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So I’ve been immensely lucky to be invited into the NITE Team 4 closed beta. It’s lovely to see a game growing and developing right from it’s earliest playable stages. I really must stress the word “beta.” This title hasn’t even had a sniff of Early Access yet. The experience may well have changed by the time you get to see the game, though I genuinely can’t see how this could happen for the worse and as it’s a true beta I can only tell you about what I’ve seen and played so don’t get snippy if some of my information is a bit sketchy.

In NITE Team 4, you take the role of a mercenary hacker. In the campaign you join a war theater and then go about completing missions for whichever government has hired you. The two operations that are present at the moment involve a somewhat dodgy senator who appears to be selling arms to people he shouldn’t be and an eco-terrorist group. Each theater has a string of missions attached to it and completing them unlocks the next part of the story.

This is your mission hub. Different theatres are present here.

To give you something different to do you have the Hivemind Network. This is a bit more complicated to explain, it’s also set for those experienced with the game and it’s hard. The Hivemind involves a series of hackable nodes which to my understanding are connected. Generally you won’t get all of the information you need from one of these to actually completely hack it. So far I’ve managed to break one and found a hidden information dealer. I’m in the process of juggling three different nodes now just to break one of them and although complicated it’s proving a gigantic amount of fun.

This isn’t just a single player experience. You can join a team of friends in an attempt to solve the game’s intricate puzzles. This also leads to the last and possibly most interesting part of the game. There are bigger puzzles hidden in files that you collect as you go. From my understanding these require real life net searches to solve and are generally designed for the community over the single player. I can’t speak for this yet as I haven’t gotten that far but my it’s all very intriguing stuff. The idea of being able to go beyond the limits of the game makes the whole experience so much bigger and of course extends the play-ability of the title by a pretty large amount.

Just one of your many tools. This guy is going to be one of your best friends.

You take control of the Stinger OS, an operating system full of hacking tools and other useful files that allow you to go about your job. You are then tasked with using these tools to complete some of the challenges I mentioned earlier. The thing about this is you aren’t given a great deal of information on exactly what you need to do. This is a game where you actually have to use your brain. You might, for instance be asked to hack into a phone. This is easier said than done as your target might be encrypted and unfindable. What you might need to do is find a wifi signal that’s been used by the device, hack into that, then into a vulnerable phone linked to your target and only then onto your actual goal. This takes time and a process of elimination that I really love.

This might all only be one relatively small step into solving a bigger problem. It’s so nice not to be given everything on a plate at the start and just asked to rely on your own skill to complete the task set before you. This same process applies to many parts of the game. Whether you’re hacking a website, locating an individual or getting a password everything comes in a series of logical steps. The thing is, a lot of this is only logical when you’ve figured it out. I think I’ve lost count of the number of facepalm moments I’ve had with this game.

The interface is as it should be. We’re hacking, not just pressing a series of buttons.

The interface you’re using is ultra realistic. In fact, a lot of what you encounter has been based on real life scenarios and this does wonders for NITE Team 4 as a whole. This is a game that feels real and this is really important to making the experience work. This extends to the way you play. You run searches and activate programs by typing commands, not pushing a button and watching the game do all the work for you. You have to be accurate as much as a little bit smart but I think that this is sort of the core of hacking. I actually ended up with a pen and paper making a lot of notes. What modern games see you writing an essay just to get through a puzzle? This is a really old school way of doing things and it’s more than welcome. I remember the days when you sat and drew maps, you don’t need to do that anymore now do you?

As you can see I only have good things to say about this game thus far. My negatives are not in the experience so let’s call them a series of warnings. First off, this is not a game for the impatient, if you want a game that gives you everything on a plate I’d genuinely look elsewhere. Next up. NITE TEAM 4 takes time. If you are a gamer that only picks up and plays in short bursts then I’m not sure you’ll get the most out of this experience. I lost three full evenings of my life and I’m far from cross about it, but I had three full evenings to lose, you might not. The last thing I’d say is that if you’re easily frustrated you might not have as much fun either. Everything about this title is trial and error and this is hampered by the need to type accurately. If you’re literally a keystroke wrong in telling one of your tools to do something it will perform the wrong task or not start at all. I found myself doing things over and over just down to my own silly typos. It’s annoying but as we’re coming back to realism it’s something that needs to be present in the game.

The Hivemind. You have to find the nodes before you can hack them. It’s all about triangulation.

If you don’t count as any of the above and you, like me, want to play a hacking game that actually works, this is definitely something to watch out for. I’m going to go back and complete everything I possibly can. I’m also going to be following all the progress of NITE Team 4 so definitely expect to see more on this in the coming months. Not only do I genuinely love this title but I want to see it do well, plus the mystery that is present in everything you do in the game is palpable and keeps drawing me back. I’m running out of nice things to say now so I’m going to go and log back in to my OS and lose another week of my life. I’ve also just realized I’ve gotten through this entire piece without one of my awful puns. This game is hack-tastic. There. Much better.

This preview is based on a beta build of the game provided by the publisher.

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Get caught sailing in Dark Waters for too long means this guy will devour your ship with a satisfying crunch.

Controls and combat are fairly simple. You move your ship around with WASD or the left stick and control what cannons fire by moving the camera around. There’s no crew or individual sail management here, which help keep combat fast and snappy. I played with both controller and keyboard just fine which means great things for future console support if the devs have time. Learning Maelstrom takes no time at all, but the real exhilaration comes from mastering the other combat and RPG-style systems weaved into the simple controls.

Each ship comes equipped with three cannon-shot types that can cause hull, sail or crew damage to an enemy ship, which can cripple opponents in different ways. Tapping out an opponent’s sails destroys their speed and maneuverability, making for an easy target for long-range assaults. Crew damage can be especially potent; reducing an enemy crew count below a certain threshold means they can no longer board your ship, and fewer crew members also mean your ship repairs passively at a much slower rate.

Riding the edge of the massive whirlpool (called the Maelstrom) can give a massive boost of speed, perfect for ramming that slow-moving Dwarven ship for huge hull damage.

Factions, ship types, choice of captain and loadout customizations also play a huge factor in deciding your play style and success against enemy ships. Ork ships, for example, often have cannons and abilities that excel in close quarters, while Dwarven steam ships tend to pelt opponents farther away with heavier cannons and omnidirectional fire. Thanks to the number of options available to customize your load outs with, the game feels fairly balanced. There were some problems fairly early in release with setups built around ship ramming and crew damage, but the devs have quickly adjusted those issues in weeks since launch.

What I love most about Maelstrom is the level of care Gunpowder Games put into making it feel like epic ship combat, while still retaining arcade-style elements that keep matches fun and loose. Every cannon shot explodes with a thunderous crack and lands with a satisfying thud of splintering wood. The exaggerated ship designs ooze character and provide an important tool for players since each faction’s style is easily recognizable from a distance. Even losing a match can be a treat, because you can watch the last players duke it out in spectacular fashion from the comfort of a tiny lifeboat after death.

The Gorger is the best boarding ship in the game, and with a good crew and a few loadout tweaks, you can ensure no ship will escape from your boarding hooks unscathed.

What I want to see next in Maelstrom is simply more content. The game surpassed its Kickstarter goal of $10,000 by a little over $6,000, but there were plenty of stretch goals for single player content, new mechanics, co-op modes and a new faction, so hopefully, they are able to add some of those elements during their Early Access period. A single player campaign would be a huge task and I’m not sure Maelstrom even needs it with how fun the core multiplayer gameplay is, but I can understand the appeal. Personally, I think a game like this would actually benefit from cosmetics earned over time or by completing in-game challenges. Gunpowder Games has delivered a rock-solid foundation for fantastic, fast-paced naval combat with the Early Access release of Maelstrom and I’m excited to sink many more hours (and ships) while the team polishes this game for full release.

This review is based on an early release copy of the game provided by the publisher.

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Trailblazers is a team-based racing game that draws as much on science fiction as it does on 1950s hot rod culture for aesthetic inspiration. In teams of three, the aim is quite obviously to cross the finish line before your opposition; what makes things a little more interesting is that you’ll be blazing a trail of team-specific coloured skid marks as you drive. The path you paint will serve as a boost pad for your team mates, so you’ll need to think tactics while you drive if you want to demolish your opponents.

The game boasts a roster of quirky drivers, each with their own set of stats and driving styles, as well as a wide but unspecified number of gorgeous circuits to tear up. Trailblazers will feature a campaign that will throw out a ton of unique chapters and challenges; the real fun, though, will clearly lie in its online/local multiplayer game-mode (one that also features cross-platform play).

Of course, there are also masses of whacky vehicles to choose from, many of which defy both traditional aerodynamic form and efficient mechanical function. But boy, do they look fun.

With artwork from BAFTA award-winner Will Milton, and a soundtrack filled to the brim with Future Funk tracks from the likes of Skope and Derevolutions, Trailblazers is actually starting to hold my attention. Particularly given that the fabulously-titled Supergonk is based in sunny Guildford, UK. And guess what? It’s out now, on console and PC.

If you want to find out more, check out the Trailblazers website here.

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The FIFA 2018 World Cup Russia update is actually pretty radical, when you think about it. Previous World Cups have been immortalised with their own EA game, a sort of spin-off franchise that seemed to begin in 1986 (can you believe?). So not only is this DLC, it is also serving in place of a full game, and will be available free of charge from May 29th. In other news, pigs have been spotted soaring over rural areas across the globe.

I’m going to stop scapegoating EA now, because I enjoyed Battlefield very much.

The update will include a new tournament experience complete with authentic national teams (hopefully not too authentic, else no-one will actually play as the English side); stadiums straight from the hosting Russia; official kits and badges; and even a gloriously-rendered Match Ball and Winner’s Trophy. You’ll be able to lead your nation to glory in a fully customisable representation of the qualifiers through to finals; if you’re a Yank, getting further than the quarter-finals will be something of a shock, so take it slowly.

FIFA 18‘s Ultimate Team mode will also benefit from the new 2018 World Cup Russia update. The international squads and players – including ICONS, renowned football legends you may be too young to remember – will be available for you to assemble at your leisure, allowing you to sign the most outrageously good players on the planet and dismantle your opposition with more ferocity than Germany did the home side during the 2014 World Cup semi-finals. Who says gamers can’t also use Google be into sports?

If you’re a fan of FIFA Mobile, fear not: the 2018 World Cup Russia update will also affect the app, allowing you to foster one of the 32 qualified national teams (or one of the remaining non-qualifiers) and lead them to glory on the world stage.

The FIFA 2018 World Cup Russia update is due to launch on PS4, Xbox One, Switch and PC on May 29th, with the FIFA Mobile app receiving an update on June 6th for a limited time. The update will affect all normal FIFA game modes, from split-screen Kick-Off to Online Tournaments. Obviously, you’ll need FIFA 18 and an internet connection to play.

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Dungeon Stars is a side scrolling, hack and slash, dungeon crawler which is now available in Steam’s Early Access for $14.99. This title is being pitched as an evolution of the classic dungeon brawl, full of button smashing action. The game is set in a world populated by lovable characters and a beautiful 3D environment with procedurally generated levels for those of you who, like me, love some good replay value.

This title sees you taking control of a team of three heroes, collected from a pool of fifteen in total. Each of these has their own unique powers and special quests to perform. You will be able to switch characters into your squad on the fly, dependent on the challenges you’re being pitted against. This is actually interesting, as it’s allowing for really fluid gameplay, as opposed to picking your team, getting smashed and have to go back and start from scratch with a different setup. Your heroes can also be leveled up (somewhat of a necessity in this sort of game), allowing them to unlock new abilities, equip magical gems and enlist the help of pets who will give them new powers. All this will allow you to tailor your squad to the way you play.

You will take your band of adventurers into a game spanning over 40 procedurally generated adventures with random encounters, secret rooms and loot which will never be the same twice. From here, the real action begins as you find yourself smashing through waves of enemies and powering up special abilities in an attempt to slay more powerful foes and bosses. If you’re clever, skillful and maybe a bit lucky, you’ll be able to defeat the dungeons before you and succeed.

“It is great to see the indie development team born from our partnership with Furnace Games taking their first step towards a bigger audience and we are excited to see the progress and how player feedback shapes Dungeon Stars in the coming months in Early Access,” said Johan Eile CEO of Riposte Games and Co.

Let’s remember that this isn’t a finished product yet. Those of you participating in the Early Access will help shape the final details of the game. The devs are keen for your opinion to be heard and your input will go a long way into shaping the final release. When Dungeon Stars is a fully finished article, players can expect a number of new features, optimizations and enhancements to be released during the Early Access period and of course after launch. These changes are said to potentially include new dungeons, characters and modes for the game.

If you like a good bit of hack and slash violence, love a dungeon crawl or just want to see what Dungeon Stars is all about, you can go and join the fun at the Steam page here. From what we’re seeing this title certainly has a very classic arcade feel with some interesting new elements thrown into the mix. Even if you don’t want to throw yourself into a fledgling game just yet, Dungeon Stars could well be worth keeping a eye on in the months up until launch. The finished article could potentially be very good indeed.

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