What is it? A platformer, a rhythm game, a branching story—in other words, another inkle narrative experiment.
Release date December 5, 2023
Developer inkle
Publisher inkle
Reviewed on Radeon 5700 XT, i5-9600K, 16GB RAM
Steam Deck N/A
Link Official site
Experimental, genre-bending approaches to interactive storytelling have always been inkle's stock-in-trade, from the increasingly ambitious multi-part adaptation of Steve Jackson's Sorcery! to the high-seas intrigue of Overboard! As fascinated as I was by each of these singular hybrids, I was always struck by a shared incongruity, the feeling that their mechanical and narrative layers were often at odds with each other. Incorporating elements of platforming, survival, and rhythm games, A Highland Song is arguably their most multi-faceted work yet. Can those elements blend into a coherent whole?
Moira McKinnon has never been to the sea. She does not get along with her mother who insists she cannot go to school because she wouldn't fit in. Her father has been absent for all her life and her little brother is a bore. So when Uncle Hamish, a kooky lighthouse-keeper who regularly mails her postcards with fanciful stories about heartbroken selkies and furious giantesses, asks her to visit in time for Beltane—the Gaelic May Day—she does what any restless teenage girl would do in her place. She hurriedly packs a knapsack, hurls a farewell insult to her mother, and sets off across a horizon of ever-rising hillcrests.
A Highland Song makes for a breathtaking first acquaintance. The Scottish scenery is vividly painted in the earthen browns and luscious greens of pine forests, and later, when the peaks get higher and the temperatures lower, with the harsh whites of a sudden blizzard. Gallivanting through these idyllic environments is a joy in itself and, initially at least, the game does a great job of conveying the exhilaration of Moira's newfound freedom via a myriad little visual touches: the pep oozing from every frame of her jump animation; the carefree bobbing of her ponytail as she gallops up the gentlest of slopes; the ability to zoom out for a heart-stopping panoramic view (which doubles as the best option for orienting yourself).
A meticulously crafted soundscape of cawing magpies, murmuring brooks, and Moira's own panting breath completes the illusion of this enchanting place—a world where a moderately unusual rock will be named something dramatic like «Woe's Wedding» or «Devil's Tail».
Of course, aimless wandering and gawking at the local sights are just the simplest modes of engaging with A Highland Song. Platforming is the base component in the game's generic DNA, even if Moira's preternatural athleticism eliminated any challenge from the
The website gametalkz.com is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.
Lava Blaze Pro 5G Review: In a market largely influenced by Chinese smartphone giants, Indian consumers have become accustomed to seeing brands like Vivo, Xiaomi, Oppo, and Realme dominating the mid-range segment even as the South Korean major, Samsung, keeps spicing up the space with its amazing smartphones. However, amidst this landscape, Lava, a homegrown tech company, has been striving to carve out its space in this fiercely competitive arena. Introducing the Lava Blaze Pro 5G, their latest addition to the 5G segment in India, the company aims to challenge the established players in the sub Rs. 15000 smartphone market - the space that has the most competition.
So we haven’t done one of our “where is our review” posts in a while, because frankly, we generally get copies of AAA games on time. Although there have been bumps in the road every so often, most gaming publishers want people to try out their games early, from the press to content creators, to any number of other folks in this modern media landscape.
Horror as a mode or genre encompasses a vast range of styles and approaches from the quiet and creepy to the over-the-top splatterfest. As a self-confessed horror fan, I’m generally pretty open-minded when it comes to different iterations of the form. The one exception to this, however, is the seemingly ubiquitous ‘YouTube’ horror game which relies almost entirely on jump scares and is mostly pitched towards overly performative streamer reactions. That being said, there are some excellent games within this rough genre, with the Amnesia series and Alien: Isolation standing supreme so I was hoping to be pleasantly surprised by Evil Nun. In the end, what I got was perhaps the very definition of an empty streamer experience.
We review Ingenious, an abstract strategy game published by Thames and Kosmos. Ingenious is designed by Dr. Renier Knizia and is being reprinted after a long time out of print.
Suicide Squad’s “early access” period will start to go live around the world late Monday night on consoles (and 10am PT Tuesday on Steam), which means that’s when it’s officially out, practically speaking. Unfortunately, we won’t have a review of Rocksteady’s new game-as-a-service looter shooter for you right away, as codes have not been sent ahead of time – in fact, Warner Bros. Games informed IGN that it has declined to send us codes at all.
The life of a guardsperson is not one filled with adventures and heroics. You’ll spend days outside, which might be lovely during the summer, but miserable when it’s cold and wet. You’ll also get to meet plenty of interesting people, but you’ll be scrutinising what they say and carry to decide if they should be let into town, often with complex and far-reaching consequences if you get it wrong.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth launches in just three days, but the reviews are live and glowing. Already, it has an average of 91 on Metacritic, and 90 on Opencritic, earning it a Mighty rating with 100 percent of critics recommending it at the time of writing.
Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio reset its flagship series with Yakuza: Like a Dragon, an aptly named title that saw newcomer Ichiban Kasuga take the lead in RPG hero fashion. With Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, RGG returns to the role-playing formula, with one foot in the future and the other in the past.
The enduring popularity of the Where’s Wally books tells you one thing: people love to find things. That probably doesn’t extend to your keys, matching socks, your mobile phone, or a clean spoon, but Hidden Through Time 2: Myths and Magic poses an interesting question: what if it was a goblin’s spoon?
Oppo has been in the smartphone market for the longest time and has gained immense popularity in bringing budget and mid-range smartphones with targetted features that are mostly well-received. Over the years, the company has outdone itself in entering the market with new innovations including foldable smartphones with attractive designs and features. One of the flagship series that has gained popularity is the Oppo Reno series which is mostly known for its snappy camera performance, long-lasting battery and quite responsive performance. Recently the company launched the Oppo Reno 11 series which is the successor of the Oppo Reno 10 series.
I don’t know what I expected when I started playing Palworld. My initial impression was that it was Pokemon with guns. Then, it seemed there could be some crafting elements. With early word out from some of the super early-access players, it was apparent there were heavy survival elements in Palworld. At this point, I was pretty confused.
Barcelona Nonprofit Earth05 harnesses AI to tackle global water crisis; AI unveils secrets of memory and imagination processes, UCL Study finds; Generative AI: A catalyst for job creation and economic inclusivity, says experts; AI deepfake transforms South Park characters into real people, dividing fan reactions- this and more in our daily roundup. Let us take a look.