Articles

BREW IT TO YOURSELF

Game Pass is home to an indie gem that does magic brilliantly

If you want a game that celebrates all the good things about the world of magic in a pleasing, understated way, check out Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator.

HEART BREAKER

Ireland’s biggest video game tournament is gone: here’s why that matters

You've got to support and enjoy these things while they're around.

GO ODD OR SAFE?

What are you playing this weekend?

Odd things, regular things, and musical things. The whole lot this week.

ANOTHER LEATHER LUNG

The secret to Dead Space’s intense horror? The way it controls your breath

If you’re wondering how the Dead Space remake manages to get in your head and under your skin… check your breath.

RISE AND GRIND

For one month, one of 2022's best games is free for PlayStation Plus members

Outside of Elden Ring and Pentiment and Tunic, there was another absolute ripper of a game released in 2022: OlliOlli World.

FRIENDS LIKE THESE

VG247's The Best Games Ever Podcast – Ep.37: The best game with followers you would never hang out with IRL

NPCs are annoying, needy, and dumb. But unlike your kids, you don't need to like them.

SINS OF LEON

Can Resident Evil 4 Remake fix the franchise’s biggest problem?

It’s time the ride of Leon Kennedy’s life didn’t end with a sloppy finish –?but can Resident Evil 4 Remake deliver?

SEASON PASS

The best modern PlayStation exclusive isn't what you think

Season: A Letter To The Future is 2023’s first true GOTY Contender, and you should make time to play it.

TO BE FRANK

Would you watch a two-hour version of The Last of Us, Episode 3? Because it exists

Didn't get your fill of The Last of Us, Episode 3? Well, you'll be pleased to know that there's a 2-hour version of it out there... somewhere.

FIVE KNUCKLE SHUFFLE

WWE 2K23 Preview: the first real step towards a bright future

Is it WWE 2K's time right now? Is the path to a truly quality series in view?

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.

CHANGE OF CLOTHES

Street Fighter 6 modders are hard at work – months before the game is out

Thanks to a familiar engine, it apparently isn't even that hard to do.

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.

RUNNIN' ON STEAM

Steam Deck proves, once again, that Skyrim will never die

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has seen yet another victory in 2023, as it tops the Steam Deck 'most played' charts –?will anyone ever get bored of this game?

The 17 Best Co-op Games of all time [February 2023]

Whether you simply want some quick co-op fun or a lengthy campaign to embark on, we've got you and your friends covered with these co-op games.

THE OLD BILL

The Last of Us, Episode 3 marks the first major deviation from the game – and it couldn’t have gone better

Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann took us on a journey of what it means to protect and risk in the latest episode – and provided nuance the game never could.

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.

STAY OUT OF THE COLD

What are you playing this weekend?

It may be cold, but you can always stay inside and play some games.

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.

SPRUCED UP

VG247's The Best Games Ever Podcast – Ep.36: The best game that really needs a remake

Games tend to age badly, and sometimes that's a tragedy.

ROMP AND STOMP

Dead Space Remake is stompy, quiet, and faithful to the original – here’s how EA Motive made it so good

You'll always have Peng, now and forever.

BOND MEMORIES

As GoldenEye 007 hits Xbox and Switch, please stop dumping on other people's nostalgia

It's OK to not like something, but sometimes you really did have to be there at the time.

ISHIN FOR A FIGHT

In remaking Like a Dragon: Ishin, the devs wanted to make everything faster – here’s why

RGG Studio director Hiroyuki Sakamoto explains why the remake of a game that never made it West improves on the original version.

WINGIN’ IT

I was supposed to play loads of Like a Dragon: Ishin, but I spent two hours in chicken racing instead

Like a Dragon: Ishin keeps the Yakuza tradition of amazing mini-games alive, with a touch of human soul.

A RUSH, A PUSH

Xbox's Hi-Fi Rush has that Dreamcast era vibe, and it could be one of the best games of the year

The latest Xbox Game Pass surprise drop has a really retro feel to it – and that is a very good thing.

EAT YOUR ART OUT

After the success of Pentiment, you need to try this unassuming new Game Pass addition

If you’re thinking “I know about the quirky manuscript game on Game Pass,” you’re probably thinking about something else – this is Inkulinati.

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.

MAELSTROM PRIVILEGE

The best Life is Strange game is on PlayStation Plus right now – and it’s not what you think

There is a lot of prestige attributed to Dontnod its Life Is Strange, but perhaps one of the best games in the series comes from somewhere else entirely.

EYES ON THE RISE

Xbox Game Pass is the best thing to ever happen to Monster Hunter

Letting your mates in on the secret that is Monster Hunter is no longer a costly endeavour – and I can’t wait for more people to discover the joys of hunting.

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.

LOAD OF OLD CUFF

Here’s how to make Forspoken less irritating

Just like High on Life last year, Forspoken relies a bit too much on inane chatter – but at least you can turn the frequency of it down.

DROWN AND OUT

Meddling with GTA 5's underwater mod was a titanic challenge – and probably something you shouldn’t do

Installing, running, and 'enjoying' a flood mod in Grand Theft Auto 5 seemed like it would be a lot of fun – but after dipping my toes in, I realised my mistake.

JOEL’S HOUSE PARTY

The Last of Us TV show is doing one thing very differently from the games – and I love it

In moving from game to television, HBO had to make some things more realistic – and it benefits the show a lot.

DON'T KINK SHAME ME

It’s time for Marvel Snap to cater to its real audience and get horny on main

Marvel Snap should really offer its core fans something a little more raunchy, because it can get away with it.

NOTHING NEW, REALLY

What are you playing this weekend?

We're pretty much sticking with the familiar this week.

UP THE GARDEN PATH

Why Obsidian’s Grounded is the blueprint for survival games’ future

An unassuming Xbox exclusive that many have overlooked could hold the key to the success of survival games' to come.

I'M CRACKED

Street Fighter 6 has a serious crack problem

With players jumping in and playing months early, how will this affect the game long term?

IDIOT BOX

VG247's The Best Games Ever Podcast – Ep.35: The best game that shouldn't be made into a TV show

Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

(LIGHT)FALLING APART

Heading into Lightfall, Destiny 2 needs to make some drastic changes to survive

Bungie's perennial space shooter has been alive for over five years now. Half a decade later, it's starting to buckle under its own weight.

ARCADE’S FIRE

Apple Arcade is quietly one of the best things happening to mobile gaming, ever

Apple pretended that it didn’t really care about games for the longest time – and then it did something extraordinary with Apple Arcade.

I hope Starfield’s financial system is as oppressive as real life

Exploitative banking might be just the thing to make Starfield’s grounded, believable and relatable spacefaring world ring true to us back here on Earth.

HELL IS FOR NEROS

If you want a taste of what Final Fantasy 16 will play like, you need to try this PlayStation Plus game right now

The Final Fantasy 16 dev team is packed with talent – and there’s one specific game that’s free to try for subscribers right now that really shows that off.

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.

SAVED BY THE BELLA

Bella Ramsay is incredible in HBO's The Last of Us rollercoaster opener

The Last of Us TV show is off to a strong start – and that’s thanks, in no small part, to the talent of its leading actors.

WO-LONGING FOR IT

Even more than Elden Ring, Wo Long is one of the most accessible Souls-likes – and not just because it’s on Game Pass

Game Pass is getting one of the most accessible Souls-likes with Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, and Elden Ring fans and non-fans should take note.

GAME TIME!

What are you playing this weekend?

You have a couple of days off. Celebrate it.

THE LAST SOLDIERS

The sadness and uncertainty of a destroyed community: The final days of Final Fantasy 7 The First Soldier

With Final Fantasy 7: The First Soldier’s servers being shut down this week, we talk to those left behind about their time with ill-fated FFVII experiment.

SPACEMAKER

Xbox in 2023: Starfield is Game Pass’ killer exclusive, and the barren years may finally be over

It’s been a slow start to the generation for Xbox, but the fallow years might finally be at an end as Starfield kicks everything off.

GIRTH OF THE WILD

VG247's The Best Games Ever Podcast – Ep.34: The best game that suffers from bloating

Whether it's mince pies or side-quests, you can always have too much of a good thing.

CLIVE AND LET DIE

Final Fantasy 16 could be as great as the golden era FF games – if it fixes the mistakes of the modern era

The golden era of Final Fantasy games has gone, but the latest entry in the long-running series has what it takes to tickle the nostalgia glands.