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Game Reviews

Ratshaker Is A Short, Strange Horror Experience

by admin August 18, 2025

If you look at Ratshaker on the PlayStation store, you might be inclined to write it off as one of hundreds of shovelware games on storefronts designed for easy trophies. I know I did at first. But then, I saw the game gaining traction across multiple subreddits where plenty of users seemed to agree that it’s actually a surreal horror title worth the low cost of entry — I checked it out. I’m glad I did.

While Ratshaker may have a low-res visual style, brief runtime, and fairly easy trophy list, it manages to rise above the trappings of shovelware to be something that diehard horror fans can appreciate. The game tasks you with, well, shaking and squeezing a rat to solve some basic adventure-style puzzles around a home where something horrible has happened. Yeah, it’s fucking weird.

But while Ratshaker‘s simple premise initially leans toward being quirky and funny in its delivery, don’t let that fool you. As you further explore the home and peel back what happened there, Ratshaker reveals some truly unnerving events that may stick in your head for a while. If that sounds up your alley, here’s how long it’ll take you to beat this bizarre experience.

How long does it take to beat Ratshaker?

Ratshaker is a cheap game with a short runtime, so you shouldn’t go in expecting an epic adventure. Instead, you’re treated to an immensely strange horror mystery that will take about an hour to unravel. But the brief time you spend with Ratshaker will feel like enough. It’s a game that doesn’t need much time to tell its story, which ends up far more unsettling than you may expect, even after engaging with its disturbing opening.

If you’re also playing Ratshaker for its fairly easy platinum trophy, be aware that there are missable trophies throughout the adventure. And you’ll technically need to see both the real ending and a secret ending to earn the platinum trophy, but you can do both on one playthrough if you manage your saves right. Following a guide can help you not miss out on these trophies if you’re not eager to play Ratshaker twice.

Even if you’re not seeking the easy platinum trophy, I’d argue that the low price and ominous vibes make Ratshaker a good grab for any horror fan who appreciates weird shit. It’s available now on PS5 and Windows PCs, with a release on additional platforms planned for later this summer. Shake that rat.

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August 18, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

What we’ve been playing – we’ve made a change but don’t panic

by admin August 18, 2025

16th August

Hello and welcome back to our regular feature where we write a little bit about some of the games we’ve been playing. This week, we’re making a slight change in an effort to get you a wider view of what the team – the entire team – has been playing. Expect to read more opinions on what we’ve been playing, but slightly shorter entries so we can fit them all in.

What have you been playing?

Catch up with the older editions of this column in our What We’ve Been Playing archive.

Mafia: The Old Country, PC

Don’t be Sicily!Watch on YouTube

I’ve been excited about this for a while because who doesn’t want to live their Al Pachina Sicilian Mafia dream? Those al fresco lunches are to die for. Sometimes literally.

The set-up here is turn of the 20th Century Sicily and you’re a hard-up miner who: has a mine collapse on them, gets into a fight, goes on the run, and ends up working with a Mafia family. So far it’s been linear and a bit boring. Gorgeous though – that scorched Sicilian landscape is to die for. Sometimes literally. (It’s the same joke Bertie.)

But I haven’t been able to experience anything else because the game keeps crashing on me. Six crashes in a row I had so I gave up. I expect it’ll be patched soon, but that a game can perform like this at all, at launch, is outrageous, and definitely not to die for.

-Bertie

Rocket League, Xbox Series X

In an attempt to prove to my son that I’m not an inept old man who can no longer accomplish things in my life, I played a few games of split-screen Rocket League with him. Of course, he won, but importantly I wasn’t rubbish and I did score quite a few goals. Well done me! Not time for the scrapheap yet.

-Tom O

The House of The Dead Remake, Switch 2

It’s been a very busy and stressful time, as you can imagine, getting ready for Gamescom and helping the new, updated version of Eurogamer get to its feet. So as I was browsing the Switch 2 eShop and saw The House of The Dead Remake was going for less than the price of a pint, I snapped it up. There’s nothing quite like the cathartic release of furiously tapping on a screen to blow the heads off zombies. It works just as well with your index finger as it ever did with a light gun.

-Dom

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, PS5

Wuchang, Wuchang.Watch on YouTube

I’m not sure if the Wuchang developers’ interest in sexy ladies with feathers and wings is down to the iconic status of Elden Ring’s Malenia boss battle, or if they just like sexy ladies with feathers and wings. Regardless, it’s a repeated design across the game, though it certainly speaks to the somewhat derivative nature of the game as a Soulslike. However, as I pointed out earlier this week it does have enough ideas of its own and a peculiar rhythm to combat that makes it stand apart. Annoyingly, I finished it a couple of days ago before the most recent patch came to console, with its much-needed balance tweaks and more controversial story adjustments.

-Ed

Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin, PC

Yes, Drangleic has called to me once more.

I don’t know exactly what it is about FromSoftware’s games, but there’s something about the intricate spaces it creates – the sheer totality of their design – that worms so deep into my brain. Every now and then, I get a yearning that feels impossible to ignore, and this time around it was the melancholy song of Dark Souls 2 calling me back to its blighted peaks and forsaken shores.

I appreciate I’m an outlier here, but I adore Dark Souls 2, warts and all; its sheer ambition, its idiosyncratic invention, and, yes, an atmosphere so overwhelmingly forlorn it practically seeps into your bones. This, I should say, is my very first dance with Dark Souls 2’s Scholar of the First Sin do-over, and it’s a lot like coming home after a long time away and seeing everything with brand-new eyes. Right now, I’m venturing hole-ward into Majula’s suffocating, accursed depths – perhaps the closest From has ever come to full-on horror. It’s good to be back, even if there’s still plenty of pain to come.

-Matt

Silent Hill 4: The Room, PC

This is the video Ian was making that prompted him to play The Room. While he was working in A Room.Watch on YouTube

During a recent edit for a video feature about Silent Hill f, I had to source some gameplay for Silent Hill 4: The Room. I remember playing The Room on the original Xbox at an ex-girlfriend’s house back when it released, but for some reason I never completed it. I’ve long since lost my original copy, but looking back at that footage inspired me to pick it up on GOG and give it another spin.

And you know what, I love the first-person stuff in room 302. It’s kind of a proto-P.T. with its slight, sometimes unnoticeable changes every time you return to the room, which adds more mystery to the experience. There’s some really neat touches too, like looking out of the window to see neighbours going about their business, through the windows of their homes across the street, or seeing handprints appear on the wall outside your room every time someone meets a tragic end.

The Otherworld stuff is definitely on the weaker side of the Silent Hill spectrum though, demonstrated in both its repetitive level design and the fact the game is full of bizarre stock sound effects that really don’t fit the atmosphere. Special shout-out to the nurse monsters that emit echoing Homer Simpson burps every time you hit them.

Despite its flaws, I love that The Room is doing something a bit different. I’m about five hours in and determined to see it through to the end, mainly to finally finish what I started 20+ years ago. But also because I severely doubt this one will get a Bloober remake!

-Ian

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – Definitive Edition, PC

I picked up this returning classic yesterday after work and am, so far, a very happy chap. I remember being a teenager and blasting through Dark Crusade on my friends PC, so seeing a lot of those old models reworked with shiny new graphics, in a proper resolution, has been wonderful.

I’m not too far through it yet, having only completed the first three missions of the base games’ campaign, but I do reckon this’ll be a game I’ll chip away at over the next few months. Special shout out to the legendarily horrible yell during the game’s opening cinematic, a relic of the original game the folks at Relic Entertainment could have justifiably removed. It’s a proper AAARGH, one of the all time greats. Also, Chaos Space Marines forever.

-Connor

Tiny Bookshop, PC

Tiny Bookshop has been sitting at the back of my mind ever since I played the demo way back at EGX 2022. Yet, the more I longed for its release, the more a worry grew inside of me – would I enjoy the full game as much as I loved the demo?

Thankfully, the answer is a resounding yes. I’ve easily become completely absorbed in the world of Bookstonbury. In fact, it’s to the point that some evenings I’ve forgotten I can go outside and read at a real beach rather than sell books in a virtual one. Still, it’s a worthy price to pay if it means I can continue selling books and solving the occasional mystery in my little bookshop wagon. Who knows, maybe I’ll be able to sell this pile of travel books and discover who destroyed the shopmarket mascot at the same time…

-Lottie

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – Definitive Edition, PC

After reading above that Connor is a Chaos Marines guy I had to include this one, if only so I could comment on how appropriate that is. Anyway, it’s an absolute treat of a game – look forward to a thousand-plus more words of waffle to the tune of that from me very soon. Alongside this I’m still chipping away at Pokémon TCG Pocket, and a couple of very, very good things that are under embargo, oooohhhhhh (sorry I realise that’s actually really annoying to do that and not say what it is, promise I won’t make it a habit).

-Chris T

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August 18, 2025 0 comments

The protagonist flies through the air while holding onto a large bee.

Game Reviews

Ruffy & The Riverside Is A Short And Sweet Platformer

by admin August 18, 2025

If you’re the kind of person who likes quirky platformers with a whole lot of charm and whimsy, you may have your eyes set on Ruffy and the Riverside. In this bizarre 3D platformer, you’re cast as the titular character who possesses the ability to copy and paste textures, allowing you to change the world around you to solve puzzles and reach new areas.

Ruffy and the Riverside can be a whole lot of fun if you’re able to brave its frenetic gameplay and art style. But you may be wondering how long it’ll take you to reach the end of this rowdy adventure and how much extra content there is to dive into. Let’s answer that for you below.

If you’re just mainlining Ruffy and the Riverside‘s campaign, you can likely reach the end of the game in about 6-8 hours. This makes it notably shorter than some similar 3D platformers, but its wacky gameplay and clever puzzles ensure that not a moment is wasted. Even so, you may wish for a few extra hours when you realize how brief the main quest is, especially if you really click with the Swap ability and enjoy blasting textures all over the map.

Luckily, there are a lot of optional things to do in Ruffy and the Riverside that can extend your time with the game, especially if you’re aiming to obtain all of its trophies or achievements. You’ll need to find a variety of optional secrets and collectibles, as well as swap textures over a thousand times. But given that a large part of the gameplay loop involves the Swap ability, you’ll be well on your way to that one anyway.

Whether you’re looking to push through the campaign or track down every secret, you can get started doing so right away. Ruffy and the Riverside is available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, and Windows PCs.

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August 18, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

I need Wave Race: Blue Storm and its cheesy cool to return to the Switch 2’s GameCube Classics collection

by admin August 18, 2025

It’s been 22 years since the last home console F-Zero game (not counting the handheld spin-offs and 2023’s F-Zero 99), but with the launch of Nintendo’s Switch 2 we finally got a chance to revisit the GameCube’s outstanding F-Zero GX. Despite some wonky controls, it’s a game that still stands up today. No wonder Nintendo hasn’t attempted to better it.

But there’s another Nintendo racing series that’s been on hiatus for even longer. Wave Race: Blue Storm was released back in 2001 as a launch window game for the GameCube, only the third in the series behind Wave Race 64 and, before that, the Game Boy original Wave Race. Since then? Nothing.

Pitches were made for a Wii entry, including holding the Wiimote sideways and using the Wii Balance Board, but these never came to fruition. I think it’s high time for Wave Race to make a splash on Switch 2, and that begins with the return of Blue Storm.

Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics – Nintendo Direct | Nintendo Switch 2Watch on YouTube

I know it’s a bit of an ongoing joke among gaming enthusiasts, but I still often find myself judging a game’s visuals by its water graphics: the shimmering translucency, the physics of rolling waves, its splashy wetness. Thing is, Wave Race: Blue Storm nailed it 23 years ago. That’s what made it so brilliant.

It’s a jet-ski racing game, you see, and with it being on water rather than a ground-based track, the course is always shifting. You don’t simply drive a car round a corner; you have to account for the height and power of each wave as you weave in and out of each buoy (or boo-ey as the announcer infuriatingly pronounces it, sorry Americans). There’s a high level of skill required, but with practice you can skim over cresting waves or dive beneath them to utilise shortcuts. This sort of water physics was incredibly impressive back in 2001, even if Wave Race 64 managed similarly on the previous hardware generation.

But then those water physics are taken a step further with each course. Perhaps you’re racing on the glass-like serene surface of a lake, or the choppy waters of a city harbour. On coastal courses the tide sweeps in and out, revealing hidden routes over multiple laps. One level has a collapsing glacier sending turbulent shockwaves in your wake. There’s a sense of dynamism to Blue Storm’s races that’s rarely seen in more traditional racing games.

Then there are the weather effects, ranging from pleasant sunny days to a raging tempest that sends violent waves crashing towards your jet-skiier. No race in Wave Race is ever the same and your skills are constantly being tested as you adapt to the water beneath you, subtly squeezing those adaptive triggers on the controller to angle around obstacles.

I also love how the water sports theme permeates the whole game. Sure, you can flip a jet-ski and perform hand stands to increase your speed boost. But the loading screens have a little bubble you can manoeuvre to watch ripples cascade across the screen; menus overlay a glistening aquatic backdrop; and sound effects are all splishes and splashes and droplets. Everything just looks so…wet. It’s enough to make you pee.

Perhaps what I remember most fondly about Blue Storm is its surf rock soundtrack, all electric guitars smothered in chorus and flange. What’s more, the music changes based on the weather, matching its calm undulations and stormy chaos. Along with the bright visuals, eccentric announcer, and goofy characters, it all lends Blue Storm a sense of cheesy cool that will forever take me back to the early 00s and that GameCube launch period. The skies were blue, the waters clear, and the games were all short and manageable. It was a better time.

This is why Wave Race: Blue Storm deserves to make a return on Switch 2. Yes, Nintendo will obviously bring back the likes of Super Mario Sunshine, Mario Kart: Double Dash, and Super Smash Bros. – all excellent games – but it’s the lesser known games I’m keen to see shine on the console’s GameCube service. If we can get Chibi Robo this week, there’s space for Blue Storm.

Better yet, perhaps the return of F-Zero GX and Wave Race: Blue Storm will convince Nintendo there are other racing series besides Mario Kart that deserve new outings on Switch 2. It’s been long enough now and the steering wheel and jet-ski handlebars don’t need to be reinvented. Just let me play Wave Race handheld with HD graphics in the bath for a proper 4D experience.

Which GameCube games do you most want to see return on Switch 2? Sound off in the comments!

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August 18, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

Everything To Know About Chapter 6, Season 4

by admin August 18, 2025

There are few games as well-known in the general population as Fortnite. Even your grandmother knows what it is because she’s bought your cousin $700 in V-Bucks over the past month so he can play as a hot dog or whatever. This beloved battle royale is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon, either. But maybe it’s been a little while since you’ve played or you’ve yet to jump out of your first party bus. Let’s get into what you need to know to get into Fortnite in 2025.

What’s the deal with the current season?

At the time of this writing, Fortnite is up to Chapter 6, Season 4, which went live on August 7, 2025 and it features new characters from Halo and Power Rangers. We can expect this season to take us into the Fall of this year before the new one arrives.

The current season sees a bit of a pest-control problem on the island. Throughout the map you’ll find various gross nests, eggs, and the like. There are also three queen insects you’ll need to take down to earn yourself a mythic weapon. For full details on these pests and where on the map you can expect to find them, check out the official blog post.

What are the best guns in the game right now?

Right now, it’s looking like it’s SMG season, folks. The Veiled Precision SMG is arguably at the top of the pack when it comes to mowing down your opponents. That said, the Deadeye DMR is also a great pick for those who like to place their shots with more precision. And if you’re into looking weird while taking out multiple foes at once, give the Bug Blaster a shot.

What got vaulted/unvaulted?

This season sees the following changes to the game’s arsenal, as per Osirion on X.

BR LOOT POOL UPDATES

unvaulted/added:
– Hammer Assault Rifle
– O.X.R. Rifle
– Sweeper Shotgun
– Wrecker Revolver
– Stinger SMG
– Agile Aiming Boon
– Extended Magazine Boon
– Launch Pad
– Chug Splash
– FlowBerry Fizz
– Crash Pad Jr.
– Med-Mist

vaulted:
– Bass Boost
– Surgefire… pic.twitter.com/oVt3q0HYKK

— Osirion (@osirion_gg) August 7, 2025

Does Fortnite have crossplay?

Hey, here’s some good news in a world full of bad news: Fortnite features full crossplay! With this feature, you can team up with friends on other platforms with ease, ensuring that no one’s ever left out of the fun. Whether you’re on console, PC, or mobile devices, you can simply add your friends via Epic Games to get things going. Easy peasy!

Does Fortnite have cross-progression?

I’ve got some more good news for you: Fortnite features full cross-progression functionality, too. This means that you can play on your account across any supported device that you own. Get a few dubs on PS5, Xbox, or PC, then take the game on the go using your Nintendo Switch 2. And if you don’t want to drag a dedicated portable gaming device with you, just break out your phone for a few mobile matches. Yes, it really is that seamless.

In other words, anywhere you go, Fortnite is there. Watching. Waiting. Expecting you. Needing you. Feed it money. It’s hungry. You want that new skin. Buy it. Wear it. Your skin is bad. Its skin is good.

Anyway.

Fortnite is available now on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, and Windows PCs, and mobile devices.

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August 18, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

Leaked Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 release date suggests there’s still no Nintendo Switch 2 version at launch

by admin August 17, 2025

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 will reportedly release on 14th November, 2025, and there’s still no Nintendo Switch 2 release planned.

That’s according to noted and highly reliable Dealabs leaker billbil-kun, who suggests the latest instalment of Activision’s tentpole franchise will be coming to PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series, but will not be available on Switch at launch.

Why Tiktok Thirsts over Call of Duty’s Ghost.Watch on YouTube

We noted Nintendo Switch 2 was notably absent from the launch platform line-up when the game was revealed during Summer Games Fest, running counter to Microsoft’s 10-year promise to launch Call of Duty on Nintendo platforms on “the same day as Xbox, with full feature and content parity” if its gargantuan $69 billion offer to buy Activision Blizzard was approved. Which it was, of course.

At the time, however, sources confirmed to Eurogamer: “We’re committed to getting the franchise on Switch. Both teams [are] working on it. Will share details when ready.”

Dealabs posits that all this release information will be confirmed at next week’s Gamescom, including news of a physical release (with a disc included) and pre-orders set to go live on 20th August, following a reveal the night before at Opening Night Live. While U.S./UK pricing has yet to be leaked or confirmed, the leaker suggests it’ll retail for €79.99 in Europe. Xbox has, of course, previously pledged not to raise prices past $70 USD.

Former Activision Blizzard president Mike Ybarra thinks Battlefield 6 will “boot stomp” Call of Duty this year, and that this will push the CoD series to stop being “lazy”.

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August 17, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

How Long Is The Story?

by admin August 17, 2025

The latest game in the AI: Somnium Files series arrived last month, and it’s shorter than the previous ones. No Sleep for Kaname Date is actually a spin-off that takes place between the first two games, AI: The Somnium Files and AI: The Somnium Files -Nirvana Initiative-, as well as sees the return of our original protagonist, Kaname Date.

This time around, Kaname Date must save our favorite idol Iris after she gets abducted by a UFO and is forced to play various escape games to survive. Directed by Kazuya Yamada supervised by original series creator Uchikoshi, No Sleep for Kaname Date implements escape room puzzles similar to that of the Zero Escape series, which Uchikoshi also created. These escape room scenarios help pad out No Sleep for Kaname Date despite its much shorter length.

How long is No Sleep for Kaname Date?

No Sleep for Kaname has five chapters for you to play through, along with multiple “dead-end” endings.

In the game, you’ll have to go through “Somniums” (different from the escape rooms) which are pseudo puzzles that you’ll need to solve in order to progress the story. During these Somnium investigations, you’ll be on a timer, so you won’t have time to examine every item. But examining every item unlocks “eyeballs,” which are in-game currency that lets you unlock bonus content for after you’ve beaten the main story (don’t worry, there are no real-world microtransactions). You can also earn more eyeballs by finding collectibles throughout the game.

Some of the bonuses you can unlock include concept art and extra endings called “alternate alternate endings.” They cost a certain amount of eyeballs to unlock, and some of the bonuses may not appear until you’ve reached certain alternate endings in the story.

You will have to replay certain chapters, Somniums, and escape room puzzles to find the alternate endings, but thankfully, the game’s flowchart notes which chapters have them. That way, you won’t have to blindly search for them.

That being said, a full playthrough of No Sleep for Kaname Date should take you about 12-15 hours to complete, depending on how good you are at solving escape puzzles.

How many Achievements does No Sleep for Kaname Date have?

No Sleep for Kaname Date is available for Switch and Steam. While the former doesn’t have an achievement system, the latter does. Since this game is much shorter than the others, you’re looking at about an extra five hours to unlock all of the achievements.

Is No Sleep for Kaname Date on PlayStation or Xbox?

Right now, No Sleep for Kaname Date is only on Switch and Steam. While the previous two games are on all platforms, including PC, PlayStation, Switch, and Xbox, No Sleep for Kaname Date has not been announced for PlayStation and Xbox.

However, that doesn’t mean that developer Spike Chunsoft won’t bring them over later. 2023’s Master Detective Archives: Rain Code was a Switch exclusive until it came to all other platforms a little over a year later. Given AI: The Somnium Files, it’s definitely possible that No Sleep for Kaname Date will arrive on other platforms in the future.

No Sleep for Kaname Date – From AI: The Somnium Files launches on July 25 for Switch/Switch 2 and PC.

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August 17, 2025 0 comments