Home » Articles and Reviews by 'Shaun Walton'
Crunchyroll tries to ensnare more gamers with a massive expansion to the Game Vault
Back in November 2023, Crunchyroll launched their Game Vault, a host of video games you can play on your mobile, provided you have a Mega or Ultimate Fan subscription. It's a perfect package for your stereotypical gamer, anime and video games in one place, and soon the vault will be bursting at the seams with 15 more titles. Just as a general announcement, this is very exciting. I personally love both of these things, because I am apparently a frustratingly basic human, but the best thing about this is the titles in the Vault are genuinely very good. Already in there, you can play well-received games like inBento, Yuppie Psycho, and the original Hime’s Quest. Enough of the old, now o…
Disney Dreamlight Valley unlocks a new realm featuring Chinas’ greatest fictional hero
In the realm of classic Disney films, before they added Star Wars and Marvel, there are three films I would classify as their best; Nightmare Before Christmas, Lilo and Stitch, and, of course, Mulan. Luckily for those with similar tastes, Disney Dreamlight Valley has introduced a new world and characters into their land based on Mulan. As one of the most kick-ass Disney Princesses, despite not being one but gloss over that, her being celebrated in Dreamlight Valley is both exciting and very long overdue. I mean they added Ariel first and all she did was cause problems for everyone and near-doomed an entire kingdom while Mulan saved a whole nation! With Mulan comes a new realm inspire…
Asphalt 9: Legends announces a pretty surprising collaboration with My Hero Academia
With games, there are some collaborations that you hear about and go yes that makes all the sense in the world, and then there is the Asphalt 9: Legends announcement. I have never watched or read My Hero Academia, but I don’t recall hearing the arc where they became professional racers, yet here we are. Despite the lack of synergy between the two, there is no denying that this team-up is quite the coup for developers Gameloft. Despite only launching in 2014, My Hero Academia exploded into popular culture with widespread acclaim, easily becoming one of the best-selling manga series and reaping multiple rewards. Why not sell your appeal a bit? This collab event will be laid out across…
Epic Games announces new mode for global phenomenon Fortnite
I was never the biggest player of Fortnite. I had a few games at the beginning before quickly learning I wasn't enough of an architect, but one of the best things Epic Games did was add a buildless mode. Because of this, whenever they mention a new mode is coming I get intrigued, which has happened recently with Fortnite Reload. Along with this mode comes a brand new map, ostensibly at least. Completely new or map, treading unfamiliar ground is always exciting with bullets whizzing past you. Reload is for both Battle Royal and Zero Build and comes with classic weapons, locations, and vibes, like Runescape Classic but with more silly dances. Reload takes place on a tighter map, so there goe…
A powerful hero and a host of new challenges arrive in Epic Seven
Epic Seven has set the table for its latest update, and it is just rammed with exciting new content to enjoy. There is an alternate universe story, a new rift season, check-in rewards, and most interestingly of all, a new hero who comes with a truly impressive skillset that will devastate enemy teams. Our new character for recruitment is the Moonlight Hero, New Moon Luna. She is a five-star Light elemental hero who is deeply tied to the dragon world. A half-dragon, she has a close connection to Yufine, treating her as a younger sister. Despite being one of the heroes who ended the war of the dragons, she works as a royal mage, hiding her origins from the humans. As a war hero, you would ex…
Zenless Zone Zero shores up its musical offering with collaboration with DJ royalty
With Zenless Zone Zero officially launching on July 4th, HoYoverse is looking to kick things off with a bang with their first collaboration, and it is a little unusual. Instead of going for a a team-up with another big game name, or one of its own smash hits, we will instead be treated to a music collaboration. I am sure you have heard by now, but Zenless Zone Zero is the latest ARPG from HoYo. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, you will step into the shoes of a Proxy, defenders of New Eridu, the last bastion of mankind. From here you will strike out to tackle the Hollows, the cause of the cataclysm that near-ended the world. To successfully navigate a broken world, you need good music…
Devsisters bow to fan backlash over planned update to CookieRun: Kingdom
The oft-paraphrased Gordon Gecko once opined that “greed is good”, a mantra he clearly did not trot out in front of a ravenous cookie-based fan base. After some impressive levels of backlash, the team behind CookieRun: Kingdom has announced that their much-maligned update will be postponed as they address their audience concerns. Originally slated to be released June 19th, Devsisters posted a tweet thanking the community for their, rather optimistically worded, feedback on these matters. As well as stating their desire to look at what the rabble wanted, they have also confirmed that for the time being, all ongoing game events and shop deals will be extended. It appears that a l…
Recruit one of the most well-rounded Warframes yet as the Jade Shadows Cinematic Update launches
It feels like it has been a very long time coming, especially for impatient excitable fools like yours truly, but finally, the next big update has hit Warframe. Jade Shadows is here, bringing with it a bumper crop of story content to ninja through, and, of course, the arrival of the 57th Warframe. First off, possibly the most exciting part of the update is the new Warframe, Jade. She comes equipped with three new weapons; the Evensong bow, Cantare Throwing Knives, and Harmony Scythe. She is also packing quite an appealing skillset, able to buff damage and shield regen, heal, and debuff foes. Top that with an ultimate to obliterate your foes, and you are going to want a Jade on your every te…
The world is gearing up for the Summers War World Arena Championship (SWC2024)
It is almost time for the eighth annual Summoners War World Arena Championship, with players able to stick their names down for the preliminaries until June 24th. Participants will be selected based on their in-game World Arena records from Season 28th and 29th and will take part in a best-of-five tournament. The European Preliminaries are set to take place from August 3rd to the 10th, with 16 players taking part, whittling down to 4 who will advance to the regionals. If you are one of the lucky few, you will head to Berlin on September 21st for the European Regional Cup, where the top 3 will head to the World Finals. August 31st to September 7th is when the Americas Preliminaries wi…
Completely break the game with two new heroes in Seven Knights Idle Adventure
It appears that Netmarble has decided Seven Knights Idle Adventure should have an easy mode, and has therefore decided to release two new characters. One of which has a skill that sounds like he could single-handedly beat any boss in the game blindfolded. If you are looking to add a bit of edge to your team, the Legendary Melee Dark Knight Platin could be the one for you. He has a single target skill that can deal additional damage equal to the target’s Max HP, which after reading it multiple times still sounds just insanely broken. When a Critical Hit Attack is successfully activated he will receive a buff that also enhances Bonus Damage Rate, just in case you think he isn't hitting…
KartRider Rush+ enters the medieval realm with new Camelot season
I am a big fan of mythology; Greek, Roman, and especially Norse to name a few, but sadly as a Brit we lack those grandiose stories of pantheons and giants and the like. What we do have are the Arthurian legends though which are fascinating in their own right, and are the focus of the new KartRider Rush+ season. Camelot, as the 26th season has been knighted, comes equipped with two new Arthurian tracks, Pendragon Castle and the Knights Camp. You can also revisit the Mine in the Cascading Waterfalls, which sounds particularly pretty. Of course, there are new wheels to enjoy this new location in, with the Inferno Ranger and Astral Ranger bursting onto the track. Not particularly mythical sound…
Ubisoft confirms Assassin’s Creed Shadows will be coming out on iPad
More and more lately it feels like I am seeing more announcements of AAA games coming to mobile, and it is a delight. Mostly on Apple, yes, but it is still great to see mobile gaming flourish this rapidly, and thanks to Ubisoft, Assassin’s Creed Shadows is the next title to follow the trend. It has taken a long time to get to Japan, which is weird because home of actual ninjas, but finally the Ubisoft smash series is headed to feudal Japan. There will be two characters to play as here; the stealthy and silent shinobi Naoe, and the powerful and legendary samurai Yasuke. There will be two playstyles to choose between, stealthy or stabby, and it sounds like the perfect way t…
FunPlus drops a new trailer for DC: Dark Legion showcasing more of the nefarious Batman Who Laughs
It has been almost a year since the Official Teaser Trailer for DC: Dark Legion dropped, and quite frankly I had forgotten it was a thing. Now, however, FunPlus is pushing their upcoming strategy game back into the limelight, with a new teaser trailer, and it looks quite enticing, to say the least. At this point, it is fairly obvious that The Batman Who Laughs is going to be the main villain of the story, and for good reason. If you haven’t seen much of this character, I heartily recommend you do, at least his origin. It is a character with the intellect and resources of Batman and the insanity of the Joker. It’s going to be a tough battle. Unfortunately, things keep getting wo…
Continue the story of Leon and Ethan as the latest titles from Capcom’s hit survival horror series prepare to launch on Apple devices
Halloween has come early as Capcom announces the latest Resident Evil titles to shuffle their way onto iOS. We are going backwards, as Resident Evil 7 Biohazard has a release date of July 2nd, and there is also confirmation that Resident Evil 2 is in development. Even though it may be off in the distance, Resident Evil 2 coming to iOS is very exciting. It is one of the definitive PS1 games, and the remake, which is the version being ported, is excellent. With Resident Evil 4 already on iPhone, we can continue playing the Leon Kennedy saga on the go. To help with mobile controls, Resident Evil 7 biohazard will include a new Auto Fire feature. Simply aim at an enemy for a set amount of…
Honkai: Star Rail unveils a new trailer at Summer Game Fest that both delights and disappoints
To fill the void that E3 left, Geogg Keighley hosted the Summer Game Fest recently, and it was certainly a thing. As of right now, Keighley’s own Twix poll has the show at 40% Grade D and below, which is a whole other story altogether. Hoyoverse took part, and dropped a new trailer for Honkai: Star Rail, as well as a reveal rather in keeping with the whole show reception, at least in my opinion. Star Rail dropped a new trailer for this show, full of the reunion that a lot of fans were waiting for. Some of the trailer relies on knowledge of some spoiler-y reveals so bear that in mind. What we can say is that version 2.3, due June 19th, is the finale of the Penacony story. It centres ar…
