Games of the week – Outcasters, Evolution Board Game, Call of the Sea and Zombie Rollerz: Pinball Heroes
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Call of the Sea
Platform: Xbox
Genre: Adventure
Price: £16.47 (also on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate)
Island of delights
A first-person adventure game led on puzzles is hardly original, but Call of the Sea’s charm, carefully crafted storytelling, powerful voice cast and stunning visuals make for a fun ride. Set in the 1930s, you play Norah, who is trying to find out what happened to her husband after an expedition on a lush island. You’ll be sucked in by the gorgeous locations and secrets hidden along the way. Puzzles are central to progress, starting pretty simple before becoming a lot harder – although these can turn challenging, they are not pushed to the point of causing frustration, providing a solid balance overall.
Skip to the end: Get your explorer and thinking hats on for this alluring puzzle adventure title, which nails the narrative on the head.
Score: 9/10
Outcasters
Platform: Stadia
Genre: Battle royale
Price: Included with Stadio Pro subscription (£8.99 per month)
A real blaster on Outcasters
This online multiplayer game describes itself as ‘frantic’ – and that’s not wrong. Any battle royale game will undoubtedly draw comparisons to Fortnite, but Outcasters is far less time-consuming and adds some unique attack mechanics, which mean you can control the direction your ammo goes once it’s fired. The aim is simple – fight it out to be the last person standing. But with constantly moving walls, other players out to get you and an awkward aerial view to the game, it’s not the easiest of feats – though it is satisfying to fire and swerve ammo past walls to your target. As much as it’s not the game’s fault, the streamed gaming system of Stadia means you are at the peril of your internet connection and at risk of stuttering moments, which isn’t ideal for such a fast-paced live game.
Skip to the end: Unique attack mechanics are intriguing but make Outcasters a bit too much to take in.
Score: 7/10
Evolution Board Game
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Genre: Strategy
Price: £14.99
Fight for survival
Survival of the fittest has never been more apparent and strategic than in Evolution, the board game which has now been adapted for digital. All the same principles apply – evolve your species to fend off foraging rivals, predators and ultimately extinction by using your wits to outlive them all. The aim is to collect food tokens which translate to points. Trait cards provide you with options to be more powerful, such as co-operation to share food with new groups you form, growing your population, or evolving to do things like growing a longer neck to reach food in the trees. Visuals work wonderful as you explore further, while using the touch screen feels as fluid as playing an actual board game. The added bonus of online multiplayer is the most exciting part, meaning you can confront real players rather than the computer.
Skip to the end: Great adaption of the original board game, which benefits from online multiplayer for a real match.
Score: 7/10
Zombie Rollerz: Pinball Heroes
Platform: iOS
Genre: Arcade
Price: £4.99 on Apple Arcade
Arcade with a twist
Pinball is a classic favourite that can’t really go wrong, but Zombie Rollerz: Pinball Heroes spins things around with a survival-led tower defence twist. The result is something more intense and pressurised than the concept we all know, as cartoon zombies edge closer to you and the ball acts as your main line of protection. Points you earn can be exchanged for loot that will be needed as your foes become harder to defeat. Zombie Rollerz: Pinball Heroes adds an adventure-like story to proceedings, requiring you to navigate a map where you can also be confronted with obstacles, but the pinball part remains core to overall game play.
Skip to the end: A fun take on pinball and tower defence gaming that adds a splash of well-placed humour into the mix.
Score: 8/10
