Victor Vran: Overkill Edition Review
Victor Vran, originally released in 2015, left little impression on nearly anybody. Labelled a Diablo clone and thrown into the cultural waste paper basket, a small cult following eventually formed around the Van Helsing-esque ARPG. Haemimont Games have decided Victor Vran deserves another chance at mainstream success, collecting the base game…
Prey Review
To be blunt, Prey wasn't anywhere near my list of games I was excited for in 2017. Call me shallow, but the trailers failed to light the fire of curiosity within me. Colour me impressed then that Prey not only pleasantly surprised me, but it may be the best successor…
Dawn of War 3 Review
War, War never changes. Especially not in the Warhammer 40K universe. Space marines hate aliens. Aliens hate marines. Chaos hate everyone. A lot of people die. Despite a concept that simple the lore surrounding it is incredibly dense and po-faced, spanning nearly 30 years of material. It's unsurprising then Dawn of War 3…
Guardians of the Galaxy: Episode 1 – Tangled Up in Blue Review
If you were to read the cliff-notes for the 2014 Guardians of the Galaxy film, “Rad retro tunes” would be near the top of the page. Sure, there's also the chemistry between the characters, the bright colour palette, and James Gunn's writing chops, but the rad tunes have endured. In 120…
Strafe Review
I have a weird relationship with the 90's, as someone born too late to be a part of the pop culture, yet still young enough to vicariously live it through the 20 year nostalgia cycle. It's like I was there, without ever living through No Doubt, cassette tapes, and optimism.…
Strafe Launch Trailer Bleeds Retro Charm
retro kitsch is in vogue right now. Juiced up re-imaginings of eras that only existed in our rose-tinted memories, made real by the wonders of new technology. Creating something that panders to our memories is a license to print money. So where does Strafe fit? If the launch trailer is anything to go by, the…
Fight for the Emperor with Real Life Dawn of War 3 Power Fist
Seven years after the last game in the series, Dawn of War 3 has finally been released. That means it's time to celebrate by hulking out like a Space Marine  - with actual working power fists. UK based design studio, REWIND, have designed a 3000 PSI gauntlet that brings us…
Snake Pass Review
Gaming chewed up and spat out the 3D platformer genre by the time the mid 2000's rolled around. There was no shortage of fluffy characters serving attitude by the spades. By now anyone over a certain age will most likely be massaging some rose-tinted memories for their mascot of choice.…
Ghost Recon: Wildlands Review
Only a few years ago, military shooters were the “in” thing. Tough men with big guns went to defend freedom, liberty, and the right to bear very large arms. Now open world games are the genre de jour. It was only a matter of time before someone took a stab…
Torment: Tides of Numenera Review
Way back in 1999, Planescape: Torment released in the hey-day of the CRPG era. 18 years later Torment is remembered as a cult classic; an example of “games as art (TM)”. Famous for waxing philosophical and a generally bleak tone, Planescape: Torment still tops GOG's best seller list. Cashing in on that…
Will’s 2016 Games of the Year
2016 has been a good year for me and games. While at points 2016 has lacked for quality, it certainly made up for it in quantity. Both AAA and indie devs threw everything at the wall to see what stuck. We've also had unconventional release patterns, sleeper hits, and a few…
Final Fantasy XV Review
My time with Final Fantasy XV was a confusing jumble of ideas. There's no mechanical focal point, no one thing Final Fantasy XV hangs itself on that kept me coming back. It tells a garbled heap of a story, with combat that's often imprecise and messy. And yet I spent more time…
The Banner Saga 2 Review
When I approached The Banner Saga 2, I wasn't sure if indie developers Stoic could cause lightning to strike the same place twice. Somehow though, with a few hand-drawn images and clever prose, Stoic have crafted something special. The Banner Saga 2 would be better described as Banner Saga: Season 2.…
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel Review
Do you remember that film when you were a teenager? The one which everyone saw and became obsessed over for a short while? The one which you still quote today with your inner circle? Well, that is what Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel is; the belated sequel to that film, the Anchorman…
Civilization: Beyond Earth Review
Civilization: Beyond Earth is an extremely difficult game to describe to a long-time fan of Sid Meier's venerated series without sounding negative, despite it being a good game. To an newcomer, the borderline trite descriptor of “take over an planet through force or integrating humanity into their new world” seems…
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Review
It would be incredibly cynical to dub Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare as “Call of Duty: We Now Have A Jetpack Too”, but that's exactly what it is. You dash around maps, pinging across rooftops and rocket sliding through hallways, all the while popping off rounds from near exactly the…
The Wasteland 2 Launch Trailer Has No Mercy For Those Left Behind
After two and a half years, as well as $2.9M+ in crowdfunding, Wasteland 2 is officially out on PC. Continuing on from Larian Studios with Divinity: Original Sin, inXile Entertainment have created a sequel that mixes both modern graphical power and older CRPG design. The original was known for eventually spawning the Fallout series, as well…
Larian Drops Free Companion DLC For Divinity: Original Sin
Free is a good price - a statement Divinity: Original Sin developer, Larian Studios, seems to agree with. The Belgium based indie devs have released a completely free DLC pack for their recent crowd-funded RPG. Titled "The Bear and The Burglar", it includes two new companions to explore Cyseal with. Both…
Hotline Miami Crossing Over Into A Payday 2 DLC Pack Later This Month
A new Payday 2 DLC pack is being released later this month in a collaboration between Overkill Software and the indie duo, Dennaton Games. It will feature the Payday crew in a Hotline Miami inspired mission for 80's-inspired violence and riches. The cross-over Payday 2 DLC will be released onto Steam…
Lego: The Hobbit Review
Traveller’s Tales have never lacked scope when adapting a franchise into virtual Lego. You don't get much larger than the Star Wars, Marvel Universe, Harry Potter and Middle-Earth. Anything that is hammering major money out for Time Warner eventually gets the plastic brick treatment, so it was only a matter…
E3 2014 – Assassin’s Creed: Unity Details Emerge
Set in Paris during the French Revolution, Assassin's Creed fans will be hiking across famous landmarks to stem the tide of Templar influence...again. However, this time you will do it with 3 other players, making it the first time you can experience story content with a friend. The pre-rendered trailer…