Author: Jay Allsopp

It’s time to take another look at the upcoming slate of PC games, and this time around, we’re focusing on the holiday season and all the joy it brings. Whether you’ll be picking up a brand new graphics card to soup up your rig this Christmas or you’re just looking for some great games to put your existing machine through its paces, you’ve got tons of options. Huge mainstream releases, indie curiosities, and PC-specific launches are all scheduled for this month, so without further ado, let’s take a look at the best PC games making their way to the market…

Another year has almost gone by, and at time of writing, there’s still no sign of a potential Nintendo Switch successor. The console is still going strong, and Nintendo probably doesn’t want to rock the boat; the sales figures for the Switch are phenomenal, and a successor could detract from that. Still, it is fair to say that when the Switch becomes the topic of conversation now, many people want to know when a new machine might be on the way, so hopefully, Nintendo announces something soon. In the meantime, though, the Switch is still riding high, and there are…

The ninth console generation is well underway, and although there are likely to be a few more years left before Sony starts thinking about where it’s going next, we’re betting that a next-gen machine is already in the planning stages. Don’t get us wrong; the PS5 still has plenty of life left in it, of course, and the latest mid-generation refresh sees Sony’s current-gen console freshen up before the PS6 starts setting the rumour mill spinning. However, the PS6 is almost certainly at least a glint in Sony’s eye, if not an already-existent prototype in the PlayStation offices, so we…

If there’s one thing that’s setting the rumour mill aflame in the gaming world right now (not to mix metaphors), it’s the Nintendo Switch 2. Whatever Nintendo ends up calling the successor to the Nintendo Switch, it’s got some huge shoes to fill; the Switch is sitting at almost 130 million consoles sold worldwide at time of writing, and that number is only going to increase with time. Of course, that hasn’t stopped gamers and pundits alike looking ahead to what the Switch 2 might look like. After all, the Switch is a wonderful machine, but it’s also somewhat underpowered,…

October 2023 is shaping up to be an excellent month for the Nintendo Switch, not least because we’re finally getting a new game from one of Nintendo’s longest-standing mascots. The arrival of side-scrolling platformer Super Mario Bros. Wonder in October is just one of the many highlights Switch owners have to look forward to in what is turning out to be a jam-packed month for the little console that could. Here are the best Nintendo Switch games coming to the console in October 2023. If you’re not a Mario fan, don’t worry; there’s plenty more to check out besides! …

The launch of Starfield on Xbox in September represents something of a watershed moment for Microsoft.  The company had arguably been struggling for bona fide exclusives, and although Starfield is playable on PC as well, if you’re a console gamer, you can only enter the world of Bethesda’s newest RPG on Xbox Series X/S. Could this be the beginning of a revival for Microsoft’s fortunes? In the long run, that remains to be seen, but October is looking like another great month for the Xbox ecosystem. Let’s take a look at the best Xbox Series X/S games heading your way…

“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,…