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The Escapists Review

February 10, 2015

The Escapists
Developer: Mouldy Toof Studios
Publisher: Team17 Digital Inc
Platforms: Windows
Release Date: February 10, 2015
Price: $14.99 USD Available Here

Overview

The Escapists is a prison simulator. You play a prisoner in what starts as a low security prison. However, it’s more than just a prison simulator. While I could have just sat and continued to serve my time, continuing through the dredge and daily monotony, this does not complete the game. The goal of each level is to escape the prison, and there is a wide multitude of ways to do so.

Gameplay

The Escapists is an interesting mix of genres and types of games. When you first load up the game you can browse through (but not access) a number of different prisons with different security levels. To beat a prison is a fairly simple concept: break out and get free. There isn’t really a narrative thread to the game nor is there a story mode. For me, I picture that you get placed in the more secure facilities when you’re caught after breaking out, but The Escapists really requires the player to imagine their own scenarios. There isn’t even a randomized reason for why you were put in prison or a way to select a reason. Personally I think it would have been cool to be able to select different crimes to give you different starting abilities.

Once you’ve selected a prison your sentence beings. The prison day goes through a fairly boring routine; roll call, breakfast, job time, work time, lunch, free time, etc, much like a real prison does. I spent most of my time in The Escapists trying to really figure out all the various thing you can do as a player. I found that being able to do favors from the other prisoners is the most interesting part. These mini-missions are randomized with randomized payouts. By doing these favors you can build up your Opinion (and money) with different characters and eventually recruit them to be part of your gang. This is crucial for some escape methods, but the quests can get a little repetitive.

Players also start with a job, and can change jobs after filling certain requirements. Usually this involves making the current jobholder lose their job somehow. It’s a major way to make money in order to buy items from different characters. Additionally there are different ways to build up your stats during free time, such as the gym and the library. You do have to make sure to go to meals as well, and do any required tasks in order to avoid building up suspicion with the guards. Much of what the player will do in their daily routine are these things, working on favors (quests), eating meals, and doing their jobs, until they have the methods and materials to break out of the prison.

There’s a crafting system in the game as well, and you use this to build various tools and implements in helping you escape. You can also build different weapons to improve your combat ability as well to aid in smuggling items. Combat in The Escapists is pretty simply, switch to combat mode, target the enemy, and move close enough to attack. The difficulty comes from having the right strength and weapons, avoiding guards, and having your allies come help you. I did find some of the in-game comments and discussions by characters amusing, as well as some of the items you can make in the game. The crafting system is actually pretty impressive for a game like this, with over 100 items that the player can make.

I found the game to be highly repetitive though the different methods of breaking out of the different prisons is interesting. However, the monotony from following the same daily routine failed to really engage me. The different prisons require different ways to break out, but to get to that point you need to do the same core tasks over and over again. Mashing buttons to work out in a gym or doing the different jobs constantly isn’t something that I found to be engaging, even when trying to brainstorm a way to breakout. That isn’t to say the gameplay is bad, but I prefer to have a bit more variety when playing. It’s a well made title, but the overall number of things to do is a bit lacking. I guess the leaderboards and goal of breaking out with higher points in less time is attractive to some, but I don’t think I’ll be returning to these prisons anytime soon.

Visuals/Audio

As far as the visuals go for The Escapists, the title is done as a stylized 8-bit design. This seems to be a popular trend in the indie gaming community. It allows clear and distinct graphics, without requiring the heavy manpower to create complex 3D models. For The Escapists it does use color and design well to create it’s world. That being said, I didn’t find anything particularly distinctive about the stylization. There are nicely done lighting effects, and attention to detail is paid towards animating all of the in game items. I’m fond of how they handle word bubbles and stat changes (be they health, strength, intelligence, etc), but again, there’s nothing that seems to strike me as special from the artwork of this title. It works well enough and has been cleanly done. I think it does undermine the tone of the game slightly, although I don’t find The Escapists incredibly serious to begin with, being a prison escape simulator.

The audio is an interesting mixture. All of the sound effects are done in the typical 8-bit synthesizer style. There isn’t anything to write home about here, the sound effects are just simple noises that indicate to you a thing has happened. What’s interesting is that Mouldy Toof didn’t go for that with their music. The soundtrack is very nicely done, and I enjoyed the ambient background music. It does clash a bit with the 8-bit sound effects, but I found that it worked fairly well while playing.

Overall

While I wasn’t particularly grabbed by The Escapists, it is a well-made title. There is a lot of polish to the final version of the title. The core principal of the game is finding your own ways to escape, and that can be fun for some if you can get past the repetitive gameplay. If you enjoy titles where you make up your own story as you try to accomplish self-discovered goals this is a good title for you. It is also a great title if you enjoy set-self challenges and discovering different paths in a game. The Escapists reminds me a bit of the Hitman series in that way. You are given everything you need in each level, and it’s up to the player to figure out how to do it best. Personally I prefer my games to have a stronger narrative and different settings than this. On the whole if you like adventure games and enjoy finding creative methods to beat levels, you should give The Escapists a try.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Destroyer Trillion to Release in Japan in May

Brandon Postal

February 10, 2015

Destroyer Trillion to Release in Japan in May

Compile Heart has finally announced an official release date for their upcoming adventure-RPG Makai Shin Trillion, translated as Destroyer Trillion. The title is described as an adventure where the primary enemy and boss has 1,000,000,000,000 HP.

While this seems like a gimmick, the game plays out atypically to most RPG’s. Combat is a simultaneous turn system where both player characters and the enemies will take action at the same time. Players will control a young protagonist named Zeablos who is allied with six girls called the Demon Lords. These Demon Lords will need to be trained up in order to fight Trillion, and he will be fought numerous times throughout the game.

The goal is to weaken and damage Trillion in these battles as much as you can. It’s a different concept from most, and while an American port has not been announced yet it’s hard to believe that this title won’t receive one. The development team behind Destroyer Trillion includes the director of Disgaea 4, the composer from Disgaea 4, and the artist from Mugen Souls.

Destroyer Trillion will release in Japan for the Playstation Vita in May 2015. You can see the teaser trailer for the title below.

Crystal Quest to Release on New Platforms

Brandon Postal

February 10, 2015

Crystal Quest to Release on New Platforms

Patrick Buckland has announced that in conjunction with John Ardussi of Game Mechanics, his 1980’s action-arcade title Crystal Quest will be coming to new platforms. Buckland is better known for his violent racing game, Carmageddon. Game Mechanics will be developing and publishing the title, with Buckland’s approval, pending the completion of their Kickstarter.

Crystal Quest was a quick-paced action game which was released to large accolade in the 1980’s. The title is considered to be a longtime classic arcade game. While Crystal Quest was released for the Xbox 360 back in 2006, Game Mechanics seeks to bring the title to all modern consoles using the Unity engine. The goal of the title is to simply collect crystals and avoid enemies and mines in order to open a door in the level to escape.

The title will be brought to all modern systems that Game Dynamics can port it to. The initial release will be for Mac, PC, and Linux. The Kickstarter can be found here.

Indie Gala Every Monday Bundle #46 Now Available

Jamie Laike Tsui

February 10, 2015

The Indie Gala Every Monday Bundle #46 is now available. This week brings together five indie games for one low price. Two titles include Steam Trading Cards.

Chronicles of a Dark Lord: Episode 1 Tides of Fate Complete – A lengthy JRPG spinning a mature tale about our hero and the fate of a town that rests in his hands.

Moto Racer Collection – Experience the thrill of motor cross racing with four Moto Racer titles.

Rooks Keep – An arena based melee game featuring a deep skill based combat system.

Starion Tactics – A turn based strategy game that focuses on over-arching strategy versus mundane resource gathering.

Trip – Described as an “avant-garde cubist dream,” Trip lives up to its name. Players can explore an open world that looks like an hallucinogenic trip through the mind.

For the first 24 hours of the sale, all five games can be snagged for only $1.99, so grab your copy at Indie Gala.

The Menagerie demo now available; full release set for spring 2015

Travis Bruno

February 8, 2015

The Menagerie demo now available; full release set for spring 2015

Today the demo for the 18+ eroge The Menagerie was released on MangaGamer by developer Lupiesoft. The demo can be found here (18+ Only) though it is worth noting that there are a number of sexual scenes included in the demo, all of which involving futa/yuri action in some form as well as S&M.

Currently The Menagerie is set to be released sometime in spring and when it is released, it will cost $15.95 and be available for the PC, Mac, and Linux. For those who haven’t been following the game, The Menagerie is an OELVN that will feature five key characters alongside the main character Rao-Jii, a Drachene, as she lives in the Menagerie a place of luxry where the richest and highest members of society come to indulge in their lewd obsessions.

Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth2: Sisters Generation Review

Travis Bruno

February 8, 2015

Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth2: Sisters Generation Review

Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth2: Sisters Generation
Developers: Compile Heart, Felistella
Publisher: Idea Factory International
Platform: PlayStation Vita
Release Date: January 27, 2014
Price: $39.99 – Available Here

Overview
Back in 2010 when the first Hyperdimension Neptunia title was released I doubt anyone could have expected the series to be as successful as it has been five years later. Not only have there been two sequels, there are also various spin-offs being made and remakes or “Re;Births” of the original three games. Such is the case with Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 2: Sisters Generation, a remake of Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2 which was released back in 2012. Does this enhanced remake give fans enough incentive to pick it up once more?

Story
As with mostly every game in the series, Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 2 takes place in the world of Gameindustri where the lands of Planeptune, Lastation, Leanbox, and Lowee exist and in each land a CPU Goddess protects the citizenry and their belief in the Goddesses, called shares, help grant them extra power. Unfortunately these Goddesses, Neptune of Planeptune, Noire of Lastation, Vert of Leanbox, and Blanc from Lowee have been losing popularity as the Arfoire Syndicate of International Crime (ASIC) has gained a massive eighty percent following.

In an effort to stem the tide of lawlessness that comes from Arfoire’s practices, the CPU Goddesses and Neptune’s little sister, the CPU Candidate Nepgear, venture to the Gamindustri Graveyard only to find that they are no longer strong enough to take down the first agent of Arfoire they come across. Upon their defeat all four members are captured and held prisoner for three years before IF and Compa manage to track down their location.

Unfortunately despite their attempt to rescue everyone, the pair can only manage to rescue Nepgear before having to retreat from the even stronger members of ASIC. With her sister and the other Goddesses still prisoners and the treat of ASIC growing stronger every day, Nepgear sets off on a journey to recruit the rest of the CPU Candidates and not only free her friends but also put a stop to ASIC’s plans.

As one would surmise from that, the story of Re;Birth 2 remains nearly the same as what was found in mk2 though there are a few modifications. A few of the previous guest characters have been removed in Re;Birth 2 and in their place we see the addition of the oracles being playable for the first time, return of RED, and many of the previous mascot characters from Re;Birth 1 being inserted into the story which adds a number of unique events and humor to the game.

This is a nice plus as the self-referential and fourth wall breaking humor and obvious parodies are some of the best aspects of the series and Re;Birth 2 lives up to the mostly light-hearted nature the story always goes for. That being said, while I have a fond spot for Nepgear, those who prefer the Goddess characters will be a bit disappointed here as they take a backseat for a decent part of the story this time around. It is also worth noting that there are still multiple endings in the game to experience, including “that” one as well as an additional ending so be wary of how you may be progressing.

Gameplay
The transition that Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2 had to undergo to become Re;Birth 2 is far less than what had to be done in Re;Birth 1 but for the most part, these two games are almost identical now with how they play as Re;Birth 2 now makes use of all of the best features found in Neptunia V as well an extra addition. As with the past game, players will explore, jump, find items, and fight against enemies on various fields/dungeons where battles can be triggered either by running into an enemy or gaining move advantage by using a “Symbol Attack” in the field.

Once you enter battle Re;Birth 2 feels as refined as the most recent games in the series as players will be able to make use of the Rush, Power, and Break attacks that are all completely customizable (with extra attacks unlocked by leveling up) as they take on enemies in turn based combat. Attacking and taking damage also raises an EXE gauge that allows either the use of extra finishing blows to tack on to the end of combos or the ability to unleash powerful special skills to take down opponents.

One of the biggest changes in this release compared to the other title is that four fighters can now be used in combat similar to mk2. This does make the combat easier and allows for a better scale in difficulty as players will now be able to spread their team out a bit more and keep the pressure on bosses that tend to require grinding levels to take down, but far less this time around.

Outside combat players will find everything else pretty much the same as it was in Re;Birth 1. Players can receive and complete quests to raise various Share percentages amongst the five factions, make use of the Plans mechanic to add new weapons and items to stores, increase/lower the difficulty of enemies, and change various things around to add some spice to older areas.

The main new addition in Re;Birth 2 is Stella’s Dungeon which is something of a mini-game roguelike. Once unlocked, players can send a girl named Stella (the mascot character for the team helping develop Re;Birth 2 Felistella) and her cat Felis into areas that players have already explored. Players do nothing other than give her assignments and equip her with items that she finds while exploring.

Every time Stella is sent out it takes a certain amount of time for her to complete a mission depending on the level of difficulty the dungeon is and if she is successful, she will generally return with better equipment for herself as well as bonus items, some of which are rare, that can be used by the player in the main game. If she happens to be defeated during her mission, she loses all of her equipped gear and returns back to the base. This works as a neat little feature that provides a bit of a distraction and extra bonuses every so often that runs the risk of failing if you get greedy.

Visuals & Audio
Re;Birth 2’s release on the PlayStation Vita comes with a number of graphical improvements though the change this time around isn’t quite as drastic as the first remake. All of the character models are quite detailed looking, including the returning RED, though it is worth noting that the various enemies you come across still suffer from being quite repetitive.

One thing that has been given a significant boost over mk2 is how certain scenes are handled. Where before mk2 tried to implement scenes using the 3D character models, Re;Birth 2 brings the story back where it belongs, to a visual novel presentation with the colorful and delightful looking animated character portraits that fans have come to know.

Thankfully the original English voice cast still continues to work on the title as Re;Birth 2 features all of the same voice actors that fans have become familiar with, though if you choose to the Japanese voice track is still available on the release. As for the background music, the combat themes are phenomenal sounding this time around while most of the other themes are fairly standard.

Overall
Even if Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 2 storyline’s remains mostly the same as before, the comedy found within this game makes it more than worthwhile especially if you happen to be fans of the CPU Candidates. With the improvements to the gameplay mechanics and new additions to the already likable cast of characters Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 2: Sisters Generation has plenty to offer those looking to re-experience this humorous and mostly light-hearted title, even if the improvements aren’t quite as drastic this time around.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Grim Fandango Remastered Review

Andrew Day

February 8, 2015

Grim Fandango Remastered
Developer: DoubleFine Productions
Publisher: DoubleFine Productions
Platforms: PS4, PS Vita (Reviewed), PC,
Release Date: Out Now
Price: AU/US$14.99 – Available Here

Overview

Grim Frandango is one of those games that lives in infamy as a legend of its time. Now Tim Schafer’s day of the dead inspired adventure game is back from the land of the dead with a fresh coat of paint and a brand new orchestra. While the visuals have been touched up, they still show their age and the whole package is let down because of it. Despite its flaws there is a lot to like in this package, whether you are a long-time fan of the original or you have never played an adventure game in your life.

Story

Most of you out there already know, but Grim Fandango puts you in the role of Manuel Calavera, a lost soul who is slowly working his way to ascension into heaven by being a travel agent in The Land of the Dead. After discovering that all of his clients have lived bad lives, thus slowing down Manuel’s processing time and subsequently his ascension, he gets tired of waiting and decides to find out what’s really going on.

The story is always a vital part of the adventure game genre, and Grim Fandango’s lives up to its reputation. There is a lot of emotional depth and character driven moments in this game to rival any of today’s modern AAA blockbuster-esq titles.

Gameplay

Adventure games were all the rage in the late 90s and Grim Fandango was by far one of the most popular. Grim Fandango’s blend of strong story and challenging controls mean that its gameplay stands the test of time. Grim Fandango Remastered retains the exact same out-of-the-box style of puzzle gaming that really makes you think about what you’re doing and reintroduces it to a modern audience.

The original Grim Fandango featured tank-style controls (pressing UP always moves you forward) and while they are still present in Remastered, the developers have also added a new and admittedly much smoother point and click control style. Using the Vita’s touch screen, players can tap and drag around the screen to move Manuel around and interact with the world around him.

Grim Fandango is a game that relies heavily on its puzzles, and these are unsurprisingly quite difficult. If you aren’t used to the game or its outside the box kind of thinking, a lot of these puzzles and challenges will likely have you completely stumped.

One thing that really impressed me with G.F.Remastered is the fact that unlike most other games that get a remake, there is no tutorial, hints, tips or anything else that bogs down the gameplay. In a day and age where every new game has invasive tutorials or glaringly obvious suggestions, Grim Fandango remains true to its roots and relies on the “trial and error” style gameplay that made the adventure genre so popular in the first place.

Visuals & Audio

Grim Fandango takes an interesting visual concept and brings it to life on your television (or handheld) screen. The game takes inspiration from the calaca figures that are used Day of the Dead celebrations, and feature a lot of intricate detail in its comically drawn characters. The art direction is perhaps one of the reasons that this game has maintained its reputation for so long.

As with most remakes and rereleases nowadays, Grim Fandango Remastered’s visuals have gotten a fresh coat of paint. Character models look better than they ever have before but sadly the same can’t be said for the pre-rendered backgrounds. The character models have been redone, but Double Fine have opted to leave the original background models how they appeared in the 1998 version, which has left them looking pixelated, dated and downright ugly.

What makes the biggest difference in terms of visuals between the two releases is without a doubt the new lighting engine. The way that light filters through closed shutters, off of lamps and lightglobes is really incredible and provides a whole new layer of depth to the game. With the visual upgrades being a little less than stellar, the whole package feels subsequently dated and the remaster comes off as lazy.

While Grim Fandango Remastered’s visuals are a bit of a mixed bag, the same cannot be said for its audio. The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra has redone the game’s already legendary soundtrack and the result is simply amazing. I am a big proponent of video game soundtracks being orchestrated and this game right here shows why. The game features a score that is part big band jazz, part mariachi and the orchestrated remaster sounds absolutely phenomenal.

Overall

I never played Grim Fandango when it was first released, so I don’t have a lot of nostalgic memories that a lot of people out there will, however I still thoroughly enjoyed my time with the game even if it did feel a little dated. When it comes to remakes and remasteres, some do it better than others. Sadly, the visual touch-ups on this classic game don’t make the game look any fresher than its 1998 iteration.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

Dragon Ball Xenoverse Full Roster & Alt Outfits Revealed

Nathan Farrugia

February 8, 2015

Bandai Namco released Dragon Ball Xenoverse in Japan a few days ago and an internet user who goes by the name of Sergio has been very active in attaining as much information on the game as possible. He has managed to unlock every character in the game along with all of their alternate outfits and has kindly compiled a video of his findings for the world to enjoy. The video below goes through the character select screen, showing off every character currently on the roster and their outfits. Please keep in mind DLC is planned and will include new characters, so there are still more to come.

Sadly, it doesn’t look like new villains Towa, Mira and Demigra made the cut as playable characters but the roster still has a good mix of diverse characters outside of some questionable exclusions. Not seen here are some of the transformations characters can go through and I can confirm that all Saiyan characters have the transformations they have made in the anime outside of Super Trunks and Super Vegeta and Broly’s regular Super Saiyan state, although Super Saiyan Bardock made the cut! Make sure to watch the video below and let us know if you’re favourite character/outfit made the cut.

Darkest Dungeon: A Game That Puts Your Sanity to the Test

Amelia Craigie

February 7, 2015

Have you ever noticed while playing a horror game, that your character has the amazing ability to never freak out. While we’re hugging our blankies, he’s like ‘Sure, lets follow the creepy sound of children’s laughter. Oh, check that out, it’s a giant terrifying flesh beast from hell’.

A new video game, Darkest Dungeon by Red Hook Studios, is breaking the mould of endless violence and destruction with the Vancouver developers focusing on the heroes’ mental health and emotional well-being instead.

“A lot of games celebrate the heroic ideal and these aspirational qualities of being immutable and untouchable … But I feel like we pushed that envelope pretty far, and maybe there’s some interesting game play to be found on the other end of the spectrum.” -Chris Bourassa, Red Hook Studios co-founder and creative director of Darkest Dungeon.

In most video games, characters can be hurt or killed, but they rarely have any psychological damage as a result of all the death and destruction that surrounds them. We have seen past game touch this idea, such as in Amnesia: The Dark Decent. However, the ‘fear factor’ didn’t really affect the gameplay; this is the first time that we see it used as an integral part of the gaming experience.

Though it has some interesting art styles, Darkest Dungeon has a classic setup; a band of heroes questing through dungeons and fighting villains. However, the things they see and do affect them psychologically — sometimes with unpredictable results. The personality traits of the characters are permanently changed by their experience; it’s much like having active character development.

Characters can become paranoid, masochistic, and irrational and act differently as a result, forcing you to factor that into your game choices. You can relieve the stress for your character by going to church, a tavern, or by gambling and drinking.

The game has got a very positive response so far and is available on PC, OSX, Linux, PlayStation 4 and PS Vita.

Buttkicker Gamer 2 Review

Buttkicker Gamer 2
Manufacturer: The Guitammer Company
Platform: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U, PC (Reviewed)
Price: $149.95 USD – Available Here

Visual learner? No problem! check out the video review at the bottom of the page.

As a reformed heathen former console gamer, one of the biggest console experiences I miss while PC gaming is the rumble feedback. Sure, I could use a controller for all my games, but as any PC gamer will tell you, a mouse and keyboard is way more precise than a controller thumb stick. As a dedicated headphone user, finding great sound and bass strong enough to rattle your skull in one set of headphones is like trying to find the perfect lover, nearly impossible. So enter the Buttkicker Gamer 2, a tactile transducer system designed for the common office chair that might just solve both these problems.

Tactile transducers or bass shakers have been around for quite some time. These nifty little gadgets take a sound signal and turn them into a vibration. These devices have been used by drummers during performances to help “hear” their performance, by the military for vehicle simulators, and by some amusement park theatre shows. Although it is perfectly possible for someone to put together a tactile transducer system themselves, not everyone may have the know-how to do so. This is where the Buttkicker Gamer 2 comes in.

The Buttkicker Gamer 2 is a tactile transducer, amplifier, and cable system that is designed to be installed on an office chair by anyone and everyone. The package itself is hefty 12 pounds due to the weight of the tactile transducer unit and the amplifier. The kit comes with the Buttkicker Gamer 2 tactile transducer, a 90 watt amplifier, and a slew of cables to connect everything together.

The transducer is a metal device about a foot in length that securely clamps onto the vertical pole that connects the office chair to the wheel base. The device can also be fitted on a Playseat chairs with either a kit from Guitammer or some DIY modifications. A short cable leads from the tactile transducer and plugs into a longer cable that connects to the amplifier. The short cable allows users to disconnect and move the chair around without having to remove the entire unit from the chair. The amplifier accepts any old analog audio signal through an RCA cable. The kit comes several audio cables that can connect with any 3.5mm or RCA source. Installing the Buttkicker Gamer 2 took less than five minutes and most of that time was spent trying to run the cables around my desk in a neat manner.

The generalized inputs makes the Buttkicker Gamer 2 compatible with almost all consoles and computers with a little bit of tweaking. The only thing the Buttkicker will not work with is a set of USB headphones. I did figure out a bit of a work around for Windows. Some sound cards have a “What U Hear” (Creative sound cards) or a “Stereo Mix” input in the Recording tab in Window’s sound options. Set Window’s default output to the sound card or the motherboard’s on-board sound under “Playback”. Then go into the “Recording” tab, right click “What U Hear” or “Stereo Mix,” and get into the device properties. Here, under the “Listen” tab, check off “Listen to this Device,” set the playback to the USB headset and hit ok. With the Buttkicker Gamer 2 plugged into the motherboard/sound card, the USB headset should be getting the same output as the Buttkicker Gamer 2, allowing both devices to be used at the same time. I found this trick worked under Windows 8.1 and it should work older versions of Windows.

Ideally, the Buttkicker Gamer 2 should be connected to the subwoofer out of your sound set up, but the system will happily accept signals from your headphone jack. Not using a subwoofer out jack may cause the tactile transducer to rumble during very low voices or in-game music. The amplifier comes with a few cut off features that will help cut down on rumbling at certain frequencies. The high cut off will lower the frequency that the tactile transducer will respond at, based on a dial on the amplifier. The low filter cut off drops the response in the lowest frequency by 12 dB. The manual comes with some recommended settings for music, games, and movies, but I ended up happiest with the low filter cut off disabled and the high cut off set to 40 Hz.

The amp comes with a wired remote that can turn off and on the amp and control the intensity. On the amp, the intensity controls is actually labelled volume. There are three LEDs on the amp. One represents power, while the other two represent signal and clipping. The green signal LED will light up whenever the amp receives a signal strong enough to trigger the transducer. The clip light will flash red every time the input volume is so high, it begins to clip and overdrive the tactile transducer. The occasional clipping should not cause too much issue, but if too much clipping occurs for too long, the amp may overheat from overdriving.

The amp is a pretty large unit. Thankfully, it can be positioned vertically with the included stand. This cuts down the amount of desk space the amp takes up. It is important to note that the amp needs some airspace as almost half of the amp’s body is covered in holes to allow it to cool.

In practice, the Buttkicker delivers on its promise. My first real test was Titanfall, as I figured the Buttkicker Gamer 2 would thrive with the game’s heavy footed mechas. I was right. Each footstep hit my chair with a satisfying thud and letting the XOTBR-16 chaingun rip rattled the chair. When I landed hard on my feet in Dying Light, my chair thumped from the impact of the landing. The Buttkicker Gamer 2 provides an awesome feeling immersion, that sim nuts will eat up.

The Buttkicker can get a bit noisy in operation, especially when there are loose parts on the chair. I ended up having to tie down the height adjustment handle to cut down on the noise. Open headphones should be aware that the headphones will allow some of the tactile transducer’s noise to leak in. Due the nature of vibrations, the Buttkicker may not be ideal for those on the top floor of a house or in an apartment building.

Guitammer has created a system that makes tactile transducers accessible to everyone. The device is a must have for the gaming enthusiast who is looking for a way to feel fully immersed game. The idea of a chair rumbling while a space ship makes its landing through the atmosphere may sound a little gimmicky, but the Buttkicker Gamer 2 is possibly one of the coolest experiences I have had in my years of PC gaming.

Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.

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