Video Games

2021 has been tough for Aussies, and it seems that quite possibly things are going to be… complicated… for months to come. There’s still a lot of gloom about despite many cities now enjoying life out of lockdown, which is why the upcoming Christmas holidays just may be the most important ones yet. There’s no…

On this, the 20th anniversary of the franchise and the Xbox platform as a whole, Halo has sparked many questions in the minds of its fans. Has the series run its course? Is the Master Chief a relevant hero for the modern age? Can such a dated franchise really exist without pushing new boundaries? Well…

Geoff Keighley’s annual Video Game Awards presentation has rolled around again for 2021, handing out accolades for the best the year has had to offer in gaming. It’s admittedly been a tough year for game delays, with many of the year’s hotly anticipated games pushed to 2022, from the likes of God of War Ragnarok…

December’s PlayStation Plus offering is as well-rounded as it is critically acclaimed; for the most part. Godfall: Challenger Edition stands as the PlayStation 5 entry for this month, while Lego DC Super Villains and Mortal Shell follow as forward compatible PlayStation 4 titles for those on next generation consoles. While it’s clear Godfall is looking…

Gaming fans and foodies alike can rejoice as PlayStation launches PlayStation to Plate, giving Aussies across Sydney and Melbourne a taste of the many exclusives the platform has to offer. From 3 December, three restaurants will bring to life meals inspired by classic franchises including The Last of Us, Ratchet and Clank and Uncharted. Dish 1:…

Gaming has always been the past time for a bit of escapism. Now more than ever, the sheer variety of games has allowed us to be whisked away to worlds we would never have even imagined. For one, you can now self-insert as a cute little crow working for the Reaping Commission Headquarters as a…

For a franchise centred around the conflict of war, covering several eras and stories, it’s clear that Battlefield 2042 had one target left in mind; itself. What follows is an incredibly frustrating blend of smooth action and refined gunplay, paired with numerous bugs and glitches, and the overall lack of depth within its mainline modes….

It’s been 15 years since the release of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl—arguably the most important entry in the Pokémon gaming franchise, as it revitalised its popularity through changes to the battle system, along with Wi-Fi connectivity and the ability to connect players to the wider Pokémon community. It was the spark for the Gen IV…

For people who spend a lot of time gaming online, a password manager is likely the last thing on their minds. In fact, a strong password manager like Lastpass (who are currently offering 25% with their Black Friday sale) is a non-negotiable internet security measure for anyone who loves online gaming. Let us explain. Digital…

Let’s get one thing out of the way. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is without a doubt my favourite entry in the Grand Theft Auto franchise and one of my favourite games of all time. So you can imagine my excitement when Rockstar had announced Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy: The Definitive Edition, containing Grand Theft…

Call of Duty: Vanguard’s return to a World War II setting is not without its merit. Since Call of Duty: WWII, the franchise had cycled back around to a Modern Warfare revival and two Black Ops titles. But was this era worth revisiting? In many respects, yes; and no. Call of Duty: Vanguard plays its…

My time with Bright Memory: Infinite has been interesting, to say the least. As I loaded up my assault rifle, picking off enemies in the distance, I quickly navigated my surroundings. I bounced off walls to get across precarious chasms. I hacked and slashed my way through obtrusive enemies. I participated in lighting fast quick…

We recently got the chance to participate in a Closed Network Test of Elden Ring, developer FromSoftware’s Souls-inspired epic. This beta version of the game featured a contained portion of its open world, allowing us to explore, battle and most importantly, survive. I would liken my time with Elden Ring to Dark Souls 3 –…

We recently got the chance to chat with Narrative Designer, Alexa Ray Corriea and Associate Narrative Designer, Belinda Garcia from Sledgehammer Games about the upcoming World War 2 shooter, Call of Duty Vanguard, and the engaging narrative that binds four unique characters together. What sets this WW2 story apart from previous WW2 campaigns within the…

The screen is dark. The sound of an engine roaring pierces the air, as the back on a cargo plane opens. Suddenly, your vehicle drops out of the back, parachuting down to a dense, colourful Mexican landscape. As soon as you land, you blast onto the road, on your way to your first Horizon Festival….

I owe the Mario Party franchise a great deal of credit. It’s responsible for some of the best gaming moments I’ve had on a Nintendo console. While Mario Party 3 will always remain my favourite, it’s safe to say that the franchise faltered in recent years, prompting me to drift away from the iconic mini-games…

I have to be honest. After publisher Square Enix’s last Marvel themed outing, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy instilled a sizeable amount of doubt within me. Sure, Marvel’s Avengers was a fun cooperative experience, but it lacked any depth and heart. It seems as though the second time is the charm, as Marvel’s Guardians of…

PlayStation’s October State of Play rolled around this morning, with a fresh focus on third party titles and indie games. While some announcements unveiled some entirely new and unseen projects, it was also nice to see some indie games getting the love with some expanse updates. And with that, let’s have a look at the…

If you’re old enough, you might remember getting your first taste of Age of Empires, along with a bite of nutritious cereal, from a Nutri-Grain box. It’s also hard to believe that sweet moment from my childhood was also almost 20-years ago. Damn. Well apparently so do the team at Microsoft were fond of this…

343 Industries revealed the latest look at Halo Infinite overnight, presenting an action-packed look at what Halo fans can expect from the campaign, when it launches on December 8. Accompanied by that sweet, glorious Halo theme, we get to see Master Chief embark on a quest to track down what remains of Cortana, as the…

I never expected my last couple of free evenings to be spent trying to smack, dodge and jump over Michaelangelo against the backdrop of The Flying Dutchman’s Ship. But based on what 2020 and 2021 has shown us so far, anything absolutely goes these days. This is Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl, the latest platform fighter that…

My first foray into farming simulation games dates back further than Harvest Moon‘s rebrand to Story of Seasons. I’m old enough to remember when it was called Harvest Moon: Back to Nature. That game is now 22 years old. It’s hard to overstate how uncommon slice-of-life narrative games were back then. Today, there are video…

Digital and live event producers Branded recently announced the full conference program and speaker lineup for Gaming Matters, one of Asias’ longest running gaming industry conferences. And this year, Australians, and those from aorund the world, will be able to tune in live, as the event goes into a hybrid online and in person format….

Forza Horizon 5 has a formula that is, by now, well established. These are semi-arcade racers that are more concerned with taking dream cars for a joy ride than they are about being a detailed motorsport simulation. Forza Horizon 5 returns to the series to the Americas for the first time since the original, setting…

As a fan of both the Rocky film series and the sport of boxing in general, I often wonder about the next definitive boxing game. Believe it or not, it’s been a decade since EA Sport’s Fight Night Champion, which I still dip back into until this very day. And then I saw it; the…

Leave it to Hideo Kojima to release Death Stranding Director’s Cut, the expanded version of a game over which he had complete creative control. It’s no secret that Death Stranding landed amid huge anticipation and excitement. It was then met with either an overwhelming sense of confusion and, in some circles, accusations of pretentiousness, or…

Metroid Dread is a game I thought I might never play, let alone review. For years, the Metroid franchise has sat among several other older Nintendo franchises, like F-Zero and Mother/EarthBound, gathering dust. For fans of the series, their own personal dread was real. Was their favourite Ninty franchise dead? As the wait dragged on,…

The Far Cry series has faltered over the past few years. Recent iterations were either lacking immersive worlds, memorable villains, innovative gameplay, or all three. While far from terrible, it’s clear that nothing has been as good as the darling that is Far Cry 3. And it seems as though Ubisoft has heard. Far Cry…

You’ve just opened your brand new Nintendo Switch OLED and you’re ready to transfer your account across. But wait a second — how do you do that, exactly? Here’s our step-by-step guide to transferring your user and save data to a new Nintendo Switch OLED. 1. First things first So to start with, let’s answer…

The Switch OLED represents the best version of the Nintendo Switch hardware to date. In the four years since the launch, the core Switch hardware has received one prior refresh. The 2019 model featured a higher capacity battery and made a small change to the shape of the Joy-Cons. The Switch OLED is, largely, more…