Author: Jessica Thompson

The Nintendo 3DS’ library is stocked full of some of Nintendo’s best titles and doesn’t just include titles developed for the 3DS but, through the virtual console, most major titles in Nintendo’s franchises like the Legend of Zelda, allowing gamers to experience classics on a modern handheld like the 3DS. Out of the bevvy of Zelda titles available on the 3DS however, one stands out from the rest and that’s Ocarina of Time. Now Nintendo are choosing to give you even more of a reason to pick up this classic by rereleasing it in the form of The Legend of…

Players often use arcade sticks for fighting games to gain more accuracy and people find, on a technical level, that they better to use than a regular controller. Sometimes people like it just because it reminds them of old-school gaming from their youths or just to try to mix it up. But mostly the choice of using an arcade stick or a pad comes down to preference. The arcade stick has been around forever in the gaming industry, so a lot of players find it a natural way to game, even if they also use regular pads. But if you’ve…

Forestry 2017 is a simulator game where the player acts as a stereotypical lumberjack who must build up a company through the cutting and selling of trees. The player goes out searching for trees, accompanied by a horse companion, with their trusted chainsaw and cuts the trees to haul them back to the mill. A simple concept with a realistic, natural setting. Living in flatlands, surrounded by nondescript mountainous ranges, the location resembles a small suburban American farming community, just without the community. You can run around and explore the area, looking for trees. Then bring the horse with you…

Set in a dark and ominous fantasy version of the Sengoku period in the 1600s, Nioh is a vibrant, gory and deeply intense action role-play game centered around the English samurai character, William Adams, who is hunting down his antagonist and fellow historical figure, occultist Edward Kelley. Williams Adams is based on a real-life samurai who was the first of his nation to land in Japan alongside his second mate Jan Joosten. Though William appears to lack developmental depth as a character, the supporting network of characters within Nioh’s dark fantasy world certainly make up for this lack. Throughout the…

Semispheres is one of those games that is part game part relaxation tool. That is in my book an alright type of game. What is it about this game that has addicted me as well as so many other people that love to play puzzle games? The answers are many and often will vary, but there are a few basic things that makes this game awesome as everything and it is also a very relaxing type of game, that is when the puzzles are not driving you bonkers. Duel puzzles makes this seem like a breeze at times, but that…

If you are a fan like myself of the Sid Meier Civilization series of games then you more than likely have already headed out and bought your copy of this game. I was one of the first in my area to buy it and ran home as fast as I could to see what this latest offering had in store for me. I was not that surprised as it seemed like a lot of my favorite parts of the game were still in place, then I got to exploring and discovered that there are some areas where the developers made…

I have been a player of the Dynasty Warriors series for some time now and I admit I like the fact that they remain as close as possible to actual facts. It is for this reason, that I was a little shocked to see when Godseekers came out, it took a detour from this tradition and came out with a game that is different. When I say different, I mean that in a good way as it seems to be a refreshing change of pace as opposed to the other versions of the game. This takes away some of the…

I have been a huge Walking Dead fan for many years and honestly can’t get enough of the franchise. So when I saw that there was a game that had come out, I had to jump on it without any questions. I have to admit, I was not disappointed as the game lived up to all the expectations that I had for it and in some regards almost was as good as watching the series itself. This is a good example of what happens when you have a video game maker that works with a popular television franchise and they…

Everything You Want to Know About The Nintendo Switch, But Were Afraid To Ask. The Nintendo Switch is shaping up to be the biggest hit or failure of 2017, with one week to go, all eyes are on the console’s perspective release with many wondering if the device will live up to the hype. However, that is another topic for another day. Once we’ve had some hands-on time with the little minx. If you’re considering picking one up on March 3rd, or you’re just curious, here is everything you need to know about the Nintendo Switch. The Basics The console…

Ever since the announcement trailer during the 2015 E3, For Honor has been under the careful watch of many eyes. Throughout the closed betas and open beta, there are those who love it, those who may not, and those who have a residual sense of trust issues with Ubisoft, The publisher of For Honor. Whether a fan of Samurai, Vikings, Knights, or the occasional three-way, For Honor makes strong choices. Some of them hit, and some of them really miss. So should you be playing For Honor? Or should you just save your money? Let’s find out. One indisputable success…

As the Nintendo Switch enters the 8th generation of technology, both Sony and Microsoft are already pondering the opportunity to move a step closer to the 9th generation. After all, Sony’s PS4 Pro is already capable of maximizing the capabilities of a 4K TV, whilst also introducing virtual reality to the masses. That’s not to mention Microsoft’s upcoming efforts to introduce a similar console; the Scorpio. Here’s the problem; you need a giant leap to jump from one generation to another. In other words, we are half way there towards the 9th generation, potentially. Confused? Read on. Your smartphone is…

Vrtual reality has embedded itself into human history for far longer than we ever realise. From Flight simulation in the late 1920s to the first VR headset in the 1960s. Even Nintendo had a failed virtual reality console called the Nintendo Virtual Boy in 1995, which lacked popularity due to its black and red colour graphics. It has been around as a concept and even as a base reality for far longer than most people are aware. But nothing quite picked up or progressed the way it did in the 21st century. Suddenly we were seeing virtual reality in all…

Resident Evil 7: Biohazard is a wonderful, intimate exploration into a family themed viral outbreak vs the corporate urban virus outbreaks, we are used to with past Resident Evil titles. I played Resident Evil 7: Biohazard and had a ton of fun navigating through creepy hallways and ghost ships while fighting crazy possessed humans to odd goo beasts. While the story didn’t impress me, the new approach to an old title did. This game has tons of unexplored potential, but gives you just enough of a taste to want more. The element of horror is definitely obvious in this title.…

SEGA’s Dreamcast was the revolutionary console of it’s time. Released in 1999 and officially discontinued by March 2001, it has been considered the greatest cult console of the gaming world. It was initially supposed to compete with the likes of Xbox, PlayStation 2 and Nintendo’s GameCube. However, the console failed to compete with their rivals for many reasons, none of which revolved around the console’s capabilities. Financial failure, refusing to exclusively produce EA Sports’ games for their sports games when they were just rising in popularity and it’s lack of third-party support were just a few major reasons SEGA Dreamcast…

DayZ, released in 2013 on PC, is a persistent, open-world Zombie game that puts you in the shoes of a single survivor, washed up on a beach in a post-Soviet country called Chernarus. You spawn with nothing but a can of beans, a few bandages and all you have to do is survive, but that’s easier said than done. DayZ is incredibly unforgiving. My first attempt lasted all of five minutes. The problem: I didn’t realise these zombies were the running kind, not the idiot kind and I quickly died. My second attempt was a little more considered. I explored…

Ninjas made themselves truly known many centuries after their relevance in the form of ninja-themed computer games. The combination of amazing prowess, a rich culture and an almost mystical presence of the ninja lends itself really well to gaming. The games listed excel in some areas while providing an all-around solid fighting experience. Ninja Gaiden 3 Team Ninja divorced itself from the former difficulties of the series to delve fully into the ninja’s psyche, while distilling from the combat scenes ruthless displays. As the enemies weaken and grow desperate under your attacks, Ryu has a number of ways to finish…

There are a lot of first person shooters out there, and with Battlefield 4 giving me a whole lot of bug-related headaches I decided to step into a different arena to indulge my itchy trigger finger. This time my poison of choice is Sony Online Entertainment‘s PlanetSide 2. While this game has been out for some time, it’s no less fun than when I first tried it out. Truth be told, I left it alone for longer than I should have, a lot has changed in the six or so months I’ve been away. The changes are great but some…

When it comes to making sequels for games, movies, and even books, most will agree that what may be popular may not always be critically acclaimed. Because of this, some of the most clamoured after sequels have never been made, but should have been. Following is our list of five video games sequels you only wish you could play. Conker’s Other Bad Day There’s never really been another video game quite like “Conker’s Bad Fur Day.” The folks over at Rare initially announced a family-friendly platformer that was to be a near carbon copy of “Banjo-Kazooie,” and instead released a…

Free to play games are a dime a dozen these days, and for us gamers trying to wade our way through the numerous options, it can be a time consuming process of trial and error. I mean, everyone has their own unique likes and dislikes, so it’s no surprise that finding that one game that we absurdly enjoy is like finding a needle in a haystack. Finding the right game has often been a rigorous search of asking fellow gamers and merely researching the hell out of them. My friends ask me all the time, which ones are worth playing.…

The Command & Conquer series still holds an esteemed rank within the real time strategy genre, that will most likely never change. While never having the same fanbase or cachet as games like Starcraft or Warcraft, C&C has put in enough iterations and made enough innovations in the genre to deserve a place on the medal stand. But that’s of little concern to Xbox 360 gamers. Reputation only goes so far in legitimizing the RTS genre on consoles; what really matters are things like control. This is tantamount to the genre making any inroads onto consoles, and the game that…

In much the same way as Queer As Folk pushes the barrow for the gay and lesbian crowd, Secretary takes leaps and bounds towards bringing legitimacy and empathy to another lifestyle choice. For aficionados of bondage, discipline, sadism and masochism (BDSM to those in the know), Steven Shainberg’s quirky film will no doubt become a visual anthem. As well as telling a love story of a very different kind, Secretary sends the flare up for the uninitiated and illuminates the secret world of those that enjoy a lot of slap with their tickle. Introverted Lee Holloway (Maggie Gyllenhaal) pursues the…

Plot: K-19: The Widowmaker proves that even the trusty submarine movie can’t prevail against a weak script, poor acting, and loose film-making. Despite its slight insight into an actual Cold War submarine disaster, K-19 is $100m worth of embarrassment for A-list star Harrison Ford and the moguls at Paramount. It’s 1961 and both sides of the Iron Curtain are busy building new and exciting ways to incinerate the planet. For the Soviets, the latest war machine off the production line is a shiny new sub called the K-19. Entrusted with taking this piece of communist whizbangery out and shaking it…

Plot: At face value, Alan Parker’s The Life of David Gale possesses all of the ingredients required for a successful thriller. With talented Hollywood darlings Kate Winslet and Kevin Spacey leading the cast and more twists than Chubby Checker, the film could be expected to succeed. Unfortunately, thanks to questionable plot developments, stereotypical characters, and the director’s yearning for a political soapbox, The Life of David Gale is a disappointment. David Gale (Kevin Spacey) is a successful college professor who’s leading the charge to abolish the death penalty in the US, when he’s not touching student’s lives with his ‘cool’…