#bigbeninteractive

11 Long-ass Video Games You Can Play All Winter

Winter is coming, and like any red-blooded American, I plan to spend it hibernating and playing video games. But not just any video games. I’m into single-player narrative games that last a long, long time. These stand in contrast to narrative-free (or narrative-lite) video games that you can basically play forever,… Read more…

New Post has been published on https://ges-sa.com/v-rally-4/

V Rally 4

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]“The return of a legendary off-road racing game! Enjoy an extreme experience while becoming an expert in a demanding simulation. Take on the challenges of rallies, rallycross, drifts, buggies and hill climbs, and set off on a spectacular journey across every continent.”

  Now, if like me, you’ve been gaming a while, especially on console, you would probably remember the original VRally that was released in 1997 for the Playstation.

At the time it was a ground breaking game that set rules, rules that defined how rally games looked and felt from that point on. The main question is, can VRally 4 meet the expectations that was set by its forefathers so many years ago…

Right from the start menus the game feels solid, you are encouraged to start your career immediately, or alternatively, jump into the quick-race mode to experience the action right away. VRally 4 offers five distinct motorsport disciplines, Rally, Rally-cross, Gymkhana, Hillclimb and Buggy(Offroad). I got stuck into the gymkhana immediately, to my delight I found a course in Cape Town.

The game’s handling model seems very predictable and keeps the motion of a race flowing without too many dead stops. The issue with this however, is that more experienced racers might find it frustrating and “easy”. The other issue is that a lot of AAA racing games have been released lately, making the small market share even harder to compete in.

The graphics are acceptable with a few minor issues on some textures. These can be spotted on some of the car’s liveries and sponsor decals. The environment itself looks great, so it makes up a little for the dodgy textures on the cars.

This brings me onto my next section, the audio. Racecars need to sound good, VRally 4 delivers here, the car sounds are accurately reproduced, with flames, bangs and pretty much everything needed to make a car exciting!

Can VRally 4 compete with today’s modern competitors? Yes and no. Yes, it brings a classic game with modern touches and all new disciplines to compete in, no, because VRally 4, like most other rally games, are like Marmite, You either like it – or – you don’t.

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Additional Information

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Reviewed on: Xbox One Available on: All (PC, Xbox One, PS4, Switch) Genre: Simulation Age Rating: Everyone Publisher/Developer: Bigben/Kylotonn  Estimated RRP: R899 Release Date: Out now![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]

Likes

Easy flowing gameplay

Great audio reproduction

Dislikes

Cars are possibly too predictable

Some textures are quite rough and unfinished

Developed by Gloomywood / Bigben Interactive

2Dark begins with a disturbing into. A family is camping in the woods while Dad pitches a tent, and Mom & kids go venturing for firewood. Horrific screams are heard from the trees, as the husband goes searching for his family. He finds his wife decapitated, and sees his kids carried away in the back of a van. 7 years later and Mr. Smith has been discharged from the police force for roughing up suspects. Gloomywood is a town plagued by child kidnappings and disappearances, and Smith still holds hope that his children are alive.

2Dark is a multiplatform 2017 indie game which tackles incredibly taboo and gruesome subject material--to the extent that I honestly don’t recommend the game for those with weak stomachs or low constitutions. Children are abducted and kept by evil people for a range of horrific purposes. This is an isometric horror-adventure game with intentional retro graphics. Gameplay involves sneaking around run-down locations, finding items, and rescuing as many children as possible.

2Dark has a 2 dimensional (”2-D”?) overhead perspective where the environment feels more like a board game layout than a modern game world. 2Dark feels like a 1990′s computer game, only with a much darker tone than anything from those days. In fact, the entire install file is only around 400 megabits.The game is split in different levels, each one a unique location in the city of Gloomywood (abandoned amusement park, hospital, orphanage, etc) and each level is bookended with spending time at Mr. Smith’s apartment.

Staying in the shadows is a key component in gameplay. The literal and figurative dark world must be navigated carefully to not disturb enemies, such as thugs and cannibals guarding their blood-stained dens. A simple inventory system helps us keep track of clues, and equip items. The inventory is one of the weaker aspects of the game (especially on consoles), as it can be tedious to select the item you need, especially in the heat of the moment.

The atmosphere of the game carries it almost entirely. The suspense in each level is palpable, and the mission to rescue children from the some of the most detestable bad guys in gaming is a good motivating force. Sometimes the momentum halts when the game doesn’t tell you where to go next, and more often than I wanted, I spent time going through every item and clue to find out how to continue. Unfortunately the low resolution of the game also means eyeing key details or items can occasionally be frustrating and difficult to see.

Player beware, as the game truly is disturbing; some clues on their own, such as a menu for eating child parts, or pictures of roasted infants, turn my stomach all on their own. This game is highly successful in being what it wants to be, but it wont be for everyone. If it weren’t for a few technical flaws, 2Dark would have been an all-around gem in the modern horror genre. As it stands, 2Dark is quite good at setting out to be what it wants to be in terms of atmosphere, art design, and story. Do not play if you can’t handle extremely morbid subject materials, or of you don’t enjoy puzzle solving adventure games. Otherwise, spend some time in this nightmarish world and keep your flashlight on.