Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, is it a hidden jewel? Or should it have stayed buried beneath the sands? I genuinely wasn’t sure when I started it up. It’s been years since the last entry in the Prince of Persia franchise and until I started playing Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, I didn’t realise how much I missed hopping around the sands of mythic Persia.

This time around players follow Sargon. He is an orphan who is part of ‘The Immortals’ a warrior band who protect the Persian nation. Along with his brothers and sisters, led by Vahram, they are tasked with saving their prince when he is kidnapped.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown may be the biggest surprise of the year for me. I’m going to be honest, I thought I’d review it, find it middling and then move on. To my wonder and surprise what I found was an interactive fable.

The combat is fluid, the animation and graphics stunning and the score, simply epic. There is nothing I would change about Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. I had so much fun playing, and completing this game.

Looks like a Prince, but built like a Knight

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a charming Metroidvania. Mount Qaf is a fascinating world jam-packed with lore. To further fill out Mount Qaf are characters dotted around to add depth as well as to offer you goods, services and quests. As you try and find your lost prince, you’ll come up against a lot of challenges, and a lot of enemies and the only way through this time wimey mountain of madness is to utilise the feathers of Simurgh, which grants you a host of time manipulation abilities.

If this sounds familiar, you’ve likely played many Metroidvanias. One such title I felt Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown resembled was Hollow Knight. The world is alive and you’ve to keep up to date with all the denizens of Mount Quaf, mini-bosses can be found anywhere and there is a lot of retreading the same corridors to unlock all kinds of new secrets.

Sargon has many abilities that can be utilised in puzzles as well as in battle. One particular ability of his I love is the time remnant ability. You place a second version of yourself, and you then can move any distance away from it and if you need to for a puzzle or to dodge an attack you can teleport back to that remnant. It’s an excellent ability with multiple capabilities.

What kept me coming back to Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, was the sheer beauty of the world. It’s stunning, with vibrant colours that make these characters pop off the screen. It is easily the most visually arresting game I’ve played this year. Add the Metroidvania gameplay and the charm of the narrative and I think this is a hard game not to love.

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Assassin’s Creed Mirage brings us back to the basics of the franchise. Gone are the huge maps and witcher-esque fighting of the last three instalments. Ubisoft takes us down a nostalgic Animus trip by stripping the game back to where it began, with stealth, and a lot of stabbing. Was this a genius move or just laziness? Let’s find out.

Looking back, over my shoulder

Assassin’s Creed Mirage is set in 9th Century Baghdad, it tells the story of familiar face Basim Ibn Ishaq first seen in Valhalla, so it serves as a prequel of sorts, from lowly thief to master Assassin, a story that kinda features a lot in the franchise. Mirage simplifies the battle between the Hidden Ones and The Order (Assassins vs Templars). It plays much like the earlier games, with diverse mission designs and set-pieces, all framed around investigation and stealth in carefully designed city areas.

Parkour has also been stripped back, with just holding a button to automatically leap from obstacle to obstacle. This is maybe a little too stripped back, all the way back to when it was clunky at times. Sometimes you just leap off a building in the wrong direction for no reason or can’t parkour over a small wall when you just climbed up the huge city walls.

I’m glad that there is such emphasis on stealth kills. When you do mess up and alert the numerous city guards the fighting is less than desirable. I found that a lot of the time pressing the attack button didn’t register. When it did the enemy didn’t flinch or react.

It’s the little things

Places where Assassin’s Creed Mirage excels are the story missions, Contracts, and pickpocketing of unexpecting victims. Mirage has some great missions that remind you why you fell in love with the series. Whether it’s stalking victims, or infiltrating Baghdad’s most secure areas. It never fails to keep things interesting and varied, without getting overly repetitive.

The contract missions are also good fun. Each bureau has a contract notice board with various types of requests. You can be sneaking your way into a camp to save a prisoner in one. Then the next stealing a boat in a merchant compound. They are a nice break from the storyline and a way to grind much-needed materials and tokens. But my favourite thing to do in the whole game is pickpocketing. Nothing joys me more than sneaking up to someone, relieving them of their wealth. Then I hide just in earshot and wait to see how long it takes for them to realize they’ve been robbed. It’s the simple things in the life of a master assassin.

Lightening doesn’t strike twice

When Mirage works it really works. There is a great Assassin’s Creed game hidden in there but all the great missions and beautifully crafted city can’t paper over the buggy cracks. Just like in other pop culture platforms nostalgia can only get you so far. I hope all the die-hards who were crying to Ubisoft to bring back old-school Assassin’s Creed are happy because I would kill for another Odyssey.

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Friends, I got to demo Avatar Frontiers of Pandora. I had the honour of taking part in a 2.5 hour demo session that covered 4 main quests from the upcoming open world adventure. There were side quests available, but by now you all know I’m a tad on the slow side, so I didn’t get to those. I did, however, experience a couple of random encounters. But enough of the ramble, let’s do this properly! Very minor spoiler warning for the 4 main quests alone.

What is Avatar Frontiers of Pandora?

Just in case you’ve missed this, let’s start with a quick rundown of what Avatar Frontiers of Pandora is. Avatar Frontiers of Pandora is a first-person open world action adventure. The game is based on the Avatar film series, and is being developed by Massive Entertainment, with Ubisoft publishing. You will play as a Na’vi orphan, raised and trained by the RDA. However, after training, Na’vi was placed in suspended animation. They will awake 15 years later, in an abandoned facility.

You’ll get to explore Pandora, learn about your character’s Na’vi heritage from the native tribes, and take the fight back to the RDA. Just to name a few things. The story also partially links in to the movies. As well as this, Avatar is set to support 2-player co-op multiplayer.

Demoing Avatar Frontiers of Pandora

Like I said at the start, the playable content available in the Avatar Frontiers of Pandora demo covered 4 main quests. These quests were:

• The Eye of Eywa
• Take Flight
• Those Who Guide Us
• Pushing Back

In The Eye of Eywa, you are tasked with finding mangrove hive nectar. This is to be used for the Kinglor in ritual. This beautifully introduced the world, and some of the incredible landscape within.

In Take Flight, you get to ascend the Ikran Rookery. Here, you will befriend your very own Ikran, and learn how to fly. Friends, do not do what I did here. It is not a good idea to walk behind the Ikran. They will lash out and knock you. Potentially over the cliff, at least in my experience.

In Those Who Guide Us you get to really put your flying skills to the test. This quest takes you to a Floating Mountain, and to Storyteller’s Stone, where you will learn more about Na’vi friend Nefika, and her story.

In Pushing Back we get to take the fight to the RDA (for the first time, anyways). This is a mix of combat and stealth. You’ll begin with hacking and destroying some RDA aerial devices, and then move on to an RDA outpost. This is where the stealth comes in, but if like me stealth is not your forte, there are places to hide while moving through the outpost.

Will Avatar Frontiers of Pandora be worth the wait?

By now, everyone probably knows me more for talking about horror and dinosaurs. Avatar Frontiers of Pandora is very much out of my normal wheelhouse. Before playing the demo, I was already interested in this game. I love strong, story driven experiences, and the world looked stunning in all trailers and promotional material. Everyone also knows I’m pretty critical of demos and how much/little they show.

I am so truly happy to say that Avatar Frontiers of Pandora is genuinely shaping up to be fantastic. The demo was super well done. Included quests nicely showcased the different gameplay aspects and the world its set in. Although I definitely need more flying practice. Though this was much easier as the demo was played with controller. I feel on release, controller will be the best way to play the game.

The gameplay itself is very smooth, in some ways reminiscent of the Assassin’s Creed franchise, but more updated. I also don’t think I’ve ever seen a more beautifully designed world to date. The audio design is very well done, perfectly adding to the real feel of the world. Without a doubt, it felt like taking steps on another planet.

I loved the demo for Avatar Frontiers of Pandora, and I cannot wait for the full release in December. Although I personally will be playing on Xbox Series X. This is definitely going to be something special.

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Jade’s Just Dance Check In

Since our opener a couple of weeks ago, I’ve really had to take a step back. I’ve not been able to dance the way that I’ve wanted to. Right after my last check in, I tested positive for Covid-19 for the second time. Funnily enough, it was around that same time last year that I first contradicted it. For five days straight, I could barely leave my bed as I was so very ill.

Thankfully, while I missed a few days, Just Dance has a way to get back into the swing of things on a kinder path. Although there aren’t many, there are seated dances. I’ve been rotating through Rare, God is a Woman, Side to Side and Under the Sea. I’ve been able to take things slowly while I build my strength back up. I’m looking forward to getting back to more dancing. As it stands, I’ve noticed my first little bit of weight loss! Even with being ill, I feel like I’m on the right track.

My favourite song from my latest rotation is God is a Woman.

Steph’s Just Dance Check In

So far, I’ve found Just Dance is really helping me to become more active and has been giving me more energy. I’ve been looking forward to coming home from work to play, especially as the weather has been horrible lately. Just Dance has been a great way for me to still keep active. I love the songs 2023 includes, especially As It Was by Harry Styles. I also love Bangarang, that was one of my favourites from previous games.

Some nights I start off with slow easy songs, but I also love doing the hard ones. I enjoy giving myself a challenge! I want to focus more on higher difficulty songs as dancing has really been helping with how I’ve been feeling mentally. Being able to push through and dance on tougher days leaves me feeling accomplished.

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Steph and I love to dance and have a laugh while doing it. So, we have a challenge set for ourselves now. We’re doing daily Just Dance 2023 sessions. We’ve been doing this for two weeks now. And friends, we are already seeing a difference in ourselves.

Jade’s First Session Feedback

Last year, I got Covid-19. My lungs and chest haven’t been the same since. It attacked the weakest part of my immune system, and it still impacts my day-to-day living. Honestly, it’s been very disheartening. Steph and I like to go on adventures together, be it a simple walk or a girl’s day out, and more.

We had our first girl’s day out since starting our dancing on Thursday 20th July. We walked over 12km, and already I’m noticing a difference. I feel like some of the strength has started coming back to my lungs, as Just Dance really pushes your system into gear. It’s been the most beneficial thing for my health and fitness so far. And when I’m already seeing a difference after just a couple of weeks, I cannot wait to see how it keeps going for me. One of my goals by the end of this is to be EPIC at Rasputin, that’s been my favourite dance since I started playing Just Dance a few years ago.

My current favourite song/dance is Woman by Doja Cat.

Steph’s First Session Feedback

For me, Just Dance has been really helping me out on the mental health front. I’m on my feet all day in work, so I get a base level of exercise through that. So, getting to come home and dance is a really good pick-me-up after a long day. I’m a big fan of a lot of the songs, which motivates me a lot more to keep going. It keeps me wanting to be active, and feeling more upbeat.

In general, I have been feeling happier overall since I started playing Just Dance 2023. I’ve also been feeling happier in myself, and more accomplished. I’m really excited to be on this journey, and looking forward to keeping it going.

My current favourite song/dance is Dynamite by BTS.

We’ll be checking back in with our next Just Dance update in a couple of weeks! We can’t wait to share our next milestone with everyone!

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Explore the path of Xia in Assassin’s Creed Codename Jade, set in the third century BC, during the time of one of the first unified dynasties in China. An unprecedented era of trade and cultural exchange between East and West is just beginning, but with this comes new challenges and threats lurking in the shadows.

From the Great Wall outside the empire’s borders to the imperial capital of Xianyang, journey through a world filled with ancient history and hidden dangers. Defend against the Xiongnu and work to dismantle conspiracies, taking on greater responsibilities, and facing new challenges.

An Assassin’s Creed adventure for free, anywhere, anytime: Level Infinite is working closely with Ubisoft to create a true high-quality Assassin’s Creed game experience made for mobile platforms. Climb through cities, parkour from roof to roof, assassinate targets in multiple ways and engage in exciting combat.

A huge open world to explore: Step into ancient China and journey through 2,000 years of history! Explore the prestigious dynasties of the East, defend the Great Wall and uncover the secrets of the terracotta warriors. Experience the breathtaking scenery of Xianyang, the imperial centre, and mingle with eastern merchants.

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Oddballers is a game that harkens back to the simple five rules: Dodge, Duck, Dip, Dive and Dodge. If that reference means nothing to you, I will make it simple. It is a fun little multiplayer game about dodgeball from Ubisoft. But is it any good?

Dodgeball at its core is a rather simplistic game. You pick up a ball and try to hit your opponent, whilst trying to avoid being hit. In this game, however, they have added a tonne of little variances to each match in order to keep each game fresh.

Oddballers is odd-ly satisfying

They can range from catching and throwing chickens, and goals, such as breaking the other team’s portable toilet and collecting honey. Suitably wacky and bizarre and has a welcome amount of variation.

The game types are single-player or team-based matches that are never less than frenetic. Even when you are eliminated, you can still control your character in some form to wreak havoc among the remaining players.

The different stadia in the game also have their own unique individual game styles and features. This ensures that each game feels slightly different but also somewhat familiar. It strikes a nice balance so as not to feel you need to relearn the controls after each game.

Speaking of controls, they are very user-friendly, and simple. You use the analogue stick to move your player and throw items with one of the buttons or the shoulder buttons. No surprises, no convoluted combos, and no unnecessary faffing about, making it accessible to games of all ages and skill sets.

The graphics are bright, fun, vibrant and cartoony. That is pretty much what a game like this needs. You are able to customise nearly every aspect of your player’s appearance by buying accessories with earned XP. It is very reminiscent of the way the customisation in Fall Guys works.

The sound design is fine. Nothing too remarkable but it is in keeping with the fun and wacky atmosphere the game evokes. Plenty of grunts, fast passed music and strange sound effects.

Playing with yourself

As with most sports-based games, Oddballers is at its best when played with other people. This is the main problem with the game. Even though Oddballers offers crossplay functionality across all platforms, there, unfortunately, does not seem to be a regularly active userbase which can lead to disappointingly long waiting times when searching for a game. Sometimes you cannot find a game at all.

But there is a local multiplayer option so if you have someone with you that is up for some dodgeball-related hijinks, this game offers a lot of fun.

There is a single-player option where you compete against AI opponents, but it does not hold the same appeal. It is not nearly as rewarding to beat the AI-controlled characters as it is to beat actual people. Gloating at lines of code just does not give the same sense of smugness and satisfaction.

Overall, Oddballers is a very competent multiplayer party game. The only downfall is there does not seem to be an appetite for it at the moment. But when the game works, it works very well and is well worth a spin at the €14.99 price tag on the PS Store.

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What is The Crew: Motorfest?

This one-of-a-kind festival will let players enjoy the best experiences car culture has to offer. Motorfest will allow car lovers to fulfil their ultimate action-driving bucket list. Through a series of tailor-made races, themed events, and other unique challenges players will experience a lot of adventure. Whatever your favourite car style, The Crew Motorfest has something for everyone.

The Crew Motorfest has settled down in one of the most breathtaking and vibrant places on Earth: the island of O‘ahu in the Hawaiian archipelago. This is the perfect playground for players to have fun together in with their vehicles. You can race through the city streets of Honolulu, going down the ashy volcano slopes, adventuring deep in the lush rainforest, drifting along the curvy mountain roads, or just chilling on the sunny beach. On their own or with their crew, they will be able to explore the entire island. You will be behind the wheel of hundreds of the most legendary vehicles.

To get involved, some of the most engaged players will be able to get behind the wheel early through the Insider Program, starting now. This closed test, split into different phases, will help the development team gather feedback. This feedback will ensure an optimal player experience at launch and beyond. The first phase of the Insider Program will be limited to PC in order to allow for quick iterations. During the final phases, this closed test will open up to consoles.

If you’re interested, register now here.

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What is Anno 1800?

Anno 1800 is a strategy game, that gives players the opportunity to show off their leadership skills: build gigantic metropolises, set up efficient and profitable logistical networks, colonise an exotic new continent, charter expeditions to the four corners of the globe, and dominate their opponents diplomatically, commercially or militarily.

Developed by the very same studio behind the original PC version of the game, Ubisoft Mainz, the Anno 1800 Console Edition will offer players the full Anno experience with a completely redesigned User interface and controls, powered by the next generation of consoles.

“Anno 1800 is a great success story for the studio and the 25-year-old Anno brand. The popularity and the success of the game on PC gave us the opportunity to develop a console version of the game, thanks to the power of the next generation of consoles. Bringing our most successful Anno game on consoles is a real chance for us to let new players discover our award-winning game for the first time and join our amazing community.” said Stéphane Jankowski, Executive Producer.

Starting right now, players can pre-order Anno 1800 Console Edition.

Two versions to choose from

•           The Standard version includes the base game and the biggest game updates.

•           The Deluxe version contains the base game, the biggest game updates and three cosmetics packs: the Pedestrian Zone, the Amusements Pack and Vibrant Cities.  

Early adopters pre-ordering or purchasing the game, will enjoy the imperial and the console founder packs, containing extra cosmetic bonuses, along with the digital artbook and soundtrack. In addition, all cosmetic packs will be available to purchase.  

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Just Dance 2023, where in the name of all that’s holy do I start with this review? I’m sure when Ubisoft was creating this game and who their target demographic would be, I would be last on their list. An unfit, 41-year-old man who thinks modern music “isn’t as good as it used to be” wouldn’t be exactly who they had hoped would critique their latest release. But here we are.

Ubisoft’s latest instalment in the Just Dance franchise. It promises to be the biggest and best version of their famous and ridiculously popular game. Does it live up to the hype?

We all know what to expect from this franchise; pick a song and mimic the onscreen choreography prompts to achieve the highest score possible. Your movements are registered by holding a mobile device in your hand as you get your groove on. Obviously, this has limitations but surprisingly, more often than not, it is quite accurate considering the fact that only one hand’s movements is picked up. If your dance involves hip thrusts and kicks etc, the game doesn’t know that you have actually performed these moves which makes the scoring less than reliable at certain times.

Wow. You can really dance!

Games like these live and die by the song choices available. This is where Ubisoft has really upped the ante. There is an option to subscribe to Just Dance+ which includes a large number of titles and genres to choose from. Ubisoft will add new songs and dances throughout the year with this subscription. If this is your type of game, it really is amazing value for money at €24.99 for 12 months.

It was brought to my attention that there is one glaring omission to the game. That is the lack of ability to curate your own playlist of your favourite songs. There are plenty of pre-built setlists to choose from, but not every song will be to your taste. With the number of songs included, it can be a little frustrating to have to go through the menus to select your favourite song after each dance. It would make more sense to have the ability to have them teed up and ready to go.

The visuals are quite impressive, especially for a game where graphics are not all that important. The colours are vibrant, the camera angles cut in time to the music, and each song looks and feels different. It would have been easy to have not gone to the effort to make it look so polished, but they really have gone the extra mile here.

Oooh I wanna dance with somebody

There is an online co-op mode, but I didn’t give that much of a spin. I can imagine the response I’d get if I sent my similarly aged friends a request to join me in dancing to Dua Lipa. But from what I can see, it’s a functional mode that allows you to compete against your friends online from the comfort of your own houses. A welcome feature.

As I said earlier, this game is niche. It won’t be for everybody. Did I enjoy it? Not particularly. But why would they aim a game at men my age who think Taylor Swift is a speedy suit-maker? But I understand its appeal.

It’s the perfect game if you have a few friends around for some pre-drinks before heading out to show off your dance moves for real. It’s great for people who have any interest in dancing. The choreography is actually quite intricate and faithful if you up the difficulty level. It’s also ideal for children. My 12-year-old absolutely loves it and it’s a great way to sneakily encourage her to exercise and improve her dance technique. The game can be as complicated or as simple as you want to make it.

So, Just Dance 2023 is an impressive title for anyone with even a passing interest in busting some moves. They won’t convert old codgers like me, but they don’t need to. It doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel. It looks great and has plenty of variety to keep every type of dancer happy.

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