REVIEW: IXION on PC (Steam)

IXION is a space-based city building game from Bulwark Studios, you are the Administrator of the space station Tiqqun, and after a warp like jump, you seemingly cause the destruction of the Earth and are now charged with finding a new home for humanity.

Including city building mechanics, as well as survival elements and space exploration, the game is advertised as a thrilling space opera.

As the game starts, you have access to a sector of the space station, from here you will start to lay the foundations of what you hope will be the start of the survival for humanity.

To start with you will build storage units to store various things you will find, mine or grow. You need places for your workers to live, food for them to eat and so on.

Everything is pretty straight forward, however the way it is first laid out is terrible, you see the tutorial is awful. There is no real hand holding here. Basic instructions that miss a lot of the important things.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/12/review-ixion-on-pc-steam.html

REVIEW: Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio

Another day and another Pinocchio film. It was only a few months ago I reviewed the terrible Disney Live Action Pinocchio with Tom Hanks in it, that was a stinker, in part due to the usual woke decisions of Disney, to insert identity politics into what is supposed to be a 19th century story. Well this time we have Guillermo del Toro's take on Pinocchio, with a fully animated stop motion version, based on Gris Grimly's Pinocchio design from his 2002 edition of the 1883 Italian novel The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi, this time the film reimagines the story in 1930s Fascist Italy as "a story of love and disobedience as Pinocchio struggles to live up to his father's expectations, learning the true meaning of life."

We start the film with Master Geppetto (David Bradley), woodcarving and living peacefully in 1930s Italy with his very much alive son Carlo. World War 1 has broken out, and planes are often seen above.

One day while helping at the local Church, Geppetto sends his son out to find a flawless pine cone, a plane drops a bomb that destroys the church and kills Carlo, while Geppetto survives.

Over the next 20 years Geppetto mourns the loss of his son, one day he plants a pin cone near Carlo's grave. The grief is too much for Geppetto and he turns to drink. The pine tree grows and a cricket named Sebastian finds a home in the tree.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/12/review-guillermo-del-toros-pinocchio.html

REVIEW: I Am Jesus Christ: Prologue on PC (Steam)

Review by Jon Donnis

I try to avoid reviewing prologues, or free games, as I don't see much of a point, since anyone can just download them and play themselves, no need to read a review for advice. However, since this is the first game (that I am aware of) to let you play as Jesus I just had to have a go.

Note: All screengrabs are from the cinematics and not the in-game stuff, you will find out why as you read on.

Inspired by the New Testament stories, this is a simulation, so not quite an action-adventure game that perhaps we would all like. Personally, I would love Ubisoft to use their Assassins Creed Engine, and make a Jesus game using that! Would be very cool. Unfortunately, this is an indie game with a small budget. You start the game as a grown Jesus, after a decent opening cinematic, telling the story of Jesus etc, you finally wake up in bed, first thing you need to do is go find your mother, Mary, Yes THAT Mary! All the big names are here you know!

You quickly learn you need to find John the Baptist, so you can get baptised. Some back and forth to the village, speak to a few people to find out where he is, and then head off to the river to find him.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/12/review-i-am-jesus-christ-prologue.html

REVIEW: Warriors of Future (2022) - Starring Louis Koo, Sean Lau, and Carina Lau

Sometimes you just want a mindless sci-fi film, with great special effects, aliens, great fight scenes and big explosions. Usually, you would rely on Russian filmmakers for such things, but with Covid and then the Special Operation in The Ukraine, we haven't had much from Russia to enjoy, so in steps China with a mid-budget action extravaganza.

Warriors of Future (previously known as Virtus) is directed by visual effects artist Ng Yuen-fai, in his directorial debut, and it pretty much ticks all the boxes I described above.

The year is 2055, as expected the world has been destroyed by pollution and war, military robots and advanced technology has turned the world against itself, along with natural disasters, the worlds atmosphere has become poison. Humans are being born with birth defects, if they even make it that far. With many cities destroyed, what cities remain are covered by "Skynets", air purifying domes that protect those who are lucky enough to live under them.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/12/review-warriors-of-future-2022-starring.html

REVIEW: The Independent (2022) - Starring Jodie Turner-Smith, Brian Cox, Luke Kirby, Stephen Lang, Ann Dowd, and John Cena

Sometimes in life you need to listen to your instincts, unfortunately today is a day where I failed to follow that simple advice. So, I hear about a political film about a reporter who uncovers a conspiracy that could impact the results of an upcoming presidential election. Sadly, this is not the story of how Democratic politicians illegally coordinated with far-left political activists in twitter to suppress a story and fix an election to elect their own candidate. No that would be way too interesting of a story to make a film about. (See Twitter Files). So already I do not want to watch a political film that you just know will be pushing a certain bias, but alas the film has John Cena in it! And I like John Cena, so I thought what the hell, maybe it is a comedy. Boy was I wrong.

Jodie Turner-Smith stars as Elisha "Eli" James, a reporter at the Washington Chronicle, (basically the Washington Post), she breaks a story that Olympic gold medallist, and best-selling author Nate Sterling (John Cena) is about to announce that he is going to run for President in the upcoming election as an independent candidate. He is going up against the incumbent President, an unpopular Democrat, and a Republican called Patricia Turnbull, who if elected would be the first Female President.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/12/review-independent-2022-starring-jodie.html

REVIEW: Wavetale on Nintendo Switch

From Developers Thunderful comes a new 3rd person action-adventure game called Wavetale.

Unlike anything I have played before.

Here is the synopsis:

"Surf the waters of a submerged city! Fight gigantic sea monsters, save your neighbors and uncover the secrets hidden under the surface.

Explore the open sea and the decaying archipelago of Strandville in Wavetale, a story-driven action-adventure game introducing you to fed-up fishermen, secretive hermits and maybe a pirate or two. Traverse calm waters and surging waves as Sigrid, a young girl who befriends a mysterious shadow that provides her with the power to walk on water.

Speed through the waves, swing yourself from housetops with your net, and defeat monstrous enemies to save the citizens of the islands. All with a little help from the shadows down below and your cranky grandmother."

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/12/review-wavetale-on-nintendo-switch.html

REVIEW: Troll (2022) - Starring Ine Marie Wilmann, Kim Falck, Mads Sjøgård Pettersen and Gard B. Eidsvold

Before I start, DO NOT WATCH THE TRAILER UNLESS YOU ARE HAPPY TO HAVE THE FILM SPOILED!

When I heard of Troll, I instantly remembered 2011 film Trollhunter, also a Norwegian film about giant Trolls. Sadly, this film is not a sequel, nor connected in any way, other than the whole giant Troll thing.

Now I loved the found film footage style of Trollhunter, so I was curious to see what a classic film style would do with this specific genre. Luckily, I was not disappointed, as Troll is one of my favourite films of the year.

The film starts with Tobias Tidemann (played by Gard B. Eidsvold), and his young daughter Nora, (Ameli Olving Sælevik). They are climbing in the mountains, and once they reach the top, Tobias tells stories of The Troll Peaks, he encourages his daughter to look at the mountains with her heart and not her eyes and she can see the ancient giant Trolls. It is a sweet moment to start the film.

We fast forward 20 years and a now grown-up Nora Tidemann (Ine Marie Wilmann) is a palaeontologist, digging up fossils.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/12/review-troll-2022-starring-ine-marie.html

REVIEW: Pretty Girls 2048 Strike on PC (Steam)

Zoo Corporation are back with yet another release in their "Pretty Girls" series, this is number 19 and is called Pretty Girls 2048 Strike.

The 2048 in the title is because the game is based on the classic tile sliding puzzle game of the same name.

If you are unfamiliar of the original game, the idea was to use your arrow keys to move the tiles. Tiles with the same number merge into one when they touch. You would win the game when you have a single tile reach 2048, now with this being a Pretty Girls release, there is a twist in the game. Each game will have a title, or multiple tiles featuring one of the Pretty Girls, they will have a score, and every time you move titles in the direction of the Pretty Girl, whatever number is on that particular tile, would take off the same amount from their score, get the Pretty Girl to zero, and you win the level. However if the board fills up, and there are no moves left, you lose.

It may sound a bit confusing, but this may very well be the most addictive Pretty Girls release yet. The addition of the Pretty Girl tile, really does take the original game to a new level, throw in some special skills, that both you the player, and the Pretty Girl can activate, and that brings another level of gameplay and tactics.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/12/review-pretty-girls-2048-strike-on-pc.html

Smile (2022) - Starring Sosie Bacon and Jessie T. Usher

I have been wanting to watch Smile for a while, but just not gotten round to it until tonight. It has been a massive hit, grossing $215 million worldwide against a $17 million budget. So, with everyone and their mother seemingly enjoying it, I thought it was time I watched.

Smile is a psychological horror film written and directed by Parker Finn and based on his 2020 short film Laura Hasn't Slept.

Sosie Bacon is stressed and overworked psychiatrist Dr. Rose Cotter, she is giving a therapy session to a PhD student Laura Weaver (Played by Caitlin Stasey, who was also in the 2020 short). Laura tells Dr Cotter how a few days prior she had witnessed the suicide of her art history professor. She tells Rose that an entity taking the form of smiling people is stalking her, and telling her she is going to die. Suddenly Laura begins screaming hysterically, and starts having a seizure. Rose quickly grabs the telephone to call for help, but when she turns around, Laura is stood there behind her, with a huge grin on her face, holding a piece of a broken plant pot, Laura then uses the shard to cut her own throat, smiling throughout, and even smiling after she has hit the floor and starts bleeding out. (really freaky moment that sets the stage for the whole film)

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/11/smile-2022-starring-sosie-bacon-and.html

REVIEW: Ship of Fools on Nintendo Switch

From Fika Productions and Team 17 comes Ship of Fools, a two-player couch co-op and online multiplayer roguelite game.

First the story.

"The Great Lighthouse that once protected the Archipelago is broken and a storm of malice and corruption is coming.

Together, you and your ship mates will jump aboard The Stormstrider and make your voyage across the sea. Man the cannons, ready your sails and protect your ship from sea monsters over multiple runs. It's up to you to defend your home from the almighty Aquapocalypse."

After your ship crashes, you find yourself washed up on a beach, after a quick look around, meet the locals, learn the story of the island, and what you are now tasked to do, you will find yourself going on journeys on your boat, each run in unique, and you will have to defend your boat with cannons, as you explore each area. In one player mode you will get an auto cannon on one side of the boat and a manual cannon on the other side, you can pick up and move the cannons around the boat, and you have to manually load them with ammo before using them.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/11/review-ship-of-fools-on-nintendo-switch.html

Interview with Lewis Schoenbrun

When did you first become interested in films?

My interest in films began when I first saw King Kong (1933) and March of the Wooden Soldiers (1934) on TV, both of which played each Thanksgiving when I grew up in the early 1960's. I was particularly fascinated by the animation sequences in these films and was interested as to how they were done. Other influences included watching old 1950's sci-fi films which ran often on the independent tv stations; by the mid 1960's shows like The Twilight Zone and Star Trek solidified my interest in film.

Do you remember what the first movie you saw was?

The first film that I ever recall seeing in a movie theater was Lady and the Tramp (1955), I saw the 1962 re-issue and would have been 3 1/2 at that time. Apparently, the brilliant images made a significant impact on me since I can still recall seeing it vividly and yet I have never seen the movie since.

When did you make your first movie?

I was 11 years old and my friend's father had a Kodak Super 8mm camera, it was very simple to use no lens to focus, you just inserted the film cartridge, aimed and shot. I remember it was called The 'Intellectually Disabled' Genie, that's not what we called it at the time but the term we used at that time is now considered insensitive and inappropriate. My friend and I edited the film in the camera and took turns filming each other; it was mostly using trick photography like turning the camera on and off the way they used to do on tv shows like Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie.

Full Interview at

http://www.mastersofhorror.co.uk/2022/11/interview-with-lewis-schoenbrun-by.html

REVIEW: Avarice (2022) - Stars Gillian Alexy, Luke Ford, Tom O'Sullivan and Priscilla-Anne Forder

Director John V. Soto has started to build a decent reputation for himself, and his latest film Avarice, has just been released, in which he hopes will grow his reputation even more.

The film starts off with a break in and a murder of a couple in their home. Straight away we know who the bad guys are.

Soon after we are introduced to Gillian Alexy who plays Kate Matthews, a gifted archer in this Australian thriller, she is facing typical family and home problems, a moody teenager and a husband who works too much. Unfortunately, the stress of these problems gets in her head while performing in an archery contest, she misses an easy shot and comes second in the tournament to long-time rival.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/11/review-avarice-2022-stars-gillian-alexy.html

REVIEW: Impaler - PC Steam

Impaler is a basic first-person arena shooter. Clearly inspired by games from the 1990s, this game has a small download size, and will play on a PC with a potato for a graphics card.

The concept is a simple one, you can shoot at enemies, you can summon spikes from the ground, you can build barriers, kill all the enemies in a wave, move onto the next wave. Sometimes you will have other tasks to complete, like moving pillars to set positions, and so on.

With "Roguelike" elements, each run is unique. Graphics as mentioned are full on retro, so think 2D monsters moving in a 3D arena. As you progress you can collect different weapons and abilities. The double jump, and stomp is also a great way to take out multiple enemies at once.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/11/review-impaler-pc-steam.html

REVIEW: MEGALAN 11 on Nintendo Switch

MEGALAN 11 is an exploration-puzzle game.

After responding to a SOS signal, you and your scientific expedition crew find yourself crash landed on a weird planet, as you explore this strange red planet, you find an old abandoned base, now you have shelter, you have to try to fix up the base so you can save yourselves, but you only have 11 days to do it.

There are 5 people in your crew, but you can only rely on yourself, explore the base, fix the equipment by collecting metal, and save yourselves.

Thats the general story and aim of the game. In reality the game revolves mainly around you exploring the base, and eventually defending it too.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/11/review-megalan-11-on-nintendo-switch.html

REVIEW: Poker Face (2022) - Starring Russell Crowe and Liam Hemsworth

After his film stealing scene in the recent Thor film, Russell Crowe is back directing and acting in Poker Face. No, it is not a film about a catchy Lady gaga song, instead it is a film about a yearly high stakes poker game between childhood friends.

Russell Crowe stars as tech billionaire and gambler Jake Foley, the film opens with some kids playing, a young Jake Foley is on his bike with his friend Drew, they end up playing cards with some other kids, then run away, jump off a cliff and into a lake. Fun times for these kids.

Fast forward to the present, and Jack has made his fortune through surveillance software. But Jack is dying, he goes to visit Shaman Bill (Jack Thompson), they both trip out on some drugs and a truth serum.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/11/review-poker-face-2022-starring-russell.html

Doc Martin returns in a Christmas Special

Christmas is coming to Portwenn as Martin Clunes returns to play the nation's favourite grumpy medic in a one off special of ITV's hugely successful drama Doc Martin.

Following the ratings success of the final, tenth series in the Autumn, Martin Clunes, reprises the role of Dr Martin Ellingham, the GP with a brusque bedside manner and a phobia of blood, for one last time in this Christmas treat, produced by Buffalo Pictures and set in the idyllic hamlet of Portwenn.

The series ended on a high with nearly six million viewers tuning in to find out whether the Doc would accept a prestigious post in London, or stay in Portwenn. A near fatal accident prompted the Doc re-consider his priorities. He decided that his wife and family must come first, and that they should all stay in Portwenn.

Picturesque Port Isaac provides the beautiful wintry backdrop for the festive special, with all the regular members of the cast reprising their roles.

Caroline Catz plays Doc Martin's wife, Louisa Ellingham, Dame Eileen Atkins plays Doc Martin's formidable Aunt Ruth. Ian McNeice is back to play Bert Large, with Joe Absolom as his son Al. John Marquez is PC Joe Penhale, Jessica Ransom is the doctor's receptionist, and Al's wife, Morwenna, and Selina Cadell is pharmacist Mrs Tishell. They are joined by guest stars Ron Cook, Claire Bloom and Emma Amos.

Portwenn is full of festive fun, until Doc Martin has the grotto closed down because he fears Santa has something contagious, upsetting the children, including his own son James (Elliott Blake). While awaiting the results of the tests to find out why Leonard(Santa, played by Ron Cook) is so itchy the Doc tells him he cannot be Santa until they have the diagnosis.

Leonard is determined to show the Doc the magic of Christmas, and tries to deliver the Ellingham's Christmas presents down the chimney. Martin is furious, and remonstrates with Leonard for putting himself at risk on the roof of their house, unaware James has witnessed it all. James decides to run away to find Santa, but Ruth bumps into him and persuades him to have breakfast, given the journey to the North Pole is a long one.

To try to make up for James' disappointment at not meeting Santa, Louisa decides, with the help of the village, to arrange a lantern parade, led by Santa, something she has fond memories of from when she was a child in Portwenn. PC Joe Penhale is thrilled to be asked to don his Santa suit and lead the parade.

But parish councillor  Agatha Higgins (Emma Amos), objects to the plan, because  the event doesn't meet certain requirements, not least the health and safety risks. Louisa tries to change her mind by inviting her to their parade meeting on the Platt where Christmas preparations are in full swing. Agatha seems to be getting into the festive spirit when she guesses the weight of the turkey, but before she can confirm the parade can go ahead, she trips and hits her head on the floor, and an ambulance has to be called.

A delighted Mrs Tishell finds herself under the mistletoe with the Doc after he notices her choking for a second time. Fearing she has a serious illness and that this might be her last Christmas, she just can't resist stealing a Christmas kiss. Martin is appalled by her advances, but as a result diagnoses her with a manageable condition, not a life threatening illness. He also tells her the prolapsed disc has healed, so she no longer has to wear her neck brace. But Mrs Tishell is not sure she wants to abandon the neck brace.

Morwenna can't help but have a seemingly irrational liking for the turkey, naming it Toby. After Agatha guesses the correct weight, Morwenna decides to take it to the butcher herself. Al doesn't believe her when she says the turkey escaped on the way to the butcher, but her reasoning quickly helps him understand why she set it free.

Meanwhile PC Joe Penhale's romantic attempt to woo Janice by showering her with gifts backfires when she thinks she is being stalked.

Martin is called out to see Leonard (Santa) who has had an accident, and as he is anaemic he cannot afford to lose any blood. As Martin is driving to Leonard's house the weather is getting worse and he has an accident, which causes him to hallucinate about his mother (Claire Bloom), prompting some of his own parenting concerns. Eventually making it to Leonard's house and recovering from the cold, he treats Leonard. Leonard confides in Martin about the death of his wife and why he celebrates Christmas. He challenges Martin to do the same. But will they make it back to the village in time for the Christmas parade Louisa has organised?

REVIEW: Dear Elizabeth (aka Eat Wheaties!) - Starring Tony Hale, Elisha Cuthbert and Sarah Chalke

Dear Elizabeth (aka Eat Wheaties!) is a new comedy drama from Scott Abramovitch in his directorial debut, and it finally gets a UK release on digital on November 14th.

Tony Hale plays Sid Straw, an awkward but likeable guy, one day he is tasked with arranging a college class reunion, it just so happens that he went to school with Hollywood actress Elizabeth Banks, and also dated her friend, as he likes to tell everyone. He wants to invite Elizabeth to the reunion, so contacts her through Facebook. He sends her many messages, without reply, but as he does so he starts talking more and more about his life. Unfortunately, nobody believes that he went to school with her. His work colleagues make fun of him. The more he tries to prove he knew her, and also try to get in contact with her, the worse he makes it, as Elizabeth Banks assistant, who is dealing with his messages and requests, just assumes he is some kind of weird stalker.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/11/review-dear-elizabeth-aka-eat-wheaties.html

REVIEW: Lunistice on Nintendo Switch

Lunistice is a new linear 3D platformer, in the style of classic 32-bit games.

You play as Hana the Tanuki (a Japanese raccoon dog), as she takes an adventure through her own dreams.

Each "world" is a different dreamscape, with a few levels to each, the final destination being that of The Moon, to uncover the secret of "The Lunistice".

To complete a level, reach the end point as soon as possible, the faster the time, the higher the score. (Maximum being a S Rank). But you can also collect various items along the way if you wish to get a 100% rating. The main things you will collect are little paper origami animals. You will see at the top of your screen how many are in the level to collect. Although each level is linear, there are side routes to take if you want to collect everything. Some of these routes will require precision jumps and movement, or else you may fall to your death, luckily each level has checkpoints and you will respawn there if necessary.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/11/review-lunistice-on-nintendo-switch.html

REVIEW: TMNT: Shredder's Revenge: on Nintendo Switch

I was a big fan of the TMNT cartoon growing up, so you can imagine my excitement when I saw that TMNT: Shredder's Revenge was released on Nintendo Switch.

"Featuring the original 1980's cartoon voice actors reprising their classic roles, the Heroes in a Half Shell return to brawl in the streets from Manhattan to Coney Island as they face off against the Foot Clan in 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge'."

TMNT: Shredder's Revenge is a classic 2D side scrolling beat 'em up, in the style of Streets of Rage, and with pixel art to firmly make you feel like you were back in the 1980s.

"With Bebop and Rocksteady assaulting Channel 6 and stealing super gnarly devices to support Krang and Shredder's latest twisted plan, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge sees the Turtles battling across a righteous range of timeless TMNT locations. From Manhattan and Coney Island, to city rooftops and dank sewers, help the fearsome foursome trounce Foot Soldiers, Triceraton Warriors, and Rock Troops all the way to Dimension X!"

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/11/review-tmnt-shredders-revenge-on.html

REVIEW: Succubus With Guns on Nintendo Switch

Succubus With Guns is the latest 3rd person shooter game to be released on Nintendo Switch.

You play as a scantily clad anime style Succubus demoness that has been summoned by occultists, during the ritual they messed up and not only raised the dead, they also turned themselves into Zombies, you now have to travel world to world through portals, each time defeating waves of the undead to proceed in arena based style battles, with the last wave being the boss fight.

Each new world has new weapons to find and use, as well as a nice supply of ammo to keep you going.

The graphics are decent, even on the small screen of a Nintendo Switch Lite, and despite the slightly adult appearance of the game, there is no sex, just the scantily clad lead character.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/11/review-succubus-with-guns-on-nintendo.html

REVIEW: Enola Holmes 2 (2022) - Starring Millie Bobby Brown, Louis Partridge and Henry Cavill

I had never heard of Enola Holmes, so when I saw the film Enola Holmes 2 had been released, I wondered how I missed the first one. Well it seems that the first one just like the sequel is a straight to Netflix release, and it did quite well, So I actually watched Enola Holmes (2020) yesterday, so I would understand the characters better in Enola Holmes 2.

Enola Holmes was based on the 2007 novel The Case of the Missing Marquess: An Enola Holmes Mystery by Nancy Springer.

The general idea is that Sherlock Holmes has a younger sister, she travels to London to find her missing mother, Eudoria Holmes (Helena Bonham Carter), but ends up trying to solve a mystery with a newly made friend who happens to be a runaway Lord.

In Enola Holmes 2, Enola is back, and being a few years older, she has now started her own detective agency, because why not. Unfortunately, Enola Holmes (Millie Bobby Brown) is struggling to get clients, because she is just a girl, and now has to prove she is just as good as her famous older brother Sherlock Holmes (Henry Cavill).

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/11/enola-holmes-2-2022-starring-millie.html

REVIEW: Mission 1985 on Nintendo Switch

Mission 1985 is a tribute or perhaps more of a clone of classic arcade game Commando, Commando was released in the arcades in 1985, and I would spend countless 10p coins playing it almost every day, so fast forward to 2022, and to see a tribute to that game released, and I couldn't be happier.

The game itself is a 2D top-down view, run and gun. Your job is to defeat the dreaded General Hector and his army, and along the way free any hostages you find.

There are 11 levels in total, and a few of those are 3D type levels, graphically think Space Harrier. Each level is set in a different location to give plenty of variety.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/11/review-mission-1985-on-nintendo-switch.html

REVIEW: Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed on Xbox

The very nice people at Evolve PR sent me a key for the new Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed game on Xbox, I have been a bit busy so has taken me a while to get round to playing it, but now I have I wish I hadn't waited so long.

I grew up on Ghostbusters, the originals from the 1980s that is, not the abomination from 2016 that will not be mentioned here! And from the moment you load up the game and you hear that awesome riff, and then Ray Parker Jr comes in with the classic song, you get shivers down your spine that only a true fan can get. Nostalgia aside though, there is a game to be played here, luckily, we have the original actors reprising their roles with Ernie Hudson as Winston Zeddemore and Dan Aykroyd as Raymond "Ray" Stantz, to help you along the way.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/11/review-ghostbusters-spirits-unleashed.html

REVIEW: The Entropy Centre on PC (Steam)

I do enjoy a good puzzle game, so when Stubby Games sent me a copy of The Entropy Centre to review, I was rather excited.

The Entropy Centre at its core is a first person, time manipulation, puzzle game. Think Portal, but you use time instead of portals.

After a weird dream like intro sequence, which has you watch the earth get destroyed, you find yourself on a huge space station in orbit of the earth, you don't really know why you or there, or why it is seemingly deserted. Are you the last human alive? You quickly make contact with an AI called ASTRA and you find yourself a gun, but this gun is not for killing people, it is for manipulating time and moving things. ASTRA appears on a little screen on the gun, and will help you find your way to the centre of The Entropy Centre whereby you can hopefully save mankind.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/11/review-entropy-centre-on-pc-steam.html

REVIEW: From Space on PC (Steam)

Developed by Triangle Studios and published by Curve Games, From Space is a brand-new solo and co-op action shooter. Play on your own, or with 3 others, and try to liberate the earth from a weird alien infestation.

Throw in over the top weapons, a post-apocalyptic world and endless missions and side missions, and you have quite an interesting game.

Playing from a top-down view, you will quickly find out the bad guys are pink, aim and shoot, you can collect new weapons, (everything from Rocket Launchers, Miniguns, Flamethrowers etc) and ammo, which are usually left conveniently around the location. Look for safe zones, speak to people, they will give you missions as they get to know you. Simple things at first, then getting tougher. Maybe you need to collect something for someone, or even escort someone from one point to another, without getting you both killed.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/11/review-from-space-on-pc-steam.html

REVIEW: Mr. Harrigan's Phone (2022) - Starring Jaeden Martell, Donald Sutherland and Joe Tippett

When I first heard about Mr. Harrigan's Phone, I was intrigued. I want you to read the same synopsis that I did before I start.

"When Craig, a young boy living in a small town (Jaeden Martell) befriends Mr. Harrigan, an older, reclusive billionaire (Donald Sutherland), the two begin to form an unlikely bond over their love of books and reading. But when Mr. Harrigan sadly passes away, Craig discovers that not everything is dead and gone and strangely finds himself able to communicate with his friend from the grave through the iPhone in this supernatural coming-of-age story that shows that certain connections are never lost."

Now the first thing you think of is that this is going to be a supernatural type film, something similar to classic 2000 film Frequency. The problem is, that it is not, not in any way remotely is the last line of that synopsis true. I think the film has been slightly mis-sold, I understand it is based on an 88-page novella by Stephen King which I have not read. My issue is not so much with the film itself; I actually found the film to be very watchable, and enjoyed it, my issues is that it is not really what it is advertised as.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/11/review-mr-harrigans-phone-2022-starring.html