MonsterVine’s Holiday Gift Guide For October 2021

Let the crew over here at MonsterVine take the hard part out of figuring out what gift to get that particularly picky person. We’ve got it covered here from the latest hardware, to frightful games!

SCARY (AWESOME) ACCESSORIES

EwinRacing 2.0 Edition RGB Gaming Desk – $399 [Diego]
In the market for a new desk? Then I might have the one just for you. EwinRacing’s RGB Gaming Desk is a solid piece of furniture and I mean that in the literal sense. This thing is solid. Made of a carbon fiber material for the top, and aluminum legs, I felt pretty comfortable having all my equipment on it and trusting that it’ll stay sturdy. Being a “gamer” desk, it of course features a gratuitous amount of RGB lights, with about a dozen or so varying patterns to cycle through. RGBs everywhere isn’t particularly my style, but it’s still kind of fun to have sometimes. It also features some nifty extras like cable management holes and even a cup holder; a separate model even replaces one of the cable holes for a wireless charger if that’s more to your liking. It’s a neat product, and you can also save 30% off of it with our code “MONSTER”. Read the full review here

Minuendo Lossless Earplugs – $150 [Austin]
Earplugs might not seem like something worth plopping down cash for, but these Lossless earplugs from Minuendo are an engineering marvel. Not only do they come with a carrying case, cleaning brush and tethering strap, but they have dynamic adjustable hearing protection from 7-25dB. Now that live music is becoming a lot more common, we need to remind ourselves that having good hearing isn’t lame, and wearing comfortable, adjustable earplugs is a smart decision that your future self (or gift recipient) will thank you for. Feeling lucky? Check out our giveaway for your chance to win a pair!

Lyra AKG Condenser Mic – $155 [Austin]
Tabletop condenser microphone with as many cardioid patterns that you could imagine. The Lyra Mic is the top end of AKG’s (by Harman) latest gaming and podcasting lineup of products. Plug and Play via USB-C the microphone works on nearly every productivity device you could own. I’ve been testing it on my Macbook Air and my OnePlus phone (via an OTG cable) and on-device gain control the versatility really shines through. With 4 Cardioid patterns (a setting that dictates where the mic should be listening for sound) the use cases are far greater than a standard desktop microphone. Perfect for the podcaster that wants to make it easy for in-person, multi-person recording sessions without having to fuss with individual mics (via the wide stereo pattern), or a one on one interview (via front & back) and even if you are just recording something solo (front). Crips, rich vocal capture, with versatility for the person just getting into vocal recording, or someone looking to take their online conversations to the next level.

HORRIFYING GAMES

The Medium – $50 [Diego]
Bloober Team have quickly made a name for themselves in the horror scene, and while I loved Layers of Fear, I think The Medium might edge it out in scares. Playing as Marianne, you investigate a dilapidated hotel in search of answers to how you get your medium powers. It’s not a quick and easy trip as you’d expect, with things quickly deteriorating into running from a lanky monstrosity who wants to wear your skin.

The Medium’s main gimmick is how your screen will split in two, as you can control Marianne simultaneously in the material and spirit realm. It’s an interesting mechanic that leads to some fun moments, but I think it’s the game’s ability to get under your skin that I’m impressed with. The music is just perfect at setting dread without needing anything blatantly scary happening on screen (which should come at no surprise considering Akira Yamaoka had a hand in this).

I was honestly a bit hesitant on the game when it initially released, but after spending some time with it I’ve had a complete turnaround on it. Plus it does this dumb thing where when the world splits, half my keyboard lights up white and the other half orange. It’s stupid but it gives me that delicious serotonin. Read the full review here

Observer: System Redux – $30 [Austin]
The perfect Cyberpunk crime detective game you might have missed when it was first released in 2017, Observer launched on next gen consoles (and got a PC upgrade) to include more story content and upgraded visuals. If you’re looking for an early gift, or for those on your list that just want every month to have a Halloween equivalent, the Bloober Team catalog of games continues to deliver. Observer Redux isn’t a combat or action focused game, but instead builds on cyberpunk themes and tropes in a way that layers on tension, suspense and a bit of anxiety. Playing it for the first time I felt like I was a part of this dystopian, augmented future-world that doesn’t feel too far from the realm of possibilities. The detailed environments all have this dirty, lived-in design to them, grounding me into the spaces and making the ‘brain hacking’ scenarios feel a lot more plausible. The mysterious villain in this future-noir story pulled me through at the edge of my seat, and the constant visual trickery and effects had me laughing out of confusion and wanting to see more.Read the full review here

Source: https://monstervine.com/2021/10/monstervines-holiday-gift-guide-for-october-2021/