Alex Donaldson (Page 4)

Article

ELEVATOR PITCH | Absolutely everybody should play the Final Fantasy 16 demo – out on PS5 today

At a recent hands-on, I got to play the better part of six hours of Final Fantasy 16. But all you’ll need to make your mind up is the upcoming demo.

June 12, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Article

CARD LUCK | Nvidia 4060 Ti 8GB offers up the sort of performance Nvidia promises – and questions the current GPU market

The 4060 Ti one of Nvidia’s most important cards of this hardware generation, but it comes with some caveats.

June 6, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Article

CRACKED THE CODY | World Tour isn’t just Street Fighter 6’s Story Mode – it’s also Final Fight 4

World Tour is Street Fighter 6’s story mode, sort-of a revival of another classic Capcom series, and a loving tribute to several more.

June 5, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Guide

WORLD(TOUR) WARRIORS | Street Fighter 6 World Tour: Tips and advice for Story Mode

Here are some tips and advice for starting your journey in Street Fighter 6.

June 2, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Article

PUCK OF THE DRAW | LEGO’s Pac-Man Arcade is its greatest gaming tribute yet

LEGO has been doing good work in the gaming space, but it's biggest throwback yet might just be the company's strongest.

June 1, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Article

POST-MODERN ARTS | Street Fighter 6’s Modern Controls aren’t cheating – if you’re mad about them, you need to get training

No, I don't want no scrub: a scrub is a guy that won't get no wins from me. Switched to the Modern side of his Xbox, then, tryin' to pressure my Ken.

June 1, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Review

JURI'S OUT | Street Fighter 6 review: one of the best fighting game packages of all time

With Street Fighter 6, the series steps back into the ring, bruised and beaten, and proves nothing can keep its fighting spirit down.

May 30, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Article

TOYS WILL BE TOYS | In Tears of the Kingdom, cheating with Amiibo is more powerful than ever

Want to get over-powered and over-geared in a pinch? Dust off your amiibo and join me in the cheater's corner.

May 16, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Article

BOY MEETS WORLD | Immortals of Aveum takes inspiration from God of War, BioShock, Doom, and more, says Ascendant Studios CEO

EA’s Immortals of Aveum is a big, bold, brash magic shooter – and it’s been taking notes from PlayStation’s God of War.

May 12, 2023 Dom Peppiatt

Article

OUTSIDE THE BOX | EA's triple-A Immortals of Aveum isn’t just an RPG-shooter: “We spent a lot of time on puzzles, too”

The intriguing Immortals of Aveum isn’t just a corridor shooter; Ascendant Studios is weaving many genre strands together to make something unique.

May 10, 2023 Dom Peppiatt

Article

FIGHT CLUB | Street Fighter 6 – the final preview: World Tour rounds out a genre-defining feature set

Everything in Street Fighter 6 is on track to be a proper return to form for the series – let's just hope Capcom can stick the landing.

May 2, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Article

KNEE KNOCKER | EA Sports PGA Tour has strong sim credentials, but is also undeniably a first-gen sports title

EA is back in the Golf game, playing catch up behind 2K’s effort. Eight years on from its last game, they’ve had to start from scratch – for better and worse.

April 21, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Article

BLOCK PROCESSING | Sonic’s four new Lego kits are traditional playsets for kids, not collectors – and that’s brilliant

Lego Sonic the Hedgehog sets are designed for under-10s - exactly as they should be. And it won’t stop us from buying ‘em anyway.

April 20, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Article

ACTIVE TIME BLUNDER | Final Fantasy 1-6 Pixel Remaster console creeps closer to definitive status, despite some small frustrations

The Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters are notably improved over the PC versions, even if they are still carrying a bit of baggage.

April 19, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Review

FLAWED STRATEGY | Minecraft Legends review: a cute kid-friendly strategy adventure, but missing the series’ magic

While Minecraft Legends aims to be a kid-friendly first RTS and fodder for Minecraft fans, it's not entirely successful at either. The backbone of something brilliant lurks within, though.

April 14, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Article

ALAKABLAM | Immortals of Aveum riffs on CoD, Doom, Doctor Strange, and more – and it looks awesome

The list of franchises that Immortals of Aveum carries the vibe of is long indeed, but that may be exactly what this shooter needs to establish a firm foothold.

April 13, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Article

POWER STRUGGLE | Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 review: heir to the 3080, and a more reasonable new-gen entry point

Nvidia's latest 40 series GPU is also its cheapest yet. More affordability doesn't mean this isn't powerful, though - it is. But does it justify the cost?

April 12, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Article

CRACKING STUFF | Super Mario Bros. Movie Post-Credits scene revealed - and how it teases the sequel

It wouldn't be a big-budget Hollywood vehicle if it didn't also include a teaser for what's next - so here's what the post-credits scenes mean for Mario 2.

April 6, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Review

SUPERSTAR SAGA | Super Mario Bros. Movie review: not quite a super show, but a potent nostalgia tour

Though this new cinematic outing isn’t quite as tight as those given to Sonic and Pikachu, Illumination and Nintendo’s partnership is resoundingly successful in dispelling Mario’s 90s movie curse.

April 5, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Article

PERSONA NON GRATA | Xbox has an embarrassing Square Enix problem

And it's not just that one publisher, either – there's still a big issue Xbox needs to address, Activision Blizzard takeover or not.

March 30, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Article

GOTTA HAND IT TO EM | Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom features an awesome tribute to Nintendo's ancient past

Did you pick up on the Ultrahand in the latest trailer? And, more importantly, do you know why it's significant?

March 29, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Article

HOT SPOT | Parasite Eve has the energy that Square Enix needs to bring to new IP in 2023

Parasite Eve might be turning 25 years old, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t still a template Square Enix could easily follow for modern success.

March 29, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Article

LEARNING CURVE | Nvidia’s DLSS offering expands today with 5 new titles and an upgrade for Forza Horizon 5

DLSS is arguably the best reason to own one of Nvidia's newer-generation graphics cards - and today, it becomes a little bit more useful.

March 28, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Article

HAMMER TIME | Playable Amy is great, but Sonic Origins Plus is pointless if it doesn’t address the original’s problems

Sonic Origins Plus is making a splash with playable Amy Rose. But Amy and her hammer won’t be worth squat if the rest of the game isn’t fixed.

March 24, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Article

WHEELY WEIRD | The first major update for Thrustmaster’s eSwap controller is here – and it’s as genius as it is weird

Thrustmaster’s modular controller takes a big leap into new areas with its first genre-specific add-on. It’s weird, but… it kinda works, too.

March 22, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Article

ROAD BLOCKS | Lego 2K Drive: I’m in for a new Lego Racing game no questions asked – but what we really need is Lego Island

Could this rumoured new game be the start of Lego returning to its more experimental era? If so, then I have an idea...

March 21, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Article

ATLAS BUGGED | Atlas Fallen has great combat and that joyous single-A energy

If you like your games slightly wonky – but effortlessly charming – Atlas Fallen is likely for you.

March 17, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Article

HOUSE OF THE GUNDEAD | Devolver is releasing a new light gun shooter into arcades – but what we really need is a home port

Dodge Roll's latest, House of the Gundead, belongs in arcades, sure... but I bet a lot of players would be happier seeing it in their own homes.

March 16, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Article

PLAYSTATION PROLAPSE | PS5 Pro? Even if the spurious rumors are true, right now I just don't care

At this point in the generation, with how it's all gone so far, do we really need a PS5 Pro? I don't think so, really.

March 15, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Article

X/S BAGGAGE | The Xbox Series S is the best value in gaming – that doesn’t mean it isn’t also a problem

The Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S were always supposed to be treated the same, but the reality of that promise is starting to show its teeth – and it's not good news.

March 9, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Article

A HARDWARE'S NIGHT | Bring back incredible video game peripherals, you cowards

What do slot machines, party games, and arcades all have in common? The best thing about them is dying.

March 7, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Article

MONEY FOR OLD OAK | Pokemon Trading Card Game Classic is a stroke of genius

Revisiting the classic Pokemon TCG experience with a premium new set may seem like an odd move, but it's a very, very canny one.

March 3, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Article

ROLE BACK THE YEARS | As Final Fantasy 16 boss Naoki Yoshida calls it “discriminatory”, is it time to drop the term ‘JRPG’?

A brief history of the JRPG descriptor, and contemplations on the etymology of the genre – and its implications.

March 3, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Review

PIECES OF EIGHT | Octopath Traveler 2 plays it safe, but it’s subtly better than its predecessor in every way that matters

By taking what worked for the previous game and gently iterating on it, Octopath Traveler 2 offers up a delightful JRPG throwback - with many similar shortcomings to its predecessor.

Feb. 23, 2023 Alex Donaldson

News

STEELY MAN | Take an exclusive look at Iron Treads EX, a new card in the Pokemon Scarlet & Violet TCG expansion

Meet Iron Treads EX, a hot new card fresh from the Pokemon TCG's latest expansion.

Feb. 22, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Article

SHORT AND SWEET | As Star Fox turns 30, it’s time for a reboot that admits: it’s okay for games to be short

Star Fox is celebrating a milestone anniversary - making now as good a time as ever to admit that what makes the games truly great is also their greatest weakness.

Feb. 21, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Article

RHOAMING FEE | Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will be worth £70, but the price highlights gaming’s possibly unsustainable future

How expensive is too expensive for a sequel to one of the best games ever made? We may be about to find out.

Feb. 8, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Guide

SAFE HANDS | Hitman Freelancer: How to open Safes

One of the most important side objectives in Hitman Freelancer is to regularly crack open safes on each mission. Here's how to do it.

Feb. 4, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Article

ROGUE'S GALLERY | Hitman Freelancer is a fantastic bonus atop a modern masterpiece

The latest update for the generation's best stealth game is here – and it makes a perfect game even more interesting.

Feb. 2, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Article

I R WINNER | Age of Empires 2 on Xbox: How AI helpers are giving the console real-time strategy genre a new lease of life

Making an RTS work on console is no mean feat, but World's Edge has come up with some advanced tools that make the console experience as enjoyable as the PC one.

Feb. 1, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Article

THINKING OUT CLOUD | Final Fantasy 7 at 26: Kitase on being inspired by Nintendo, discarded concepts, and Rebirth changes to come

In an exclusive interview, Yoshinori Kitase sheds some light Final Fantasy 7's development – and hints at changes to come in the Remake series' future.

Jan. 31, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Article

Perfect Solution | Want to play GoldenEye 007 multiplayer online on Xbox? There is a way – sort of

If this week's Xbox Game Pass release has left you a little disappointed, you ought to read this.

Jan. 27, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Guide

NUMBERS GAME | Fire Emblem Engage Stats guide: What every Unit Stat does

The strategy combat in Fire Emblem Engage is deep - and the first step to mastering it is understanding the unit stats that power it.

Jan. 27, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Article

EDGE LORD | The DualSense Edge is Sony’s best controller ever – and gives the Xbox Elite a run for its money

Move over, Xbox Elite Wireless Controller – there's a new king of premium handsets in town.

Jan. 25, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Article

TONE POLICING | Fire Emblem Engage has some refreshing representation, especially by Nintendo standards

Without making a big deal of it, Fire Emblem Engage just casually presents a diverse fantasy world - and it's better for it.

Jan. 24, 2023 Alex Donaldson

Article

AGE BEFORE BEAUTY | Persona 4 Golden’s new port is a perfect Japanese RPG time capsule, but as for Persona 3? It’s complicated

Atlus' first proper mainstream hit JRPG is back with a bang, and now that it's on Game Pass, you have no excuse not to play it. Just don't mention Persona 3.

Jan. 17, 2023 Alex Donaldson