Articles (Page 2)
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MUSIC TO MY EARS Fans of Control’s incredible ‘Ashtray Maze’ setpiece are going to love Alan Wake 2
If you’re a fan of how Remedy folds music into its games, you’re going to have a great time in Alan Wake 2.
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PSIOOPS, BROKEN LAMP These new PS VR2 games show there’s plenty of magic left in this kit
C-Smash VRS and Synapse have got me very much back on the 'VR is awesome' train.
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DEEJAY, TURN IT UP Capcom only needs to make one change to make the Street Fighter 6 Battle Pass way more attractive
If Capcom did one thing to get me to open my wallet for Street Fighter 6, it'd be music to my ears.
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GIMMICK A BREAK What's the best game with the worst gimmick? The Best Games Ever Show episode 59
Video games are full of gimmicks, and the bad ones are usually found in bad games. But not always...
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LIKE A DRAGOON “Experimentation and emotion”: The past, present, and future of RPGs with Final Fantasy 4's Takashi Tokita
One of the most influential RPG creators – developer of Final Fantasy, Chrono Trigger, Live A Live and Parasite Eve – talks about the future of the genre.
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TITAN YOUR GRIP Final Fantasy 16 is a firm reminder that with RPG elements, sometimes less is more
Let me propose this simple question: should Final Fantasy 16 be an RPG?
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THE DARK SIDE Diablo 4 almost had one of the best twists in any game, until it pulled a Star Wars
For daring to interrogate Diablo’s own fiction, Lilith’s penalty is death.
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BIG IN BRAZIL Forget Summer Game Fest: to find the true successor to E3, you might need to look outside the United States
Brazil’s BIG Festival is an exuberant, enthusiastic, and energetic convention – and something other big game shows can learn from.
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LUCKY DROPS Should Diablo 4's best items have such low drop rates? It depends who you ask
Now that all of Diablo 4's best unique items have been found by players, it's time to argue about whether the low drop rate is good for the game.
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DAYS BY THE BEACH CEO 2023 is the FGC at its inclusive best, even as it faces down looming anti-LGBTQ+ laws
As LGBTQ+ folks feel increasingly unsafe in America, CEO 2023 stood out as an island amidst adversity, even as the future looks grim.
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WAKE ON ME Why Sam Lake is happy that Alan Wake 2 took over 10 years and “four failed attempts” to get right
American Nightmare, Quantum Break, Control – all of Remedy’s recent output has, in some way or another, grown from the seeds of Alan Wake 2.
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DISNEY MATTER Disney vs Football: what's the best licensed game ever?
All the biggest media brands want a slice of the gaming pie. Welcome to The Best Games Ever Show episode 58.
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STAND AND DELIVER A standing desk made me better at gaming – an unscientific study
For the past few months, I have been experimenting with leaving my cosy sofa behind and standing up to play games. And I’m never going back.
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SAME GENES ON One PlayStation Plus June 2023 addition is making my entire year’s subscription feel worthwhile
You know those games that you pick up and instantly know you’ll be sinking hours and hours into? Rogue Legacy 2 got me like that.
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BEAGLE-EYED I love Final Fantasy 16’s low-poly dog
FF16 continues one great series tradition: the low-poly dog (even if it isn’t as egregious as Lightning Returns’ canine abomination).
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PLAYING DEAD What's the best game where you play dead guy? The Best Games Ever Show episode 57
From Manny in Grim Fandango to Reagan and Gorbachev in, uh, Reagan Gorbachev, dead guys have better video game representation than the Welsh
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HARD JILL TO SWALLOW Is FF16 a ‘real Final Fantasy game’? Of course it is – but there is something to this incredibly stupid debate
Is Final Fantasy 16 as good as the others? Do you need to alter your expectations before going in? In many ways, these questions just don't matter.
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KICK UP THE PASS Diablo 4's seasonal model has caused the expected anger, but could Blizzard surprise us?
Diablo 4's seasons work just like they always have in the series, which is exactly why so many players have a problem with it.
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JUST DESERTS Dragon Quest, Dragon Ball, Chrono Trigger, Blue Dragon and now Sand Land: Toriyama’s RPG hits just keep coming
If you’ve played a Bandai Namco anime-RPG in the last generation, you know what to expect from Sand Land. But it’s got a certain charm that can’t be ignored.
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CURRANT AFFAIRS Final Fantasy 16 devs clearly took criticism of 14's grapes to heart
I heard on the grapevine that Yoshida and co. didn’t appreciate all the wine-ing you did about FF14’s grapes. Behold, the fruits of the studio’s new endeavour.
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GOOD AS HELL I can’t stop playing Diablo 4, and it’s all because of its exquisite build crafting and engrossing map design
Whether you're playing as a Rogue, Necromancer, Druid, Barbarian or Sorcerer - Diablo 4’s gameplay is simply too good.
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THE FRESH PRINCE Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown was the best game I played during Summer Games Fest
Ubisoft’s latest interpretation of the eponymous prince may have raised some eyebrows, but when the pad is in your hands, it's liable to raise your heart rate.
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THE PHANTOM GAIN CD Projekt Red isn’t hiding how good Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty is on PS5 and Xbox Series
The original launch of Cyberpunk 2077 may have left some console owners feeling short-changed, but Phantom Liberty is righting those wrongs.
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HELLO, WEEKEND What are you playing this weekend?
The week is over, and it's time to have some fun. Indoors, obviously.
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TROTTING OFF Digital Tourism is a huge part of gaming's appeal, but what is the best game for globetrotting?
From Yakuza to Flight Simulator, there are a wealth of options for the couchbound traveller – the Best Games Ever Show episode 56
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PANDORA’S SANDBOX Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora dares to ask what would happen if James Cameron made a Far Cry game
Liberate areas, infiltrate with stealth, go loud with guns, take to the skies, requisition vehicles – Far Cry is back, in Avatar form.
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RAIDEN AND WEEP Mortal Kombat 1 draws a surprising amount from the series’ PS2 era – and it’s brilliant
The two main reference points that I can see working in Mortal Kombat 1 are Mortal Kombat X and Mortal Kombat Armageddon. Yes, really.
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BeFPSeda I’m excited to play Starfield, but that 30fps news took the wind out of my sails
Yes, 30fps is playable, but I thought the whole point of these new consoles is that 60fps should be the standard? Or, at the very least, an option?
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ELEVATOR PITCH Absolutely everybody should play the Final Fantasy 16 demo – out on PS5 today
At a recent hands-on, I got to play the better part of six hours of Final Fantasy 16. But all you’ll need to make your mind up is the upcoming demo.
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V’S FOR VENDETTA Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty delivers on the promises the base game failed to deliver at launch – hands-on
CD Projekt Red has been hard at work on making Cyberpunk 2077 a prettier, better, and smarter game – and it really shows.
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HEY, BIG SPENCER Xbox Games Showcase and Starfield Direct reaction: Xbox is back, baby!
It’s been a struggle for a few years now, but Xbox is back – and it might just be better than ever.
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TELLING TAILS 32 years later, Sonic Superstars proves that new 2D Sonic games can still be good – hands-on
This is a different beast than Sonic Mania, and it’s a great, fun, love letter to everyone’s favourite little hedgehog.
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RATHALOS FOR WORDS Monster Hunter Now has what it takes to unseat Pokemon Go as your favourite mobile game
It’s been seven years since the Pokemon Go phenomena first exploded – and now it looks like Capcom could be coming for its crown.
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NEIGH CHANCE PAL Diablo 4’s $8 Horse Armour is a hell we created for ourselves
But what’s the best game with horse armour that isn’t Oblivion? The Best Games Ever Show episode 55
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A ZONE IN THE DARK Sonic Superstars really is bringing something totally new to the 32-year-old series
Sega announced a new Sonic game at Summer Games Fest, but more information has come to light about why it's actually going to be exciting.
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HELL IS OTHER PEOPLE Diablo 4's party scaling is exceptional, but it’s done dirty by the lack of LFG system
Diablo 4 pretty much solved the level scaling problem of modern-day co-op games, but only if you have a stacked friends list.
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ZORAH & THE EXPLORER Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak’s time is coming to an end – so there’s no better time for Monster Hunter World 2
Capcom might be on the hottest streak of its life, and it could continue its rampant success with a follow-up to its most-loved MH game.
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ONCE UPON A TIME Fable 4 is crucial to Xbox’s future, but it could be a Monkey’s Paw moment for fans
The original Fable trilogy was a product of the right studio, in the right place, at the right time – and that’s hard to replicate.
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DRAWING A BLANKA Street Fighter 6’s Modern Controls are the best training tool the series has ever had
Modern Controls in Street Fighter 6 are an accessibility triumph, and they're so good they make me play better on Classic.
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LEAP TO THE FUTURE Assassin’s Creed: Mirage is forging the best kind of remake
A visual and mechanical overhaul of the original, but with an entirely new setting and story? It’s the best of both worlds.
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IT'S IN THE NAME Is it really a surprise that Diablo 4's business model is a clone of Call of Duty?
Activision Blizzard landed on the most decadent monetisation model for its games a while ago, and it made clear it was gonna end up in Diablo 4.
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SPOOKY AI How the System Shock remake learned a lot from Resident Evil – and precious little from AI
Almost a decade since its announcement, the System Shock Remake is launching in an interesting – and deeply ironic – time.
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CRACKED THE CODY World Tour isn’t just Street Fighter 6’s Story Mode – it’s also Final Fight 4
World Tour is Street Fighter 6’s story mode, sort-of a revival of another classic Capcom series, and a loving tribute to several more.
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GUILE BE BACK I can’t believe how nice everyone is in Street Fighter 6
Online lobbies and communities aren’t exactly known for their positive approach to other gamers, but in Street Fighter 6, something special is happening.
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DEUS A FAVOUR System Shock Remake proves that immersive sims are brilliant, and everyone that dislikes them is wrong
On-screen weapon stats and skill trees only serve as a barrier between player and playground.
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THE OFFSPRING Can bad games have good sequels?
In contrast to Hollywood, videogames usually improve with every iteration. The Best Games Ever Show Episode 54
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JACKET OFF Forget about spending real money on Diablo 4 in-game cosmetics, get real clothes instead
Forget dumping your cash into Activision Blizzard’s questionable in-game cosmetics and nab yourself some nice IRL threads instead.