For this Digressions in Digital feature, I decided to look at two digital titles available on the Wii U, a pair of 2D action-platformers which pay homage to their roots while coming across as passion projects into which a lot of time and effort has clearly been put: Gunman Clive HD Collection and Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse. Gunman Clive HD Collection Developed and published by Hörberg Productions, Gunman Clive HD Collection (2015) is a collection (funnily enough) of the studio’s two Gunman Clive games, originally released in 2012 and 2015 respectively. Both games take place in a kind of…

Following the overwhelming success of GTA III, Vice City arrived around a year later and further amped up the visibility as well as popularity of the franchise. Rather than being a completely new redesign of the basic system established by its predecessor, this installment basically just changed the locale and upgraded various aspects accordingly. Don’t get the wrong idea though, this wasn’t a sloppy, rushed job…nor did they rest on their laurels and “phone it in”. This would mark the formal formation of Rockstar North, which (as you well know) would go on to accomplish bigger and better things. Nevertheless,…

Grand Theft Auto III might have introduced the world to the splendor of open world sandbox fun, Vice City improved upon the model, but it was the magnificent San Andreas which truly exploded the series into another dimension. While we have GTA V and IV to now sink our teeth into, SA remains unique in the series. There are so many interesting facets to this game; from its impossibly large world and overall wackiness, to its obvious incremental improvements, it is the very definition of fun and exciting.   It is in GTA: San Andreas that we finally see more and…

Released onto PC, Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3, Grand Theft Auto IV was almost immediately hailed as one of the greatest things to come along in video gaming, some calling it “the greatest game ever made”. Such accolades seem like they’re way too far-fetched, but considering just how much content, variety and sheer lunacy developer Rockstar North managed to smash into this title, it’s not surprising. First off, the same basic 3D open world design concepts, replete with all the trappings of its predecessor are found herein. But it is all the refinements, both graphical and gameplay, that ultimately…

When you trace the roots of the 3rd person sandbox revolution to its inception you eventually arrive at Grand Theft Auto 3. To call this game a “landmark” almost doesn’t do it justice. In fact, this title basically opened the floodgates in a thousand different directions, simultaneously upping the ante of what was considered possible while also igniting the imaginations of gamers and developers the world over. Having a large city to roam around in and basically do whatever you like is STILL a very appealing thing, obviously (as clearly evidenced by the overwhelming success of GTA V) and we…

No matter which gaming platform you prefer, October of 2016 brought some remarkable games to the table. Take a look at some of the titles that found their way onto our list of preferred offerings for the month. Battlefield 1 In this first-person shooter, players face the harsh realities of war during the World War I era— a time of bayonets and blood. With the ability to drive a variety of vehicles, Battlefield 1 brings to perfect blend to a FPS title. Furthermore, the visuals are outstanding. The game tells various war stories, each one ferociously action-packed and stunningly realistic, with…

When it comes to 8th-gen gaming, it’s quite a simple picture; Sony’s PlayStation 4 has cemented itself as the obvious console of choice – a fact that is undisputed by gamers from around the world. However, the battle between Microsoft and Sony is hardly over, you could argue that it’s just beginning in one way or another; this is because the two companies are entering the 4K arena with the PS4 Pro and XBOX Scorpio. Whilst exciting, another Japanese console manufacture wanted to get involved, hence the Nintendo Switch. This article takes a look at why I’m excited. Let’s begin.…

The Nintendo Switch has finally been revealed and whilst there are tons of questions, we do know a couple of things about Nintendo’s newest console. Firstly, it’ll be a dockable machine meaning that when you’re at home it sits in its cradle and outputs images to the TV and when you want to take it with you, the device itself has a screen. The situation with the controllers is a little more complicated as it seems the Switch will come with two mini Wii Remote looking devices. There’s no mention of them being motion controls but they can be used…

Equipped with the powerful A10 chip, a high-quality camera, stereo speakers, and a vibrant color display that rivals AMOLED screens, Apple’s iPhone 7 remains a formidable device even years after its release. However, to truly harness the full capabilities of this hardware, it’s essential to update your app collection. Relying on older apps means you might not be leveraging the advanced features and performance enhancements that the iPhone 7 offers. By refreshing your apps with those optimized for this model, you can ensure that you’re making the most of your phone’s potential, keeping it relevant and efficient in today’s tech…

After looking through the campaign of Battlefield 1, which can be found here, you must then journey into playing online. Usually games such as these are for the sole purpose of playing online. With the six game modes to choose from you will find yourself spending a lot of time playing online by yourself or with your friends. Battlefield 1 has the option of four game modes that have been with the franchise for years: Conquest, Domination, Rush, and Team DeathMatch (TDM). While it also has two brand new game modes that bring a new taste to the franchise: War…

When going into Battlefield 1 you may expect the same old Battlefield with a new coat of paint. That it is the same game Electronic Arts has been pushing out for the past couple of years just with new weapons and a few mechanics. What you can expect from Battlefield 1 is a new and interesting aspect of the franchise, especially the campaign. In the past Battlefield games have focused solely on a lukewarm campaign that often felt slapped together just to say there is a campaign in a game that is often focused toward online multiplayer. Usually the Battlefield…

Yesterday Nintendo finally released to the public the first commercial and first look at the Nintendo Switch. If you have been living under a rock since E3 this will be the first time you have heard of Nintendo Switch, previously only known to the public as Nintendo NX. Since the release of the commercial on October 20, 2016 Nintendo has received mostly positive feedback. Twitter was the first website to explode with news of the Nintendo Switch. There is not a whole lot we can share at the moment about the Nintendo Switch except for a few minor details. Let’s…

Although I’ve been a fan of the Grand Theft Auto series since playing the original game on PlayStation, open-world crime title Mafia II wasn’t on my radar until the PlayStation 3 version appeared as a free title on Sony’s PlayStation Plus service. With no expectations, I downloaded the game and tried it, and ended up being hugely impressed with what I played, enough to delete the digital version and buy my own physical copy – because I prefer things you can see and fondle, dammit! Anyway, I was surprised that the game didn’t seem to have received much attention, hence…

There are many of you out there who have been to a convention and there are many of you that have not. After reading this you’ll be ready to return to the convention seen or go to your very first one like a veteran. There are many things to do at the convention and honestly you won’t be able to get to it all, that’s why you need to plan to revisit the convention numerous times. Whether it be going to PAX to learn from your favorite developers, TwitchCon to meet your favorite streamer, or VidCon to meet your favorite…

Twitch was founded in June of 2011. The community grew and grew quickly. Last year alone there was a one hundred percent increase since 2012. With the way Twitch continues to grow I see no stopping any time soon. With the growth of live streaming comes the formation of individual stream communities that often tend to blend with bigger stream communities. In summation Twitch is practically a family that only grows bigger by the day. That being said there are streamers that would love to voice their opinions of what the community of Twitch means to them. KierzofWar, AvengersStark, and…

FIFA 17 has been out for a little over a week now and if you weren’t able to participate in the early access than you should be close to or halfway through The Journey. The Journey is a choice based career mode game within FIFA 17. Taking the traditional elements of FIFA and mixing it with a good story and choices that effect how you play. The Journey was a greatly needed add on to FIFA franchise. The minor changes made from FIFA 16 to FIFA 17 helped improve the game, but The Journey is a complete game changer. The…

The following is an interview where the questions are asked by Dakota Barrett and answers produced by Dominic de Graaf. Who are you and what do you do? We are three Dutch guys who all have a passion for games. We know each other from work. Matthijs and Dominic both run a game company together called Alterego Games. Matthijs and Dominic have been successfully making computer and tabletop games for more than 3 years. Two and a half years ago they met Vincent, a freelancer who has a company called Digital Forest and has been in the running as a game…

Last week it was Eurogamer’s flagship expo, EGX, taking place in Birmingham’s NEC Arena. I think Arena is an understatement as it’s more like the size of a small town. A small town full of expensive drink, pricey food and costly everything else. Still, I wasn’t there just to go into my overdraft, I was there to see videogames. Which is exactly what I did. I saw many videogames. In fact, I saw too many videogames to list, which is why I’ve decided to only talk about my favourite 10. Luckily, 10 games is the perfect number for a list,…

It’s getting harder and harder to avoid the term ‘e-sports’ nowadays. Heck, you’re reading an article about the subject right now. Over the last 4 years or so e-sports has exploded in popularity and all of the glitz, glamour, money and scandal that follows ‘real’ sports is making its way into the electronic variety too. This has given the e-sports scene an air of legitimacy once thought impossible. ESPN, proud broadcasters of mainstream sports, has leaned hard into covering competitive video game playing. The ESPN website now has an entire section dedicated to covering e-sports and its broadcast a number…

Those good old days when you could attach a decade to a console’s lifespan seem over, but don’t let that put you down. We’ve seen Sony dominate with the PS4, which is proving to be the bestselling 8th-gen console, by a distance. However, Microsoft and Nintendo are both ready to mix things up a little. The real question at hand; which console(s) will be best for you? This article attempts to assist you. Let’s get started. Firstly, it seems important to note that Sony is the only company to unveil exactly what we’ll be receiving with their updated PS4 system.…

I’m sure many people would agree that being a Nintendo fan can be quite the rollercoaster ride, the long-lived Japanese company hitting lofty, admirable highs while also plummeting to head-scratching lows. Like living with a bear covered in fireworks, it’s never boring. Although Nintendo continue to make questionable decisions, it’s important to remember that they can still knock it out of the park when they put their minds to it – when Nintendo are on form, they are on form. And 2013’s Pikmin 3 is a perfect example of this, being a wonderful game which exhibits all of the charm,…

Finally, there is an .io game that’s not overwhelmingly hectic. Splix.io is a distant relative of Snake, the classic arcade game. Snake challenged players to slither across a grid, eating food and trying not to crash. Splix.io features similar gameplay. But, instead of consuming food, you conquer territory. .io games have drastically grown in popularity during the past year. At first, they were easy to define: free, simple in-browser multiplayer games. Agar.io was the original eat-or-be-eaten .io hit, followed by Slither.io. Since then, slight variations and completely different .io games have been released—some to great success, and others, not so…

From the original Street Fighter to the newest installment of Mortal Kombat, one-on-one fighting games are undeniably fun. Nonstop action, heated bouts between pals, and combo-unleashing AI opponents are integral parts of the gameplay. The longstanding Anime Battle series has been revamped with Anime Battle 2.0. Let’s take a look inside this new fighting game that pays homage to those in its past. The Brawlers Much like its predecessors, Anime Battle 2.0 adds a few new characters to the roster. Toshiro Hitsugaya from Bleach and Rurouni Kenshin are included in 2.0, with authentic outfits and special moves. Speaking of specials,…

The 8th gen gaming console war kicked off back in 2013, since we’ve come to the realisation that Sony has surged ahead with sales, ultimately attracting far more gamers to the PlayStation 4. Attracting more than 40-million gamers to-date, the PS4 is sure to go down as one of the most successful consoles of all-time. However, the two juggernaut companies are ready to mix things up again, providing many consumers with another dilemma. Many used to argue the case of owning both consoles, take the PS3 and Xbox 360 as a prime example. Back then, this made plenty of sense.…

Well, it’s happened again. An early access game has managed to upset people and I figure now’s as good a time as any to take a look at just what happened and why this outrage keeps happening. I know what you’re thinking – the developers have run away with everyone’s money, they’ve missed deadlines, they’ve thrown in a bunch of in-app purchases, etc. Actually, what’s got everyone riled up this time is quite new. The game in question is ARK: Survival Evolved. It’s currently in early access and is doing quite well for itself. There’s a ton of people playing…

Tycoon games aren’t exactly mainstream when considering the genre, in-fact they’re the complete opposite, however, they’re able to bring plenty of excitement to players who enjoy this type of game. With that said, it’s been sometime since we can say that a stunning franchise has set this genre on fire. I’m sure you don’t need to question which series I’m talking about either – yes, I’m referring to Rollercoaster Tycoon, which was originally developed by Chris Sawyer and released back in 1999. The real question many are asking is; will Planet Coaster be another title that looks set to deliver,…

Whilst everyone’s getting excited about the mere idea of Virtual Reality headsets making their way into our living rooms, it’s important to realise that you’re going to need some actual games to play. Luckily for us, not only is PS VR shaping up to be a great piece of hardware but there’s also a good looking bunch of VR games on the horizon too. Here’s our top 10 Playstation VR games that we’re looking forward to. Resident Evil 7 With VR headsets making games more immersive than ever, why do we immediately want to immerse ourselves in world filled with…

Remember the good old days? You buy a game console and the releases flood in on an annual basis over a 5-10 year period, and that’s without the reminder or expense of upgrading the machine that actually runs the games. Yes, those were the days. However, 2016 is bringing to the table many challenges, which are expected to roll into 2017, but where will all of this take us? This is perhaps the real question and an area we are about to explore. Let’s face it, technology is moving at an insane pace, something that is proving difficult for game…

Introduction: Rethinking the Stigma of Online Gaming “For years, online gaming has been unfairly stigmatized,” says Dr. Lisa Miller, a psychologist specializing in digital media. “It’s time to look at the potential positive aspects.” This sentiment is echoed by a growing body of research suggesting that, far from being a mere pastime, online gaming could be shaping individuals in positive ways. Whilst some video games out there are controversial, most aren’t. Enhancing Cognitive Skills Online games are not just about quick reflexes. “They can actually serve as a form of cognitive training,” explains Dr. James Zhang, a neuroscientist. A study…

If you’re looking for something to buy this coming month you need look no further than the following suggestions. September sees a bunch of old classics making a welcome return as well as some new franchises that you might not have heard of before. As the nights begin to get noticeably darker,here we see some excitement for XBOX One fans, whilst PS4 owners will probably want to skip towards October, yet there is something that everyone can enjoy on all platforms. Let’s take a look at at the highlights of September, 2016. Dead Rising Remastered Platforms: PS4, XBOX One Release Date:…