Posts By Mat Growcott

The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X are more powerful than anything we’ve ever had before. But that doesn’t mean much. The PS4 and Xbox One were mid-level even at launch, and it’s been incredible to see how they’ve been utilized by clever developers over the last seven years. PS4 Pro and Xbox One X were desperately needed when we got to about year four or five, as people started to buy 4K TVs and developers started wanting to push…

Both the Xbox consoles and PlayStation 5 have machine learning AI tech allowing them to upscale lower-resolution images with great effect. We don’t know to what extent it’ll work yet, but one thing’s for certain – it’s going to be the real star of the coming generation. We don’t know the difference between the consoles in this regard yet, although there’s reason to believe the Xbox will be a bit better at it. But we do ...

Capcom has warned gamers to be on the lookout for scam emails offering up early access to Resident Evil Village. The Japanese publisher warned that emails were circulating, and that they may be being sent as part of a phishing scam. In a statement, the company said: “We’ve been made aware that there are currently emails circulating that pretend to contain “Early Access invitations” to Resident Evil Village. The sender address is being displayed as ...

Developers, I love you, but this conversation is overdue. Your choice of graphical settings consistently suck in console games, and it’s time to just hand over the reigns to the end user. I know, I know, this isn’t what consoles are all about. Just buy a PC, right? But these new consoles are powerful enough to do native 4K, 60FPS, and definitely not both. But why? On PC, players can make their own compromises, working out the kinks on as…

My office is filled with books and on the bottom shelf is a treasure trove of old game guides. I’ll never need to know how to win at Gangsters again, but it’s there, ready for an emergency. Nostalgia – it’s the only reason to keep them. They’re worth pennies, if that. But they remind me of a better time: the days when you could look up a problem in any video game without hearing the phrase “like and subscribe”. I…

The first footage of Pokemon Legends Arceus has drawn a number of different reactions. You don’t have to mine too far into the depths of YouTube to find a few dozen manchildren – all eerily identical – staring open-mouthed in reaction video thumbnails. Their opinions are absolutely valid, but, come on guys, admit you’re all Metal Gear Solid style clones. The cat is out the bag. Our own Adam Roffel had some Pokemon thoughts of his own. ...

2021 is looking a little bare at the minute, which isn’t a bad thing. There are so many games to play and so little time – and that’s why you can save lots of money by picking the right deals for you. Being a bit clever with the way your spend your hard-earned cash can maximise your game total, save you cash and mean you’re never overstretched. Of course, how you spend your money will depend on your tastes in…

Let’s be honest – this week’s State of Play was just okay. The recent general Nintendo Direct wasn’t much better. What happening with these update videos, and why do they keep disappointing? My first instinct was that this was an expectation problem. If you’re hoping to see your first glimpse of God of War: Ragnarok, you’re not going to be overjoyed by the biggest news being a piece of DLC for a year old game. But ...

Some games rely on story, others on breathtaking visuals or outstanding gameplay. Others – it’s all about that money. There’s a definite thrill from playing something – responsibly – where there’s a bit of a risk. That might be losing face on the quiz machine down the pub, a game with permanent deaths or, yes, the occasional gamble. The last one tends to be entirely built around the thrill of winning or losing. The joy ...

It’s been nine years next month since the last Silent Hill game was released, but people can’t stop talking about this damn franchise. Insiders everywhere know the next game is coming very, very soon. They promise. Honestly. It’s definitely going to be announced at the next big event. Trust me, it definitely is. Unless it isn’t, then it will be announced at some other time. Also, it’s going to be exclusive to PS5. Maybe not, ...