thecou..toolkit

Being a fan of Kingdom Hearts is both the most frustrating and wondrous thing in the world. Since its inception in 2002, the series has spanned multiple entries, platforms and mediums – all while expecting players to follow an increasingly convoluted plot. It’s the most ostentatious brand of anime nonsense imaginable, revelling in every absurd, unexpected...

Journey to the Savage Planet understands the joy of scanning things. It’s made me wonder why every game doesn’t have some sort of similar system – discovering the habits of unpredictable creatures in a brave new world is always exciting. This first revealed itself in the starting area, where I’m introduced to a species of puffy owls. I thought they...

It’s always hard to express a form of meaningful weight in virtual reality. In the end, you’re doing nothing but swinging a pair of controllers through the air. The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners aims to change this perception, and is partly triumphant. Its weighty combat system, freeform exploration and surprising dedication to narrative consequences...

Building on the solid, often ridiculous foundation of its 2016 predecessor, Doom Eternal is a rip-roaring sequel with ammo to spare. This time around its hellish vision is more ambitious, visually enhanced and “twice as big” according to director, Marty Stratton.   At its heart, Doom Eternal is a power fantasy. Starting out with basic weapons,...

The Wii U was an under-appreciated console. It was certainly flawed in a number of ways, but remained home to some truly fantastic, oftentimes experimental exclusives that you couldn’t find elsewhere. Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE was one such experience. Silly name aside, it was a fabulously ambitious crossover between Atlus’ Shin Megami Tensei and...

What is the Sega Mega Drive Mini? Ever since Nintendo dove into the plug-in-and-play market with the NES Mini, gamers of a certain age have been waiting with baited breath to see which other classic consoles could be given a new lease of life. After the unmitigated disaster that was the PlayStation Classic, Sega is the latest company to show its hand...

Zombie Army began life as little more than an ambitious side project, developed alongside Rebellion’s Sniper Elite series as a way to experiment with more playful, outlandish ideas. But after making its budget back in under 24 hours, it was clear something far greater sat amongst the hordes of undead fascists that players adored blowing to pieces again...