Author: Jessica Thompson

China is the most populous nation on Earth and it is also one that is seeing a lot of middle class growth, meaning it can become a huge money spinner for companies. However, console manufacturers have been left out as for the last 15 years all gaming consoles have been banned in the censor heavy country. That has all changed now though, with China making the historic decision to allow consoles to be sold within the nation. That of course paves the way for the Sony PlayStation 4, Microsoft Xbox One, and Nintendo Wii U to find their way to…

If the conclusion of the Open is leaving you pining for putters and pars, you could do worse than swing your eye over the latest offering from EA Sports – Rory McIlroy PGA Tour. Commiserations Rory, get well soon, and well done, obviously, to Zach Johnson. The series returns following a two year break, and has replaced the previous cover-incumbent, Tiger Woods. Let’s channel Zach in this game, then, rather than Rory. You’ve got 8 real-life courses to choose from, with an additional 4 fantasy courses. Some may feel that this is a little sparse, but when playing in the…

If you’re familiar with the premise of this game then please bear with me while I explain it to the rest. So, in a nutshell, Rocket League is football with cars. That’s it, we’re all on the same page now. It was released free of charge, I repeat free of charge, on Sony’s PS Plus during the month of July and is currently taking the gaming world by storm. There are reportedly over 4 million downloads so far, so it will be interesting to see if developers Psyonix can maintain the interest and momentum when gamers are eventually asked to…

Taste is subjective, but I think it is rather obvious that movie adaptations of famed video games have for the most part been poor. Who can forget the car crash that was the Super Mario Bros. Movie (interdimensional dinosaur people!), the confused mess of the Street Fighter adaptation, or the myriad of flicks that have just missed the general point (Doom, Hitman, Silent Hill, Prince of Persia etc.) I actually think there has not been an outstanding movie that took its source material from a video game. Sure, some have been passable, but that’s as good as it gets, which…

I find myself in the unusual position here in the UK of writing this humble review in the midst of humidity surely equal to the level of New Orleans at the height of summer.  Nearly.  Anyway, the thought of lifting a pinkie even to type never mind steer a character round the gruelling requirements of the Tour De France (never mind the thought of actually getting on a bike myself) currently fills me with utter dread.  This review must be written, however, and you perhaps feel like that about getting your characters through the challenges brought by this game –…

Westwood Studios helped to define the strategic war genre, it’s how the Command and Conquer series began. The franchise started way back in 1995, allowing you to take command of an army and strategically deploy and arrange units, with the main aim of defeating the opponent. Once Generals 2 was announced, it got many fans excited, however, it became another title that was cancelled. Let’s face it, Act of Aggression looks like a modern day version of a C&C title, and then some. Act of Aggression will use the same recipe that made the C&C series so successful, it will…

There’s one thing that’s clear, the PS4 is out-selling the XBOX One, that’s by a massive margin. E3 was a great opportunity for Microsoft to totally change the destiny of the XBOX One. However, the PS4 will remain the slimmest and most powerful 8th gen console – a clear selling point for most gamers. With that said, Microsoft needed to have an incredible amount of new game announcements, however, it was Sony who impressed the most on this front. The result? Another easy win for Sony and the PS4. It should be noted that a 1TB HDD edition of the…

E3 is just around the corner and with that everyone is coming up with their own predictions of what may be revealed this June so we can get excited about what to spend our holiday money on this winter. So without further ado let’s get to the, “Top Predictions for PS4” this E3. Silent Hills Will Return Back in April the game Silent Hills was cancelled by its publisher, Konami, two months ago. Shortly after which its demo, also known as P.T. was pulled from the playstation store. The game was being lead by Game Designer Hideo Kojima, the man…

If you’ve been sitting around waiting for the next Farming Simulator title to drop, fret no longer – it’s finally here (Farming Simulator 2015) and is basically a clear improvement over its predecessors in nearly every respect. Clearly the internet (perhaps, the world) has been gripped in recent times by what might only be described as “simulation fever”, where loads of games are being developed which attempt to replicate nearly everything you can think of. It’s a bit rash to lump the Farming Simulator franchise in this crowd, of course, as it is in fact a more serious-minded title devoid…

Despite being almost halfway through the year, there are still a number of XBOX One games we should await the release of with some degree of glee and expectation. Here are five to get you going. The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt As soon as next week we will see the release of The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt (scheduled for release 19 May 2015). If you’ve been following the saga so far, you may already be aware that Geralt of Rivia’s epic story is not yet complete, oh no, not by a long shot. The previous two games featuring…

Ever since its complete make-over in 2011, where all the extra convoluted layers of fiction and game mechanics were sliced off in favor of re-inventing the original story-lines and vintage characters, Mortal Kombat has become a raging success. Following this renaissance, NetherRealm Studios have recently come up with yet another riveting sequel of Mortal Kombat franchise: Mortal Kombat X. This new and refined game, which brings together exceptional cinematic narratives, unparalleled graphics and dynamic game play, is guaranteed to keep us on the edge of our seats. Additionally like all its predecessors, Mortal Kombat X also brings back all of our…

The release of Microsoft’s latest console called Xbox One has gotten everyone excited about the much anticipated console of the year. For many serious gamers wanting to get the most out of their new consoles, we need to remember that Xbox One is on a league of its own. The previous releases of Xbox 360 is not match for this console and that means it’s a whole different playing field when it comes to what accessories to go for. We all want to get the best gaming experience out of our Xbox One and so we’ve looked far and wide…

Weather effects play a huge role within racing games. For this very reason, we take a look at which recent release racing games have the best weather effects… Drive Club (PlayStation 4) This PlayStation 4 exclusive hopped onto the scene late 2014 with somewhat of a rocky start. A mostly forgettable driving experience and from all accounts, a competent but flawed racing game. The developer, Evolution Studios, put in a lot of effort to make things right in the following months. As of today you are looking at one of the most impressive racing games visually to date. From the…

RIDE for the PlayStation 4 is quickly emerging as the Gran Turismo for motorcycle racing. Developed by Milestone, RIDE is a total simulator for motorcycle racing that provides a thrilling and extreme virtual racing experience. The game is impressive right from the start, as you’re given the option to choose from 110 motorbike models from the world’s best manufacturers. Not only that, but you’re given a wide range of circuits that vary by city and by country, and you can even race on classic tracks from motorcycling history. Motorcycle enthusiasts and gamers will both be excited by this game. The…

In the tradition of quality city building video games, Cities: Skylines by Colossal Order delivers an engaging experience that lets you build and maintain a virtual city from scratch. Arguably, it’s similar to the famed SimCity game which dominated the city building video game genre for some time, but some gamers suggest that Cities: Skylines surpasses it. Since SimCity’s golden era, before it faded into mediocrity with the fifth version of SimCity produced by Maxis, gamers have long since yearned for a great city builder. Cities: Skylines is the game for those today who want to have full control of…

Eugen Systems has just released its Act of Aggression pre-alpha PC gameplay trailer on YouTube, and a surge of excitement has already built up for this upcoming game across the RTS community. Even though the preview video is just a short teaser trailer for now, Eugen Systems has been consistently touting that Act of Aggression will bring back the 1990s Golden Era of real time strategy (RTS) games. In particular, the PC game will resurrect many of the core elements that many RTS fans have missed since the peak of classic RTS games like StarCraft and Command & Conquer. This…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vefhZp-d_uw  

While many aspects of the Dead or Alive series would give a psychologist plenty of fodder to analyze (for instance, the inexplicable meshing of violence and sexuality is primitively animalistic in character) in the end it remains one of the more prominent fighting series.   The reasons for this are numerous, of course – there’s the control systems, which are largely approachable, the storytelling, solid graphics and of course, boob physics.   In short, Dead or Alive 5: Last Round is basically a definitive version, a title that brings together various elements which seem to make gameplay worthwhile.   Moreover, for some fans,…

From weird little shooters to survival horror strategy and adventure RPG’s, March of 2015 is shaping up to be an interesting month for current (8th) generation gamers.   This isn’t just a notable period for PlayStation 4 gamers though, it is also just as equally appealing for Microsoft and the Xbox One crowd.   Anyway, without further ado, let’s explore some of the titles releasing in March for both consoles… White Night Out on PS4 and XBOX One March 3rd. Artsy black and white noir-esque visuals, puzzle-solving, an old mansion… what’s not to like?   Needless to say the game’s art style and…

Whether or not you are a bona-fide Nintendo fan is one thing, but the overall fun factor associated with the Wii U cannot be denied.   There’s a certain sense of flavor that this console gives off which, along with all its unique games, is basically without precedent in the gaming industry at large.   Sure, some will rail against its seemingly limited hardware capabilities, but that would require overlooking all the wonderful stuff Nintendo has added in spite of any perceived shortcomings. Needless to say, even though we can just stick to the PS4 or Xbox One, here are 6 different…

They’re simultaneously the source of all our gaming glory and woes, our light as well as darkness……we’re speaking of course about exclusive releases.   Regardless of the fact that we now have very powerful gaming consoles available with all sorts of cross-platform AAA-tiered releases, the truth is that exclusives still drive the market. Companies like Sony and Microsoft are always looking for ways to set themselves apart from the competition out there, and really what better way is there than having a bunch of excellent titles lined up which will only be found on your home team’s console?   Heck, you’ve probably…

Armed with a sizable map, great graphics and more of the same sort of grotesque horror-filled bloodsports found in titles such as Dead Island, Dying Light manages to be exactly the sort of zombie experience most gamers were expecting (for the season). Basically, it manages to squeeze in a number of emergent elements in terms of gameplay in a relatively fresh manner. Parkour plays a pivotal role here, with a certain emphasis on navigation and soaking in the scenery.   To be honest, it could be said that the star of this game is the map, which compels you into certain…

Can you name a bad console that has sold well? I can’t. I can think of a great one that is selling amazingly well, though. An awesome console, with brilliant games, and the other essentials, is what gamers are attracted to… It’s that very recipe that’s made the PS, PS2, XBOX and XBOX 360 so successful, after all. It’s also the same recipe which is making gamers gravitate towards the PlayStation 4. This article takes a look at the possible reasons as to why the PS4 is currently outselling the XBOX One. Firstly, I want to say that I was…

Every gamer has their preferred platform. Some are die-hard PlayStation fans to the very end while others couldn’t live without their XBOX. But there are many people who will tell you that the best piece of equipment for gaming is a desktop or laptop computer. There are many different reasons that some gamers prefer a PC to any games console. They will tell you that PC gaming is far superior, offering better quality gameplay and equipment with updatable hardware. Although many people play games on both PC and consoles, there’s no doubt that they provide different experiences. Each console has…

When it comes to gaming, we tend to think of our XBox or our gaming PC as being the best option. Whilst this is often the case, we don’t always have access to these. If you’re away from home you could try games on your mobile. You might not realise it, but there are loads of options when it comes to games that you can play on your Smartphone (or your tablet!). Whilst these might not live up the graphics of a Playstation, or be quite the same as free monster truck games online you can play on your PC,…

We’ve all got our own wish list of dream announcements. Many of us wait for E3 event to be disappointed that our most wished for title wasn’t mentioned. However, 2015 brings new hope that the following titles could be announced. Call of Duty: World at War 2 Rumour has it that Activision might be working on this title. I’m not sure about you, but i’ve been wanting a return to the good classic theme of World War II for some time now. Futuristic warfare is fun, but it gets boring overtime. Now is a perfect time for a return to…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6qKPd8YCIc

This year is set to see some big releases on the Nintendo Wii U. Let’s take a look at what are set to be the top 5 titles… Mario Party 10 ‘Mario Party 10’ is an excellent addition to the Mario franchise which is due to be released in March. The game is built around the principle of multi player game play, with participants working to best each other in a series of enjoyable mini games. There is an element of chance and dice rolling to the game concept, with players landing on squares which trigger the mini games. There…