February is a bit of a dry month when it comes to video game releases, which makes it a great time to look back on the biggest hits of 2013. It was an exciting year in gaming, not only due to the launch of two major new consoles, but also because of the high quality of storytelling and gameplay in the titles that were relea
BAFTA announced the nominees today, and somewhat unsurprisingly The Last of Us is top dog once again with an impressive ten nominations. These include a Best Performer nomination apiece for Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson, as well as nominations for Artistic Achievement, Action and Adventure, Audio Achievement, Original Music, Multiplayer, Story, Game Design and – the big one – Best Game. Naughty Dog may well end up needing a wheelbarrow to carry home those golden ma
From the sweeping sands of the Middle East through hidden labyrinths under modern-day London, The Mummy brings a surprising intensity and balance of wonder and thrills in an imaginative new take that ushers in a new world of gods and monsters. The Mummy aims to launch a shared cinematic Monsters universe for Universal Pictures that sadly does not include Dracula Unto
Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto V isn’t lagging too far behind, with a respectable nine nominations in categories including Best Game, Best British Game, Best Performer (for Steven Ogg, who voiced Trevor) and Game Innovation. Released to both critical acclaim and the usual controversy, Grand Theft Auto V was the first game in the franchise to feature three protagonists, with the player able to move between each of them at almost any t
The aforementioned Justice League two-parter is pretty much set in stone, even if its tone may change to suit what audiences seem to be after. The groundwork has been laid, including cameos; we’ve seen every one of the current six founding members on-screen. Bruce Wayne now knows (thanks to a nightmare vision of the future and a visit from the Flash) that he has to gather a group of super-powered types for a vague upcoming threat. Plus, the movie was subtitled Dawn of Justice , and featured the DC trinity standing together for the first time in live-act
The second runner-up in the BAFTA nominations race is Tearaway , which is impressive considering for a game only available on a mobile platform. Released on the PlayStation Vita and developed by Media Molecule, the studio behind the LittleBigPlanet games, Tearaway is set in a paper world that definitely seemed to charm the Academy, based on the eight nominations it received in categories such as Game Innovation, MOBA game Items Design and Best G
This made for an extremely competitive awards season, as each gaming site elected its own Game of the Year , and last week saw The Last of Us dominating the D.I.C.E. Awards . Now the games of 2013 are set to go head-to-head once more in the British Academy Games Awards, which will take place in mid-Ma
Better graphics capabilities. There are a few big reasons for this shift to online multiplayer. The first is purely practical : as the quality of graphics and gameplay increases, more resources are required. If you’re already running a game that requires a lot of power because of technical specifications, imagine doubling, tripling, or quadrupling that for split-screen modes. That kind of local play functionality may require a downgrade in graphics—a sacrifice many gamers just aren’t willing to make for local multiplayer modes. That’s part of the reason games with simpler graphics— Super Smash Bros. , Mario Kart , or any of the numerous rhythm games—most frequently include local multiplayer. It’s less of a strain on the system, and gamers generally don’t sit down to play Mario Kart for a realistic virtual experie
Longtime World of Warcraft fans know that the Hearthstone was originally an item found in Blizzard’s still popular MMO long before it was used as the title of a standalone collectible card game. Regardless of which version you prefer, this Hearthstone Throw Pillow Plush is perfect for a quick nap in between gaming sessions or as a back support while playing Hearthstone’s upcoming December expansion . The pillow is 46 centimeters tall and made out of premium “Supersoft” plush mater
RISK: Starcraft Collector’s Edition Board Game is a uniquely Blizzard take on the classic strategy game. Just like in the video game, players must choose between the Terrans, Protoss or Zerg and then head into battle in an attempt to gain control of the Koprulu Sector. While base-building in Starcraft the video game can get complicated at times, this board game follows traditional RISK rules, meaning anyone ages 10 and up can jump right in. The Starcraft theme touches every part of this game, including the highly-detailed custom playing pie
Perhaps most telling was when Barry and co. met Gideon, Eobard Thawne’s interactive future Siri. Possessing knowledge of the future, Gideon named Barry Allen/The Flash as the founding member of… something, before she was cut off. No prizes for guessing what that was supposed to be. We also know that Thawne messed with the timeline, causing Barry to become The Flash several years earlier than he would’ve been originally. This would explain how he could be operating as a fully-fledged and experienced superhero for years, before any news starts trickling in from Gotham about a bat-themed vigilante, or the world becomes enamored with a certain heroic Kryptonian. With the timeline we’ve been given by the TV show, this could all just be waiting to happen around the cor