Features

Top 7 Gaming Features We Need In Real-Life

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Games are great, they really are. They allow us to do things that science, reality and the like are probably never going to allow. It’s not just the glory of stabbing dragons in the face, or the elation of winning the world cup that we wish would spice up the real world every now and then though.

There are lots of little features in gaming that we take for granted, but would be incredibly helpful in the real world. Here’s seven of the best. Don’t forget to let us know some of your own too! Continue reading Top 7 Gaming Features We Need In Real-Life →

Interactive Drama, PC, Platforms, PlayStation 3, PS4, Reviews, Xbox 360, Xbox One

Life is Strange: Episode 1: Chrysalis (Review)

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For years, Telltale has been the only name associated with quality (yet incredibly buggy) episodic gaming, but we’re delighted to see some new blood enter the blossoming genre. Life is Strange is leading the way with Remember Me developers, Dontnod Entertainment, bringing us a brand new IP over five episodes through digital platforms.

I’ve always been rather cautious with this type of game. Knowing I have little patience for waiting, I’ve played the likes of Walking Dead and The Wolf Among Us once a season has finished, as I didn’t want to wait weeks/months between episodes to find out what happens next. It’s a Netflix mentality that’s going to drive me insane with Life is Strange. I’ve played one episode and I’m hooked. The time between episodes is going to draaaag.

Continue reading Life is Strange: Episode 1: Chrysalis (Review) →

Features, PC, Platforms, PS4, Xbox One

Battlefield: Hardline Top 5 Survival Tips

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It’s ok, I know your pain. You promised yourself you’d put a bit of time into the likes of Battlefield 4, Destiny or Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare in order to get your online multiplayer skills up to scratch, but where has that time gone.

If you signed up to the new Battlefield: Hardline open beta you might be having a bit of tough time getting back into the swing of things. I can’t stop people shooting you in the back half a second after respawning, or offer any logical advice on how to fly a helicopter, but here are five survival tips that should make life less difficult. Continue reading Battlefield: Hardline Top 5 Survival Tips →

Features, Platforms, PlayStation 3, Previews, Video, Xbox 360

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII | Combat Playthrough

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Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII | Combat Playthrough

Only a few short weeks to go now before the concluding part of the Final Fantasy XIII trilogy and we’re celebrating with a video playthrough to show you the new combat system. The apparently not backwardly-named Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, has ditched the stale combat of the last two games by assigning various attacks and spells to the face buttons of your controller.

Customisation is back in style too as you can enter battle with three different Schema, each with their own set of skills to give you extra combat options. With around 70 Schema to choose from in the final game -each of them customisable too- the depth on offer is looking absolutely huge. For the most part, Lightning will be on her own, but the Schema changes give the game a quasi team-based feel and the slicker combat feels like Square Enix could be onto a winner. Plus, Lightning is easily the best member of the XIII cast. Continue reading Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII | Combat Playthrough →

Horror, Platforms, PS4, Reviews

Resident Evil HD Remaster (Review)

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The original survival horror brand is back and for once we’re not rolling our eyes at another HD makeover. Rather than an unnecessary PS4 port of Resi 5 or 6, this is a HD makeover of the 2002 GameCube exclusive remake of the 1996 PS1 Resident Evil. For those of you yet to play the GC version, this will be a remarkable experience if you enjoyed the original game.

The remake was extremely faithful to the original, meaning lots of fixed camera angles and pre-rendered backgrounds. There’s no need to worry about the dated ‘tank’ controls as there’s an option to switch to modern analogue movement rather than having to spin on the spot before moving. The different camera angles as you move onto a new screen can still have disastrous results that see you accidentally turn around and run straight back into a zombie’s bitey embrace though.

Continue reading Resident Evil HD Remaster (Review) →

Features, Platforms, PS4

The Order: 1886 – Another ‘next-gen’ letdown or a victim of poorly chosen demos?

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There’s something not quite right with The Order: 1886. It’s undeniably gorgeous, a testament to the power under the hood of the PS4, but having played it at expos and press events and watched extra footage, many are struggling to form an attachment to the game.

Where there should be a giddy urge to have the game in our lives as soon as possible, which should be a part of any AAA console-exclusive, we find ourselves struggling to gather much enthusiasm for Sony’s first big game of 2015. Given the rather lacklustre gameplay scenes we’ve seen so far, we can’t help but think that Sony has decided on some oddly dull demos to try and hook us journos and gamers in. Are they avoiding spoilers, or does The Order: 1886 just not have that much to show? Continue reading The Order: 1886 – Another ‘next-gen’ letdown or a victim of poorly chosen demos? →

Platforms, PS4, Uncategorized, Xbox One

The Sunday Seven: 2015’s hottest new game brands

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2015 and beyond will be packed with sequels and annual franchise updates. What gets us really excited though is the new games. New IPs or gaming brands that we haven’t seen before. Sometimes they’ll bring in new ideas, or huge ambitions from small teams. There are already lots of sweet new titles to look forwards to and here our seven of the hottest up and coming contenders. Continue reading The Sunday Seven: 2015’s hottest new game brands →

Features

10 New Year’s Resolutions for Game Publishers and Devs

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In recent years we’ve written numerous New Year’s Resolutions articles on things we, as gamers, can do to make the most of our gaming. 2014 saw lots of publishers and development studios being rather naughty though. So, just in-case our delivery of coal didn’t drive the message home, we have ten New Year’s Resolutions that developers and studios should follow. Continue reading 10 New Year’s Resolutions for Game Publishers and Devs →

Features, Platforms, PlayStation 3, PS4, PSN (PlayStation Store), XBLA, Xbox 360, Xbox One

7 Ways to Stop Hackers Ruining Your Christmas Gaming

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Hacker losers have once again screwed over gamers by hacking into PSN and Xbox Live just in time for one of the busiest times of the year. Sure, the hackers think they’re punishing the big companies, or ‘sticking it to the man’, but in fact, they’re affecting regular folk who want to enjoy a bit of online gaming with friends over the holidays before heading back to work. Let’s face it, Destiny is more useful as a coaster when offline. Rather than list the painful punishments we wish on the hackers, we’ve come up with seven things to do with your consoles that the hackers can’t interfere with.

Continue reading 7 Ways to Stop Hackers Ruining Your Christmas Gaming →

Features, PC, Platforms, PlayStation 3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One

The Sunday Seven: How Assassin’s Creed Rogue smashes Unity

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Assassin’s Creed Rogue has been living under the shadow of Assassin’s Creed Unity since it was announced that both games would be sharing a release window. When both were moved to the very same day, faithful and eager new-gen fans of course opted for Unity. Sadly, that loyalty was rewarded by a broken and oddly dull entry. But now that we’ve had time to play through both games, it’s clear that Ubisoft has released a fantastic Assassin’s title this year, but one you’ll have to dust off the PS3 or 360 for. So then, here are seven reasons why Rogue has absolutely smashed Unity.

Continue reading The Sunday Seven: How Assassin’s Creed Rogue smashes Unity →

First Person Shooters, PC, Platforms, PlayStation 3, PS4, Reviews, Xbox 360, Xbox One

Far Cry 4 (Review)

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We’ve been dying for another gargantuan open-world FPS since Far Cry 3 and nothing’s come close to providing an equal timesink if we’re honest. There was promise in Destiny, but their version of our local solar system ended up being a collection of corridors and desolate wastelands with inane missions and a leveling system that demanded too much for little in return. So, chances are Ubisoft are running unopposed here, it’s not like they’re going to mess up one of their leading franchises. Well, not two of them in one year…

You are Ajay Ghale, a prodigal son returning to the Himalayan region of Kyrat to carry on his father’s work of leading a rebel group called the Golden Path against the tyrannical forces of Pagan Min. Min himself is the pink-suited fellow we’ve come to know in reveals over the last few months and is a larger than life character that suitably camps things up one moment, only to shiv a soldier in the neck over nothing the next. He’s a brilliant villain, but I’m enormously sad to report that he rarely makes an appearance for most of the game.

Continue reading Far Cry 4 (Review) →

Features, Platforms, PSN (PlayStation Store)

The Sunday Seven: Top 7 Influential Brands on PS1

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Earlier this week, the PS1 (or PSX for our US readers) turned 20 years old since its Japanese birth in 1994. Think about that, we’ve been playing PlayStation for 20 years. There have been some incredible innovations and games from the multiple generations of PlayStation. But let’s take a look at seven of the most influentialbrands that shaped the original PS1’s success and turned the gaming world upside-down.

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News

The Morning Papers | New Trailers for Breakfast

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After years of being pained by the Spike VGAs, we’re not getting pulled into watching award shows in the middle of the night anymore. Even if they do promise some hot new trailers. The rebranded Game Awards 2014 kicked off around 2am GMT this morning and we have links to the winners and nominees below. You’ll also find links to the best trailers that emerged from the show. Let us know what’s caught your eye. So enjoy the videos the way you’re supposed to -with bacon and a brew.

In case you missed it…

Platformer, Platforms, PS4, Reviews, Xbox One

Never Alone (Review)

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never-alone-review--Never Alone is an indie platformer about the adventures of a young Iñupiat girl and an arctic fox. The Iñupiat are a native Alaskan tribe, whose culture has inspired the setting and story of the title. This culture is no mere window dressing either, throughout the game you’ll unlock video interviews with Iñupiat folk who discuss various elements of their culture, usually neatly setting up the next part of the game.

Unlike most mini-documentary videos in games, these are incredibly interesting and perfectly woven into the experience. You don’t have to watch them in between levels, but I found the warm anecdotes allowed me to appreciate the new environments and characters much more than I would have done if I watched them after finishing the game.

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Action, PC, Platformer, Platforms, PS4, Reviews, Xbox One

Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham (Review)

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lego-batman-3-boxPlaying Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham after Lego Marvel does little to hide the comparative paucity of star power in DC’s lineup. Beyond the Batman and Superman universes, you’re almost constantly left shrugging your shoulders at the characters on your screen.

This is notable from an early cutscene with a selection of naughty Lanterns messing about in space, which will have all but regular DC readers shrugging their shoulders with indifference until the Joker and Lex Luthor show up to add a bit of class to the villains stable. Continue reading Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham (Review) →

Features, PC, Platforms, PS4, Xbox One

Are Ubisoft Taunting Gamers With Female Assassins in Unity?

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Are Ubisoft Taunting Gamers With Female Assassins in Unity?

Remember when Ubisoft said they didn’t have the resources to include female character models for the co-op mode Assassin’s Creed Unity? Well, Ubi, what the hell are these two doing? I’m pretty sure those are boobs.

It would seem Ubisoft found enough ‘resources’ to include a bit of eye-candy around the Brotherhood. To be fair, it doesn’t look like these two are using the 8000 animations that apparently would have been required to include female character models in the co-op mode.

Continue reading Are Ubisoft Taunting Gamers With Female Assassins in Unity? →

Features, Platforms, PS4, Xbox One

The Sunday Seven: Assassin’s Creed Unity Survival Tips

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assassins_creed_unity_survival-tips-guide

Assassin’s Creed Unity is seriously tough. Even when the various glitches and bugs aren’t making Arno’s life hell, there are plenty of other factors that make pulling off hits an unforgiving gauntlet of snipers and swordsman. We feel your pain though, and have come up with seven top tips to put you on the right path. And no, one of them isn’t buy Assassin’s Creed Rogue instead. I eventually came up with a seventh in the end. Happy hunting!

Continue reading The Sunday Seven: Assassin’s Creed Unity Survival Tips →

Action, PC, Platforms, PS4, Reviews, Xbox One

Assassin’s Creed Unity (Review)

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Brought a Knife to a Gunfight

Assassin’s Creed Unity marks the series’ true ‘next-gen’ debut as the game is only available on the newest consoles (and PC). With Black Flag performing so well on all formats last year, you’d think that Ubisoft were set to hit the ground running with their latest title that sees the series make the jump to Revolutionary Paris.

The modern day part of the story plays a back seat this time, which is a shame after the interesting Abstergo mole activities of Black Flag. In 18th century Paris, you play as Arno, one of many Parisians without the faintest trace of a French accent (everyone’s moved from Yorkshire and Gloucester apparently), who is suddenly thrust into the life of an Assassin with very little explanation at all. To be fair, Ubisoft is probably sick of setting up new Assassins by now.

Continue reading Assassin’s Creed Unity (Review) →

Features, PC, Platforms, PlayStation 3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One

The Sunday Seven: Improvements for the next Call of Duty

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The Sunday Seven: Improvements for the next Call of Duty

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare has been a fantastic return for the mega-selling first-person-shooter franchise. In my review I heaped praised upon both the campaign mode and the fun multiplayer options, mainly because of the excellent shift in style afforded by the exoskeleton. All in all, it’s the best Call of Duty game in years. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement. There are still ways in which Call of Duty could blow away the competition and here are seven ways they could do it.

Continue reading The Sunday Seven: Improvements for the next Call of Duty →

First Person Shooters, PC, Platforms, PlayStation 3, PS4, Reviews, Xbox 360, Xbox One

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (Review)

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Call-of-Duty-Advanced-Warfare-PS4Before Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare landed on our doormats, this has been a year to remember for the first person shooter. The likes of Titanfall and Destiny have made vital efforts to push the envelope in terms of what we can expect from a shooter.

Titanfall has been a fun-packed title with awesome mechs, jetpack parkour and some decent DLC, despite server issues that made the early months a little rough. And Destiny, well the jury’s still out a little there as Bungie’s MMOFPS has been a little light on content for many gamers, but there’s a solid foundation. It’s been a year where developers have attempted to shake things up, and for that they should be applauded. And let’s face it, the sequels could be incredible if they take the feedback on board.

Continue reading Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (Review) →

Gaming reviews, previews and features by Brendan Griffiths