Portsmouth News

Round-up of this week’s top games...

- Jamie Harris with STUART CHANDLER

ODDWORLD: SOULSTORM PLATFORM: PLAYSTATIO­N 5 PRICE: £44.99 / FREE WITH PS PLUS SUBSCRIPTI­ON

The latest round of next-gen revamps comes from loveable goofy Mudokon slave Abe, in what is pitched as a reimaginin­g of the story from 1998’s sequel Oddworld: Abe’s Exoddus. The principles remain very much the same – evade enemies and obstacles in constant 3D side-scrolling fashion. It might not be the graphic fest most gamers would like for the PS5, but it still sparkles greatly. The sheer variety of puzzling tasks and need for strategy make for an entertaini­ng experience, alongside the well-known but still strong story – and who can say no to supporting an underdog? A few bits were not entirely clear – accidental­ly or deliberate, it is hard to tell – as well as some minor glitches to note, but overall you will be sucked into the Oddworld saga once more.

SAY NO! MORE SWITCH, IOS, PC PRICE: £13.49

Who would have thought screaming ‘no’ would be so satisfying and powerful. We have all been there

– a trainee, desperate to please.

Say No! More chronicles the life of three interns starting at a huge corporatio­n, who are told to always say ‘yes’. Until one day, one of the interns is asked to surrender their packed lunch. A motivation­al tape suddenly appears, explaining the power of saying no, and suddenly the word is weaponised to the great shock of the office big wigs. Going around the building, you ‘attack’ managers with ‘no’ and with different ways of saying it (ranging from heated to wacky), as well as other actions to be irritating, like clapping, which adds a new dimension. It makes for an oddly humourous Nineties arcade-style game, and certainly wins on the story front as something we can all relate to.

FARM IT! PLATFORM: IOS PRICE: £4.99 PER MONTH WITH APPLE ARCADE

Another farming simulation title, which gets repetitive quite quickly but is still strangely enjoyable for those ‘spare five-minute moments’. Grow veg and raise livestock to sell on to locals is the main goal, earning you money to kit out your pad with new furniture. It feels a bit like Diner Dash but without the dashing – people will queue up for goods but do not grow impatient and leave. As you progress, more veg and livestock will become available, as well as recipes to combine foods which you can also sell on.

NARITA BOY PLATFORM: XBOX, PLAYSTATIO­N, SWITCH, PC PRICE: £19.99

Narita Boy is a fusion of the virtual and real-life worlds story-wise, as you play a young guy who is sucked into a video game after the creator’s memories are deleted by a dark force. It is an interestin­g journey, as you venture through 12 flashback levels covering the creator’s life, but the game play itself is less impressive. Puzzles you stumble across are simple, and while fight scenes look great, the lack of moves with your Techno-sword take away some of the shine. With its slick 2D retro graphics and synth soundtrack, it is hard not to fall for Narita Boy.

 ??  ?? Clockwise from top left, Oddworld: Soulstorm, Say no! More, Farm It! and Narita Boy.
Clockwise from top left, Oddworld: Soulstorm, Say no! More, Farm It! and Narita Boy.
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