Stevo's Bargain Bin

Final Fantasy games from the original Playstation era will always have a special place in my heart. They were among the first RPGs I played for any significant length of time - the first ones which really hooked me, at least. And although the eighth entry in this long running series was the first one I actually owned, it was the seventh which first drew me in. I fondly recall listening to every detail, poring over the instruction manuals and guides my friends brought in to school and being totally glued to the screen as they played their way through its epic, twisting and turning story. It wasn't until a few years later that I returned to play it for myself. I've replayed it many times since and wow - what a game. Final Fantasy VII opens with a bang as Cloud Strife, Barrett Wallace and members of an action group called Avalanche infiltrate and destroy a reactor owned by a company the Shinra Corporation. From there Cloud finds himself embroiled in a struggle with ...

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was the first Megadrive title my parents bought me, alongside Aladdin. And as good as the latter game was (movie tie-ins were often quite good back then!) it was Sonic 2 and then the subsequent games in the series which completely dominated my childhood and my memories of it since. I still adore the original games to this day and while I did have fun with some of the later 3D games, I've always known that the classic 2D titles were the true Sonic experience. So I was absolutely delighted when Sonic Mania came along a few years back and took the series back to the classic gameplay style and aesthetic. It wasn't until last year that I picked up Sonic Mania Plus for the PS4 - and oh boy, am I glad I did. Our heroes Tails, Ray, Sonic, Knuckles and Mighty First things first we have mania mode, which is a straight forward start to finish classic Sonic experience. It sees our chosen hero (Sonic, Tails, Knuckles or one of the extra characters rev...

Pinstripe is a game which intrigued me from the moment I saw the Game Grumps play it more than a year or so ago. I don't know why, but stylish puzzle platformers just hook me in - and this game is certainly stylish. Created by Thomas Brush , Pinstripe sees you take control of an ex-minister named Ted who must journey through the depths of Hell to rescue his daughter. The first thing which struck me about the game was its looks - there's a lovely unique art style on display here which immediately captured my attention. It's kind of bleak, but in a beautiful way. The music was fitting for the game, but for me it wasn't the most memorable element. The voice acting however was great - definitely a standout. Along the  way you'll meet several NPCs voiced by different Youtube and internet personalities including Pewdiepie, Jacksepticeye and Ross O'Donovan. I have to say, Ross was easily my favorite in his role as the dreary Mr Dicky but I'm probably...

----- NOTE - THIS DOES CONTAIN SOME BASIC PLOT POINTS/MILD SPOILERS!! ALSO NOTE THIS, REFLECTING THE THEMES OF THE TV SHOW IN QUESTION, CONTAINS SOME MENTION OF DEPRESSION AND SUICIDE. JUST A WARNING FOR THOSE WHO MAY FIND THOSE SUBJECTS SENSITIVE OR UPSETTING. ----- Ricky Gervais' work generally seems to divide people. I have to admit, the first time I watched the office I just didn't get it. Was it a comedy? Was it a cringy documentary with a really embarrassing boss? It just felt a bit awkward. But after I gave it a second chance, I began to understand it - then came to appreciate it. I've liked pretty much every series he's done since and I have to say each of them have felt quite fresh by comparison to other TV content. Not just because the humour is often thrillingly close to the line between funny and cringe worthy, but because they have interesting characters - usually Ricky Gervais' character in particular, but I'll come back to that. His l...