The Best PC Game of All Time

Okay, okay, I may have missed the weekend there. Punctuality is clearly not my strong point. Once again, though, the weekend has steam rolled through our collective lives, leaving behind a mess of bodies and squashed pizzas. So, let’s chat. Review code for Codemaster’s new DiRT Rally 2.0 arrived a while ago so I’m currently working on the review for that. The embargoes have already lifted so I can spoil my own work by saying it’s pretty freaking great. You’ll have to wait for the full review for the details, though. I reviewed some birds in Angry Birds VR: Isle of Pigs which wound up being an entirely okay-ish game. It’s good for a bit of a giggle or just for the kids but outside of that it’s a forgettable, short experience. I’m also going to be reviewing Crackdown 3. It’s downloaded onto my Xbox One X courtesy of Games Pass, but I’ve not got around to actually firing it up yet. The critical reception so far seems poor, though, and the gameplay I’ve watched doesn’t feel me with con...

While platformers might not be powerful juggernaut that they once were we gamers are still treated to a relatively slow but steady stream of new games in the genre. Unruly Heroes is the latest in that stream, but as always the question is a simple one; is it actually any bloody good? Yes. Yes, it is. This is a hugely entertaining romp that’s near perfect for family gaming. The first thing that strikes you is just how bloody good Unruly Heroes looks. It has a sublime hand-painted style that is brimming with colour and personality. Each of the various worlds you visit has its own colour palette, too, giving it a distinct look. The pace of the game makes you want to keep pushing forward, but it’s worth stopping just to soak in the background details or the lovely animations, or just to appreciate the design of the boss you’re currently clobbering. Platforms: Xbox One, PC, PS4, Switch Reviewed On: PC Developer: Magic Design Publisher: Magic Design Review code supplied free of charge T...

Jon Shafer’s At The Gates has had a rather long and tricky development spanning some six years, a Kickstarter campaign and personal struggles. As for the titular Shafer, he used to work for Firaxis, the same company responsible for Civilization series. In fact, Shafer was the lead designer on Civilization V. In 2012 he left to form his own company called Conifer Games which then launched a Kickstarter in 2013 for At The Gates, a new 4X game. So, roughly six years after its initial funding has Jon Shafter’s At The Gates been worth the wait? On paper At The Gates is familiar; you eXplore, eXpand, eXterminate and eXploit your way across the map turn by turn. You start off with only a single tribe available (the Goths) but you can unlock the ability to play as more by allying with them in-game or conquering them. Each new tribe offers different bonuses. Platforms: PC Reviewed On: PC Developer: Conifer Games Publisher: Conifer Games Review code supplied by the publisher. Unlike most 4X...

Platforms: PC, Switch, Xbox One, PS4 Reviewed On: Xbox One X Developer: Solar Sail Games Publisher: Curve Digital Singleplayer: Yes Multiplayer: No Review code supplied free of charge by the publisher. There are a lot of survival games centred around crafting out there, so Smoke and Sacrifice has its work cut out when it comes to standing out from the crowd. Initially released back in 2018 for PC and Switch, Smoke and Sacrifice has made its way to Xbox One and Playstation 4 for 2019. Has it been worth the wait? The game opens in a beautiful village bathed in sunlight. As single mom Sachi you finish up your day of toil and then head towards home to collect your son, Lio. AN important ceremony involving the child is mentioned so you head off toward that, but it turns out to be a more nefarious affair. Reaching the temple you place the child on an altar and watch as it is seemingly sacrificed in a puff of smoke. This ritual sacrificing of firstborn children is at the behest of the l...

So far my foray’s into virtual reality gaming have been frequently amazing, from the brain teasing of Red Matter to the gunplay of Borderlands 2, a 6-year-old game reborn in VR. But Guns ‘N Stories: Bulletproof is my first negative experience, a wave-shooter that left me bored. It’s not the kind of game I can even rip apart, though, because it does most of what it sets out to do competently. So let’s review this western and see where it goes wrong. Review code provided free of charge by the publisher Platforms: PS VR, Oculus Rift, Vive Reviewed On: PS VR Developer: Mirowin Publisher: Mirowin Now, I should say that wave-based shooters are not the problem. Hell, in my review of Gun Club for the PS VR I pointed out that they’re a natural fit for virtual reality. The problem is there’s a lot of them on the market so any new game needs to be pretty good in order to stand out from the crowd and Guns ‘N’ Stories: Bulletproof just isn’t. The premise has some potential with the game kickin...