Review: Vesper (2022) (a.k.a. Vesper Chronicles) Starring Raffiella Chapman

Sadly, this film has nothing to do with the Italian brand of motorised scooter, instead the film opens up with an eco message.

"The New Dark Ages, Humanity tried to prevent the impending ecological crisis by investing massively in genetic technology. It failed. Engineered viruses and organisms escaped into the world. They wiped out edible plants, animals and large populations of humans. An oligarchy now thrives in enclosed cities called "Citadels" while everyone else struggles to survive. For food, people rely on seeds traded by the Citadels. However, these are coded to produce only one harvest."

Well, that's a nice cheery message to start off with. I would argue that they never failed, but instead it was all by design, but then I am a conspiracy theorist.

Our lead character is Vesper, (Raffiella Chapman) a 13-year-old girl who lives in a house with her paralyzed father Darius (Richard Brake). She spends her days scavenging for seeds so she can grow her own food and she looks for any kind of power sources, which she can use to help keep her father alive.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/10/review-vesper-2022-aka-vesper.html

REVIEW: Pretty Girls Tile Match on PC (Steam)

Zoo Corporation have just released the 18th "Pretty Girls" game in the series and they have sent me a key to check out the game.

I have reviewed a lot of the Pretty Girls titles now, and all of these games have one main thing in common, "Pretty Girls" (KAWAII -  the culture of cuteness in Japan) wrapped around either a classic game or a reimagining of a classic game, well Pretty Girls Tile Match is no different.

A simple concept is used here, you play with mah-jong tiles that are spread out randomly on the table, your job is to match 3 of them, when you do that they disappear from the playing area, once you have cleared the board, you have completed that level.

Each level you complete gets you points, and you can then use those points to unlock costumes and backgrounds for the "Pretty Girls", which you can then position on a diorama, when positioned how you like, you can then save that image, to use however you like, most likely use is for Wallpaper for your computer.

In total there are 120 levels to complete, 20 levels per characters, with 3 different difficulty settings.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/10/review-pretty-girls-tile-match-on-pc.html

REVIEW: The Infernal Machine (2022) - Starring Guy Pearce, Alice Eve, Jeremy Davies and Alex Pettyfer

The last time I saw Guy Pearce he was making a cameo in the last ever episode of Australian soap Neighbours, well he is back in a feature film called The Infernal Machine, sadly this is not some sci-fi film about erm.. an erm.. Infernal Machine, no that is the name of a book written by a reclusive author Bruce Cogburn, (played by Guy Pearce).

Cogburn has been living alone for years after a book he released inspired Dwight Tufford (Alex Pettyfer) to kill 13 people in a school shooting, he did so using a rifle while positioned on a clock tower, we learn of the tragic events through a news report. Cogburn hasn't written a book since the tragic events.

Despite living in the middle of nowhere, with no phone and no television, Cogburn starts receiving letters from someone called William DuKent, DuKent is seemingly a crazed fan, and he starts sending more and more letters and parcels, and keeps managing to find Cogburn's location.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/09/review-infernal-machine-2022-starring.html

REVIEW: Flashout 3 on PC (Steam)

For nearly 30 years we have been waiting for a game to truly take over the wipE′out mantel as THE anti-gravity racing game. Many contenders have come and go, and in recent years the best of the bunch was Pacer, but even that had a lot of flaws, which I upset the developers by pointing out in my review. More quietly a series of anti-grav games have come and go under the Flashout banner, in 2012 we had Flashout 3D, and then a few years later Flashout 2. both had moderate success, well now the long awaited third game in the sequel has been released, the imaginatively titled Flashout 3.

Now it is worth noting that the Original 2012 game Flashout 3D has also been released and remastered and is available for free!, so check that out.

Let us ignore the problem of calling the first game in the series Flashout 3D and then the third one Flashout 3, and hope that people don't confuse the two, as I did.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/09/review-flashout-3-on-pc-steam.html

REVIEW: Tip Top: Don't Fall! - Nintendo Switch

I was asked to check out Tip Top: Don't Fall! on Nintendo Switch.

Tip Top is a simple climbing game, with procedurally generated routes, the idea is simple, climb from the bottom to the top, and once you reach the flag, you have completed the level. Sounds easy right? WRONG.

The game starts out with some surprisingly nice animation to set up the game. You will start off with the tutorial which should get you up to speed on how the controls work. Basically, you control each arm of the character, and using the bumper buttons one hand or the other will hold on to a surface, if that is available. You then need to position the character to reach the next ledge, switching between hands, and positioning the character in the best way is the key here. Before you know it, you will have to make strategically timed jumps, with just one mistake meaning death. You also have limited stamina in each arm, stamina runs out and you will fall, you can regain stamina by moving one hand over your chalk bag.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/09/review-tip-top-dont-fall-nintendo-switch.html

REVIEW: Blank (2022) - Starring Rachel Shelley and Heida Reed

Take a look at the three posters for this film that I have conveniently put side by side for you. If you only looked at the posters, you would think these were three different films. The first one (red), would describe some kind of Terminator like film. The second one (white) kind of looks like a coming of age feminist type film, and the third one (blue) is probably the most accurate one of the three, but also the most boring one.

So we are back again with a film that has AI going wrong, Blank stars Rachel Shelley as Claire Rivers, Claire is a writer suffering from writer's block, as she looks at blank pages (blank hence the name of the film), she is having to put up with pressure from her agent and bills that need to be paid, but without a finished book, she finds herself stuck.

Claire decides to do what all writers do when they face writers block, she decides to go to a creepy futuristic retreat with AI and Robots. What could possibly go wrong?

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/09/review-blank-2022-starring-rachel.html

REVIEW: NeverSynth on PC (Steam)

From Whale Rock Games comes NeverSynth, a self-described rhythm driving simulator.

The game itself is very simple, you control a vehicle on a never ending 4 lane highway, there are no other cars, no real obstacles, you just drive, pick up "beats" which is money, avoid pillars which slow you down, and that is about it. Once you have enough money you can drive in new locations and with different cars.

There are 6 locations to drive and 6 cars to drive. But forget about that, this is more about chilling out, listening to synth wave music. The graphics are pretty unique, and on the highest graphics settings are pretty damn cool to look at.

One cool feature is the ability to upload your own music to drive to.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/09/review-neversynth-on-pc-steam.html

REVIEW: Stowaway (2022) Starring Ruby Rose and Frank Grillo

A tenacious party girl fights to survive after three thieves commandeer her luxury yacht. Unable to escape and trapped on the yacht at high seas, she turns the tables on the intruders and takes matters into her own hands.

I cannot remember the last time i saw a Ruby Rose film, however I seem to see Frank Grillo in films almost weekly. With that said, this is very much a Ruby Rose film.

Ruby Rose plays Bella Denton, her father has died and left her a beautiful yacht, despite her fear of water and being unable to swim, when she sees the fancy boat which includes a master bedroom, bar, and a jacuzzi, she quickly learns to appreciate this amazing gift her father has left for her.

After being shown around the boat, she is told she can't stay on it until the paperwork has been completed, so she heads off to a bar. She "pulls" Michael (Patrick Schwarzenegger) and invites him back to the yacht for a night of passion once the area is quiet. When waking up she realises the boat is no longer at the port and that a group of three men have taken over the boat with the aim of breaking into the safe. Michael decides to jump and swim for it to get help, Bella due to not being able to swim, stays on board.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/09/review-stowaway-2022-starring-ruby-rose.html

REVIEW: Blood Waves on Nintendo Switch

"Sometimes You" are back with their latest release Blood Waves. Released on consoles, Blood Waves is a hardcore and bloody shooter. Playing a bit like a mini game you might find in the Assassin's Creed franchise, but with a Lara Croft like character, your job is a simple one, repel wave after wave of zombies.

You start off the game with just a simple pistol and a knife, and are stuck in some kind of underground dungeon area. After dealing with the first wave of zombies, then the game opens up its main "gimmick", between waves part of the dungeon opens up and you spend a few minutes preparing yourself for the next wave. Luckily as you destroy zombies they will drop cash, you can then use this cash to buy ammo, upgrade your character or buy new weapons, but better still you can also buy and then place barricades and traps in the main fighting area. This brings in a whole extra level of tactics. Do you spend your money on more powerful weapons, do you place traps and barricades behind which you can hide, or do you spend the money upgrading yourself, giving you new abilities, more health and so on.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/09/review-blood-waves-on-nintendo-switch.html

REVIEW: Wire Room (2022) - Starring Bruce Willis and Kevin Dillon

Lionsgate is back with a new release featuring Bruce Willis in one of the final films of his career. Willis stars as Home Security Agent Shane Mueller, who is in charge of the Wire Room, a high tech command centre that surveils dangerous criminals, watches them through hidden cameras, and listens in on conversations.

Now although Bruce Willis is the big name attached to the film, if you have been reading my reviews long enough, you know that often these films are actually vehicles for other actors, and this one is no different. Kevin Dillon is the real star of this film, he plays Justin Rosa, a new recruit to the Wire Room, he is tasked by Mueller to monitor an arms-smuggling cartel member called Eddie Flynn, played by Oliver Trevena. Despite being from London, Trevena has a pretty convincing Irish accent, and I would suggest the Eddie Flynn character has to be based in part on Conor McGregor.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/09/review-wire-room-2022-starring-bruce.html

REVIEW: Pinocchio (2022) - Starring Tom Hanks and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth

Pinocchio is one of those titles that has been made and remade many times, and although the Disney cartoon version is the most famous, there have been plenty of other films and cartoons made, mainly due to the fact the story went into the public domain in 1940.

Well for reasons that no one has explained, Disney has decided to remake their own version of Pinocchio from 1940, this time in a live action format with CGI characters.

We find ourselves in 1895 in a small village in Italy, Jiminy Cricket (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) has entered the home of an elderly woodcarver Geppetto, played by a curly haired Tom Hanks.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/09/review-pinocchio-2022-starring-tom.html

REVIEW: GOLAZO! 2 on Nintendo Switch

It has been a while since I have played a simple arcade style "soccer" game, and despite most the of the civilised world calling it Football, I thought I would check out new arcade Soccer game "Golazo 2". Now I have never played the original, nor have i heard of it, so I am coming at this game from a totally new perspective.

Since this is an arcade game, there isn't much in the way of depth, so if you have been playing FIFA then this game might seem very simple in comparison.

When you start you are given a few choices, Quick match, Street Tour, Tournaments or World League. You can play with National Teams or "Street Teams", which craftily gets around any licensing issues. 58 national teams with 10 international stadiums, 6 Street fields with 12 street teams.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/09/review-golazo-2-on-nintendo-switch.html

REVIEW: Chenso Club on Nintendo Switch

Chenso Club is a Japanese style 2D side scrolling action platformer, I say Japanese style as it is actually developed by Swedish studio Pixadome and published by Curve Games.

"The Chenso Club girls are sassy, strong and eager to show off their moves. Our heroines want any excuse to use their newfound powers. It's up to you to master their moves, increase their power and show the world the might of the Chenso Club."

As you start the game you will first be able to choose one character to play with, but as you progress more will be unlocked. All the characters are female, which is a cool touch and not something you see that often. You will start off with a character called "Blue" which is a Chainsaw wielding android, but you will soon gain access to Carmine who wields a heavy hammer. With 5 characters in total, all very unique with their own fighting style.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/09/review-chenso-club-on-nintendo-switch.html

REVIEW: Fall (2022) - Starring Virginia Gardner and Grace Caroline Currey

Sometimes films are made which are totally predictable, almost from the very start to the very end, you the viewer can call out in advance pretty much everything that will happen. Fall is one of those films. But that doesn't always mean the film is bad, we as humans like patterns, we see them everywhere, we like to be able to predict things, as it makes us feel better about ourselves, throw in a story that will set your anxiety levels to the very top, and you can sometimes end up with a pretty decent outcome.

The film starts with Becky (Grace Caroline Currey) and Hunter (Virginia Gardner) climbing a mountain, along with Dan (Mason Gooding), everything is going well until Dan falls to his death. As you can imagine this is not an ideal situation.

Before you know it, Becky and Hunter have decided to honour Dan by climbing a 2000 foot, abandoned radio tower in the middle of nowhere, to not only conquer their fears and push their limits, but also so they can release Dan's ashes from the top.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/09/review-fall-2022-starring-virginia.html

REVIEW: Nope (2022) - Starring Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer and Steven Yeun

This review will contain spoilers, so do not read on unless you want to know what happens.

Jordan Peele is back with his latest film, yet again he desperately wants to be seen as the new M. Night Shyamalan, but instead he proves that he just doesn't have that magic that Shyamalan had, especially in his early films.

Now if you have seen the trailer to this film, or heard basic chatter, then you might be expecting some kind of alien invasion film, along the lines of M. Night Shyamalan's excellent film Signs. But if you expect that you will be sorely disappointed. NOPE, this is not an alien invasion film.

Some quick question and answers before we go on.

Are their any proper little aliens in this film? NOPE

Does this film have a clever twist? NOPE

Will I care about any of the human characters in this film? NOPE

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/08/review-nope-2022-starring-daniel.html

REVIEW: Me Time (2022) - Starring Kevin Hart and Mark Wahlberg

A 95-minute buddy comedy you say? With Kevin Hart and Mark Wahlberg? I'm in!

Kevin Hart stars as Sonny Fisher, he is a stay-at-home dad, his wife Maya (Regina Hall) works as a talented architect, Sonny is pretty much the perfect dad, but one day he realises he needs some me time, especially as a millionaire playboy seems to be sniffing around his wife.

After playing golf with some old Asian women who hustle him, and then making himself sick, eating too much BBQ, he tries the local strip joint where he sees the babysitter. This "Me Time" is not going well.

All the while his best friend Huck Dembo (Mark Wahlberg ) who he hasn't seen in years keeps trying to get Sonny to come out with him, eventually Sonny realises he needs more and agrees to go celebrate Huck's 44th birthday.

And of course, this is where the craziness begins. Whether it is fighting a mountain lion, an out-of-control party or pooping in his rival's bed. This is a good old fashioned buddy comedy that works.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/08/review-me-time-2022-starring-kevin-hart.html

REVIEW: Pascal's Wager: Definitive Edition on Nintendo Switch

It has been a while since I have played a good action RPG, so when Pascal's Wager: Definitive Edition came across my desk, I just had to check it out.

Set in a world of "dark fantasy", you step into the shoes of Couriers, as they "discover the tale behind the mysterious Dark Mist."

"Centuries ago, the sun sank into the sea, leading to the Dark Mist enveloping the lands. At the same time, great, towering beings began to appear. These were the Colossus. They brought light to the areas surrounding them and in turn, humanity found its last and only refuge.

Thousands of years after the Colossi appeared, a mysterious illness beset these creatures of the light and they began to fall...

Following the trail of the falling Colossi, Terrence the Courier and his companions embark on an arduous journey. They will encounter figures benevolent and evil, seal or witness their fate, and unveil the truth behind the dark world."

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/08/review-pascals-wager-definitive-edition.html

REVIEW: Bullet Train (2022) - Starring Brad Pitt

Director David Leitch brings us his latest Action-Comedy film, Bullet Train, set aboard a fictionalised version of the Tokaido Shinkansen, aka the bullet train, due to its near 200 mph speeds. Brad Pitt stars as "Ladybug", a ridiculously unlucky American assassin. And the rest of the all-star cast include such names as Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Andrew Koji, Hiroyuki Sanada, Michael Shannon, Bad Bunny, and Sandra Bullock.

The film starts off in Tokyo, Yuichi Kimura "The Father", a Japanese member of the White Death's organization is grieving after an unknown man pushes his son off a rooftop, he wants revenge.

Meanwhile a semi-retired assassin known as Ladybug (Brad Pitt) is given an assignment to retrieve a metal briefcase which is on the bullet train bound for the cultural capital of Japan, the city of Kyoto.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/08/review-bullet-train-2022-starring-brad.html

REVIEW: Race Me Now - PC (Steam)

With the tagline "Race Fast, Race others, Race Me Now!" we have a release from a solo game developer, Werys Game Studio. Any time a solo developer manages to get a game to final release, it is something that should be applauded, as often a lot more than just time goes into such projects, a lot of care and love for the game too.

Let's take a look at the synopsis.

"Race sneaky opponents in beautiful surroundings. Races are fast and ruthless, other drivers will try to push you out of the road to take your place. Will you be able to push them out first? Will you be able to beat them all? Will you become the champion?"

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/08/review-race-me-now-pc-steam.html

REVIEW: Samaritan (2022) - Starring Sylvester Stallone and Javon Walton

Since I first saw the trailer for Sylvester Stallone's newest film Samaritan, I have been looking forward to watching the whole film.

The story revolves around a young boy who comes to the realization that a famed superhero, who was thought to have gone missing after an epic battle twenty-five years ago, may in fact still be around.

Sounds pretty good, but is it?

The film starts off with the narration of an animated retelling of the story of Samaritan, and how his brother Nemesis used innocent people as a way to get Samaritan to come fight him. There is a blast and both Samaritan and Nemesis die.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/08/review-samaritan-2022-starring.html

REVIEW: Robby's Adventure on Nintendo Switch

Are rage inducing side scrolling platformers your thing? If you answered yes, then Robby's Adventure might be the game for you.

Robby came to earth from another planet, a young boy found him in a field and made friends with him. But one day Robby was broken, so the boy's parents gave Robby to a factory to fix it, but the factory manager quickly realised that Robby was more than just a regular toy, so decided to keep Robby so he could research him with the hope being he could clone the alien robot.

And that is where our game starts.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/08/review-robbys-adventure-on-nintendo.html

REVIEW: Train Valley: Console Edition - On PC and Consoles

Although Train Valley has been available on PC for quite a while, the developers have finally released the game on consoles.

The concept is simple. You play on a single screen map and start with a couple of train stations. (You can zoom in and out). The problem is that there is no track. That is your job, connect the Stations, so that the trains can travel from one point to another. But of course, things aren't that easy. For a start you have a strict budget, and you have to pay taxes every in-game year.

When laying tracks across empty areas, they cost just $1000 per piece of track laid, but if there is a tree in the way then the cost doubles, oh and if there is a house in the way that price goes up. The bigger the obstacle the more it costs, so the clever builder will avoid obstacles. And that creates it's own set of problems.

As you play the game and time passes, more train stations will appear. Everything is colour coded, and it needs to be, because now trains will need to go to specific stations, so you not only need to make sure the tracks are laid correctly, but you also have to control switches.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/08/review-train-valley-console-edition-on.html

REVIEW: DC League of Super-Pets - Starring Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart

I love Superhero films, I hate Superhero cartoons, I avoid them like the plague, however I thought I would give League of Super-Pets a chance, as I had heard good things about it.

The basic story tells of Superman's pet dog Krypto and shelter dog Ace who work with other animals to rescue the captured superheroes from Lex Luthor (Marc Maron).

With an all-star cast including Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Kate McKinnon, John Krasinski, Vanessa Bayer, Natasha Lyonne, Diego Luna, Thomas Middleditch, Ben Schwartz, and Keanu Reeves, surely, they can't go wrong!

The film starts off with the classic Superman origin story, but with a slight twist. During the final moments of Krypton before its destruction, Kal-El's parents put baby Supes in a small spaceship pod so he can survive, as the little ship is closing, a Kryptonian Labrador Retriever puppy jumps into the pod too.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/08/review-dc-league-of-super-pets-starring.html

REVIEW: Lost in Play on Nintendo Switch

Lost in Play is one of those games you know you are going to love, even after only playing it for 10 minutes. And that is exactly how I felt after a short time after loading it up on my Nintendo Switch Lite.

Similar in style to classic point and click games, this uses a slightly different type of interface to interact with onscreen objects than just pointing and clicking, playing more like an interactive 2D cartoon, you play as a brother and sister Toto and Gal, as they explore their dreams, befriend magical creatures, and of course solve lots of puzzles along the way.

This game is based on the imagination of children, something that as adults we lose, but can still remember those crazy adventures we had as kids, when we didn't have computer games or endless screens to look at, instead we had to use our imagination.

"Between reality and fantasy, the siblings explore the enchanted forest of a horned beast, start a rebellion in a goblin village, and help a team of frogs free a sword from a stone."

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/08/review-lost-in-play-on-nintendo-switch.html

REVIEW: Bullet Proof (2022) aka Death Pursuit - Starring Vinnie Jones, James Clayton and Lina Lecompte

So, there is this film and we want to cast Vinnie Jones.... Yep, you got it, a gritty gangster film!

Ok, to be fair it is a bit more than just a gritty gangster film, it has a lot of car chase scenes too!

We are quickly introduced to a character that we only ever know as The Thief (James Clayton), in fact the one moment in the film where he says his name, there is a hilarious cutaway to a plane propeller, so we never do hear his name spoken. Anyway, The Thief is sneaking about in a drug dealers' hideout which just happens to be in a car scrapyard. The Thief steals millions in cash that just happens to be lying around, while a bunch of gangsters are taking care of "business".

For some bizarre reason after getting the cash and jumping in a car for his easy escape The Thief decides to put some music on, and we quickly have a shoot out, chase scene.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/08/review-bullet-proof-2022-aka-death.html

REVIEW: Orphan: First Kill (2022) - Starring Isabelle Fuhrman and Julia Stiles

Have you ever started watching a film and then instantly thought you had seen it before? Well, I felt that way about Orphan First Kill, so I quickly got on google and realised this is a prequel of a 2009 film, with the same actress in the lead role.

If you have never seen Orphan (2009), it is basically a film about a 9-year-old girl adopted by a family, but the girl is really a 33-year-old psychopath who suffers with a disease which has stunted her growth and left her looking like a child.

Orphan: First Kill is a prequel which covers the years before the first film.

The film starts in Estonia in 2007, Leena Klammer (played by Isabelle Fuhrman) is a psychiatric patient at the Saarne Institute. Although she looks like a child, she is in fact a 31-year woman. One day she seduces a guard, steals his key and then kills him. She hides in the car of a therapist who was visiting the institute and escapes. She then breaks into the therapist's house and kills her. Leena discovers that she has a strong resemblance to a missing girl from the United States called Esther Albright.

Posing as the missing child, a police officer approaches her and she tells him that her parents are in America.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/08/review-orphan-first-kill-2022-starring.html

REVIEW: Spinny's Journey on PC (Steam)

Although it's been out for a while, I was asked to check out Spinny's Journey on PC.

You play as "Spinny" an alien explorer the size of a peanut, who has come to visit earth. Due to his small size, and the small size of his spacecraft, he finds himself attacked by a sparrow, which leaves him with just his emergency propellers to go find the lost parts of his ship so he can rebuild it.

General gameplay has you trying to navigate maze like levels with the spinning propellers, bit like a spinning matchstick. You have to dodge traps and navigate the course, all the while using the spin of your propellers to your advantage to pass through the course. This is much harder than it first sounds.

With over 50 challenging levels to master, including the classic 3 stars rating system. (don't hit anything, pass the level as quick as you can), there is enough to keep any puzzle fan busy for a while.

Everything is hand drawn and looks great.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/08/review-spinnys-journey-on-pc-steam.html