Author: Matthew Arcari

While I don’t necessarily understand Codemasters decision to reboot GRID, their pedigree as a developer of skifully designed, fun as hell racing games means I’m willing to take their word for it. From the stellar Formula 1 series to the gritty tracks of Dirt Rally, I had to bite down on the creeping notion that…

Right out the gate, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint frustrated me. For every step the franchise took forward it in this iteration, it seemed to be taking two steps back. There are things to love in Ghost Recon Breakpoint, such as the vast open world, cinematic story and tight gunplay, but thanks to a largely similar…

With co-op shooter Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint right around the corner, we sat down with the game’s writer and military consultant Emil Daubon for a quick chat about narrative, authenticity, and the great Jon Bernthal.   Emil, so nice to be talking to you today! I am so excited for Ghost Recon Breakpoint, but before…

There’s no better herald of the end-of-year video game rush than the arrival of a new FIFA game, and arrive it does with FIFA 20. There is a specific audience for these games — bring up FIFA around a group of gamers and third of them will immediately lose interest, another third remain neutral, and the remaining third…

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare has sparked both anticipation and controversy since its reveal earlier this year. With multiplayer gameplay revealed for the first time last month, gamers are still left with one question; how does it feel in the hands? While the official release is still a while away, the beta has answered many…

In today’s gaming landscape, you might be forgiven for never having heard of Dark Souls, but you would definitely be hard pressed to find someone who hasn’t played a game either directly inspired or affected by it. Enter The Surge 2, a tactical hack- and-slash experience that follows hot off the heels of its predecessor,…

The NBA 2K series has become for many, including myself, the definitive basketball gaming experience. While each iteration tries to evolve in interesting ways, NBA 2K20 remains an evolutionary experience rather than a revolutionary one. In many ways, NBA 2K20 is superior to any of its predecessors, presenting stellar basketball gameplay paired with authentic presentation…

The Ghost Recon franchise returns yet again, giving gamers a tactical option in a world full of run-and-gun looter shooters. I must say that I rather enjoyed Ghost Recon Wildlands, boasting a large, if a little bland open world, and a truckload of content to complete. Gameplay was tight, responsive and ‘tactical’ in its nature….

Control had me scratching my head in the lead up to its release. Nothing I saw about its main character, its world or its premise engaged or excited me. I can safely say that I have never been more glad to be proven wrong. Control puts players in the shoes of Jesse Faden, a young…

Rad marks another genre turn for developer Double Fine, the studio behind classics like Psychonauts, Grim Fandango and Broken Age. Inkeeping with Double Fine studio lead Tim Schafer‘s abstract sense of humour, Rad is an imaginitive, colourful and wonderfully wacky rogue-like dungeon crawler. Bursting with colour and character, Rad might not be the best game…

Arts House and the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) have announced a new partnership which will aid the production of various films based around untold stories and new technologies, supporting artists, filmmakers and VR experts alike at this year’s festival. While MIFF VR has featured at each festival since 2016, the virtual-reality landscape has never…

F1 2019 is in many ways, still the best Formula 1 racing game on the planet. But in doing so, it slows down its revolutionary formula for an evolutionary approach. While it makes enough changes year-to-year for this to remain a stellar instalment, I can’t help but feel it already had perfected things a year…

I’m a huge fan of the fighting game genre. Mortal Kombat, Tekken, Street Fighter, Soul Calibur. You name it, I love it. But Samurai Shodown, a venerable SNK franchise I had heard of but never played, had eluded me. Part reboot, part sequel, the latest entry in the long-running series (which reduces the title back…

It’s hard to believe it’s been 20 years since the Crash Team Racing released on the original PlayStation, a game determined to set itself apart from genre titan Mario Kart. Thankfully, Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled recaptures the experience of playing CTR again for the first time, bursting with flavour, variety and fun, and packed with…

I consider this review a bit of a challenge. It’s not because I don’t know about PC’s — in fact, I use them daily. It’s simply because I don’t game on them. I’m a console man, the ease and simplicity they offer working better for me and my situation overall. So: being trusted with one…

With the hype Avengers: Endgame; the culmination of Marvel’s 10 year cinematic universe sweeping the globe, it’s only natural that movie tie-in merchandise would follow in its path. Enter Ubtech’s Iron Man MK50. Based on the Iron Man costume seen in both Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, the MK50 presents itself as an elaborate action figure,…

While not much was shown, it seems as though Ubisoft have finally decided to take a dive into the zombie-genre with a trailer for Rainbow Six: Quarantine. The trailer opens with an infected operative making their last stand in the corner of a darkly lit room, with the infected nearing their location. The watch they are…

It’s no secret that Fallout 76 launched to multiple forms of overwhelming criticism. But Bethesda Studios have persevered and returned to this year’s E3 conference with an abundance of content leading into the game’s second year. The first update, aptly named Wastelanders, brings the NPC (Non-player-controlled) characters back to the wasteland, as players partake in…

Bethesda’s list of fresh and original content continues to grow in the form of Deathloop, an action packed time-bending experience brought to us by developers Arkane Lyon reminiscent of stories from Groundhog Day and The Edge of Tomorrow. While not much was shown in the way of gameplay, instead painting the picture of two characters…

While this is not the first look at Doom Eternal, make no mistake; it might just be our best. Doom Eternal returns to Bethesda’s E3 showcase with an impressive story trailer featuring much of the gameplay fans have come to expect since the 2016 reboot. While Doom has always been light on its story, there…

While it’s technically happened before, TV show reveals at E3 are not really a thing. Yes Steven Spielberg, we’re still waiting on that Halo show. However, it seems like Ubisoft have joined the party, with their reveal of Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet. Bringing what seems to be a second season of the Mythic Quest series, Rob…

It seems as though Assassins Creed: Odyssey has left a lasting impression on some of the creative designers at Ubisoft, as Gods and Monsters looks to build on the same mythos. The cinematic trailer pans across a gorgeous colourful landscape as a voice over questions who the Gods go to when they need help. The…

While The Outer Worlds has been revealed prior to the conference, we might have just gotten our best look yet at what to expected. From the looks of the trailer, players will explore the multiple vast planets and environments oozing with a classic western vibe reminiscent of the good ol’ Firefly days. With an action-packed…

If fans hadn’t seen enough of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order from EA Play’s livestream, rest assured, Microsoft has brought the goods with them to their conference with a brand new story trailer. Admittedly, much of it is based on the 10-minute gameplay segment shown yesterday, but with all all-new look at fan favourite Rebel…

Dying Light 2 has long been anticipated; and it seems we’re getting one step closer with a brand new trailer coming out of Microsoft’s conference. The trailer shows off much of the open world, parkour-filled goodness the series has come to know, as the world seems crazier than it did before. Complete with a voiceover from…

I’ll be the first to admit it, I’ve never played a game like Observation before. While games of this nature have great examples in Night Trap and Manhunt, both of which use surveillance cameras as a narrative device to push the story forward, the introduction of an AI-based character is a wholly original way to tell…

You don’t see video games based on the infamous Black Plague hitting store shelves every day. While it suffers from a few technical hiccups and some repetitive gameplay elements, A Plague Tale: Innocence is an example onfhow to games can approach grim historical periods in emotionally resonant ways. It casts the plague itself as backdrop…

Days Gone left me about as conflicted as I’ve ever been while reviewing a game. The past week has been a battle of emotions and opinions, as it’s easy to spot the overused tropes at this point in the lifespan of the zombie genre. However, a certain level of polish and attention to detail, an…

First things first: World War Z wasn’t that bad of a movie. Released in a time when the undead genre had reached peak saturation, resurrecting the license with a worthy yet flawed video game adaptation a full six years later seems a strange move to say the least. That this IP resurrection is hitting shelves…

In the crowded age of looter shooters, it is understandable that The Division 2 could scare off gamers with the worry of repetitive gameplay, an unfinished story, and an underwhelming lack of initial content. It is on that note I begin this review, as The Division 2 has managed to surpass its predecessor and stands…