’s abilities and movement also promote stealthy infiltration.

For players that have long given up on the stealth foundations of the series, there’s Yasuke, so you can continue to wage war, head-on. Whilst the powerful samurai isn’t really in keeping with the principles of Assassin’s Creed, most of the entries in the series of late have been straying far from the original premise, anyway.

Apart from the brief introduction at the beginning of the game, it was twenty hours in by the time I next had an opportunity to play as Yasuke, at the beginning of Act II. After this, players can switch between both characters. Some side missions and targets are available to both characters, but Yasuke and Naoe have their own story missions as well.

The game not only has a night/day cycle but also the turn of the seasons. This drastically changes the environment, with leaves turning orange and snow on the ground. Water also freezes, giving Naoe a fun slipping animation as she crosses the icy surface.

The game has a wanted system similar to the one in earlier games, and most recently in Mirage. This only comes into play after the first act. If guards ring a bell your character will be a target in that region and powerful guardian opponents will also spawn. The only way to remove a character’s wanted status is to wait for the season to change (or manually change it) or use scouts to remove it once your hideout has been upgraded. Switching characters also removes the wanted status, as long the other character isn’t wanted in that region as well.

Players can upgrade their hideout area with new buildings which add extra abilities. The forge allows weapon upgrades. The study and stables improve the abilities and number of scouts- which can be used to smuggle resources, reveal quest locations and remove a character’s wanted status. The Dojo allows players to train allies that can be called for assistance during combat. Other buildings increase experience multipliers and loadouts.

Probably the weakest part of the game is the story. That’s not because it is particularly bad, it’s just that the environment, the visuals and the gameplay all trump the narrative, which only really serves to move the player on to the next task. The Assassin’s Creed story has been a diminishing focus of the game since Ubisoft tied itself up in knots to such an extent that it had to kill off Desmond, back in Assassin’s Creed III. The emphasis since has been more on the vividly realised settings and the player’s interactions in those environments than a rigid story structure.

The game is every bit as packed with things to do as the previous Assassin’s Creed games to the point of being overwhelming. The vast environment is full of towns and villages, many offering ornate castles and fortifications with treasures to be unlocked once the daimyos have been defeated. There are also ronin that will attack on sight, creating a bit of mayhem if the local guards spot you fighting.

All this is tied together by visuals that look absolutely breathtaking. The game may use the same engine as previous Assassin’s Creed games, but this just makes for a more optimised experience. The atmospheric effects are incredible, with sunlight fighting through mist, and fog shrouding the landscape. Flowers blow in the wind as you run through them. In built-up areas, citizens go about their business. The world feels very much alive.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is still very much in the same vein as Valhalla, offering players a fantastic, huge environment to explore that is beautifully rendered. The gameplay balances the stealth of Naoe’s shinobi with the brutality of Yasuke’s samurai to give players two very different ways to play.

The game is another hit for Ubisoft and one that they are no doubt in need of right now. The Assassin’s Creed saga continues to entertain with feudal Japan being a very fitting era for the franchise and one that fans are sure to enjoy.

The post Assassin’s Creed Shadows (Xbox Series X / PC) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Strained family relationships, a small community that looks out for eachother, an absentee Grandma and a hurricane.

All of this right up front in the first few moments of Compulsion Games’ South of Midnight.

The wild weather causes severe flooding in the Southern American town of Prospero and our main protagonist Hazel sees her family home and her mother swept away.

Trying to save her mum, Hazel has no choice but to seek her distant and wealthy Grandmother’s help.

But what she gets is an adventure like no other as the weaves and strands of both time and matter reveal themselves and place Hazel in a world that only she can see, a world where alligators are as big as houses, catfish can talk and a childs toy comes alive.

Think of Alice in Wonderland, fused with Wizard of Oz with a good ole’ southern American flavour, the story of South of Midnight is an original mix of dark and sad emotions, fused with humor and one epic play through.

Hazel soon becomes atuned within the Grand Tapestry. An ethereal weave that binds the Universe together.

Unbeknownst to her she is a natural Weaver and has the ability to control the strands of the Universe.

While she is on a path to find her mother Hazel comes across Knots and Stigma. These are essentially emotional or physical traumas and memories left behind within the Grand Tapestry and manifest as dark and foreboding enemies in various forms.

Taking these out by weaving restores the tear they cause and assists you to eventually upgrade your abilities… while you also bottle forgotten emotions.

Floofs are a near to transparent object found hidden away throughout this mystical swampy land and these can be spent on the said upgrades to your skills.

Speaking of skills Hazel picks up new abilities at game specific intervals, from wall running to hurling herself over vast distances, grappling and more.

South of Midnight plays out in chapters. Each new chapter reveals more about the wider story as well as what had gone on before and how all of this is going to eventually make sense. It’s a dark narrative.

Graphically South of Midnight is beautiful. The cutscenes are stop motion and in-game visuals are based on that stop motion.

The environmental details are beyond anything, spectacularly detailed and while South of Midnight is a third person play, total free roam can be limited. So to find Floofs you need to be observant for hidden areas or alternative paths.

South of Midnight is full of southern American lore, mixed with family dynamics and of course a fantastical story.

A game that pulled me in when I was able to do an early preview play months ago. A game that I had been needing to play through since that first taste, and a game you need to sink yourself into.

So far in 2025 South of Midnight, an Xbox / PC exclusive, is my pick for the best title this year.

The post South of Midnight (Xbox Series X|S) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

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You are a Blader, called Arrisa.

Before you is the last city, Havenswell, in ruins and overrun by the Necros.

The story picks up after the collapse of an artificial ecosystem. Soon after this occured natural disasters and wars raged and any civilization was wiped out. As the centuries passed a strange substance known as the Mud spread everywhere as terrifying monstrosities emerged and took over the now volatile and destroyed world.

Not only must you save this last city and uncover the mystery that caused the collapse, you will also discover the truth about yourself, the Bladers’ origin.

With AI Limit, likely the first thing you will notice is that the controls are unconventional. Don’t expect to be button mashing here. as R1 and R2 are light and heavy attack for melee.

Graphically SenseGames has done a beautiful anime character style in a gritty, dark dystopian world.

There are a lot of pick ups to be found,  some items can be traded with merchants, others are consumable and can be assigned to hotkeys. Mud balls tend to be the most commonly found and you definitely need them, these are energy and a life-line during a tricky moment.

Combat is based around energy. You need power to do powerful damage. The less energy you have the less deadly you can be.

Low energy doesn’t stop you from taking down an enemy but it may take longer to do so, and if you’re up against a particularly hard to kill foe, you’ll be in trouble for sure.

From monsters to mech, it’s okay to avoid an enemy that is going to take a lot to take down and come back once your weapon skill is higher.

Upping your weapon skill does cost Mud, your energy which is also defined in-game as your sync rate.
Sync rate fluctuates wildly during play but it’s super important as this determines survival and combat strength, and in a way your defense too.

Basically it goes like this, there’s multiple levels of sync rate, this is tied into your Mud energy. The lower your energy the weaker you are and if your sync rate goes down to zero, you’re in trouble.

Try and take on an enemy without the necessary skill level and you’ll feel as though AI Limit is a souls-like game.

Fusing melee combat with magic, weapons and spells can be found in the Equipment menu. You can also add a secondary weapon and like any good RPG swap out your wardrobe for better defense attire. And all items have stats.

AI Limit can be punishing if you just try to hack and slash. Be strategic with your fighting, run, evade and avoid a confrontation if you have to.

A challenging game that gives satisfaction in play, especially when you’re able to take down larger enemies that caused you grief earlier AI Limit is an indie game with Triple AAA gameplay and visuals and definitely a must play for those that love a challenging RPG.

The post AI Limit (PlayStation 5) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Publisher Good Shepherd Entertainment (Dicefolk, Monster Train) and developer Violet Saint today announced that Moroi, a dark fantasy hack-and-slash adventure inspired by Romanian folklore, heavy metal and Lynchian surrealism.

In Moroi’s Cosmic Engine, a beast of forever-stretching corridors, rusted gears, and rotting flesh, you find yourself trapped. Your name, your sins, your past, all vacant in your memory. Claw your way through this realm of torment and greet the grotesque inhabitants whose dark-as-night humor is the only silver lining. Cling to your sanity in an otherwise deteriorating existence styled as grimdark fantasy, a subgenre of fiction distinguished by bleak, dystopian settings and scenarios.

In this place, violence seems like a currency. Moroi’s battalions of mages, golden guards, and the cursed dead all march to the rhythm of a nightmare, and you are caught in the tempo. Defend yourself by wielding unorthodox weaponry such as the vicious teeth of a sentient duck, or shower enemies with added projectiles thanks to the aid of a powerful moon. Around every corner, something new, something terrible awaits.

Beyond the bloody thrill of combat, the Cosmic Engine weaves puzzles into your path, brain-bending challenges that demand more than wit. For example, drink blood to open a door, induce regurgitation to reveal a new path, or dig through the insides of some poor soul to grant your passage. Every answer is a sacrifice, every solution, a wound. Engage with the Cosmic’s eccentric, absurd, and damned denizens, uncovering the reality of its cruel nature while grasping at fleeting moments of laughter amid the darkness.

Escape is your only hope, the key to uncovering the grim truths that bind you. But tread carefully – the choices you make will carve your path toward one of multiple endings, shaping a fate that may prove more harrowing than the Cosmic Engine itself.

Moroi will officially launch on PC via Steam on April 30th, 2025.

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In AI LIMIT, players step into the shoes of a Blader named Arrisa. She enters the last city, Havenswell, which lies in ruins and is besieged by the Necros, to discover the secret and uncover the truth about the Bladers’ origin.

After the sudden yet mysterious collapse of the artificial ecosystem, natural disasters and wars ensued, the civilization was wiped out. And in the centuries that followed, a strange substance known as the Mud spread everywhere, and monsters emerged.

Within the last city of mankind – Havenswell, you will explore cold and damp sewers, layers of slums, sky city above the lake, etc., seeking the truth about the destruction of civilization in monster-infested ruins. Travel through wonders, face mysterious and deadly enemies, and put an end to an eerie and desperate history.

Blader has the appearance of human, but it is actually a new life form created by mysterious technology. With their own missions, they embark on a lonely and dangerous journey, and with the power of the Branches, they respawn after fatal death.

Delve deep into the eerie and magnificent ruins of the city and discover weapons and clothing of different styles and capabilities – either overrun by powerful monsters or hidden in the depths of the intricate alleyways. In addition to their combat attributes, the weapons and clothing offer unique cosmetic variations, so go into battle with a one-of-a-kind look!

In addition, you can find relics of old civilizations scattered throughout the area as you explore. Utilize your Blader’s ability to read the memories left on them, and get a glimpse of the history of Havenswel.

Developed by the Chinese indie game studio SenseGames, AL Limit has just released on PlayStation 5 and PC.

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