Fran Ruiz

WORD OF MOTH Forget Fallout 4 and Skyrim: the Bethesda game you need to play to understand Starfield is Fallout 76

Forget about Bethesda Game Studios’ last two classics. You should be giving Fallout 76 a second chance ahead of the launch of BGS' newest open-world behemoth.

THIRST PAST THE POST Baldur’s Gate 3 benefits from the absence of Dragon Age (and how this helps Dreadwolf, too)

Many are jumping into Baldur’s Gate 3 to quench their thirst for the next Dragon Age. The result? Both IPs are winning.

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.

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.

FOR THE VIKING As live service games shut down, Ubisoft has quietly been running one of the best for years

Despite Ubisoft’s many missteps, some of its online games have been hitting home runs consistently, and For Honor may well be the most overlooked.

ATTACK ON TITAN Ahead of the remake, can we all agree that Dead Space 2 is better than the first one?

As much as I loved being spooked aboard the USG Ishimura, playing through Dead Space 2 over a decade later is more engrossing and fun than I remembered.

ASSASSIN 47 Hitman rules, and Ubisoft needs to take note for Assassin's Creed Mirage (and beyond)

The next Assassin’s Creed entry is a golden opportunity to turn the franchise’s signature assassinations into more flexible and memorable sequences a la Hitman.

SIGHT, LINE & SINKER Modern Warfare 2’s wide-open map design is great for FPS grandpas like me

For someone tired of MOBA-like map design in modern FPS titles, Infinity Ward’s penchant for open areas and secondary routes in Modern Warfare 2 is perfect.

olympia medal PS Plus needs these forgotten God of War games before Ragnarok releases

Kratos’ first story arc spans more than three games, but Sony refuses to unearth the God of War PSP titles for players who want the full trip down memory lane.

respect your elders Why The Elder Scrolls 6 should look to the past to create a better future for the series

Despite all the modern game design ideas and tech innovations available, the key to making the sixth Elder Scrolls an all-timer lies in its own past.

Take-Two in the hand What if GTA 6 actually lived up to Take-Two's lofty expectations? Because it just might

GTA 6 must check many boxes to meet high fan expectations, but from what we know about Rockstar Games and Take-Two... it has a chance of living up to the hype.

You've got some gaul The best bit of The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine is a hilarious, throwaway side quest

CD Projekt Red hates bureaucracy as much as the rest of us, and made sure to include that in Blood and Wine by honoring a side-splitting animated film.

looks like hell Diablo Immortal is a fitting farewell to Diablo 3’s divisive visual style

As we await Diablo 4 and prepare for the imminent launch of Immortal, let’s discuss why Diablo 3’s cartoony visual style faced criticism but ultimately prevailed.

skyrim's the limit I can’t keep up with The Elder Scrolls Online’s fast-paced content drops – and that’s a good thing

I’m totally okay with lagging behind TESO’s content updates and timed events because Tamriel isn’t rushing me to the next raid.

San And on and on GTA: San Andreas multiplayer mods continue to thrive in the age of GTA Online – but why?

While GTA Online reigns supreme, massive communities of modders and PC players refuse to let San Andreas’ online modifications die.

Oblivin la vida loca The Elder Scrolls 6 should have the charm of Oblivion, not just the scale of Skyrim

Bethesda’s long-running fantasy RPG series should allow itself to be sillier – and more colourful! – moving forward.

no spain, no gain Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: The coolest, funniest and weirdest stuff Spanish Trainers have spotted so far

A deep dive into Game Freak’s next Pokemon instalment as the studio (sort of) heads to Spain.

pawn cocktail Dragon’s Dogma is the perfect game to play before Elden Ring

Playing Capcom’s most underrated action RPG might help us better understand (and wait for) From Software’s newest.