18 Mar
Blog

Doom Eternal Review: Killing Demons Has Never Been Better

Google Stadia DOOM Eternal

Doom Eternal Review: Gold Medal Gore

"Doom Eternal is a ridiculous, bloody, pulsating masterpiece."

  • Insanely smooth fight

  • Creative skills

  • Varied and beautiful surroundings

  • New traditions do not disturb

  • Brutal but fair difficulty

  • Platform sections are a hit or miss

  • A little too long

Playing Doom Eternal is like skating on the world's most violent ice rink, racing from enemy to enemy and gutting them with the grace of a gold medalist, while chunky guitars roar in the background.

Doom Eternal is a sequel that knows exactly what worked with Do Software & # 39; s Doom from 2016. After proving that he was still the master of first person shooters, the developer drove a victory lap with his latest entry and ridiculously expanded to find out what it was. The first game didn't quite nail.

The Doom Slayer is here to tear, and once players master its vast arsenal of weapons and skills, they can slaughter demons in one of the most entertaining ways I've ever seen. Doom Eternal is like good fast food – it's simple, unpretentious, and better than the competition that tried to reinvent the wheel.

Tear and tear until it's done

Doom Eternal, set a few years after the events of Doom, is in an even worse situation than when a portal linked Hell and Mars. The earth is completely overrun by demons, and a connection to hell releases a constant stream of monsters that kill almost everything on their way. Only the Doom Slayer – whom the game occasionally calls "Doom Guy" – has a chance to save the world. As a god among men, he is more than capable of inflicting pain on hundreds of demons in just a few minutes, and this time he needs every bit of his skill.

It is tasty, greasy, unpretentious and better than the competition.

The 2016 release of Doom contained its own science fiction meets mythology story, but often, sometimes literally, turned the bird around in further explanations to return to the plot. It was certainly in the spirit of the original game, but Id Software offers more background in Eternal.

You'll learn about the Sentinel creatures responsible for much of the game's events, as well as the powerful hell priests that the Doom Slayer must destroy before he can save Earth. You will also learn more about the Slayer itself and the connection between the game areas, both through direct storytelling and through collectable data logs.

This would have greatly improved the pace of the game in 2016, but after almost every mission in Doom Eternal, the hunter returns to his Fort of Destiny to upgrade or explore them. It is the perfect opportunity to learn about traditions.

Of course, this is still a doom game, and when it's time to take a super shotgun and blow off demons' heads. Doom Eternal is more than happy to engage in some of the smoothest and most complex fights a first person shooter has ever offered.

After starting with some basic weapons like a shotgun and a heavy cannon, players quickly get a large number of tools. A rocket launcher, a plasma rifle, and a chain gun work best against different demons (of which there are more than twice as many types as Doom), and the chainsaw allows the hunter to get additional ammunition from weaker enemies on the fly.

Even the Glory Kills finishing move system has been redesigned for the Doom Blade packaged in the Slayer's armor, which allows players to replenish their health while gutting the brood of hell.

The perfect combination

However, the biggest game changers in Doom Eternal are not weapons or melee weapons. The Flame Belch and Ice Bomb abilities drastically change the combat loop by giving players a way to get more health and armor without having to find items already on the ground. These items are still available, but knowing when and who to attack to get them through kills is much more satisfying.

The flame burp is essentially a short-range flame thrower, and almost every enemy is set ablaze when struck. They also drop a small amount of armor, which increases if they are killed while still on fire, and multiple enemies can be hit with a single "burp".

Doom Eternal does everything in its power to kill you.

The ice bomb serves a similar purpose: an upgrade gives players more health if they kill an enemy frozen by their explosion. By using the two moves simultaneously, the hunter can quickly destroy massive groups of enemies. If he does not do this consistently, he has little health and armor. If players want to survive in Doom Eternal, they must master all of its tools.

This is especially true not only because Doom Eternal's resources are otherwise limited, but also because its enemies can be brutally difficult. The cannon fodder is preserved particularly early, but Doom Eternal does everything in its power to kill you.

Recurring enemies fire missile barriers from the air while the pinky blanks attack at lightning speed. The arachnotron spider-like enemies can take a surprising amount of damage while their towers illuminate the hunter. And the armored Cyber ​​Mancubus is even more resilient than Doom's giant Mancubus enemies.

By far the most challenging standard enemy is the Marauder, who is equal to the hunter and carries a shield that only falls off for a few seconds when he wields his ax. Whenever he appears, he deserves your undivided attention, which can be very difficult when there are several other enemies nearby. After killing him a few times, it's easier to learn his patterns, but he's no less threatening.

The Archvile joins him, a demon who can produce an infinite number of other demons until he is eliminated. When he spawns, every other target becomes secondary and his quick death is essential. Fortunately, just like the Marauder, it is not overused, and the crashing heavy metal boom during every battle keeps even repeated attempts intoxicating.

Diversity is the spice of death

Doom has been mainly divided into two different environments: a research facility and hell itself. Doom Eternal has much more range, with hellishly infected earth, a space defense station, hell itself, and even alien worlds that are all filled with demons to the point of rupture. The prospects that Id Software offers are great, which makes it difficult for the hunter not to spend a few moments gazing at the view before returning to his regularly scheduled slaughter.

These areas are often filled with platform issues that require air diversion and careful timing to overcome large gaps. You can use clever skills that are usually reserved for combat, but Doom Eternal relies a little too much on jumping puzzles in the final hours of the game. Dialing back, even slightly, would have helped the game not feel too long about a mission.

Whenever the hunter does not jump on platforms or improve his skills in the Fortress of Destiny, he almost always kills demons. There is very little opportunity to breathe, and that would be a problem for almost every other shooter. But this is Doom Eternal, and the thrilled feeling that players get when they jump between enemies for a few minutes and cut them from link to link makes the extended battles a joy.

An almost permanent smile appeared on my face during the fight, even in certain areas that gave us problems because Id Software never threw enemies at the hunter just to make things difficult. It's all in the service of fun and a massive force journey that embodies the spirit of the Doom series.

An almost permanent smile appeared on my face during the fight.

Our opinion

Doom Eternal is a larger and even better version of its predecessor that recognizes exactly why fans loved this game so much and gives them even more reasons to love the sequel. Only the single player content is currently live, but when Battlemode is nearly as addictive and powerful as its campaign, Id Software has made one of the best first-person shooters of the generation.

If technology were up to the task in 1993, it would be the game that John Romero and John Carmack would have made from the start.

Is there a better alternative?

Doom Eternal is better than the already excellent game of 2016, and its turn to old-school shooter gameplay is unique among modern shooters.

How long it will take?

It will take between 15 and 20 hours for the campaign to complete on the standard "Hurt Me Plenty" difficulty level.

Should you buy it

Yes, unless you're not a fan of Gore. There is a lot of it.

Editor's recommendations




17 Mar
Blog

Training Load: Find Your Right Volume

What kind of athlete are you??

The one who never stops exercising? The athlete trying to beat the competition?

Or are you the one who is constantly looking for a way to hack the system?

Which one is better?

From a health perspective, what increases the risk of injury: over or under training?

The answer? Both.

Working too hard is as harmful as not working hard enough.

Please note that these are non-contact injuries due to overuse. These are avoidable. Contact injuries are a different story. We don't have as much control over what happens when two players collide on the soccer field or basketball court.

Find your training balance

The best performance programs target a “sweet spot” where the training is intense enough to make athletes better, faster and stronger, but not so much to cause injuries.

Regardless of sport, we should consider two factors when setting up training programs::

  1. The intensity of workouts or movements. This is also known as "loading".
  2. How quickly the intensity "increases".

Let's define "training" a little further:

  • Acute training is the amount of training volume in the past week.
  • Chronic training is the average amount of training volume over the past 4 weeks.

Think of acute training as well as tiredness. How tired are you from your workouts or workouts in the past week? Chronic training includes looking back over the past few weeks and thinking about how fit you are from these workouts.

If you objectively compare how you feel now, how you have felt in the past three to six weeks, you will get interesting data on how ready you are to compete. For example, I train a group of adult distance runners to prepare them for half and full marathons over a 15-week cycle.

These athletes run their maximum mileage three weeks before the race day. The time remaining until the competition is called "rejuvenation" in order to reduce the acute training load. The goal is to feel fresh on the starting line and still have the capacity to run 13.1 or 26.2 miles.

Rejuvenation weeks can be a source of stress for athletes who fear that they will not run, work out or train at their usual high volume, but there are scientific reasons for this strategy. If an athlete has made himself comfortable in the week before a race, but has good mileage throughout the training cycle, he is still well prepared for the day of the race.

The acute training of this athlete would be classified as low because he would be well rested. However, your average chronic workout is high because the athlete has built up a base for endurance in the weeks before.

The role of training load

The load is a measure of the intensity of a training session or the stress on the body from this session. Three things define this for an athlete:

  1. External training load: “work” or “volume” (total distance, lifted weight, number of sprints, jumps to rebound a basketball, collisions in soccer, etc.) 1
  2. Internal exercise load: the body's reaction to exercise (perceived exercise rate, heart rate, blood lactate, oxygen consumption) 1
  3. Individual characteristics of the athlete: age, experience, history of injuries, physical performance

In summary: training result = external stress + internal stress + individual characteristics of the athlete.

All of these factors are important to determine the effect of a particular workout. The same external load can have different internal effects depending on the person. For example, how a 21-year-old college college soccer player would react to 4-mile training compared to a 40-year-old athlete who started running a few weeks earlier.

The training is too intensive for the 40-year-old and can increase the risk of injury. Conversely, the run would be “too easy” for university athletes with little to no cardiovascular gains.

External stress can also have different effects on the same athlete. A hard week of training often makes an athlete feel tired, stressed, and tired. If proper recovery measures are not taken, exercise performance may be affected.

It is also important to understand the impact of “life factors” on training: emotional disorders, illness, stress, or recent training history. Respect these factors and change the training accordingly.

Tracking the external load

This is easy to monitor for endurance athletes such as runners, swimmers and cyclists. GPS watches can log distances and speeds.

Most elite / professional athletes are now using GPS-based sensors to track movements and training specific to their sport. For example, the number of jumps in volleyball, collisions in rugby or soccer, strokes while swimming or sprints per game in soccer. Trainers can increase or decrease the training load depending on what a particular athlete had in competition.

Since GPS watches are not useful for strength training, calculate the load as follows:

External load = number of repetitions x kg weight lifted 3

Tracking the internal load

The perceived load rate is one of the easiest ways to track the internal training load. Rate the intensity of the session on a 1-10 scale. Multiply this rate by the length of the training session in minutes:

Internal load = RPE (scale 1-10) x minutes of training

This score could also be referred to as an "exercise minute". Researchers are still collecting data on different scales for "high" or "low" effort for different sports. At the moment we consider a score of 300-500 among football players as a low intensity training session and 700-1000 is higher

Heart rate or VO2 max multiplied by minutes of exercise would also be another way to track internal stress. Blood lactate concentration measurement is a technical and invasive method, but a unit of measurement.

There are other scales for top athletes like the recovery stress questionnaire that measures mood, stress levels, energy, pain, sleep and nutrition. The total number of points indicates the well-being of the athlete, so that trainers or strength and fitness experts can adjust the training accordingly.

The role of individual athlete characteristics

Studies on rugby and Australian soccer players show that age affects athletes' response to conditioning programs. Research also shows that older athletes are at higher risk of injury from overuse.

With regard to these studies, one has to ask whether the risk of injury results from over-intensive training sessions or whether the risk is increased because older athletes may have earlier injuries more frequently. Research also shows that the history of previous injuries is a major risk factor for a new injury.

Irrespective of this, a training program should be adapted to the age, experience, injury history and general physical fitness of the athlete.

Calculate your training load

Tracking external and internal stress, or acute and chronic training, can help determine if you are an optimal zone for your goals. More importantly, it can indicate an increased risk of injury. Consider the training example used previously:

"Top weeks" for a half marathon runner (weeks 8 to 11 of a 15-week program):

  • Week 8: 21 miles
  • Week 9: 23 miles
  • Week 10: 25 miles
  • Week 11: 30 miles
  1. Acute stress (kilometer week 11) = 30 miles
  2. Chronic strain (average mileage 4 weeks earlier) = 24.75 miles

Now take the acute stress (30) and divide it by the chronic stress (24.75) to get a ratio::

Acute stress ÷ chronic stress = ratio of acute to chronic stress (30 / 24.75 = 1.21)

"Taper weeks" for the same race (the last weeks before the competition):

  • Week 12: 24 miles
  • Week 13: 23 miles
  • Week 14: 18 miles
  • Week 15: race week
  1. Acute stress (mileage in week 14) = 18 miles
  2. Chronic stress (average mileage of the 3 weeks before) = 21.67

Calculate the ratio again::

Acute stress ÷ chronic stress = ratio of acute to chronic stress (18 / 21.67 = 0.83)

Research shows that the sweet spot or optimal zone for training is a relationship between. 0.8 and 1.3.3.2

The runner is in the above-mentioned "peak weeks" in the optimal training zone. He has built up enough mileage base to stay in this zone through the rejuvenation and start the racing week.

Research has also shown that a ratio above 1.5 is a “danger zone” for training. The increased risk of injury is higher in the weeks after training with this type of stress.

How many of us were in this situation? We feel great in a certain training week and continue to increase the intensity. When training becomes more difficult, we initially feel invincible. Then the wheels fall off. An injury happens "out of nowhere" and we wonder what went wrong. I can't tell you how many times I've heard "but I felt so GOOD, Carol! I don't know what happened ?!"

Unfortunately, this is a simple trap, but monitoring the acute to chronic stress ratio can be helpful.

But maybe you are not running. You – lift weights, CrossFit, play soccer, insert sports of your choice. How do you keep track of your training?

The same concepts apply::

  • Calculate the acute training load of the last week (number of repetitions x kilogram of weight lifted). Or add up the number of sprints, minutes of soccer training, etc.
  • Find the chronic training load (average of the last 4 weeks).
  • Divide the acute stress into the chronic stress and compare it with the figure above.
  • Remember to take internal training factors and individual characteristics into account.

The conclusion of the volume training

  1. Intensity is important. Both overtraining and undertraining endanger athletes. A training program must prepare the athlete for the requirements of their sport, but the coach and the athlete must understand that it can take a few weeks to reach this point.
  2. Sudden increases in training intensity endanger athletes. Monitor acute training (how tired you are over the course of a week) and compare it to chronic training (how "fit" you have been in the past few weeks).
  3. Monitor the body's response to exercise. The internal training load. Use the perceived exercise rate x number of minutes you have spent training. Think of other factors – age, stress, sleep, etc. These are all important to determine what your training load should look like.

References::

1. Gab bed TJ. The paradox of training injury prevention: Should athletes train smarter and harder? Br J Sports Med. 2016 Mar; 50 (5): 273-4. 80. doi: 10.1136 / bjsports-2015-095788. Epub 2016 Jan 12

2. Blanch P, Gabbett TJ. Has the athlete trained enough to play safely again? The ratio of acute to chronic workload enables clinicians to quantify a player's risk of later injuries. Br J Sports Med. 2016 Apr; 50 (8): 471-5. doi: 10.1136 / bjsports-2015-095445. Epub 2015 December 23.

3. Bourdon PC, Cardinale M., Murray A., Gastin P., Kellmann M., Varley MC, Gabbett TJ, Coutts AJ, Burgess DJ, Gregson W., Cable NT. Monitoring athletes' training load: declaration of consensus. Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2017 Apr; 12 (Suppl 2): ​​S2161-S2170. doi: 10.1123 / IJSPP.2017-0208.

4. Rogalski B., Dawson B., Heasman J. et al. Training and game strain as well as injury risk among Australian elite footballers. J Sci Med Sport 2013; 16: 499-503.

5. Gab bed TJ. Development and application of a model for predicting injuries in non-contact soft tissue injuries in elite collision athletes. J Strength Con Res 2010; 24: 2593-603.

17 Mar
Blog

2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid First Drive Review

2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid

2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid first ride review: fashionably late

"A solid hybrid powertrain makes Honda’s popular CR-V crossover even better."

  • Nice to drive

  • Punchy acceleration

  • Spacious interior

  • Regenerative brake paddle shifters

  • Competitors get better mileage

  • Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are not standard

The Honda CR-V, introduced in 1997, was one of the first crossover commercial vehicles. This made Honda a trendsetter in the 1990s. However, the automaker has fallen back on another important trend: hybrid drives. The Toyota RAV4 Hybrid is now in its second generation, and Ford has brought the Escape Hybrid back for the 2020 model year, while the Honda option has only just arrived.

The Honda CR-V Hybrid 2020 tries to make up for lost time. It adapts the two-engine hybrid system previously used in the Accord Hybrid and Insight and marks the first use of this system with all-wheel drive, which is standard in all equipment variants.

The base LX model starts at $ 28,870 – a $ 2,320 premium over a gasoline CR-V. Our test car was a touring model with a range of $ 37,070 or $ 1,225 over a CR-V touring gasoline engine.

Design and interior

You need a keen eye to see the difference between a CR-V hybrid and a gasoline model. Changes in the exterior design are limited to the blue emblem, a model-specific rear bumper that hides the exhaust, and LED fog lights in higher trim levels.

Automakers generally take one of two approaches to the exterior design of their crossovers, and the CR-V falls somewhere in the middle. While crossovers are essentially jacked-up cars, the temptation is to make them look sturdy and truck-like, as Toyota did with the RAV4. In contrast, the latest Ford Escape looks more like a car, almost like a Ford Focus when viewed through a Funhouse mirror. The CR-V is based on both playbooks. The upright profile and the imposing front section are truck-like, the slim headlights and the curved surfaces are more like a car. The result won't turn your head, but it looks good and should age well.

2020 Hona CR-V HybridStephen Edelstein / Digital Trends

The interior of the CR-V Hybrid is inexpensive compared to its competitors. The Honda has more rear legroom than the Ford Escape Hybrid and the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid. The Ford offers more front legroom, and the it and Honda are virtually tied to headroom.

The Honda also offers more cargo space than the Toyota with built-in rear seats and the Ford with the rear seats folded down (Toyota doesn't give an amount when the rear seats are folded down). The Escape Hybrid has a sliding seat in the second row, which gives it a space advantage over the CR-V if the rear seats are available (but at the expense of leg room in the second row). The CR-V Hybrid also has less cargo space than a petrol CR-V because the battery sits under the cargo floor. The Honda has a low loading floor height, which makes getting in and out easier.

Technology, infotainment and driver assistance

A 7.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is available, but not in the LX basic configuration. The touring phone charges the phone, but the charging pad is too small for some phones.

A digital instrument cluster contains hybrid-specific displays, e.g. B. A power meter that indicates whether the car uses a gasoline engine or an electric motor. The graphics for the instrument cluster are of high quality and easy to read, which cannot be said of the cheap looking graphics on the main touchscreen of the CR-V.

2020 Honda CR-V HybridStephen Edelstein / Digital Trends

The CR-V Hybrid comes standard with the Honda Sensing line of driver aids, which include autonomous emergency braking, forward collision warning, downhill departure, lane departure warning, lane departure warning and adaptive cruise control. The Toyota RAV4 Hybrid has a comparable selection of standard driver aids. The Ford Escape Hybrid has a standard lane departure warning system and autonomous emergency braking. However, adaptive cruise control is optionally available.

Ford and Toyota have no equivalent of the downhill Honda, which automatically steers the car back onto the road when a wheel crosses an outer lane marking. However, the RAV4 Hybrid has standard traffic sign recognition, and the Escape Hybrid has post-collision braking to prevent a car from rolling against other objects after a collision.

Experience behind the wheel

The drive train of the CR-V Hybrid consists of a 2.0-liter four-cylinder petrol engine that works with Honda's two-engine hybrid system. One electric motor drives the wheels, while the other acts as a generator and gains energy from regenerative braking and from the petrol engine. The gas engine only drives the wheels directly if the system considers this to be the most efficient.

The total system performance is 212 horsepower and 232 pound-feet of torque. This is more than a conventional CR-V or a Ford Escape Hybrid. The RAV4 Hybrid has 219 hp; Toyota does not specify a torque number.

Since the petrol engine is not coupled to the wheels most of the time, the Honda system has a special feature. The engine speed does not always correspond to your acceleration or driving speed. Honda improved this with the CR-V Hybrid, and we found that the engine didn't seem to cry as much at low speeds as the Honda Insight. The transition between petrol and electrical energy feels even more linear with the Escape Hybrid and RAV4 Hybrid.

The CR-V Hybrid is simply beautiful to drive.

Apart from that, the CR-V Hybrid felt great. It's not fast, but the electric motor offers a helpful torque boost when starting stops. The ride is quieter than the competing CUVs from Ford and Toyota, and the interior is quiet. The shift paddles that control regenerative braking were helpful. We could slow the car down without touching the brake pedal, much like shifting down in a manual transmission car.

Like the standard CR-V, the hybrid uses a mechanical all-wheel drive system with a drive shaft that connects the front engine to the rear axle. Ford did the same with the Escape Hybrid, but the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid uses a second electric motor for the rear wheels, with no physical connection to the front wheels. Mechanical all-wheel drive is cheaper, Honda told Digital Trends, and it is unlikely that most drivers will notice the difference under normal conditions. But what about abnormal conditions?

2020 Honda CR-V HybridStephen Edelstein / Digital Trends

Honda and Toyota boast that their hybrid crossovers can be used off-road and claim that their respective all-wheel drive systems are key. At the start of the CR-V Hybrid, Honda let us drive around a sand pit in both the CR-V and the RAV4 Hybrid. Sure enough, the CR-V did better. The RAV4 Hybrid tumbled awkwardly on the track when its electronics clicked and buzzed in protest. The CR-V Hybrid also has more ground clearance and better approach and departure angles than the RAV4 Hybrid, making it less likely to hit obstacles.

However, we had no opportunity to test the CR-V Hybrid on a more traditional off-road trail, as we did when the RAV4 started. Of course, neither of them can keep up with the skills of real off-roaders like the Jeep Wrangler and the Toyota 4Runner. Crossovers like CR-V and RAV4 are not designed for serious off-roading. But if you are ever on the run from Tusken Raiders, the CR-V Hybrid has your back.

Fuel consumption and security

The real reason to buy a hybrid is mileage, and in this area the CR-V lags behind its rivals. The Honda is rated 38 mpg combined (35 mpg city, 40 mpg highway), while the RAV4 Hybrid is rated 40 mpg combined (41 mpg city, 38 mpg highway). While the CR-V surpasses the 37 mpg freeway drive rating of the four-wheel drive Escape Hybrid, the Ford is also available with front-wheel drive, which together it can achieve 41 mpg.

We managed to improve Honda Environmental Protection Agency ratings and hit 51 mpg in a short loop. However, the numbers fell quickly with less stingy driving.

The CR-V Hybrid lags behind its competitors in terms of mileage.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave the CR-V Hybrid a five-star overall rating. The hybrid model is delivered as standard with the headlights required to achieve a Top Safety Pick rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

Honda offers a three-year basic warranty of 36,000 miles and a five-year warranty of 60,000 miles for the drivetrain. This is the same coverage as for Ford and Toyota. Honda has a solid reliability record. While the hybrid powertrain is new, the CR-V itself has proven to be absolutely solid.

How DT would configure this car

Honda made this easy by making many key features standard. All equipment variants are equipped as standard with all-wheel drive and the Honda Sensing range of driver aids. The only thing missing is Apple CarPlay / Android auto compatibility, which requires an upgrade from the basic LX trim level to the EX. Another upgrade doesn't offer much of an advantage. The EX-L adds leather seats, and the Touring is equipped with a mobile phone charger, a hands-free tailgate and a heated steering wheel. However, this is a luxury and not a necessity.

Our opinion

Not surprisingly, the Honda CR-V Hybrid 2020 is a well-executed example of this breed. The standard CR-V was already one of the best small crossovers, and Honda's hybrid system has proven itself in the Accord Hybrid and Insight. However, the CR-V Hybrid is not only good in isolation, it can also hold its own against its two competitors.

Honda couldn't beat the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid and Ford Escape Hybrid in terms of fuel consumption, but the CR-V Hybrid makes up for it in other areas, and the efficiency gap is small. The Honda is nicer to drive than its competitors, has more usable cargo space and offers many standard driver aids.

Should you get one?

Yes. Sometimes it's good to be fashionably late.

Editor's recommendations




16 Mar
Blog

Animal Crossing: New Horizons Review: The Ideal Island Trip

Animals crossing new horizons save boundaries around bonfires

Animal crossing: new horizons

"Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the escape we need right now."

  • Visually fascinating

  • Many adjustments

  • Tons of gameplay

  • Great social functions

  • The real time clock gives a reason to come back

  • The gameplay can repeat itself

  • A lack of challenge will not appeal to everyone

Animal crossing: new horizons could be the perfect game for that moment in history.

The slightly combative, always cute life simulator is back with its first game in almost eight years and, while sticking to what is likeable about the series, it also has the kind of upgrades for which Tom Nook would require a significant sum of bells.

Not everyone sees the appeal of a game that involves repaying a mortgage and running errands. Sometimes Animal Crossing: New Horizons extends the definition of what a game is. Still, it has managed to conquer the hearts of millions when massive fan hype since Nintendo announced its release in 2019. Fans have also grabbed a model of the New Horizons switch that is sold out worldwide.

This is the island vacation we all need right now.

Not the same old zodiac

New Horizons is clearly part of the franchise, but does not repeat the formula of past games. It's part Animal Crossing, part Cities: Skylines, and part The Sims. For the first time, players can customize all the details of an island, including the location of bridges and ramps. Thanks to Amiibo compatibility, you can easily bring villagers' favorites to your new island. If you prefer people to people, it is also easy to play online with friends by visiting each other's islands.

Change animal crossing

Despite its wide range of uses, the game also pays attention to details, with lots of little tidbits that are fun to notice. The villagers can sit and read on the grass, walk around with a sandwich, or work hard at work in their own four walls. Building interiors now have more aesthetic details, making the environment feel more realistic than in the past.

An island that I can call myself

Often in games, players just have to accept what they don't like. Unpleasant parts of a card or annoying NPCs are only part of the experience. Not in New Horizons.

Yes, there are initial storage access restrictions. This is frustrating when planning where to put your home, other villagers, and important buildings like the museum. However, this can be changed later, and you don't have to wait long before making any significant changes.

New Horizons Adds terrain editing as opposed to previous Animal Crossing games. The last entry New pageAppoint the players responsible for the city as mayors. This meant they could make small, pre-set changes to the gameplay and decorate the area with “public building projects,” but none of that came close to the scope of New Horizons.

Animal crossing: new horizons

Every new Animal Crossing game contains new clothing, accessories and furniture, but also some New Horizons turns the knob to 11. Clothing and furniture now have whole pallets, some of which can be bought or crafted to customize the look of everything you own. With ladder shelves and macrame wall hangings, the items also look more modern.

The interior is significantly revised. Side game from Animal Crossing, Happy home designer, was not a hit, but showed new ways to style houses. New Horizons builds on this and allows players to lay floors in multiple directions, move multiple items at once, and bring up a design user interface instead of physically walking a villager around the room by perfectly pushing and pulling objects. You can even place furniture and fences outside, near houses, and on the beach.

It's part Animal Crossing, part Cities: Skylines, and part The Sims.

The game's go-to shop, The Able Sisters, contains more items than ever. The store offers seasonal items and a daily rotation, but the locker room offers even more options and allows players to mix and match parts. Here you will find maxi skirts and tunics inspired by boho.

It's a lot, but that's the point. The original Animal Crossing hit from 2001 and New Leaf is now eight years old. Life simulation games have increased over the years. The Sims 4 have worked intensively on expansion packages that offer options for almost every situation. Stardew Valley has mistaken things for farming gameplay, and niche games like My Time in Portia offer big worlds. Animal Crossing needed to be expanded, and that's exactly what New Horizons did.

Next generation graphics

New Horizons is visually breathtaking. The textures of fossils, carpets, animal skins and the bark on trees make the virtual island appear more haunting than any animal crossing game. Fish and insects in the Critterpedia, which catalogs all caught fish and insects, are presented with exquisite details. New Horizons captures the setting in a completely new light.

Animal crossing: new horizons

In addition to better character models and textures, the animations get more attention to detail than ever before. An island breeze often sways from the leaves on trees. Ribbons and ponytails on the villagers' hair bounce with movement.

When viewing objects in a museum, talking to other villagers, or taking photos, the camera focuses on a specific area, giving a flattering bokeh effect. It's a nice touch that makes the game look modern.

Take it easy. Too simple?

Island life means leaning back and relaxing, but it can be a little too relaxing. I have unearthed more fossils than in previous games, and changes and styles of appearance were easy to unlock. After a few upgrades, the bags have 40 slots. Collecting material is essential New Horizons, But it's still a major upgrade.

The Miles system means that there are two ways to make money. A rotation of items from clothing, furniture and recipes can be bought with miles. The miles themselves are also easy to obtain. Everything it takes to play the game. Catching fish, talking to villagers, looking for insects, everything counts. Life simulation games aren't known for challenges, but New Horizons offers absolutely no friction.

On the other hand, Animal Crossing has never been a challenge in the past. Relaxing, trouble-free gameplay is the focus of the series. Just make sure you know the time has come. This is not a game you are winning. There are no credits, no final battle. It's just life, day after day, in a fun world full of talking animals.

Our opinion

New Horizons is full of joy. It's fun, with less cross-generational appeal. The lonely island theme had given some fears that the latest entry would diverge from the traditional model, but these fears should be quickly addressed. However, it enables new experiences and prevents the series from feeling stale almost 20 years after its debut.

Is there a better alternative?

There is no better alternative New Horizons, or any animal crossing game as there are no alternatives. Stardew Valley or The Sims are getting closer, but Animal Crossing is not. Stardew Valley focuses more on agriculture, and the Sims' emphasis on realism means that the kitschy, cute anthropomorphic neighbors are a no-go. Animal Crossing is a separate genre.

How long it will take?

How long should it take? New horizons & # 39; Real-time progress means that this company is tedious, at least if you are not ready to cheat. Over the days, your island will develop slowly. There is no instant gratification, as you will have to wait at least a day in the game to take advantage of a new building.

Even if you are bored with your current run, there is a lot of value for replayability. Many fans have created themed cities in previous entries or found new priorities when restarting.

New Horizons, As with its predecessors, you can choose your own endgame. This can mean building your perfect house, living as a city planner, carefully designing your island, or making a dream come true by collecting all of the catalog items or filling out the museum.

Should you buy it

Yes. While Animal Crossing games undoubtedly argue about how “fun” they are, you should definitely pick up on this game if you're on the fence at all. The unique style of play, updated and expanded features, and the ability to appeal to fans of various elements have a reason why the franchise is so popular.

Especially when countries with the corona virus, officially called COVID-19, cope with social distancing and staying at home, this is the kind of game that is perfect for those who want to leave without leaving home.

Editor's recommendations




16 Mar
Blog

2020 Polestar 1 Plug-In Hybrid Luxury Coupe Review

2020 Polestar 1

2020 Polestar 1 review: All aboard the Scandinavian Express

"Polestar's first car, the Plug-in Hybrid 1, fills a gap between efficiency and performance."

  • Beautiful design

  • Seriously powerful

  • Real torque vectoring

  • User-friendly technology

  • Tiny trunk

  • It feels very volvo-like inside

Heritage is a double-edged sword in the automotive industry.

It sells cars and there are whole brands that are boldly built on it, but it's also a burden in the age of electrification. How would enthusiasts respond if Porsche released a 911 powered by a flat twin generator and four electric motors? Not good.

This is where Polestar comes in. It was founded in 2017 and has no legacy as an independent brand. Therefore, it is not bound by rules other than the rules it sets. The 1, its aptly named first car, does not deviate far from the style elements that define GT coupes, but it does without a large-displacement engine for plug-in hybrid drive. Does it move the segment forward or does it fall too short? I flew to Gothenburg, Sweden, to familiarize myself with one of the 1,500 units that Polestar is planning.

Design and interior

If you look at photos of Polestar 1 and wonder what kind of Volvo you're looking at, you're not alone – at least four people asked me about it during my time. You also have plans. This shapely two-door began as the Concept Coupé, which the Swedish company presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show 2013 to get a preview of its next design language. Executives beamed as they celebrated the beautiful design study as the legacy of the P1800, but no one expected it to see the light at the end of a production line. It should have lived in the company's museum.

I thought I was flying under the radar in Polestar 1. I was wrong. It turned heads everywhere.

His fate changed fundamentally when Volvo and the parent company Geely Polestar moved from a tuner and racing car manufacturer to an independent luxury brand in 2017. Creating a business case for a two-door version of the S90 suddenly became much easier, according to Volvo. The design icon turned into an upscale Grand Tourer with supercar-like power and a suitable price. Carbon fiber is used extensively to balance the weight of the hybrid system as much as possible.

What we saw in Frankfurt seven years ago is somewhat unexpectedly almost exactly what Polestar builds. Here's a cheat sheet if you want to spot the differences: Stylists have redesigned the lower part of the front bumper, pulled the Volvo emblem off the grille, and nip-and-tucked the rear end. The elegant proportions and the attractive, reserved lines are retained. It's all done in a very subtle and ultimately very Swedish way. The designers haven't attached a rear wing the size of a bench in the National Mall, nor an air scoop in the form of an oversized Cool Ranch Dorito.

With this in mind, I thought I was flying under the radar at 1. I was wrong. It turned heads everywhere. I sipped a double espresso as I watched a man jog, circled back, and spent at least 3 minutes examining him from every angle. Those who are on the pulse of the auto industry know immediately that they are looking for something special. Polestar will only produce 1,500 examples of the 1 in Chengdu, China, so there is little chance of spotting one in the wild.

2020 Polestar 1Ronan Glon

Inside, parts like the three-spoke steering wheel, the digital instrument cluster, the touchscreen of the infotainment system and the ventilation slots that surround it will look familiar to you if you were in a Volvo of the latest generation. Stylists added, among other things, yellow seat belts and an Orrefors crystal gear selector that looks and feels like a Volvo behind the driver's seat, though, and that could be a fork at this price.

The cargo hold deserves a special mention; The Polestar 1 is the only car I have ever driven with a trunk that is as useless as it is fascinating. And believe me, it registers an extremely strong signal on both radars. The total capacity is 4.4 cubic feet, which is slightly less than that of a Lamborghini Aventador S. with a mid-engine.

2020 Polestar 1Ronan Glon

This is because part of the drivetrain battery is housed in the transmission tunnel, which the drive shaft normally drives into, and the rest is directly behind the rear seats. I couldn't fit a carry-on suitcase, my briefcase, and much else.

The disadvantage is that you can marvel at the orange high-voltage cabling through a transparent, scratch-resistant panel. Each port is labeled so you know what is what – it's a cool way to showcase technology. It almost feels like you're going through a life-size circuit diagram that's heavenly for auto technician nerds.

Technology and infotainment

Thanks to carbon fiber, the doors are lighter than expected. Once inside, the driver sits behind a high-resolution 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster that includes a speedometer, a power indicator, a fuel gauge, and a fourth dial to provide information about what the hybrid system is doing and what is not. For example, it signals exactly when the drive train switches from electric to petrol-powered. Navigation instructions are also displayed in the instrument cluster. You can also find them on the standard head-up display and on the touchscreen on the center stack. There is also Android Auto, so you have no excuse to get lost here.

2020 Polestar 1Ronan Glon

Speaking of the touchscreen: it's a 9.3-inch device that – you guessed it – is shared with members of the Volvo range. I have praised the intuitiveness of this system in previous reviews, and this is no different here. It contains a huge amount of information, but is easy and straightforward to use. The various menus are clearly marked, the graphics are sharp and the response time is quick.

Polestar inherited Volvo's manic, decades-long obsession with passenger safety.

There are better systems on the market like the MBUX software from Mercedes-Benz, but that from Polestar remains excellent every day. Remember that it is also at the end of its life cycle, so it has stood the test of time well. The company has already developed its next infotainment system with contributions from Google. It is Android-based, smartphone-like, is displayed on an 11.0-inch screen and is expected to appear in the not too distant future.

Polestar also inherited Volvo's manic, decades-long obsession with passenger safety. The long list of electronic driving aids includes front and rear collision mitigation (which the car can steer out of an accident with an oncoming vehicle), a 360-degree camera, and enough airbags to build an inflatable replica of the majestic Edinburgh Castle.

Performance and ride

Volvo and China's parent company, Geely, founded Polestar to manufacture electric vehicles like the 2, but the 1 is the notable exception to the rule. It is powered by a petrol-electric plug-in hybrid drive, which consists of a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with turbocharger and compressor, two electric motors and an integrated starter generator (ISG).

The hybrid system's total output is 600 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque.

The engine and ISG are hidden under the long bonnet, the electric motors are each assigned to one of the rear wheels, and there is no mechanical connection between the axles, so the system delivers all-wheel drive via the road. The electricity is stored in a large (for a plug-in hybrid) 34-kilowatt hour lithium-ion battery.

The hybrid system's total output is 600 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque. How it gets on the sidewalk depends on the selected driving mode. If you choose the Pure profile, the engine is turned off and the 1 is turned into a rear-wheel drive electric car for about 60 miles. In this configuration, it is quiet, agile and fluid to drive. I used this mode when I was traveling through downtown Gothenburg. Selecting AWD, Hybrid or Power modes on the touchscreen silently wakes the engine from sleep to achieve full powertrain performance.

2020 Polestar 1Ronan Glon

After leaving town, I got to know the 600 horses under my right foot and found that they do not all live in the same stable. When you press the accelerator pedal, the first thing you feel is the immediate torque that is delivered by the electric motors in the rear. The four-cylinder compressor winds up quickly and the turbocharger's thrust comes last.

Six hundred is an impressive number when we talk about the performance of an engine or hybrid system, but in this case it doesn't mean brutal, lightning-fast acceleration. It's linear, which goes well with the character of this car. It's a good-natured coupe with a distinct Scandinavian flavor, not a racing rat that spends its nights in the pits.

2020 Polestar 1Ronan Glon

The petrol-electric configuration on the road also has an extremely interesting (and somewhat unexpected) effect on the handling that I discovered on the winding, tree-lined roads that separate the interior of Sweden from the country's scenic, seafood-crazy coastline.

If everything fits, the 1 overcomes its not inconsiderable weight of 5,170 pounds to offer a sharp and precise driving experience.

The four-cylinder transmits around 300 hp to the front wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission, which results in easy torque control when accelerated strongly.

Meanwhile, the two electric motors relentlessly push the car forward. For a few seconds, the 1 feels like a car with front and rear wheel drive at the same time. It's a unique behavior and it's surprisingly fun once you've learned how to do it.

If everything fits, the 1 overcomes its not inconsiderable weight of 5,170 pounds to offer a sharp and precise driving experience. This is where technology comes in again. The electric motors are independent of each other so that they can spin at different speeds. This means that the system can slow down the inner rear wheel in a curve. This is real torque vectorization. This makes the 1 feel agile and responsive on a winding road.

2020 Polestar 1Ronan Glon

Polestar has teamed up with Swedish suspension expert Öhlins to tune the 1. You have chosen a ride that is reasonably firm – the car never feels like a floating Viking ship, but it is not punitive or overly bouncy.

Mammoth brakes brought the coupé to a standstill without drama, but I didn't use it often. Seriously, who needs brakes when you have 600 horsepower? I'm just having fun. The brake energy recovery system slows the car down as soon as you take your foot off the accelerator to generate electricity that it sends to the battery. This way you can almost come to a standstill.

True to the great touring spirit, which is partly defined by the ability to effortlessly chase through countries, the 1 is content to cross and cross and cross … and cross.

Volvo's Pilot Assist technology combines adaptive cruise control with Lane Keeping Assist. Over the past few years, I've driven enough cars with this system to see how much it has improved. At the beginning of his life, the lane keeping assistant pinged the car nervously between the lane markings. In the 1 and in newer Volvo models such as the V60 Cross Country, the car remains centered on the lane.

Reach and efficiency

In its most efficient hybrid mode, the Polestar 1 has a fuel consumption of 64 MPG, a number that roughly equates it to the BMW i8, which will soon be retiring, and a range of up to 540 miles, which exceeds every 100% electric car considerably larger than Hawaii. Volvo's XC90 plug-in hybrid is rated at 55 MPG, while the petrol-electric version of the Audi Q5 is rated at 65 MPG. Both are less powerful than the 1. According to Polestar, it takes 80% less than an hour to charge a completely empty battery when using a 50-kilowatt DC fast charger.

Although it is a relatively new car, the 1 was built with proven mechanical components that can be found in several Volvo models. Therefore, it should be able to drive reliably and carefree for many years. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has not yet been forced into a wall, so its crash test result is not available.

How DT would configure this car

It's simple: I don't really need to configure it. With a starting price of $ 156,500 including destination, Polestar considered it appropriate to include all the features of its arsenal in the list of standard equipment. Heated seats? Check. Soft leather upholstery? It is there and it is beautiful. An amazingly clear Bowers & Wilkins sound system? Yup. The only option is matte paint, which costs $ 5,000. I would skip it. I would order mine in a gray called magnesium and keep my tester's wheels.

Our opinion

2020 Polestar 1Ronan Glon

It is far too easy to just write off the Polestar 1 as a large Volvo coupe. It's true, it looks and feels that way in many ways, but the plug-in hybrid system makes it more than just a two-door S90. It gets the GT label by ticking the boxes for comfort and performance and offers useful standard technical functions (such as the head-up display and pilot assistant) that do not impair the driving experience. However, it's a shame about the trunk.

On a secondary level, the 1 really feels special. It is confident but unpretentious. It's rare, but it doesn't scream. It's quick, but it doesn't flaunt it. I drove faster and spent time in more expensive (and accordingly more wasteful) coupes, but the 1 is one that I still chatter about when I'm an old man.

Should you get one?

Depends on. In the price range of the Polestar 1 you will find much more powerful super sports cars. However, if you are looking for an efficient, comfortable Grand Tourer with all the frills, this is the place for you.

Editor's recommendations




15 Mar
Blog

Acer ConceptD 9 review: A Portable Workstation for Artists Only

acer conceptd 9 review 04

"The Acer ConceptD 9 is fast and innovative with its easel hinge, but it can't compete with other portable workstations in terms of performance or mobility."

  • Beautiful 4K screen

  • Wacom pen support

  • Innovative design of the easel hinge

  • Fantastic performance

  • Solid, heavy chassis

  • Not as powerful as a real workstation

  • Cumbersome keyboard and touchpad

If someone appreciates slim, thin laptops, it's artists and designers. You know a slim product when you see one. The problem? These options often don't have the strength that some creative people really need.

Enter the ConceptD 9, a beast of an Acer workstation. With its thick housing and the Core i9 processor with eight cores, it is not only powerful, but also has an innovative easel hinge that can be converted into a digital drawing table. It doesn't even pretend to be portable and weighs almost ten pounds. At $ 5,000, it doesn't pretend to be cheap either.

It's undoubtedly a niche product, but is the ConceptD 9 more than an interesting concept?

For artists by engineers

My first reaction when I packed the box in the FedEx store was: "Man, this thing is heavy!" I checked so many Ultrabooks that weigh less than three pounds with just a few 15-inch laptops that weigh more than four pounds that the ConceptD 9 felt like a ton of rocks. It just can't be a laptop, I thought.

But it was. I opened the packaging, unpacked the machine and yes: it was almost 10 pounds of metal, glass and plastic (exactly 9.48 pounds). Much of that weight is on the 17.3-inch display (with solid bezels), and I'm sure a lot of it is also the hinge assembly that allows the screen to fold out in a very flexible easel mode that allows any angle from 90 degrees down to about 20 degrees – perfect for artists to draw.

You will not use this beast on your lap, nor will you put it in a backpack and take it to a cafe.

The ConceptD 9 is very similar to the Microsoft Surface Studio in this respect, only smaller. And it is probably a better machine because it is far more powerful than what Microsoft offers. In short, the ConceptD 9 doesn't pretend to be anything other than what it is. It is a portable creative workstation for people who edit high-resolution photos and videos, do 3D work in applications like AutoCAD and especially paint with the active Wacom pen on the screen.

The easel movement is certainly neat. It's not quite as intuitive as Surface Studio, but it is fluid. Simply fold up the bottom of the display and pull it to the desired angle. It can be pulled down almost flat (with just the right end angle for easy drawing). However, this applies to the keyboard and the touchpad.

Artists who want to draw directly on the canvas should love this. You will also love the included Wacom pen. It has 4,096 pressure sensitivity levels. As with the Surface Studio, the pen is magnetic and is attached to the display – in this case at the top. The display also stays fixed at every angle you place it, so you can draw safely on whether it is at a 90 degree angle or fully extended.

Will artists prefer this to a PC and a Wacom tablet? Maybe. As with Surface Studio, you draw directly on the canvas. Having all of this in one place is also an attraction. However, the flexibility of a pure drawing area and a screen for toolbars and menus requires some adjustments.

Connectivity is a strength as Acer has the space available for a USB-C port with Thunderbolt 3, a USB-C 3.1 port, two USB-A 3.1 Gen 1 ports, a USB-A 2.0 port and an HDMI Connection uses 2.0 port that supports HDCP, a DisplayPort 1.4 and a Gigabit Ethernet port. A Killer 1650 802.11ax Wi-Fi radio offers Wi-Fi 6 support, and Bluetooth 5.0 is on board.

A powerhouse, but not a real workstation

The promise of the ConceptD 9 was of course never just an interesting form factor. It was also a raw performance. The ConceptD 9 delivers on that promise, including a Core i9-9880HK processor, up to 32 GB of RAM, and an RTX 2080 graphics card. That's an incredible amount of performance regardless of the size of the laptop.

That is, unless you compare it to an actual 17-inch workstation like the HP ZBook 17, the Dell Precision 7740 Mobile Workstation, and the Lenovo ThinkPad P73 Mobile Workstation. These laptops do not have the unique easel design of the ConceptD 9, but they do offer the slightly more powerful Intel Xeon CPUs as an option. Some of these workstations, such as B. the ZBook, offer up to 128 GB RAM. The ConceptD 9 has 32 GB, which is a significant disadvantage.

Not that the ConceptD 9 is definitely slow. Compared to fast 15-inch laptops like the Dell XPS 15 and the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 2, the ConceptD 9 is quite competitive.

It has passed our handbrake test, which encodes a 420 megabyte video (MB) in just 1 minute and 52 seconds. The XPS 15 with the same CPU took 1 minute and 42 seconds, while the ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 2 took 1 minute and 58 seconds. The Apple MacBook 16, also with the Core i9-9980HK, sits exactly in between.

Only the ZenBook Pro Duo was significantly faster with 1 minute and 19 seconds. Outside of the ZenBook, which was a remarkable 32% faster, there was only a 12% difference between the fastest laptop (the XPS 15) and the ConceptD 9. We haven't tested the most powerful laptops equipped with Xeon, but we expect them at least would be a little faster than everyone except the ZenBook.

It's fast, but you buy the ConceptD 9 because of its unusual design and not just because of its performance.

To measure actual performance, I also ran a video editing test with Adobe Premiere that rendered a two-minute 4K video for ProRes 422. The ConceptD 9 did a little more than two and a half minutes compared to the almost five minutes that the XPS 15 took.

The ZenBook Pro Duo was the previous king of speed at three minutes and four seconds, but most likely fell behind the Acer due to the slower RTX 2060 graphics cards. Unlike the handbrake test, there was a very significant difference between the ConceptD 9 (which was the fastest in this case) and the XPS 15 (the slowest): the ConceptD 9 was a full 47% faster.

Next up is the GPU, and here the ConceptD 9 also deviates from the typical workstation design. It uses an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Studio Edition with 8 GB of GDDR6 RAM, a high-speed GPU at the top of the typical laptop pile. The Studio Edition moniker refers to the ISV-certified drivers, which means that they are guaranteed to be stable with applications such as Adobe Suite, AutoCAD and other professional applications.

This is a good thing and like all drivers they should be kept up to date. I got a nice speed bump when I updated the drivers on the ConceptD 9.

However, the RTX 2080 isn't as fast in these applications as the top-of-the-range Nvidia Quadro GPUs that you can get in a typical workstation like the relatively new Quadro RTX 5000 with 16 GB of GDDR6 RAM. This means that the ConceptD 9 is fast and stable in its target applications, but not necessarily as fast as you would expect from a more traditional workstation option. You buy the ConceptD 9 because of its unusual design, therefore not necessarily just because of its performance.

You should also not buy that the ConceptD 9 has a dedicated gaming laptop. However, if you look at the specifications, you may be tempted to do so. It has worked admirably in everything we've tested, from Fortnite to Assassins Creed: Odyssey. The problem is that the screen is locked at 60 Hz, which means that these high frame rates are of little use to you here. A few games on the side? Absolutely.

The display does justice to its accounting

The ConceptD 9 needs a fabulous display to be a good choice for its target market. It needs a wide range of colors and accurate colors to satisfy photo and video editors, and it should also have a high resolution. Fortunately, this is exactly the 4K IPS display (3,840 x 2,160) that Acer has obtained and calibrated for the machine.

According to my colorimeter, the display is quite bright with 353 nits and has an excellent contrast ratio with 1000: 1. This is behind the XPS 15 and MacBook Pro 16, and is likely to have problems competing with other portable workstations that can offer 400 nits or brightness and higher contrast. But there are still good results that give a pleasant screen for all-round use.

However, colors are more of a strength. Acer's IPS display reaches 94% of AdobeRGB and 98% of sRGB. It also offers a fantastic color accuracy of 0.61. Anything less than 1.0 is considered excellent. This is one of the best results we have ever seen. The XPS 15 with its OLED display offers a slightly wider color gamut, but cannot keep up with the color accuracy of the Acer, while the MacBook Pro 16 only surpasses the ConceptD 9 by achieving 100 percent of the sRGB.

Acer chose a great display that met the needs of its creative target market. That is a real strength.

It's not much of a laptop

At the same time, the design is not very suitable for the typical laptop user. Take the keyboard, for example. It's an excellent mechanical keyboard that offers unusually fast keystrokes and some of the best feedback you'll find in a laptop.

But there is also no palm rest because the thermal design of the system takes up so much space above the keyboard. Acer went out of its way to make this machine a quiet machine even under full load, and they mostly succeeded. However, this means that there is no space for a palm rest – and that makes typing on the keyboard uncomfortable.

ConceptD 9 users are likely to use external keyboards and mice. It is really so uncomfortable.

The touchpad is also unusually to the right of the keyboard. There is no space underneath here either. The touchpad is also strangely shaped and oriented more vertically than horizontally. But it works well enough once you get used to it, and it offers a very Asus ZenBook-like LCD numeric keypad that you can access by tapping an icon on the top left of the touchpad. It's a design that will be acceptable in gaming laptops, but it's hardly ideal here.

ConceptD 9 users are likely to use external keyboards and mice. It's really so uncomfortable to tap on it. I would not find the experience satisfactory in the long run.

Whatever you do, you will not use this beast on your lap, nor will you put it in a backpack and take it to the local cafe. Anything beyond repositioning in another part of your home, or from office to office, is probably too much for this ten-pound chunker.

But you won't let it run away from a plug either. Acer equipped the ConceptD 9 with only 72 watt hours of battery capacity. For comparison: the HP ZBook 17 offers 95 watt hours. Given the massive 4K display and the powerful components, we didn't expect much from the battery life. And it's not surprising that we haven't seen it.

In our demanding Basemark test, which abused the CPU, we saw an hour and 48 minutes, which is actually competitive compared to other powerful laptops. However, the two hours and 43 minutes that we saw in our web browser test and five hours in our video loop test are pretty weak. They're competitive when it comes to developing gaming laptops, and maybe that makes sense – like these machines, the ConceptD 9 is just not designed to run on battery.

Our opinion

The ConceptD 9 is designed for a very specific person. Creative professionals who need a relatively powerful portable workstation and would benefit from a display that can switch to easel mode and use an excellent Wacom active pen.

In addition, the size and design of this machine make it pretty useless as a laptop. It is a very small niche. And even if you are, most creatives will likely prefer the versatility of using a separate Wacom tablet in conjunction with a traditional workstation or high-end 15-inch laptop.

Are there any better alternatives?

There is really no other laptop or portable workstation like the ConceptD 9. As already mentioned, real workstations like the HP ZBook 17, Dell Precision 7740 and Lenovo ThinkPad P73 are the closest competitors. Each of these components can be equipped with faster Xeon CPUs and Nvidia Quadro GPUs as well as four times as much RAM. They are also smaller and offer better battery life.

Configured similarly (but with Xeon and Quadro), they typically cost around $ 1,000 more than the ConceptD 9, but that's not a lot of money if you invest this type of cash.

At the same time, creatives with less demanding workflows can cope well with a Dell XPS 15, a Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 2 or an Apple MacBook 16. You won't get the RTX 2080 with any of them, but for anyone. All three laptops with less demanding performance requirements offer more than enough performance. And Dell and Lenovo will likely cost about half of your ConceptD 9 spending.

How long it will take?

The ConceptD 9 is built like a tank and feels like it. Thanks to the latest components, it lasts for years, even though the industry-standard one-year guarantee has expired long before.

Should you buy it

No. The unique combination of performance and drawing features is neat, but there are better solutions for creative people.

Editor's recommendations




15 Mar
Blog

Top 5 Hair Removal Products

Hello cupcakes, 🙂

I have to confess that I haven't blogged since I landed in this new country in June. November was so busy that I didn't feel like trying something new and exploring a whole new world of beauty out there. However, I did find the perfect post topic – top hair removal products. The products that I have shortlisted here are very easy to use, suitable for all skin types and especially popular with many. I really enjoy how some of them made me skip my monthly waxing sessions, and others made me think I would absolutely recommend it, even to those of you who don't do hair removal at home .

I'm a confession, I stole the man's electric shaver in my life for a quick, nod-free shave until I picked up some of these products below. Let's have a look …

1) Tria 4X hair removal laser

Price: $ 449

What is it? The only FDA approved hair removal laser available for home use. This Tria Laser 4X has the same diode laser technology used by some top dermatologists. Basically, the hair follicle is permanently deactivated to stop hair growth on your face and also on the rest of your body. Of course, the results can vary from person to person.

2) Nair Moroccan Argan Oil SprayAway No Touch Spray

Price: $ 8.00

What is it? This is an uncomplicated hair removal spray with argan oil. The results last longer than shaving.

3) GiGi Brazilian Body hard hair removal wax – without stripes

Price: $ 14.99

What is it? The Brazilian bikini hard wax GiGi offers a high-quality hair removal treatment. Simply heat the wax in a wax warmer, prepare your skin, cleanse it and apply it. This non-strip formula is very suitable for sensitive and sensitive areas.

4) Braun Silk-épil 9 9-579 female epilator

Price: $ 96.99

What is it? This epilator is the new standard in epilation. The revolutionary MicroGrip Tweezer technology from Braun removes hair that is four times shorter than wax (0.5 mm), thus ensuring hairless hair. The company claims that the results can take up to 4 weeks.

5) FINISHING TOUCH Spotless – Instant and painless facial hair remover

Price: $ 20

What is it? A very new beauty device that immediately attracted customers and claims to instantly and painlessly erase hair without irritation. It is better than plucking, growing, or depilating. Designed to look like lipstick and incorporates technology that microscopically removes hair. With an 18 carat gold-plated head, Flawless is hypoallergenic.

What are your favorite hair removal products at home?

.

Beautyndbest.com ©

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14 Mar
Blog

Subaru STI S209 Review: The Best STI Finally Hits The U.S.

Subaru STI S209

Subaru STI S209 review: The fastest STI comes to America

"The S209 justifies its price for Subaru super fans."

  • Incredible grip

  • Sharp, responsive chassis

  • Well behaved in the city

  • Aggressive style

  • Expensive

  • Additional performance is hardly noticeable

Subaru has a well-documented history of playing alphabet soup with hot rod cars. From the Impreza 22B to the BRZ tS, these special machines ranged from legitimate legends for road traffic to glorified equipment packages. This has led to confusion over the years. For connoisseurs, STI, which stands for Subaru Tecnica International, the company's performance-oriented sub-brand, is an acronym that stands for size.

We had a fair share of the seat time in the fifth generation WRX STI, based in Impreza, a car that is a bit unrefined compared to some of its competitors, but offers a lot of charm. But there is another STI offering that a US driver may not know about. Over the past 20 years, Subaru Tecnica International has launched a range of limited-production S-Line models that take STI performance to a new level. All were exclusive to Japan.

Subaru STI S209Bradley Iger / Digital Trends

With the S209, the latest S-Line creation from STI, Subaru decided to change the program. Only 209 copies of the automaker's latest WRX STI are produced, all of which travel to the United States.

Each model includes a laundry list with upgrades for the STI garden variety and a high MSRP of $ 63,995. This type of coin takes the STI out of its original competition set, which is occupied by cars like the Ford Focus RS and the Honda Civic Type R, and places it next to the Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 and the BMW M2 Competition.

Does the S209 have the hardware to secure its price?

Inside and outside

Although Subaru's performance is often linked to a rally competition on stage, S-Line vehicles focus more on the road course capabilities. For this purpose, the route intentions of this car are obvious at first glance, from the fenders on display to the canards and the unique rear wing. It is clear that the S209 has fast runtimes in mind. However, its extroverted aero is just the tip of the iceberg.

The strongest iteration of the Subaru 2.5-liter boxer engine EJ25, which we have seen in a production car, is hidden under the hood. It features a new intake and air filter design for improved engine breathing, larger injectors and a larger turbocharger that can deliver a maximum boost pressure of 18.9 psi.

Subaru STI S209 engineBradley Iger / Digital Trends

There is also a trick intercooler water spray system. It works like an overboost function. With paddles mounted on the steering wheel, you can call up the system at will to inject water mist into the charge air cooler. This briefly lowers the temperatures for brief additional power surges.

The combination, which exhales through a unique low throttle exhaust system, is good for 341 hp and 330 pound-feet of torque, up to 31 hp and 40 pounds per foot. from the standard STI. Coupled with a six-speed manual gearbox with a tight gear ratio, the all-wheel-drive Sube is said to be able to perform sprints from 5 seconds up to 60 miles an hour on its way to a top speed of 162 mph from 5 seconds.

Subaru STI S209Bradley Iger / Digital Trends

Sharper looks and more grunts are always welcome, but it's the suspension and suspension improvements that really set the S209 apart from its STI-branded brothers. Specially tuned Bilstein dampers are equipped with 10 mm lowering springs, a 20 mm stabilizer bar at the rear and pillow-like bushings for the front / rear side arms to improve body control. A two-piece strut tower bar and flexible front / rear stiffeners stiffen the body of the vehicle to maximize tire grip, improve cornering stability and improve steering behavior.

Speaking of tire grip, there are some of them. This is not only due to the improvements in handling, but also to the 265 mm wide Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT600A summer tires on which the S209 rolls and wrap the unique 19 × 9 inch BBS wheels. The braking force is provided by the same Brembo hardware that you find on a standard STI. However, a new material with a high friction pad replaces the standard pads to improve light resistance.

Subaru STI S209 interiorBradley Iger / Digital Trends

Inside, it usually runs as usual, although the steering wheel wrapped in Alcantara, the S209 emblem, silver contrast stitching and a serial badge in front of the gear lever help distinguish this S-Line car from other models. Subaru's 7.0-inch Multimedia Plus infotainment is standard and the only system offered in the S209. This means that navigation and the Harman Kardon sound system are not available. Fortunately, the touchscreen system supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, so Google Maps, Waze and other supported apps are available to help close the gap.

Steering

The standard STI has earned a reputation for being a fairly stiff driver, and given the route focus of the STI S209, we expected this machine to have even less compliance in the city.

Imagine our surprise when the S209 not only proved good-natured in LA's urban sprawl, but also more comfortable than a typical STI. The lightweight, communicative clutch and the Recaro sports seats made the car's sporting intentions clear, but had only a minimal impact on daily driving behavior. We wouldn't mind strengthening the thighs a little more to keep the front occupants seated if it was fun.

Subaru STI S209 interiorBradley Iger / Digital Trends

Speaking of which, it should come as no surprise that the technical switchbacks of the San Gabriel Mountains highlighted the greatest strengths of the S209. The extra power under the hood – even if we pulled the intercooler paddles in the hope of a video game-like performance boost – isn't transformative, but the improvements to the suspension and suspension are.

The Dunlops offer breathtaking grip and are connected to a chassis that both wants to change direction and quickly forgive imperfect inputs. This makes the S209 a car that promotes trust if you familiarize yourself with its limits.

Subaru STI S209Bradley Iger / Digital Trends

As with all WRX-based models, the overall sophistication of the Subaru pales in comparison to cars like the Volkswagen Golf R, but the quick fading of the VW in the rearview mirror on a good road will be a source of comfort for S209 owners.

Our opinion

Given its price, the fact that only 209 vehicles are built, and the lack of options available, the S209 is ultimately a model aimed more at collectors than enthusiasts. This is a bit of a shame, because the improvements in the entire car serve to noticeably increase performance without affecting driving behavior.

This is the most powerful WRX STI that has ever come out of a Subaru factory, but its price tag puts it in a league of cars that are likely to outperform it on a number of fronts. However, if Subaru applied these suspension and suspension modifications to a garden-style STI at a cheaper price, it would have a potential game changer in this segment.

How DT would configure this car

The only option available for the STI S209 is color – 128 units will be produced in World Rally Blue with matte silver wheels, while the remaining 81 cars will wear the Crystal White Pearl paint with gold wheels. Ideally, we would choose the World Rally Blue with the gold wheels of our test car, but we would be ready to settle for the combination of blue and matte silver.

Should you get one?

Most people, including enthusiasts, will want to see more powerful cars in this price range. However, if you have the resources and are a Subaru fan, this car is a real treat.
Home restart

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13 Mar
Blog

Best Moisturizers for Dry, Sensitive And Oily Skin Types

Skin is not available in all shapes and sizes, but certainly in different designs. For the lucky few there are normal and for the rest of us oily, dry, sensitive and even combinations. And to make things even more complicated, the type of skin can change depending on the weather: summer temperatures can make naturally dry skin a little more oily than usual, and the wind, cold and internal heating in winter suck out moisture and smoothness even the oily complexion.

The mechanics of humidification

First things first: regardless of the weather and skin type, everyone needs a moisturizer Skin care routine. People with oily skin often think they don't, but they do, and we'll see why a little later. In general, everyone needs the water-oil combination, which is fundamental to all moisturizers. Ingredients in moisturizers that contain and absorb water, so-called humectants, work together with oil – also known as occlusive substances – to trap water in your skin.

If you don't mind getting a little technical, that's it dead cells in the stratum corneum, the top layer of your skin, that contain an amazing amount of water. These cells can absorb up to six times their own weight in water and swell up to three times their size. This hydration not only fills your skin beautifully, the water helps the stratum corneum to get rid of the flaky, dead skin cells.

In moisturizers, moisturizers such as botanical hyaluronic acid, lactic acid and honey draw water from the air and from the depths of your skin and release it to your thirsty stratum corneum. Occlusives in moisturizers prevent or slow the simple evaporation of water into the air. Occlusives such as jojoba oil, sunflower oil and shea butter bind the water into your skin.

Eminence Organics Mangosteen Gel Moisturizer

Best moisturizers for oily skin

It doesn't seem to make sense that people with oily skin should moisturize, and yet it is true. If you don’t moisturize at all, your sebum glands compensate for the lack of moisture by producing more of what you don’t like: extra sebum, the oily, waxy substance that lubricates the skin. It becomes a vicious cycle. That said, you need to be careful what type of moisturizer you are using. "People with dry skin can use thicker cream-based products, while those with oily skin should avoid them and use lighter products – a gel or lotion formulation would be ideal for them," says Dr. Hooman Khorasani, MD, chief physician for dermatology and cosmetic surgery at Mount Sinai health system.

Light gels formulated for oily skin types are often made with occlusive agents such as Silicones, which are used to seal water by forming a thin film on your skin, but can also trap contaminants in your pores. You can look out for silicones in skin care products by looking for ingredients that end with "-kegel", "-conol" or "siloxan".

Eminence Organics Mangosteen Gel Moisturizer

If you're looking for better alternatives – but with the same silicone-like slippage – go for innovative natural ingredients like phospholipids and polysaccharides that do the same trick. You can find these natural occlusive elements in our new one Mangosteen gel moisturizer that gives this formula its light gel texture. This moist gel is suitable for all skin types, especially for oily ones. It melts into the skin, minimizes the appearance of pores and leaves a smooth, matt finish.

Are you looking for more options? Our deeply penetrating Stone Crop Hydrating Gel is another effective light moisturizer for oily skin. This moisturizer consists of juicy herbal ingredients and smoothes the skin, reduces the visible signs of aging and balances the skin tone.

Best moisturizers for dry skin

"For a Moisturizer for dry skin, pay attention to a rich oil content and ingredients that improve the skin's barrier function, ”he says Eminence Organics Senior skin care trainer Natalie Pergar. Rich, thick creams are a good choice if you have dehydrated skin, especially those with moisturizing ingredients like Echinacea and Primrose Oil, which are at the heart of our Echinacea Recovery Cream. Avoid everything with alcohol as this will dry out your skin further. Humectants such as natural hyaluronic acid and glycerin together with vegetable oils such as avocado, coconut and shea butter are effective moisturizers.

Eminence Organics Monoi Age corrective night cream for face and neck

Our best advice for dry skin: Only go to bed after you have applied a night cream. Our The Monoi Age Corrective Night Cream for face and neck helps to replenish your skin's reserves outside of business hours. Enriched with the tropical Monoi flower, this deeply moisturizing cream improves the appearance of skin elasticity and reduces the appearance of wrinkles.

Best moisturizers for sensitive skin

When your skin becomes slightly red and cracked and often tingles, tightens and tingles when you are exposed to the wrong products or just the elements you have sensitive skin. You were born with it, but pollution, alcohol, and stress do not help and can often make it worse.

"Choosing a moisturizer for your skin is a very personal undertaking," says Dr. Khorasani. “Every skin reacts differently to different ingredients and scents. If you have sensitive skin, you should try using gentle, fragrance-free products. “Sensitive skin means that your skin barrier is fairly permeable and can take in irritants. So make sure your moisturizer is as non-irritating as possible. Pay attention to everything that contains parabens, sodium lauryl sulfates, synthetic colors and fragrances, propylene glycol and phthalates – Eminence Organics is proud to reject all of these artificial additives. Choose instead Products like glycerin, which contain soothing moisturizers that don't irritate your skin. Natural ingredients like Chamomile and aloe vera also soothe sensitive skin reactions.

Eminence Organics Calm Skin Chamomile Moisturizer

If you want to revitalize sensitive skin, we recommend it Calm Skin Chamomile Moisturizer contains both chamomile and arnica to balance the skin's appearance. It is also rich in shea butter and calendula oil with a high fatty acid content, which acts as a seal and prevents water loss without making the skin worse. Another moisturizer is our Apricot Calendula Nourishing Cream, which contains aloe, apricots, echinacea and flaxseed to heal and moisturize dry, sensitive skin.

Best moisturizers for combination skin

If your skin is the type that can't decide, your complexion is probably a combination skin type. Characterized by combination skin that is oily in the T-zone (forehead, nose, chin and sometimes on the cheek tops) and normal or dry elsewhere, combination skin can be difficult when choosing the right product. Natalie selects moisturizers that can meet the needs of all areas of your skin: "I love looking for balancing moisturizers for a combined skin type with several things." beautiful, even and firm complexion with minimized pores. "Natalie & # 39; s first choice for moisturizing combination skin? Our Eight green whip moisturizer. Enriched with herbal ingredients like yucca extract and stone harvest, this moisturizer keeps the skin hydrated everywhere, even when you're dealing with different levels of moisture.

One last tip: imagine humidification as a two-step process – grab water and then lock it in. It is therefore wise to moisturize after showering or bathing. After thinking about what's best for your skin type, learn more about our range of moisturizing moisturizers. Make an appointment with your Contact a trained beautician and explore our solutions for every skin type. What is your favorite moisturizer? Let us know in the comments below or tell us on social media.

12 Mar
Blog

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX Review: A Dull Quest

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Dungeon DX

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX Review: A Monotonous Adventure

"Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: The DX rescue team is wasting its charming premise with repetitive gameplay."

  • Colorful pictures

  • Lovable story

  • In-depth team building

  • Boring design

  • Repeated fight

  • Bulky party size

  • Overly simplified new features

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: The Rescue Team DX is a colorful remake of a Game Boy Advance dungeon crawler from 2005, which is dedicated to the entertainment of the franchise's youngest fans. But it is also a concrete example of the tension that the entire Pokémon franchise faces. Developers strive to find a balance between young players who learn the ropes and veterans who grew up in the original games.

Similar to Pokémon Sword and Shield, this means making sacrifices that could annoy fans looking for an experience that grows with them. While some fans complained about the easy difficulty of Sword and Shield, others defended Game Freak's decision with a simple rally cry: These games are for kids. The same goes for the new Nintendo Switch game, but the case is less convincing this time.

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX is a monotonous, but undeniably charming game that focuses so much on simplification that it forgets to have fun.

Just tap A.

Instead of following a beaming Pokémon trainer, Rescue Team DX throws the player himself as a Pokémon – or at least as a human being trapped in a Pokémon's body. Players assemble a team of friends and set off to rescue other animals from randomly generated dungeons.

This is more exciting on paper than in practice. Most of the game is spent crawling floor by floor with a team of up to eight Pokémon through indistinguishable card layouts. In each level, players collect resources, save Pokémon by speaking to them or delivering an item, attacking enemies and looking for an exit. It's a rinse and repeat flow that quickly feels like a Pokémon version of Groundhog Day.

With this change, Rescue Team DX feels less like Pokémon, with its talent for finely tuned battles, but more like a mobile game.

The lifeless dungeons and repetitive gameplay loop don't do the game a favor, but combat is its main weakness. The game clumsily drops turn-based battles into exploring free roaming and creates a start-stop pace that feels like a constant stutter. It doesn't help that the game still uses jerky movements in four directions in dungeons, even though players outside of these rooms have the full direction.

It's easy to attribute this to the rusty design of the 15-year-old game, but the Rescue Team DX only aggravates the problem when trying to modernize the original. In the Game Boy Advance games, players fight by choosing their attacks from a menu and carefully planning each action, as would be the case in a normal Pokémon fight. While this style of play is still available here, with a new primary control option, players can simply press A to launch their Pokémon's strongest attack. This means that many battles can be won by pressing a button until the enemy is defeated.

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX

With this change, Rescue Team DX feels less like Pokémon, with its talent for fine-tuned battles, and more like a mobile game where thoughtless knocking will ultimately lead to victory.

It's a shame because the rest of the franchise's ingredients are there. There is a satisfactory "catch & # 39; em all" mechanic, classic type advantages and a team building aspect, all of which should form the basis for a well-known spin-off that playfully experiments with the genre. Instead, it sucks the childish miracle out of a funny premise by making Pokémon's secret life seem deeply boring.

New but not improved

The one-button combat system is not the only change to the remake. The Rescue Team DX is equipped with new features and quality of life improvements that are designed to improve the experience. Adding shiny Pokémon and Mega developments makes collecting exciting. There are more moves available, a passive bonus system and new ways to amplify Pokémon and their attacks. All of this adds a little more depth to team building.

Not every new function improves the experience. The remake increases team size from six to eight and allows players to randomly recruit defeated enemies in dungeons. As the group size increases, the gameplay changes from a tactical grid-based fight to a chaotic mosh pit that is difficult to master. As soon as Pokémon are in the mix again, the game plays almost automatically. Most encounters end before the player even has the opportunity to start their own attack.

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX

It's a bit like an older brother giving his sibling a disconnected controller and making them think they are playing. I often felt like this unsuspecting child when my teammates attacked enemies and moved in a way that felt completely out of my control. If I tried to escape a situation so I could team up with my rescue team, my character would stop so the camera could go back to other Pokémon that were having a blast.

Rescue Team DX feels less improved than a misguided pivot that confuses the ease of accessibility.

It's a change that feels like it should make the experience easier for children, but it goes so far that it's almost condescending. There's even a new auto mode that allows the team to move around the dungeon independently by pressing L.

The design choices are a bit strange considering that kids had no trouble clinging to Pokémon Red and Blue when the series came out. Despite Game Boy's limitations, Game Freak provided a complex but accessible role-playing game that everyone could enjoy. The Pokémon Company has always struggled to restore the same magic in spin-offs.

Rescue Team DX feels less improved than a misguided pivot that confuses the ease of accessibility. The result is something that feels so cautious when it's child-friendly that it threatens to alienate everyone else in the process.

Full of charm

Despite its dreary gameplay, Rescue Team DX is a vibrant adventure full of Pokémon charm. The Game Boy Advance sprites are replaced with a pleasant hand-drawn style reminiscent of Kirby's Dreamland 3. It's a relaxing look that makes the world of Pokémon appear colorful and inviting.

With no people in sight, the playful dialogue gives creatures the opportunity to show their personality. High-spirited Alakazams, mischievous Gengars and wise Wiscashes populate the world of the game, making Pokémon feel more clearly and less like interchangeable fighting animals.

His story delivers a kind message that teaches children the value of teamwork.

The story itself is a standard adventure rate, but offers moments of genuine empathy that fit well into the franchise. In other Pokémon games, Man and Monster work together to defeat everyone on their way to championship gold. The DX rescue team is less controversial and focuses more on how the power of friendship can be used to help those in need. Sure, it's cheesy, but the narrative delivers a positive message that is easy to get past.

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX

Here Rescue Team DX is a child's play with greater appeal. His story delivers a kind message that teaches children the value of teamwork. This is a simple concept that adults sometimes need to be reminded of.

The idea of ​​child-friendly gaming shouldn't be about watering things down to automation. It's about giving younger players the right motivation and fun, flexible ways to learn lessons. Rescue Team DX provides only half of this equation.

Our opinion

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX is a monotonous task that spoils its charming premise with weak villain-like design and repetitive battles. The colorful, new graphics and endearing story give the remake a welcome dose of character, but the additional features over-simplify the adventure. It may be enough to keep the franchise's youngest fans busy for a few hours, but there are many other Pokémon games on Switch that offer a more satisfying experience for all ages.

Is there a better alternative?

Pokémon Quest is a free mobile and switch game with similar mechanisms that makes better use of its small requirements.

How long it will take?

The main story takes 15 to 20 hours, but finding a full collection can take at least a dozen more.

Should you buy it

No. There are many Pokémon games for all ages that don't compromise on fun.

Editor's recommendations




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