Powerslave Exhumed PC/Switch review

Powerslave Exhumed

Developed by: Night Dive Studios

Published by: Night Dive Studios

Date of Release: February 10, 2022

Price: $19.99

Well, today we're going to be looking at the classic Egyptian-themed metal album Powerslave by Iron Maiden. Wait no... what we have here is a classic FPS game being remastered for modern systems, my bad! Back in 1996 Lobotomy Software released this amazing game on the SEGA Saturn, powered by it's in-house SlaveDriver engine. Powerslave is a FPS set in Egypt during an alien invasion, and rather than just being a standard FPS affair it actually has a structure more reminiscent of Metroid Prime. Later on it would get a port to the Sony PlayStation, and also an entirely different and linear version for PC built on the same Build Engine that powered Duke Nukem 3D. Somewhat ironically, the SlaveDriver engine would power the Saturn version of Duke Nukem 3D (as well as Quake!).

Powerslave Exhumed is a combination of the best features of both the Saturn and PlayStation versions, all rolled into a delicious new burrito of first-person metroidvania goodness. Night Dive Studios have transplanted it into their tried and tested KEX engine, fitted with all the modern conveniences that one would expect from a remaster of this caliber. From widescreen graphics to a CRT filter that has a bevy of options to mess around with including simulations of the original console graphics, there's something here for everyone. It's quite an experience with both version to play Powerslave at 60 FPS in modern resolutions. The better visibility and control also make the platforming sections much more palatable.

The Switch version of Powerslave Exhumed has some lovely gyro aiming support, and using the joycons on the switch in handheld or using a pro controller both feel quite intuitive and snappy. As for the PC version, you can also play it with keyboard/mouselook, though at the time of writing there's no Y-axis inversion which makes things difficult for those who grew up on classic PC games, however the devs say support will be patched in as it was merely an oversight. All in all it's clear that a lot of love was put into this port, and it's nice that a new generation of gamers will be able to experience this definitive version of such a classic game. If you're a fan of retro shooters, metroidvanias, or just having a good time in general, I seriously recommend picking it up.

River City Girls PS5 Review

 River City Girls PS5

Developed By: WayForward
Published By: Arc System Works
Date of Release: January 20, 2022
Price: $29.99

Back in the good old NES days, there was one game that always had me coming back for more, it was the famous River City Ransom. A sidescrolling beat-em-up with mild RPG elements, it was an amazing experience and it blew my young mind. You'd beat the crap out of your foes, take their lunch money, and use it to level up in shops and spas. The gameplay was tight, and the graphics were awesome for the time. Later on I found out that River City Ransom is actually part of a larger series from japan known as Kunio-Kun, and I had a blast playing the other entries in the series whether they had been localized or not. There have been a lot of games in the series over the years covering a wide range of genres, and I loved them all. But that's all in the past though, in modern day 2019 Arc System Works teamed up with WayForward to make a new spinoff entry in the series: River City Girls, and it was AMAZING, very much worthy of it's place alongside the mainline Kunio games. And now with this re-release on the PS5 (with a free upgrade for PS4 owners might I add!) even more people can enjoy it.

River City Girls stars Kunio and Riki's girlfriends Kyoko and Misako as they set off on an ass-kicking adventure to rescue their missing boyfriends. And kick ass they do, with style and flair! The spritework in RCG is absolutely amazing, with fluid animation and amusingly exaggerated expressions on your foes as they receive their beatdown. The fighting system feels just as good as in the original games, and has some decent upgrades as well with EXP earned for knockouts, and the ability to recruit defeated foes. The music and voices are amazing, with an awesome assortment of vocal tracks backing some stages. The controls are tight, and fighting your foes feels great with awesomely destructive combos and special moves you can pull off. The DualSense controller really gives you a good sense of feedback through it's haptics as you pull off combos. The bosses are also incredibly punishing, until you figure out their attack patterns and grind a couple levels. When you finally beat them it feels like a real accomplishment.



The only complaint I really have with River City Girls is that the multiplayer is local couch co-op only. I'd have liked to play online with my friends but it just doesn't have that feature, and I suppose the timing would have been a nightmare to get going over the internets. But other than the lack of online, this is an amazingly solid experience. The local co-op is extremely well done, with friendly-fire options that can lead to plenty of amusing situations (and real world fights!). The story is extremely entertaining, overflowing with anime cutscenes and awesomely voiced manga panel based cutscenes to tell the story. River City Girls is every bit in the spirit of the rest of the Kunio-Kun series, and WayForward should be proud of what they accomplished. I'm absolutely looking forward to River City Girls 2 and Zero later this year.