

But I do admire those who play racers from the first-person perspective, and sometimes wish I were able to enjoy the more immersive experience it affords. I've always been firmly in the latter camp, since I tend to play arcade-style games like Outrun and Ridge Racer where judging the arc of a drift is important. Snappy controls and otherworldly pixel-art designs have made my demo experience with Animal Well memorable thus far, and I look forward to its eventual release (currently pegged to a vague "early 2023" window).There are two types of people in the world: those who play racing games in cockpit view, and those who prefer a behind-the-car chase camera. Instead of wielding weapons, your eight-pixel blob of a hero must make the most of items like firecrackers-which cast lighting effects on the 2D world while scaring potential foes-and a handy grappling whip that can be tossed into crevices to grab otherwise untouchable world elements. Animal Well asks players to focus on tricky maneuvers, puzzle-solving, and hidden-path discovery as they unravel the mysteries that cloak its lack of dialogue.
#DRIVECLUB PC DEMO HOW TO#
The game's lighting and physics models are some of the most impressive I've ever seen in a 16-bit aesthetic, perhaps even surpassing the pixelated, chemical-reaction madness of Noita.Īdditionally, this adventure has smart ideas for how to skip combat entirely. For one, it has new, beautiful ideas for rendering pixel art, thanks to its sole designer, programmer, and artist building the game's engine from scratch-and condensing the complete package thus far to a 10MB limit. While I'm not immediately convinced that Animal Well will surpass the genre's other greats, my hour-long demo has me very, very intrigued.

AdvertisementĪt some point, the oversaturation of indie "seek-adventure" games (better known as "Metroidvanias") has to run its course, right? What can anyone else do to top the critically acclaimed likes of Hollow Knight, Axiom Verge, and Cave Story? This issue usually arose after a gnarly spinout when I drove all driving assists disabled when I leaned on the game's optional F1-for-dummies, all-assists mode, F1 2022 felt like a fantastic carnival ride. The only comfort exception came from moments when the game's particle-filled clouds filled my gameplay view, which made my headset's frame rate tumble. In great news, the result strikes the right balance between fidelity and performance, along with considerations for VR comfort while navigating F1-worthy straightaways. The game maker's kiosk combined Fanatec's CSL DD F1 bundle with a Quest 2 VR headset. (Evolution Studios made the latter before Codemasters acquired it in 2016). Codemasters producers on site confirmed that the studio's combined brain trust had matured enough to add a VR mode to F1, thanks to contributions from those who worked on VR modes in DiRT Rally and Driveclub VR.
#DRIVECLUB PC DEMO SERIES#
Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4ĮA and Codemasters hosted an F1 2022 gameplay demo to show off the series' newest feature: VR racing. Her new abilities weren't necessarily imperative in the new boss battle I played-though due to being terrible at Cuphead, I still struggled with the fight's three phases, which included an abrupt transition to floating, rotating platforms (think Super Mario World's second Reznor fight). Chalice is available as a "charm" that one player can equip at any time, and she comes with a few novice-friendly perks, including an additional point of health, a double-jump, a parry that doubles as a forward dash, and a somersault that adds a few frames of invincibility. If the sample boss level I played is any indication, this DLC will hit a sweet spot for series fans instead of turning the Cuphead formula upside down.Ī new playable character Ms. The bullet-hell brutality of Cuphead will return later this month as a $7.99 DLC pack. Links: Steam | Nintendo eShop | Xbox | Official site

Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course gameplay trailer.
