Hades, Skate, Katamari Damacy Reroll join Xbox Game Pass this AugustAug 3, 2021 - EurogamerMicrosoft has now published its full list of games arriving on Xbox Game Pass this month, and it seems like a particularly busy one - with several indie darlings and Codemasters games set to join the mix. As previously announced, award-winning roguelike Hades arrives on Xbox Game Pass for PC, cloud and console on 13th August. We named Hades our game of the year for 2020, so if you haven't checked it out yet, now's your chance. Art of Rally, a stylish driving game Martin described as "brilliantly playable", arrives on Game Pass for console, PC and cloud on 12th August. Read moreThe Joy of failing in Katamari Damacy RerollJan 2, 2019 - Rock, Paper, Shotgun Playing Katamari Damacy Reroll can be a lot more unwieldy than you d expect. But then using both analogue sticks to move and steer your katamari makes sense because it sort of represents the arms of your little prince who s pushing this katamari in front of him, which gets bigger and bigger the more objects he rolls up. It d make sense for it to feel unwieldy, wouldn t it? And when you can roll up literally anything that s the same size as your katamari currently is, including a big-ass sign that s jutting out of your side, well, it s going to get awkwardly bumpy. (more…) 7 toylike games to play during the winter holidaysDec 25, 2018 - Rock, Paper, Shotgun Happy holidays! Time to see what s in your stocking. Oh, it s another copy of The Golf Handbook (Third Edition). And some toenail clippers. Great. No, honestly, that s fine. It s not like little Jemima over there is dashing about in her cool lion slippers, making you ache for an era of innocence and novelty that you can never revisit. And who cares if she s clashing her dinosaur figurines over the ruins of a Lego city? You certainly don t. Why, you barely notice as her damned wonderful slippers go rarr with every step. Oh well, better go set the table for dinner. No! We won t allow it. Turn that holiday frown upside-holiday-down, adult friend of mine. Children do not have a monopoly on fun. Here are seven playthings that ll make you click, smile, discover, and giggle. These are all toys as much as they are games, and they’re your real stocking fillers. Enjoy. (more…) The joy of Katamari DamacyDec 14, 2018 - EurogamerKatamari Damacy is a special sort of game. So special in fact, that it sidetracked me from writing this several times, playing the game in an absent-minded daze, marvelling at how 塊,the Kanji for katamari, already looks like a small prince rolling stuff up. It worms itself inside your brain by giving the mundane a unique sort of whimsy. Whimsy, silliness and fun on first glance seem like something unrestrained and purposefully difficult to capture, but Katamari's game director Keita Takahashi made these feelings into substantial pillars of the design philosophy that informs all of his games. Katamari is meant to convey novelty, ease of understanding, enjoyment, and humour, all in a neat little package. At first glance, there doesn't seem to be much to Katamari Damacy. You and your katamari (Japanese for "clump") are dropped on a random map where you then roll over items to add them to your little ball. What items? Any items. The absence of restrictions is very freeing - if you see something on screen, odds are you can roll it up at some point. The few limitations that do exist make sense: you can't roll into something bigger than yourself, that would ruin the whole equilibrium of your ball. If you bump into any obstacle full force, items are inevitably going to break off of your katamari. Maybe it's an odd core idea for a game, but the mechanics and aesthetic aspects of Katamari are the equivalent of a gentle shrug, the very essence of "why not". Roll with it. Read more…Katamari Damacy Reroll comes rolling on home todayDec 7, 2018 - Rock, Paper, ShotgunKatamari Damacy Reroll is out on PC, and all about little things becoming large, rolling their way through obstacles that looked impossible moments prior. Let’s give the diminutive Prince Of All Cosmos a hand, because his PC debut feels so very small compared to yesterday’s awards silliness and today’s Smash Bros overload. Together, with a little push, we can make it big – John reviewed it yesterday, and had a thoroughly lovely time with it. You probably will too, as Katamari is like a poncho – it’s impossible to be unhappy playing it. The launch trailer is rolling by below. (more…)
