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What’s your best coop gaming moment? | Team Talk

17/3/2025

 
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Playing games together is something special. It has the power to take things to the next level – sometimes literally if you’re particularly bad at platforming, we’re looking at you Rayman Origins – and can be the catalyst for some unforgettable moments.

With Split Fiction already earmarked on many people’s Game of the Year lists, it got us thinking about some of our own coop highlights. (Rest assured we’ll have a review of it for you soon.)

The joy of coop gaming is being able to play together but not necessarily have the same experience. You work as a team and even if your characters do have the same abilities, you still manage to find your own perspective on the action. Often lamenting the unfairness of your fate compared to others is, oddly, part of the fun of it.
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So, cast your mind back, what’s the moment coop really peaked for you? Let us know on our Discord.

And if it’s more cooperative rambling you’re after, then you can delve back into the archives and see what we thought were our most memorable experiences, way back in 2019.
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by Team            PTC

It Takes Two | James Parry
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Given that it won Game of the Year all over the place back in 2021 and really sets the standard for coop games in the past few years, It Takes Two is probably a title you’ve heard of, even if you haven’t given it a go yourself.

For me, this was the first time I’ve played through a game start to finish with my wife, and she enjoyed it enough to give Split Fiction a go with me as well.
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The beauty of the game overall is its constant chopping and changing of mechanics and styles between its levels, meaning that there’s new and exciting things around the corner all the time, and even if a section gets a bit tricky, you know it won’t last too long.

As for the best moment, the game’s most memorable are often pretty harrowing, thanks to the dark side of Hazelight Studio’s signature sense of humour, so for my personal best a more uplifting section comes to mind.

The Snow Globe chapter has your tiny characters navigating a winter scene, which gives rise to not only some really fun environmental storytelling, but one of the most fun mechanics - magnets.

Since it’s so simple to understand, its easy to get to grips with, and combined that with skating about on ice, you’ve got yourself a really fun level from start to finish.
Gears 5  | Chris Brand
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The original Horde mode from Gears 5 was a gruelling test of endurance, with 50 waves of increasingly difficult enemies. It has since been watered down into Horde Frenzy, with the difficulty curve compressed into a meagre 12 waves, and a successful run is nowhere near as satisfying. Of course, stumbling at the last hurdle is not quite as heartbreaking (screw you, wave 49) but no-one sets out to fail.

My first few attempts were nary more than a learning experience, as I got to grips with the characters, mechanics, maps and enemy types. Over time, I got further and further and the, once seemingly unreachable, wave 50 was tantalisingly close. Then it happened. A run that was going better than any other, until my entire team shit the bed on the afore-screwed wave 49.

Rather than being disheartened, I felt elevated. It wasn't a successful run, but it was close enough that I knew it was possible and I had managed to overcome the biggest obstacle of all: my own restlessness. After sitting in the same place for almost 3 hours (probably for the first time ever), I was energised, focused and determined. The next time I attempted this Herculean feat, I'd be ready for it and get the win.

Nope. Shit the bed, wave 49. A pattern forms. At this point, I was starting to doubt if I'd ever beat the coveted wave 50 but I was having enough fun to keep trying.

Finally, it did happen, thanks to someone playing as the under-appreciated robot, Jack, and securing scores of revives in the later rounds.

Horde Frenzy is still tough, and you shouldn't expect to go all the way without some practice, but that feeling of achievement is significantly lessened.
Baldur's Gate 3 |  Liam Andrews
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I’ve had a lot of great coop moments over the years, but I’d have to give one of my most memorable to a very recent game: Baldur’s Gate 3. The memorable moment in question came in the game’s Adamantine Forge area.

Spoiler alerts for anyone who hasn’t played this part yet!

This forge was the location of an epic battle with a giant set of mechanical armour known as Grym, who has a huge amount of health and is invulnerable to pretty much all attack types. Grym will also relentlessly target whichever member of your party offers the most threat.

This made it an incredibly one-sided fight and our party of three was sent packing on numerous occasions. The fight became so frustrating that I was resigned to the fate of loading an earlier save and giving up on the area altogether, when we realised we could use Grym’s targeting system to our advantage to lure it under the forge’s giant hammer.

I placed myself under the hammer and started dealing out attacks to get Grym’s attention, while another of the party stood ready to activate the hammer’s lever and another kept us alive with healing spells. Grym obediently made its way over to me, and the huge hammer was dropped for an instant KO.

It was such a sweet victory that I didn’t even mind that I ended up flattened alongside Grym. After being revived, I left the forge with a lovely new set of adamantine armour and one of my favourite coop memories.
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Which game studio deserves a second chance? | Team Talk

19/8/2024

 
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With the news that the ill-fated Tango Gameworks, creators of the excellent Hi-Fi Rush, have been acquired by Krafton, the publishers of Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds, we thought it was time some other studios got a second chance.

What studio from a bygone area would you happily see resurrected? Let us know in the comments, or hop into the Discord.

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by Team PTC

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​@pass_controller

Westwood Studios | James Parry
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My love for Red Alert is well-documented, but the reason I want to see original developers Westwood Studios is not for more of that series or even Command and Conquer.

In fact, it's just real-time strategy in general that I think needs a boost, and Westwood would be the perfect heralds to usher in a second golden age of RTS.

The way they created a wrapper around the classic rock, paper, scissors format without it feeling simplistic or obvious is the basis for the varied and engaging gameplay that this studio became known for in the 90s and early 2000s.

Given the chance to forge a new path and come up with an original idea to apply their expertise to, it could be a chance to breathe some new life into a sadly neglected genre.

You could even go further and introduce multiple levels of strategy, with a metagame above in managing your armies or forces, or going to the ground level and having a more first person, immediate experience.

While there aren't a lot of voices calling for RTS to break back into the mainstream, I think with the variety of single and multiplayer options could have some real untapped potential.

And this is without even considering tying them up with a licence like Star Wars to add a bit of brand recognition to the mix.
Factor 5 | Liam Andrews
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I can’t really tell if Factor 5 is currently an active studio or not, but I’m picking them for this week all the same as I really want another Rogue Squadron game to be made and I will take any opportunity to mention it.

Factor 5 were responsible for some of the best Star Wars games on N64 and GameCube in the form of the three Rogue Squadron games, and it’s a shame that they never got a chance to replicate this greatness on more modern machines.

They were known for producing games that were not only fun to play but looked and sounded great too. Rogue Leader on GameCube was particularly impressive, I remember being amazed that a game could look that good on a home console, and the opening Death Star trench run mission was one of the best opening levels I’ve ever played.

EA’s Star Wars Squadrons was a lot of fun to play and the closest thing to a modern-day Rogue Squadron, but I really missed the arcade nature of the latter and would love to see the series make a return, even if it’s just a remaster/remake of the original trilogy of games.
Lionhead Studios | Chris Brand
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If you were expecting me to use this week's topic as another opportunity to talk about Fable​ again, then you're only partially right. I'm also going to talk about Black & White and Theme Park. I, too, feel like I'm bending the rules a little bit here, as Theme Park was developed by Lionhead's predecessor, Bullfrog Productions. Although Lionhead Studios itself has ceased to exist, some of those same developers went on to form Two Point Studios, the team behind the spiritual successor to Theme Hospital, further muddying the waters.

Nostalgia has undoubtedly tinted my memories with more rose than is warranted, but Black & White seemed revolutionary at the time and I wasn't aware of many titles quite like it. It was probably some years later when that illusion was shattered, as I discovered Populous, a slightly older series created by the, now defunct, Bullfrog. God games are in short supply these days, Ubisoft's underrated From Dust being the last one I can recall enjoying.

Theme Park was another title that stood out as being unique in the simulation genre and the fact that it's still talked about today is a testament to that. Though it was possibly inspired by (and certainly took cues from) other games that had come before, Theme Park still managed to be totally different, the very British humour likely playing a big part in its legacy. Most of the gamers I know, whether hardcore or casual, have memories of Theme Park and its sort-of-sequel, Theme Hospital. Of course, Two Point Hospital has already scratched that particular itch.

And then, with a sigh, we come to Fable Legends. It may not have been the Fable game we all wanted yet it had potential. The lush landscapes, the eccentric heroes and the biting sarcasm were all present and the writing felt very on-brand. I'm glad that the series still lives and we're getting a new entry, but I'm unsure if it can live up to the hype you've all created.
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What is the perfect gaming platform? | Team Talk

30/7/2024

 
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With Xbox increasing the price of Game Pass, PlayStation players having to wait until 2025 for a first-party release, and the Switch becoming the most long-in-the-tooth Nintendo console of all time this week, it would be easy to get a bit down about the state of gaming, but we have an idea.

Imagine a world where we could have a clean slate, starting from scratch to create the perfect gaming platform. Is it a black box with blinking LEDs? Is it a cloud gaming subscription service? Is it a PC? Only you can decide.

In the meantime, we've got some thoughts of our own – a mixture of the best bits of consoles past and a few fresh ideas thrown in for good measure…

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by Team PTC

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​@pass_controller

Storytelling, depth and portability | James Parry
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On Pointless the other day, Roblox was described as a gaming platform, so you know the rulebook is out the window with this challenge.

A LOT has been done before, and done well, so I think putting together an effective Frankenstein’s monster should be very doable.

First thing’s first, it’s not about what processor and what memory do we need, more important is what can it do?

Still, the hardware is still a factor in one way – disk space. We need enough hard disk space to install more than a handful of games at the same time. Even better is the option to add in storage later on and not worry about it being classed as “external” space, so the PS5 approach is the winner there.

Visuals and performance should be strong enough that it isn’t going to be out-of-date by next year, and it should be compatible with any existing controller – the perfect controller is a topic for another day.

Next up, the dashboard software. At the moment, I think PlayStation’s is the most sleek, but a bit linear, and Microsoft’s is too cluttered, so we’ll need to come up with something new which takes the best of both. Most important of all is that it’s very customizable, think of it like the quick settings menu on an Android phone – rearrange what you use and remove what you don’t.

Last but not least: games. For back catalogue, Xbox has done a good job of keeping up with their older titles, and has good integrations for EA and even Ubisoft, but PlayStation has those elusive exclusives, so what’s the solution? PC.

The fact that PlayStation is being more and more happy to have their library shared with the PC audience, and the fact that it opens us up to PC Game Pass as well, the flexibility of a PC setup is the way to go. Now we just need to kidnap some coders to come up with a customised architecture that makes the PC desktop experience feel more like a console experience.

That turn-it-on-and-go experience is key for jumping on for 15 minutes here and there, and so I think we’ll steal the instant sleep and wake capability from the Switch for good measure.
Useability and comfort | Chris Brand
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For my ideal gaming platform, we have to start with the controller. There have been too many missteps over the years, from the original Xbox's ridiculous six face buttons, the PS3's tiny little controller, to the Nintendo 64's bizarre three-handed monstrosity. We're having none of that. There's no need to break the mould, just something easy to use and functional. The current Xbox/PlayStation devices are a good fit in terms of size and button placement, just too prone to stick drift. Essentially, I want something a lot like what we've got now, but better.

Although virtual reality hasn't been the game-changer I thought it would be, a compatible VR headset is a must. I've seen and played some interesting VR titles but this is mainly for Legendary Tales. Such a peripheral would have to be an optional extra, as after around 9pm I don't have the energy to move my fingers and my head at the same time.

As I've fully embraced having a digital library of games (something I would've considered heresy a decade or so ago), I see no need for a disc drive. I'm not opposed to the idea, but, like James, I believe we should cram as many terabytes in there as possible, since games are taking up more and more of our limited space and a disc drive is a waste of real estate that could be used to house a bigger, fatter, hard drive.

Now that cross-platform play exists, it's become necessary. Everyone has friends scattered across different platforms and it would be difficult to pitch a machine without this feature.

Something that can handle performance and frame rate at the same level as high-end PCs would be nice but only if it doesn't take up so much space that I'd need to buy a new piece of furniture to accommodate it. If I wanted to look at a big, ugly, thing in my living room, I'd ask your mother round for dinner.
Controller layouts | Liam Andrews
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I’m going to agree with Chris and say the controller is one of the most important things to consider when coming up with a new gaming platform, and it’s my main focus here. I agree today’s standard design is very good and I wouldn’t stray too far from it (two grips to hold, a d-pad, two control sticks, four shoulder and face buttons etc.) but I’d definitely like to see the button hierarchy of the GameCube make a comeback.

It makes so much more sense than the diamond ABXY layout seen on modern controllers, as there’s always one button that’s used more than the others and the different shapes also made them easier to tell apart. So my controller would have unique face buttons and shapes and they’ll be smooth and silent to press, none of that overly loud clicky-ness of the Xbox controllers, but I will take the asymmetrical control sticks as they are a lot more comfortable to use.

Portability would be nice, but I don’t mean as a hybrid console like the Switch. If I lose control of the big TV, I have to lug a weighty and expensive plastic box upstairs to play on a smaller monitor, so it would be nice if all consoles could be as small and look as sleek as the Series S from now on as this would make moving from room to room so much easier.​
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Summer Game Fest and shows round-up | Team Talk

20/6/2024

 
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​We're back with a bang to bring you our thoughts on all the games announcements of the past couple of weeks, from Summer Game Fest, the Xbox Showcase, Nintendo Direct and back again.

While we don't have tons of gaming blockbusters hitting consoles in 2024 compared to last year, it's clear there's plenty to look out for in the next couple of years.

Side note: Thank you for bearing with us in our absence.

Once you've perused our choices, let us know what you're excited for in our Discord, or in the comments.

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by Team PTC
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​@pass_controller

Perfect Dark, Dragon Age and Gears of War | James Parry
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Call me old fashioned, but while I always champion new IP and fresh ideas, like many gamers, when push comes to shove I also have a bit of a soft spot for things I've played before.

Xbox in particular had me their entire show, with the return of both N64 classic Perfect Dark and Gears of War prequel E-Day both pleasant surprises.

The former was my first experience of bots in multiplayer and built on the excellent bones of GoldenEye before it, while the latter has been the source of many outstanding single and multiplayer experiences throughout the series' varied history.

Further to that was the updated title for the new Dragon Age instalment – The Veilguard. BioWare not only had an impressive trailer to show but the reporting in the days since has revealed we're in for a balance of RPG and big action which only they can deliver.

What they have shown off suggests a more linear, story-driven experience that the series is known for, with familiar faces and some pretty visuals. Here's hoping the vibe that made the original trilogy so iconic lives on in the team that remains at the troubled developer.

Elsewhere there were certainly fun bits and pieces dotted about. A new LEGO-flavoured take on Horizon, Assassin’s Creed has a fun new setting but the jury is still out, and Star Wars Outlaws should be solid, though being a franchise piece it does have an unfair advantage…

Luckily, amongst all the big names, tons of indies also got their chance to shine. The ones shown off by the newly created Blumhouse Games particularly stick in the mind. Hopefully I'll be able to carve out more time for them this year.
State of Decay 3 and Fable | Chris Brand
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Much like James, most of what caught my eye came from the Xbox Showcase. Possibly because that's the only console I own, possibly because a lot of those titles will be available through Game Pass at no extra cost and I love free stuff.

Though I struggle with horror-themed games, I can just about handle State of Decay 2 without succumbing to The Fear. Of course, it is much easier with someone to watch my back and taxi my character to our objective whilst I reluctantly make a coffee at 11:00pm as my eyes keep closing and cocaine is expensive. It's a huge improvement over its predecessor and even though State of Decay 3 probably won't be as big of a leap, it seems reasonable to expect that some new ideas will have made their way into the threequel.

There seems to be more of an emphasis on remembering the lost, which is sure to be a big part of my playthrough as all of my favourite characters eventually die. Usually due to me refusing to outfit them with the best gear, in case I lose that too. Good weapons are hard to come by but people are everywhere.

If you'd put a bet on me mentioning Fable, then congratulations, you've won fat stacks of cash. And your bookie is weird, who takes bets on stuff like that? Send me his number. The latest trailer follows the series' long-running tradition of not taking itself too seriously but things started to heat up near the end as we were, almost, introduced to this game's big bad. Maybe we'll get to see a good chunk of gameplay in next year's showcase, as the 2025 release window potentially means we've got 18 more months of me banging on about Fable.
Gears of War E-Day and Metroid Prime 4 | Liam Andrews
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I missed most of the actual events of the past few weeks, but catching up on all the announcements is my preferred way to approach these shows as I can pick and choose which games to focus on.

My highlight of all the events goes to Gears of War E-Day, but it could easily have been Metroid Prime 4, which looked amazing and was something I wasn’t expecting to see released anytime soon. I’m a big fan of the original Metroid Prime (and the remaster) and I’m hoping we’ll get a rerelease of the two sequels at some point before the latest entry comes out as I’d like to get up to speed with any important story events before diving in.

I’ve played every Gears of War game, bar Tactics, which I should really get around to at some point, and enjoyed all of them so I’m really looking forward to a new mainline game. I especially like the concept of going back to the start of events, as it’s something that’s only really been explored in spin-off books (which I’ve also read) as far as I can remember.

I know it wasn’t gameplay, but the CGI trailer looked very good and did its job of getting me hyped for the game and I can’t wait to see more.
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What were your highlights at The Golden Joystick Awards 2023? | Team Talk

13/11/2023

 
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As we approach the end of the year, it’s time to start taking stock of what has been a phenomenal year for gaming. While our own picks for Game of the Year will come next month, the Golden Joystick Awards have returned to dish out all sorts of accolades to the hardworking souls who bring these experiences to life for us.

What stuck out in the award winners list for you? Did it make you think about playing something you wouldn’t have considered otherwise? Let us know in our Discord.
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​​by
Team
PTC

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Liam Andrews
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Game award events usually just serve to remind me that I’m not up to speed with what’s hot right now, and this year’s Golden Joystick Awards were no different. I’ve yet to sample Larian’s Baldur’s Gate 3, and judging by the number of awards that were showered upon it this week I really should at some point. Cyberpunk 2077 was another one I haven’t tried, but I think I’ll wait for the complete / GOTY edition with all the DLC before diving in.

I was a bit surprised not to see Super Mario Wonder getting the nod for the Nintendo Game of the Year award. Perhaps it released a bit too late for proper consideration, but I’m having a lot of fun with it, and it would have been a worthy winner. Tears of the Kingdom is another I’ve not got around to playing, I only finished Breath of the Wild recently and I need a break before going back to that iteration of Hyrule.

I haven’t played enough of Starfield to comment on whether it’s a worthy winner for Xbox. I will at some point, but it probably would have been my choice given that I didn’t get on with Hi-Fi RUSH, which was probably the only other title in contention.
Chris Brand
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​Out of all of this year's winners and nominees, I've only played a small handful. As such, I wasn't too invested in many of the categories but it was good to see a large variety of games on show, even if a lot of them were Baldur's Gate 3.

There was some strong competition for the Still Playing Award with No Man's Sky coming out on top. It's had a lot of content pumped into it since its initial release and still stands out as being fairly unique. Of course, there are other games that revolve around space exploration but few that offer the same sense of discovery in such a huge universe.

One of those exceptions is Starfield, winner of the Xbox Game of the Year award. Despite the numerous bugs I encountered during my (considerable) play time, it quickly became one of my favourite games. Each playthrough lead to new findings and a greater appreciation for the world. Though I think Craig Sechler should have been in with a shout for Best Supporting Performer for his work as the Adoring Fan.

Most Wanted Game teased some of the titles we can look forward to in the future, like Fable and some non-Fable games which aren't Fable. The last proper Fable released all the way back in 2010 and after 12 years of not-so-patiently waiting, it feels closer than it ever has. By the time it sees the light of day, the hype which I'm trying to create will have likely faded away and I can stop banging on about it.
James Parry
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I’ve already mentioned my keenness to play Baldur’s Gate 3, and the record-breaking seven wins is a fairly clear sign it’s more than just hype and I should definitely get in it before the end of the year.

The benefit of awards like this is that it can bring games to your attention that you’d dismissed because they had an odd name, didn’t look like your cup of tea, or maybe you just hadn’t heard about them at all.

This year the names that stick out are both Sea of Stars and Alan Wake II. Both games have been receiving praise all over my feeds for weeks and, interestingly, both couldn’t be more tonally contrasting to each other.

Elsewhere the fact that the PlayStation Game of the Year went to Resident Evil 4 is a surprise, given that it’s a remake and we had some very strong contenders in the category, including Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.

With so many releases, it’s hard to justify revisiting ongoing titles, though, like Liam, I’m tempted to give Cyperpunk 2077 another chance after being distracted and not diving into its world first time around.

Elsewhere in the very long Most Wanted category, the title that stood out for me is Star Wars: Outlaws, even though we don’t know too much about what it’s all about just yet.
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What is Forza Motorsport in 2023?: A racing game identity crisis | Opinion

11/10/2023

 
Forza Motorsport 2023

While playing the new Forza Motorsport, I found myself pondering what the game says about the series, and gaming in general. So this isn’t quite a review of Forza Motorsport, but hear me out.

You may already know the eighth game in the original
Forza series takes things back-to-basics, rebooting the game for a new generation. In short, it’s an excellent racing experience filled with the best simulated vehicles and tracks you can find in the genre today, and yet something feels a little…off. The question is why.

James Michael Parry
by James Michael Parry

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​@james_parry

Getting in the driving seat

While you take a moment for some token character creation, amounting to little more than simple gender options and a suit, depending on your view your driver is largely lost in the shuffle to the true star of the show – the cars.

At the end of a race, its your car you’ll see first on the winner’s podium, before a lacklustre punching of the air from your faceless drivatar. The experience all feels a little soulless.

It seems to want to have its cake and eat it too – be an elegant, classically-scored celebration of the beauty of these machines, and make you feel like the heroic driver at the centre of it.

We’ve seen characters thrown into racers for a while, effectively in sister series Forza Horizon 5, a little more clunkily in the more recent The Crew Motorfest, and the less said about the corny attempt in the 2015 Need for Speed the better, but no game has really pulled it off in a way which feels natural, or pulls you into a narrative as an engaging protagonist.

Changing gear

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Forza Motorsport 4 is where the series first achieved that photo-real look
Racing games as a genre haven’t always had to try so hard. Back in the day, we were happy with a sprite and the odd pixelated tree on the side of the track, now the push for photorealistic visuals, arguably achieved by Forza Motorsport 4 back in 2011, has led to players’ expectations soaring higher and higher.

Like games as an industry, we keep wanting, nay demanding, more.

Forza Motorsport 7, released back in 2017, hit a staggering 830 cars – once all the DLC was said and done – with 200 track configurations in 32 locations, so it’s no surprise it’s taken a while for developers Turn 10 to feel like they had something new to bring to the table.

But where do you go?

More fidelity? More tracks? More cars? The driving and handling experience itself was long-perfected by the time the Xbox One’s entry in the series, Forza Motorsport 5, rolled up in 2013, and you can only tie-in with so many TV shows and films before even that variety wears thin.

You could argue that motorsport itself hasn’t changed in decades, giving the team an uphill climb from the starting line, but enthusiasm for the sport has never been higher. Slightly different, sure, but Formula 1, for example, passed an average of million viewers per race last year.​

Drift into a powerslide

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Forza Motorsport 5 ditched some of the Kinect gimmicks and re-focused the series on simulation
There seems to be only one obvious solution – double down.

The tuning and car customisation options in the latest game are incredible, and it would be ridiculous to expect even more in that department, but perhaps make more of a game of it?

Not everyone has a detail-orientated approach to games, and introducing minigames which play on some of the extremes of what tuning is capable of, a cleverly disguised opportunity to educate, could bring the experience to life in a new way, and allow the player to bring the knowledge back into the main game’s driving journey.

Next, leave the drivers out of it entirely.

While it might seem like a bit of fun to watch them frantically change gear through the rear windscreen as you tear around the track, more than a cursory glance confirms that even in this latest instalment the animations are rigid and one-note. Far from adding to immersion it actually creates a distraction for those used to an exterior view of the car in their driving games.​
Forza Motorsport 2023
The latest Forza Motorsport at time is indistinguishable from real footage
Finally, a more clear line between the serious, buttoned-up sim experience and the more relaxed, even arcade-y side of the genre would avoid players who aren’t quite as into the realism angle have more fun with the game.

Introduce more extreme damage options as additional challenges, daring you to make it down the track with only a single hit or jolt between your car and a written-off mess.

The tracks could stand to have a little more flexibility and customisation too, letting you customise environmental effects and add hazards to remix existing tracks in fun new ways. Or even leverage Xbox’s vast back catalogue of franchises to have you explore exciting, even out-of-this-world locations.

There’s nothing wrong with Forza Motorsport, and the team at Turn 10 no doubt will have a lot of fun additions and improvements still to come after release, but if they want to really bring in new fans to this series, something has to change.
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Forza Motorsport (2023) is available now on Xbox Game Pass. Code provided by Microsoft.
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Taken for a Quickie | We Were Here Forever

2/2/2023

 
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The We Were Here series is back with more co-op puzzling for players to sink their teeth into. Join us as we take a look at the fourth and latest entry, We Were Here Forever.

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​by 
Liam 
​Andrews

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@pass_controller

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Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, PC
Developer: Total Mayhem Games
Publisher: Total Mayhem Games
Players: 2


The fourth game, you say. Do I need to have played any of the previous entries before trying this one?

Prior knowledge of the series isn’t required before diving into We Were Here Forever. The game follows a similar setup to previous titles, with two characters, often separated, having to work together to solve a series of asymmetrical puzzles.

While the series has established its fair share of lore since the original game’s release, you won’t need to be schooled up on it to enjoy the puzzles.

How do you work together if you’re separated?

You’ll be relying on push-to-talk walkie-talkies to communicate (voice chat is disabled otherwise).
​

While this serves as a good way of getting players to engage in clear and concise dialogue, forgetting to hold down the walkie-talkie’s activation button or accidentally talking over your partner could get quite frustrating as one, or both of you, would end up having to repeat yourself.
​

The idea is certainly a cool one, but there were times when we would have liked to have been given the opportunity to ditch the walkie-talkies when it made sense to do so, such as when working on puzzles in the same room.
Wooden structures and cable cars suspended by ropes and supports.
Tell me about the puzzles.
​

For the most part, we found the puzzles to be fairly engaging. Being separated often means one player has access to information that can help the other, such as a book that contains the correct combination to a vault at the other player’s location, and there is certainly enjoyment to be had beating them this way, via a combination of teamwork and brain power.

However, there were times where puzzles felt a little lopsided, with one player having more to do than the other on occasion. Others featured unique symbols that had to be described to the other player, which wasn’t always as straightforward as it sounds given the vague nature of their shapes.
Room with wooden supports, old machinery and glowing lights.
Would you recommend it?
​

If you’re a fan of the series then yes, certainly, although newcomers who have little or no investment in the story shouldn’t be put off as you’ll at least be getting the most premium entry in the series; WWHF is a more visually polished game than its predecessor, with lots of detail in the chunky stylized visuals, decent animations, and well-crafted atmospheric environments.

If you’re into puzzle games, especially co-operative ones with friends (online only, mind), then for the low entry cost it’s probably worth a shot.
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Our Most Anticipated Games 2022: Overwatch 2 | Team Talk

3/2/2022

 
Overwatch 2 characters concept art

I'm rather disappointed in myself for picking Overwatch 2 as my most anticipated game of the year because it is, in my not-so-humble opinion, more of a full-price DLC. The new maps, modes and heroes will be playable across both titles, with all of your unlocked customisation options carrying over into the "sequel" should you choose to upgrade.

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​by
​Chris Brand

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​@SuperCrisco

The only real addition (that I'm aware of) is the inclusion of PvE co-op missions. However, that's exactly what I'm excited for. I love teaming up with a friend, or a few, in co-op shooters and ramping up the difficulty. Gears 5 is a prime example. Although I thoroughly enjoyed playing the campaign solo, I had to tear myself away from horde mode just to write our review.

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Overwatch has dabbled with PvE content in seasonal events, such as the Halloween-exclusive Junkenstein's Revenge, and it works well. Yes, it's a simple mode without any frills that can quickly get stale but, mechanically, it's solid.
Our Most Anticipated Games 2022: Overwatch 2 | Team Talk - Dr Junkenstein
Overwatch 2 promises to keep things fresh by allowing players to modify their abilities, maybe trading a little bit of burst damage for more consistent DPS, or vice versa. The mission variety is what will make or break it for me. I'm hoping for both short and long missions, some adding to the overall narrative and others just there for intense, horde-like, firefights.

When it comes to PvP, there are significant changes being made. Overwatch will shake things up by transitioning from 6v6 battles to 5v5, with teams losing one of their tanks. This would make some of the "off tanks" a terrible choice in the current live game but, with a host of reworks in the pipeline, and not just for the tank class, I'm hopeful that players won't feel pressured to choose a barrier tank.

In fact, tanks may not be tanks at all; Blizzard have expressed a desire to switch the name of the class to brawler. Still, it's hard to see the benefit of forgoing a reliable Reinhardt in favour of a dive-bombing D.Va. Heroes are already getting slight tweaks and reworks (though, like most multiplayer games, this has been a constant ongoing process throughout
Overwatch's life), suggesting that the developers are going to drip feed changes until the sequel's release.

Our Most Anticipated Games 2022: Overwatch 2 | Team Talk - Orisa
I've read and heard nary a thing about the Overwatch Workshop, a tool for knocking together custom game modes. It's already being used in creative ways and could add endless longevity if it's expanded to allow for the easy creation of new missions, not unlike the track editor in the Trials series. It's not very intuitive, nor expansive, but imagination can push technology beyond its limits.

As Liam mentioned, Microsoft's recent acquisition of Activision Blizzard means that we can expect Overwatch 2 to be playable via Game Pass from day one. This not only saves money, but also saves me from having to persuade/bully my other half into purchasing the sequel. Playing with friends and loved ones is always more fun and I find that those closest to me are less likely to bitch and moan when I spend a little too long trying to sink a basket in the spawn room.
2 Comments

Taken for a Quickie: Hell Let Loose

26/10/2021

 
Hell Let Loose - Silhouetted soldier on a chaotic battlefield

In the return of our conversational quick look series, we check out Team 17’s Hell Let Loose.
James Michael Parry

​by James Michael Parry

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​@james_parry

So, war is hell then?

You could definitely say that – from the word go, Hell Let Loose aims to capture the chaos of battle. It throws you knee-deep into the mud and blood without much explanation of what’s going on.

Things can get messy, huh?

Yes. For example, after getting a squad of six together – aided by crossplay functionality – we joined a match and encountered various communication issues. Different platforms could and couldn’t hear each other, not helped by the three in-game chat channels (party chat, squad chat and proximity chat) that further complicate matters. 

Even after figuring things out and aligning everyone’s settings, there was seemingly still a bit of pot luck involved. Not ideal in a hardcore simulation game.​
Soldier holds a gun in first person in a destroyed town
What are the basics?

There’s a long list of classes, though it’s best to keep things simple at first by picking a Rifleman. Clutching an M1 Garand, you might be charged with storming the beach at Normandy, or defending it, then the game plays out a lot like Battlefield’s Rush mode. It’s on a much larger scale, however, so enemy encounters can be few and far between.

​What happens when you get into a fight?


There’s a realistic slant on gunplay in that you won’t take more than a hit or two before going down. You can bandage yourself up to avoid bleeding out, or a Medic can do the job for you, but supplies are very limited. 

Working as a squad helps, since the Officer can put spawn points down in an attempt to keep everyone together. There’s also an element of wider team coordination here; Officers have access to a special command comms channel, enabling them to coordinate with other squads and even tanks.

Ooo I like tanks, can I drive one?

Vehicles are fairly hard to come by, but yes. Those different roles include a Tank Commander and Crewman, both of which must work closely together. 

In even rarer air, there’s a spot on each team for one Commander. This role directs friendly forces in a kind of a real-time strategy meta game, without ever getting stuck in on the frontline alongside everyone else.
List of the classes in the game with a soldier standing by
Sounds interesting. Is it worth sinking some time into?

Because of how matches are structured, each leg of an attack has a fairly significant time limit - if the defenders almost hold out at each stage, an individual match can last well over an hour. 

Hell Let Loose is a faithful and unforgiving take on World War 2, but some players will miss the creature comforts offered by almost every other modern shooter. It definitely throws back to the heyday of the Medal of Honor series, both in the way it plays and the inevitable similarities in weapons and themes. Overall, it’s definitely worth a go – especially for PS5 owners as it’s an October 2021 PlayStation Plus title.
0 Comments

Team Talk | Marvel's Avengers vs Gotham Knights

27/8/2020

 
Team Talk | Marvel's Avengers vs Gotham Knights - Pass the Controller

The final Marvel’s Avengers beta has only just finished and we recently got our first glimpse of Gotham Knights in action, so we thought it's about time to resurrect that decades old argument: Marvel or DC?

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by Chris Brand
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@SuperCrisco

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by Team PTC
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@pass_controller

Chris | Marvel's Avengers

I've got nothing but love for the Arkham series. The story, pacing and combat are top notch and let's not forget those weird hallucinations when Bats inevitably gets poisoned and must race for a cure. Predictable, yet still fun every time. 

Though we've had the chance to play as other characters before, they were never as fleshed-out as Batman. This time, Warner Bros. have a reason to fully kit out the Bat-Family, hopefully giving each a wide array of gadgets and abilities that will rival the Dark Knight himself. The inclusion of co-op is also a huge selling point for me, adding longevity to a title that would otherwise be "one and done."

Having played just enough of Marvel's Avengers to get to grips with the basics, it seems to offer an engaging story (so far) and lovely, smooth combat, but with a larger roster, which will only grow as post-launch heroes release.

I was leaning towards Gotham Knights before getting my hands on Marvel's Avengers, but that opening A-Day mission had me flip-flopping quicker than the UK Government during a global pandemic. That cinematic feel has been perfectly captured, with Hulk displaying the same speed and agility he does in the movies.
Team Talk | Marvel's Avengers vs Gotham Knights - Pass the Controller
If you need ideas for DLC heroes, Square Enix, we've got you covered.

James | Gotham Knights

While Marvel have had a fairly firm stranglehold on the film universe for over a decade, their gaming past has been less successful.

Enter Marvel's Avengers, trotting out by now very familiar characters, Kamala aside, and asking the gaming public to love them.

While designs have been tweaked slightly since the initial reveal (see Thor's new hair do), the gameplay feels like an abstract mix of gameplay ideas which don't quite hang together convincingly.

Contrast that with DC in general. Not only is there the stunning Injustice games beating out Marvel efforts in the fighting genre and more charismatic portrayals in their LEGO games, there's the Arkham series, which took superhero games to a whole new level back in 2009.

Where Marvel has an ace in the hole though, as in the MCU, is Spider-Man. The Miles Morales-led expansion of the 2018 PS4 outing for Spidey looks shiny and will make the most of the PS5. Arguably though the combat that made the first so compelling is strongly influenced by the aforementioned Arkham series, giving DC the last laugh.
Team Talk | Marvel's Avengers vs Gotham Knights - Pass the Controller
Batman taught Spidey everything he knows.

Sam | Gotham Knights

Having played the Marvel’s Avengers beta over the weekend, I was left pretty underwhelmed. In fact, I couldn’t even be bothered to finish all of the missions and quit out before the end. Throw in the controversy surrounding Spider-Man’s PlayStation exclusivity and, somehow, Square Enix has managed to turn this Marvel fan away.

Gotham Knights, on the other hand, came as a nice surprise. The game’s DC FanDome reveal was expected in advance, though with Warner Bros. Montréal at the helm and not Batman: Arkham custodians Rocksteady I half feared the worst. WB Montréal’s Batman: Arkham Origins is hardly the acclaimed series’ highpoint, after all.

Granted we need to learn more about Gotham Knights to draw reliable comparisons, but the co-op gameplay shown in the reveal showcase puts what we’ve seen (and played) of Marvel’s Avengers to shame. There’s a veritable mix of combat and stealth, along with thoughtful use of gadgetry and teamwork; Avengers just tasks players with barrelling in and mashing buttons instead.

You can argue that there’s a place for that and you’d be right, but it got boring over the course of a single evening with the beta. When Marvel’s Avengers plans to stick around for years to come, that’s serious cause for concern.
Team Talk | Marvel's Avengers vs Gotham Knights - Pass the Controller
It's not real co-op without fancy tag team abilities.

​Liam | Gotham Knights

I missed out on the Marvel’s Avengers beta, so I’m still judging where I’ll get my next superhero fix with information gleaned from trailers and gameplay footage. Having just caught up on the deluge of justice coming our way, I can say that Gotham Knights has edged it.

The fact that it’s made by Warner Bros. Montreal and not Rocksteady doesn’t bother me the slightest. I know Arkham Origins is not held in as high regard as Rocksteady’s efforts (even though it still has its fans), but what I’ve seen of gameplay looks solid and reassuringly familiar.

I also think ditching Batman is a good idea, as not only do we get an opportunity to play as some of the lesser known heroes, but it eliminates the inevitable arguments that would have come about (at least in co-op) from everyone wanting to play as the Dark Knight.

But the inclusion of the Court of Owls and their Talon assassins as potential big baddies was by far the most exciting part of the Gotham Knights reveal trailer. Having read the comics in which they debuted as antagonists, they make an excellent ‘hidden hand’ type organisation, and Chris will be glad to know they’re also quite fond of psychedelic torture.
Team Talk | Marvel's Avengers vs Gotham Knights - Pass the Controller
Whoever the Court of Owls are, you can be sure they're up to no good.

Are you more hyped for Marvel's Avengers or Gotham Knights?
0 Comments
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