Our thoughts on the cat-focused adventure Stray, Fire Emblem Three Hopes and Steel Series’ Apex Pro Mini keyboard.
No matter how you feel about humanity’s feline friends, it’s hard not to be charmed by this little adventure. Controlling a cat separated from its family in the game’s early moments, most of your time in Stray is spent clambering around a slum-like robotic environment, engaging with robotic locals and completing various tasks to hopefully get you back home.
But while that might sound dull, this adventure is helped along by a strong cyberpunk aesthetic, bopping soundtrack and engaging world. It’s also downright impressive how much love has been put into the game’s cat-based shenanigans. From pulling up carpet, casually knocking over valuables or even pausing the action for a good ol’ fashioned snooze it’s impressively accurate. There’s even a dedicated meow button.
You can wrap up the adventure in anywhere from 4-8 hours which thankfully prevents the experience from outstaying its welcome. If you’re a cat-lover or fans of animals in general, Stray is wonderfully unique and a must-play. If you’ve got yourself a PS5 and a subscription to PlayStation Plus extra, it’s worth noting that this is a free inclusion, which is absolutely purrfect.
Stray is out now for PS5 and PC.
Also out…
Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes (Switch)
Despite the Switch receiving yet another Musou-styled brawler based on a popular franchise, it’s to Three Hopes’ credit that this is actually one of the better entries thus far.
Following on from Hyrule Warriors and even the debut Fire Emblem Warriors, you can expect a healthy amount of hacking and slashing here. The difference this time around is that Three Hopes is able to capitalise on the strength of Fire Emblem: Three House’s narrative by telling an almost equally enjoyable yarn. Things take place in an alternate universe, but there are still plenty of twists and turns to enjoy while you beat the living sense out of any enemy that comes your way.
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If you don’t enjoy Musou gameplay, that might not be enough to sway you, but at the end of the day Three Hopes is incredibly easy to pick up and play romp that Fire Emblem fans will get plenty out of.
Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course (PS4, XBO, Switch, PC)
If you thought the original version of Cuphead made you want to toss a controller, boy howdy it feels like The Delicious Last Course is on another level. This exceptionally made DLC ratchets up the intensity by delivering another round of memorable bosses that switch things up even more.
The design adds a new sense of verticality, more things on screen than ever before and even one stage that will literally make your head turn sideways. It’s all meticulously crafted and absolutely stunning to look at. We’re also fans of the new parry-focused battles and the introduction of Ms Chalice, whose introduction will fundamentally make you change the way you play. It’s also a potential helping hand for anybody who struggles with the game’s base difficulty.
An absolute winner from top to toe in our eyes..
Hands on with the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini keyboard
If you’re anything like us, finding the perfect balance between a work and gaming setup can be quite the delicate process. Between headsets, microphones and any range of new gaming peripheral, desk space is difficult to come by. Needless to say, we’ve become fans of tiny formfactors, which is why we are particularly smitten with Steel Series’ new Apex Pro Mini keyboard.
Available in both wired and wireless options, both follow the increasingly popular 60-percent keyboard style. What that means for you is a slimmer form factor that drops out the traditional number pad to the right. But while some options like Logitech’s G413 TKL keep things quite basic as a result of this choice, SteelSeries hasn’t compromised on features. As a result, RGB lighting is in full force here and is bright enough to give the unit some extra flair to the elegantly simple design. We even enjoyed being able to fine-tune that look via SteelSeries GG, which although not the best software around, will certainly get the job done.
Thankfully it’s not just pretty looks, with a typing experience that feels premium. Thanks to the new OmniPoint switches, each key has a good amount of tension and sensitivity, and is quiet enough so that using the device won’t send your household into a frenzy. Expect a bit of a transition if you’re used to a run-of-the-mill keyboard, but it’ll be difficult to go back once you do.
With all this praise though, it’s worth noting the Apex Pro Mini’s biggest hurdle: its price. At $449 for the wired model and $499 for the wireless they’re certainly not a cheap investment and won’t be for everybody. That said, if you’re in the market for a gaming keyboard that feels great and can blend into almost any workspace, SteelSeries absolutely have you covered.
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