Trunk Gaming

MediEvil

Initial Release Date: October 25, 2019

Developer: Other Ocean Emeryville

Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment

Platform: PlayStation 4

Genre: Action Adventure Arcade, Hack and Slash

Why We’re Playing It: The days are getting shorter, the air is growing crisper and pumpkin-spiced everything has hit the store shelves, so we are in search of games that give us ALL of the Halloween feels. MediEvil delivers and fills your pixelated candy bucket to the brim with gaming goodness!

What It’s All About?: This is a remake of the original Playstation game from 1998. It stays true to the original storyline of our undead hero, Sir Daniel Fortesque (AKA Sir Dan), coming back from the grave to rescue the kingdom of Gallowmere from the forces of evil.

That’s Worth A Power-Up!: Visually, this rendition of the classic game presents a spectacularly spooky polished revamp of the original. It still embodies the dark humor and creepy ambiance, but it elevates the gaming experience to new levels with the advances in technology available. You won’t see any pixelated or vanishing polygons here.

Bonus Level: MediEvil delivered with putting us in the Halloween frame of mind, but it also tugged our nostalgic heart strings on two levels. One, which we expected, reminding us of the original Playstation days, but the other was how much this game felt like the classic arcade-style hack and slash games that you powered through with your friends in shopping mall arcades.

And that’s why this game is a certified quarter muncher!

RAD

Initial Release Date: August 20, 2019

Developer: Double Fine

Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment

Genre: Action-Adventure, Arcade

Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows

Why We’re Playing It: It’s no secret that the TrunkSpace team are fans of the ‘80s, and this game exudes totally tubular nostalgia. Even the actual gameplay harkens back to the old-school, arcade-style games that were top down action/adventure romps. So put on your jean jacket, hairspray that hair and wear your sunglasses at night while we dive into this session of Trunk Gaming!

What It’s All About?: You choose your teenage adventurer protagonist, grab your baseball bat and head into a post-apocalyptic world that has become a barren wasteland full of gnarly creatures that are hungry for flesh. The fate of humanity depends on you to traverse the radioactive landscape and spread life and heal the environment through the use of machines. This comes at a cost though, and your body mutates as you play, giving you either unexpected power or hindering side effects.

That’s Worth A Power-Up!: We’re a sucker for visually-striking and stylistic games, and “RAD” delivers on this front. From the retro electronic riffs to the gorgeous wasteland of a landscape, this game is a treat for your ears and eyeballs. Oh, and the random voiceover guy that proclaims your achievements with ‘80s buzz words will have you laughing as you smash those radioactive mutants to bits.

Bonus Level: At first play through it seems sort of like one dimensional gaming, and you’re not sure if there is much replay value. Once you clear the first few levels, you realize you’re just scratching the surface, and when you start teleporting from caves to different levels, things get wild. The game also has a random level generator, so you are literally never playing the same level twice. All we can say is clear your schedule, because once you download “RAD” you are going to be hooked!

And that’s why this game is a certified quarter muncher!

Harry Potter: Wizards Unite

Initial Release Date: June 21, 2019

Publisher & Developer: Niantic, Portkey Games, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

Genre: Augmented Reality, Location Based Gaming

Platforms: Android, IOS

Why We’re Playing It: Dust off your wands, wake up the house elf and pour yourself a Butter Beer, because you’re about to dive head first into the world of Harry Potter. This game is a dream come true for any fan of the Harry Potter franchise and its many facets, so naturally we wanted to check this one out for all the Potter Heads out there.

What’s It All About?: Quite simply, you are submerged into the wizarding world. You play along with many of the notable (and memorable!) characters from the film franchise while you grow and learn as a wizard yourself. If this game was a layered, tiered cake, that would be just the first layer on the first tier. There is so much to this game in terms of story, characters and game play.

That’s Worth A Power-Up!: The game itself is free with in-app purchases available that are hard to resist. There is so much to do between creating potions, growing plants, dining at inns, battling vampires and werewolves… you never run out of something to do every time you boot up your app. It is a lot to take in at first, but our advice is just to start playing, and as you go along you will start to incorporate more and more of the different aspects into your gaming experience.

Bonus Level: Much like Pokémon Go, different locations will yield different experiences. If you see someone in the bread aisle of the grocery store frantically casting spells on their phone to defeat a Death Eater, you’ll completely understand.

And that’s why this game is a certified quarter muncher!

Days Gone

Initial Release Date: April 26, 2019

Developer: SIE Bend Studio

Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment

Platform: PS4

Genre: Surivival Horror/Over-The-Shoulder Shoot

Why We’re Playing It: We have been starving for a decent survival horror genre game to sink our teeth into and this one is a dead ringer for the kind that we like to chew on.

What’s It’s All About?: You play as the lovable loner and former biker gang member Deacon St. John. (voiced by “Being Human” star Sam Witwer!) To keep this synopsis spoiler free, we’ll just say the basics of the plot are to survive and thrive along with your biker buddy, Boozer (Jim Pirri).

That’s Worth A Power-Up!: While some games herald themselves as true post-apocalyptic survival horror experiences, you still get by quite easily finding random cases of bullets, guns, etc. strewn across the landscape, which really makes no sense. In “Days Gone” it’s quite the opposite. While you traverse the treacherous “freaker” terrain, you are going to have to stop at police cars, NERO camps and more to locate bullets, otherwise you will be lucky to find some spare scrap metal, a loose board, or on a good day, a machete in an abandoned shed or car. One thing that is clear? There are not enough bullets to take out all those freakers, so you’re going to have to use your noggin a bit to survive.

Bonus Level: “Days Gone” is a solid game that could easily stand alone, but SIE Bend Studio is not done. They have vowed weekly challenges and updates to be made for the game that will keep fans coming back for more freaker-bashing fun. So, to quote Deacon, “Let’s ride!”

And that’s why this game is a certified quarter muncher!

Resident Evil 2

Initial Release Date: January 25, 2019

Publisher & Developer: Capcom

Genre: Survival Horror, Action/Adventure

Platforms: Playstation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows

Why We’re Playing It: We played the original Resident Evil 2 way back in ‘98 when it was released, and we loved it then, so we could not resist the chance to slip on those familiar gaming sneakers that once carried our imaginations through the late ‘90s of horror survival.

What’s It All About?: The story follows rookie police officer Leon Scott Kennedy and college student Claire Redfield. The two accidentally cross paths on their journey to Raccoon City. Claire is looking for her brother, Chris Redfield (from the first Resident Evil) and poor Leon was supposed to start working for the RPD right before the zombie poop hit the fan. The game allows you to play as either Leon or Claire. They are both similar experiences but with different weapons, storylines and a few additional surprises.

That’s Worth A Power-Up!: You know what to expect from a remastered Star Wars movie – 1,000 Storm Troopers instead of 100, or a few extra CGI-based aliens here or there, but Capcom’s new take on their old classic is entirely different. Imagine taking the scariest movie you have ever seen, then, somehow making it induce 10x more anxiety, scares and cursing at your screen. That’s what you have with the Resident Evil 2 revamp. Whether it’s Mr. X’s relentless pursuit or zombies dropping out of ceilings, this game will have you freaking out in more ways than one. There is no poetic way to put it… you’re just going to freak the freak out!

Bonus Level: There are so many aspects to this version of RE2 that will have you drooling with gamer admiration, but one of the most impressive is the mix of lighting and sound effects. When you enter a dark room with your flashlight bobbing around and you hear the growl of a nearby zombie and the creak of a light hanging from the ceiling, you are on the edge of your seat even if there is nothing in the room that can do you harm. The atmosphere and full immersion into the Raccoon City apocalypse is beautifully done.

And that’s why this game is a certified quarter muncher!

Much like the creepy wooden doll on the big wheel in the corner that is staring deep into your soul, we would like to play a game… actually, we want to play 13 games, and they have to be the very BEST games to play during the month of October, with no limit to the year the game came out, the console on which the game originated or the active availability of said games. We’ve locked our Trunk Gaming staff in a closet with nothing but a bag of candy corn, spigot servers and an extensive list of video games to comb through in order to find you the most horrifying of all the polygons, bit graphics and full-motion video. But first, are you looking for a new gaming laptop to enhance your gaming experience? If so, you might want to take a look at this helpful guide from adremgaming.com to some of the best RTX 2080 laptops. The RTX 2080 is the latest high-end graphics card and delivers exceptional frame rates in games at 4K and VR. One game which deserves an honourable mention too though is League of Legends. Did you know that there is a unique way to gain access to the public beta environment? If you would like access to a League server where you can play with upcoming features and content that are not yet finished, you can buy a PBE account from somewhere like Unranked Smurfs. There are other benefits of purchasing an account too, so if you are contemplating trying one out, make sure to do some research first. That being said, you can also check out cloud gaming. You can read reviews by Coolest Gadgets and see if this new gaming subscription is the right thing for you. One of the best services offers most of the modern games for a monthly subscription of only $10. So, here are the best October games we came up with!

13. Loaded

Though this game is technically an over the head shooter, you can’t help but recognize this game set the groundwork for the beautiful mood lighting that console games boast today, and we’re not talking Red Lobster, prom date lighting. This was one of the first games to show actual gradients and creepy flash light lighting that will have you reaching for the contrast button while playing late at night. Some could even argue the Loaded series was the forerunner for some of the trigger-happy horror games like Devil May Cry.

12. Altered Beast

Perhaps one of the earliest games, if not the earliest, to tackle life as a werewolf or an “Altered Beast.” Somewhere between a side-scrolling fight-fest and a horror flick, this game was one of the pioneers that made transforming into a monster as routine as getting fireballs from a mushroom in Mario Bros.

11. Luigi’s Mansion

Speaking of the famous plumbing Mario Brothers, Luigi stepped out of his brother’s gaming shadow and into…well, a lot more shadows in a haunted mansion! Traversing this side scroller and busting ghosts with your vacuum and flashlight was the best Ghostbuster experience to hit the gaming realm up to this point. The popularity of this now retro game has even launched a current ping-pong ball based arcade game that can be found in arcades around the globe.

10. Splatter House

Splatter House was one of the earliest games to attempt the horror genre and do it with great success. Though the first game was not featured on a mainstream console, it still garnered a fan base that launched the Splatter House franchise and made Sega Genesis the console to get if you wanted to play Galaga with the undead creatures of the night.

9. Doom II

To talk about the horror genre without discussing Doom II would be like talking mob movies and leaving out The Godfather. Simply put, Doom II was the best first-person shooter to grace PCs and terrify parents and teachers alike. Some of our Trunk Gaming staff may even remember having a friend that put Doom II on their school’s server so students could meet for “study hour” in the computer lab and blast some demons. This was also a major turning point in the discussion of age appropriate ratings for video games.

8. The Evil Within 2

Unlike movies, sequels in the horror gaming industry just get better and better with each new installment. The Evil Within 2 is no exception. This gaming experience truly plunges you into a surreal world that is as terrifying as it is gorgeous. This survival horror story is the ultimate John McClane experience and will no doubt be the fuel of our nightmares for months to come.

7. The Last of Us (remastered)

We chose the remastered version of The Last of Us because if the devil is in the details, then this game is carrying a pitchfork and twirling its mustache while sitting on a flaming throne. This installment was among the first to put you in a cinematic gaming experience. For the first time, you have some control during full motion portions of the game, which was unheard of at this time, and helps you feel like you’re experiencing this fungus zombie world in real time.

6. Jaws

Yup, the one for the NES! Anyone else remember this? There weren’t many things to be scared of on the old NES system, but the Jaws game boasted that recognizable John Williams soundtrack and put you pixel-to-pixel with the great white beast. This was also one of the first games to switch between side scrolling to first person interaction.

5. Friday the 13^th

The latest installment for the PS4, Xbox One and PC is as close as you will get (or should want to get) to being in an actual Friday the 13^th movie. The game serves up the option to play as a camper or the poor, misunderstood serial killer, Jason Voorhees. Though there are some gameplay issues that people get hung up on, you have to tip your hockey mask to the overall gaming experience.

4. Silent Hill

Just the idea of those sirens sounding and the ghastly otherworldly realm taking over your screen is as anxiety inducing an experience as any ever created by a video game. The haunting score and use of lighting were among the first to perfectly replicate the horror experience of suspense in a video game setting.

3. Super Ghouls ‘n Ghosts

This was that wonderful era when Nintendo took all their NES titles and plussed them up with “Super” in front of every title, but… in this instance we have to agree with them. Super Ghouls ‘n Ghosts began exploring the idea of gaming on different levels of depth much like an animation cell. You could have things happening on multiple fields of game play at the same time. This was groundbreaking stuff and helped fill your screen with numerous ways to lose your armor or be cursed into a wee little baby adventurer.

2. Super Castlevania IV

Another plussed up offering from Nintendo, Super Castlevania began delving into the realm of 3D with levels like the swirling casket room – you know the one that you have to have a Dramamine before playing now? Also impressive for its time was the masterful soundtrack. We realized upon playing the SNES Classic console that was recently released, just hearing the first few notes of the soundtrack, you immediately recalled which level and experience you were about to have.

1. Resident Evil

The crème de la crème of the horror gaming genre. Resident Evil easily takes the heavyweight title in our book. It’s the first video game we remember playing and having an actual horror movie response of jumping in surprise when the undead dog jumps through the window to chase you down the hallway. Never mind that this gaming franchise also spawned a successful butt-kicking movie franchise featuring Milla Jovovich, the Resident Evil games continue to stand on their own and terrify fans in fresh and horrifying ways. Look for Resident Evil 2 remastered coming up in early 2019!

Zombie Rollerz

Initial Release Date: October 3, 2018

Developer: Zing Games

Genre: Pinball Zombie Survival

Platforms: IOS 9.0 or later

Why We’re Playing It: It’s that magical, pumpkin-spiced time of year where it’s perfectly acceptable to adorn your yard with body parts and random atrocities, so we’re plunging into the digital cobwebs of the app store to find you a game fit for a Pumpkin King. This time around “Zombie Rollerz” showed up on our trick or treat list and it’s easy to see why. They took pinball and zombie survival and somehow spliced the two genres together! What’s not to love?

What’s It’s All About?: You and a few select heroes are tasked with saving what’s left of the world from the cute little zombie monsters that are hungry for babies and villagers. A handy-dandy “Omnipedia” is there to guide you on your path and fill you in on how to play the game and use power-ups.

That’s Worth A Power-Up!: If you had told 10-year-old us that we would have a pinball machine in our house when we grew up, we would have flipped out… now, if you told 10-year-old us that pinball machine was going to be on a handheld device and feature zombies, we would have thought you were Marty Friggin-McFly! This game is so great, because it not only gives you the classic pinball vibe, they work in puzzle aspects and loads of survival moments that you could never achieve with a traditional pinball game.

Bonus Level: Bet you never thought you would have a “boss battle” in a pinball game! Well, no longer! “Zombie Rollerz” is breaking down gaming boundaries, and they aren’t shying away from the big battles with the big foes.

And that’s why this game is a certified quarter muncher!

 

Marvel’s Spider-Man

Initial Release Date: September 7, 2018

Developer: Insomniac Games

Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment

Genre: Action-Adventure

Platforms: Playstation 4

Why We’re Playing It: Aside from the fact that we’re all big web slinger fans here at TrunkSpace, we also have a lot of faith that Insomniac Games, known for titles like “Rachet & Clank,” always puts out not just a quality game but one that swings a story or two above the others in terms of quality. It was clear early on, from the first footage of gameplay, that this installment of Spider-Man would be the closest you’ll ever get to putting on the webbed suit and zipping across the New York skyline.

What It’s All About?: When you’re not swinging around town as Spider-Man, stopping crime with the help of Detective Yuri and the NYPD, you’re working alongside Dr. Otto Octavius in his lab to create upgrades for your suit. Without giving away too many plot spoilers we’ll just say your first boss battle is with Wilson Fisk as you learn the mechanics of the game play. From there you get mixed up with Mayor Osborn, Mary Jane, Electro, Rhino, Scorpion, Vulture and Mister Negative… and do you really think Dr. Octavius is just going to stay good ole’ doc? We’ll see after Osborn seizes all of his research!

That’s Worth A Power-Up!: It’s hard to pick just one thing that stands out in this game – there are many! – but the web slinging and fight mechanics are truly innovative. You can glide and parkour through the city so seamlessly you won’t want to stop. If you were Forrest Gump, you would just swing across the entire country. Oh, and we can’t forget to mention, when you start swooping through the city on a web, an epic soundtrack starts to play, making you feel like you’re actually playing within a Spider-Man movie. For die-hard Marvel fans out there, you can even get a custom made Spider-Man controller, making gameplay just that little bit more exciting!

Bonus Level: We found the open world gaming really refreshing. A lot of games are jumping on this bandwagon, and it is very freeing to be able to choose your path through the storyline and environment. The way that Insomniac Games pulls this off and sets itself apart is all in the details, literally. Pick a building to climb on and you’ll notice your reflection. You’ll also be able to see that they not only designed the interiors of these buildings, but they have people that are moving and interacting with one another inside the skyscraper you’re perched on. This attention to detail blew our minds and it will you as well!

And that’s why this game is a certified quarter muncher!

Hungry Shark

Publisher: Ubisoft

Developer: Future Games of London

Genre: Action-Adventure, RPG, Hack and Slash

Platforms: Playstation 4, iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One

Why We’re Playing it: It’s shark week, and we wanted to celebrate by living life as a hungry digital shark!

What It’s All About: You don’t have to dig too deep on the premise for this one. You play as a hungry shark and the world is your buffet. Swim around and eat fish, turtles, pelicans and of course, tourists. #SharkLife

That’s Worth A Power-Up!: You can level up in the game and as you do, you unlock bigger, scarier playable sharks. You can even play as an angry killer whale out for revenge.

Bonus Level: The game looks stunning, even on the mobile devices. There are layers of environment stacked on top of each other and fun Easter eggs like the “SPAM” spoof of a sign that reads “SPLUM”. So in between bites keep an eye out for the hidden gems.

And that’s why this game is a certified quarter muncher!

 

Game: God of War

Initial Release Date: April 20, 2019

Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment, Capcom, Sony Pictures

Genre: Action-Adventure, RPG, and Hack and Slash

Platforms: Playstation 4

Why We’re Playing It: Unless you’ve been stuck under a gaming rock for the last decade, you’ve no doubt heard of the “God of War” franchise. We figured with Father’s Day just being celebrated, now is the perfect time to review the story and adventures of Kratos and Atreus, son of Kratos. There is plenty of bloodshed and battles, but at the heart of this game is the relationship between father and son.

What It’s All About: Kratos’ wife/Atreus’ mother has passed. After cremating her, they seek out to fulfill her final wish that her ashes be brought to the highest peak in the realm. A simple enough task, right? Wrong! Of course, witches, gods, monsters and demons get in the way during the journey to the top of the mountain. While on your path, you navigate not only a perilous journey but a difficult bond between father and son.

That’s Worth A Power-Up!: This is very much a hack and slash game, and you’re going to be immersed in heavy battle, but there’s also an RPG at the center of this gaming lollipop. You gain XP, pick what weapons, skills and abilities you use. The RPG elements feels a little bit like playing one of those New eso templar builds in “Elder Scrolls”, but only a little bit. “God of War” lives up to its predecessors and the combat and gameplay feel just like that the iconic series always had, rarely taking whole pages from “Skyrim”‘s books as other new games have. Your weapon now has slots that you can equip. with enchantments, which you can also level up, increasing your weapon strength as a whole. The strategy of this game is a rabbit hole, and you can delve as deep as you want into the RPG aspects associated with “God of War.”

Bonus Level: This game is gorgeous! Bob Ross himself couldn’t have painted a more vibrant environment to cover with the blood of your enemies. Just take a moment to take it all in between battles, because the graphics are just mind blowing. If the beautiful scenery were an advertisement for a time share, we would be sold! But, you know, maybe less monsters in real life would be nice for resale value. We also have to tip our hat to the seamless transitions between full motion video to actual gameplay. No more queuing the full motion video, then waiting on a blank screen for it load, then reload when you go back to gameplay. From the time you hit start until the end, you’re immersed in Kratos’ world, stopping only for food, bathroom and work…hopefully! Maybe you should just plan ahead and use those vacation days and spend some quality father/son time within “God of War.”

And that’s why this game is a certified quarter muncher!