Rocksteady’s trilogy of Batman games have become gaming legend in recent years. Never before has a studio nailed the feel of a comic/movie icon so well in gaming form. Behind every great game though, are reams of artwork inspiring ambitious mechanics and design. The creative mind’s eye uses the page to provide the provisional jumping off point for others.
This hardback book is a celebration and homage to the journey of the Batman series’ aesthetics from concept through completion. It’s an absolute beast of a book too, a true coffee table piece if ever there was one. Weighing in at 2KG, The Art of Rocksteady’s Batman has 304 pages containing 400 high quality images. Concept art has long been an unlockable feature in video games, but high quality art assets are much better appreciated on the page rather than your TV screen.
Continue reading The Art of Rocksteady’s Batman: Arkham Asylum, Arkham City & Arkham Knight (Book Review) →
If ever a PS4 game deserves its own extensive strategy guide, it’s Bloodborne. Sony’s PS4 exclusive by From Software has rapidly become the PS4’s most essential title, adored by fans of Demon’s Souls and the Dark Souls series, as well as a fair few new fans, myself included.
I know what many of you are thinking, ‘why do I need a guide book, when the internet is out there?’ It’s a fair point and one impossible to ignore during this review. But having browsed multiple online wikis and read the weighty 550 pages of this guide with official information gathered from the devs themselves, it’s clear that this hardback guide is an essential purchase for fans of the game, whether they’re just getting started, looking for ways to finish off those last few bosses, master the incredible depths of the Chalice Dungeons or discover new weapons and how to use them. No stone is left unturned. Continue reading Bloodborne Collector’s Edition Strategy Guide Book (Review) – A light in the dark →
Before the fall of gaming’s most beloved and feared underwater utopia, there was a story never told. This uncovered tale is a prequel to the first two Bioshock games and tells of the creation of the underwater city of Rapture. Beginning with the concept and construction, and ending close to the start of the first game.
The fragmented audio diaries picked up by the dedicated gamer left haunting gaps in the fall of Andrew Ryan’s idealistic city, but there was no denying the chilling sense of despair pulsing through a recent demise. Some of the recordings are integrated into this story, not as lazy filler material, more as important documentation of the progression of a citywide insanity.
Continue reading Bioshock Rapture (Book Review) →
Any chance to take a look behind the scenes of the Uncharted series is always going to be eagerly snapped up, even more so when Nolan North, the man behind Nathan Drake is the guide.
Gaming’s most respected voice actor has written this book to share his experiences on the set of Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception. Unlike many games, the Uncharted series’ creators Naughty Dog, have their voice actors physically act out their roles together over months of work. Compared to the industry standard of sitting in a recording booth for a few days and then picking up a pay check, Uncharted is a huge gig and warrants a deeper look.
Continue reading Uncharted: Drake’s Journal by Nolan North (Book Review) →
Gaming reviews, previews and features by Brendan Griffiths
The No Sleep Gamer 