If you have not checked out the review for the console collection, I highly recommend it, but I will also cover the Darius series's basics here. As a side-scrolling shoot 'em up, you'll pilot a Silver Hawk, the only ship capable of fighting back against the vile Belsar invasion. The invading forces are highly sentient robotic ships designed after marine biology; fish, crustaceans, sea horses, octopuses, etc. The recurring boss (and fan favorite), King Fossil, is designed after a coelacanth. The home console ports feel different from the arcade games, mainly due to them having been altered to fit a single-screen display, not to mention consoles had weaker hardware than arcades. The first game in the series wasn't even directly ported to the more popular platforms at the time. The PC Engine received Super Darius, which featured additional content that was initially cut; however, it wasn't made available in the console collection. Darius Plus is a lighter version of Super Darius, being produced on a HuCard instead of CD-ROM.

The original Darius is a classic; however, the gameplay improvements and advancements in the sequel laid the groundwork for future titles. In Darius Cozmic Collection Arcade, there are three versions of Darius; original (or old), new, and extra. The old version would be the first release from the arcades if you were lucky enough to play the fantastic cabinet. The on-screen play area takes place only across a small slice of the screen (mimicking the three-screen setup), even if you have a large screen television. Playing on a 4K 55" inch display, I couldn't imagine attempting to play through the game with anything smaller. As you successfully navigate through zones and defeat the boss, you are presented with a choice of two new zones, in a fan-shape map. This means that you'll only play seven zones in any given run out of the possible 28. Unlike the sequels, once your ship is destroyed, you don't instantly respawn; instead, the game fades to black, respawning you at a checkpoint and restarting you without any of your upgraded weapons or armor. Shooting specially marked enemies produces power-ups in the form of floating orbs. Red orbs improve your forward-facing missiles, green for your bombs, and blue for your armor. Armor is the only thing that can protect you from being destroyed after taking a single hit. If you collect enough of any one category, you'll advance to a new tier. Even upon death, you'll spawn at this new tier instead of at the weakest level.

The new version of Darius, rebalances the gameplay, making boss encounters easier if you have advanced your primary weapon's tier. In the original, reaching a new tier means bosses received additional health, to stop players from melting them down too fast. The new version lets you feel like an unstoppable machine if you are lucky enough to collect that many power-ups. Darius: Extra Version released only in Japan in a limited capacity, adding extra enemies and altering their formations. It is also the first version that lets players insert additional money when they lose all their lives to continue playing. It was also disabled once you reached the final zone, which I'm sure caused many kids at the time to curse loudly.

Two years after the release of Darius, Taito bought Darius II to arcades. The game was designed for multiple screens, allowing it to be played in the original Darius cabinet; however, it was more widely available in a dual-screen cabinet. Significant improvements occurred during boss encounters, as the player's ship could change orientation depending upon where they were in relation to the boss. Not only that, but the Silver Hawk received new weaponry, such as upwards and downwards firing lasers. The weapon tier system has been removed, resulting in the loss of all power-ups upon death. The game also added more robust engagements during every stage, serving as a mid-boss battle. When the game was localized overseas, it was released as SAGAIA, using the dual-screen cabinet. It was believed that the western audience wouldn't enjoy the (longer) length of the stages, and therefore they were shortened. The difficulty was raised to balance the newer, faster zones. Based on the Collection, there are two different versions of the game that exist; however, no information could be found about version 2, which may not have been released.

The final game, Darius Gaiden, is, without a doubt, my favorite game in the Collection, and even after playing all of the console ports, it is probably my favorite game in the franchise. Released in 1994, it was designed for single-screen cabinets, a series first in the arcades. Using a standardized cabinet meant the game could be released to a wider variety of locations, especially those that didn't have the space for the massive dual or triple-screen cabinets. As the third entry into the series and fifth game overall, Darius Gaiden got ported to many different platforms, such as Sega Saturn, PlayStation, Windows, PlayStation 2, and even Xbox. It stunned the audience with parallax scrolling and visual effects, creating an almost 3D appearance to the environments. A new feature introduced in Darius Gaiden is the ability to capture the mid-bosses that were added in Darius II. Capturing the mid-bosses was quite simple; however, you had to be highly accurate only to dislodge a small circular ball attached to their body without destroying them. If it breaks free and you collect it, the miniboss will temporarily follow you around. The black hole bomb was added to your arsenal, sucking up both enemy projectiles and enemy ships for a short period. It's a great equalizer if you find yourself heavily outnumbered and overwhelmed.

Simply Put

Darius Cozmic Collection Arcade may have fewer titles than the console collection; however, the original arcade games are such a pleasure to play. It is a bit odd that G-Darius was omitted, as it is the only arcade game that was not included in either release. Darius II and Darius Gaiden still hold up today, and Gaiden feels like a natural progression from its predecessor. I'm not sure that we needed three versions of Darius, and two of SAGAIA, especially considering I can't find any information about what was different in version two.

After the Darius system came under siege by Belsar's invasion forces, hope seemed all but lost for the peaceful civilization. Their saving grace, the appearance of a Silver-Hawk, a spacecraft created by the Amnelian, using Thiima technology. The backbone of the Belsar's forces is massive robotic battleships, believed to be sentient. Their designs match known marine biology, namely octopus, fish, crustaceans, sea horses, and the recurring boss King Fossil (and face of the series), resembling a coelacanth. Darius Cozmic Collection Console features fully customizable controls per game, smoothing options, a quick save/load, and the standard slew of display settings that you'd find in these types of collections. The aspect ratio can stay true to the original release, altered to be pixel perfect, fit to screen to maximize the height, or stretched to fit across a 16:9 display; if you have a chaotic evil soul.

The first game in the series, Darius, never received an exact port to popular home consoles around its height in popularity. Instead, the PC Engine (released in the US as the TurboGrafx-16) received a port, Super Darius, that stayed true to the original, releasing on a CD-ROM, and even going as far as using sound effects and music from the PCB. It included all bosses from the original, including those that were cut from the arcades, bringing the total to 26. However, some of those would eventually be added to Darius II. A downgraded port released later that year in 1990 on a HuCard, known as Darius Plus. This version of Darius had some bosses removed, and others were altered from where they appeared in the original version, as only sixteen, ten less than Super Darius where included.

As a shoot em' up, players take control of a Silver-Hawk, navigating through a scrolling stage, and destroying enemy fights, ground vehicles, turrets, and more. Your ship is equipped with two different upgradable attack weapons; the missile, a forward-facing gun, and the bomb, which droops from the craft. The control scheme features buttons mapped to activate each one separately, discharging both weapons, or acting as a customized turbo button (dependent upon the game). Power-ups are obtained by destroying specially colored enemy ships or by destroying entire formations. The process of gaining power-ups varies, as well what is gained from each colored power-up. Generally, red represents your missiles (the forward firing weapon), green for your bombs, and blue for your armor. However, later games alter the approach, and the handling of power-ups is unique and also adds additional power-up types. Power-ups are reset once you die, however, the games featured a tier system. Reach the next tier, and you will return to that level. Successfully navigating through a zone, and you'll reach the boss's area. These massive battleships are not only powerful but resilient. If you overcome their massive firepower and defenses, you'll be presented with branching paths, which become more numerous the further you progress. For example, a game may have 28 different zones, but you'll only see seven in a single playthrough.

The only other PC Engine title in the collection, Darius Alpha, is a bit of an enigma. It was used as a limited promotion and wasn't available for direct purchase. Instead, it was a mail-order exclusive for those that purchased both previously released games on the PC Engine. Only 800 were produced, making it one of the rarest games in existence. Like in Darius Plus, Alpha featured SuperGrafx support, which reduced the sheer amount of flickering that plagued many titles (you can turn it on and off in the collection). The game played much like the hidden boss rush mode from Super Darius, except it only features the bosses from Plus, but it includes an optional 4-minute time trial mode.

The series sequel in the arcades, Darius II, made its way to home consoles, releasing on the Mega Drive as faithful to the original release as possible. Darius II was still a multi-screen arcade game, so extra work went into redrawing the spirits to work on televisions. Two-player co-op was removed, but players were given an option to select between two pilots; Proco Jr. and Tiat Young. The North American release on the Sega Genesis renamed the series to Sagaia, and as the first game did not reach these shores, it became the first game in the series here. This incorrect numbering of games was quite frequent when not all titles in a franchise were released outside of Japan. Due to the popularity of the Sega Master System in Europe, an 8-bit port was developed and released as Sagaia a year after the Mega Drive release. The 8-bit version was heavily changed to work with the aging (and weaker) console, removing some of the stages, and once again only featuring single-player. While serviceable, it lacks the charm and appeal of the 16-bit build and features much smaller bosses, weaker animations and visuals.

Four titles in the collection graced Nintendo platforms, Darius Twin (the Japanese release and North American release), Darius Force, and Super Nova. Darius Twin is the first original entry into the series released on consoles. As it was not an arcade port, it was designed for a single-screen experience and can be played cooperatively. The game played much like Darius II, and many designs appear to be quite similar. However, upon dying, you don't lose any of the Silver-Hawks power-ups, and you continue exactly where you died, but the game lacks continues. It also slightly alters the colors of power-ups and adds a special one that switches the shot style of the primary weapon to match Darius and Darius II. You'll still play through seven zones, but not every stage includes optional branches. As the Japanese build released only months into the Super Famicom's life, the localized version, which released months later, had time to improve the sound quality. From the music to the level design, and intense enemy ship formation, Darius Twin, is one of the best games in the collection.

The fourth game in the series, Darius Force, profoundly alters the series gameplay formula. There are three separate ships to choose from, with two being based on the first and second games in the series, and the third being an original design. The enemy boss designs have been expanded to include dinosaurs. Firing both weapons simultaneously produces a weaker shot, but the red power-up improves both weapons instead of each one having a different collectible. The option to play a two-player co-op is missing from Darius Force. In other Darius games, once you die, you'll respawn where you are, granted you have additional lives. In Darius Force, you are sent back to a checkpoint, which may be the beginning of the zone. While picking up armor power-ups gives you a better chance of survival, being sent back to the start is quite a departure from the series. The lack of co-op and the inclusion of the checkpoint system hurts the Darius experience, making it one of the weakest releases in the collection.

Simply Put

Darius Cozmic Collection Console features a robust selection of the various Darius ports; however, there are some odd decisions. The amazing port of Darius included in the Sega Genesis Mini, which was based on a build that was initially canceled, is absent. I understand it didn't have a home release back in the day, but it is still one of the best ports of the original. I thought the inclusion of games from three different regions was smart, especially considering how popular the Sega Master System remained in Europe well into the life of the Mega Drive. It certainly must have been quite a task to convert/port the arcade games to home consoles over twenty years ago.

Edna, a purple-haired young woman wakes up in a small, padded room (or cell) in a mental institution. Her memory absent keeps her in the dark regarding who she is and why she finds herself in her current predicament. Being held continuously in her tight grasp is Harvey, a blue stuffed bunny who just happens to be her best friend. The only one that truly understands Edna is Harvey, and in fact, she continually seeks reinforcement about being ‘sane’ from Harvey. He happens to have a lot to say, especially for an inanimate object. Now that I think about it, maybe she does belong there.

Freeing yourself from the padded room is your first task; however, Edna’s overall goal is to plot her escape from the institution and understand why she can’t recollect anything. Without spoiling too much, it’s not long before you overhear conversations that eventually give Edna clarity, adding purpose to her actions. Being designed with controllers in mind, the updated game mechanics work and feel much better than the original. With every interactable location marked, you won’t have to waste your time pixel hunting, which plagued many old-school point-and-click games. Instead, you use the right stick to select the item you wish to interact with, which opens a contextual menu, letting you talk to, look at, or use an object with these locations. And yes, Edna has no problem striking up conversations with doors, grates, chairs, literally anything.

If you’ve exhausted all of your options, you may find guidance by talking to Harvey. He may insist that you need to search for memories about how to overcome your current situation. Without going into too much detail, you find yourself unable to remove screws from a grate, preventing you from progressing. Returning to your younger self reveals how you solved the exact situation as your younger self. During these sequences, you can take control of Harvey, finding clues by interacting with all of the possible objects to jolt Edna’s memory. When you return to the present, these gathered abilities can be used throughout. If you are unsure about a possible solution, trial-and-error, or experimentation with items in your inventory is still a viable solution to solve some of the more obscure puzzles. You’ll spend hours wandering around, talking to yourself, Harvey, doors, posters, etc. before realizing what you need to do next. Most of the time, if you are like me, you’ll overthink the answer, even though it is staring you in the face the entire time. However, the puzzles do become more complex as you progress through the narrative. Harvey can provide guidance if you find yourself stuck, to keep the narrative progression forward.

Simply Put

Edna & Harvey: The Breakout - Anniversary Edition is the best way to experience Daedalic Entertainment’s first game. Playing on Nintendo Switch, I was floored with the new visuals (although you can play with the original graphics at any point). The new control scheme and UI work well, but I would have liked to see touch mechanics when playing the Switch in handheld mode. It’s a quirky adventure, with plenty of laughs, especially seeing Edna’s disturbed and dark mind interacting with everyone else who may or may not belong in the mental institution.

Plankton, along with his wife Karen, owns an establishment called the Chum Bucket, a competitor to the highly popular fast-food restaurant the Krusty Krab, where SpongeBob works as a fry cook. You can tell by the name of his restaurant, Plankton's spot is not popular, I mean, who would think chum would be delicious, except for some ravenous sharks. His jealousy gets the best of him, and he continually comes up with evil plans to steal the secret formula for Krabby Patties. Battle For Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated, follows a similar premise. Plankton builds the Duplicatotron 3000, producing an army of robots to steal the precious secret formula; however, he accidentally forgets to flip the "obey" switch. The robots quickly take over his restaurant and all of Bikini Bottom. SpongeBob and Patrick, wishing for real robots to play with and believe their prayers have been answered; however, Plankton pleads with them to save Bikini Bottom. SpongeBob, Patrick, and Sandy, venture throughout to collect golden spatulas (for whatever reason) and get rid of the menacing robots.

At the start, you are limited to the locales you can visit, namely the area around SpongeBob's and Patrick's houses. Once you gather enough spatulas, you'll unlock new locations to explore, such as Jellyfish Fields, Flying Dutchman's Graveyard, Sand Mountain, and more. At its core, the game involves, exploration, platforming, collecting and light combat. You'll run through overly saturated and colorful environments collecting massive amounts of shiny objects, but your goal is always to obtain golden spatulas. These can be earned by trading other resources (such as shiny objects, Patrick's disgusting socks, etc.), by completing the main objective in each location, such as defeating a boss (welcome back Robo Squidward), or by completing tasks after interacting with returning characters from the show. For example, Mrs. Puff asks you to collect steering wheels throughout Downtown Bikini Bottom. While searching for them, you'll naturally come across puzzles that earn you additional spatulas. There's a fast travel system that can take you to the exact location of any that you used the first time around.

There are three playable characters, SpongeBob, Patrick, and Sandy. The majority of the time, you'll take control of SpongeBob, but at bus stops, you can swap between characters. In each level, there are puzzles that only specific characters can solve, so if you are stuck, you may want to see if there is a bus stop nearby. Patrick can pick up and toss fruit to trigger switches or stack on top of each other, letting him reach additional areas by jumping on top. His double jump ground pounce has the chance to stun enemies and toss them just like the fruit. Sandy uses her lasso to slowly float through the air or swing across gaps by attaching her lasso to specified hooks, reaching areas that SpongeBob can't. Modified since the original release, her lasso attack safely attacks foes from a distance, and she can finally use it in mid-air. SpongeBob can attack things above him by equipping a bubble Viking helmet. He can also sneak his way near blue tikis that would otherwise hide when he approaches. He has two additional abilities that you'll unlock, mostly used for traversal through the levels and to open switches. It's a simplified approach to combat, especially considering the target audience for the game. Enemies come in many different flavors, but you'll use the same strategy to defeat them throughout the entire 12-15 hours it'll take to complete the game. Basic robots can be defeated by a single attack, while others may take multiple hits or require you to use your ground pounce attack. For some reason, the robots that shoot globs of tartar sauce gave me the most trouble. Maybe secretly, I'm not fond of tartar sauce, just like SpongeBob and Patrick.

Newly added for the remake, Purple Lamp Studios added a multiplayer horde mode for up to two players locally or online across 26 islands. Not only can you select from the three characters from the campaign, but the horde mode adds additional characters from the series, such as SpongeBob's pet snail Gary, the very cynical Squidward, and more. The multiplayer mode feels hollow, lacking the charming personalities from the characters that you'll get in the campaign and the show. You don't even have all of your abilities, as each character is limited to two moves. It's good to see the inclusion of content that didn't make the original release, but maybe there was a reason it was left out. I would have loved if Purple Lamp Studios added an optional cooperative element to the game's campaign mode instead.

Simply Put

SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle For Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated proves that a great game is a great game regardless of age. The remaster of the campaign is phenomenal, with impressive improvements to the character models, textures, and environments. Some may be turned off by the overly saturated visuals, but it does match with the show's current look. Aside from Mr. Krabs and Mermaid Man, all of the original cast reprised their role in the initial release. The optional multiplayer horde mode disappoints, but it can easily be ignored and left untouched.

Set in the near future, you take on the role of a marine biologist, where the love for the ocean and all of its inhabitants flows through the blood in your veins. You begin in the calming light blue waters surrounding an atoll (virtually a ring-shaped coral reef). Within each of the eight dives, you progress on your own time. Do you want to freely swim around scanning every single fish, whale, shark, or dolphin you come across? Go right ahead. When you have had enough and want to advance, the narrative waypoints are marked, progressing the story when reached. You can return to each place to scan anything you missed the first time around too.

Within each of the dives, you'll start by searching for an electronic buoy. These buoys can hone in on transponders attached to distinct creatures. Using her futuristic wetsuit, you glide effortlessly through the water to each location. When you are up close, you can scan the wildlife to enter them into your scientific log, which tracks the 45 different species you'll encounter. Accessible at any point, this catalog teaches you the entire scientific classification for each of the species. For example, the giant clam's scientific name is Tridacna gigas; its phylum is in the Animalia kingdom, its phylum is Mollusca, its class is Bivalvia, its order is Cardiida, and its family is Cardiidae. I may not remember any of that once I stop playing, but I'll never object with adding these types of details. A simplified regional map highlights where specimens are located in the three main zones in the ocean; sunlight, twilight, or midnight. There are 3D models and additional research information that can be read during your downtime between dives when you return to the sub. As you continue to scan multiple individuals of the same species, you'll open up new behaviors to view, such as seeing an octopus turn around to avoid a predator quickly, or watching an orca tail slap its prey. The game does follow a fictional story; however, it does rely heavily on its educational goals and is steeped in real-life dangers of underwater exploration, and the harm humanity poses to delicate ecosystems.

Mirai's true love is whales; in particular, she is studying a pod of sperm whales, following the journey of a mother and her calf. Wanting to help spread her passion, Mirai and her colleagues live stream her mission to raise awareness and support. Once you get close-up to one of these massive mammals, you can deploy a small drone that can revolve around targets with ease. This gives you plenty of opportunities to study unique markings called the flukes (the underside of the whale's tail). You can think of it as a fingerprint, as every individual of a species has unique tail flukes. Even though you'll get within touching distance of the most prominent species in the ocean, and those with plenty of sharp teeth, there are no looming threats. Beyond Blue is an atmospheric, relaxing experience, even if you face massive sperm whales, whitetip reef sharks, or a seven-arm octopus. Schools of smaller fish may scatter as your approach, mistaking you for a predator, but there isn't much in terms of interactions. Sure, there are a few lighthearted scripted moments involving an octopus, but not much else.

Returning to the sub gives you time to reflect on everything that transpired and chat about the findings with your crew. It would be best if you investigated the cause of an unknown signal heard in the ocean depths, disturbing the pods of whales and other wildlife. I won't go into much else involving the plot, but you'll explore deep within the midnight zone, where sunlight no longer penetrates through the water. It was awe-inspiring to be swimming near active thermal vents on the ocean floor and the poor visibility of deep-sea brine pool. There's a side plot involving Mirai's younger sister Ren, and her grandmother's struggle with dementia. You'll interact with Ren directly through phone calls and voicemails, but honestly, neither of the plots go anywhere. Sixteen real-life mini-documentaries feature original footage that can be viewed from the tablet located on the submarine. They are unlocked as you progress, and while only a few minutes each, they are remarkably produced, and follow the various locales you'll explore.

Simply Put

Beyond Blue's educational approach to studying sea life and learning about the various effects humanity has on life is outstanding. While marine biologists look to tag and consider these precious creatures' habits, learning about their behavior, family development, health, diseases, etc., some seem to disrupt and cause harm. The experience is relatively short; however, I genuinely enjoyed learning and scanning all of the inhabitants.

Although not the newest product from AVerMedia, it is undoubtedly the best internal video capture device on the market today. Whether you are looking to record gaming gameplay for YouTube videos directly, live stream on your preferred platform (Twitch, Mixer, etc.), or even capture camera footage from your DSLR or Mirrorless camera, you can be sure the Live Gamer 4K provides incredible quality. As the name implies, you're able to record up to 2160p60 with HDR support. There aren't that many games that natively support this high level of visual fidelity on consoles, and you'll need one hell of a high-end gaming dual-PC setup if you want to capture PC games at this quality. Still, it does allow for next-generation support from the get-go, where everyone hopes to see this become much more frequent. The technical wizards at id Software were able to squeeze 60fps out of the current aging consoles. Although it doesn't natively hit a 4K resolution (2160p) on either platform, it is upscaled from 1800p and 1440p on Xbox One X and PlayStation 4 Pro, respectively. Using the Live Gamer 4K to capture footage produces buttery smooth gameplay at the highest capture quality I have ever seen, whether you are using AVerMedia's RECentral application, or the leading and widely popular open-source software, OBS Studio.

With the next generation of consoles just around the corner, the Live Gamer 4K was designed with the future in mind. 4K will play an integral part in capturing/live streaming gameplay on Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5. As an internal capture card requires a single PCIe Gen 2 x4 slot, an upgrade from the Live Gamer 2, which only needed a single PCIe Gen 2 x1 slot. If you don't have a free (or any) x4 slot on your motherboard, things can get a little tricky. Not all hardware is created equal, so it is imperative to know the technical specifications of your system before purchasing (AverMedia provides a compatibility test tool through their website). For example, you could use an open x16 slot; however, it may affect your video card's performance, as most motherboards will now run at x8 instead when there are devices in the first two slots. Luckily, the third x16 slot on my motherboard operates separately, running at a maximum of x4, without lowering the bandwidth given to my GTX 1070 TI video card in the first slot.

HDMI 2.0 cables are required to pass-through and record 4K videos at 60 frames per second, along with HDR support. Unlike the previous model, the Live Gamer 4K does not have any 3.5 mm port setup for analog audio recordings or output to mixers. The pass-through supports 7.1 and 5.1 channel LPCM surround sound, allowing you to run the output into an AV receiver without sacrificing audio quality. If you are looking for a higher frame rate, you'll have to drop the resolution for recordings. At 1440p, the Live Gamer 4K can support up to 144hz, and upwards of 240hz at a 1080p resolution, producing an incredibly smooth gameplay recording. If you are using pass-through, you'll need to note that the recording quality is limited to what is connected to the HDMI out. If you are outputting to a television that can only display 1080p60, you won't be able to record at a higher quality.

Besides the PCIe requirements mentioned above (and needing Windows 10 x64), you'll need at least an Intel Core i5-6XXX or AMD Ryzen 5 1600, a GeForce GTX 1060 or above, and 8 GB of memory running in dual-channel for capturing 4K60 HDR or 1080p240 video. It should be noted that only NVIDIA graphics cards are supported for 4K, HDR, or high frame rate recordings. The hardware requirements drop significantly when setting the capture settings to 1080p60 (Intel Core i5-3330 or above, a GeForce GTX 650 or AMD Radeon R7 250X or above, and 4 GB of memory).

AVerMedia's recording and streaming program has come a long way over the years, and finally rivals OBS (RECentral 4 is the latest and greatest version). It is the only way you'll record HDR video, and it supports the new video compression standard HEVC (H.265). When using H.265, you'll get the same quality as with H.264; however, you'll notice a massive drop (roughly half) in the file size output. 4K videos take up a lot of space, so being able to cut down the recording size is a huge plus. Using the software is quite straightforward. It allows you to select using a single capture input (whatever is plugged into the HDMI input) or setting up multiple sources, like webcams, overlays, etc. You're about to change the bitrate between local recordings and broadcast, even when using both at the same time. It also supports multistreaming, allowing you to stream to many different locations, such as Mixer, Twitch, YouTube, simultaneously. The best part, zero latency. This means you can play directly from your recording software's preview screen if you don't have a television or monitor nearby to use the HDMI out port. Why is zero latency significant? Just think about rhythm-based games where a mere fraction of a second of lag means you'll miss a note entirely, ruining the experience.

I was pleasantly surprised that after installing the latest driver and firmware from the AVerMedia site, I haven't experienced a single issue when using the device on any program. RECentral has always been the first test, but afterward, I booted up OBS and vMix. OBS immediately recognized the device and worked without any unique configurations, which plagued my initial setup of the Live Gamer HD 2, where I struggled to install the proper firmware and struggled setting up the appropriate streaming engine and sound output (although once patched, it worked for years without issue). The same could be said about vMix, a professional (and my personal favorite live streaming software), and paid software. The device itself has an LED indicator (it can be turned off in RECentral), letting you know when it is ready to record, in the process of streaming/recording, when the disk is almost full, and when an error has occurred. I don't enjoy the RGB "gamer" aesthetic and don't have a PC with a tempered glass side panel, so it wasn't useful during my recording/streaming tests.

Simply Put

The Live Gamer 4K is a masterpiece. AVerMedia has been producing some of the best game capture devices on the market for a while now, at affordable prices. You can't go wrong (as long as your PC meets the requirements), with this device, especially if you are looking forward to the next generation of consoles (or if you have a dual PC recording/streaming setup). HEVC support in RECentral (along with HDR) is top-notch, and while most will immediately stick with OBS, I'd at least give it a shot, especially if you are starting out. In the box, you'll find a product key for CyberLink PowerDirector 15, a video editing software. As a consumer-level program, it has less of a learning curve and costs significantly (free) than less than maintaining a monthly subscription to Premiere Pro CC. The included version does not match the retail build and may lack some functionalities. Based on AVerMedia's website, it doesn't support HEVC encoded files or HDR editing; two of the Live Gamer 4K's best features.

Goosebumps Dead of Night is a family-friendly interactive Goosebumps experience, but beware; you're in for a scare (I couldn't help myself). Slappy, the evil dummy from Night of the Living Dummy has freed himself, trapping R. L. Stine in his typewriter in the process. Requiring your help, you begin your adventure in the study, guided by Stine's voice (Jack Black reprises his role), employing you to find the book and collect all of the missing pages. Slappy's evil plan involves ripping out pages to keep himself from being locked up, and freeing other monstrosities. You play as Twist, are given full 3D movement, and can hide under beds, conceal yourself in closets, and even keep yourself protected using a shower curtain. The mobile game only had specific spots that you could select and automatically move between, so given full motion to the player is refreshing. However, it is noticeable from the moment you take control; something feels off with how you handle the character. Acceleration is seemingly applied to all of your motions with the right stick, controlling your viewpoint. It produces a bit of judder whenever you release the stick, making things less responsive. There are also multiple options for vsync, which I highly recommend turning on (the "1" setting worked better for me), as the amount of screen tearing became disorienting.

There are three main locales; R. L. Stine's house, full of paintings referencing books from the series, Dr. Brewer's Conservatory from Stay Out of the Basement, and Nikola Tesla's Wardenclyffe Tower, which also played a pivotal role in Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween. Your first task involves finding the stolen pages hidden throughout the house. Stepping out from Stine's study, I couldn't help but notice a precariously placed Egyptian sarcophagus next to the book's location. Curiosity got the better of me. As it creaked open, the grotesque appearance of a graveyard ghoul (Attack of the Graveyard Ghouls) reached out towards me (where's the mummy?), frightening me in the process. I was even shocked at the sudden jump scare, but the checkpoint system in the game was even more shocking. You see, getting caught by one of the horrors from the Goosebumps books results in receiving the "game over" screen. If the game picks up right there, it wouldn't be an issue, but there are times where you'll have to replay sections, forcing you to recollect items, resolve puzzles, etc. However, you earn achievements/trophies for dying to almost all of the monsters

Running around R. L. Stine's house can feel like a toned-down survival horror game. A ghoul wanders the second floor, chasing you if you are seen or heard, so your best approach involves crouching and staying out of its line of sight. The lawn gnomes from Revenge of the Lawn Gnomes peer around corners and doorways, turning off lights across the house. While this may prevent you from locating some of the missing pages, it serves a much more devious plan. Stay shrouded in darkness too long, and the next thing you'll see when you turn around might be Murder the Clown (A Nightmare on Clown Street). Dr. Brewer's overgrown laboratory is infested with deadly plants (Lost in Stinkeye Swamp), and killer bees (Why I'm Afraid of Bees). The gameplay changes, removing the previously necessary stealth-based tactics. Instead, you'll need to collect different-colored plants to open passages, use flowers to manipulate bees, and avoid falling prey to venus fly traps and sinking lily pads. Tesla's Wardenclyffe Tower feels completely different, adding even further puzzle elements by realigning the flow of electricity while avoiding a handful of Annihilator 3000's (Toy Terror: Batteries Included) patrolling the area. I wasn't expecting the killer gummy bears from the second movie (Haunted Halloween) making a return, but it felt satisfying seeing them explode into chunks by using Tesla's secret weapon.

Simply Put

As an interactive Goosebumps experience, Cosmic Forces has successfully recreated the beloved children's series with Goosebumps Dead of Night. However, the game only lasts a handful of hours, and a small chunk of my time was spent replaying sections because I wanted to collect achievements along the way for dying to each monster. Murder the Clown's character model is downright scary, and seeing Slappy scurry across a room is terrifying even for me, but the game loses its appeal the further you go. The entirety of the third chapter is disappointingly bland. I don't think anyone, especially the target audience for the game, will enjoy it, even if it includes puzzle solving and first-person shooting against giant gummy bears and witches.

You'll want to have an end game save from the base game to take advantage of the new content in Between Dimensions. You'll notice specific pits that lead to a taste of what awaits in the new wanderer dungeon if you are still venturing through the original dungeons. After saving the village and clearing the fifth dungeon, unlocked by defeating the bosses from the previous four dungeons, our hero's journey isn't over. One day in the now peaceful and thriving village of Rynoka, a mysterious oozing, slimy green portal appears. Like the other dungeons, you'll enter, explore, and fight through multiple floors, battling against mini-bosses on every other floor until you reach the main adversary. Shortcuts can be crafted to take you to each of the even floors (two, four, six, and eight) granted you collect enough of the new slime chunk currency obtained from inside the new dungeon.

The wanderer dungeon isn't for the faint of heart, and even if you have perfected your build with upgraded gear, you'll need to take your time. The content would be worthless if you'd be able to plow through it within a couple of hours effortlessly. Sure, if you are good enough (I am not), you may be able to get through a few floors of the dungeon using your already maxed out gear. If you are playing the new game plus, you are probably using the insanely powerful and expensive pirate weapons, made from the same material as the dungeons themselves. Instead, I focused on crafting the newly added sword and shield, which easily overpowers anything I had in my inventory. The new sets of weapons and armor can be upgraded multiple times, and the armor can be enchanted, further improving it and making each run slightly easier. New rings provide passive abilities, but trick weapons bring something new into the mix. These unique tools are only located in the wanderer dungeon, or through the original dungeons when stepping into the specialized portals. Each of them comes with a unique ability but consumes a set amount of your health with every attack. For example, the bone sword vastly increases your attack speed, whereas the gas spear can launch poisonous gas.

During the day, you are Will, a simple shopkeeper, and 11 Bit Studios hasn't forgotten about this half of the game with Between Dimensions (although the updates are a bit marginal). A new shop upgrade becomes available after your first trip into the new dungeon (hopefully, you have plenty of gold saved). It expands your store with two additional sales tables, two more spots for decorations on the walls, and even adds a cleaning robot. There are new customers that'll come into your shop looking to trade, instead of buying items with gold. A new vendor appears in the town offering the same type of item bartering system and looking for specific things (you'll need to return to previous dungeons to acquire the majority of them).

Simply Put

Moonlighter: Between Dimensions adds new content to an already enjoyed experience without changing the formula. The new enemies, customer types, and mini-bosses are the highlight, especially when returning to the latest dungeon each night. The DLC is priced right for the amount of content included; make sure you are aware the majority of the substance requires you to complete the base game.