Matthew Arcari is the games and technology editor at The AU Review. You can find him on Twitter at @sirchunkee, or at the Dagobah System, chilling with Luke and Yoda.
We recently got the chance to chat with Dave Lockman, Game Designer at Australian developer SMG Studio on the newest features, modes and cooperative play in Moving Out 2, the sequel to the wildly popular physics-based simulator, Moving Out. Greetings and hope you’re well. Just wanted to say a massive thank you for taking the time…
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MOZA Racing currently specialises in some of the most high-end racing simulator setups that money can buy. To top it off, they have recently announced the R3 Bundle, a trio of racing simulation components that have been created in collaboration with Microsoft to be the first officially licensed racing simulator for Xbox, making this the…
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With the release of NBA 2K24 right around the corner, we got the chance to speak with David Kelley, Director of Partnerships and Licensing at 2K about the upcoming NBA 2K24 soundtrack and its various influences and inspirations that also culminate in honouring the 25th anniversary of the NBA 2K franchise itself. Thanks for taking…
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I got into the Payday franchise with Payday 2, and much later than expected. While I had first played Payday 2 way back on the PlayStation 3 upon its release, I hadn’t really sunk my teeth into its offerings until earlier this year, when I picked it up on Xbox Game Pass. And boy am…
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Hot off the heels of the affordable AS5 4G smartphone, Australia’s Aspera Mobile has launched the AS8 4G, one of the most feature-packed budget smartphones you can find for just A$149. Also compatible with 4G networks, the AS8 4G will add to Aspera’s recent goal to combat the rising cost of living. Aspera Mobile has…
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I’m a huge fan of Mickey Mouse and in turn many of Disney’s attempts at giving Mickey his own gaming franchise. While there are admittedly dozens, with each varying in quality, there’s no denying some of them absolutely rule; Castle of Illusion and Mickey’s Wild Adventure, we’re looking at you. The art style and cooperative…
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For as little as I had known about Atlas Fallen prior to its release, its final trailers had admittedly hooked me. From the solid third-person combat to sleek traversal and platforming, it seemed there was plenty to look forward to. This proved to be true in many respects, as most of those aspects stood out…
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It’s no secret that Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart already shines as both a sequel to the long-running PlayStation franchise and a window into the next generation of gaming. While PlayStation’s recent string of PC ports has been rather great (sorry to The Last of Us: Part 1), Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart proves yet…
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Over the years, Turtle Beach has certainly nailed a solid range of comfortable and versatile headsets across a variety of price points. But for as much as they’ve dabbled in that top shelf, they now seem ready to comfortably play in that space with the Stealth Pro headset. This wireless headset packs in all the…
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For as long as Shokz has developed bone-conduction headphones, they’ve never really drawn me in. Maybe I was worried about the lack of audio quality, or even the overall comfortability of adjusting to these around my head during day-to-day activities. Enter the OpenFit headphones. Shokz has pivoted in a way, instead choosing to focus on…
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Australia’s Aspera Mobile has decided to celebrate its 10-year anniversary by launching a brand-new range of affordable, yet feature-packed smartphones. The first smartphone in the range will be the unlocked AS5 compatible with 4G networks, which will launch at just A$99. In response to the rising cost of living, Aspera Mobile intended to pack as…
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Capcom has been tearing it up in 2023. Between their Resident Evil 4 remake and what is otherwise one of the best fighting games in years in Street Fighter 6, anyone would be impressed with those two games alone in a single year. But then comes Exoprimal, a third-person multiplayer game based around mech suits…
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As long-winded as the name might sound, the Asus ROG Azoth 75% wireless mechanical gaming keyboard gets a lot right. For the premium A$399 price tag, it provides a sleek design, sturdy build quality, and satisfying and responsive NX switches. While it feels great to use for gaming and general typing, the featured corner OLED…
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Electronic Arts have announced that they are working on a new single-player Black Panther game, led by their new studio known as Cliffhanger Games, in partnership with Marvel Games. Cliffhanger Games will also be working under Kevin Stephens who had previously served as studio head at developer Monoloth Productions, who are known for their fantastic…
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It’s safe to say that OPPO has become fairly acquainted with mobile phones over the past few years. While they’ve provided a wide range of both entry-level and high-value handsets, there’s also no doubt that phones are shifting into another era of, let’s just say, flexibility. Brands like Samsung and Motorola are very much into…
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NBA 2K24 will not only feature NBA legend Kobe Bryant as its cover athlete but introduce several new features for another year of simulated NBA goodness. Right out of the gate, NBA 2K24 will launch with crossplay for online activity between PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S players. As Kobe returns to the NBA 2K…
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While it’s now official, it only felt natural. The late, great 18-time All-Star, five-time NBA World Champion, two-time Finals MVP, two-time Olympic Gold Medalist and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant will grace the cover of the upcoming NBA 2K24. Kobe will feature on two versions of the game, including the special NBA…
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BlueAnt is no stranger to the Bluetooth speaker game. While we’ve reviewed some smaller speakers in the past like the X0i and X1i, we now have the pleasure of checking out one of BlueAnt’s larger offerings. Valued at A$579, the X6 party speaker provides some impressive, balanced sound along with a laundry list of handy…
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I’m a massive fan of the Alien franchise. So much so, that Aliens still sits well within my top ten films of all time. Yes, there’s a list, but let’s put that aside for now. Aliens: Dark Descent is yet another attempt to bring validity and ultimately justice to the long-running franchise in video game…
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While OPPO has been known for a wide range of Android phones over the past few years, they’ve also built up an impressive range of earbuds, with the Enco X2 earbuds proving to be their latest foray into the premium space. The Enco X2 earbuds certainly have more than a few boxes in terms of…
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SteelSeries is no stranger to crafting some seriously premium gaming peripherals. I had personally been using the Apex Pro Mini prior to this review and had been loving it ever since. The only real issue with that keyboard is, that I’m not a huge fan of 60% keyboards, and do prefer the slightly larger TKL…
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For a franchise that has existed as long as Final Fantasy has, it’s amazing to see how it’s still evolving into what we now know to be Final Fantasy XVI (16). While it’s not the sixteenth game overall, the sixteenth mainline entry brings forth a new story, fresh characters and one incredibly revamped combat system….
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For as many classic titles as the Nintendo Switch has produced, and for as much as we’re all still playing and loving The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, it’s safe to say there’s been a few questions about Nintendo’s future ambitions. Are we getting that new hardware? Will we see a new Mario…
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I’m a huge Formula 1 fan and tend to jump into the yearly F1 release for some additional action during the current season. While I certainly enjoyed F1 22, I felt it was lacking something, and at times holding back. As the last thing I really enjoyed about the franchise came in the form of…
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In honour of Sonic’s 32nd birthday and to celebrate the launch of Sonic Origins Plus, Five Star Games has announced The Sonic State of Origins Plus clash, in which Sonic the Hedgehog speedrunners will face off at Fortress Sydney on the 23rd of June. Each of the competitors and parties involved in the event will…
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While I do my best to keep up with my dental hygiene, I must admit, it can sometimes be a struggle. I was previously using a rather entry-level Colgate PRO Clinical electric toothbrush and brushing twice a day on average, but there are many things that I’ve learnt since using the Colgate Pulse Series 2…
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Halsey has announced her team-up with BTS artist SUGA, to celebrate the release of Diablo 4 with their new anthem, Lilith. Based on Diablo 4’s new villain, this track, along with an official video clip, truly sums up the tone of the game, while Halsey herself seemingly transitions into Lilith throughout the video. She announced…
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I had never really played much of the Diablo series. While I had played each of them in some way or at some point in my life, they’ve never really stuck with me. Be it the ageing mechanics and visuals of Diablo and Diablo II on the PC, to the early days of Diablo III,…
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Summer Game Fest 2023 continues. This time though, it’s Xbox’s turn to take the floor. It’s quite a packed showcase once again, with plenty of hyped and unique releases either revealed or confirmed to be right around the corner. So sit tight. We’re running through everything announced at the Xbox Games Showcase 2023. A New…
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I had spent the past couple of weeks wondering why it’s been a while since I had played a Street Fighter game. And then I remembered why. I loved Street Fighter 4 when it was released all those years ago. It was refined, fun and accessible. But Street Fighter 5 was a different story. Sure,…
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