Playdead’s Inside is mostly known as a spiritual sequel to Limbo. It’s a really strange game, and the imagery in it will probably make you ask questions about the society it depicts and how it could relate to our current real-life one. Some people love it greatly, other people don’t. Standard for a game really.

If you’ve heard things about it and are curious, but not enough to take the plunge and buy it there’s some good news – there’s now a demo available for the game on Steam. The demo starts you right at the start, as you are chased through some dark and foreboding woods by mysterious men and their dogs.

Just head over to Inside’s Steam page if you want to try before you buy and decide once and for all if this is a game you want to buy and play. It gets really strange at the end though, don’t say I didn’t warn you.

No Man’s Sky did not have a great reception on launch. It has fans who love the game, but the criticism against it has been loud and actually pretty on point. I’m of the opinion that the game was never going to live up to the hype but that’s just me, I’ve learned to wait and see and not expect too much.

Anyway, after launch the developers Hello Games have been very quiet – so quiet in fact a lot of people weren’t very happy. In fact, the only bit of communication from the ‘developers’ was the time Hello Games’ Twitter was hacked to say that NMS was a ‘mistake’ so it doesn’t really count. However, Hello Games have now broken their silence with a blog post, in which they explain why they’ve been so quiet. Basically, they’ve been working on a new update for the game which will be released soon.

The Foundation Update will be adding the groundwork for the base building which is expected to arrive in a later update. Detailed patch notes aren’t out yet, but surely improvements to the game are a good thing right?

During the ‘quiet’ period Hello Games say that they’ve been working hard on the update, as well as testing it and certification for the patch. This will also signal the start of the ongoing support many people have been asking for and worried that Hello wouldn’t be providing due to their silence and the game’s lackluster reception.

Speaking about the criticism leveled against the game, Hello Games wrote: “The discussion around No Man’s Sky since release has been intense and dramatic. We have been quiet, but we are listening and focusing on improving the game that our team loves and feels so passionately about. Positive or negative feedback, you have been heard and that will truly help to make this a better game for everyone. This update will be the first small step in a longer journey. We hope you can join us.”

Once more details on the Foundation Update are released we will update you.

Okay, I know it’s still November, but we’re very close to December here which is when Christmas stuff is allowed. Also, this is worth a listen just because of how bizarre it is.

Blizzard are most well known for the World of Warcraft game, with it’s massive world and lore – it even spawned a card game of Hearthstone which is where the less serious WoW stuff tends to end up. And indeed, that’s where this video was released – onto Blizzard’s Hearthstone Youtube channel.

A video of a lovely warm log fire, which slowly gets more and more decorated until the room is the very picture of all that’s good about Christmas. It’s up to you whether or not you think the carol singing makes it better or ruins it.

I’m not sure we’ll be playing any of these carols in December, but it’s still very nicely done I think. Heck, even the Tinyfins are joining in and isn’t Christmas supposed to be about gathering together and having a good time?

Today’s review is one of an endless runner platformer game, with a single-button input for controls. It is called Spunk and Moxie and is made by Tilt Studios and Chocolate Homunculus, and was published by Black Shell Media onto Steam.

The object of the game is to get your chosen little slime blob (Spunk the green blob or Moxie the pink one) through the levels which are set across a number of different locations, getting past obstacles either by jumping over them or breaking through them.

The game contains three different locations and has ten levels set within each location. You first enter the Warehouse, before proceeding to the Factory and finally the Laboratory in your quest to lead your blob to freedom outside. 30 levels for a game doesn’t sound like a lot, even for such a small cheap game – but endless runners are something that require split second timing to get down right. With a time limit to complete each level, you need to be good with your timing. At first you have plenty of margin for error, but later levels add hazards that don’t kill you but instead deplete your ‘Spunk Meter’ which is the time limit you have.

Travel is done through using the single button input to jump and bounce between walls as you enter from one pipe and exit through another. Along the way you will encounter various pickups and powerups. The Powerups come in three flavours; one that allows you to break through weak areas, one that lets you dash and one that will allow for temporary flight. The main pickup in game though is the blue glowing crystals that are scattered around the levels. You will also find one colourful crystal per level that can be pick up multiple times for more points if you’re fast enough. These crystals function as currency in the Shop which lets you buy powerups to take into levels they don’t exist in, including one which refills some of your Spunk Meter. There are also keys to be found that will allow for the unlocking of other playable characters with some familiar faces from other indie games making appearances.

There’s also a competitive element with leaderboards being shared through the community, and you are able to race other player’s ghosts as well as your own. You can also earn medals in each level by completing certain tasks, such as picking up all the available crystals, finding the key, completing it on Hard Mode etc.

As a game I find it very nice to look at, and the music is quite nice to listen to. At least at first, it becomes more wearing the longer you play the game as it does repeat. The single control is very responsive which is a plus for this genre certainly. The levels also scale fairly well.

However, this game is what it is. Simple. A strength yes, but also a big downside. There really is not a lot more to the game than – enter, jump, bounce, find a route, exit, repeat for medals. It is an endless runner game and really, I’m not sure how much differently it does to other small indies of this genre.

The other issue I have with it is simply that it is not my type of game. I am not great at split second timing and missing a jump and entering a pit sets you way back at the start. Which is irritating and can make your timing that much worse as a result. If you don’t like endless runner games, I wouldn’t recommend it.

Overall, Spunk and Moxie is a well-made and fun little game. It just doesn’t have a wide appeal and probably won’t keep your attention for too long unless you really enjoy this sort of a challenge.

6/10

The first patch applied to Dishonored 2 worked for some people, but not everyone found their game was fixed. Our own station manager was reported as saying that past the first mission he was experiencing more of the same bugginess that he’d found on his first playthrough.

Fortunately Arkane and Bethesda aren’t done patching, and a 1.2 patch is now in beta on Steam with a focus on improving performance issues. Among the fixes in the patch is one related to mouse sensitivity being tied to the game’s framerate, solutions to frame stuttering and the introduction of more Options in the menu to help players better manage the frames they could get from the game.

There’s also a set of ‘known issues’ listed, with some having workarounds suggested as a temporary measure for now. It’s likely that these will be on the top of the list for the 1.3 patch to the game.

Opting into the beta simply requires you to hover over the game in your Library, right-click and choose properties, then click the beta tab and opt in. Those already opted in for beta 1.1 will be getting the new patch automatically. It’s also been recommended that Nvidia card users download the 375.95 drivers, as some of the previous Nvidia drivers were responsible for issues specific to Dishonored 2.

To check out the full set of 1.2 beta patch notes, click here.