Author: Jay Allsopp

“Underrated” is a very strange word indeed. It has different definitions for different people; some define it in terms of reviews, while others look to sales to justify calling a game underrated. We’re about to take a look at the 10 most underrated Xbox Series X/S games, and our definition of “underrated” may seem somewhat nebulous, but in essence, if we feel that a game has been unfairly overlooked in any terms, it fits the bill as far as we’re concerned. With that in mind, take this list of the 10 most underrated Xbox Series games as a chance to…

PC gaming is arguably getting more difficult these days.  With graphics cards reaching exorbitant prices and games demanding more and more exacting prices from users’ hardware, it’s getting tougher to reach the kind of visual and performance heights for which PC gaming used to be known and celebrated. That said, thanks to mods, a strong user community, and modular and flexible systems when it comes to customising your experience, many still think that PC gaming easily trumps consoles, especially when both the PS5 and the Xbox Series X/S have struggled to achieve their 60fps target in many modern games. With…

Many of us have fantasies about joining the police force when we’re kids. We think of the police as bringing in the bad guys, stopping society from falling apart, and keeping all of us safe at night. Of course, the reality is much more complicated than that, as we’ve learned recently, but that doesn’t mean there is no room for good police simulator games to teach us about the realities of policing or just plain fun experiences in which you play as a police officer. Are you ready to discover the best police simulator games to play? Below, we reveal…

Rare’s 2006 life sim Viva Pinata is a unique beast, which, we admit, is not the strongest start for an article discussing similar games. The principle is simple: you must attract pinata animals to your garden, and you’ll do so via a variety of different means, including planting grass, adding ponds, or even letting them eat other pinatas that have taken up residence. Viva Pinata and its sequel, Trouble in Paradise, espoused a strange atmosphere that balanced adorable pinatas with brutal kill-or-be-killed food-chain simulation. It stands to reason, then, that there aren’t too many games out there that are strikingly…

The mobile gaming industry is the home of simple yet addictive gameplay mechanics. Many mobile games boil down to extremely basic and straightforward controls, yet manage to attract and retain an audience due to presentation and implementation. That’s certainly the case for Egg, Inc., an idle clicker game created by the Los Angeles-based studio Auxbrain. Egg, Inc. is currently available for Android and iOS devices, and it’s got a very straightforward setup: click to spawn chickens, chickens make you money. Of course, there’s a lot more going on behind the scenes when it comes to Egg, Inc.’s success, which is…

Microsoft’s Xbox Series X/S may be trailing the PS5 in terms of sales (and perhaps even cultural significance), but it’s hard to argue that the console’s lineup isn’t stellar. With great multiplatform releases like Assassin’s Creed Mirage on the horizon, as well as huge sellers like Elden Ring and Hogwarts Legacy providing ample reasons to pick up an Xbox, Microsoft shouldn’t panic just yet if it looks like they’re underperforming compared to their longterm rivals. With the Activision-Blizzard acquisition looming on the horizon and Xbox Game Pass bringing many quality games to players at low prices, the Xbox Series…

It’s official: FIFA 23 is the final EA-developed game to bear the FIFA name.  After this instalment, EA will pivot towards its franchise’s new name of EA Sports FC, with the inaugural game in that series being this year’s EA Sports FC 24. FIFA has pledged to create its own series of video games, but that series won’t start this year, so for now, if you want the 2023-24 FIFA experience, you should opt for EA Sports FC 24. However, right now, many gamers are still enjoying FIFA 23, and EA recently released an update that made…

After the June rush, Gamescom Opening Night Live is arguably the next major event on the gaming calendar. Hosted by gaming journalist and presenter Geoff Keighley, Opening Night Live often features a mixture of trailers for already-announced games and genuine surprises, but this year, Keighley set expectations right from the get-go. He told expectant gamers that the event would largely consist of games that had already been announced. This, of course, potentially left room for one or two surprises, but for the most part, we did indeed see lots of games we already knew about. Naturally, these games received brand…

With over 10 million downloads on Android and more than 1.6 million ratings on iOS, it’s safe to say that BitLife is one of the most popular mobile games on the market right now. The game’s principles are simple; it’s basically a text adventure in which you must make a series of decisions about your life, monitoring how they change your character as you go. Despite that simplicity, there’s an addictive quality to BitLife that makes it a joy to fire up every time you grab your phone, and that kind of compelling design isn’t found everywhere in the gaming…

When you’re the owner of a console, it’s always nice to have an exclusive game arrive and justify your purchase. Whether it’s an excellent PS4 game like Bloodborne or one of Nintendo’s many hits for the Switch, an exclusive game can make the most of the hardware it’s been created for, as well as any unique features that console happens to have. 2022 had no shortage of great console-exclusive games, so without further ado, let’s take a look at the best of them.  Horizon Forbidden West If you’re a PlayStation owner, then 2022 was a great year. Horizon Forbidden…

With 2022 wrapping up, it’s about time to take a look back at some of the best games of the year. This was, all told, a very solid year for gaming; there were some truly excellent titles, and while the year also saw its fair share of mediocre offerings, it’s hard to argue that gamers weren’t spoiled for choice. Whatever platform you like to game on, there’s plenty from the year 2022 that should keep you entertained. Here are the best games of 2022, in no particular order. Elden Ring From Software’s traditional exploration-heavy action RPGs made the leap…

When it was released in September 2020 (after a period in Early Access), Hades proved to be a phenomenon. Developed by Supergiant Games, the roguelite tells the story of Zagreus, the son of Hades, who attempts to make his way out of the underworld in a rebellion against his father. Naturally, Zagreus fails time and time again, but each time you die, you’re treated to new dialogue and a chance to upgrade your abilities and weaponry. Even if you’re not usually a fan of the die-restart-die loop of roguelites, Hades consistently feels fresh and exciting on each run, and…

If you haven’t played Terraria yet and you’re a big fan of crafting and building games, we’d strongly recommend it. This unassuming-looking 2D indie game hides oceanic depth; you’ll be constructing imposing fortresses and entire cities before you even know it.  With that said, even Terraria can lose its lustre over time, and you might find yourself hankering for some similar experiences that wander off the beaten path just a little bit. If that’s the case, then you’re in luck, as the gaming world is full of great alternatives to this indie classic. Here are 12 great games like…

For many months, the rumour mill surrounding a new Nintendo console has been swirling. At time of writing, recent rumours have been giving the concept of a next-gen Nintendo machine renewed vigour, but Nintendo has yet to announce anything, and the company’s silence makes a lot of sense.  With The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom doing rip-roaring sales numbers and even games like Pikmin 4 putting in a fairly impressive performance, there’s really no reason for Nintendo to release a Switch successor at the moment, even if the console’s performance is noticeably starting to flag. While…

The PC was a generational invention and kick started the video game world. Starting with simple games like Pacman and Space invaders, the PC gaming scene has come along way since 1962, when the first ever game came out. Even though many users have turned their attention to gaming consoles like Xbox and PlayStation, there is still many individuals who prefer the PC. The PC still has many games only exclusive to its platform. However, what are the best games out there? Anger Foot Kicking off our list is a PC game that is scheduled to be released very soon.…

Consoles may come and go, but one thing is seemingly for certain: PC gaming is very much here to stay. With the advent of devices like the Steam Deck and the ROG Ally, it’s clear that PC gamers want more ways to play their games rather than to migrate to other console ecosystems, and these options are only likely to get more numerous as time goes on. This sense that PC gaming remains critical to the industry is bolstered massively by the fact that there are so many great games coming to the PC ecosystem. This September, we’ve got long-awaited…

Way back in May 2022, it was revealed that the long-standing institution that is the FIFA video game series would be undergoing a fundamental change. EA, it turned out, had failed to reach an agreement with football organisation FIFA, which had given its name to EA’s flagship video game franchise since 1993, and so the franchise would be changing its name. FIFA, EA said, would become EA Sports FC, and the franchise would adopt this moniker going forward. The studio was quick to assure fans that nothing else about FIFA would be changing; modes like Pro Clubs and Ultimate Team…

If you’re a PC gamer, then you’ll know that the PC’s library is pretty much unbeatable when it comes to longevity. Many of the games that were available to play back in the 70s and 80s are still available to check out today, and if there’s one platform that can reasonably be said to be “the best” for preservation, it’s absolutely the PC. You could easily spend the rest of your life playing every single retro game that’s been preserved for posterity on PC, but there are also a host of new games heading your way each month, so that…

It’s been what can only be described as a banner year for Nintendo so far. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, which launched back in May, has proven to be one of the studio’s biggest hits of all time, racking up a massive number of sales in its first few days on release.  The rest of the year is unlikely to hold anything quite as epochal for the Big N, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any surprises up Nintendo’s sleeve when it comes to the Switch, or indeed any of Nintendo’s third-party partners. Let’s take a…

Microsoft’s June showcase gave us a lot of reasons to be optimistic for the future of the company. After the unmitigated disaster of the Redfall launch, Microsoft really needed to provide some kind of lifeline for Xbox fans; gamers were getting worried that the studio had nothing up its sleeve in terms of killer apps, but that turned out not to be the case.  We may not have learned quite as much about games like Fable as we wanted to, but we’re still excited for the upcoming Xbox lineup; Starfield and Forza Motorsport have our attention in particular. Before…

Have you ever lost a USB drive that contained important information? There’s no feeling more terrifying than that drop in the pit of your stomach when you realise that the drive you’ve been carrying isn’t with you anymore.  You can’t remember where you dropped it, but you know the files that were on it, and you really don’t want anybody else to see them; they could be business secrets or personal information, but whatever the case may be, you’re terrified someone else is going to get their hands on that data now. That’s where companies like iStorage, which makes the…

E3 2023’s cancellation has done absolutely nothing to stem the tide of game publishers and developers wanting to show off their latest exciting works. Whether it’s Ubisoft giving us in-depth looks at the gameplay for some of its upcoming titles or Xbox firing off trailer after trailer, summer 2023 has been a great time for game reveals, surprises, and old favourites making triumphant returns. Here are some of the best game announcements, release dates, and other reveals we got to see as part of this year’s definitely-not-E3 celebration of all things gaming! Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater That’s…

It’s been a funny old year for Microsoft so far, hasn’t it? Early last year, the company announced it would acquire Activision Blizzard, one of the biggest game developers and publishers in the world, for a staggering $68.7 billion. This year saw that deal frustrated by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority, which means Microsoft might not get its fairytale wedding after all. In addition, the high-profile and very public failure of Arkane’s Redfall means Microsoft is hurting for essential gaming experiences to draw people towards Xbox hardware. It’s time for Microsoft to step up to the plate, so…

After the absolutely mammoth success that was The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (a success that’s only going to keep growing, we have no doubt), the Nintendo Switch seems to be sitting pretty atop a throne nobody else can challenge.  Tears of the Kingdom is going to take some serious beating, not only from Nintendo itself but also from other triple-A challengers, and so nobody could blame Nintendo and its console for taking a victory lap in July. However, there are still more great Switch games to come, so let’s take a look at the best Nintendo…

It can sometimes feel like PC gaming is in a somewhat rough spot. Many games being released for the platform are landing in the form of lacklustre ports with poor optimisation, meaning that even PC gamers with the latest and greatest hardware are being left out in the cold in many cases.  Even with that being said, though, for many, PC remains the best platform on which to play thanks to its extensive customisation options, superior graphical capabilities (assuming you’ve got a top-of-the-range machine, of course) and huge software library. That library is set to expand even further soon,…

It’s hard to feel like Nintendo isn’t reaching the end of an era. Despite the fact that Nintendo of America head Doug Bowser has assured gamers and journalists alike that the Switch isn’t nearing the end of its life, the console is inarguably beginning to struggle with some of its more demanding games in a technical sense. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet pushed the Switch to its absolute limits and beyond, and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will also put the console through its paces. With that in mind, the lineup for Switch games in June 2023…

Sometimes, it feels like PC gamers are especially hard done by. Recently, somewhat lacklustre ports of The Last of Us Part I and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor caused consternation among PC gamers, who lamented the games’ poor performance even on higher-end machines, and there are plenty of other examples of major AAA game releases seemingly snubbing PC gamers.  Even still, we think that PC gaming remains one of the most exciting and engaging ways to enjoy games, so let’s take a look at the best PC games coming in June 2023. Let’s hope these games’ PC versions are ready…

Microsoft may not be trying to win the hardware race, but it’s certainly doing a good job of providing quality hardware nonetheless. The Xbox Series X is trailing the PS5 in terms of sales, but the comparison isn’t quite fair thanks to Microsoft’s less powerful, less costly Xbox Series S (although sales for the two combined are still lagging behind Sony’s machine). Still, if you’re an Xbox Series X/S owner, you’ll find lots of games to look forward to in June 2023, so let’s take a look at the best titles heading to Microsoft’s console ecosystem this month. Killer…

Unless you’ve completely avoided all popular culture for the last 25 years, it’s pretty much impossible that you haven’t at least heard of South Park. The satirical animated show created by Matt Stone and Trey Parker got its start all the way back in 1997, and it’s arguably still going strong today; many fans say it hasn’t lost its lustre in the same way as, say, Family Guy or The Simpsons have.  Of course, one area in which South Park does endure a somewhat spotty legacy is the world of gaming. Compiling a list of “the best” South Park…

Whether it’s their backward compatibility, streaming capabilities, or impressive controllers, XBOX games have become popular for several reasons. It is affordable console and diverse subscription service make it a top choice for gamers. While there are several XBOX games that you can try, here are the seven best XBOX games that you should play in 2023. Halo Infinite Developed by 343 Industries, Halo Infinite is a popular Xbox multiplayer shooter game that was released back in 2021. It’s one of the additions to the popular Halo series and has the most extensive Master Chief campaign of all time.  Halo Infinite…

Despite stiff competition from Valve’s handheld, the Steam Deck, as well as the recently-announced Asus ROG Ally, the Nintendo Switch is still very much in the fight. Its ailing technology was already fairly dated when the console was first released, but as a platform for playing less technically demanding indie games (as well as Nintendo first-party releases), the Switch remains unparalleled. May 2023 represents another excellent month for Switch games, with one flagship release in particular presenting a worthy reason to get excited. Here are the best Nintendo Switch games for May 2023. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of…