Articles

SKYRIM’S DAD

Oblivion: Somehow, 17 years have passed since The Elder Scrolls went mainstream and changed gaming forever

From Fallout to The Witcher, Oblivion paved the way for console-friendly RPGs to become the dominant force they are today.

RAISE HELL

What are you playing this weekend?

Es un fin de semana de Diablo!

BE PREPARED

Before you rush to buy the discounted Steam Deck, know what you’re buying – some essential tips

I love my Steam Deck, but there’s a limit to what it can do.

J’ADORE HARDCORE

If you want a real taste of hell, you should play Diablo 4 on Hardcore mode

Let’s be honest here, the real Diablo experience lies in the threat of permadeath – not this softcore nonsense.

ATLAS BUGGED

Atlas Fallen has great combat and that joyous single-A energy

If you like your games slightly wonky – but effortlessly charming – Atlas Fallen is likely for you.

GET TO THE POINT

VG247's The Best Games Ever Podcast – Ep.43: The best game that takes ten or more hours to get good

A sewage pipe that leads to an ocean.

BOOTBOX

I booted a boombox around Sons of the Forest so you don't have to

Who says silence is golden? I went on a quest to bring music to my Sons of Forest base.

X GON GIVE IT TO YA

Metroid Fusion remains the scariest 2D game ever

The Metroid franchise has never been too cheery, but GBA’s sole new Metroid entry cranked the spook factor up to eleven. 21 years later, it still unnerves us.

HOUSE OF THE GUNDEAD

Devolver is releasing a new light gun shooter into arcades – but what we really need is a home port

Dodge Roll's latest, House of the Gundead, belongs in arcades, sure... but I bet a lot of players would be happier seeing it in their own homes.

STOMACH CHVRNING

Switchback VR for PS VR2 is so scary I genuinely had concerns for my health

Do you like the idea of a stomach-churning rollercoaster, but with added jump scares and general terror?

HERE'S TO 10 MORE

10 years of Warframe | The ups, the downs… and what to expect in the next 5 years of 'mapped out' content

We speak, once again, to Rebecca Ford about where the game stands, and learn a little about the next five years of mapped out content.

PLAYSTATION PROLAPSE

PS5 Pro? Even if the spurious rumors are true, right now I just don't care

At this point in the generation, with how it's all gone so far, do we really need a PS5 Pro? I don't think so, really.

LUCKY RABBID FOOT

Please, Nintendo, let Mario take on more mature genres

Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope has reminded us of all the potential out there for the Mario franchise outside well-trodden sports games and safe spinoffs.

SMELL OF THE GAME

With Guilty Gear Strive, Game Pass finally has a fighting game worthy of the Series X

Arc System Works’ gorgeous fighter is more than just a solid 2D fighting game oozing with style; it’s a graphical masterclass.

IT'S ABOUT TIME

20 years ago, Prince of Persia: Sands of Time proved we don’t need remakes

Rewinding back to a time when reboots were good, and necessary, and different.

JANE'S AFFLICTION

One of the greatest, grizzliest roguelikes is on Game Pass, and you need to play it now

Darkest Dungeon is punishing, grim, and upsetting – yet still somehow one of the most compulsively playable games on Game Pass.

LISTEN TO A TALE

The Lord of the Rings: Gollum trailer tells more of the story

Learn what Gollum has been up to since losing his Precious.

BAD CHOICE EDITION

The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition is, for now, an expensive downgrade

Questionable visual changes and abysmal performance mean this remaster should head back to spacedock for a refit.

BOTTLED LIGHTNING

13 years later, Final Fantasy 13 still tells one of the series’ most ambitious stories

The worst Final Fantasy? It’s not as crystal clear as it seems.

VIDEO(GAME) NASTIES

Sons of the Forest: 5 horror films you didn't know inspired the game

The hottest game of the moment has been heavily inspired by some of cinema's greatest horror hits – but do you know which?

SELF DOUBT

VG247's The Best Games Ever Podcast – Ep.42: The best game you could complete as your real self

Could you be... a plumber?

X/S BAGGAGE

The Xbox Series S is the best value in gaming – that doesn’t mean it isn’t also a problem

The Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S were always supposed to be treated the same, but the reality of that promise is starting to show its teeth – and it's not good news.

SQUAD IS VEXED

Destiny 2 Lightfall’s latest hidden Exotic quest reminds me why I still love the game, despite everything

How can one little mission smuggled into a weekly update make me shake my head and say ‘oh Destiny’ all over again?

BRAWL CHOKED UP

Like it or not, the Smash Bros series wouldn’t be what it is without its most maligned entry

In defense of everyone's least favourite Super Smash Bros. game.

ALL FLAGS FLYING

Elden Ring’s open world made it more accessible to new players, so how does Wo Long do the same without one?

One very clever design decision in Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty may not get the love it deserves, but its effects are transformative in making the game more accessible to new players.

FINDING YOUR WAY

Could this love letter to collectors be the next big MMO this year? Our Wayfinder preview

Wayfinder has a good heart and a lot of promise, but can it survive in the Live service hell of 2023?

ON THE OTHER HAND

The scariest thing about Sons of the Forest... is a finger

There's a lot to be scared of in Endnight Games' latest Steam Early Access project – but it's the digits that do me in.

ONE NIGHT STRAND

Destiny 2 Lightfall, one week later – the good, the bad, and the very, very ugly

Bungie has once again kicked it out of the park with some elements of Destiny… but completely dropped the ball with others. It’s becoming a pattern.

A HARDWARE'S NIGHT

Bring back incredible video game peripherals, you cowards

What do slot machines, party games, and arcades all have in common? The best thing about them is dying.

MONEY FOR OLD OAK

Pokemon Trading Card Game Classic is a stroke of genius

Revisiting the classic Pokemon TCG experience with a premium new set may seem like an odd move, but it's a very, very canny one.

JUST PARANORMAL MEN

Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries Of Honjo is a must-play for Danganronpa, Zero Escape, and Japanese horror fans

A surprise Square Enix horror visual novel is just what I needed to curl up with, even if it did get under my skin.

ROLE BACK THE YEARS

As Final Fantasy 16 boss Naoki Yoshida calls it “discriminatory”, is it time to drop the term ‘JRPG’?

A brief history of the JRPG descriptor, and contemplations on the etymology of the genre – and its implications.

UNFORGIVABLE

VG247's The Best Games Ever Podcast – Ep.41: The best game that you can't forgive

When a video game annoys you for the last time, the grudge stays with you forever.

FANTASY PREDICTION

With Baldur’s Gate 3 heading to PS5, could it be a bigger deal than Starfield?

Larian’s most high-profile project to date could be its Witcher 3 moment.

ALL SKULLS ON LEGEND

Destiny 2 Lightfall is already reminding me of the best era of Halo games

A breakneck retreat from a ship as it implodes, some of the classiest combat puzzles in the FPS genre, and a killer soundtrack. Halo is back, sorta.

KING KELVIN

Sons of the Forest is a glitchy mess, so why am I enjoying it so much?

Kelvin is also the most lovable pain in the ass I’ve ever met.

The 17 Best Co-op Games of all time [March 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.

GOTHAM PLIGHT

Never mind the Arkhamverse, the only good Batman game is Assassin's Creed 2

Suicide Squad’s descent into live-service hell only accelerates an inevitable process of diminishing returns.

GANNIN YEM

Wey aye, pet: Final Fantasy 16's ganna have Geordies in it

Haddaway, man – as if the Japanese developers at Square Enix looked to the British north to find inspiration for one of its key fictional regions.

HIDEO GAMES

Final Fantasy 16 has 11 hours of cinematics alone

If you were worried about FF16 being a short, sharp story, fear not – the developer has gone all out on the narrative.

IN THE ROSFIELD

Final Fantasy 16 is not open world, “but it’s not linear, either”, says dev

A focus on ‘highly detailed’ and ‘feature rich areas’ means Final Fantasy 16 wants to harness the best of both worlds.

DO YOUR OWN RING

Final Fantasy 16 has a novel approach to the age-old ‘accessibility versus difficulty’ conundrum

If you think that action-RPG games like Devil May Cry and Elden Ring are too hard, Final Fantasy 16’s fascinating setup may intrigue you.

IFRIT'S LIKE A GLOVE

With Final Fantasy 16, the PS5 generation finally truly begins

Gorgeous visuals, seamless transitions, and a masterclass in mocap and performance, Final Fantasy 16 proves the series can still be cutting edge in 2023.

STRAND AND DELIVER

It’s 2023 and I’ve once again fallen under Destiny 2's spell – and you’re going to, too

Like clockwork, I’m back playing Destiny 2. It happens every year, an unavoidable gravity well of content and excitement. Embrace the pull.

MILLYAREENOS

Over 5 million Deathloop players have adventured to Blackreef

How did you spend your time on the island?

VR-OOOM

Gran Turismo 7 might make you into a VR believer

If it doesn’t, I don’t know what will. This PS VR2 launch title is simply incredible.

GROW UP

VG247's The Best Games Ever Podcast – Ep.40: The best game with the most juvenile feature

The average video game enjoyer is in their mid-thirties, but you wouldn't know it from playing one.

MINI SLAYER

Mighty Doom is a new top-down arcade shooter coming to iOS and Android

Play as the Mini Slayer and cut a path through Hell.

MACHINE LEARNING

Horizon Forbidden West's gorgeous world is easy to recommend as part of PlayStation Plus

Even if you’re not a fan of the rinse-repeat gameplay, Horizon Forbidden West is a must-play for its visuals.

SHORT AND SWEET

As Star Fox turns 30, it’s time for a reboot that admits: it’s okay for games to be short

Star Fox is celebrating a milestone anniversary - making now as good a time as ever to admit that what makes the games truly great is also their greatest weakness.