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The more things change, the more they stay the same. Sure, the games of 2017 are virtually unrecognisable from the earliest slices of software we marvelled at in the early 80s, yet there’s a common set of values that have always run through them. A ‘good’ game is one that …

If you’ve watched the first trailer for FIFA 18 (opens in new tab) (see below) then you’re already aware that EA is shaking things up with its next instalment of digitised footy: more Frostbite, more Journey, more personality, and – finally! – Ultimate Team legends losing their Xbox exclusivity (opens …

When reviews of the first Dark Souls surfaced, many writers likened their experience to a tour of Hell. The game’s legendary difficulty begs for a metaphor of molar-grinding torment on a sufficiently grand scale, and the Hell allusion is a natural one considering that Dark Souls draws so much inspiration …

Arizona Sunshine is the best-selling VR game (opens in new tab) on Steam, and now it’s getting a port to PS4 and PS Pro. According to the guys who are making it, Vertigo Games, one-in-five virtual reality users on PC own a copy, and it’s constantly near the top of …

Permanently poised on the brink of another comeback, there’s Prince of Persia (opens in new tab): a series in a state of constant reimagining that’s avoided any long-term inactivity since 1989. It’s offered a solid leg-up to those who worked on it, from creator Jordan Mechner (with his screenwriting gig …

It’s a massive cliche to call anything “the next Dark Souls” because that usually just means “another popular, super-hard game”. So suppress your eye-rolling reflex when I say The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (opens in new tab) might have already proven itself as the next Dark Souls. …

It’s ironic that some are complaining that Total War: Warhammer 2 is being released ‘too soon’ after its predecessor, particularly given the claims that such a schedule makes the game feel more like a DLC expansion. Because while ‘expansion’ is absolutely the operative word in terms of TW: WH2’s overarching …

Ask a random gamer, PC owner or not, for opinions of Doom and you’ll be lucky if you get one. Ask them for memories and you’ll get a dozen. Even those who’ve never shot the barrel and turned the imp into pixel mush remember it as if they had, its …

How would Microsoft have fared in a Bungie-free world? A world where its masterful space opera hadn’t greased the Xbox slip road with high-grade Warthog engine oil? The system’s first and biggest star has flared brighter still since its appearance, two console generations ago, but on launch day it was …

Videogames are a realm of fantasy. They’re placed where your imagination can run wild, where you can pursue adventures you didn’t know existed – and where there are weapons on offer that would make a blacksmith cry. It’s up to you whether that’s from joy or sheer madness, but taking …