Model: Miss Annalieza
Photographer: Tripodski

Model: Rosa Brighid
Photographer: ATOM

Model: Leonora
Photographer: Mike White

Model: Lana Parker
Photographer: Tripodski

If you would like to see more of Chayse, check out her site at http://chaysexs.com 

Issue 83 is the last issue of 2016 and we are sending the year off with a bang. The amazing Riae is back for her second cover after a 2 year gap and she is better than ever!

You will also see some amazing babes making their Elite Debut such as Jo Kavanagh, Nymphae, Coryn X Betts, Tayla J, Natalie, Rosie Danvers and the amazing PeggySue Winters.

We also have the return of beauties such as Nancy, Miss Deadly Red, Robyn Brooke, and Rebecca Crow

There are many awesome brands on show this issue including  Malice Lingerie, Deth Kult, Lovechild Boudoir, Small Victory, Camilly Clothing, Killstar and Bad Bish Rags.

Also more music from Alterbridge, Bullet For My Valentine, Pierce The Veil, The Amity Affliction, Beartooth, Babymetal, Trivium & more.

That’s all for now folks! Stay classy.

Issue 84 is the first issue of 2017 and Elite favourite Aemelia Fox graces our cover for the first time. It’s a treat you do not want to miss out on.

You will also see some amazing babes making their Elite Debut such as Selina, Deenah, Oddish, Ruby Rogue, Elspeth and Meg Murray.

We also have the return of beauties such as Stephanie, Fia T, Rebecca Lotus, Amanda Ellen and Velvette Devine.

There are many awesome brands on show this issue including  Cursed Cloth, Mr. Ducktail, Camilly Clothing, Small Victory Clothing, Killstar andFullwood London.

Also more music from Avenged Sevenfold, In Flames, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, You Me At Six, Less Than Jake, Code Orange and more.

That’s all for now folks! Stay classy.

TLBOH – Cry Baby Lane – The children’s movie Nickelodeon didn’t want you to know about

Cry Baby Lane is a Nickelodeon TV-movie I’ve wanted to write about for a long time, and it was only after I started to compile my list of “Scariest Are You Afraid of the Dark” episodes that I decided that it was time. There is something fascinating about analysing a television feature that is targeted for a younger viewer, making its content all the more disturbing for an impressionable young mind. And while of course an adult horror movie would divulge in more graphic content, a children’s movie works on a different level, meaning every scene needs to be treated carefully to make it suitable for a more vulnerable viewer, which leads me to wonder how Cry Baby Lane ever made it to air [but I’m happy that it did!]

It pains me that I wasn’t one of the few that managed to witness CBL first-hand back when it was aired on Nickelodeon for Halloween in 2000 to US viewers only. As a 10 year old, I adored Strange but True, Ghostwatch, and all the simple ghostly things that just don’t get created anymore – CBL would have been right up my street. Nickelodeon allegedly received so many complaints from parents deeming it as too distressing for children that it was swiftly banished and never to be aired again, with many people claiming they thought they had dreamt up ever seeing the movie. After a user finally uploaded a VHS tape version of the movie in 2011, the network succumbed to the controversial hype and finally decided to show it as a one-off special on TeenNick, which means the rest of us could all see it for the first time.

The film centres on the twisted legend of conjoined twins, which is by far the creepiest aspect of the production, and definitely not without its controversy. The film opens with a haunting narrative told whilst atmospheric piano music is playing alongside creaking doors, thunder and the eerie sound of a babies wailing, running with images of an old farmhouse and dismembered cuddly toys. We are told that the twins are, “due to a rare embryonic mutation,” banished into hiding by their ashamed father. The outright prejudice from the beginning is shocking, especially for a children’s viewing, as the twins were referred to as “freaks.” With the infants being of “the same flesh,” when one of the twins fell ill, because they shared the same liver, the illness “quickly spread and they both perished.” The shame of having created such mutants, the father is said to have “unjoined” the bodies by sawing them in half and burying them separately; one that was “good” in a cemetery and the other “evil” down on Cry Baby Lane. The language displayed is impressively mature, and far scarier than any Are You Afraid of the Dark episode, and the barbaric idea of sawing two infants in half in a children’s Tv movie, well, that’s just twisted.

The remainder of CBL centres on the story on two dysfunctional brothers, Carl and Andrew, and while the opening sequence may well be the creepiest aspect of the movie, the relationship between them for me is far more controversial. The older brother Carl is a troubled demented teenager, who bullies his younger brother in such a way that is doesn’t appear jovial and light, it seems downright disturbing, making it feel intended for a much older audience. The boys, wanting to scare some girls they like, hold a séance in the graveyard and inadvertently summon the spirit of the evil twin that swiftly begins to possess everyone in the town, including Carl. Thus ensues several scenes that just feel inappropriate for children; the brothers are seen riding their bikes voluntarily into an oncoming train as a dare, a nine year old child is seen hitting an old man until he collapses, Andrew is seen running from a corn harvester through a corn field driven by a possessed farmer, the list goes on.

The movie in its entirety is nothing to write home about, and the real life myth surrounding it is far more interesting than the film itself, but well worth the watch just because of its unsavoury reputation. The storyline is as disjointed as the twins demise is, but has it entertaining scenes and is as good if not better than most Are You Afraid of the Dark episodes, and by far more perverted. If you are a fan of any of the old Nickelodeon productions, it is worth watching solely for its infamous notoriety and history. There’s also a Creepypasta worth checking out on it that adds to the whole mythology of the production that’s good fun if you like stuff like that. Enjoy!

Issue 85 is the here and we are proud to announce of our cover girl, Hope Brookes. She is possibly the hottest wrestling nerd you will ever see!

You will also see some amazing babes making their Elite Debut such as Alison Raven, Alivix, Vanp, Victoria Campbell and Zoe Marie.

We also have the return of beauties such as Dannika Daisy, Pixie Summer, Sophie Gradon and Sunny Holiday.

More double trouble with Rouge and Elena… and it’s bath time!

There are many awesome brands on show this issue including  Mysticum Luna, Mr. Ducktail, Camily Clothing, Creative Skate Store, Small Victory and Deth Kult.

Also more music from Black Sabbath, Anthrax, Four Year Strong, Deez Nuts, Busted, Suicide Silence, The Dilinger Escape Plan and more.

For the first time, we now have a gaming section ran by our very own James Hall… have a look and see about the new Nintendo Switch, Zelda, Resident Evil 7, Morgane Toulemonde and our new Gamer Girl feature with Robyn.

That’s all for now folks! Stay classy.

Issue 86 has arrived and we have can FINALLY announce that the insanely amazing Jacqueline Suicide is on our cover.

You will also see some amazing babes making their Elite Debut such as Teeniebash, Nicola Paparazzo, Aisling Dee, Tatianaa, Gemma May, Tiffany Hunt and Blaizee.

We also have the return of beauties such as Becky Holt and Miss Deadly Red.

Now, not only do we have one double shoot, we have two! So a double of double shoots! Firstly with Chloe Rank-Harrington making her debut alongside the gorgeous Laika… Secondly, the amazing Nayru alongside her friend Violet Wolf. You are very lucky!

There are many awesome brands on show this issue including  Marquis Brothel, Mr. Ducktail, Camilly Clothing, Family of the Dead, Mysticum Luna, Creative Skate Store, Small Victory and the amazing Killstar.

Also more music from All Time Low, Emmure, Mastodon, Creeper, Blood Youth, Allusondrugs and more.

That’s all for now folks! Stay classy.

[Review] ‘The Void’ offers a distorted reality, with a disjointed narrative.
Author: Lisha Blackhurst

Finally, it’s here! The near-perfect trailer promised a nostalgic blend of wicked creature effects, combined with all the elements of a throwback to 80’s horror. The cinematography looks sleek, pristine and striking, submerged within creepy hints of disturbing cult/satanic worship. Basically, it ticked all the right boxes for me as a horror fanatic, as most of my favourite films were born in the 80s [Hellraiser [1987], Pet Sematary [1989], The Blob [1988] and The Beyond [1981] to name but a few].

The Void most certainly did not disappoint with practical effects, with some confident spectacular shots and truly grotesquely-glistening moments reminiscent of John Carpenter’s work in The Thing [1982] and Price of Darkness [1987]. Silent Hill [2006] similarities have to be made, with the triangle symbol resonating of Pyramid head, and a large section of the movie for me did pan out as if I were actively playing a horror video game. The closing sequences echoed of Frank’s physical form and Pinhead’s presence in Hellraiser [1987], followed with an impressive display of creature design in the form of a depraved deformed monstrosity, made up only of a mutated mass of flesh, that is shown to be chasing a victim down a narrow corridor. This momentarily prompts memories of the infamous monster-cenobite chasing Kirsty in Hellraiser – minus any charming wheels or mechanisms on show this time!

What I ultimately expected from The Void was a fragmented distortion of reality, and whilst it achieves this, what it also offered was a muddled, disjointed narrative. Against the superior camerawork, the screenplay feels inferior, rushed and weak. Whilst the acting is great, it falls short with the screenplay they have been armed with. The fundamental premise is sloppy and vague, the characters visceral motives and intentions are either unclear or basic; it all feels simplistic and wooden in between scenes of alluring cinematic gore. It is frustrating to watch as there are no veins of comedy, a distinct lack of originality and they seem to have lost their way and forgotten how to apply pace to create atmosphere. The result is eye-wateringly tedious.

The closing scene, an obvious nod to Lucio Fulci’s The Beyond, feels flat and lifeless, provoking no satisfaction or offering any semi-decent conclusion. This is definitely still one to look out for, if you are a true horror fan you will appreciate sections of it, regardless of its flaws, but I do hope their next project will devote more credibility to the plot, as well as devotion to the gore.

New Fashion Nudes Review
By Lisha Blackhurst

The James Beddoes cover of New Fashion Nudes is a striking one; a celebration of women, capturing all aspects of beauty. Inside, the subtle eroticism bound with the candid “accidental” imagery shows models in ordinary situations, each caught in a fleeting transitory moment; and they are exquisite. Although these models are strikingly beautiful, these images are not graphic, bold and overtly sexual. They are restrained, refined, delicate portraits of pure realism. We see freckles on the skin, cellulite, marks where underwear has been worn, blurring the lines between the unachievable and the possible. These models are surreal in their splendour, but are shown with gentle flaws we all have, making them feel real enough to touch.

The works that stand out are Ryan Pike, who seems adept at capturing moments of sincerity along with soft curves. Dido Fontana’s pieces are bolder, using striking colour to pierce each snapshot. Splice Pictures read as crisp stills from an art film, each piece telling a unique story brimming with emotion. James Beddoes offers a distinguished variety that doesn’t hold back from empowerment alongside a true sense of joy that the women are enjoying their bodies, and the photos being taken.

NEW FASHION NUDES
by 15 Great Photographers
Publisher: GOLIATH

£ 32.99

www.goliathbooks.com

It’s time for Issue 87 and it’s special as it’s the debut of the amazing Fishball! We have been waiting to work with this Italian super babe and the time has arrived!

You will also see some amazing babes making their Elite Debut such as Miaa, Nymphae, Saga Sparks and Giuno.

We also have the return of beauties such as Amber T, Nicole Snow, Nayru, Keshia and Stevie Dagg.

It’s double trouble time and it’s with Sunny & Lucerne… this is a bit special as these girls know each other VERY well… you don’t want to miss this.

There are many awesome brands on show this issue including  Deth Kult, Killstar, Mr. Ducktail, Camilly Clothing, Family of the Dead, Small Victory and the amazing Creep Street.

Also more music from Parkway Drive, Mallory Knox, Creeper, Bury Tomorrow, While She Sleeps, CKY & more.

That’s all for now folks! Stay classy.

Summer has arrived and so has Issue 88! The gorgeous redhead Yana Sinner has arrived from Russia and delivered one of the best cover features yet!

You will also see some amazing babes making their Elite Debut such as Flik Renee, Ivy Louvee, Paws, Vaughn and Imogen Jo.

We also have the return of beauties such as Bea Dux, Vivi Sterling, Suzy Lee and Sian Marie.

There are many awesome brands on show this issue including Planet Vandy, Cursed Cloth, Camily Clothing, Deth Kult, Malice Lingerie, Mr. Ducktail, Camilly Clothing and the amazing Creep Street.

Also more music from Radio 1’s Big Weekend, Groezrock Festival, Crossfaith, Paramore and more.

That’s all for now folks! Stay classy.

It is time for Issue 89! The beautiful Sophoulla is back to grace our cover for the second time and she is more amazing than ever.

You will also see some amazing babes making their Elite Debut such as Gotham, Kaotika, Cygnet, Kitty Devine and Kirsty.

We also have the return of beauties such as Erica Fett, Lisha Blackhurst, Heather Dvine, Stephanie Jo and  Linzie Belle.

Double Trouble with returning babes Nicola Paparazzo & Fia T. Breast friends always have the best shoots together!

There are many awesome brands on show this issue including Malice Lingerie, Planet Vandy, Deth Kult, Mr. Ducktail, Camilly Clothing and the amazing Creep Street.

Also more music from Download Festival, Evanescence, Papa Roach, Madball and more.

Game time! We have the best parts of E3 2017, Injustice 2, Wipeout Omega and Feena – our new Gamer Girl.

That’s all for now folks! Stay classy.

I need a hero.

• Available: Out Now
• Format: PC, PS4, Xbox One
• Developer: Omega Force
• Publisher: Square Enix

Another month, another Musuo game from Omega Force – at least, thats how it feels sometimes. “But wait” they cry, “this one is different!”. Aren’t they all? And yet still they fall to the same familiar beats; lone soldier vs hundreds of foes, sprawling battle maps swarming with enemies, a plethora of characters, weapons and upgrades to unlock.

And yet they are all different. And if the core loop at the heart of the game appeals to you – as it does to me – each of them have something very unique and compelling to offer, and come generously laden with content to unlock and explore. In this regard, Dragon Quest Heroes II certainly meets expectations. But it goes above and beyond when it comes to mixing up the Musuo gameplay and adapting it to something more befitting of the Dragon Quest name.

Although the pitched battles that the Warriors series is famed for do play a central part, the majority of the game plays out like an action RPG. You’ll explore wilderness regions, Zoom to and fro between waypoints and town, customise, level-up, and equip your party, take on sidequests, and fight wandering enemies that inhabit the sizeable region maps that comprise the game world. The storyline is perhaps unnecessarily grandiose; a tale of warring kingdoms that’s full of charming characters and scheming monarchs, it certainly carries the game but does have a tendency to get bogged down in overly-long cutscenes.

Torneko’s epic moustache should be a character in its own right.

Although you can control any of the game’s characters, the main story revolves around two siblings who find themselves caught up in the wars (you can name them, but can’t customise their appearances). These siblings are unique in that they can change classes, becoming warriors, clerics, thieves, and so on, unlocking different powers and abilities to customise their skill set. This being an Omega Force game, there are naturally dozens of skills, abilities, and weapons to unlock, and coupled with the fun cast of characters (partly imported from other Dragon Quest games) you’re never lacking for new play styles to experiment with.

Dragon Quest Heroes II… goes above and beyond when it comes to mixing up the Musuo gameplay and adapting it to something more befitting of the Dragon Quest name.

The actual combat is typically Warriors – you have light and heavy attacks which can be strung together to make different combos, a tension meter which builds as you fight and can be used to unleash coup-de-grace special moves, a nifty dodge roll and block, and a customisable set of spells for each character. This makes the combat feel much more varied than the usual hack-n-slash fare, and there’s a strategic element to balancing out the skills / spells of your party members to complement each other.

The monsters of the Dragon Quest world are as endearing and diverse as its characters

Adding further diversity is the Monster medal system, which lets you collect medals from defeated enemies. These can then be used to summon creatures to battle alongside you or help you out in combat, or in the case of some of the more powerful critters, allow you to transform into them for a while and use their powers. When you’re in the form of a towering Stone Golem, that can be pretty fun – less so when you’ve transformed into a Slime.

The Monster Medals prove especially vital in the story battles, which see your band of heroes battling alongside (and against) hordes of soldiers and monsters. Having an army of monstrous allies can prove invaluable when trying to hold an area or defend a character, and being able to turn into bigger monsters makes fighting them a lot quicker. Given that the battles can be surprisingly tough, you’ll need to make use of all the options you have available – you can’t just grind your way through most of the encounters in Dragon Quest Heroes II.

The localisation is fantastic, full of regional dialects and amusing alliteration

Technically, the game holds up pretty well. The Warriors engine has been given a few welcome coats of paint, and whilst the visuals are hardly cutting edge they are full of character and charm, and run well on PS4 and PC alike. The orchestrated Dragon Quest soundtrack will hit all the right notes with series fans, as will the wonderful voice work and localisation. Sadly the engine improvements have come at a cost: DQHII lacks splitscreen multiplayer, though does offer Online co-op.

The orchestrated Dragon Quest soundtrack will hit all the right notes with series fans, as will the wonderful voice work and localisation.

If you’re a Warriors fan or a Dragon Quest fan, this game is a no-brainer. Even if you aren’t, though, Dragon Quest Heroes II offers a metric ton of content, satisfying combat, an endearing cast of characters, and bucketloads of charm.

8/10

Spare me this mockery of Justice.

• Available: Out Now
• Format: PS4, Xbox One
• Developer: Nether Realm Studios
• Publisher: Warner Brothers

Amongst its many achievements – and there are far more than a 1-on-1 fighting game should really be able to lay claim to – Injustice 2 succeeded in doing something very few licensed DC Comics properties have ever been able to do: It made me give a damn about this cast of Superheroes and villains.

Better than the Zak Snyder version?

That it can stand proud alongside Wonder Woman, the Batman: Arkham series, and the CW’s The Flash TV series in making me feel something for most of the rogues gallery that Nether Realm has assembled is impressive, and a testament to the storytelling skills of the developer. It’s a great example of what can be done when a studio is given a pretty free reign to conjure up a storyline with fan-favourite characters: you get things that will surprise you. This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, given that the original Injustice opened with Superman – under the influence of the Joker – killing Lois Lane and turning somewhat murderous. Now intergalactic mastermind Braniac is on the way, and Batman and Superman must put aside their ethical differences to stop him. Or just fight each other until the world is destroyed, whatever. The story certainly goes places, told over a course of 50+ battles bookended by lavishly directed cut scenes, and even has two different endings to unlock.

Deadshot, expert sniper, punches Aquaman. In the face.

The game is just as generous with its other single player offerings, which include a myriad of training modes and game types. The most robust is the Multiverse, a series of timed challenges that rotate in and out every few hours / days / weeks. Many are themed battles with special conditions and modifiers, and most unlock themed loot and loot boxes as well.

Wait. Loot? In a fighting game?

Well, yes. For better or worse (mostly better), Injustice 2 has taken a leaf from the RPG book, and introduced an experience and gear system for its characters. As you battle with each character you level them up (to a cap of 20), improving their base stats, and can then equip them with gear that not only changes their appearance, but also their attributes. A level 5 logo for Superman might increase his Strength, for example, or a different pair of boots might improve Captain Cold’s Health. Juggling these stats, and matching your gear loadout to your opponent (some gear might have a Kryptonite augment, increasing its damage against Superman and Supergirl, for instance) becomes crucial the more you progress in the single player modes, and even impacts multiplayer matches as well (although both players can opt to turn off the stat effects to make a more even playing field). It’s a novel idea, and it mostly works, especially for the single player modes, where it adds an additional level of depth and a welcome degree of character customisation.

I suspect that might hurt.

Stripped of the RPG-lite trappings and cinematic story mode, Injustice 2 is a beat-em-up very much in the vein of other Nether Realm fighters. You have three main attack buttons – Light, Medium, and Heavy, as well as a dedicated button for character-specific moves. The effects of the character button vary pretty drastically, and can be anything from Black Canary using her banshee wail to Wonder Woman calling for a blessing from the gods. You also have a super meter which can be used in various ways; you can hold a shoulder button to perform ‘Meter burn’ moves – think EX versions of special attacks that deal more damage – and to escape from combos. You can also stockpile it up to use for a Super attack, accompanied by an over-the-top cutscene and delivering massive damage. You can also use your meter to gamble in Clashes, where each player commits in secret) an amount of super power and the winner gets either a portion of their health restored or deals a chunk of damage.

Dr Fate and Atrocitus might be the two worst-named characters in the roster.

The movesets for the characters are varied, and there’s considerable nuance to some characters, especially around the way their unique abilities work, and the roster comprises of a good mix of popular and less well-known heroes and villains from across the DC universe. That said, it’s easy to get by using similar attack patterns for most of the characters – I found a cross-up, followed by a Light-Light-Medium-Heavy combo was enough to get me through most of the battles against AI opponents on Medium difficulty, though clearly that was never going to work against other players. The adherence to the Mortal Kombat fighting style occasionally works to the games detriment as well; fights can often feel fragmented and interrupted; its hard to build up a good flow of battle as you’d find in the likes of Street Fighter, Virtua Fighter, or even Guilty Gear.

The game deserves considerable praise for its visuals – built in Unreal Engine 4, Injustice 2 hits a rock-solid 60fps on PS4 and Xbox One, and looks simply spectacular, with gorgeous lighting and environmental effects. Loading times are maybe a touch longer than you’d like, and the soundtrack is disposable orchestral fair, but the voice cast, which features the talents of Kevin Conroy, Alan Tudyk, Jeffrey Coombs and Laura Bailey, delivers consistently even during the heavier story moments.

Injustice 2 might not be the most finely tuned or expertly balanced fighter around, but it’s fun and approachable to play, with well-paced tutorials to make it easy for newcomers. The sheer volume of single player content is difficult to argue with, and the climactic story mode is a real standout for the genre. It’s probably not going to have the dedicated online community that the likes of Street Fighter V attracts, so if you’re looking for a purely competitive fighter you might be better off elsewhere, but for any casual fighting game fan, or DC comics aficionado, you can’t go wrong.

8 / 10

The beginning… and the end?

• Available: Now
• Format: PS4
• Developer: Clever Beans
• Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment

Its been 22 years since the WipEout series introduced the world to futuristic, anti-grav combat racing, and whilst the series has arguably never topped 1996’s WipEout 2097, it’s remained the pinnacle of crisp, futuristic design and style. Original developers Psygnosis – who later become Sony’s Studio Liverpool – were shut down in 2012, and their final contribution to the series, Vita launch title 2048, forms a third of this Omega Collection, along with PS3 titles WipEout HD and Fury.

Sol (and follow-up, Sol 2) is a beautiful circuit.

A compilation of a five-year old portable game and six / seven year old PS3 games might not sound like the ideal way to celebrate the arrival of the series on PS4, but Clever Beans has put in the work, and the 60fps, 4K HDR visuals (on PS4 Pro) move so slickly and swiftly you’d be hard pushed to spot the game’s previous-gen origins. Coupled with an updated soundtrack that features the likes of The Prodigy, Noisia, Swedish House Mafia and the Chemical Brothers, the Omega Collection looks and feels as ‘of the moment’ as any other WipEout title.

Rockets are one of WipEout’s most satisfying weapons.

Racing in WipEout is suitably fast, with a palpable sense of speed. The antigrav ships handle with a loose, drifty feel, but timely applications of left and right air brakes can see them hurtling through 90-degree corners and snapbacks with ease. It feels sharp, but intuitive, something that many competing racers haven’t managed to achieve. The AI opponents are aggressive, thinking nothing of hammering you with weapon attacks or nudging you into a wall, and gently rubber-banded to ensure you never feel too left behind or too far ahead. The weapons are designed to keep you on your toes, and offer a range of offensive and defensive options without dominating the game. The 9 game modes available mix things up considerably, with everything from classic races to time trials, combat races, elimination and the ubiquitous Zone mode represented.

As a compilation, the Omega Collection offers a ton of content. 2048, HD and Fury were all pretty sizeable games in their own rights, and they’re neatly partitioned off into their own separate campaign modes here. Each has a distinct feel; 2048 is something of a series prequel, with a slightly grittier, rougher edge, whilst HD offers utopian cityscapes and skyways. Fury, meanwhile, leans heavily into the combat side of WipEout with a darker style that wouldn’t feel out of place in a Tron movie.

The humble PSP origins of the track designs are well concealed.

Sitting alongside these is a robust Racebox mode, which offers up the full selection of 26 tracks and 46 ships to choose from, and includes online and splitscreen multiplayer. The tracks are a wonderfully designed with their own challenges and distinctive characters; from the vertical drops of Metropia and Empire Climb, the urban sprawl of Capital Reach to the high-flying utopia of Sol 2 and the industrial underpinnings of Talon’s Junction and Subway. Frustratingly, you can’t mix and match between games – WipEout 2048 ships can only race on 2048 circuits, and HD / Fury ships on HD / Fury circuits – which feels like a missed opportunity, but it’s far from a deal breaker.

Rejoice, there’s still grass in the future!

Sadly, none of the content is actually new, apart from the addition of a Tigron ship to WipEout HD. Whilst it’s great to be able to play the games – especially 2048, which struggled on the PS Vita – with overhauled visuals on a current console, it would have been nice if a couple of extra tracks could have been added or ported over from other WipEout titles as an additional incentive. Thankfully Clever Beans has managed to fix a few of the niggles from prior games, such as making the 2048 race select screen much clearer and adding Racebox for all 2048, HD and Fury tracks, though there are still a few oddities, and it would have been nice to have a more unified frontend for the whole package instead of separating each game’s campaign modes out.

These are minor niggles at best though, as the quality of the racing and the breadth of content speak for themselves. Packaged together for £29.99, the WipEout Omega Collection is an absolute steal.

10/10

BOOM! It’s Issue 90! She is red hot and red haired… it’s Kimberley Ann who is back with us and hitting our cover in a big way!

You will also see some amazing babes making their Elite Debut such as Runa, Phoebe, Moomin, Kuroha, Jessie Lou, Asami and Sithis.

We also have the return of beauties such as Mimi Cee, Laika, Gracieuxlove and Charlotte Something.

There are many awesome brands on show this issue including Bedroom Behavior, Soft Kitty Clothing, Deth Kult, Malice Lingerie, Mr. Ducktail and more.

Also more music from 2000 Trees, Kendal Calling, Obey The Brave, Jamie Lenman, Puppy and more.

Who wants games? We do! See more of Tekken 7, Nidghogg 2, Perception, Fortnite and a host of other amazing games this issue.

That’s all for now folks! Stay classy.

The whole hogg.

There’s something to be said about simplicity in a game; a clear, single-minded dedication to perfecting an experience. Nidhogg 2 is a game with a single purpose: getting two players to fight it out with simple controls. At its core, the game is as basic as they come. But after playing for just a few minutes, you soon begin to appreciate the elegance of its simplicity, and the nuances of its deceptively basic design.

A round in Nidhogg 2, as in its predecessor, has two players squaring off against each other on one of several maps.  Maps are divided into distinct ‘screens’, with the objective being to get past the other player and off their side of the screen, then do the same on the next screen, and so on, until you reach the last screen, where you win before being unceremoniously eaten by the titular Nidhogg, a norse serpent. Perhaps this is a desirable thing in the Nidhogg 2 world; it’s not clear, but then, it doesn’t really matter.  The point is, you won.

Getting past the other player is easier said than done, of course. Both characters start out armed with a randomly selected weapon – broadswords, punch daggers, bows, and rapiers all feature – and all it takes is a single hit to kill. You’ll respawn with a new random weapon a few seconds later, normally a short distance in front of your opponent, but by then they’ve stolen the momentum. With each weapons having varying range and speeds, building up a flow of movement and attack can be the deciding factor between life and death, and all it takes is a mistimed counter or clumsy jump and your character is impaled by a rapier. Sometimes you’ll square off against each other for long minutes, a careful thrust, parry, counterthrust and dodge swinging back to forth until one player fumbles, and sometimes you’ll conduct a ridiculous, Benny Hill style chase through the level in pursuit of your opponent.

The swift back-and-forth of combat makes for a tense duel, and its not uncommon for the fight to swing wildly in either direction in a see-saw of combat. It’s also frequently hilarious, thanks to the over-the-top gory death animations, persistant blood, occasional inanity when a good run is scuppered by a player falling down a hole, and the sheer speed of the gameplay. 

There’s not that much more to the game than these one-on-one bouts; there are 8-player tournaments and an Arcade mode where you can fight against AI, but the structure of each fight remains the same. Honestly, thats enough for Nidhogg 2; the purity of the experience and the dynamic nature of the battles means you can play for hours and never find the gameplay getting stale or staid. Local multiplayer is definitely the way to go, though there’s fun to be had in the game’s online modes as well. That said, there’s nothing to unlock, no progress to be made; you can customise your character, but thats about it.

So lets talk about the elephant in the room, shall we? Because whilst the first Nidhogg had a delightfully 8-bit aesthetic, Nidhogg 2 has a dramatically different artstyle. Its a garish, rather grotesque world of lurid colours and bulbous shapes; initially it might look somewhat repulsive, but in motion there’s a surreal beauty about the game’s look, thanks in part to wonderfully smooth animation and some gorgeous lighting effects that play well into the quasi-16-bit pixel art style. The moody soundtrack only bolsters the surrealism, and the whole effect is quite powerful.

Nidhogg 2’s seductively simple gameplay belies its finely honed, nuanced depth. There’s a masterful flow at work here which results in a game that’s easy to play but offers plenty more to those willing to put in the effort and practise. It’s as tense and dramatic as any traditional one-on-one fighting game, if not more so, and its thrilling action, combined with its unique aesthetics, make for a game unlike any other.