Category Archives: Games

Stray is a game like no other

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“STRAY” GAME REVIEW

At the end of 2022 I was able to get my hands on a game called Stray for my PlayStation, this was luckily through download included in my yearly subscription to the PlayStation Store. I had heard good things about this particular digital adventure and I eagerly waited to play it after Christmas when I wasn’t so busy. Starting the game between Christmas and New Year, but I didn’t complete it until January due to other commitments. I liked this game so much I knew I wanted to Review it for everyone who was interested to hear about my honest opinions of it.

Also check out the pictures throughout my post, they are all screenshots from my PS4 from when I was playing the game as Stray the Cat, and I think you will agree that the level of detail is phenomenal in some of them. And I must mention one more thing before we jump headfirst into this review, and that is that both of my cats sat in front of the television during my initial hour of gameplay, watching the screen, tapping on the screen, responding to the meows from Stray, it was so funny.

When I first heard about this game I knew I wanted to play it, it was the chance to be a Cat (albeit a Stray one) and take an adventure as an animal I loved, that is what I found so appealing about Stray. There might be a few minor spoilers in my main Review so if you don’t want to know about those then perhaps skip down to the final paragraph titled “My Honest Opinion” to see what I thought overall once I had completed the game. Let’s get started on what Stray is and what my thoughts were as I played it.

What is Stray about?

Set in a dystopian future where a sealed dome city houses robots, machines and deadly mutant bacteria the Robots call Zurks. The Stray finds out human civilisation has died out from a pandemic and that people were sealed inside these domed cities for their safety but ultimately it was their undoing. Stray is set when most living things are now gone and almost long forgotten about. The Robots cannot believe their computer eyes when they first see you enter their slum city, and you soon win over their metallic hearts. Stray is about discovering what happened to humanity, helping the Robots, while they in turn try to help you get back to the surface and out of the city. It’s a very different “end of the world” scenario, where Robots have evolved and built themselves to resemble the humans they once served. Each main character has a quirk to it and you’ll meet a lot of Robots along the way, Scientists, Musicians, Bar Keeps, and one incredible little Robot called B-12.

Your story begins with you exploring the world with your siblings, high above the city where nature is slowly reclaiming things humans once built. Suddenly you fall down inside when a plank gives way and your life changes forever. Trapped with no way to climb out, and injured, you have no choice but to push forward through the depths of this abandoned place. As you wander the streets you end up taking any route you can, until you find a building where you can finally drink some water and get some rest. Meowing is also something fun to do! You end up exploring where you meet a new friend who calls himself B-12. This cute little robot even makes you a backpack so he can ride inside it while you use your Cat agility to scale buildings and find safe passage through. B-12 cannot remember much at the beginning, but you can help him remember by collecting memories and scanning parts of this neon city. Soon a picture of what life used to be like starts to emerge.

Don’t forget to be a Cat while you play this game, scratch things, jump into things, curiosity is vital for Stray! Press buttons and batter things with those paws! Meow a million times (just not when you’re sneaking past Zurks) and do what a Cat does!

With B-12 promising to help you and you happy for company, Robot and Cat take off across the city in search of a way home. Passing neon signs and technology still in use, you finally encounter signs of life, however these are not friendly. The Zurks are mutant bacteria and other than our friendly Cat are the only living things left inside the sealed city. Escaping for your life you end up in the city slum and discover that it is filled with humanoid robots. Getting into places only a small creature can go, you are soon put to work by the Robots – who all have names by the way! And you begin exploring and getting into mischief.

The Robots are shocked to see a living creature; it’s been hundreds of years since they last saw anything alive. You make new friends, talk to dozens of Robots using B-12’s help, and by searching the slum and collecting things with B-12 by your side you begin to build a picture of what life were like before the Zurks. Some Robots trade items with you to help on your journey, this is an important part of the game. However sometimes it means putting yourself in danger in order to help others which is a real sacrifice, but without help you’ll never get home, so you must try.

B-12 and his back pack are essential to your journey. As you collect and trade and gift things to the Robots you build up what you need to move on through the story, and once you have successfully helped the Robots too, you can then leave the slum on your journey to continue to the surface.

Getting out of the slum city is only the beginning for Stray, as he navigates avoiding Zurks in order to help the AI’s, helping more and more Robots to get what they need in order to defeat the Zurks, and helping B-12 to realise how important he is through helping him regain his memories. But not all Robots are your friends either, some are Sentinels out to get anyone disobeying the rules and you have to use your Cat stealth on many occasions too.

There are many ups and downs in Stray, tear jerking moments of realisation, and a sombre thought about what life could resemble if humans did die out. Would Robots continue on without us? Fixing their own parts? Building things to better aid their own survival? Stray raises lots of questions, but as you progress in the game things become more and more clear, until the final realisation, when you are able to get what you need in order to open up the city roof. Robots have built a civilisation all their own down there, they remember the humans and continued where they left off, but how much longer can they continue without real purpose?

(BIG SPOILER) B-12 helps Stray to navigate all the layers of the city, and once into the control room at the end of their journey, B-12 makes the ultimate sacrifice so that Stray can finally go home and live its life outside of the city walls once again. This pulled at my heart strings when B-12 realised his world was gone and he had nothing left except the capacity to help this Stray Cat to live.

This game was touching, beautifully designed and skilled with both story and layout. It was complex and simple all at the same time, but challenging enough that I didn’t get bored once. I played slowly taking everything in and trying to complete all of the side mission quests also. Roughly it took me between 6 and 7 hours from start to finish. Though there were times I let Stray Cat sleep on a cushion and just watched him for like five minutes at a time, ha! He’s just so cute! Okay cute is just the word I would use because it’s adorable and so lifelike in movement too, that was something that I loved, even down to the jumping and landing of the Cats body it’s been developed really well.

My Honest Opinion

I honestly loved this game, throughout each section I explored and learned about the world Stray had fallen in to. There were poignant aspects and references back to humans which were both quirky and forlorn. It gave me lots to think about and enjoy as I ventured around as a Cat. If you played it through without doing any side missions you could do it in 2-3 hours. If you take your time and enjoy the scenery and details it’s a 6-8 hour game. I enjoyed the side missions, and there were two of them I didn’t complete so I would love to replay Stray and achieve them one day. Helping the Robots get what they need to succeed is quite satisfying.

Lots of you might be reading this to find out if Stray is a sad game, well, that depends on to whom you are referring to. I will just give you this one tiny spoiler, which is Yes the Stray Cat does survive and get out of the city in the end but you might accidently get it killed several times along the journey thanks to the Zurks (but it’s a good job he has 9 lives!) you’ll see what I mean when you play it. Those Zurks are fast and savage!

Would I recommend it to people as a game?

Yes I would, if you love Cats, play it, for dystopian future nerds, you would like it, people interested in what our world might look like hundreds of years after mutant bacteria causes a pandemic and wipes out humans as we currently know it… (Too soon?). This game was developed during the Pandemic, so hats off to them. I played this at the end of 2022 and start of 2023 (because I’m a single parent who doesn’t have the time to sit down and play a game in one session – even a relatively short one). Despite it being short in game time terms, it’s definitely worth playing due to the sheer amount of effort that has gone into making it. Little quirky things really made this game great for me, references to items that I use even now, things that still work technology wise in a dystopian future, and the thought that Cats will outlive humans… well… that’s fab in my eyes. The lifelike aspects of Stray the Cat is amazing and I believe one or more of the developers must have Cats at home in order to have gotten that movement and its mannerisms spot on. I loved every second of being an adorable ginger cat and I would love to see them make another one, perhaps when the Robots venture out of the now opened city? Maybe there is another City close by that needs saving too? If you need some story ideas hit me up I’ve got tons and you can pop my name on the Credits of the sequel! Ha! Ha! Definitely my cup of tea as a Game and hats off to the creators for doing a wonderful job!

Stray is a game that will have you thinking, reminiscing and contemplating so many aspects of life. If you love the look of this cute little Cat then you won’t be disappointed. Due to the themes and peril I would suggest this game for ages 12 and over and the game does think 12 is an appropriate age as noted on the purchase details. You can find this game online or on the PlayStation Store.

Thank you for reading this game review today, I hope that you have enjoyed hearing about Stray, and please let me know if you have played this or are planning to play it in the near future.

I will bring you more game reviews soon, now I’m off for a cat-nap! Only kidding! That’s my cats napping next to me while I type up this blog post! Ha! Until the next review then, bye for now.

✩ Sabrina ✩

A Week of Positive Things – Sabrina’s Tips for having a more Positive 7 Days at Home

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A Week of Positive Things

Sabrina’s Top Tips for having a more Positive 7 Days

Everyone seems to be feeling a bit low lately, it’s bound to be the Winter Blues mixed in with everything to do with the Pandemic. There are so many people who have found themselves working from home again, and many young people who are studying at home again too. With all this time stuck at home there are lots of anxious feelings and negativity, so I’m here with some suggestions to try and put a positive spin back into your home environment!

So here is my solution to tackle the blues, try to take half an hour out of your day as a family unit, every afternoon for the next week, after work is over and after the schooling is done for the day. Pick one of these ideas of mine to do together, a different one every day in any order you like.

I guarantee they will have you feeling more positive by the end of day 7! You can do them in any order you like! Or do one of them twice if it’s a hit! If you play along please comment on this post or on my socials at the end of the week and tell me which activity your family preferred and whether these activities did in fact work for you and increase your family’s positive attitudes.

  1. Go for a Walk (Weather Dependent) and play a game as you go! Ideal for parents with younger children who are still enthralled by the nature of “eye spy”. But the fresh air and endorphins combined should make all of you feel better too. Older children may want to go for a jog or a bike ride if that’s more your thing, so long as it’s half an hour outdoors with your family, all together.

  2. Watch a Funny TV Show or Cartoon. Laugher really can help you to feel better, even for a brief moment, so why not stick on a tv show or a favourite cartoon that never failed to make you laugh and giggle together. Tom and Jerry is a good one!

  3. Bake or Make Something Delicious! I have a ton of recipes on my blog and some don’t even take that long to do. So why not make some chocolate crispy cakes or even some rocky road, something simple and even something that doesn’t require baking to save you time! Then you’ll have a tasty treat for a few afternoons to come! See what you’ve got in the cupboard! Here is my baking section HERE.

  4. Get Creative. You can do one of two things with this creative activity depending upon the age of the people in your household. Either, do a rotating draw-off where by you each start with a piece of A4 paper and one coloured pen (all varying colours) and you keep rotating the papers every minute, do this until 4 minutes is up. Everyone should’ve drawn on each of the pieces of paper. No talking! See what you’ve come up with! Share them with me on social media! #SabrinasCreativeCrafts
    OR
    You can play the Sentences Game. The idea is to make up a creative story, it should be funny, and you once again rotate the papers. This time you want long strips and not A4. Cut a vertical A4 in half twice or get your strips. Once the first minute is up and the first sentence has been written, you all fold over the section and pass it on. When the time is up you each open up the papers to find a story.

    For example;
    There once was a man who couldn’t find his shoes.
    I think I want some KFC he thought.
    He headed off in the direction of the sunset.
    In the end his dog ran away and joined the circus.

    If you have teenagers then you could play the game another way, this is called CONSEQUENCES, you start by writing on each of the papers the following things, add extra if you have a large family so that everyone will get a go at each section when the papers are passed on. They usually go like this…
    ___
    Met
    ___
    At
    ___
    They said ___
    What happened next was ___ OR The Consequence was ___

    Then unroll it after everyone has had their turn and the sections are completed, then take turns in reading them out. See my photo below this list for an idea of what it would look like when you finished! Warning my examples may cause laughter!

  5. Photos! Another fun thing that would brighten your spirits is to look back at any photo albums that you have or digital slideshows. You could even play a game while you look through them. Every time that your mum is seen with sunglasses on she gets a point, each time someone hasn’t got their hat on when they should you lose a point! First person to spot the water in the photos gets a point. Etc etc! Make up some rules before you start and say that the first person to 10 points gets out of doing the washing up tonight! Or the winner chooses what’s for dinner the next night! Involve one another in every day things.

  6. Write a List of Goals and Aspirations for 2021 – but only write the do-able ones! For example, I want to bake a cake for mums birthday. OR I would like to walk a mile on the next weekend that is dry and sunny. When you achieve something, even if it’s a little thing, you feel so much better about having accomplished it. Setting some realistic goals now for the year might seem silly when we don’t know what’s around the corner, however even if the goals are just for the people in your bubble, it’s still doable. Put them up on your fridge or board and tick yours off when you have completed it.

  7. Make a Meal Together. No matter how old you all are there is something fun about making dinner together. May I suggest something that everyone can get stuck into such as Fajitas, Curry, Sausages and Mash or Lasagne (dietary requirements permitting). I have tons of recipes on my blog if you need inspiring! But making and preparing food together before you eat it can be a real bonding experience, and it can also be important for teaching younger children where foods come from or that by mixing this with that you achieve this outcome. Food is something that has been so important during the first lockdowns so I thought I would continue on with that and try and get you back into your kitchen to make something you love together. Check out my Recipes HERE.
Why Not Try And Make My Delicious Cookies? Click the link in section 3 for the recipe!
The Consequences Game – Imaginative Fun for the older children in your family.

I really hope that you’ve enjoyed this blog post and that you would like to participate in my week of positivity. If you do participate in any of them or attempt to get those in your bubble to do so, then please let me know how you got on! I can’t wait to see if you make anything as well 🙂 tag me online! And thanks for joining me!

✩ Sabrina ✩

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Reviewing the Fisher-Price Game & Learn Controller

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A wonderful sensory related toy that will be fun for your little one for years to come.

As part of being an Argos Tester I often get sent items for reviewing purposes. This recent campaign has been surrounding Fisher-Price toys and learning. It has been a great opportunity for me to introduce my son to various new things and build that level of curiosity within play time and learning.

Learning about Shapes, Numbers, Letters, Words, Songs, Music all by encouraging the ability to push and press buttons to gain a response.

The Fisher-Price Game and Learn Controller is one of the items that can easily grab a child’s attention. With a variety of buttons to press, a toy that is ergonomically designed and easy for small hands to hold too. Paired with its bright colours, lights and sounds, it was already a winner and we had only pressed three things when it came out of its box.

You can see the various buttons in shape, size and colour, all attracting the child to the toy.

This game pad has a range of sensory aspects such as letters, shapes, lights, sounds, music, numbers, words and songs, plus various things to push and pull on its surface.

The centre of the pad lights up and has different coloured lights that shine out from where the happy and smiling face is. All of the buttons are brightly coloured & inviting.


At the top there is a clicker disc and a switch to toggle for more fine-motor playing.

It has two settings, one that focuses more on numbers and the other on sounds and music. It has so many novelty noises too that you would find within actual games such as “dun dun dun” and “splash”. Other noises include an Engine from a Racing Car, a few Sci-Fi sounds and fun game jingles.

The controller also has positive reinforcements such as “Well Done” and “Brilliant” as well as Game sentences like “Power Up” and “You Win”.

This toy is one that will grow with my child because it has two different levels for them to go through. It is designed for children ages 6 months to 36 months.

The buttons are perfect for small hands and the bright colours, shapes and letters encourage learning.

It certainly has reference to real life items too, such as gaming controllers for consoles and remote controls. Our son has recently become very intrigued by our phones, remotes and other devices that require you to press buttons on their surface.

We are very happy with how entertaining the game controller is & our son presses it with ease all on his own. The sounds and music are all very catchy, and the toy has been used daily since I received it to review. Our son picks it up out of a bunch of toys available, so it’s been a real hit in our house.

Toy Details
Ages 6 months +
Requires 3 x AAA Batteries (Included)
Toy Size Height 20.3cm Width 16.5cm Depth 6.9cm

Would I recommend this product?

Yes I would. I give it 5 ✩‘s

Manufacturing Quality 5/5
Overall Design 5/5
Toy Features 5/5
Entertainment Value 5/5
Development Value 5/5

Overall the Fisher-Price Controller has great entertainment value while getting your child to learn at the same time. Our son really enjoys every aspect of it, be it the pressing or clicking of buttons, listening to the sounds or jingles, and even just holding the toy by himself. It allows independent play by encouraging the child to do things for themselves, both in imagination and physical

This is a great new price currently at just £7.98 at Argos.
(Price correct as of publish date for this post).

If you want to learn more about this toy you can visit the link to it for the Argos website here

Thank you for reading this review today, for more of my opinions on some of the latest children’s toys then click the appropriate categories on my main page. Please come back again soon.

✩ Sabrina ✩

How Blogging And Gaming Help With My Anxiety

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How Blogging And Gaming Help With My Anxiety

I’ve been living with anxiety for a number of years now, and there are some things that really help me. Of course breathing slowly and staying calm, focusing on one thing and allowing the moment to pass is the best way. But when I’m struggling there are a few other things that really help me.

Today I will be writing a short blog post outlining what those things are, you never know, they might help someone else get through a hard time too.

Games

Be it Games on my PlayStation or Games on my iPhone, I enjoy playing them and they often help me in times of crisis. Such as when I am feeling overwhelmed, I open apps like Candy Crush for example, and play for a minute or two. It allows my mind to focus on something other than the anxiety that is sending it haywire.

It’s by no means easy, and I have to accompany what I’m doing with slowly breathing deeply and usually drinking cool water as well. I carry water with me everywhere that I go, because I never know when anxiety may strike.

By playing games my mind is occupied on something else, even if it’s just for a moment or two. I also have days where I want to play on my PlayStation and I don’t want to socialise with anyone, those are what I call the bad days. I am glad that I have the option to do this, and games allow me to take out any frustrations I am having with life on virtual reality. When I am focused on a storyline or a scenario I forget what is troubling me for a few moments.

Of course I enjoy gaming generally, and I played a lot before I suffered anxiety. Some days I play a game regardless of how I may be feeling. I may just feel the need to lose myself for a few hours, but either way, it helps me.

Blogging

When I find myself at a loose end I often blog, I have so many ideas floating around in my head that I make notes all the while, on paper and on my phone. Then when my anxiety is bad I try and focus my attention on one idea, and make some headway in the writing part of it. When I am writing I find that everything else in my head dissipates for a few moments because I concentrate so much on what I want to say and about getting it right.

I started blogging as a way to help myself when I was stuck at home recovering from life changing surgery. I needed something to keep my mind active, because I couldn’t leave the house for a time. And my anxiety had already been bad for some time before I needed the surgery, so it was a way of me coping with the long days in the same four walls. It allowed me to write about positive aspects of my life as well, and review things that made me happy. This in turn improved my mood and made my days seem more productive. I had began my blog and website just for me, but when people began to subscribe and tell me they were looking forward to reading my posts, it gave me more confidence in what I was sharing with the world.

Two Years On

So this is where I am up to today, as of February it’s been two years since I started Severn Wishes. Two years on since my surgery too, and I feel I am beginning to take back control of my life. Of course my family and friends have supported me, and this has been paramount in my recovery, but I have also been able to help myself, through doing what I love, and creating the time to do something positive and productive.

I wouldn’t say it’s been an easy road, in fact some days have been very hard. I’m lucky that I have these avenues that are able to help with my current state.

I also have cats, and they are therapeutic for me at the best of times, they really help me to be calm at times. Pets can mean so much more to us and my fur babies certainly are family to us.

Thank you and Advice

This post is a thank you to all of you who support me and my blog and my social media too. You are helping a woman become stronger day by day… you are helping me to feel like me again… slowly but surely…

And I have just one piece of advice. I see anxiety as this, there is no such thing as a good or bad day anymore because I live with these feelings every day. So what I do is remain positive and take something good from each day, focusing on a positive is always the start of remembering the great things in your life. Be grateful no matter how small it is, you’ll soon realise that anxiety won’t win, and that deep down you’re still you, and you do matter.

Be brave and find ways that help you, I did, and slowly but surely I’m beating my anxious feelings. It’s not good every day, and some days I really struggle, but for every one like that I do have, I strive to have less of them. It also helps that I have some understanding family and a few close friends around me, they support me through the bad days. And when I’m alone I use my methods above to bring me back to a calm state.

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Thank you for joining me for this honest post today. I hope that if any of you are going through a difficult time then you can find an outlet that helps you, just like I have.

✩ Sabrina ✩

The Best Parts Of My 2017 Sending Happy New Year Wishes With Resolutions and Goals

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The Final Moments Of 2017…

I’m amazed where the year has gone, the past few weeks have flown particularly fast. I’ve decided to share my best bits of the year tonight as I await the clock to strike twelve here in the United Kingdom. So sit back and read this short post, see if you agree with any of these…

My Favourite Films of 2017
Logan
The Fate of the Furious (Fast 8)
Pirates of the Caribbean – Salazar’s Revenge / Dead Men Tell No Tales

I don’t get to go to the Cinema very often, so I’m aware that there are many wonderful films that I will have missed out on during 2017, but these films were excellent, I loved them. I’m a huge fan of action, sci-fi and fantasy movies. I hope to catch some that I have missed in the new year.

My Favourite Television Programs of 2017
Stranger Things Season 2
Designated Survivor
Pretty Little Liars
Shooter
Star Trek – Discovery
Riverdale
You, Me, Her
NCIS
The 100
Bones

As many other people we have Netflix in my house. There have been some standout shows this year, some of them have come to an end, while others have just begun. The list above are all of the television shows I have enjoyed the most over the course of this year. Some are on general television, but with that comes the waiting of them sometimes being aired in the US first, the UK has to be patient.

My Favourite Games of 2017
Horizon Zero Dawn
Assassins Creed Origins
Destiny 2
Harry Potter (Remastered) Years 1-7

I’m a huge fan of games and I currently play mainly on PlayStation 4. These games are the ones that have wowed me this year, ones I have played many hours in and thoroughly enjoyed completing. With new expansions to some of them they are ongoing so I will continue to game into the start of 2018.

✩✩✩

New Years Resolutions

✩ Continue with my healthy eating – 6 days a week!
✩ Reach out to old friends and try to meet up with more people this year.
✩ Get away somewhere nice with my husband.

2018 Goals for the Blog

✩ To succeed in more followers and to continue with the collaborations that have been great during 2017. I hope to branch into new parts of blogging as well.

2018 Goals for Life

✩ To finish one of my books, I have so many pieces that are on going, so I really want this to be the year that I send one to a publisher, with the hope of being a published author by 2019.

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Thank you for reading this blog post, I would like to wish you a wonderful start to 2018!
Thank you for all the comments, favourites, shares and support for my blog. Have a Happy New Year! Thanks for supporting Severn Wishes!

✩ Sabrina ✩

 

 

A Uniqlo Store T-Shirt Haul – Featuring Designs from the UTGP 2017 in Association with Nintendo

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A Uniqlo Store T-Shirt Haul – Featuring Designs from the UTGP 2017 in Association with Nintendo.

Luckily on a recent visit to London my husband wanted to go shopping down Oxford Street. He absolutely loves the work shirts available in Uniqlo. So I agreed to go along with him and give him my opinions of course.

What I didn’t know was that the brand was running a collaboration with Nintendo, where people had designed these awesome T-shirts. Based on Nintendo Video Games and various Characters too, the T-shirts were both for male and female and some were even unisex, at a cost between £11 and £15 each.

Of course I browsed and I couldn’t have left London without getting a few of them. (For those who don’t know it I’m a very keen gamer!) So here are the items in question, with the collaboration details and then I will review them for you.

T-Shirt Design One – Pikachu on Black

My husband bought me this one, he knows I adore Pikachu!

T-Shirt Design Two – The World of Nintendo

This tee brought back so much of my childhood, Mario, DK and hours of fun!

T-Shirt Design Three – Splatoon

I chose this one because of the colours and the googly eyes were fun!

So this T-shirt design contest is held by UNIQLO and people from around the world create and submit original T-Shirt designs based on Nintendo characters. The designs varied with Donkey Kong, Pokemon, Super Mario Brothers, Kirby, Splatoon, Star Fox and of course a Nintendo favourite The Legend of Zelda, all making appearances. All the T-Shirt Characters of course belong to ©Nintendo. A final 25 entries made it to the process of being made, and have been distributed worldwide, with the Winner being a man from Japan who did a Mario inspired design.

For the UT Grand Prix for 2017 and they received more than 16,000 entries, a new record high for the competition. By offering these unique and exciting designs for both men, women and children from its UTGP 2017 Nintendo collection, UNIQLO hopes to bring more joy to the world by giving people the chance to own these one off designs. With the standard being so high this year I cannot wait to see what people come up with for the next one!


There are very few of these wonderful T-Shirt Designs left now, because I went a couple of months ago, and sadly I just hadn’t gotten around to reviewing the items. Anything that is still available can be found in the Summer Sales in stores and online you can fin them here on their website.

Each tee is 100% Cotton, super soft and the designs are all well made and have consistent good quality. The colours are still good after several washes, and I am really pleased I got more than one. There were a few designs that were already sold out, and I am quite disappointed that I didn’t get to buy them. I grew up playing Pokemon on my Gameboy Colour, so I would have adored all of the other Pikachu Tee’s (Numbers 10, 11 and 24 on the list) and I personally think the Mario Star Tee (Number 21) is awesome too! As you can see by the list of pictures I have compiled, the T-shirts are all excellent. I didn’t even see some of these when I went to London in May! Wished I had!


Overall I am happy that my husband wanted to go into Uniqlo that day, otherwise I never would have seen these T-shirts! So it’s thanks to my Ed, I now have them in my wardrobe. For me I wear them as casual tee’s, for doing shopping in, gaming in and general wear. But nevertheless I think they do bring some joy, the comfort and the quirky designs, so I guess Uniqlo have succeeded with their aim, with me anyway.

Soft and well made, these tee’s wash and wear well. So far the colours have remained strong and bold. Because it’s cotton it can be washed on a cool cycle helping the environment. I am a size 6-8 and chose a Small, the sizes fitted well. They are good value for money most definitely. And finally I would like to add that they certainly do look unique.

Thank you very much for reading this blog post today, I really hope you’ve enjoyed reading about this contest and the designs for this year. As well as my personal review of the items of course. Until next time, thank you.

✩ Sabrina ✩

Oh and I hear that UTGP for 2018 will be a Marvel theme competition!!! :O How awesome is that?!

My Destiny 2 Beta Experience and Review

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Destiny 2 Beta

I was lucky enough to be able to play this Early Access Beta on Tuesday 18th July, in preparation for the new game coming out on the 6th of September. I have to say my first impressions of Destiny 2 are all positive ones. Here is how my night of gaming went, with a bit of opinion thrown in for good measure.

For a gamer like myself who has spent more than 1500 hours on Destiny (the first game) and it’s several incredible expansions, this new chapter posed both excitement and uncertainty.

Having adored the original game to the point where I’ve collected every PlayStation Trophy, completed the main storyline on the game more than once, tried to collect every weapon and armor set available, AND still managed to run the weekly nightfall on reset along with raid missions with my clan members, it’s all been money well spent. I have most certainly got the most out of this amazing PlayStation game.

The arrival of Destiny 2 has been a long time coming, and by that I mean that we knew about this sequel well over a year ago. Yet every single week I’ve still been drawn back to Destiny 1. And yes, before anyone asks I do actually play other games and have gained Platinum on several of them while awaiting this new Destiny adventure. (See my Games section for more of my reviews).

All in all I was adamant about getting this next game, and it has been preordered (which is how I got Beta access). After all the time and effort I have spent playing the original I knew that if it were going to be anything like it, I would want to play it, again and again…

The Beta

So here we are on the Beta week, I received my early access and I’ve been into it alone and with my clan members. (I will pop links to my videos below so that you can see some of my actual game play).

The main similarities with the original Destiny are compromised of the characters layout of armor and weapons slots. Of course there are slight variations, but overall it looks the same. The controls are also identical to the first game, I do love it when sequels don’t change much. I know that Destiny is essentially going straight from our present day playing into this newest adventure and quest line, but there had to be a few minor alterations…

The movement of characters is definitely more fluid, trust me when I say this is a good thing. Easy maneuverability for your gaming is something all players want. Our experience in this reality is also heightened by the incredible graphics that at times, are truly mind blowing. Weapons feel a little heavier to me, compared to Destiny, and their accuracy and impact upon enemies is more realistic.
I cannot yet speak for the storyline because I’ve only had access to small snippets of it. However I will say this, from what I have seen, the originality and the complexity to which the Bungie team have created these new planets and missions, is outstanding.

The small amount of time I’ve played jumping into the Crucible has been… interesting, to say the least. The maps for now are limited, but the graphics are exceptional and the real time damage is also good. There are changes that have been put into place regarding the ammo and the players. Most matches are now 4 vs 4 instead of 6 vs 6. But this just slows down the complexity of the match, and doesn’t take anything away from the experience that the Crucible gives its players.

During the Beta you got to experience a pre-selected character, Bungie has made a Warlock, Titan and Hunter, given them weapons and upgraded parts of their subclasses, so that we might trial them out in the new Destiny world and test their skills. My original character was a Warlock, so in honour to her I chose this as my starting character. She carried me through over one thousand hours of Destiny worlds and fighting aliens as big as buildings, I owed her for my incredible experiences. (Check out my YouTube Channel (link below) to see what I mean about my gaming).


I am hugely passionate about Destiny and all that it stands for. Community is the main thing for me, other than the actual gaming. I have met some amazing people through the game and we have built real friendships from those encounters. I have the most incredible friends that now make up my clan (Acheronian Omada) and we play on the PlayStation with one another regularly. I really hope that Destiny 2 allows us to maintain the levels of friendship and helpfulness that I have seen and been a huge part of, for the past (almost) three years of my life. And when I think of how long I have been playing, it doesn’t seem like that long, it really doesn’t… (then you add up your character game times and convert it into hours and begin to cry).

What do I want from Destiny 2?

I want to astounded and amazed, I want to keep the friend and dedicated spirit of my clan mates alive, but most of all I want to be entertained. I believe, after playing this Beta, that Destiny 2 will do this for me. I am already overwhelmed by the graphics, the attention to detail with the sound effects and all the added extras.

So far the game has me hooked, and it isn’t even out yet! I am so glad that Bungie agreed to do a Beta, and I think they have done a fantastic job in getting it so perfect, I encountered very little issues while in game play, which for a new release is an excellent start. I trust that they will put just as much attention into getting it right on its release day, to ensure all guardians begin their Destiny 2 journey in the best way.

Final Thoughts

Overall I would like to conclude that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed these couple of hours exploring the Beta parts of Destiny 2. Including a few of my gasps and awestruck moments thrown in for good measure! I hope that the game will be all I am wanting from a sequel and more. Going to keep playing Destiny 1 until release date of course! And I am now eagerly awaiting the release date on September 6th!

Let me know your thoughts in my comments section if you also played the Beta or are now planning to order the full Destiny 2 game after seeing what it’s like.

My Channel

If you want to view my game play for Destiny 2 or look at any Destiny 1 related videos then please click on the link below.

My YouTube Channel
Destiny 2 First Mission – Homecoming

Thank you for reading this review today guardians, I will leave you now with a few screenshots from my game play, until next time, happy gaming to you all.

Sabrina a.k.a Hitomii-w4l3s

Horizon Zero Dawn Game Review

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Sabrina’s Horizon Zero Dawn Review

Some of you might know that I am a keen gamer, and when I say keen I mean that I try to make time every week to play the things I love. One of my most recent completions was Horizon Zero Dawn and I am so impressed with it I had to write a full review. Before I get into the details I wanted to show you some screenshots of my game play to show you just how amazing the Horizon Zero Dawn world looks.

I first heard about Horizon Zero Dawn around eighteen months ago. A good friend of mine (who is also a female gamer) recommended it to me, she thought it’s storyline would be right up my street – and she wasn’t wrong! I love playing games with complex storylines and immense details. The things I look for in a game would be excellently fluid plot lines and details in both graphics and content.

The first week that Horizon came out I made a decision to avoid all other peoples videos, reviews and spoilers, because I didn’t want to spoil it for myself. I wanted to play the game from the very start without knowing anything about what lay ahead for the character. I needed the feeling of being surprised and amazed to come from my own experience and not from watching someone else play. I wanted to be entertained and do you know what? Horizon turned out to be a better game than I could have ever imagined.

The majority of Pro Gamers completed the main storyline in between forty and fifty hours. I have managed to complete the entire game in just over eighty hours. But that includes every one of the Playstation Trophies available, so I have earned Platinum on this game.

I have always been a very thorough gamer, I love to explore the worlds and move over every inch of the map. The Horizon Zero Dawn map was not only vast but complex with varying degrees of tasks and collectibles to find. Some of the imaginative ideas that have been created for this game are incredible.

Enjoying so many aspects of this game has made this review so easy to write, and I have very little criticisms for the games creators, I can only hope for a sequel. I know they have released a trailer for an upcoming DLC for the game, but I would love to see more of Horizon in the future.

As far as the content is concerned I was extremely impressed. Most gamers have suggested that you won’t figure out all of Horizon’s vast plot twists, but I got ninety percent right! I was rather pleased with myself, but I guess it comes from being thorough and collecting everything and reading all the data. The game has some epic cut scenes for both the present day characters and the past, combine those with the various conversations that Aloy has, it isn’t difficult to work out where the story is heading. There was one part however that I just didn’t see coming, and I was in both shock and awe of the writers decision to include it. Needless to say this is a story with quite a few adult themes running within it.

So what do you do in this game a part from piecing together various data and information… Well you explore a vast map of post apocalyptic Earth, and it is incredible. How the art ties into the storyline is breathtakingly beautiful at times. And then you have your main character, Aloy.
Aloy is a bow and arrow wielding, strong willed young woman, out to seek answers about her where she came from. And I adored playing as her. The levels of detail and deep imagination that has gone into the backbone of this game, have made me love every moment of Horizon, even the really tricky bits like some of the trails! (We’ll get to that in a bit).

So let me tell you all now, why I believe this game is a 10/10, and why I am so glad that I got it.

From the moment you begin the Horizon Zero Dawn journey you are met with mind blowing graphics and instant obstacles to face. Once Aloy has grown up and you venture out further into the map, it soon becomes clear that this journey will be long and arduous. Every new section brings more excitement and more challenges. As you will see in my various images, the levels of details are astonishing.

The association between the imagery and the sounds is also fantastic. Not only is there a huge attention to detail in the weather, the breathing, the footprints and other sounds relating to game play, but the actual music soundtrack is also highly adventurous. Some pieces of music are beautiful and others dramatic, I can recommend the soundtrack to everyone who enjoyed the game. I am the person who goes out and buys the track lists to games that I loved, I feel I am right back into the world when I hear it. I believe you connect on a deeper level with something if you also connect with the music you’re hearing.

With many hours of complex game play, a superb options section that is both easy to navigate and thorough, and despite a vast array of resources in the game, Horizon has an inventory that is understandable and full of purpose. Everything you find within the game is necessary at some point.

Aloy is a rather self sufficient character, she is trained at an early part of the game and you continue to grow these skills as you progress through the various quests.  I love how she is strong willed yet relate able, she is a always helping and saving others. Aloy is a heroine who beyond all accounts is showing girl power at its best, she doesn’t need saving and I adored that.

Horizon Zero Dawn is voiced by several excellent actors, most of whose voices I have heard in other largely popular games. We don’t always know their names but we appreciate their huge contribution to games such as this one.

The incredible voices along with the detailed expressions of the characters within the game make the whole experience more believable and so lifelike.

Another aspect I loved were the choices you got in the game. There were various ways you could move around the map, the errands and additional quest missions could be done in any order, or you could leave them and go back to them. The conversations Aloy have also allow you to choose various answers and make life choices for your character. You feel a larger part of this game with  every decision that you make.

The wonder, suspense and jaw dropping moments of Horizon will sustain your curiosity right until the end. And if you’re anything like me you’ll be playing it to its full potential, all the way through. I don’t want to give much away in regards the storyline, but I will say this, the plot has twists and gives a variety of hints, but unless you’re reading and listening to everything that happens to Aloy on her journey, then parts will leave you both amazed and surprised.

I have very little criticism for the game, I’m not keen on the way that Aloy jumps at some parts, but other than this the game is smooth and the movement of the character and weaponry is fluid.

Overall I have loved Horizon Zero Dawn, and if you want more of my game play and opinions I have uploaded a video to my gaming YouTube channel. You can see that here

My HZD Top 5

Excellent Movement and Unique Weapons
 Amazing Bow and Arrow Aspects
Mind Blowing and Imaginative Machines and Plot
The Uniqueness of Aloy – her Outfits and Inventory
The Incredible Graphics and Soundtrack 


Thank you very much for reading this review, I really hope that you’ve enjoyed reading all about this game, if it’s inspired you to get the game do leave me a comment. And don’t forget to check out my video for actual game play too!

✩  Sabrina  ✩

Call of Duty Black Ops III Review

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BlackOpsReviewI have always enjoyed playing games that have unique and complex storylines. I love to get lost in the imagination of them, and feel as though I am inside the game and not just playing it. Having played some of the other Call of Duty campaigns I felt like this one would of course be similar, but I was wrong. Not only is this game graphically spectacular but I have found myself becoming so immersed in the action that all aspects of the world around me disappear for a time. The reason for this is because the gameplay is so intense at times, and concentration is paramount to succeeding.
There are times where the characters are running for their lives, and other times where they aren’t sure what is real and what is not. The futuristic characteristics of this campaign haven’t been used to this sort of depth in any of the other Call of Duty games, and I was blown away by the complexity and the seriousness to which the game needed to be completed.

13173354_10157011612900160_2132955822020891384_oThe developer Treyarch returns to this video game to show what three years of hard work can achieve, and I believe they have done a fantastic job with this one. Set in the future, where life is both dark and difficult, you find your chosen character immersed in a world filled with futuristic technology and robotics. Aspects that will play a huge role in the entirety of this game.

Cinematic cut scenes bring the story to life with cutting edge graphics that make you feel like it’s more reality than video game. As you’re taken through the campaign you discover the reasons why robotics are essential in the world that you currently reside and why warfare has taken a dark twist on Earth.

As for the levels and missions, they are your usual, make your way through the objectives, find the items and complete to the best of your ability as a gamer parts. But this campaign felt different. Not only were the levels full of complicated and futuristic features, but the characters went through scenarios, sometimes severe and often grim, only to continue on fighting for survival against low odds. What I also enjoyed was the fact that I could choose to be a female operative at the start of the game, this meant it felt more personal due to the fact I am a woman.

There is very little humour in this Call of Duty game, and parts of it actually made me squirm, either through visual situations that the characters found themselves in or through the circumstances that arose through choices you made during the game. I have to stress that this campaign and game as a whole is in no way suitable for children. Some aspects are both hard hitting and gruesome to watch. The adult themes which don’t just include violence and guns include death, causing peoples death through the characters own choice and experimenting on humans. During parts of this game I honestly felt like I was staring in my own horror movie. I must add that this isn’t a bad thing, it gave depth to a game which you thought was going to be a futuristic ‘find and kill the bad guys’ sort of gameplay. The depth to which the storyline has been written is incredible, and all involved should be very proud of creating a distinctive chapter in the Call of Duty franchise.

As someone who enjoys fantasy and science fiction, I thoroughly appreciated all of the attention to detail and the experiences that this game gives its players. It was vastly different from other Call of Duty missions and it was entertaining to complete. The gameplay itself was excellent; it was both easy to play technically and controllably. The game was difficult at times, but I do enjoy a challenge and often play on a medium mode not an easy one.

11259839_10157011613925160_5300913923010476242_o Throughout the game I couldn’t fault the onscreen view, everything was clear and concise, maps and objectives were all easy to understand and follow. The graphics were clear and routes were easy to determine. Even in scenes of chaos the game allowed you to know where to go, often combining your movements with those of other characters and objectives.

I only have one criticism of this game, and that would be the futuristic aspects including the three cybercores, (chaos, martial and control). This is because I was unaware that I needed to keep using the level points I was collecting from experience to unlock the extra abilities available to my character. This might have made the gameplay much easier in later levels if I had known there were sections that needed to be unlocked. During the initial missions you are trained to use the parts of your suit and body, but I didn’t realise that I needed to keep adjusting these on the menu to get unlocks for additional uses and skills. It’s important to tailor these for each mission, considering I always attempt the campaign on a difficult setting these are very important. There haven’t been such futuristic technologies included in call of duty before, and these can be rather useful. Providing you figure out how to use them and when best to use them, I can recommend using the training facility computer to try out which core upgrades suit your style of gaming the best.

Out of the three modes, Campaign, Multiplayer and Zombies, I have put the majority of my time into the Campaign. I do enjoy aspects of the multiplayer but usually play it with friends. Zombies, are well… self explanatory I suppose, and you’ll either like it and play that part or it wont be for you. I think this game does have something for all first person shooter fans. I buy games like these for the storyline, and although complex and a little repetitive (with all the robotics) I did enjoy it and got totally immersed in it at times.

Overall it’s a game I have thoroughly enjoyed playing and I was very impressed by the content. I look forward to any future developments, but I do hope they go back to traditional warfare, and not all futuristic, although interesting, games should reach new heights to keep the consumers interested. Black Ops III was a graphically incredible game filled with sci-fi action and intriguing plot twists, but there was a lot of humans versus robots, and I think there is no harm in the producers going back to the roots of the originals sometimes. I will be interested to see what they bring out next, in a campaign manner.

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate Review

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ASCIf there is one saga of games that I truly enjoy playing it’s the Assassin’s Creed franchise. I started playing them on Playstation 3 and have since moved to a Playstation 4. The most recent game that I have played is Assassin’s Creed Syndicate.

The first thing that blew me away, within moments of starting this one, was how astounding the graphics were. Don’t get me wrong they have always been good, but the amount of detail in this particular game made it feel so much more realistic. I had read that before it was released Ubisoft did a lot of research to ensure historical accuracy, especially for the geography of the London boroughs used within this game. I was honestly blown away by the beauty and the features of this incredible piece of entertainment.

Like all the other games in the series they are rated eighteen and over. This is due to the violence, the language used, and the nature of the storyline. This game is not suitable for children and I don’t encourage anyone to allow children to see the violence and adult aspects that this game includes.

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So what about the game itself? Well it’s all about the Frye twins, assassins who fight for the rights of the less privileged in 1868 London. It’s set during the industrial revolution and there are many new aspects to this new game. You can ride on and drive horse drawn carriages; there are trains, barges and new weapons to wield.

This historical lead work of fiction includes real world figures such as Charles Darwin and Karl Marx included in the extra missions in the special edition that I have. If you enjoy completing extra side missions and quests then this is the style of game for you.

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate takes many hours to complete, if you go through London with the purpose of completing areas to one hundred per cent capacity. I personally try to accomplish games on the whole, and you really have to get stuck in to finish this saga. Parts of the game take skill both as a player and as a problem solver, and I enjoy these aspects because they keep things interesting.

Twists that occur within the storyline part of this game keep making it appealing to play. By attracting the players with wonderful graphics and great missions, Assassin’s Creed Syndicate is one of my favourite games in the franchise so far. If you have played and enjoyed any of the previous ones in the series then I can recommend this game to you.

In the previous game, Assassin’s Creed Unity, there were co-op missions to complete within a multiplayer aspect of the world. I was disappointed that this feature wouldn’t be available in the new game. However there are so many things to do and complete, I was happy enough to just play on and finish missions on my own. Having no multiplayer actually made me focus more so on the sequence I was doing, and you don’t have to rely on others then, to complete the game to its maximum potential.

The reasons that make this game great in my mind are; more detailed graphics, historical accuracy, new modern era assassin elements, addition of extra side missions (such as races and fight clubs) and modern weapons.

Overall I highly recommend this game and I will conclude this review with some more (non-violent) screenshots of my gameplay for you to see.

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