Fitbit Charge 2 review

PROS

• Interchangeable bands
• Large display for at-a-glance information
• Comfortable to wear
• Consistent tracking
• Cardio Fitness score is a useful metric
• 5-day battery life

CONS

• Actual accuracy is a little off
• No GPS (GPS Connected mode requires your smartphone)
• Gesture recognition is ropey
• Basic notifications

KEY FEATURES

• All-day activity tracking
• Sleep tracking and silent alarm
• Cardio Fitness Level score
• Multi-sport with automatic tracking
• Breathing exercises
• New customisable bands
• Notifications
• Manufacturer: Fitbit
• Review Price: £129.99

WHAT IS THE FITBIT CHARGE 2?

Fitbit says that its original Charge and Charge HR were its best-selling fitness tracker. So it's not surprising Fitbit has taken everything that proved popular on the original and used this as a basis for the Charge 2.

First off, the heart rate monitoring of the Charge HR now comes as standard, so there’s just one model of Charge 2. This helps bring down the sheer number of Fitbit trackers available, which was becoming confusing. The PurePulse heart rate monitor of the original makes a return, and brings with it continuous and resting heart rate monitoring.

Packed with everything you could want, except GPS, the Charge 2 covers all of the basics. You can consider this device more of an evolution than a reinvention, but by correcting many of the shortcomings of the original, the Charge 2 proves to be a great all-rounder.

FITBIT CHARGE 2 – DESIGN AND SETUP

The main change with the Fitbit Charge 2 is its more sizeable display – it's four times larger, in fact. This means significantly more at-a-glance information and better handling of notifications from your connected smartphone. The original Charge had only a tiny slither of a screen, displaying one metric at a time.

It uses a black-and-white OLED, and you can adjust the brightness; I never experienced any problems reading the screen outdoors. The display turns on when you rotate your wrist to look at it, helping to conserve battery life.

Annoyingly, maybe one in four times the display failed to turn on automatically. There is a button on the side to manually turn it on and toggle through the different displays, but for times when your other hand is occupied, the finicky display is a frustration.

Each of the menus has a number of sub-menus that you access by tapping the screen. Again, this was occasionally a little hit and miss. You need quite a firm rapping of the display to get it to trigger.

Otherwise, the Charge 2 isn't a great departure from its original design, aside from being slightly more slender. The elastomer strap is comfortable to wear and since it uses a standard watch buckle, putting it on isn’t fiddly – unlike some previous Fitbit trackers that used difficult clasps. I didn't encounter any discomfort with it on, even when I became particularly sweaty during a run.

Where the Charge 2 does deviate from previous models is in its potential for customisation. Much like the new Flex 2, you now have the ability to change the bands. Fitbit has Classic, Luxe leather and Special Edition options. There’s an array of colours available, too, and the Special Edition versions have rose gold and gunmetal finishes for the tracker itself to add another layer of class and sophistication. These cost a little more (£149.99) than the standard editions, though.

I was sent the standard black elastomer band version for review. I definitely prefer some of the more vibrant colour options I saw in the flesh at IFA. Swapping out the bands is incredibly easy thanks to release clasps on the underside. You can swap them out within seconds. The Fitbit Charge 2 is available in three different strap sizes; small, large and XL. It's important to choose the right size for your wrist for reasons I'll come to later.

The Charge 2 works with Fitbit’s Android and iOS app, and setting it up is as straightforward as any other tracker. Simply create a profile, entering your gender, height and weight, then select a number of goals. These include the usual steps, sleep and weight targets.

Once paired over Bluetooth, you can then sync your activity to the app and receive rudimentary notifications from your connected smartphone. These only include caller ID, SMS messages and calendar reminders.

I can't remember the last time I received a standard SMS message from anyone that wasn't a marketer, so how useful you'll find this is questionable. I'd have much preferred basic cross-app notifications, even if it was just an icon to say which app was responsible for the the buzz in my pocket.

Wahoo Fitness Tickr X review

PROS

• Accurate heart rate measurements
• Useful running analysis
• Indoor cycling cadence measurement
• 7-minute workout rep-counting
• 12-month battery life

CONS

• Android app could be better presented
• In-app guidance is lacking

KEY FEATURES

• Heart rate monitoring
• Accelerometer
• Running and cycling cadence analysis
• Running smoothness measurement
• IPX7 rating
• iOS and Android apps
• Manufacturer: Wahoo Fitness
• Review Price: £79.99

WHAT IS THE WAHOO FITNESS TICKR X?

Heart rate monitors aren’t typically very exciting devices to review; they serve one distinct purpose. The Tickr X is a heart rate monitor with a difference, augmenting the basic heart rate measurements with a whole raft of extra features provided by an accelerometer.

There are lots of measurements that will apply to running, cycling and general fitness training, making it a versatile device offering wide appeal.

WAHOO FITNESS TICKR X – DESIGN AND SETUP

The Tickr X doesn’t look particularly exciting, much like all chest-worn heart rate monitors that have come before it. These devices are generally worn under a top of some kind anyway – unless you’re one of those show-off Adonis types from Wahoo Fitness’ marketing materials.

The sensor itself is made from plastic. It doesn’t feel the most hardy, but I didn't encounter any problems with its build quality in the weeks of testing. In terms of putting it on the Tickr X simply clips into its stretchy band using button fasteners. Getting it on and ready takes seconds – and the Tickr X is also incredibly quick to start detecting.

As soon as the sensors on the rear of the band make contact with skin, the LEDs on the sensor light up almost immediately to tell you it’s woken up. It’s far quicker in this regard than the MyZone MZ-3. There are two LEDs on the sensor: one to show it’s connected to your smartphone; the other to show it has begun detecting a heart rate.

The sensor offers Bluetooth LE support for pairing with your smartphone, and it also supports ANT+ to use with other compatible fitness devices. It can do both at the same time, too. So you could have your heart rate data being displayed on an ANT+ running watch and also being sent to your smartphone over Bluetooth simultaneously.

The Tickr X works with a number of Wahoo Fitness apps including its Wahoo Fitness: Workout Tracker and 7-Minute Workout, and each serves a different function – I’ll come back to these later. Pairing was super-easy, with the Tickr X was up and running with my Android smartphone within seconds. There are iOS versions of the apps available, too.

There’s no need to charge the Tickr X, since it uses a standard watch battery, which should be good for 12 months.

WAHOO FITNESS TICKR X – TRACKING AND APPS

The Wahoo Fitness: Workout Tracker app encompasses general cardio training, including running and cycling. It provides a raft of data beyond just heart-rate measurement. The app incorporates post-run analysis with details such as running smoothness, ground contact time and vertical oscillation.

The app doesn’t necessarily make it obvious what each of these data points mean, however, but a quick bit of research can provide the answers. They all essentially apply to efficiency and can help you improve your running.

Ground contact time is the duration your foot stays planted to the floor before you push off. Vertical oscillation is how much you bounce up and down. Running smoothness applies sway to the previous measurements. Taking all of these measurements into account can mean improvements to your speed and endurance.

Shaving off mere milliseconds off your ground contact time with each stride, for instance, can make a huge difference come the end of a race and can also ensure you’re not running out of stamina too quickly.

Other more common measurements are also provided, such as running cadence, and you get an audio readout from the app during your run, alongside distance updates. How much information you want provided can be configured in the app.

You can also use the app with the Tickr X for treadmill running. Then there’s cycling, both outdoor and indoor, too. Both get cadence measurements, but you won’t get any speed or distance measurement when on an indoor or recumbent bike. If you're a regular attendee of spin classes, you'll find the cadence measurement alongside heart rate particularly useful.

As for heart rate, you of course get the standard measurement and graphs showing your beats per minute and zone during your run or cycling. You also get a Burn and Burst measurement, showing you how much time you’re in a "fat burning" zone (Burn) or speed and performance improving zone (Burst).

Heart rate measurements were in line with other chest-based sensors I’ve tested, putting my maximum heart rate right where it should be. As always, chest-based sensors do a more accurate job than their wrist-worn optical-based counterparts.

My only complaint with the Workout Tracker app is its general presentation of data, at least in the Android app. It could do with some work just to make it look a little prettier and easier to digest. It’s just a long scrolling list of graphs and measurements at the moment.

If you don't want to start an activity through the app, you can also begin a phone-free workout simply by double-tapping the sensor. You won't receive any of the metrics that are phone-dependent, such as GPS. There’s 16 hours worth of internal storage, so you can sync the data to the app at a much later date.

The 7-Minute Workout app is more of a body weight circuit-training app, incorporating burpees, squats, tricep dips and the like. It’s been a popular mainstay of the Google Play and App Store for a while, but doesn’t actually require the Tickr X to use. If you pair a Tickr X with the app then you get rep-counting based on the accelerometer inside, alongside heart rate measurements, which is more of an added bonus than a reason to consider the Tickr X in the first place.

The accelerometer proved accurate in picking up each rep completed. You'll need to make sure you download the correct 7-Minute Workout app from Wahoo Fitness; there are a number of other apps using a similar name.

SHOULD I BUY THE WAHOO FITNESS TICKR X?

The Tickr X is one of the most feature-packed heart rate monitors out there. It’s super-easy to put on and comfortable to wear. While some of the insights are initially a little tricky to decipher, once you have an understanding of them, you can apply them to actually running more efficiently, as well as applying the heart rate measurements to training accordingly. The 7-Minute Workout integration is an added bonus.

There’s actually a Tickr Run model also available for around £49.99. This sacrifices some features of the Tickr X, including the rep-counting, indoor cycling cadence and built-in memory. It might be worth considering if you don’t mind losing those features.

Then there’s the MyZone MZ-3, which is a heart rate monitor with greater focus on making you want to push yourself than on providing analysis. For me, the Tickr X is still the best and most versatile heart rate monitor I’ve tested.

VERDICT

The Tickr X is an incredibly feature-packed HRM that goes beyond just heart rate monitoring and provides genuinely useful running insight as well.

HP Envy 15 review

PROS

• Attractive design
• Good performance
• Respectable battery life

CONS

• Noisy fans
• Disappointing screen

KEY FEATURES

• Intel Core i7-6500U processor
• 8GB of RAM
• 15.6-inch Full HD IPS screen
• 1.93kg
• 128GB M.2 SSD and 1TB hard disk
• 17.9mm thick
• Manufacturer: HP
• Review Price: £799.00

WHAT IS THE HP ENVY 15?

In the past, HP’s Envy brand could be considered one of its more premium laptop offerings, but it’s since been supplanted by the more outlandish Spectre series, such as the HP Spectre 13. As such, the HP Envy 15-as001na sits very much in the mid-range.

That’s not to say it hasn’t got some premium sensibilities, though, such as its all-metal and relatively svelte body, nor does it lack some respectable specifications as an everyday workhorse.

The £799 model I reviewed also has some impressive specs, including an Intel Core i7-6500U. There are some shortcomings, though, such as its lacklustre screen. All this makes the HP Envy 15 a mixed bag.

HP ENVY 15 – BUYING OPTIONS

The HP Envy 15 is available in different configurations denoted by its longer model name. The model on test here is the Envy 15-as001na and shouldn’t be confused with the much cheaper Envy 15-ah150sa. The latter uses an AMD A10-8700P APU and comes with a mechanical 2TB hard disk. It lacks the premium styling as you would expect and is an altogether very different laptop.

HP ENVY 15 – DESIGN AND BUILD

The HP Envy 15 weighs 1.93kg and is 17.9mm thick, so while it's not the heaviest of laptops, you'll definitely notice it if you keep it with you at all times. If you're after something lighter, a 13-inch machine, such as one of the lower-end Dell XPS 13s, would be a better fit.

But if you do need the larger screen, it’s actually reasonably slender with all things considered. This is helped by the fact that the optional optical drive from previous models is no longer an option.

As for the chassis, it’s well constructed with minimal flex to the exterior. The front corners are nicely rounded, contrasted by the straight edge corners at the rear. While the lid is a matte silver, the rear strip actually has a shiny metallic finish along the hinge. ‘Envy’ branding is subtly etched in but could be easily missed.

Speaking of the hinge, it’s of the type that rounds under when you open the laptop up. This has the effect of propping the keyboard up at a slight angle, which helps with ergonomics. It helps make for a more comfortable typing experience. The hinge doesn’t limit the display’s angling, either, which was an issue with the Spectre 13.

Open the Envy 15 up and you’re presented with a silver keyboard tray with matching silver chiclet-style keys. There’s a numberpad off to the side, which you’ll expect from a 15.6-inch laptop keyboard. I wasn’t particularly fond of the full-size keyboard during testing, however.

The keys have limited travel and there’s a lot of horizontal movement to each key. It means that striking a key doesn’t have a distinct or satisfying action. My touch-typing speed definitely felt compromised and I made more errors than I was used to. Writing long documents, such as this review, felt laboured.

The keyboard is backlit and this can be toggled either on or off, with no gradation to the brightness. The backlighting isn’t attractively implemented, however, as you can see the light panels below each key due to the gaps in the keyboard tray. If it’s any consolation, there’s almost no flex to the keyboard, which gives me confidence about the laptop's overall build quality.

A wide trackpad is placed off-center, which features integrated mouse buttons. Like the keyboard, this too is prone to unsettling rattling when using tap to click. It’s also not a Microsoft-approved Precision Touchpad so doesn’t give the feeling your gestures are being directly translated on-screen. The integrated mouse buttons also feel too spongy for my tastes.

The thick black screen surround doesn’t particularly contrast well against the silver of the keyboard to my eyes but overall build quality is robust.

For ports, there are two USB 3.0 along the left edge and another on the right. This is supported by a USB 3.0 Type-C to bring the Envy 15 up to date. There’s also a full-size HDMI port for connecting an external display and a combined headset jack for audio. An SD card reader is included, too.

There’s dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi, which proved rock solid during testing, alongside Bluetooth 4.2.

HP ENVY 15 – SCREEN AND AUDIO

There’s a Full HD IPS panel, which is distinctly lacklustre. Brightness is a little underwhelming at only 258.4cd/m2. The display’s brightness may well leave you struggling if you want to hammer away at spreadsheets in the garden.

Contrast is above average at 1,179:1, but actual colour accuracy leaves a lot to be desired in particular. With just 58% coverage of the sRGB colour gamut, and a supremely underwhelming 40.1% of Adobe RGB, this is not the laptop for digital creatives or those in need of truly represented colours.

If there are any positives from the display, it’s that backlight bleed isn’t an issue and viewing angles are respectable. Reflections from the glossy display also didn’t prove too much of a distraction.

The speakers placed above the keyboard tray have an attractive patterned grille. These come Bang & Olufsen branded but they’re really nothing to write home about. They’re about what you would come to expect from a laptop speaker. It’s clear enough to watch a television show but you’re not going to get a particularly great audio experience for music. At maximum volume they’re decently loud but sound tinny without much delivery in the low-end.

Nutri Ninja BL490UK review

PROS

• Dedicated automatic programmes
• Dishwasher-safe
• Compact

CONS

• Blades don’t lock in place
• Noisy
• Limited capacity

KEY FEATURES

• 1,200W
• 650ml cup, 500ml cup, 2 x flip-top Sip & Seal lids
• Processor bowl, Chopping blade, Dough blade
• Pro Extractor blade
• Manufacturer: Ninja
• Review Price: £180.00

WHAT IS THE NUTRI NINJA BL490UK COMPACT KITCHEN SYSTEM?

Justifying the space in a kitchen for a blender and food processor can be tricky. Fortunately, the Compact Kitchen System has both areas covered, acting as a smoothie machine and a general kitchen helper in one.

As well as the Auto-iQ "intelligent" blending function that features on the standard Nutri Ninja machine, it also has a Smooth Boost button, for creamier results, and pre-programmed speeds and settings to help it make dough, cake batters, pastry, purees, dips and sauces.

NUTRI NINJA BL490UK COMPACT KITCHEN SYSTEM – DESIGN AND FEATURES

A panel of clearly labelled buttons on the front of the Compact Kitchen System leaves you in no doubt that this machine is all about function. It’s finished in no-nonsense black and silver, but fortunately, its diminutive size helps to offset the overall heavy-duty effect.

Design hasn’t been completely overlooked, however, since there are some helpful features. Handles at the base of the machine remove the temptation to pick it up incorrectly.

As well as two cups for smoothies and the Pro Extractor blade unit for blitzing them, it has a processor bowl with two attachments. There's a chopping blade with four knives protruding from it – so sharp they sliced a cloth when it was gently hand-washed – and a dough blade for kneading and mixing. Neither lock into the bowl, which is something to be aware of when pouring out the contents.

Each button on the front of the base unit corresponds to a particular function or programme (all of which can be paused). There’s Start/Stop, a manual setting that runs at high speed for 60 seconds and will stop any programme, Pulse, Smooth Boost, and a setting for creamier results (which is the default for the Auto-iQ Extract and Blend programmes).

You'll also find Low for 30 seconds of slow mixing, Auto-iQ Extract for blending leafy or hard fruits and vegetables, Auto-iQ Blend for softer foods and milkshakes, and Auto-iQ Chop, a programme of pulses and pauses for ingredient prep and ground meat.

NUTRI NINJA BL490UK COMPACT KITCHEN SYSTEM – WHAT IS IT LIKE TO USE?

While there are recipes provided with the machine, they’re mostly focused on making smoothies and drinks, with only a handful provided for the food processor element.

We started by making a Power Ball smoothie using the Auto-iQ Blend programme with Smooth Boost activated. This combined banana, coconut milk, cocoa powder and blueberries – a fruit that’s often difficult to completely blend in smoothies.

After the programmed blending time had elapsed, the smoothie was of a noticeably creamy, consistent texture. There were only a few particles of blueberry skin remaining, which was impressive. It’s quite noisy during operation, however, so some recipes may be better prepared the night before.

Next, we tried a recipe with more fibrous ingredients: Ginger Pear Defense. This included pear, fresh ginger, honey, lemon juice and water. Using the Auto-iQ Extract programme, it blended and paused for around 45 seconds to leave a frothy liquid with a relatively smooth consistency. The pear – which can often be gritty – was thoroughly blended, but there was some fine sediment in the drink. Left for a few minutes, this separated out.

Swapping the cups for the food processor bowl and dough blade, we attempted pizza dough. Unfortunately, this recipe wasn't suitable for the capacity of the bowl – the flour required for it alone filled the bowl past the maximum mark.

Once the required liquid was added and the lid put on, this caused the contents to overflow onto the worktop. Using the Low setting for 30 seconds the machine struggled, even when some of the contents had been removed. The dough wasn’t properly mixed and required a second mix using Low, plus some kneading by hand afterwards. The dough rose well, but once baked the pizza base was heavy and thick.

We finished by using the chopping blade to dice leeks using Auto-iQ Chop. This programme worked incredibly well, delivering evenly chopped vegetables in a matter of seconds.

All the parts could be popped into the dishwasher, making clean-up straightforward. However, washing the chopping blade by hand is hazardous since it's very sharp and awkward to wash safely. A dedicated cleaning brush would have been useful.

SHOULD I BUY THE NUTRI NINJA BL490UK COMPACT KITCHEN SYSTEM?

While it will never completely fill the gap of a full-sized blender, the Compact Kitchen System is a workable compromise. It brings a lot to the table – but there are shortcomings in terms of capacity and capability, and it’s a shame that adjustment is required for a basic recipe, such as pizza dough.

That said, the Nutri Ninja BL490UK is ideal for small amounts of food processing or quick tasks, plus its size means you’re more likely to have it out on the worktop all the time – a real advantage for anyone with limited cupboard space.

VERDICT

Good for smoothie fans who want a little extra, or capable cooks needing a small, powerful processor.

ReCore review

PROS

• Platforming can be fun
• Joule's and her companions are likeable
• Diverse Corebot customisation options

CONS

• Combat is outright terrible
• Some technical issues

KEY FEATURES

• Available on Xbox One and PC
• Release date: 13 September
• Manufacturer: Comcept
• Review Price: £30.00

Available on Xbox One (tested) and PC

Zelda in space sounds awesome right? On paper, that's exactly what ReCore is. It borrows elements from classic open-world platformers like Prince of Persia, melds them with the dungeon-conquering mechanics from Nintendo’s iconic Zelda series, and wraps it all up in a sci-fi setting that's rife with mystery.

This should make ReCore the ideal game for space geeks like me with a penchant for platforming – and for the most part it is. However, issues with its combat, framerate and slightly by-the-numbers puzzles stop it fully delivering on its opening promise.

The game starts out strong and tells the story of a girl and her robot. Specifically it sees you take the role of Joule Adams just after she’s woken up on the alien world of Far Eden, after over two centuries in cryosleep.

Joule’s awakening isn’t a pleasant one. Far Eden was meant to have been terraformed by automated machines called Corebots during her downtime, but something went wrong. As a result, Joule wakes up alone on a dust-filled planet that's only been terraformed partially, and the Corebots have gone AWOL.

Her only clues to what’s gone wrong come from a series of video and audio messages from her father, who just so happens to be one of the chief scientists working on the Far Eden makeover and is one of the aforementioned missing humans.

From there Joule arms herself with her trusty rifle, grabs the nearest exosuit and goes with her Corebot dog, Mack, to figure out what went wrong.

The exploration format follows the same pattern as most sandbox games. The world is open, but story missions are highlighted using big green icons. Side missions take the form of optional dungeons and challenges, offering loot rewards upon completion.

The opening scenes are an outright pleasure to behold. Far Eden is a giant, beautifully created world that merges elements of Dune's sandworld and Battlestar Galactica's technology.

The rich graphics and great designs initially meant exploring the world was a joy and made me ignore the big green mission icon on my map. Within five minutes I’d found everything from the wreckage of an abandoned space ship to a mysterious cave complex and boobytrapped dungeon.

The desire to explore is helped through the game’s wonderful platforming, looting and upgrade mechanics.

Joule has a variety of different ways to get around her environment, thanks to her exoskeleton. The exoskeleton has thrusters that let her double-jump in mid-air, or propel herself forwards at increased speed for a short period. Backing this up, she has a grappling hook that can be used to pull objects open.

Her robot companions also improve her mobility. Mack is one of several mechanical buddies Joule recruits throughout the game. Each bot has its own personality and set of special abilities.

Mack, for example, is a cute and loyal robot dog with a special search capability. This lets you instruct him to hunt for buried objects in a set area. This mode's useful for finding hidden key-Corebots that open doors or for discovering loot that can be used to build new parts for Joule’s robotic compadres.

Later on you’ll find the cowardly spider-bot Seth who, despite his fear of heights, can carry Joule up special yellow rails that are otherwise impassable. Duncan is a heavy-hitting gorilla-style Corebot with a talent for smashing things.

The relationship between Joule and her companions is one of the story’s best features, and regularly throws up heart-warming sections that are reminiscent of classic Disney films.

The only limits to where you can go are how tough enemies in the area are, and how many Prismatic Cores you have. Prismatic Cores act as keys and are used to unlock dungeons and doors. Every dungeon or door you encounter will have a recommended level and core number, which tells you how many you need to access it.

Dungeons are, without a doubt, the best bit of ReCore. The game offers a variety of different labyrinth types which task you with three challenges: traverse the entire level in a certain time, shoot a set number of hidden icons, and find a single yellow switch to flip. Each of the three goals gives a unique loot reward and can be completed individually – which is a good thing, as I’m yet to complete all three at once in any of the dungeons I’ve visited.

The dungeons have great level design that showcase the best parts of ReCore’s platforming dynamics. These range from classic Zelda-like dungeons that tasked me to quickly leap between moving platforms, to multi-level pits that forced me to manically search for hidden red keys and switches using my Corebots' special abilities.

The upgrade system also acts as a decent incentive to keep exploring early on. Joule can upgrade her Corebot companions at the engineering bench in her home base using blueprints and loot she finds on her adventure.

Each blueprint alters the Corebot’s appearance and buffs their attributes. The higher level the part, the better the stat boost. You level up your bots by completing missions and beating enemies. You can further boost your bots’ core attributes using captured enemy cores.

The system’s pretty basic, but it works well enough and gave me a further nudge to keep hunting for parts and visit dungeons.

All this is great, but sadly I quickly found a some large flies in the ointment. Combat is one area no platformer has ever truly gotten right, and sadly ReCore does little to buck this trend.

There are a variety of different enemy types, ranging from flying moth-like Corebots, to exploding beetle bots, slashing spider bots and gargantuan gorilla-bots. But every single type is killed the exact same way: pick the right ammo type, auto-lock and shoot.

The colour-coding system should, in theory, add some variety, but if anything I soon found it to be an added source of frustration. Joule’s gun can fire red, white, yellow or blue ammo. Each type is strong against different enemies: blue ammo beats blue enemies, red against red, etc. This is fine early on when the enemies conform to one type of colour and stick to it, but against bosses and, later, hybrid enemies which rapidly switch their type, it becomes annoying.

This is because you have to switch your ammunition type using the D-pad – a practice that makes you, even if just for a millisecond, have to stop controlling Joule’s movement. Initially this isn’t a problem, but against tougher enemies, which inflict lots of damage and attack constantly, it feels like the game’s forcing you to be vulnerable and it leads to a number of fairly cheap deaths.

I had the same issue with the game’s core extraction mechanic. After inflicting a certain amount of damage a pop-up appears above enemies, giving you the option to extract their core. If you do, Joule will fire her grappling hook and begin playing tug-of-war with the bot to pull out its core – the item you need to upgrade her robo-companions' core stats at any engineering desk.

The practice can take some time, and again it forces Joule to remain stationary. This isn't a problem in most regular fights, as you can always ignore the icon and just blast your enemies to pieces. But in boss battles, which involve lots of enemies and only end when Joule gets the big baddy’s core, the process regularly leads to boring fights that outstay their welcome.

The only saving grace for the combat is its nifty combo system. Each of Joule’s Corebots has a special attack that can be activated using the Y button (on Xbox). Mack, for example, charges forward and shocks enemies for Joule, while Seth will fire a barrage of yellow bombs. The companions' attacks follow the same colour system, so blue enemies will be vulnerable to Mack, while reds will want to avoid Duncan, and so on.

You can only have one of the Corebots on screen with Joule at any one time, but switching between them simply requires a quick push of the RT button. The ability to swiftly change bots and mix their attacks feels far more fluid than the ammo system and is a saving grace in ReCore’s otherwise dull fight mechanics.

The boring fights wouldn’t be an issue if combat played second fiddle to platforming, as it did in Prince of Persia, but ReCore seems hell bent on pushing it to the forefront. Nearly every mission ends with a long-winded battle against a bullet-sponge Corebot boss. The ensuing battles usually take so long that you’ll have all but forgotten the fun you had getting to the fight in the first place.

Then there are the technical issues. ReCore may look nice, but the loading times are painful. The game regularly takes over three minutes to load, even when doing basic things like moving from one area to another, or restarting a section after dying.

I’ve also noticed some serious framerate issues. During busy sections the game noticeably slows down and suffers from framerate drops. For a game where timing is everything, the slowdowns are particularly annoying and regularly result in cheap deaths during combat and missed leaps during platforming.

VERDICT

ReCore has a lot of great things going for it. Joule is a likable protagonist and her robotic companions are outright adorable. The platforming exploration is an absolute blast.

However, it's all dragged down by a combat system that ruins the game. The end result often frustrates as much as it excites.

Still, if you’re a die-hard fan of platformers in the old-school Nintendo style, ReCore will be a fun stopgap while you wait for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

If you lack that nostalgia for retro gaming, though, you might be best-served looking elsewhere.

Skagen Hagen Connected

KEY FEATURES

• Activity tracking
• Smartphone notifications
• Smart button
• Coin-cell battery
• Manufacturer: Skagen
• Review Price: £185.00

HANDS-ON: THE SKAGEN HAGEN CONNECTED IS ONE SUPER-STYLISH SMARTWATCH

Skagen is describing its Hagen Connected wearable as a "Hybrid Smartwatch", and that’s as apt a description as any. It’s also incredibly fun to say "Skagen Hagen". For those who are interested, "Hagen" apparently means “harbour” in Danish.

There’s a standard, non-smartwatch Skagen Hagen, too, but it’s the Skagen Hagen Connected we’re interested in. (OK, I'll stop writing "Skagen Hagen" now.) The Hagen Connected packs in activity tracking and a rather innovative way of integrating notifications.

Taking a Withings-style approach to design, the Hagen Connected first and foremost looks like a standard timepiece. Skagen’s watches are pretty famous for their thin, low-profile designs, and while the Hagen Connected isn’t as paper-thin as its dumbwatch cousins, it’s still pretty svelte and definitely very nice to look at.

Skagen is launching four different models and it had black, blue and white watch-face designs on display at the IFA tech show. A leather strap comes as standard, but this can also be swapped out for steel-mesh or silicone options.

When it comes to style, I actually prefer the design of the Hagen Connected over the newly announced Withings Steel HR; it looks a little slicker to my eyes.

Like the Withings Steel HR and Withings Activité range, there’s a sub-dial placed off to the side that tracks your steps throughout the day. The tech powering the activity tracking is actually provided by Misfit, another company now owned by Skagen’s parent company, Fossil. This should hopefully mean some effective and accurate activity and sleep tracking. You can monitor and set your goals through the Link companion app.

Without the digital display of the Steel HR, the Hagen Connected uses a rather clever way of providing rudimentary smartphone notifications. There’s a vibration motor inside, so this will buzz as expected to let you know that an email, text message or call has come in.

But where things get more interesting is that you can also program the watch dials to behave in a custom way through the app. This means that the hands can point to a specific combination of numbers for emails or even if you receive a message or call from a certain contact. The sub-dial has A, B, C, D markings to add another layer of notification marking.

It’s all quite stealthy, and is likely to appeal to people who don’t like messages popping up on their smartwatch at the dinner table for all to read. I think it's a clever way of sidestepping the lack of a proper display, while also avoiding information overload for those who just want a gentle nudge that something on their phone might be worthy of attention.

Other smart functionality comes in the form of the buttons along the side of the watch. A smart button can be used to take photos remotely, control your music, start fitness activity tracking or just ring your phone so you can find it – although your smartphone will need to be within Bluetooth range.

Another simple, but useful, addition is automatic time and date adjustment. If you’re a frequent traveller then you’ll appreciate the fact that the watch will update itself accordingly as you move between time zones. You can even jump between custom time zones by pressing a button on the side.

The Hagen Connected uses a standard watch cell, so you won’t need to charge it all the time. Skagen told me it should be good for six months of standard usage.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

The Skagen Hagen Connected is a seriously handsome smartwatch. It’s the type of device that I'd happily wear all day, regardless of occasion. I'm a huge fan of its discreet handling of notifications as well.

While the fitness credentials of the Withings Steel HR have it beat thanks to its heart rate monitor, there’s a great deal to like about the Skagen Hagen Connected if you simply have basic activity tracking needs and want at-a-glance notifications.

The only minor sticking point is price. The Hagen Connected will start at £185, which is a little pricey when up against the Steel HR. But when it comes to watches, design and materials do need to be factored in.

The Skagen Hagen Connected will be released in September. Check back for a full review as soon as I can get one around my wrist.