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Vampire Survivors felt like a small miracle when it debuted in 2022. It had the vibe of something put together during a lunch break (and yes, I mean that as a compliment), only to go on and dominate those same lunch breaks for weeks and months after. I’m not sure the wider gaming world was … Read more
An exclusive, extended excerpt from ON Games Volume 2, presented here as part of our tribute to Pokémon’s 30th anniversary. You’ve probably come across the Mew rumor—supposedly hidden beneath a truck. A stealthy, 151st Pokémon secreted into Pokémon Red, Blue, and Green required a quick, impulsive detour beyond the usual boundaries to track it down. … Read more
From Akira Toriyama lending his spiky-haired character art to Chrono Trigger, to Hayao Miyazaki’s long-lasting influence on Final Fantasy airships, anime and video games have always felt tightly connected. That said, to be completely honest, very few titles have ever truly managed to recreate an anime look in a convincing way. Over the years, developers … Read more
While I sat at my desk, mulling over ideas for something—anything—to say about Pokémon as it reaches its thirtieth anniversary, I found myself getting stuck in an unusual way. How do you put into words a franchise like this? With Zelda, it’s easy to trace the threads: it’s both a reflection of past shifts and … Read more
Marathon’s Server Slam felt like a distinctly odd outing for me. I jumped in with every expectation pushed aside, essentially starting fresh so I could dig into the details of Bungie’s upcoming extraction shooter—without any lingering doubts or hype getting in the way. After around 20 hours playing over the weekend, I’m ready to take … Read more
The Steam Machine could well rank among the most exciting hardware launches of the year, yet whether it quickly replaces your current console or desktop setup depends largely on the games you like to play. For many players, that swap may not be immediate, largely because it can’t run several of the most important releases … Read more
Over the weekend, the dust seemed to settle around Nintendo’s unexpected (and, in places, hotly debated) re-release of Pokémon FireRed/LeafGreen, and I found myself feeling rather out of step. When Nintendo first announced these ports, available via the Nintendo eShop at £16.99 per title, the reaction from the community was immediate and loud. Before this, … Read more
Diablo 4 has unfurled with the rich, crimson flair of a glass of red wine. In a development that feels strikingly close to Overwatch (2), Blizzard is finding its rhythm with Diablo 4 three years after launch—just as the spotlight is shifting toward an eye-catching new expansion, Lord of Hatred, arriving. The expansion is scheduled … Read more
Not far from the rain-soaked White City tube stop sits the Wood Lane Generating Station. Its weathered, timeworn brickwork was once a key part of the energetic local network that powered the surrounding district. Today, London doesn’t really have much need for the place, since a huge, multi-storey shopping complex has sprung up around it … Read more
Cosmo D’s newest release, Moves of the Diamond Hand, picks up directly after Betrayal at Club Low. Even though it’s still in early access and the roadmap is still taking shape, the overall vibe so far has been genuinely striking. The story centers on a major, pulse-pounding mayoral contest that plays out across the whole … Read more