Made of Win or Straight to Bin... Dark Souls

A lot of games split opinion on launch; even more split opinion during the pre-release hype when judgement is passed purely on leaked screens, hollow publisher PR waffle and the pedigree of the developer. In my new feature, Made of Win or Straight to Bin, I’ll attempt to balance the arguments for and against the biggest incoming games by presenting the five best reasons to be excited and not so excited about their release. First up is incoming dungeon crawler, Dark Souls.

2009’s Demon’s Souls is an awesome game, but upon release it divided the PS3 community down the middle with its contrast of incredible gameplay and knuckle-whitening difficulty. This October, From Software launch the “spiritual successor”, Dark Souls, as a multiplatform title and are hoping to recapture the same sense of online community and hardcore respect as they did with Demon’s Souls. But will it be any good? Let’s have a look…

FROM ARENA TO SKYRIM... The Evolution of The Elder Scrolls

These days you can’t scan the PR blurb of three games in a row without seeing the acronym “RPG” somewhere. Whether it’s Borderlands using role playing elements to flesh out its FPS mechanics or an appalling mess like Rise of the Argonauts trying to make itself sound more interesting, games of all genres have begun to incorporate bits and pieces of the role-playing template from looting to levelling in order to add layers to their core idea – even modern console shooters use experience progression systems to unlock new weapons and equipment in the style of an RPG. 

Jedi Beats Tank's Five Favourite... Heroic Sacrifices

What would an action story be without heroics? What would victory be without sacrifice? The worlds created in videogames are rarely button-bright affairs; often they’re dark and war-torn, shattered by conflict or terror. Yet into these dark realms, heroes must stride, whether to rid the world of evil or save it from some horrendous end. The stars themselves are tyrannous, Fate is cruel and callous and, sometimes, not everyone makes it out alive.

Today we pay tribute to the fallen, without whose bravery Humanity would be far worse off. 

Jedi Beats Tank's Five Favourite... Grudge Matches

Welcome to my brand new blog celebrating all things cool in the world of videogames. In each one I’ll present a new list of my five favourite… whatevers, along with a brief explanation as to why I think they belong on a top 5 list. 

Now, since I only pretend to know a little bit of a lot about games and the industry, it’s likely that I’ll miss a fair few items that deserve (or even demand) a position on one of these lists. If that’s the case, feel free to comment with your own nominations and generally make me feel a wee bit small. Or a lot small, if you like – just remember, though, I’m a family man…

I Don't Suck at Games - I'm a Dad, Actually

Anyone who’s had their arse handed to them by a 13-year-old FPS enthusiast will know and understand the shame and pain I felt on Wednesday night. After being “fragged” for the 11th time in a row by a prepubescent gamer who, judging by the accent and put-downs, may have originated from Arkansas or, possibly, the eighth circle of Hell, I was seconds away from rage-quitting when an epiphany hit my like a flashing blue sticky bomb in the face.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution Preview

The Deus Ex franchise is one synonymous with innovation. The first game, released in 2000, lifted the idea of free-form gaming to new heights. Whilst RPGs as a genre were nothing new by the turn of the millenium, we’d never really seen a game that offered so much choice. Set in 2052, it followed the exploits of nano-augmented UNATCO agent JC Denton as he uncovered a conspiracy involving lethal viruses, advanced AIs and shady organisations like the Illuminati and Majestic 12. Three years later, Invisible War was released, this time allowing the option of creating a female version of new protagonist Alex D. Set after a cataclysmic event known as The Collapse, Invisible War brought a heap of new choices to the table and helped to define the term “Action RPG”.