Generation Zero review - an atmospheric, but rather empty, open world

 Posted on November 29, 2022  |  6 minutes  |  1161 words  |  Trudie Dory

A moody shooter undermined by a lack of polish and purpose. Something's gone horribly wrong here. You can't put your finger on it, at least not at first. The world looks just as it should do (or at least how I imagine it should, having never experienced Sweden in the lurid fluorescent glow of the 1980s). Rows of homes stand empty, yes, and meals wait expectantly on kitchen tables as the TV blasts static from the cosy lounge, but the lights are still on, answerphones still flash with new messages, and while there's nobody home, at least not for now, whoever put that book down thought they would be right back. [Read More]

Horizon Zero Dawn: the making of PS4 Pro's best 4K game

 Posted on November 29, 2022  |  11 minutes  |  2203 words  |  Mittie Cheatwood

Guerrilla Games' Horizon Zero Dawn not only raised the bar in terms of technical accomplishment on current generation console hardware, it handed in the best 4K HDR presentation we've seen from any PlayStation 4 Pro title. The native 1080p output on base hardware scales up to 2160p on Pro, using a custom implementation of checkerboard rendering, but Horizon's presentation is so clean, so solid, so convincing, it passes for the 'real thing' - so how was this achieved? [Read More]

Microsoft tried to buy Nintendo 20 years ago "but they just laughed their asses off"

 Posted on November 29, 2022  |  3 minutes  |  464 words  |  Arica Deslauriers

What if Microsoft bought Nintendo in the run up to the original Xbox? The last 20 years of video games would look pretty different, I imagine. Well, it turns out Microsoft actually tried to make it happen. In an oral history on the creation of the original Xbox published by Bloomberg (paywall), those involved with the console reveal they tried to use Microsoft's millions to secure Xbox exclusives, and actually met Nintendo to see if they would consider being acquired. [Read More]

OlliOlli World review - a candy-coated dream

 Posted on November 29, 2022  |  9 minutes  |  1821 words  |  Patria Henriques

A thrilling leap forward for a magical skating series. Logfolk Graveyard is where it happened. There should be a plaque really. In a game where time can become a bright fizzing blur, I somehow remember the exact moment. I had been zooming through OlliOlli World until that point - always cheery, sometimes doing well, sometimes just scraping it. But then Logfolk Graveyard came along with the optional challenge: Advance trick through a Ghost. [Read More]

Paul Haddad, the voice of the original Resident Evil 2's Leon S. Kennedy, has died

 Posted on November 29, 2022  |  2 minutes  |  237 words  |  Patria Henriques

Paul Haddad, who portrayed Leon S. Kennedy in the original Resident Evil 2, has died aged 56. The news was confirmed earlier today by developer Invader Studios, which had recently collaborated with Haddad on Daymare: 1998, a third-person survival horror game heavily inspired by the classic genre entries of the 90s. In a statement posted to Twitter, Invader Studios wrote, "Paul Haddad, our dear friend and an icon among the RE community, has passed away recently. [Read More]

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond Shining Pearl starters Turtwig, Chimchar and Piplup: Which starter is best?

 Posted on November 29, 2022  |  3 minutes  |  609 words  |  Arica Deslauriers

Turtwig, Chimchar and Piplup are the three starter Pokémon for Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. The starter you pick will help decide how you play the first hours of the game, especially when it comes to tackling the first Gym. Will you choose to walk through the Gym Leader battle or do you want to take the harder approach? Below you'll find some insight which will help you decide which starter Pokémon is best for you. [Read More]

Red Dead Redemption 2 Fences explained and where to purchase the Lock Breaker

 Posted on November 29, 2022  |  3 minutes  |  483 words  |  Patria Henriques

Red Dead Redemption 2 Fences are vendors that trade in illegal and stolen goods that the high street usually won't cater for. Fences all kind of unusual and valuable items, such as new recipes, food, Talismans and the Lock Breaker. Though you'll be introduced to one as part of the story, there are others across the map - and you can access one as soon as you start Chapter 2. [Read More]

Rhythm Tengoku - Rhythm Heaven

 Posted on November 29, 2022  |  5 minutes  |  932 words  |  Trudie Dory

Navigating a game in Japanese is never exactly an easy task for the uninitiated, but upon first glance Rhythm Tengoku might appear more daunting than most. You switch it on, perhaps whilst bored on a plane to France or, more likely, because someone's stolen the newspaper from the bog, and there's a nice friendly blue title screen and some lovely silly music. Then a robot samurai appears and spouts all sorts of nonsense, of which, thanks to my extensive training in Japanese (consisting entirely of Taiko Drum Master and DDR), the only words I could understand were DANCE, DRUM and something that looked disconcertingly like INADEQUATE. [Read More]

Romelu Lukaku sure doesn't like his FIFA 21 rating

 Posted on November 29, 2022  |  4 minutes  |  765 words  |  Arica Deslauriers

There are winners and losers each year when EA Sports announces the player ratings for FIFA. As player form ebbs and flows (and superstars edge their way onto the cover of the game), ratings adjust accordingly. You can't please everyone. And, it seems, you can't please Romelu Lukaku. The former Manchester United striker has a conspiracy theory about the player ratings, claiming EA "mess" with them in order to get players complaining about the game " [Read More]

Top 50 Games of 2004: Top 10

 Posted on November 29, 2022  |  24 minutes  |  5038 words  |  Trudie Dory

So here we are. Eurogamer's Top 10 Games of 2004. Our top ten favourite games, mind you. Not the definitive top ten games of the year. Anybody who whacks a list in front of you and tells you that's what you're reading is either mad or omnipotent. Still not sure what this list represents? Head back in time and examine the criteria for inclusion, and while you're at it you might like to check up on numbers 50 down to 11, all of which are preserved at the following URLs: 50-41, 40-31, 30-21, 20-11. [Read More]