Author: Xenojay

Damn did I enjoy my time with Saros. And thanks to the team at PlayStation NZ, we have a copy of the game and a backpack to giveaway! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qf3S7QUFVfw The story will haunt you: Saros is the ultimate evolution of the Housemarque gameplay-first experience. In their trailer at The Game Awards they focused on the mysterious and monstrous story and show how they are taking things to the next level. This is the biggest and most ambitious story yet from Housemarque. Saros is the haunting story of a lost off-world colony on Carcosa under an ominous eclipse. You play as…

“Thank you for 25” appears on the screen. I’m in shock and have to quickly search for this information. “Well there you have it…” I think. November 2001 was when the Microsoft XBOX went to market in North America. And ever since, it has maintained a strong position in the country. Maybe it’s brand loyalty for something that may be born and bred in America. Maybe they just wanted a broader market. Or it could be that that damned Call of Duty really took up a tonne of space in the hearts and minds of Western gamers. While the brand…

You have to appreciate a good pun. And a good rhyme also. One. Mum. Pun. What a run. Apparently you can’t stop me now, as I attempt to talk about TVNZ’s latest free-to-air television show, Ready Gamer Mum. Hosted by Mai FM’s Tegan Yorwarth, “it’s got a mix of gaming, competition, family chaos, and some genuinely wholesome moments throughout”. Because if anything is going to stop you from being a toxic gamer, it’s your Mum. Featuring 10 teams from “across the motu”, it manages to tick the cultural diversity box while suffering at the hands of the patriarchy, as we…

If there’s two things I love in life, it’s PlayStation and Korea. I know 2019 was the year K-pop took over my end of year wrap-ups. I tread within the territory of becoming a BLINK, the fandom for popular 3rd gen. group BLACKPINK. Yes, I even understand the generation system now. And I’ve been lucky enough to go to Korea, and bask in all its insane glory. The Korean war, which devastated the continent before ending in 1953,was quickly replaced with sprawling supercities that now houses over 50 million people. And hiding amongst these is a brand known as Lotte.…

We’re all gamers here, right? We make up a group of people that existed just outside of what they were trying to achieve with 2021’s Mortal Kombat. Wider audience marketability. We know our Sub-Zero’s from our Scorpion’s (while underutilized, I always appreciate the casting of Hiroyuki Sanada in a film). Our Sonya Blade’s and our Kano’s. So why the heck does Cole Young exist? I have a feeling my friends got sick of me prattling on about the titular ‘hero’ of the 2021 reboot. A convenient avatar for the audience, even more conveniently related to long-time fan favourite Scorpion. For…

BLAZING. I found it tricky to write up this review for SAROS. Not because of any kind of negative sentiment toward the game. Far from it. Even though I’ve reached an end, much like its predecessor, Returnal, I don’t think I’m at THE END. And it felt like an obsession was washing over me to chase it. Which means the game has succeeded in linking its gameplay to the narrative. Obsession. Arjun Devraj is an Enforcer for the Soltari corporation. Played by Rahul Kohli, they are sent to the alien planet Carcosa with the Echelon IV colony. Their mission? To…

Or how Rahul Kohli held my hand. Housemarque Creative Director Gregory Louden appears on-screen with a giant title next to him; “Housemarque is gameplay first”. He humbly points at it, remarks on what it means to the studio, and moves along. This is my introduction to the time I get to spend with their upcoming title, SAROS. During this brief start, they go over Housemarque’s history. While I played and enjoyed their game Returnal, I didn’t realise they were also the studio responsible for Resogun! I never played it myself, but I often heard and read that it was one…

Ryan’s Rocky Horror Picture Show. TAU CETI. It’s quite the popular term right now. As I found myself watching Project Hail Mary, written by Andy Weir. Adapted by Drew Goddard. Directed by Lord and Miller and starring Ryan Gosling. I felt myself almost leaping from the chair as they plotted a course for Tau Ceti. You know. The world all the Runners in Marathon are currently occupying. But alas, not in this universe. Instead, it might just be the answer to saving our world’s dying sun. A man awakes from an induced coma. He’s confused about who he is. Where…

Leon S. Kennedy is a married (to the job) man. It’s been 30 years. 30 years since a very specific zombie in the first major hallway of Spencer Mansion introduced us to the world of survival horror. At the time, our heroes Chris and Jill clumsily spun on the spot to attempt to evade the zombie. Alternatively, they could also risk their low supplies allowing them to venture further into the puzzling mansion. And right there is the direct influence of naming this genre: Survival meets horror. Since then, we narrowly avoided becoming a Jill sandwich. We’ve escaped our first…

“Electronics Bye-tique” When I was a young boy, my father took me into the city. To see a gaming store. I knew the day would come when I’d get to use ‘Welcome To The Black Parade’ by My Chemical Romance as an introduction. But I didn’t think it would be about Central Park Interactive. Wait. Sorry. The Gamesman. No, that’s wrong too. Unfortunately, the latest piece in the daisy chain of lost gaming retailers is EB Games; A stalwart of Aotearoa for over 25 years. A momentous effort if you ask me. Before we jump into the how’s, why’s and…