Welcome to Gaming Couch Potato, your ultimate destination for all things gaming! Whether you're a hardcore gamer, a casual player, or someone who just loves staying updated on the latest in the gaming world, we've got you covered. At Gaming Couch Potato, we offer in-depth game reviews, breaking news, and insightful articles to keep you informed and entertained.
Die by the Blade draws inspiration from legendary combat games like Bushido Blade, Way of the Samurai and Dark Souls as well as the epic stand-offs in Ghost of Tsushima. Set in a visually stunning ‘Samuraipunk’ vision of Japan, Die by the Blade fuses techpunk visuals and japanese-inspired aesthetics to create the perfect backdrop for the ancient art of sword fighting. Players must take up their sword and face off against deadly opponents, where the slightest mistake will seal your fate. Become a master of your craft and fight to the death with other players in tense, fast paced multiplayer matches or slash through tough AI enemies in the singleplayer campaign.
By utilising a One-Hit-Kill combat system, Die by the Blade leaves no room for mistakes. By removing the concepts of health bars and health points, the game is built on a realistic battle system creating a sense of real tension as one error by the player could result in instant death. This system emphasizes the need for weapon positioning, parrying and counter moves to defend against enemy attacks before delivering a clean hit to any vital area of your opponent, causing instant death. Players must use the One-Hit-Kill system to learn from their mistakes and mount devastating comebacks to claim victory.
Publisher Grindstone will be launching a Kickstarter campaign for Die by the Blade this October with the goal of engaging with fans and building an active and supportive community.
Review by Jon Donnis
No Straight Roads is a strange game, it is an action adventure, rhythm infused, third person combat music game. Confused yet?
Set in "Vinyl City" you play as two wannabe rock stars who are fighting against NSR records. NSR records controls the music in the city and also the power supply, so clearly they need to be stopped.
You move from room to room and fight against the enemy in different musical genres. For example in Akushuka it is all K-Pop, in Metro District you fight against a boyband, and so on.
The graphics in this game are superb, a very unique look and as you would hope the soundtrack is excellent.
Although I was expecting more of a rhythm music game, this at it's core is an action adventure.
The story is fine, you are the underdogs trying to over come a corrupt music industry and you fight from the bottom until you get to the top. It is a story that everyone can understand and be empathetic towards. Although the fighting system is simplistic, you avoid being attacked, and then you attack, it is fun how you judge when an attack is coming by listening to the music.
This is a fun game, I think the problem many will have is that they will expect too much, sometimes you just need to turn the volume up, don't take things too seriously, and just enjoy the experience.
A simple and fun game, I enjoyed playing, not going to set any records, but I give it a solid 7/10
Responding to suggestions that its latest trailer looks somewhat similar to Cyberpunk 2077, development studio DoubleMoose - the outfit behind forthcoming old people mayhem sandbox Just Die Already, also widely known within the industry as "DoubleWhat?" - has suggested any likeness is "err, , erm, purely coincidental."
Hype for CD Projekt Red’s latest game is at an all time high, though DoubleMoose co-founder Armin Ibrisagic has suggested the studio was in no way influenced by endlessly re-watching Cyperpunk 2077 trailers, over and over during the development of Just Die Already’s flash new promo.
"We talk a lot about Cyberpunk 2077 at the DoubleMoose office and the trailer kind of just ended up like this unintentionally," offers Ibrisagic, sat in a home-made replica Cyberpunk jacket, complete with light-equipped pop collar. "Be cool, CDProjectRed. Don't sue."
You can watch the aforementioned ode to Cyberpunk 2077 below
Project CARS 3 is the third installment in the best-seller racing franchise that brings all the intense thrills, emotions and fun from the vibrant world of motor racing to vivid life as players undertake a whole new exciting career journey that sees them rise from weekend warrior to racing legend.
Also new to the franchise is a deeply engaging me Tag a me that challenges players to race hard and earn in-game credits with which to buy and own hundreds of cars from the world's most Elite brands and race them all on dynamic and spectacular circuits around the globe featuring stunning all-weather, all-seasons conditions.
Race-won credits and XP will also entice players to buy authentic performance upgrades and customization options for their stable of exclusive cars, including wheels, tyres, body kits, rims, as well as personalisation options to create their own racing hero Personas.
With a completely redesigned and unrivalled controller experience, an even more accurate and fun handling model, adjustable skill settings for every level of driver and every element of weather-affected races, Project CARS 3 is the biggest, most exciting and authentic evolution to the definitive racing franchise.
Hotshot Racing will launch on Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PC and PlayStation 4 on 10th September worldwide and will be priced at £15.99 / €19.99 / $19.99 USD.
Developed by racing game veterans Lucky Mountain Games and Sumo Nottingham (Outrun 2, Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing Transformed), Hotshot Racing is an all-new driving experience which revives the classic arcade gameplay of the 90s and thrusts it into the modern era. Featuring sharp retro visuals, sleek 60 frames per second gameplay on all platforms, multiple single-player championships, 8-player online game modes and 4-player local split-screen play, Hotshot Racing is sure to appeal to both veteran racers and those looking for a more casual pick-up and play experience.
“This game has been on a massive journey for the past decade from the initial concepts to Kickstarter pitch and now on the final stretch to launch,” said creative director Trevor Ley of Lucky Mountain Games. “We can’t wait to see all the in-game leaderboards light up with the fastest times from players and see multiplayer servers full to the rafters! We have plans for this game past launch as well, so it’ll be great to see what the world thinks of the game post-September 10th,” he added.
“As soon as we saw Hotshot Racing we absolutely fell in love with the concept, and working with Trevor on the game’s development has been a fruitful and joyous experience,” said Tom Turner studio production director at Sumo Nottingham. “Sumo Nottingham is known for producing some of the most beloved arcade racing experiences on the planet and we believe Hotshot Racing stands proudly side-by-side the best racing games we’ve developed."
Lucky Mountain Games, Sumo Nottingham and Curve Digital are also proud to confirm that Hotshot Racing will be available via Xbox Game Pass. All active subscribers from launch day onwards will be able to access the game on Xbox One as part of their ongoing subscription.
All those looking for a fresh injection of colourful, speed-fuelled nostalgia into their lives will be able to pre-order Hotshot Racing starting today on PC via Steam with pre-orders hitting other platforms prior to launch.
For the game’s full feature breakdown, please see below:
GAME MODES
Time Trial and Grand Prix modes cater to those who like to compete in classic racing formats, while ‘Cops and Robbers’ and ‘Drive or Explode’ modes offer exhilarating new ways to play. Each mode is available in single-player, four-player split-screen and eight-player online, while Time Trial is single-player only. Single-player modes run at a blistering 60FPS to deliver one of the fastest depictions of racing possible. Smash lap records to rise-up the global online leaderboards or download ghost laps to match your racing lines against the very best.
THE CIRCUITS
16 racing circuits provide the twists, turns and straights conducive to searingly quick racing. Take in coastal, jungle, alpine and Las Vegas desert environments, with each course modelled with the most vivid colours and blue skies for miles.
MEET THE HOTSHOTS
Keiko, Xing, Mike, Alexa, Aston, Toshiro, Marcus and Viktor - eight speed addicts that have dedicated their lives to the pursuit of being the greatest racing driver in the world.
CATCH THE DRIFT
Drifting is crucial in Hotshot Racing. Boost charges as the player drifts, so maintaining it for as long as possible is vital to preserving maximum speed throughout a race.
DRIVE OR EXPLODE
In this mode each car has a bomb attached to it. Drop below a certain speed and BOOM! The trigger speed gets faster and faster, forcing players to maintain impossibly high speeds.
COPS AND ROBBERS
Robbers evade the cops. Cops catch the robbers, and in doing so convert them to the police side, leading to an exciting test of skill for the surviving criminals.
