• The Swapper (Facepalm Games, PS3/PS4/PS Vita/Wii U)

    September 10, 2014 - By 

    If the Sci-Fi genre has taught us anything, it is that there is nowhere lonelier than space. In Gravity, Sandra Bullock was left to drift through the desolate vastness of the cosmos, accompanied only by the voices inside her head. In Moon, Sam Rockwell was trapped in the purgatory of a facility on the other side of that titular heavenly body, trying to fend off madness through a humdrum routine of repairing equipment. That film’s spiritual predecessor, Silent Running, dealt with the same themes and a similar concept: Bruce Der, the sole remaining crewmate on a spacecraft, struggles to keep his mind together…

  • Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare (EA, PS3 / PS4)

    September 8, 2014 - By 

    The original Plants Vs. Zombies became a genuine phenomenon after being ported to nearly every handheld device and console on the market. One of the original tower defence games, it combined easy to learn, hard to master strategy with a deliciously gonzo sense of humour. Whereas so many other games featuring the shambling undead were morose affairs, PvZ was brightly coloured, cartoonish and genuinely funny. However, when developers PopCap Games announced that they were making a third-person shooter in the same well-tapped vein as Gears Of War (Epic, Multi), more than a few eyebrows were raised. How exactly would the off-the-wall (lack of) sensibilities of the…

  • Bonnie Prince Billy @ Bangor Open House

    September 4, 2014 - By 

    A reverent hush falls on Bangor Abbey, as it must do on a weekly basis in a working church, and Kieran Gilmore, director of the splendid Open House festival thanks the assembled throng for respecting this “sacred space”. To be fair, he does not need to make the request too firmly, because the sanctuary is already silent, and the air is crackling with anticipation. It is not often that an artist as original and bold as Bonnie “Prince” Billy plays in this humble town but his delicate and strange hymnals fit the scene perfectly. “When you ask me to sing…

  • Watch Dogs (Ubisoft, Multiformat)

    July 24, 2014 - By 

    After being stuck in development for what seems like a lifetime – at least, in gaming terms – this much-vaunted open world adventure drops onto both current and next generations promising great things. Fantastic things. Unbelievable things. Press releases predicted an iconic central character, unparalleled depth of gameplay, and complete freedom in a living, breathing city. Naturally, much of this is promotional hyperbole, but what Watch Dogs does offer is something quite different from the usual titles – a fresh spin on an increasingly stale genre. It might not hit all the targets bang on but when it does work, it is…

  • Titanfall (EA, PC/Xbox 360/Xbox One)

    May 23, 2014 - By 

    Tearing out of the gates like a rocket-powered greyhound, Titanfall has one objective only: to give the player an extremely good time. Taking its cue from the Seinfeld maxim of “no hugging, no learning”, this much needed flagship title for the Xbox One dispatches with the usual perfunctory introductory plot of goodies versus baddies before never really referring to it again, choosing instead to focus on the fine art of making things go “boom!”, “dugga dugga dugga!” and “aaaargh!”. Titanfall is deeply satisfying and immaculately polished first person shooter that offers up hours of entertainment to newbies and seasoned players alike. The polar opposite of po-faced…

  • LEGO: The Hobbit (Warner Bros., Multiformat)

    May 2, 2014 - By 

    Another month, another LEGO videogame tie-in. For nearly ten years British development house Traveller’s Tales have been remoulding iconic comics and films in ickle plastic form, and, if internet rumours are to be believed, show no signs of slowing down. While the destination might vary from Gotham to Middle Earth, the premise is always the same: guide a variety of figures through a toy world, taking apart and putting together objects made out of the famous Danish bricks. It is an odd idea, for sure, but one which works – most of the time. Which brings us to LEGO: The Hobbit,…

  • Fez (Sony, Cross Buy PS3/PS4/PS Vita)

    April 23, 2014 - By 

    If you have watched the fantastic documentary Indie Game: The Movie, and I heartily recommend that you do, then you will already be intimately familiar with the notorious Phil Fish. The Montreal-born designer has gained infamy – deservedly, some would say – for his fits of pique and bilious rants against the games industry and those who work within it. This, one could argue, is largely a product of frustration borne out of the unattainably high standards he imposes upon himself. In Indie Game, we see a man trapped within a prison of his own making, struggling to complete a puzzle-based platform…

  • Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition (Square Enix, PS4/Xbox One)

    April 10, 2014 - By 

    The history of the Tomb Raider franchise should serve as a cautionary tale to aspiring videogame developers. When Lara Croft first romped into the media, gamers went mad for her double pistols, Daisy Duke cut-offs and clipped English accent. She struck the right balance between vulnerability and sexuality, thereby causing critics to herald her as either, depending on your opinion, a benchmark for female empowerment or male voyeurism. While some saw her as an anatomically impossible ogle magnet, others were glad to have a female lead in a videogame at all. Yes, there are Samus and Alyx Vance but after that the list…

  • Strider (Capcom, Multiformat)

    April 8, 2014 - By 

    The original Strider, in both its arcade and subsequent home console appearances, was a truly bonkers title, the kind of which only a company like Capcom could make. Their trademark gonzo dialogue and hyperbolic violence were all over this everyday tale of a souped-up ninja battling through a dystopian Soviet Republic. It’s not often that you see those words in the same sentence, nor do you encounter an anthropomorphic millipede end of level boss wielding a hammer and sickle. Such curios were common in Strider, an odd yet brightly coloured side-scroller with inventive character design and a real sense of speed and…

  • The Last Of Us: Left Behind (Sony, PS3)

    April 2, 2014 - By 

    Can a videogame be emotional? Exciting, yes. Thrilling, most definitely. Addictive… well, as anyone who has spent three hours straight rotating tetriminos into position will attest, that would be putting it mildly. But can a videogame be moving? Can it jerk tears or pluck heartstrings? The answer, of course, is a resounding, hollering from the rooftops “yes”. If you know what it means to either save or “harvest” a Little Sister in the Bioshock series, or have made it to the denouement of The Legend Of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, you should know just how emotive this medium, however artificial, can be. The idea…