Author: Jessica Thompson

Planet Zoo is a game all about animals. That might sound like an obvious observation but never has a game had a more thorough approach to its subject matter than Frontier Developments has applied here. Perhaps this should be expected from the developers of stalwart simulation games like Planet Coaster and space trucker sim Elite Dangerous, but believe us when we say that Planet Zoo is not a game for the casual simulation fan or those who don’t like to pore too much over information. Let’s back up a little. Planet Zoo is the latest game in Frontier’s long-running quest…

Once upon a time, the humble 3D platformer was the go-to game of choice for any developer wishing to make a movie tie-in game but not possessing the resources or time to make that game more unique. Everything from Toy Story to Wall-E to Madagascar got the 3D platformer treatment, and while they were all of varying quality, they flooded the market to the point that the 3D platformer fell out of favour in general. We’re not blaming those licensed games specifically for that, but they played a part. Fastforward to 2019 and the tie-in game is all but dead.…

For some, Call of Duty is in the midst of an identity crisis. 2017’s Call of Duty: WWII returned the series to its early-2000s roots but couldn’t quite manage to capture the magic momentum of the franchise at its best. In 2018, Treyarch took its turn with Black Ops 4, a game that garnered its fair share of criticism thanks to a lack of single-player content and a perceived attempt to keep up with the battle royale-loving Joneses.  With that in mind, it’s no surprise that when Infinity Ward’s turn once again rolled around after the lukewarm reception of 2016’s…

What are the most essential qualities you look for in an external storage drive? The answer to that question will dictate whether or not the SecureDrive BT is for you. If you favour security and protection of your sensitive files over everything else, then there is absolutely no doubt that you should buy this drive yesterday. If you’re only looking to store a few photographs and don’t need the additional security protocols, this is a slightly harder sell. It’s rare that a product knows its audience so well and is willing to cater to them almost exclusively. Let’s back up…

How far would you go to protect your sensitive files and data? This is a question that has a different answer depending on who you ask. For some, security simply isn’t a crucial part of their everyday life; they’ve only got a few photos or documents and they don’t see how anyone could possibly take advantage of them. Others will tell you security is paramount and that the sensitive data they constantly carry with them causes them infinite worry. The truth, however, is that security should be a much more prominent concern for all of us than it currently is.…

If you’re a fan of mobile gaming, you’ve no doubt experienced the joy that is Coin Master. You can get this game entirely for free (though it does contain in-app purchases) on Android and iOS, so if you haven’t played it already then you have no excuse not to try it out and get stuck in. Coin Master revolves around the two dual mechanics of battling and slot-spinning; you spin to get loot, then use that loot to launch attacks. It’s an addictive mixture and it’s easy to see why the game is so popular. If you have played Coin…

Now this is a blast from the past. 2009 being a retro year is scary for those of us who remember being on the cusp of adulthood around that time, but there’s no mistaking it; Resident Evil 5 now feels like it belongs to a bygone era. Not that you’d know it from the amount Capcom re-releases the game for various different platforms, of course. That’s not a complaint; we love Resident Evil 5, so getting a chance to play it in a variety of ways comes as a pleasant surprise every time. It was with a lighthearted skip in…

The Atelier franchise is completely labyrinthine. A quick trip to Wikipedia (I know it’s not the most reliable source, but it’ll do for our purposes) tells us that there have been an incredible 21 games in the franchise, all of which are subdivided into seven different meta-series. Salburg, Gramnad, Iris…if you’re not familiar with these names, then the Atelier franchise probably looks as daunting and off-putting to you as it has done to me in the past. What we need is an entry point, somewhere that non-fans can step onto the series and start playing. Luckily, we now have Atelier…

When Yooka-Laylee was announced, a great deal was made about how the game was a product of former Rare Studios employees. That’s because Rare has a pretty impressive pedigree when it comes to platformers; they’re the creators of Banjo-Kazooie, Conker’s Bad Fur Day, and, of course, Donkey Kong 64. It was the first and last game in this list that Yooka-Laylee was moclearly modelled on, although it did take the irreverent sense of humour of Conker’s Bad Fur Day (albeit without quite so much vulgarity). Now, Playtonic Studios are turning their hand to a spin-off-come-sequel called Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible…

I’m standing atop a hill covered with leafy vegetation and gently swaying trees. Overlooking an enemy base, I send out my drone and organically recon the area, watching for enemy patrol routes and judging distances. Satisfied I’ve got them all figured out, I launch my sneaky assault, winding my way down to the base from my perch and expertly predicting enemy movements. One enemy remains after I’ve systematically dispatched my enemies and looted them. The chase is on. When it’s good, Ghost Recon: Breakpoint is very good indeed. These moments – sneaking through bases, organically taking down enemies, and watching…

The release of FIFA 20 means that gamers are looking all over the internet trying to find the best young players to buy when they enter career mode. The hot-bed for talent over the past couple of seasons has been England as we enter a golden generation for the Three Lions, which has already consisted of two semi-final appearances at competitions. The calibre of players in the Premier League is typically high, but more than ever, the biggest teams in the division are building their sides around home grown talent. But, when players enter career mode, which professionals have the…

You may have expected it or it may come as a bolt from the blue, but it’s now completely official: Sony has announced its new console. It is, as you might expect, called the PlayStation 5, in continuance with a naming scheme Sony has been using since 2000’s PlayStation 2. It’ll come to our shores in the holiday period next year, although we don’t actually know exactly when it’s coming yet. Naturally, we’ll bring you more on the PS5 as we get it, but for now, here’s the scoop. Speaking to Wired, lead architect Mark Cerny, as well as Sony…

Any gamer worth their salt knows that you can’t just game with the PS4 on its own. If you’re going to maximise the potential of Sony’s wonderful black monolith, you’re going to need some excellent accessories. You’d be forgiven for thinking you’ll have to break the bank to buy the best accoutrements for your console, but that’s not the case at all. Many of the best things you can buy to augment your experience cost less than you might think. Here are the best PS4 accessories for under £50. Best Controller Under £50 –  Sony DualShock 4 Controller (£39.99) Put…

When you’re a gamer, almost nothing matters more than the game itself. You could be playing on an ancient 12-inch CRT TV or a state-of-the-art 8K display, but if the game isn’t good then you’re not going to get much enjoyment out of it. That being the case, it’s still true that good gamers deserve good gaming setup, and the ultimate gamer needs the ultimate rig to complement their mad skills. If that’s you, then step right up and discover how to build the ultimate gaming setup. A quick proviso: naturally, the ultimate gaming setup will differ depending on whether…

Rally driving is a terrifying prospect. For those of us who’ve never tried it or never been interested in trying it, watching the drivers career around bends that should by rights launch their cars into roadside ditches is a scary experience. Luckily, we’ve got video games to help us live that fantasy vicariously (because Lord knows you wouldn’t get most of us here into a rally car). Specifically, we’ve got the WRC series. This franchise goes right back to 2001’s World Rally Championship, created by Evolution Studios. The series has passed through three different developers since its inception; it took…

The royal battle is one of the most popular types of game played by the players, because the goal is to make a maximum of “kill” without being killed, and to keep as long as possible in the game. We will talk about some big hits games such as PUBG or Fortnite , but we will also discover some nuggets of royal battle that are worth seeing. 1 – ROBLOX “MOD” the battle royale mod we know it does not exist on Roblox for a simple copyright reason but there is a MOD called Island Royale . It imitates the…

Video games are rising in popularity and the industry is growing like never before. As computers, mobiles and internet become more accessible worldwide, videogames are reaching more people. This is especially true since the development of free-to-play eSports games, which have revolutionized the market. Today’s eSports have taken over giant stadiums during leagues and tournaments and are not only being by played by millions, but spectated online by hundreds of millions of fans. eSports is no longer just a subgenre of gaming – it’s a whole phenomenon. Let’s dive into the world of eSports and see just how much it’s…

Twitch Overview: More Than Just Games In Real Life (IR) has become a big part of Twitch since its launch. If the Twitch revolution has passed you by, you might want to get yourself up to speed. Twitch is an incredibly popular streaming platform on which users stream themselves gaming, chatting, and generally living. Gaming is the most popular part of Twitch by far, but it’s not the only part. There are plenty of Twitch streamers who aren’t interested in video games or don’t dedicate themselves entirely to this aspect of their lives. The Rise of IRL Streaming One such…

If you’ve ever considered becoming a Twitch streamer, you probably know that it isn’t easy. Putting together a setup and dealing with the technical side of things is tricky, but it probably isn’t the hardest part of Twitch streaming. That dubious honour goes to actually gathering followers once you’ve set your channel up. It’s this aspect of streaming that sets amateur Twitch enthusiasts apart from true professionals, and it’s this aspect that proves most elusive whenever anyone decides to set up a channel. Getting people to actually watch your content doesn’t necessarily need to be as tricky as many people…

Here’s a sobering fact for you. Depending on how ads work within Twitch streams, it’s possible for a streamer to make between $1000 and $10,000 an hour. For many people, that will be a completely unattainable amount of money, and yet there are those who complain that Twitch streaming “looks like an easy job” and that “anyone could do it”. Are these statements true? Well…yes and no, of course. There are fewer barriers to entry for Twitch than for many other jobs, but it is naturally not easy to become a Twitch streamer. Here’s what you need to broadcast on…

Popular streaming service Twitch is eight years old this year. Technically, though, the service has a much longer and more storied history than that. What we know of as Twitch actually started way, way back in 2005, and wasn’t called Twitch. The site has been through a long and interesting history since its relatively inauspicious beginnings; it wasn’t always the internet juggernaut we know it as today. Come and join us as we take a trip down memory lane and investigate the history of Twitch. The year is 2005. The Pussycat Dolls stand shoulder-to-shoulder with The Black Eyed Peas for…

Introduction to Twitch’s Influence For the last few years, Twitch has dominated the gaming landscape, as well as poking its head into the movie, TV show, and music doors. Twitch is an all-encompassing platform that divides opinion just as often as it unites people. It’s a cultural phenomenon, and if you’re a video gamer or someone who knows video gamers, it’s very hard to escape Twitch. What is Twitch? That doesn’t quite answer the most important question, though, which is this: what exactly is Twitch? You’ll have heard about it from various different people, and it’s been in the news…

Everyone’s mileage with Yu-Gi-Oh! will vary. For some, it was an essential ritual, a part of growing up. Many of us sat open-mouthed before the TV either before or after school, staring as the drama unfolded and watching the beautifully-animated cards come to life right before our eyes. Others let the whole YGO! phenomenon pass them by. Some of us here are dedicated Pokemon folks, while others have fonder memories of Digimon or Dragonball Z. If you’re in the former camp, you’re probably the target audience for Konami and Other Ocean’s Yu-Gi-Oh! Legacy of the Duelist. This game was originally released…

Whenever something new happens in Fortnite, it is looking forward to with great expectation and hope. This is because of quite a few things. Players are quite sure that they will get new skins, emotes could be crazier than ever before, and new weapons will be there and quite a few things will be there to explore as new additions. However, as far as Fortnite’s new giant mechs are concerned, there are many who believe that it has been a big letdown. Not many are ready to say anything good about the new giant mechs. This, unfortunately also includes streamer…

Whether you’re a simulation racer, or you prefer arcade fun more, in 2019, you will find some great gaming options for every taste. The gaming industry has developed significantly over the years, and nowadays, the racing game genre is as versatile and complex as never before. From impressive sound design to amazing graphics, there are many characteristics that contribute to a game’s general appeal. New versions are being released regularly, and it seems like this year, developers have perfected the features even more. You know a racing game feels just right once you play it, but which are the options…

There’s a common perception that video games represent pure escapism. To a certain degree, that’s true; video games are able to create fantastical worlds and have players inhabit them in a way that simply isn’t possible for other media. Still, it’s not entirely right to say video games offer pure escapism. There are many games set in the real world; there are games that focus on actual historical events; there are games that purport to teach moral lessons. These games aren’t offering escapism per se. One of the ways in which video games incorporate realism into their structure is with…

The CPU can easily make or break your gaming PC. If you end up choosing the wrong one, in spite of the best hardware and high RAM, you cannot get optimum performance out of it. It is also an expensive purchase due to which you should be pretty careful while choosing one. The problem is that most of the players look at the confusing technical jargon and specifications while choosing one. It will end up confusing you more rather than helping you. That is why; today we will help you understand how to choose best CPU for your gaming PC…

Regardless of platform, whether it be on one of the consoles or PC, racing games have always proven incredibly popular. Developers have been churning them out for decades now (the first true racing game – Gran Trak 10 – was released all the way back in 1974), and gamers have been more than happy to lap them up! There are a select few titles, however, which in our opinion stand head and shoulders above the rest of the racing games out there. And so, without further ado, here are the best racing games ever created. Gran Turismo Series When it…

So you’ve seen the insane money Twitch streamers can sometimes make and you’ve decided you want in on that. Congratulations – you’ve just taken your first step towards becoming a Twitch creative. This job can be lucrative, exciting, and extremely rewarding, but it can also be very difficult indeed. Not just anyone can become a Twitch streamer; you need to set yourself apart from the legions of imitators also wanting to become pros on the platform. So, how can you do that? How, exactly, can you enter the world of professional Twitch streaming? Well, there’s no simple answer to that…

The very first FIFA game was released for SNES and Genesis (along with a bunch of other platforms) way, way back in 1993. It was simply called FIFA International Soccer and it was, as you might expect, pretty primitive by modern standards. Still, since that time, FIFA arguably hasn’t massively evolved. Sure, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly where a game representing a sport could improve; after all, accurate representation is surely the goal. Still, there must be room for improvement. It’s with great excitement and glee, then, that we look forward to the upcoming FIFA 20. The game is due…

Ubisoft’s E3 2019 showing was pretty impressive. We got new details about The Division 2, announcements for new Rainbow Six and Ghost Recon games, and of course confirmation of the existence of a new Just Dance game. Would it even be a Ubisoft conference without this ever-present franchise? All in all, Ubisoft’s conference was a pleasing mixture of old favourites and new, exciting titles.  Probably the most exciting announcement of Ubisoft’s entire E3 show was the open-world sandbox hackathon Watch Dogs: Legion. This game is making a lot of exciting changes to its predecessors’ formula that should shake the games…