Heave-Ho is a multiplayer party title that can without warning, become something of a study in connection, bonding, rope swings and the thrill of hurling yourself into the unknown with friends and loved ones.
Whether you call it a rapid turned-based strategy title, a choreographed adventure, or rhythm-based questing, this Nintendo-backed mash up of Zelda and Curse of the NecroDancer is new sort of take on the dance game genre.
Despite the outlandish nature of their undead antagonists, there is something comfortingly human about the shared experience of playing zombie video games. This is an experience of digging deep with friends and strangers, hoping to last out against the unpredictable, chaotic and feral nature of the universe with only cooperation, a semi-secure door and some Molotov cocktails.
What is a videogame between friends? With the recent release of Super Mario Maker 2, the answer is a lot more open than one could have been conceived during the digital plumber’s 80s heyday.
The gameplay similarities between a 16 year-old PS2 football simulation and a recently released 2D bullet-time stunt shooter on the Switch may not be immediately obvious. Yet both try to create a feeling of transcending all too human physical and mental limitations, with very different levels of success, argues Neil Merrett
The colourful and diverse world of Marvel Comics is simplistically recreated in the New Ultimate Alliance game. At your disposal is a whole host of visually arresting superpowers, from electro webbing, to kicks from shapeshifting feet and insectoid energy attacks that are available to the player at the touch of a button – or eight of them rather.
Pity those with power, yet lacking the experience to use it wisely. Perhaps a key appeal of Blizzard’s long running action-RPG series is understanding something rather fundamental about what it means to be gifted with incredible talent and abilities, and wise enough to appreciate them
