Author: James Gittins

Platform: PC, Playstation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android Players: 1 Price: £10.29 (Steam), £9.99 (PS4), £10.74 (Xbox One), £10.99 (Switch), £4.99 (iOS), £3.79 (Android) Donut County’s gameplay is a fairly straightforward game, you control a hole moving around the ground to make objects fall down into it. Every time an object falls in, the hole gets a little bigger, allowing you to swallow up larger and larger objects as each level progresses. This in itself is rather entertaining as some things look quite funny when they’re falling down a hole. The game presents the bulk of its story…

While the world continues to be largely at a halt, there are plenty of new games set to be released this year that are worth keeping an eye on. Here are just some of the ones I’m most interested by. Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury Release Date: 12/2/2021 Platform: Nintendo Switch Players: 1-4 Price: £49.99 The last of the Wii U games that people expected to be ported to the Switch, and almost four years after the Switch’s launch, has come a lot later than many would’ve expected. For the majority of the population who’ve never owned a…

Platform: PC, Nintendo Switch Players: 1 Price: £5.79 (Steam), £6.29 (Switch) A Short Hike is a charming game focused around exploration, overcoming obstacles and helping others. You play as Claire, a bird whose vague goal seems to be to climb a mountain, but there’s plenty else to do along the way. The game’s world and characters are very visually appealing. As you run, climb and glide about the place, there’s something interesting to find at every turn, and traversing the environment is enjoyable in itself. As you meet different characters around the island, you take up various opportunities to help…

I love local multiplayer. There’s something about sitting in the same room, even on the same sofa, with people as you play games with them that just can’t be replicated by online multiplayer, despite its convenience. As we head into the holiday season, it’s worth considering giving some of these games a go with the people you live with. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Platform: Nintendo Switch Players: Up to 4 Price: £49.99 It’s a little pricey, but almost everyone has played and enjoyed Mario Kart at some point. It’s straightforward for those who don’t play a lot of games to…

Platform: PC, Nintendo Switch Players: 1 Price: £10.99 (Steam), £14.99 (Switch) Aviary Attorney had been sitting in my Steam library for a while before I recently decided to load it up and give it a go. I’ve never played any of Capcom’s Ace Attorney games, which Aviary Attorney is inspired by, so I was hesitant to try it, I didn’t really know what to expect. I’m happy to report that I had a fantastic time with it, and wish I hadn’t deliberated so long. The art in this game is beautiful, with characters being represented through detailed sketches that help…

Platform: Nintendo Switch Players: 1 Price: £49.99 I discovered the Fire Emblem series in 2013 when I played Awakening on the 3DS, and became an instant fan. The most recent release in the franchise is last year’s Fire Emblem: Three Houses, and it did not disappoint. For anyone who hasn’t played or heard of Fire Emblem before, it’s a turn-based tactical RPG, where every unit you use in battles is a character who can develop relationships with others, providing additional story and gameplay advantages. Three Houses is set predominantly in a monastery with a school that teaches the children of…

With the Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X releases, a lot of the conversations naturally gravitate to the new and shiny hardware; but it can’t be ignored that from a technical perspective, the new consoles are essentially equivalent to mid range gaming PCs. Without further ado, I’d like to talk about some of the benefits and drawbacks of picking a PC over a console. One of the biggest selling points of getting a gaming PC is the ability to customise your specs to whatever you need. If you’re building your own machine or shopping around for a prebuilt, you can…

It looks like the current pandemic is sticking around, and even if, at the time of writing, the Welsh lockdown is set to scale back again before the middle of November, it’s important that we all aim to minimise the spread of the virus as much as possible. That said, it can be tough not seeing people, and as someone who really enjoys meeting up with friends and playing games in person together, finding online alternatives is a big deal. Fortunately, there are loads of options, old and new that can be played through a variety of systems. Skribbl.io Platform:…

Released: 18/9/2020 Platform(s): Nintendo Switch Players: 1(-2) Price: £49.99 Super Mario 3D All-Stars is a collection of three of Mario’s biggest 3D outings released to celebrate the 35th Anniversary of the series, collating Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine and Super Mario Galaxy. As a fan of Galaxy in particular, this game came as an exciting announcement as a way to re-live my memories of that game, as well as an opportunity to get more into the other games. Looking at what you get in the bundle, Super Mario 64 is a perfectly serviceable game. It shows its age in…

We’re coming to the end of a strange year for games, with plenty of release delays and no E3; it’s seemed somewhat bleak. But as we move toward the holiday season there are still plenty of new and upcoming games worth keeping an eye on. The Jackbox Party Pack 7 Release Date: 15/10/2020 Platform(s): PC, Nintendo Switch, Playstation 4, Xbox One Players: 2-8+ Price: £23.79 I’ve been enjoying Jackbox’s party games for a few years now, and I expect this year’s instalment will be no exception. Jackbox lets you use your phone or PC as an input device through your…