The Next Generation Preview

Posted on by

Three is the magic number.

e3primer6

Much has been argued, discussed and debated about the ‘console war’. The very idea of a console ‘war’ is somehow despicable but it’s been a part of gaming culture for as long as there have been consoles and it makes sense, particularly to gamers who can only afford one. If you’re in that position, and you’re putting down your hard-earned cash on an expensive gaming machine, you want to first of all make sure that you choose the best one, and then you want to justify your purchase to yourself by defending that choice against others who made different choices.

Continue reading →

Crusader Kings 2 Old Gods Review (PC)

Posted on by

Damn your old gods.

ck2_2013_06_14_22_08_52_977

Crusader Kings 2 is one of the most complete, perfect games ever envisaged; it set out to do something spectacularly ambitious – provide a strategy game that spans entire dynasties from around the world while simulating all of the political intrigue and military power of a long time frame – and succeeded. It’s not for everyone to be sure, there’s a lot of staring at menus and waiting to see how things progress, but as far as fulfilling their aims, Paradox did an incredible job. The Old Gods expansion takes some of the stuffy medieval politics and adds a distinct Norse flavour to it. Rather than having to play with typical European barons, dukes and kings, you can now play as a chief of a clan, whether it be in the cold, icy north or the hot and barren south.

Continue reading →

Animal Crossing: New Leaf Review (3DS) Part 2

Posted on by

Damn you turnips

HNI_0015

Over the second week I’ve been playing Animal Crossing, I’ve come to a startling revelation, I’m still playing it. That might not sound startling, but what I mean is that is hasn’t turned into a mechanical process that I do out of habit and routine. Whenever I fall for a new MMO, I play it properly for around a week, and then it becomes a mechanical grind to the endgame. I start scouring zones for xp opportunities, I plough through enemy after enemy, I click my way through text, I’m working more than playing. In Animal Crossing: New Leaf I attempted this, I have set goals and I need money to make them, but something always gets in the way.

Continue reading →

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing Review (PC)

Posted on by

The fact this isn’t a movie tie-in should be back of the box feature

VanHelsing_Launch_01

Van Helsing is a Diablo-esque action-RPG from Neocore Games. While the film ‘Van Helsing’ was a mindless action-fest that numbed the brains of anyone foolish enough to go near it, The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing brings some polish and structure to a genre that seems to have lost its way in recent times.

Continue reading →

In defense of the Xbox One

Posted on by

I’m going to boycott the boycotts

Xbox_Consle_Sensr_controllr_F_TransBG_RGB_2013

Leading up to E3, after the unveil and the subsequent interviews, Microsoft have somehow turned a very vocal group of people against them. Obviously within this group there will be the people who bash Microsoft whatever they do, the various ‘fanboys’ opposed to the Xbox and the internet people who enjoy getting angry about everything, but it’s hard to ignore the fact that there seem to be at least some previous Xbox 360 owners who are now looking to boycott the Xbox One for a number of perceived slights against them. As someone who enjoyed the unveiling and is getting excited about two new excellent consoles being released this Autumn, it’s a little disheartening to hear so much anger, so here’s my defense of the Xbox One.

Continue reading →

Prime World Defenders Review (PC)

Posted on by

Don’t worry about all those other worlds

pw_defenders_2013_05_11_15_52_00_273

Prime World Defenders is basically a tower defense game. While we were flooded with them a couple of years ago, that’s died down and only the real gems have survived. Defense Grid, Plants Vs Zombies, Anomaly; they’re the games that have stood out whether due to their quality or originality, while hundreds of others have drifted into obscurity. Prime World Defenders goes after the Defense Grid path of making a really solid game, without too many gimmicks or twists.

Continue reading →

Call of Juarez: Gunslinger Review (PC)

Posted on by

Call of Juty

CoJGunslinger_2013_05_22_22_06_23_822

The Call of Juarez series has had its ups and downs but has never been considered truly exceptional. There were two pretty great western games, one mediocre (although not quite as bad as some people make out) modern take on the same ideas, and now Gunslinger. Gunslinger is a return to the Western roots, but with a twist. Rather than following a usual narrative you are instead playing through the recollections of the life of a bounty hunter, as told to some strangers in bar. As you can imagine, things get a little ridiculous. Continue reading →

Animal Crossing Review in Progress (3DS) Part 1

Posted on by

It’s like Animal Farm but capitalist.

HNI_0008

We’re doing something a little different for Animal Crossing: New Leaf. Due to the nature of the game, rather than a single review after we’ve spent a while with the game, we’re going to release weekly looks at what we’ve been up to, and then put a score on it after the third week. Animal Crossing is a game about routine, it’s a game that wants to become part of your life, part of what you do. It may seem twee and it may be a little too cute, but there’s nothing else quite like it.

Continue reading →