Home » Articles and Reviews by 'Shaun Walton'
Order a mountain of pizza as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles make their way to Stumble Guys
Fresh from clobbering some fools in their current Street Fighter Duel event, those gigantic yet somehow sneaky reptiles are blowing off some steam in Stumble Guys. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will be taking their acrobatic prowess to the course, marking Paramount’s second foray into the platformer, following SpongeBob SquarePants and co. They have always been around in some form or another since the 80s, but it seems recently that the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are coming back into the mainstream in a big way. We have the surprisingly successful Mutant Mayhem film last year, as well as the aforementioned Capcom crossover. It’s good to see these cultural icons popping up a…
Disney Dreamlight Valley launches two feature-filled updates in May
It’s going to be a good month for players of Disney Dreamlight Valley as May 1st brings not one, not three, but two massive updates. Free players can enjoy Thrills and Frills that come with a new villager, while expansion pass holders can enter The Spark of Imagination to face the catalyst of the Disney dynasty. The free update brings quite a surprising new villager, purely because I am shocked she isn’t already in the game. Daisy Duck will be leading players on a journey of fashion in her Friendship Quest line, which will result in the opening of a new Boutique. And what’s more, you get to run the place. Once the store opens its doors, you can craft your own custom desig…
Zenless Zone Zero opens global pre-registration to some mind-blowing numbers
I have been racking my brain, but I can’t think of another developer besides HoYoverse that has managed to keep multiple live service games at the top of THE games to-play lists, and soon they will be adding one more with Zenless Zone Zero. Pre-registration has opened, and you can get some tasty treats for signing up. Zenless Zone Zero, as well as being a bit tricky to say, is an urban fantasy ARPG set in that most familiar setting; post-apocalyptic chic. Calamities known as Hollows suddenly appeared, creating spatial anomalies that spat out godless monstrosities known as Ethereals, that tore through the earth. All that remains of civilization is based in New Eridu. Maintaining hope,…
The end is nigh for Fort Forinthry as Runescape releases final quest in the story
It was a long and harrowing battle, but in the last big update to Runescape, players managed to repel the advance of Zemouregal and give the great undead dragon Vorkath a right good beating. Now, it is time to finish that job as you pursue the injured beast across the land in Requiem for a Dragon. This will be the final quest in the Fort Forinthry story, following the epic Battle of Forinthry. You have captured your adversary, but the fearsome dragon has fled. Uncontent to leave such a threat free in the world, you follow Forkath deep into a new area on the island of Ungael for a final showdown. Rather than an honourable duel, however, you may find yourself at odds with some unfriendly Zamo…
Tarisland opens its doors for pre-registration with some pretty nice rewards to play for
I spend an inordinate amount of my time playing MMORPGs, and I have tried the majority of them, but I still get excited to try the newest offering, so Tarisland finally opening their pre-registration gets my attention. It is almost time to suit up and assault the Black Tower. An issue with some MMOs is that every player of a class feels exactly the same, doing the same moves and damage. Tarisland aims to disrupt this by giving their fans an opportunity to create their own spin on characters. There are nine classes, each with two specializations, and a flexible talent tree to explore. Sure, there will be a meta, but nothing stopping you from saying screw that and putting all your points into…
Grab some pizza and do something with a skateboard as four giant turtles invade Street Fighter Duel
Street Fighter Duel is all about honourable fighting, with hand-to-hand combat par for the course, with a few hadoukens thrown in for good measure. Or, you could go a different route, and play as a giant bipedal turtle wielding a weapon, as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles come crashing into the action. I would be surprised if there was anyone out there who hadn’t heard of the TMNT in some form or other, seeing as they have spread across damn near every piece of media available. They are humanoid turtles, they like pizza, and they can kick some serious butt. Enough said. There have been a lot of iterations and stylistic changes done to the Turtles over the years, but old fans will be…
Get ready to read the word spirit a lot of Play Together welcomes the Elves
Mystery and mysticism abound on the island of Kaia, as strange objects appear in Play Together. By exploring this new phenomenon you can meet some new NPCs, get gifts, and partake in some fun events. There is also a new pet incoming which blows all of this out of the water. As you explore Kaia Island you may notice that you keep stumbling across some strange spirit stones. You may even be tempted to collect this, however, doing so as a novice will most likely result in you catching fire or some other outcome you should avoid. Thankfully, there is help. Also hearing of these new stones are the elves, with an Elementalist and Apprentice Elementalist also making haste to the island. With thei…
Athenian Rhapsody gets a release date for its special brand of absurdity
There are some press releases that grab the eye with exciting rhetoric or dropping a recognisable name, and then there are some that draw you in by making you go, 'Did I read that right?'. Athenian Rhapsody is certainly one of the latter, inviting players to make friends and catch IBS. Made by solo developer Nico Papalia, Athenian Rhapsody is an ode to classic and beloved games like Earthbound and Undertale, all whilst lavishing itself in ridiculous humour. You will explore Athens, enjoy mini-games such as weight-lifting, and complete herculean challenges such as Carry A Feather. I can’t tell if the last one is going to be ridiculously hard or easy, and that excites me. A feature tha…
miHoYo announces government backing to develop films based on famous franchises
In a piece of news that will surprise absolutely no one who has ever seen the beautiful and cinematic quality of Genshin Impact and Honkai character trailers and the like, miHoYo has announced that they have received government backing to develop films based on their world-famous franchises. The original article was posted on the Shanghai CPC Branch’s Official WeChat Account and states that the Shanghai Municipal Party Committee is bankrolling miHoYos’ foray into animated films. Watching the latest Honkai Star Rail trailers for Sparkle and Acheron, or even as far back as Klee's in Genshin, it doesn’t seem like the giant needs much help, but whose to turn that down? This s…
HoYoverse reveals more details for Version 4.6 of Genshin Impact
HoYoverse has announced some extra information about its upcoming Version 4.6 update to the massive RPG Genshin Impact. Two Worlds Aflame, the Crimson Night Fades will launch on April 24th, and brings a vast new area, a fun minigame, and the arrival of a deadly new friend, or maybe foe. Meeting the Forth of the Fatuai Harbingers, also known as the Knave, on the battlefield as a Weekly Boss will be a huge challenge. She can impose a Blood-Debt Directive on characters, seeing them take more damage, and being unable to heal. Pay this debt, however, and your Charged Attack will be boosted. Luckily for those who fall for Arlecchino, you can recruit her to your side as a five-star Pyro polearm w…
Konami legend comes to the hectic world of Vampire Survivors in Operation Guns
Vampire Survivors has long styled itself as a “be the bullet hell” type of game, so obviously, it needs a lot more guns. Enter Contra, Konomis’ iconic run-and-gun series, and a new collaboration with a host of new guns to play with characters to use, and general mayhem to unleash in Vampire Survivors: Operation Guns. Starting with characters, one of Contras’ most iconic heroes makes its way over, with series protagonist Bill Rizer being delightful dubbed just a guy with a gun. Alongside good old Bill is recon robot Probotector, super-beast-robo-soldier Brad Fang, and bionoid Lucia, and a total of 11 heroes all ready and willing to rain hell on any and all monsters.…
Take your brave pills and prepare to explore Siren Isles as Godzilla x Kong: Titan Chasers open for pre-registration
If you were ever in the middle of a conflict between two fearsome beasts I’d wager everyone's first thought would be, 'Blimey I better be anywhere else but here'. But Godzilla x Kong: Titan Chasers has a different answer. Instead, players will go toe to toe with giant foes, for the ultimate adrenaline rush. The eponymous Titan Chasers are a group of elite explorers, mercenaries, and thrill seekers who, voluntarily, head to the shores of Siren Isles, a mysterious new exosystem made by giant monstrosities. Hollow Earth and modern civilization meet as cities are overrun by exotic flora and fauna, perfect for a bit of exploration. As you wander through this infested island you will encou…
Reverse: 1999 goes international as version 1.5 prepares to launch
Crank up the Men At Work because it's time to head to the land down under as Reverse: 1999 announces its Australia-themed update. Titled Revival! The Uluru Games and coming on April 18th, this giant expansion comes packed with new Arcanists, Events, clothes and more. Starting on release, Phase 1 of Version 1.5 will offer two powerful characters to recruit, the young six-star Beast-type boxer Spathodea, and the Mineral-type five-star talking flame Ulu. Both of these characters' skill sets specialise in burning opponents, perfect for building a burn team. From May 6th, these two will make way for the six-star Ezrea, a Star-type arcansit, and the five-star Beast-type Desert Flannel. Both of t…
Zombiekind has never been more under threat as MY.GAMES announce over 70 million downloads of base-builder Left To Survive
Peanut butter and jelly, ham and cheese, Morecambe and Wise - there are some things that will always go together, and for gaming a prominent example is shooters and zombies. As if we needed proof of this, MY.GAMES has revealed their zombie base-building shooter Left To Survive has racked up an impressive number of downloads. As you might expect from the explanation, Left To Survive pits you in the midst of the ever-popular zombie apocalypse world. You will load with rifles, shotguns, grenades, and a whole host of fun to find safe haven, build yourself a fortress, and survive in this unforgivable land. Whilst you can argue this can include reinstalls, people getting new devices, or the age-…
Hunter X Hunter returns to Puzzle & Dragons with eight dungeons of fun and rewards
Puzzle & Dragons is in crisis as some of the most formidable foes in the Hunter X Hunter series have returned to wreak havoc, and only you can stop them. Team up with the Hunter Association to defeat the Phantom Troupe and the Chimera Ants across eight dungeons. Hunter X Hunter first debuted as a Manga back in 1998 and is still considered ongoing to this day, mostly due to the myriad of hiatuses it has entered. It follows the story of Gon Freecss, who discovers his long-lost father is a Hunter, who undertakes jobs such as exterminating bad guys or hunting for legendary treasure. Gon sets off to also become a Hunter, to follow in his father's footsteps, but also probably because that&rsq…
