Hands-on previews, Platforms, PlayStation 3, Previews, Xbox 360

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII (Hands-On Preview)

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Despite the recent Tokyo Game Show giving players a chance to explore an open world portion of Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, visitors to the Eurogamer Expo were stuck indoors in a strictly linear series of combat tutorials. With the combat system being my biggest grievance with the FFXIII series though, this is exactly what I wanted.

So after a cutscene that made little sense without the relevant context, I’m thrown straight into a tutorial. Given that Lightning Returns is making bold steps to move away from the ‘bash X to win’ mentality that has plagued 90% of the battles in the last two games I was certainly keen to get stuck into the lesson.

Lightning fights alone in this game, so forget the notion of parties. Stop! Come back, long-suffering Final Fantasy fan. To give combat the depth of a team you have various Schemata outfits to choose from. If you think of the interchangeable dress-spheres from the divisive FFX-2 on the PS2, you’ll find the concept easy to follow.

Continue reading Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII (Hands-On Preview) →

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PS4 Day One Firmware Update Adds Essential Features

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Sony have announced that a firmware update will be awaiting gamers on launch day in order to add some essential features. Firmware update 1.50 will only be around 300MB, so shouldn’t take as long as the Xbox One’s day one update at least.

The update will unlock Remote Play (use the Vita instead of your TV), Second Screen (Vita/tablets/mobile function) and the video sharing and spectating features. There’s also multiple logins, the play while you download feature, voice chat, facial recognition and voice commands and a background music player. But most importantly, the update will unlock online multiplayer and DVD/Blu-ray playback functionality. Continue reading PS4 Day One Firmware Update Adds Essential Features →

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Golden Joystick Awards 2013 – The Winners

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It’s award season folks and we have the full list of winners for the 31st Golden Joysticks awards that took place in London on Friday. It’s worth noting though that many of this year’s biggest games haven’t even been released yet. The Golden Joysticks usually feature winners of games that are nearly a year old, but there seems to be a fair share of titles from the same year as the one on the trophy for a change this year.

The Last of Us, Bioshock Infinite, and Payday 2 were amongst the worthy winners. But World of Tanks for Best Online Multiplayer seems like the most paid for trophy of the night. Click through to see the complete list of winners and let us know your own picks too. Continue reading Golden Joystick Awards 2013 – The Winners →

Hands-on previews, Platforms, Previews, PS4

Killzone: Shadow Fall (Multiplayer Hands-On Preview)

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Killzone: Shadow Fall Multiplayer Hands-On Preview | Fast-Tracking to the Big Guns

Fast-Tracking to the Big Guns


Guerrilla Games know they’re up against it when competing for our time in the busy arena of FPS multiplayer games. How do you encourage gamers to give you a fair shot when Call of Duty and Battlefield are so dominant? How about unlocking all the core features from the start?

All weapons and class abilities will be available without the usual grinding; enabling you to try everything and discover what combination works best for you. This is a great idea and allows for a more even playing field for newcomers against players that have been living in the servers since launch day.

Continue reading Killzone: Shadow Fall (Multiplayer Hands-On Preview) →

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NBA 2K14 Next Gen Trailer Drops Jaws

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Fancy taking a peak at a graphical benchmark for next-gen sports games? Of course you do, so here’s some footage of swaggering NBA basketballers in 2K’s upcoming next-gen version of NBA 2K14. The video shows some jaw-dropping in-game graphics, with an epic Mr-T beard on the Houston Rockets’ Harden being the obvious highlight.

If genre-leading visuals are your thing, it may well be worth hanging on for the next-gen versions of the game that launch on the same days as the PS4 and Xbone. Matt reviewed the 360 version recently and gave it an 8/10, so expect big things. Continue reading NBA 2K14 Next Gen Trailer Drops Jaws →

Action, Interactive Drama, Platforms, PlayStation 3, Reviews

Beyond: Two Souls (Review)

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Beyond-PS3-boxSpectator Spectre


Following Heavy Rain must have been a daunting task. The interactive drama wasn’t to everyone’s tastes thanks to the quick time event heavy gameplay. But there’s no denying it was a unique game that told a story in a way a film would never be able to.

So here we are with Beyond: Two Souls, another game written and directed by David Cage and developed by the highly respected Quantic Dream. Beyond, enters new territory though, dropping the crime genre for a tale with a sci-fi edge that’s keen to cut into the concept of death and what awaits us on the other side. It has an episodic feel, making it more comparable to a TV series than a film. I mean, how many 12 hour films have you seen recently?

We’ve come to expect actors’ performances to play a key role in Quantic Dream titles, with some excellent work from the cast of Heavy Rain and the excellent facial motion-capture that lifted the game high above the competition. So it makes sense that this time they would reach out to Hollywood and bag some big-name talent.

Continue reading Beyond: Two Souls (Review) →

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Play Assassin’s Creed IV Early on the Black Flag Tour

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Fancy getting your hands on some next-gen Assassin’s Creed? Then check out the lengthy list of UK Universities Ubisoft are visiting so you can play Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag on the PS4. I played the PS4 version at the Eurogamer Expo and it’s absolutely gorgeous, so get down there and have a look if you’re still on the fence about whether to buy the game on a current or next-gen console. Prizes will be available too.

The events take place at the venues and dates listed below from 10am-6pm, so chances are you won’t have to spend much time queuing. There’s no need to book a place either, just turn up! Expect the venues to be over 18s only, so ID may be required, although there’s no mention of you having to be a student at that Uni to get in. Continue reading Play Assassin’s Creed IV Early on the Black Flag Tour →

Action, Platforms, PlayStation 3, PS Vita, Retro, Reviews, RPG

Dragon’s Crown (Review)

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Dragon’s Crown is a fond throwback to classic side-scrolling beat ‘em ups like Streets of Rage, or more specifically, Golden Axe (you can totally ride dragons!). Stages involve going from left to right with a four-strong group consisting of knights, amazons, dwarves, elves, wizards or sorceresses. There’s a boss with a health bar as wide as your TV at the end of each one too, with one of them being a clever nod to a certain Monty Python film. Sold yet?

You’re spoilt for choice, with six different character types to choose from. They’re ranked from beginner to expert, but to be honest you’ll be fine going with whichever takes your fancy from the start and you’re allowed to have a few on the go at once.

Continue reading Dragon’s Crown (Review) →

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Dragon’s Crown Getting Cross-Play Patch Soon

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What started as bad news has now turned into good news for the mighty RPG beat ’em up, Dragon’s Crown. The game’s PR team recently reached out to let us know that there was a printing error on the back of the European/Australian boxes for the Vita version, indicating the game supported cross-play (instead of cross-save) functionality with the PS3.

Don’t feel bad for long though, as the devs have seen fit to finally start working on a patch for cross-play support so Vita and PS3 gamers can play together. Japan and America will be getting the update first as the game has been out in those territories longer than the EU, but we expect we’ll be getting it soon too. Continue reading Dragon’s Crown Getting Cross-Play Patch Soon →

Action, Platformer, Platforms, PlayStation 3, PSN (PlayStation Store), Puzzle, Reviews

Rain (Review)

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psn ps3 game rain

The Heavens open and darkness falls


Sony have a strong history in recent years of nurturing development talent eager to try something a little offbeat, risky or arty. We’ve had Journey and The Unfinished Swan and we’re bound to see more of their kind on the PS4, but before we take that leap onto next-gen in November, we have a title many of us have been looking forward to since its initial reveal back at Gamescom 2012.

Rain takes place during one evening in the rainy streets of Paris. Hearing a noise outside, a boy looks out his window to see a ghostly silhouette of a little girl run past. He climbs outside to investigate only to discover that he himself has turned into a similar ethereal figure. There isn’t much time to dawdle though as there are sinister creatures on the prowl too, so you must guide him through the streets to help him find the girl and make his way back home.

Continue reading Rain (Review) →

Hands-on previews, Platforms, PlayStation 3, Previews, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One

Test Driving the Racers of the Future

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There are a lot of racing games on their way, perhaps too many for those of us planning to splash out on a next-gen console soon. So which of them are shaping up to be worthy of your attention? I endured the queues and hardware crashes of the Eurogamer Expo to tear around various racetracks to bring you my impressions of five of the most anticipated racers of the future on both existing and next generation platforms.

Continue reading Test Driving the Racers of the Future →

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Dev Session Videos From Eurogamer Expo – Day 4

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Here’s my final roundup of the Developer Session videos from this year’s Eurogamer Expo. Don’t forget to check out the coverage from Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3 too. As I mentioned earlier, you can watch them through your PS3 or 360 on your TV by clicking the ‘Watch Later’ icon (the little clock in the lower right corner). Trust me , it’s much easier than using the terrible search option on the consoles. Here’s a list of the final sessions:

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Dev Session Videos From Eurogamer Expo – Day 3

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Last week I rounded up the developer session videos from Day1 and Day 2 of the Eurogamer Expo, which hopefully gave you a nice afternoon of chilling out and catching up on the inside knowledge of the hottest upcoming games. Want to do it again? Of course you do. Why not add the videos to your ‘Watch Later’ list on YouTube, then enjoy them on your TV via the YouTube app on your PS3 or 360. Well here’s Day 3’s coverage for you:

Hands-on previews, Platforms, Previews, PS Vita

Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate (Hands-On Preview)

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The Vita’s Knight Rises

Past industry form indicates that you’d be forgiven for dismissing the presence of a handheld game when it has a bigger and shinier counterpart on your main console. So often we’ve seen them stumble into our hands as shabby ports or overly simplistic, barely related tie-in fodder. Armature Studio is here to change things with their new Vita game. From what I’ve played, it truly deserves a place on your shopping list if you’ve enjoyed the last two Rocksteady games and are planning on picking up Origins on October 25th.

This game will follow on from the events of the console game Arkham Origins, rather than rehash the same story. The Blackgate in the title refers to the prison where the majority of the game will be set. Home to the non-insane criminals of Gotham -although a few are clearly borderline- various well-known villains ‘run’ different parts of the prison. So expect to take on some infamous faces to get the jail back in order. The story is delivered via motion comics, which I suppose is reasonable given the source material, but there’s no getting around they’ll always feel and look like the cheap option.

Continue reading Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate (Hands-On Preview) →

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Dev Session Videos From Eurogamer Expo – Day 2

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We’ve shown you what you missed from the Developer Sessions at this weekend’s Eurogamer Expo on Day 1 already. But if you’re eager for more inside info on the hottest upcoming games, we’ve got you covered with the action from Day 2. Here’s the list, with the embedded videos available after the break.

  • Tearaway (Media Molecule)
  • Beyond: Two Souls (David Cage from Quantic Dream)
  • Dying Light (Techland)
  • FIFA 14 Next-Gen (EA Sports)
  • Outside Xbox
  • PlayStation Indie Showcase*

*Replaced DriveClub session as the speaker was ill. Continue reading Dev Session Videos From Eurogamer Expo – Day 2 →

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Dev Session Videos From Eurogamer Expo – Day 1

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For those of you unable to make it to this year’s Eurogamer Expo in London, the developer sessions have started to make their way onto YouTube. Maybe you were there, but were too busy playing some of the hottest new releases heading to all the major formats and just didn’t have the time. Well, sit back and relax and (you deserve it after surviving those queues). you’ll find the following videos embedded after the break.

  • Killzone: Shadow Fall (Guerrilla Games)
  • The Evil Within (Tango Gameworks)
  • Guild Wars 2 – New Content (ArenaNet)
  • PS4 Indie: Velocity 2X (FuturLab)

Note: The Xbox One and Forza 5 session videos have currently been removed from Eurogamer’s YouTube. Continue reading Dev Session Videos From Eurogamer Expo – Day 1 →

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Australian Stage Trailer for WRC 4

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As much as we’re looking forward to those oh-so shiny curves of the orange McLaren P1 in Forza 5, sometimes it’s just fun to mess around in the dirt. Which is why we’ll always a have a place in our hearts for dedicated rallying titles. Milestone have been prolific in recent years and they’ll be bringing us WRC 4 in October.

With varied weather conditions and a rebuilt career mode on the way things are looking good for the official WRC title. Enjoy the trailer after the break along with an older one for a look at Rally Deutschland too. That’s a lot of trees with your name on them. Continue reading Australian Stage Trailer for WRC 4 →

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Assassin’s Creed IV Trailer Shows Infamous Characters

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“Dash my buttons!”

Thanks Steve Bonnet  -the latest shipmate of the good ship, Jackdaw- for my new favourite phrase. The jovial Brit is introduced as a rich thrill-seeker who we imagine is going to get more than he bargained for. Especially when he finds himself in a world packed with infamous pirates like Charles Vane and Blackbeard.

This latest trailer is more of a visual showcase of the game’s characters, so don’t expect much gameplay. Do expect some top-notch next-gen visuals though. Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag was one of the best-looking next-gen games I saw at this week’s  Eurogamer Expo. Hell, it was one of the best games I played there full stop.

So how about it readers? Did you head down to Earl’s Court to play some pirates? And have you made up which generation you’re going to opt for when the game is released? Continue reading Assassin’s Creed IV Trailer Shows Infamous Characters →

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Crimson Dragon Trailer Lands at TGS

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A new trailer for the upcoming Xbox One exclusive, Crimson Dragon, has emerged at this year’s Tokyo Game Show. We’ve not seen a lot of the game since its initial announcement, but we have to admit it’s looking pretty good at this point. Microsoft are seemingly trying to remind the Japanese market that they shouldn’t disregard the Xbox One when picking up a next-gen console next year. Frankly, we can’t believe the Panzer Dragoon series has seen so few releases in recent years.

Will exclusive games like Crimson Dragon strengthen the Microsoft brand when it has been a distant third in the East for a long time? Check out the trailer after the break and see what you think. Continue reading Crimson Dragon Trailer Lands at TGS →

Gaming reviews, previews and features by Brendan Griffiths