 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.
Factor 5 | Liam Andrews  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  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.  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…
Useability and comfort | Chris Brand  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  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.  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.
State of Decay 3 and Fable | Chris Brand  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  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.  With Alone in the Dark returning with a remake of its 1992 original, we’ve been getting all nostalgic this week about other franchises which have somehow avoided the re-heating treatment so far. There have been numerous success stories in the past, including the iconic Resident Evil remake (the first one, that is), as well as the fact that industry icons Sonic and Mario still live on today. What's your top pick for a franchise that doesn't deserve to be lost to time? Let us know in the Discord.
Star Wars Rogue Squadron | Liam Andrews  This week’s topic gave me an excuse to call for the return of Star Wars: Rogue Squadron, which is something I’ll always be happy to do given the chance. The original game in the trilogy might have been released late in the decade (1999) on the N64, but it just about makes the cut. Although I’m quite happy to play older titles in their original form - I recently finished Brother’s in Arms: Hell's Highway and am currently working my way through Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter – I would love to see Rogue Squadron given the remake treatment (though I’d be happy with a straight port on modern consoles as well). There is a PC version of the game currently available on Steam, but it would be amazing to see the game properly reimagined on today’s hardware, with a super smooth framerate and highly detailed environments and vehicles. It’d also be great to experience the fantastic campaign missions without the vision obscuring fog. I understand the fog was probably only included due to technical limitations, but it was more intimidating than anything the Imperials could throw at me, as I’d often dread getting lost in some of the more complicated map layouts. Syphon Filter | Chris Brand  1999's Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver is the game I'd most like to see make a comeback, but if anyone ever forgets about this absolute gem, it's only for the brief moments between someone mentioning it. Syphon Filter might be remembered equally as fondly, just maybe not quite as often.
Though it spawned many sequels, the few that I've played lacked the magic of the original. At least, I think. It could be that time has merged them all together, as my memory of the series is little more than a montage of our "hero" setting people on fire through continuous application of the taser. I remember heroically setting fire to someone on a rooftop. I heroically set fire to a guy in a train station. I believe I also set fire to someone in a snowfield, something only a true hero would do. To clarify, this is totally unnecessary, as enemies are incapacitated (thus, the threat is removed) a good few seconds before the burning starts. The story almost completely passed me by, presumably because my young mind didn't require a motive for setting people on fire, merely the opportunity. I would have likely skipped every cutscene and bit of dialogue instantly, to get back to the action. As such, the overall narrative would still feel new and fresh if I was to revisit Syphon Filter, although I'd prefer a remake rather than a continuation of the series. I could find out who I'm fighting against, what their goals are and why it's acceptable for me to use a "non-lethal" weapon in such a way. It's aged about as well as GoldenEye and would need rebuilding from the ground up to really do it justice, but I can't think of a better choice to fill the Sam Fisher-shaped hole in our lives. What are you excited for from the Nintendo Partner Direct and Elden Ring DLC trailer? | Team Talk24/2/2024  Wednesday saw the biggest contrast in gaming announcements this year so far with the Nintendo Partner Direct and the release of the hotly anticipated Elden Ring DLC – Shadow of the Erdtree. The Partners Nintendo brought to its show included SEGA, EA and Disney, as well as a slew of smaller-scale projects, while there’s nothing small scale about what Bandai Namco and FromSoftware had to share with us in the first expansion to Elden Ring. What are you looking forward to amongst these announcements? Let us know in our Discord.
Chris Brand  As someone without any experience of the base game, the Elden Ring DLC just makes the prospect of picking it up even more daunting. The big, scary, world has been made bigger and scarier and it's still bereft of shotguns. Though I've heard it's more accessible than the typical FromSoftware titles, I'm aware that I have too little patience to spend the time required to reach an appropriate skill level. What surprised me most from Nintendo Direct was the inclusion of Xbox first-party titles, Grounded and Pentiment (both games, along with two more, are releasing on PlayStation, too). With cross-platform play assumed to be a given in multiplayer games nowadays, console exclusives just mean a smaller player-base, so it makes sense for Microsoft to get their games into the hands of as many folks as possible. Pentiment, however, is single player, and the cynic in me suspects that this is Microsoft's way of showing various governmental agencies that they have no intention of creating a gaming monopoly by acquiring every third-party developer they can get their hands on. As they appear to be doing. It feels wrong that my personal highlight from Nintendo's stream was the least Nintendo part, but this could be a turning point for gaming. I'm sure we all have a lot of questions already. Which other Xbox exclusives will be ported to rival systems? Will Nintendo and Sony follow suit? When can I play Mario Kart and God of War? It's probably wise to assume that some exclusives will stay that way. I don't expect to ever see Joel from The Last of Us squaring up against Gears of War's Marcus Fenix in Super Smash Bros. but I do expect, nay demand, to play Mario Kart on my Xbox now, if not sooner. Liam Andrews  I’ll be honest, I was not aware of any impending DLC reveal for Elden Ring until this week’s topic was announced, although having since watched the trailer I can say that it does look very impressive, if a little gloomy.
I’m not into souls type games but I know Elden Ring is supposed to be a great game in its own right. Perhaps I’ll pick it up one day, although like Chris I find the idea of jumping into an even bigger game a little intimidating. The Xbox game reveals in the Nintendo partner showcase didn’t come as a surprise, however, as most people had guessed two of the games making the jump would be Grounded and Pentiment. I’ve yet to play the latter but thought Grounded was excellent. I’m not sure how good it will look on Switch, but it’s still cool to see it arriving on other platforms and giving other players a chance to experience it. Away from the Xbox ports, the biggest reveal from the showcase was the original Battlefront games being rereleased on consoles with full online multiplayer support. While I thoroughly enjoyed the modern Battlefront iterations, I know the original titles are held in high regard so I’m looking forward to trying them out for the first time.  After Xbox fired the starting gun for the year at their Dev_Direct, now it's PlayStation’s turn to blow us away with the fun and games they have in store this year. They may have saved the creamy filling for next week for some, as they invited SquareEnix to show off Final Fantasy VII Rebirth at an exclusive event tomorrow. In the meantime there was a mixed bag of titles to get salivating about. What tickled your fancy? Let us know over on our Discord.
Legendary Tales & Metro Awakening | Liam Andrews  Even though I don’t own a VR headset yet, the VR games were my highlight. I really liked the look of Legendary Tales, especially the combat, which looked like loads of fun. Being able to grab weapons out of the air or use broken off bits of an enemy to block or do damage on the fly is a very cool idea. I enjoy playing Baldur’s Gate 3 in multiplayer, so I’m not put off by the idea of this being an RPG to be experienced with others, however I doubt I’ll be able to convince a few of the regular adventurers I accompany to invest in a headset purely for this game, even though it looks like it would be a lot of fun with friends. Still, I would happily dive into the game solo, if only just to try what looks like a very engaging combat system (it doesn’t get more interactive than throwing a skeleton through a table, then picking it up and giving it a good pummelling!). Metro Awakening VR also looked interesting. I liked Metro 2033 and Metro Last Light, and this looks like it’ll be just as atmospheric as those titles, more so in VR. I am a coward when it comes to horror, however, so I’m not sure how well I would handle the jump scares or gloomy locations, they were sometimes scary enough on a regular TV screen. Legendary Tales | Chris Brand  This was a meatier outing than Xbox's, rather light, presentation a couple of weeks prior. There were a few titles on show which would have piqued my interest on any other day, Judas is looking like it could really be something special and the Silent Hill series is still as spooky as ever. I could have been writing about a handful of titles, if not for one which stood out far above the others.
At first, I assumed Legendary Tales would be nothing more than filler, to pad out the smaller selection of VR titles, but it turned out to be one of the greatest trailers I've ever seen. When games brag about destructible objects the results are usually disappointing, like Battlefield's structures which topple in the exact same way each time, or whatever the hell we got in Crackdown 3's bare-bones multiplayer mode. Legendary Tales not only lives up to its promise, it goes a step further by giving us the thing we all wanted without even realising (the aforementioned skeleton pummelling). The name suggests there's a robust narrative to be experienced and after doing some cursory research I discovered there's quite a lot more on offer than powerbombing skeletons, with skill trees, crafting, legendary items and a quest-driven story, playable solo or with friends. That being said, it all comes back to the combat. I can think of few things more satisfying than defeating a horde of enemies with whatever debris is lying around from the last battle. It's a certain kind of freedom that is missing from most games and something I've been discouraged from doing in real life. As I don't own any VR-capable devices, I've now got to convince one of my friends to take the plunge, which should be an easy task once I show them a video of someone punching a skeleton until it's dead (deader?).  The first big reveals of the year are on us with Xbox’s Developer Direct 2024. Microsoft’s approach to the format puts the devs themselves centre-stage, and can bring some nice, presumably unscripted, moments of humanity, such as this year when Marc Meyer at Oxide games was interrupted by someone walking across the background trying to get a drink. This time we heard from Xbox studios Obsidian Entertainment, Ninja Theory, Oxide Games and Machine Games –, and there was even a surprise guest spot for Square Enix. So, here are our highlights from the show. What was yours? Let us know in our Discord.
Chris Brand  I think someone should mention Visions of Mana and Ara: History Untold. With that out of the way, the Xbox Developer Direct was bookended by Avowed, which manages to look better and better with each new reveal, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, which seems very different to the games it inspired, namely Tomb Raider and Uncharted. But it was Senua's Saga: Hellblade II that really caught my attention. Ninja Theory created a truly unique experience that could be genuinely unnerving and I almost feel guilty for not seeing the original through to the end. I loved the storytelling, the visuals, the pacing, the top-class audio design and the world itself. Despite pushing through as far as I could, there were too many monsters and not enough shotguns for me to go all the way. Even now I'm unsure of how events played out, as I've convinced myself I'm going to finish it. One day. The combat is said to be very different in the sequel, though we didn't get to see any, outside of a brief cutscene. I'm not interested in a Dark Souls level of difficulty, but something a little more complex and engaging would certainly be welcome. I've purposely avoided many story details and the developers appear to be following suit, instead talking mainly about the production of Hellblade II and how they are committed to providing an in-depth representation of Senua's psychosis. They did a pretty good job the first time around, I couldn't ever be sure if all of the sights and sounds were "real" or not. Or which voices, if any, I should be listening to. It's a relief that the voices in my own head all sound like me and can be safely ignored. James Parry  Given that I only just talked about how much I’m looking forward to Avowed, you’d think I’d be the perfect audience for the first segment of Xbox’s presentation, going behind the scenes at Obsidian to see how the game is shaping up. From the limited amount of actual gameplay we saw, it’s definitely ticking the right boxes, but, more importantly, the passion and excitement the devs talk about the game is what really gets me curious about exploring this world. While acknowledging this is yet another game I will play and never finish. Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, may avoid that fate however, given it is reportedly only about 8 hours long and is a very focused, linear narrative. The cerebral aspect, which delves into the psychological trauma of the character from the first game, also adds a surprising amount of depth to the character, even as someone who hasn’t jumped into the series before. While the Civilisation series has been a mainstay of my gaming past, I can’t say there’s too much new or innovative going on in Ara: History Untold for me, but perhaps I am judging a book too much by its cover. Or perhaps, given its historical focus, that should be judging a…manuscript by its cover? Finally, there’s no surprise that a licence as well-known as Indiana Jones would get another gaming outing at some point, and if any team can make the whip-cracking adventurer work in first person, it’s Machine Games. In the end, a strong showing for Xbox, indicating a handful of good-looking titles coming to Game Pass this year, but are any of them real blockbuster smashes which expect to bring in new players by the thousand? For those of us already subscribed, I suppose it doesn’t matter. More good games out in the world can’t be a bad thing, right?  Another year is here and it’s welcomed by one of our January traditions – discussing the most anticipated games of 2024. While it seems obvious now, we had no idea 2023 was going to be so jam-packed with great releases. Fortunately, the big hits we chose – The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Spider-Man 2 and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor – all proved to live up to the hype, but will we be as lucky this year? Let us know your pick in the comments, or talk about all the possibilities in our Discord.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 | Liam Andrews  Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 and its objective-based gameplay looks set to fix one of the biggest issues I had with Flight Simulator 2020 by giving it some structure. I was initially fine flying about in FS 2020, but once I’d visited my home and several favourite holiday destinations and tried most of the planes on offer, I found myself getting a bit bored. A clear achievable goal to work towards is, for me, exactly what’s missing in the current game (I’m not one for completing multiple hour flights just for the sake of it, but I can appreciate why it would be fun for some people). I also really like the look of the missions on offer, as there is a decent amount of variety, from mountain rescue to stunt flying. I used to enjoy playing Search & Rescue on PC in the 90s, so I’m especially looking forward to trying out the helicopter-based missions, which, to me, look like a super HD version of that game. I am also quite looking forward to trying my hand at aerial crop dusting. I recently tried (and enjoyed) my first Farming Simulator, and this looks like the crossover I never knew I needed, but definitely want to try. Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn | Chris Brand  If there's one thing I love more than a meaty single-player RPG, it's a meaty single-player RPG with an unnecessarily long title. The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II? I'll take it. Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire – Ultimate Edition? Sure, I won't ever tire of that little bit of finger gymnastics. By contrast, the manual dexterity required to type Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn is entry level stuff really but the game itself has caught my attention.
It's not often that I get drawn in by a Souls-like, as I lack the skills to be gud and the time to git to that level, but Flintlock promises a more accessible take on the genre, wrapped up package that doesn't look too dissimilar to the more recent God of War titles. It's a far cry from the grim world of Dark Souls. The combat seems weighty, with careful and deliberate strikes being rewarded over relentless button-mashing, and some magical abilities to further enhance your kit. Many of those abilities come courtesy of your adorable fox-like companion, Enki, and I've already fallen in love with him. If the story calls for me to sacrifice him to save humanity, then I will let the world burn and never play another souls-like again. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown could have easily been my pick but we all know what to expect from the series by now, whereas Flintlock offers something I've not properly experienced before. 2023 gave us a few surprises and I'm hoping for more this year, otherwise my gaming calendar peaks far earlier than I'd like it to. Game of the Year 2023 | Team Talk4/12/2023  That’s it! Another year gone, and boy what a year it’s been for gaming. On the one hand we’ve had some incredible games released, while on the other, some of the highest redundancies we’ve ever seen across the industry, plus we saw the biggest acquisition of all time go through as Microsoft finally paid up for Activision Blizzard. Never mind all of that though, Game of the Year is all about celebrating the incredible gaming times we had this year, as we ask our team to try their hardest to pick just one title that stands above the rest for them. What’s your personal Game of the Year? It might not be mentioned here, it might not be in any of the “official” nomination lists, it might not even have been released this year. Let us know in our Discord.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor and Spider-Man 2 | James Parry  Friends, I have failed. When trying to choose the gaming experience I’ve loved the most this year, it’s a total dead heat between Respawn’s Star Wars Jedi: Survivor and Insomniac Games’ Spider-Man 2, and I’m not even mad about it. Both games are follow-ups to adventures I really enjoyed, both bring plenty of new fun to the table and both build on the magic of the first instalment. For Survivor, the galaxy opens up to a wider variety of worlds and level styles, introducing different saber stances and lots and lots of new environmental puzzles to challenge you. The combat and core gameplay are solid, and the story carries you through the entire game, engaging and emotive from start to finish. And, most importantly, BD-1 is still a dude. While it’s still New York you’re swinging (or gliding) around as both Spideys in Spider-Man 2, the map has been expanded to include more of Queens, Harlem and Brooklyn as well as Manhattan, and there’s plenty of new side activities to try out here as well. The story also takes centre stage throughout, and, like Survivor, it’s the characters and how much you care about them which really draws you into the world and begs you to explore and have a great time with them. Traversing the city remains a grin-inducing activity, as you dash from one spontaneous side mission to the next, begging for the experience not to end. Combat builds on the foundations of the previous game here as well, giving you some fun new abilities to master, and some hard-as-nails baddies to bash up. When both of these AAA experiences have been made with so much care and thought, and especially when they are tied to franchises I’m already invested in, how could I ever choose between them? (Oh, and stay tuned for a full review of Spider-Man 2 soon, hopefully before the end of the year.) Roboquest | Chris Brand  It was a tough decision this year and one I didn't make until the very last minute. Starfield was in my top spot for the longest time but numerous bugs, and other annoyances, slowly turned me away. Though it still has a place in my heart, and I'll likely revisit it in the future, I've got to go with RyseUp Studios' first-person shooter/roguelite hybrid, Roboquest.
It's been in preview for a while but the full release dropped last month with a ton of new content, bringing the total number of playable classes to six and adding more weapons, items, levels, bosses and probably more that I've missed. What started as a fun little distraction which I discovered through Game Pass, turned into one of the better shooters I've played, and not just this year. The developers under-promised and over-delivered, meaning my realistic expectations were surpassed. The overall aesthetic is reminiscent of Borderlands, but the two play very differently. Roboquest is fast-paced and frantic and thrusts you forward with a punchy soundtrack and a timer indicating just how close you are to losing that precious S rank. It can seem rather unforgiving at first but progression feels steady and natural, as you acquire permanent upgrades, uncover different routes, and find hidden secrets. However, it's made more accessible by a difficulty setting which goes from the, almost too easy, Discovery, to the punishingly hard Guardian IV. Gameplay itself is incredibly smooth. It quickly becomes second nature to slide and jump everywhere, with unlockable gadgets adding new layers to the movement and emphasizing the verticality of the levels. The random selection of weapons, items and perks available in each attempt keeps things fresh, as no two runs will be exactly the same. If you're getting burnt out on huge, complex, single-player sagas, Roboquest is the perfect palate cleanser to finish the year off.  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.
Chris Brand  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  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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