Posts By Mat Growcott

Welcome to 2023 – the first year of the next generation. And I don’t mean that sarcastically, and it’s not a dig at the games that have come until this point. This year is going to be the start of something brand new. That’s not all we have to look forward to. This year is going to see huge changes in the gaming world. We have the launch of a brand new VR device, and the potential completion of the…

The gaming news started big in 2022 with the announcement that Microsoft were buying Activision. And it never quite reached that peak again. In terms of gaming news, in terms of the games themselves and in terms of the general state of the industry as a whole, 2022 feels like it was a bit of a wash. That’s not to say it was awful. There were plenty of highlights. But it felt like the final year of covid’s impact. Most…

It’s funny that 2007 classic Portal is now one of the hardest games to get running at max settings on PC. But by adding raytracing, that’s exactly what it has become. Does it make the immortal GOAT a better game? No. But it sure as hell proves a concept that feels a long, long way away. As a visual overhaul Portal with RTX is impressive. It takes a still decent-looking 15-year-old game and it makes it modern – and that’s…

Remember how to share a game? You take your disc, and you hand it to your friend. Cue applause. But with a rumoured new PlayStation 5 ditching the disc drive and making it a bonus purchase, we’re officially entering a brave new digital world. I say new. I don’t really mean new. Digital games have been the norm for quite a while now. There’s no doubt in my mind that the used game section in CEX or GAME is half…

If you, like me, want to avoid football as much as possible over the World Cup, here’s a list of weird sports games that might hold your attention instead. This list will also apply for those people, like my own countrymen, who want to pretent there isn’t a World Cup on too. These are games that explore sports that would be impossible, dangerous, or downright bizarre in real life. So please only place the video game versions. We won’t be…

In a world where football is banned, it’s up to one youngster to… play football. So that football can return to the world? That’s Soccer Story, and if that explanation grabs you, congratulations – the game is exactly what you think it’ll be. Soccer Story is part sports game, yes. But mostly it’s about exploration and MMO-style quests that have you mostly using your magic ball for busywork. It is a story where it seems the ...

Xbox games will increase from $60 to $70 starting next year, and that’s a massive disappointment. Any price rise is understandable, but still disappointing. They’re not the first to do it. They join the likes of Sony, Activision and others in raising their base prices. And, of course, it helps that all these games go into Game Pass day one anyway. The price rise will hit those unwilling to subscribe but still interested in playing the hardest. ...

It’s been the best part of a year since Microsoft’s purchase of Activision was announced, and things have been heating up in the last 48 hours. The American regulator – the FTC – is meeting to vote on the deal tomorrow. If it’s approved, it could mean other regulators follow suit sooner rather than later. And Microsoft have been working hard to make sure it is approved. In the last two days, there has been announcement after ...

It’s that time of year where we look at what each console has to offer going forward. What is the back catalogue like? How much do you have to look forward to? What is the tech like for today’s shrewd gamer? If you’re looking to buy a new console for Christmas or in the New Year – these are the articles for you. Is it worth buying a Switch in 2023? The Switch is an absolute mystery. Offering up bundles…

It’s that time of year where we look at what each console has to offer going forward. What is the back catalogue like? How much do you have to look forward to? What is the tech like for today’s shrewd gamer? If you’re looking to buy a new console for Christmas or in the New Year – these are the articles for you. Is it worth buying an Xbox Series X or Series S in 2023? The Xbox Series X…