Author: Jessica Thompson

Vrtual reality has embedded itself into human history for far longer than we ever realise. From Flight simulation in the late 1920s to the first VR headset in the 1960s. Even Nintendo had a failed virtual reality console called the Nintendo Virtual Boy in 1995, which lacked popularity due to its black and red colour graphics. It has been around as a concept and even as a base reality for far longer than most people are aware. But nothing quite picked up or progressed the way it did in the 21st century. Suddenly we were seeing virtual reality in all…

Resident Evil 7: Biohazard is a wonderful, intimate exploration into a family themed viral outbreak vs the corporate urban virus outbreaks, we are used to with past Resident Evil titles. I played Resident Evil 7: Biohazard and had a ton of fun navigating through creepy hallways and ghost ships while fighting crazy possessed humans to odd goo beasts. While the story didn’t impress me, the new approach to an old title did. This game has tons of unexplored potential, but gives you just enough of a taste to want more. The element of horror is definitely obvious in this title.…

SEGA’s Dreamcast was the revolutionary console of it’s time. Released in 1999 and officially discontinued by March 2001, it has been considered the greatest cult console of the gaming world. It was initially supposed to compete with the likes of Xbox, PlayStation 2 and Nintendo’s GameCube. However, the console failed to compete with their rivals for many reasons, none of which revolved around the console’s capabilities. Financial failure, refusing to exclusively produce EA Sports’ games for their sports games when they were just rising in popularity and it’s lack of third-party support were just a few major reasons SEGA Dreamcast…

DayZ, released in 2013 on PC, is a persistent, open-world Zombie game that puts you in the shoes of a single survivor, washed up on a beach in a post-Soviet country called Chernarus. You spawn with nothing but a can of beans, a few bandages and all you have to do is survive, but that’s easier said than done. DayZ is incredibly unforgiving. My first attempt lasted all of five minutes. The problem: I didn’t realise these zombies were the running kind, not the idiot kind and I quickly died. My second attempt was a little more considered. I explored…

Ninjas made themselves truly known many centuries after their relevance in the form of ninja-themed computer games. The combination of amazing prowess, a rich culture and an almost mystical presence of the ninja lends itself really well to gaming. The games listed excel in some areas while providing an all-around solid fighting experience. Ninja Gaiden 3 Team Ninja divorced itself from the former difficulties of the series to delve fully into the ninja’s psyche, while distilling from the combat scenes ruthless displays. As the enemies weaken and grow desperate under your attacks, Ryu has a number of ways to finish…

There are a lot of first person shooters out there, and with Battlefield 4 giving me a whole lot of bug-related headaches I decided to step into a different arena to indulge my itchy trigger finger. This time my poison of choice is Sony Online Entertainment‘s PlanetSide 2. While this game has been out for some time, it’s no less fun than when I first tried it out. Truth be told, I left it alone for longer than I should have, a lot has changed in the six or so months I’ve been away. The changes are great but some…

When it comes to making sequels for games, movies, and even books, most will agree that what may be popular may not always be critically acclaimed. Because of this, some of the most clamoured after sequels have never been made, but should have been. Following is our list of five video games sequels you only wish you could play. Conker’s Other Bad Day There’s never really been another video game quite like “Conker’s Bad Fur Day.” The folks over at Rare initially announced a family-friendly platformer that was to be a near carbon copy of “Banjo-Kazooie,” and instead released a…

Free to play games are a dime a dozen these days, and for us gamers trying to wade our way through the numerous options, it can be a time consuming process of trial and error. I mean, everyone has their own unique likes and dislikes, so it’s no surprise that finding that one game that we absurdly enjoy is like finding a needle in a haystack. Finding the right game has often been a rigorous search of asking fellow gamers and merely researching the hell out of them. My friends ask me all the time, which ones are worth playing.…

The Command & Conquer series still holds an esteemed rank within the real time strategy genre, that will most likely never change. While never having the same fanbase or cachet as games like Starcraft or Warcraft, C&C has put in enough iterations and made enough innovations in the genre to deserve a place on the medal stand. But that’s of little concern to Xbox 360 gamers. Reputation only goes so far in legitimizing the RTS genre on consoles; what really matters are things like control. This is tantamount to the genre making any inroads onto consoles, and the game that…

In much the same way as Queer As Folk pushes the barrow for the gay and lesbian crowd, Secretary takes leaps and bounds towards bringing legitimacy and empathy to another lifestyle choice. For aficionados of bondage, discipline, sadism and masochism (BDSM to those in the know), Steven Shainberg’s quirky film will no doubt become a visual anthem. As well as telling a love story of a very different kind, Secretary sends the flare up for the uninitiated and illuminates the secret world of those that enjoy a lot of slap with their tickle. Introverted Lee Holloway (Maggie Gyllenhaal) pursues the…

Plot: K-19: The Widowmaker proves that even the trusty submarine movie can’t prevail against a weak script, poor acting, and loose film-making. Despite its slight insight into an actual Cold War submarine disaster, K-19 is $100m worth of embarrassment for A-list star Harrison Ford and the moguls at Paramount. It’s 1961 and both sides of the Iron Curtain are busy building new and exciting ways to incinerate the planet. For the Soviets, the latest war machine off the production line is a shiny new sub called the K-19. Entrusted with taking this piece of communist whizbangery out and shaking it…

Plot: At face value, Alan Parker’s The Life of David Gale possesses all of the ingredients required for a successful thriller. With talented Hollywood darlings Kate Winslet and Kevin Spacey leading the cast and more twists than Chubby Checker, the film could be expected to succeed. Unfortunately, thanks to questionable plot developments, stereotypical characters, and the director’s yearning for a political soapbox, The Life of David Gale is a disappointment. David Gale (Kevin Spacey) is a successful college professor who’s leading the charge to abolish the death penalty in the US, when he’s not touching student’s lives with his ‘cool’…

History of Gaming PC’s The history of the gaming PC goes back to 1981 actually. This is when IBM gave users a chance to connect to a television and enhance their experience using a Color Graphics Adapter or CGA for short. In 1987 Video Graphics adapter or VGA was first introduced. Atari as well as Cooadore 64 and Ameiga all did their part to help and introduce gaming consoles in a way to the world. These were the first real glimpses into the world of gaming computers and would go on to become the stanbdard upon wich all others would…

When a game as long awaited as The Getaway finally makes it out of development hell, it’s often impossible to believe. There it is on the shelf. You can buy it. So that’s what the box art looks like. Finally, The Getaway was released on the 11th of December 2002. It was meant for the PS1, then it was meant as a PS2 launch title, and now, two ice ages later, we have it. Close to five MILLION pounds was thrown at Team Soho and The Getaway, with the intention of turning it into a proper killer revolutionary title, the last…

The Nintendo 64 was an absolute amazing console launched back in 1996. It helped to introduce 3D gaming at its best of the time period, whilst also delivering some of the finest exclusive games. Whilst there were some rare N64 games released, that you should also check out, this article takes a look at the most popular best-selling titles to appear on the Nintendo 64. Let’s get started. Star Fox 64 Selling approximately 3.3 million copies worldwide, Star Fox 64 is number 10 on our list. Being a fighter pilot was cool and so was playing Star Fox 64. In…