The eternally cursed, the cries of the tortured, the infinite spiralling damnation of trapped souls gets a bit boring – there’s got to be more out there.

You are Zagreus, the son of Hades on a mission to escape the underworld in this dark humoured dungeon crawler rogue-like title from Supergiant Games.

A semi-cell shaded hack n slash pits you up against Hades finest demons and monsters as you cut your way to Mount Olympus.

Guided and aided by other Gods and underworld characters you will loot and slash through varying parts of Hade’s dark kingdom. But die (and you will) you’re placed back at the beginning.

Or use your ill-found treasures to, er, bribe your fortune towards your escape.

Likewise you can use your loot to up your skills and weaponry.

Like any good dungeon crawler there’s a lot of goodies to be discovered as well as secret areas.

Dying in the Underworld can be a painful experience on one’s progress for sure, however, it can also be beneficial.

The game is built, knowing that you’e likely to perish often in any given bout against hordes of nasties, so upon any revival another path, an additional area will open up. This may also see that the path you took prior to your untimely death is closed off.

This procedural life and death changing of the game also expands on the narrative of play as well as any help NPC’s can offer.

This keeps the gameplay refreshing, unique and certainly stopped me from placing the controller down in frustration.

Hades is a late comer to consoles.

Originally released on PC and Switch last year (2020) and is now a free to play title with Xbox Game Pass.

If you like your RPG’s, dark and unforgiving dungeons to smash your way through then Hades is a definite must play for you.

Hades is a hack n slash with a forever changing dark twist.

The post Hades (Xbox Series X) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Light the Torch third time round.

The semi cell shaded RPG from Runic Games released it’s very first chapter of the now trilogy back in 2009 on PC (and later consoles) immediately gaining a fan base.

The story all starts in a booming mining town called Torchlight which is built upon a supply of a mysterious ore known as Ember.

Ember is sought after by all, especially alchemists, as it has magical properties.

But there is a darker side to Ember that reveals itself throughout the very first game.

Fast forward to now and Torchlight III where centuries have passed since the events of Torchlight I and Torchlight II.

The Ember Empire which had risen from the acquiring of and demand of the highly coveted ore is now in sharp decline.

Now a former shell of itself the Empire, the lands are under threat of invasion as Imps, Trolls and other suppressed beings see their opportunity to finally rise up.

You, the unknown hero, are tasked with defending the human civilization, vanquishing the beasts and being the saviour of the world that is Torchlight.

First up you’ll need to select one of four classes for your character; Dusk Mage, Forged, Railmaster or Sharpshooter.

Each, naturally, have their own specific skills with their class, magic or melee, assassin or stealth.

The game plays out within the open fantasy world in true RPG, dungeon-crawling par top down view.

You choose a Pet. This is like a Familiar and has it’s own set of skills (which can be upgraded). Your Pet will fight alongside you.

There are an abundance of items to be pillaged, found and searched for. Changing your abilities or assigning to hot-keys on your control-pad, swapping out gear, clothing and weapons is all done via a Inventory menu without any complexity.

If your Inventory gets full you can move items that you no longer want to your Pet and send them back to town (this is also your base where most of your Missions and objectives are picked up from) to sell them to a merchant.

The downside of sending your Pet to town to sell your stuff is that you’ll be alone. So time it well to send your Pet away as generally they will be gone for a few minutes and you really don’t want to get stuck facing hordes without your trusty and loyal ally.

If you tire of your Pet and want to try a different one, sure, find a Pet Rescuer and swap it out for another.

Torchlight III has many a cavern, dungeon and more to explore about in – and if you’re like me you’ll probably spend way too much time just in one area making sure you didn’t miss anything.

Graphically Torchlight III has stayed true to it’s series. Brightly and beautifully animated .

You can opt to go online or offline (visibility) almost on the fly. The game will match-make you with those of a similar difficulty, or at best your difficulty level that you chose to play in is visible to all other players.

While the sprawling maps you will traverse are superbly detailed, it is some of that detail that can get in the way. Torchlight III is open world but also linear pathed.

I first picked up Torchlight in 2009 and instantly became a fan of the game.

Torchlight II was just as enjoyable, however, asides from the narrative, seemed to be a little bit more of the same as the first one.

Torchlight III however takes that known RPG dungeon-crawler scope and improves ten fold over the past two titles.

Fluidity in play, alot more to do and way more options than seen before in this series.

I strongly recommend playing the first two games at some point – but in order to fully enjoy and grasp the story of Torchlight III you needn’t have, as it is both the end and the start of the franchise.

Torchlight III could be a complete standalone and one hell of an epic play.

The post Torchlight III (PlayStation 4) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Perfect World Entertainment, publisher of live service games, and developer Echtra Games, Inc. announced Torchlight Frontiers will launch as Torchlight III on Steam this summer (U.S.) and begins closed alpha testing January 29th, 2020.

This fast-paced dungeon crawler brings ARPG fans back to the Torchlight universe to hack and slash their way through a vibrant world filled with hordes of creatures waiting at every turn. Previously announced as a free-to-play experience, the game will return to the premium model adapted by Torchlight I and II, with a new focus on linear progression.

“When we started developing Torchlight Frontiers, we were focused on creating a shared-world experience,” said Max Schaefer, CEO of Echtra Games and co-founder of the Torchlight franchise. “During development, you often discover what type of product a game was meant to be and we found Torchlight Frontiers was meant to be a true successor to Torchlight I & II. Based on this and extensive feedback from our Alpha testers, we decided it was time to take the game back to its roots and model it after the classic Torchlight games that ARPG fans have come to love. We’d like to thank our dedicated player base for supporting us and providing such insightful feedback during early development.”

When Torchlight III releases on Steam this summer, players will be able to purchase the full game and play however they like (online or off) with access to all playable content. Rather than focusing on horizontal progression, the game shifts back to the familiar linear world structure that was introduced with Torchlight I & II. Longtime Torchlight fans will be happy to hear that the game features the same mechanics that set the original series apart from other ARPGs on the market. After selecting from Torchlight III’s unique character classes, players will choose a pet to accompany them on their new adventure: a fluffy alpaca, a swift owl or a loyal canine retriever. From there, they will explore forests filled with dangerous creatures and participate in thematic quests to earn powerful rewards.

In Torchlight III Players can explore the wilderness, party with friends, gather materials to craft loot, use magical maps to enter unknown dungeons, or show off their spoils in town! There’s always something to do in the new frontier.

Build and upgrade your Fort. Players will enjoy their very own account-based fort,where they can upgrade gear, and make renovations to show it off to their friends and the world. The game allows them to build monuments of power, pet stables, and more!

Relics are objects of great power that grant players a suite of active skills and passive skills. Players can craft them, level them up and store them in their fort. The relic is an important part of a character’s strategy – choose wisely!

Whether it’s armor, weapons, dyes, recipes, ember cores, or even new pets … there’s always more to find as adventurers battle through dungeons and take on dangerous foes. Every randomly-generated area can be replayed over and over again since each instance brings different items. Those who want even more epic gear can run maps from the Mapworks, or take on a contract to earn Fame and unlock elite items.

Pets are Back. Players can fight their way to fame and glory with loyal companions. Each of the many species comes in a myriad of colors and styles so adventurers shouldn’t settle for the first one they find. They can also make these pets stronger by adding skills, equip them with gear to make them hardier, and together battle enemies as a team.

With four classes to choose from, players can utilize class-specific mechanics to maximize damage and their odds of survival. Torchlight III lets them gather epic gear, select your Relic powers, and customize loadouts to create a unique combat style for their heroes.

Torchlight III features diverse hero classes with unique abilities and powers including the Dusk Mage which is an enchanter who harnesses the power of light and dark energy to conjure devastating attacks, the Forged is a powerful robot who relies on an arsenal of weaponry to build up heat and unleash explosive assaults and the Railmaster is a locomotive savvy powerhouse who steams into combat with a massive hammer and heavily armed battle train.

The full Torchlight III release date is still to be announced.

The post TORCHLIGHT FRONTIERS RETURNS TO ITS ROOTS appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Blizzard Entertainment and GOG.COM have teamed up to re-release select classic Blizzard games, beginning with Diablo, Blizzard’s legendary 1996 action role-playing game that introduced players to the harsh—and deeply rewarding—world of Sanctuary.

The original Diablo is available now via digital distribution for the first time ever on GOG.COM. Players looking for the authentic Diablo experience can play the game as it was in 1996, with period-appropriate 20 FPS SVGA graphics, and the ability to matchmake through the classic version of Blizzard’s Battle.net online-gaming service. Blizzard and GOG.COM have collaborated on an updated version of the game, which includes out-of-the-box Windows 10 compatibility, and a host of bug fixes. Players can choose either version of the game from a launcher.

“We were bummed that these iconic games weren’t available to our players, so we‘re very happy to work with the crew at GOG.com to rectify that,” said Rob Bridenbecker, Vice President and Executive Producer, Blizzard Entertainment. “This has been a long time coming and we hope our players will be excited to jump back into these classic titles. “

In addition to bringing back the first Diablo, Blizzard is planning other GOG.COM re-releases of Warcraft: Orcs & Humans and Warcraft II.

“Crawling through the original Diablo’s dungeons, together with Blizzard, is a feeling of pure excitement,” said Oleg Klapovsky, SVP at GOG. “It’s a personal thing for many of us, and the most wished-for game in our community. Taking the first few steps beneath the Tristram Cathedral, listening to the guidance of Cain the Elder—it’s all coming back, for old souls and newcomers alike. “

Diablo is available now via GOG.COM for Windows PC only.

The post Diablo is Resurrected appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Juicy Realm is a really interesting prospect when you first boot up the game. You take control of a hunter and seek to work your way through a series of stages before meeting the area boss. Then its rinse and repeat in a different part of the game world. Whilst this a very simplistic view of the overall story progression, trust me, there is enough in Juicy Realm to keep you occupied for a while.

Juicy Realm is a Roguelike dungeon crawler from Chinese developer SpaceCan Games and focuses on you investigating and hunting down mutated plants that have taken the top spot on the food chain. The human race has never been good with sharing, so one of us has to go.

You start the game by selecting your hunter, one of four options provides you with a slight conundrum as you begin, but you’ll soon realise that the differences between the classes isn’t as great as you’d expect so pick away. The starting weapons and abilities for each class are slightly underwhelming and whilst they do provide a point of difference, they aren’t enough of a gamechanger to be significant.

My favourite was the mercenary with her sniper rifle and bobble head turret.

The weapon system is only divided into two categories, ranged weapons (guns) and melee weapons. Each of the ranged weapons function the same and there are no real standouts, this goes for the melee weapons as well. You can carry two weapons at once and its up to you if you run two guns, two melee weapons or mix and match. As you progress you will pick up new weapons through drops or you can purchase a select few from a vendor.

A word of warning, melee weapons can be fun BUT there are very few health potion drops so you need to be careful when hacking and slashing your way through the local flora infestation.

I was disappointed in the lack of variety that the weapons provided with the melee weapons being a particular pain point. There is some satisfaction in hitting a blueberry horde with a stick covered in berries or a baguette but not enough incentive to risk the potential health loss.

There is no disputing how visually stunning this game and the art design will have you checking every intricate detail as you find more and more to appreciate in this game. Each ‘minor’ stage is procedurally generated which removes some of the monotony as you repeat each area, although it still feels too similar to be noticeable.

The boss fights are unique (and a little punishing if you don’t pick up the mechanics quickly, especially on hard) and the game could benefit from utilising some of the same mechanics and bosses in the stages leading up to the final area fight.

The game doesn’t have any save points so death is permanent.

This is my biggest concern for the long term future of the game. You don’t get to learn from your mistakes immediately and have to grind your way back through all previous stages, gathering random weapons, and collecting coins. This is ridiculous.

I would come back to this game time and time again if I could jump back in to the same fight and have all progress remain. I could use (or be forced to use) different hunters to overcome the bosses but alas this is not how it works.

I liked this game and especially the potential for the future and I’m sure if SpaceCan Games implemented a few minor tweaks, Juicy Realm would force itself into my regular rotation of games.

Juicy Realm is available now on steam.

The post Juicy Realm (PC) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Codex Worlds’ Battlecursed, a dungeon crawler with roguelike elements in which a single player directs a four-hero party through real-time first-person battles, hits Steam Early Access today. An Xbox One, Playstation 4, and full PC release is planned for Q3 2018.

As parties traverse Battlecursed’s generated labyrinths, they must dispatch hordes of menacing enemies, carefully coordinating the strengths and weaknesses of all four party members. Only through strategic use of each hero and his or her abilities will the group reach the maze’s cavernous depths.

Players can select from a range of classes, including the supportive Cleric, the storm-wielding Elementalist, the tank-like Grave Knight, and range-based Hunter. Each class can combine powers with their allies to form devastating cooperative attacks.

Adventurers will lead each party through a dangerous labyrinth of interconnected dungeons to challenge the resurrected Lich Lord Xelo Van. Plunged into darkness, the land of Pylandria awaits the aid of brave heroes capable of vanquishing Xelo Van and his legions of nightmarish beasts.

“Battlecursed’s combat system will challenge RPG fans to build, manage, and lead powerful parties through tense bouts against a seemingly unstoppable dark army,” said Dexter Chow, creative director of Codex Worlds. “Only through wise class pairings, unwavering attention to detail, and mastery of enemy vulnerabilities can players surmount Battlecursed’s relentless waves of foes and save Pylandria.”

Codex Worlds is an independent developer with experience working on acclaimed franchises such as The Lord of the Rings, Warlords, and Dragon’s Lair. Its goal is to develop original, immersive multi-platform games that appeal to core and casual gamers.

The post Battlecursed Dungeon Crawls onto Steam appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Brave Viking warriors, prepare to venture underneath Valnir Island! Independent game developer encurio GmbH announced today a free update for Valnir Rok, the epic online Viking roleplaying adventure now available on Steam. The ‘Dungeon Update’ adds dungeons areas to explore, uncover new treasures, and encounters deadly undead dangers.

The Valnir Rok ‘Dungeon Update’ adds two new underground dungeons where players will be able to explore and mine valuable resources: silver and gold.  Both silver and gold minerals can be used to enhance weapons and gear, with more silver and gold items coming in future updates. The dungeons will also feature the Undead Draugr whose glowing eyes will haunt gamers as they go further and deeper into the dungeon. Other additions to the update including housing improvements, combat improvements, updated spawn protection and more.

Valnir Rok is an online sandbox survival roleplaying game inspired by Norse mythology. Players will awaken to find themselves on Valnir Island and must do whatever it takes to survive in a land of wild animals, mythical beasts, and violent men. As a hardened Viking warrior, butcher your enemies in bloody combat, build and improve village structures, and form a clan to expand your power and reputation. Battle against opposing clans, place bounties on hated enemies, and discover ancient artifacts to gain favor with the gods with great deeds and holy sacrifices. Might makes right in the Viking world of Valnir Rok.

Join the adventure filled with heroic deeds and legendary battles

The post DISCOVER NEW DUNGEON DANGERS! appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

It can always be tough, and overwhelming to enter a game series at a middle point. With the name Cladun Returns: This is Sengoku, it is clear it’s a sequel, and despite it implying a significant story arc, the name is more overwhelming than it needs to be. In fact, with a subtler nod, could have been none the wiser there were two Cladun games before this, which would have done it a service because as a standalone game, Cladun Returns: This is Sengoku is simple but wonderful.

Cladun Returns: This is Sengoku tells the story of a character you create waking in a strange place. Approached by Yukimura you learn you have died and are in Arcanus Cella, a place where people who have died find themselves stranded if they have unfulfilled regret. They need to defeat that to carry on with the afterlife, and it is your job to help. Souls manifest as a blue flame in Arcanus Cella, and upon speaking to them they advise of where they need help. Each time a soul is presented you get another list of dungeons to beat and culminating in a boss to free the soul of their regret. But upon releasing some souls Yukimura notices an issue where the souls regain their human shape, but don’t leave, and so the plot thickens, a little.

Dungeon crawling is what makes Cladun Returns: This is Sengoku a worthwhile experience. Every dungeon’s Level feels unique enough, despite its very pixelated style of graphics, and thanks to their short lengths it can be a great game to pick up, jam for half an hour then put back down. For the most part, you run around the dungeons, unlocking chests, killing enemies, trying to avoid traps, or avoid being hurt by them, and getting to an end. The gameplay isn’t overly complex as you run around, block, and attack, it’s very simple, but fun. Every time you beat a Level you return to Arcanus Cella, which works as the games hub. Here you can buy new gear, upgrades and take on challenges. Most of this is boring however necessary busy work, but the games unique system kicks in with the Magic Circles.

Magic Circles are how you organise your party and make a significant difference to the game. You choose your Magic Circle which resembles a grid, where you have slots you can fill with allies. Doing this unlocks slots attached to them which can be store items to give bonuses, and occasionally activate slots with negative effects. The allies you place in these slots work as invisible human shields, taking damage before you do, so it’s important to fill them with the strongest allies. Magic circles come in different shapes, able to hold varying numbers of allies, with different bonus and negative slots.

Unlocking new Circles can result in a lot of time weighing up the best one for you. your allies, and the upgrade items you have at your disposal.

As its predecessors, the art style is very pixelated, which looks okay. The style is used well to provide a surprising variation in background, but on a big screen it didn’t look too great. It certainly looks as if it would look great on a Vita, but the PS4 version made it look too blocky. There are also two soundtracks to choose from, an old school style, or a newer style, both of which are very nice accompanying soundtracks.

Ultimately Cladun Returns isn’t the greatest game around, but what it is, is a solid dungeon crawler that can be as simple or difficult as you want it to be depending on how deep you want to get into its systems. Simple, repetitive with a lot of grinding, but easy to pick up and put down makes it perfect for a casual game, or a portable game.

The post Cladun Returns: This is Sengoku (PlayStation 4 | PS Vita) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe today announces the latest title in their growing free-to-play catalogue, LOST REAVERS, a four-player action co-op game for the Nintendo Wii U that is now available for download in Open Beta in the Nintendo eShop.

LOST REAVERS is an intense four-player co-op game where players must discover hidden treasures at the end of a series of dungeons and haul it safely back to their extraction point while their friends protect them. Along the way, the team will encounter a variety of traps, clever foes and the dungeon bosses who will do everything in their power to thwart the quartet. Through all of these challenges, one of the brave four must bring the treasure hoard safely back home by using only their wits and their friends to survive.

Players can choose from one of four distinct characters to play through the game. Sayuri, a sword-wielding modern day samurai; Dwayne, a heavy-weapon toting specimen of human artillery; Victoria, a svelte dual-wielding mistress of pistols, and a mysterious masked fourth character, who wields many weapons to cut down his foes.

With a variety of worlds ranging from Ancient Ruins, Medieval Castles and a Modern City, LOST REAVERS provides endless hours of entertainment and dozens of challenging environments for determined players and team to conquer. Along the way_, players must search for new and powerful weapons, level up their characters’ skills and learn to evade cleverly placed traps. Only with trusted compatriots by your side will players prevail!

Open Beta for LOST REAVERS commences today and players with a Wii U are able to head to the Nintendo eShop to download the game. Open Beta for LOST REAVERS will continue until April 28, when the full version of the game will become available on the Nintendo eShop.

The post Free to Play Dungeon Crawler Coming to Wii U appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

NIS America is announcing that the dungeon crawler RPG, Operation Abyss: New Tokyo Legacy, is arriving exclusively for PlayStation Vita with a new release date being June the 12th, 2015 for Australia and New Zealand.

The title will be available as both a physical and digital release. Fight through the Abyss and battle against the Variants, but only if you dare!

From the studio that made Demon Gaze comes Operation Abyss: New Tokyo Legacy, a sci-fi dungeon crawler RPG set in a near future Tokyo. With the city under the constant threat of Variants, genetically engineered monsters, and the emergence of portals leading to a mysterious dimension called the Abyss, the government has established the Code Physics Agency to investigate these mysterious phenomena.

The Xth Squad—a unique group of teens modified by the CPA’s Code technology—must evade traps, face down powerful monsters, and investigate the mystery behind the Abyss.

The post Operation Abyss: New Tokyo Legacy Trailer Released appeared first on Shane the Gamer.