Totally Rated Show Episode 12 – Pokemon Snap, SecretLab MAGNUS and Returnal

Totally Rated features reviews and opinions of what's hot and what's not in the tech and gaming world.

Bringing together leading titles from across the industry, we hear first hand from those who have reviewed - and rated - the very latest games and products on the market.

In this week’s episode, Pokemon 1999 gets a makeover, Android Central and T3 test the ultimate gaming desk and really really difficult games set in space!

Watch the full episode of Totally Rated below:

Just when you thought you caught them all, Nintendo revived Pokemon Snap on the Nintendo Switch.

With so many fans of the Pokemon universe out there, the hype for this re-release is pretty high, as Sara Gitkos from iMore explains; “If you are a fan of relaxing games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Pokémon, this low-key photography sim should be right up your alley.”

The game is sure to please Pokemon fanatics out there but anyone else might find this safari incredibly dated, as TechRadar’s Adam Vjestica explains; “New Pokémon Snap feels antiquated by today’s standards.

“Your enjoyment of the game will ultimately come down to whether you enjoy taking hundreds of pictures of virtual creatures, as you slowly chug along predetermined paths multiple times in the hopes of spotting something new.

“It’ll probably pass muster with Pokémon-loving kids, who will delight in seeing Pikachu scamper across the screen for perhaps the very first time.

“But for anyone aged 10 or above, this eclectic safari park isn’t worth the price of admission.”

Along with any gaming chairs, desks are equally as important if you want to take your gaming to a new level.

T3 and  Windows Central got their hands on the SecretLab MAGNUS and Robert Jones of T3, was a fan: “SecretLab has already covered itself in glory with its elite-tier gaming chairs, and the MAGNUS sees the firm triumphantly expand its offering in a genuinely pioneering and exciting way.

“This gaming desk exudes premium in every detail, and it’s all-metal construction imbues it with a quality no other rival can match.

“Throw in simply superb cable management features, a smart selection of magnetised accessories, and a thoroughly thought through setup procedure, and the end result is the ultimate gaming table for PC and console gamers.”

Daniel Thorpe-Lancaster of Windows Central was quick to join praising the chair’s construction, but believes that if you want a bigger option, you should pass: “For anyone who is already a fan of Secretlab's gaming seats, you're likely to love the Magnus desk.

“Even if you haven't tried one of the company's chairs before, the Magnus desk makes a great, low-profile space to get work done and dive into game night.

“If you want something other than black, need a much larger desk, or prefer the variety of standing desks out there, then you may be better served elsewhere.”

In the world of gaming, Returnal is a next-gen roguelike game created by Housemarque, for the Playstation 5.

Vic Hood of TechRadar gave the release a thumbs up: “It’s hard to deny that Housemarque has done something different with Returnal, blending a roguelike with a blockbuster third-person shooter – and creating an arcade bullet hell that’s different to anything we’ve seen from Sony before.

“Returnal is a PS5 exclusive that emphatically meets the standards of what we’ve been crying out for from the new console, and it’s a fantastic showcase for what this new hardware is actually capable of.”

The difficulty in the level design can be frustrating, but that does not take anything away from the story as Ben Tyrer of GamesRadar explains: “Returnal can be messy, tough, and perhaps a little too uncompromising for a $70 game.

“And yet, despite the moments of pad-clenching exasperation, it remains a moreish experience even after you’ve plumbed its depths.”

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