Category Archives: Features

Brendan Plays Surgeon Simulator on PS4 – Is this PS4’s most broken game?

Brendan Plays Surgeon Simulator on PS4 - Is this PS4's most broken game?

It doesn’t look like that medical career is ever going to happen for me. That said, I’d like to think that I’d be able to hold medical equipment with more conviction portrayed by the downright awful controls in Surgeon Simulator on PS4, where my dainty grip would indicate I’m holding a piss-soaked towel rather than a bone cutting electrical saw.

‘But that’s part of the fun’ I hear you say. Admittedly, anyone in the room that watched my increasingly futile attempts at a heart transplant were in stitches, probably because they know how angry I was getting. When you’re trying to control the action though, the joke wears thin pretty quick, especially when one of the multiple glitches sees sheets get stuck to your fingers or your hand gets trapped in the rib cage or on a table rail.

There might be a review coming soon, but I should probably stop using Dr ‘Hi everybody!’ Nick videos for tutorials if I want to make any more progress. If that bunch of mindless plebs in Scrubs and Grey’s Anatomy are supposed to be surgeons, I really should be doing better. For now I’m going back to having nightmares about having to review an Octodad/Surgeon Simulator crossover.

Continue reading Brendan Plays Surgeon Simulator on PS4 – Is this PS4’s most broken game?

Sony let the Vita and Move die. Is Project Morpheus already doomed?

Sony let the Vita and Move die. Is Project Morpheus already doomed?

As gamers, we really hope VR takes off. Oculus Rift has impressed us since we first put the virtual reality headset on and back in March, Sony announced Project Morpheus, their own brand of VR headset that would let PS4 gamers to get involved. Which, speaking as a non PC gamer, was music to my ears as I was getting dangerously close to investing in a rig so I could play with an Oculus Rift.

But is Project Morpheus doomed to follow the disturbing pattern Sony has dragged itself through over the last few years? The main PlayStation consoles have been huge successes of course; I’m talking about the state of affairs for the PS Move controllers and the PS Vita.

Continue reading Sony let the Vita and Move die. Is Project Morpheus already doomed?

The Sunday Seven – Beginner Tips for Diablo III: Ultimate Evil Edition

diablo-3-ultimate-evil-edition-guide-

So, you patiently waited for the PS4/XO version of Diablo III, or Diablo III Reaper of Souls: Ultimate Evil Edition if we’re going with the full name. This new edition is stuffed with extra content, like the Reaper of Souls expansion, but you’re going to have to do some serious levelling before you can look the reaper in the eye.

For those of you that didn’t play the original Diablo III to death two years ago, we’ve put together seven top tips for all you new adventurers out there to make your life that little bit easier. Naturally, we’d love to hear any hints you might have whether you’re a Diablo regular or a newb with a hot tip.

Continue reading The Sunday Seven – Beginner Tips for Diablo III: Ultimate Evil Edition

Top 5 Most Important Vita Moments at Gamescom 2014

Top 5 Most Important Vita Moments at Gamescom 2014

Sony’s handheld just gets quieter and quieter each passing expo season and this year was arguably its darkest yet, with Sony barely mentioning their once proud handheld. The Vita is a quality piece of kit, but it never caught the imaginations of the third-party developers in the triple A scene. Instead it has become the champion of niche and indie titles. While we here at Dealspwn love our indie games, they’re never going to be the true system sellers the Vita badly needs. That said, we’ve done some digging around at Gamescom 2014 to see what lies ahead for the PS Vita. Here’s our Top 5 most important moments we took away from this year’s Gamescom.

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Hellblade (Preview) – The Heavenly Sword Connection Examined

Hellblade Preview – The Heavenly Sword Connection Examined

Hellblade was announced to be in development this week during Sony’s Gamescom presser. All we had to go on was a brief trailer (see bottom of article) with no signs of gameplay. But the short reveal was enough to get gamers thinking that the new Ninja Theory game was the long-awaited Heavenly Sword sequel. Join us for a deeper look at what we know so far and we’ll examine the connections between the two games.

Continue reading Hellblade (Preview) – The Heavenly Sword Connection Examined

Top 5 Reveals for Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Multiplayer

Top 5 Reveals for Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Multiplayer

The exoskeleton is out of the bag folks, Activision has finally shown off the eagerly awaited multiplayer for Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. It’s time to take a look at the five most exciting things unveiled by today’s live stream. As ever, we’d love to hear your thoughts on the new-look multiplayer too.

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The Sunday Seven – Why Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Deserves Your Attention

The Sunday Seven - Why Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Deserves Your Attention

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is going to be big news come November 4th. No surprise there, but could this year’s title be a game changer for the series? As enjoyable as COD has been in recent years, there’s no denying that recent entries have played things a little safe and not attempted to push any large scale changes. Well, apart from seeing a dog take down a helicopter, which was all sorts of stupid, or awesome, I’ll never be able to decide. So, unless the series is going to feature a cat taking on a submarine there will have to be other ways to get us psyched for the new game. Thankfully it would seem there are quite a few reasons; here are seven of the best.

Continue reading The Sunday Seven – Why Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Deserves Your Attention

5 Essential Tips About New-Gen Re-Releases

5 Essential Tips About New-Gen Re-Releases

With the news this week that Sleeping Dogs is to be re-released for the PS4 and Xbox One (and PC for that matter), the issue of old games being remastered for the new-gen consoles has again become a hot talking point among many gamers. Are they good value? Or a rip-off to fleece gamers who don’t have many titles to play on their shiny next-gen machines? Is there any point? Well, here are our five essential tips to help clear the waters a little.

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Opening Scenes | Oddworld: New ‘N’ Tasty – 15 Mins PS4 Gameplay

Abe’s Oddysee was one of our favourite 2D platformers back in the PS1’s heyday, so we’re delighted that Just Add Water has given the game a shiny HD makoever, although we’re not sold, nor see the point of, the new name – Oddworld: New ‘N’ Tasty. In addition to the new visuals, the separate screens that broke up a stage as you ran onto them from left to right have been replaced with one smoothly scrolling stage. Continue reading Opening Scenes | Oddworld: New ‘N’ Tasty – 15 Mins PS4 Gameplay

Destiny Beta Iron Banner Mode PS4 Gameplay

Play Iron Banner Mode tonight!

With the Destiny Beta finishing tomorrow, we’ve been squeezing every last drop from the game. We even managed to get a few matches on the elusive Iron Banner mode and record a few tasty videos for you. This special mode only unlocks for the briefest of windows, allowing players the chance to partake in a new multiplayer mode where all the stats for weapons and armor are taken into account, meaning having earned the best gear could give you an advantage. Continue reading Destiny Beta Iron Banner Mode PS4 Gameplay

Opening Scenes | Destiny Beta Gameplay – First 15 Mins on PS4

After a successful Alpha test last month, we’ve been itching to play more Destiny and have been all over the new Beta which launched earlier this week. Our first video of the new build includes the opening cinematic and the entire first mission. Continue reading Opening Scenes | Destiny Beta Gameplay – First 15 Mins on PS4

Standalone DLC Like Infamous: First Light Must Become The New Norm

Games are expensive. Add in the fact that new-gen games are £10-£20 more expensive than they were on PS3/360 and it’s not surprising that many gamers opt to trade in their games as soon as they’re done.

With multiplayer orientated titles like Battlefield or Titanfall, they may keep hold of them a little while longer if they’re still fun or reliable online. The promise of extra maps to download further down the line make trading them in a risky proposition, after all nobody wants to miss out.

But what about games like Infamous: Second Son? With no multiplayer component and a Platinum Trophy available over two playthroughs through less than 20 hours of play, there isn’t much reason to keep the game. It makes much more sense to trade it in or make even more money back by listing it on eBay. Even if you really enjoyed a game, it’s worth noting that you could sell for a high price soon after launch and then buy again for a quarter of the price in a few years’ time when you fancy reliving the experience.

Continue reading Standalone DLC Like Infamous: First Light Must Become The New Norm

2015’s Hits Are So Far Away. But So What?

After the lengthy presentations on day zero of E3 concluded, I couldn’t shake the feeling that there really wasn’t much to look forwards to in the next few months. Every exciting trailer or tantalising CG reveal blasted the same message: come back and see me in 2015, Brendan.

This would seem the case for most console owners, be it PS4, Wii U or Xbox One. As a PS4 owner though, I felt there was that little bit less to look forwards to though. Sitting through the Microsoft presser and watching them make it all about the games, there was no getting around the fact they were having an amazing show.

I’ve never been a Halo fan, but for those that are, the lack of many new games to play at Christmas doesn’t seem too bad when they get to replay their old favourites with a next-gen lick of paint. Perhaps, it’s just the lack of interesting Holiday exclusives that are getting me down.

Continue reading 2015’s Hits Are So Far Away. But So What?

Destiny Could Own 2014… If It Fixes Some Problems

It’s hard to feel bad about England’s early stumble in the World Cup when we’ve been able to play the Alpha test of Destiny all weekend. In short, it’s been tonnes of fun and it looks like Bungie are onto a winner. Naturally, there’s a lot to like about the new shooter (like being able to aim down the sights right, Bungie!), but we’ve also comes across a few things we’d like to see sorted by the time the full release touches down in September.

Continue reading Destiny Could Own 2014… If It Fixes Some Problems

E3 2014 Predictions: Brendan’s Last Gasp Picks

Having a cheeky pre-E3 holiday was a great idea. Well, aside from the lack of internet, being awake for the last 36 hours, still having sand from the Aegean in my hair and suffering from regular twitchy lucid flashbacks of that spider that invaded my apartment one night.

But it’s the day before the biggest day in any gamers’ calendar and now that I’m no longer at the mercy of Wi-Fi powered by stray cats on a treadmill, I thought I better chuck in my Day zero predictions as the rest of the team have done for Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, EA and Ubisoft at E3 2014. Enjoy! I’m off to check my bed for spiders as big as my face. Continue reading E3 2014 Predictions: Brendan’s Last Gasp Picks

VIDEO: Wolfenstein: The New Order Retro Bonus Level

We’ve been having a blast all week here shootin’, stabbin’ and stranglin’ Nazis with Wolfenstein: The New Order. Did you also know that there’s a bonus stage which old school gamers will most certainly get a kick out of? I’ve captured some footage, so take a look. Feel free to let us know what you think of the game if you have it already or ask any questions. But yeah, you should buy it.  Continue reading VIDEO: Wolfenstein: The New Order Retro Bonus Level

The Sunday Seven: Ways for Sony to Win E3 2014

Not long to go now before gaming’s Superbowl lands in LA and we all go crazy for the latest new games, exciting demos and those massive revelations. Sony are going to have a hard time topping last year, where they delivered some heavy blows to their rival Microsoft, who stuttered their way through the Xbox One’s build-up campaign.

This year’s E3 is all about maintaining the pace and staying ahead of the Redwood company, especially now the two consoles are similarly priced. So, here’s seven ways for Sony to win E3 2014. Continue reading The Sunday Seven: Ways for Sony to Win E3 2014

Oculus Rift Hands-On Preview – Say goodbye to your TV

Even as a resolute console gamer, I couldn’t wait to get my face into an Oculus Rift virtual reality headset. Even with the recent Project Morpheus announcement for the PS4, I was keen to see how the one that got the ball truly rolling for VR again handled.

Was Oculus Rift set to become the future of gaming? Well to look forwards, I needed to look back. More specifically, I visited the Play Blackpool expo, an event that focuses on retro consoles and arcade cabinets. So rather appropriately, I was able to try out one of the earliest attempts at VR in the Nintendo Virtual Boy and Mario Tennis. Who was I kidding though; the main reason I had for attending was for a little glimpse of the future by being able to get my head into an Oculus Rift. Continue reading Oculus Rift Hands-On Preview – Say goodbye to your TV

What next for the Infamous series on PS4?

As an industry fuelled by both fans and media constantly looking forwards to the future of the big games, it wasn’t long after finishing Infamous: Second Son, that many minds started to wonder what the future held for the Infamous series. Strong sales so far suggest that a sequel is highly likely, as Sony will want to strengthen the brand into a PS4 front-runner along with their critically acclaimed Uncharted series.

If the Infamous series is to continue though, it will need to evolve in order to remain a relevant IP. Second Son was a solid next-gen debut, but it could be argued that it was a remarkably safe entry. For a sequel, players will be expecting Sucker Punch to push the boat out and get creative, as (graphics aside) there was little to differentiate the latest game from the old ones. Sucker Punch has hit the ground running on the PS4 and proved that they have no problems getting some gorgeous visuals from the new hardware, but what else can we looked forward to in the fourth Infamous game?

Continue reading What next for the Infamous series on PS4?

Project Morpheus PS4 Virtual Reality Headset Needs These Titles

Project Morpheus PS4 Virtual Reality Headset Needs These Titles

Sony has finally officially unveiled their virtual reality headset, codenamed Project Morpheus. As a console gamer, I’ve been jealously stealing glances at the PC-only Oculus Rift headset that’s been edging closer to consumers over the last year and am greatly relieved I’m not going to have to invest in a high-tech PC to enjoy some VR gaming. Continue reading Project Morpheus PS4 Virtual Reality Headset Needs These Titles