James Birks

If you’ve been keeping tabs on the upcoming hardcore fantasy adventure from Deep Silver and Nine Dots, Outward, then prepare for a brand new video. The Outward Dev Diary #2 showcases the sheer variety and depth of the environment within this RPG world that tempers fantasy elements with realism, whilst there’s also a focus on the mechanics of the trusty backpack.

The original video game series of Life is Strange captivated its players when it released a few years, so much so that it led to a prequel and a sequel set in the same universe. Titan Comics have recently published the first part of a comic mini-series too; featuring the memorable protagonists of the original Life is Strange, Max and Chloe. Now we’re here to check out Life is Strange Issue #2 to discover if the relatively slow start can pick up some pace and subsequently manage to fully rekindle the magic we once felt.

You just never know when Microsoft are going to surprise Xbox Game Pass subscribers with announcements of more impending arrivals, but that’s what they’ve done today as four extra games have been unveiled for January 2019.

Each and every week EA Sports decides upon a FIFA Ultimate Team – Team of the Week (TOTW) based on players performing well in the real world for that particular week. Take a look at the official Team of the Week #18 that will be available in Ultimate Team packs for one week on FIFA 19 from 16th January at 6pm. Is there anyone you’d fancy adding to your team?

A couple of years ago, a puzzle game titled Energy Cycle emerged onto the scene, one that sparked memories of the infamous Rubik’s Cube from yesteryear. Many, many hours of frustration were spent on attempting to solve the complex levels on offer and now, Energy Cycle Edge – the sequel – has arrived on Xbox One, seeing developers Sometimes You continue with the same basic elements, whilst putting a unique spin on proceedings too. Will it light up my life this time and in turn fulfil the puzzling needs of the masses, or is Energy Cycle Edge the sequel we could’ve done without?

The point-and-click hidden object adventures from the veteran publishers in the genre, Artifex Mundi, often provide relaxed experiences full of intellectual puzzle games, creative stories and hand-drawn artwork that may leave you in a state of wonderment. That’s why I’m always ready to find out what they’ve got in store for us next and with Kingmaker: Rise to the Throne now available on Xbox One, it’s time to find out if this medieval looking escapade can reach for the heights of those that have come before it. Or whether it’s just a pretender to the throne!

Take a look at the official Team of the Week #17 that will be available in Ultimate Team packs for one week on FIFA 19 from 9th January at 6pm. Is there anyone you’d fancy adding to your team?

There are certain times of the year when gatherings occur more frequently and the party games are called for to help entertain the guests, with those on PC and console becoming the go-to types these days instead of the classic board kind. If I told you there was a new release that’s taken a little bit of the knockout element of Super Smash Bros. and thrown in a selection of obstacle laden courses like something out of Doritos Crash Course, you’d instantly be reaching for the wallet to purchase Big Crown: Showdown. That’s why it’s so baffling and unfortunate that the ‘party’ experience it actually delivers is mildly disappointing.

Zoink Games first caught my attention on Xbox One back in 2014 with their utterly bonkers platforming adventure, Stick It To The Man!, involving a man who acquires an extraordinarily long arm that proves quite useful. Their latest offering, Flipping Death, is seen as something of a spiritual successor to the aforementioned title and so one must expect it to be another creatively bizarre experience, full of laughs and inventive characters. But sometimes in gaming, expectations don’t quite meet with the reality...

The Xbox Game Pass scheme snowballed in 2018, with a ton of fantastic games added to the library throughout the year. Now that it’s 2019, the momentum must keep going and as such, six more additions have been unveiled for January, so let’s take a look and find out what they are.

Each and every week EA Sports decides upon a FIFA Ultimate Team – Team of the Week (TOTW) based on players performing well in the real world for that particular week. Take a look at the official Team of the Week #16 that will be available in Ultimate Team packs for one week on FIFA 19 from 2nd January at 6pm. Is there anyone you’d fancy adding to your team?

Each and every week EA Sports decides upon a FIFA Ultimate Team – Team of the Week (TOTW) based on players performing well in the real world for that particular week. Take a look at the official Team of the Week 15 that will be available in Ultimate Team packs for one week on FIFA 19 from 26th December at 6pm. Is there anyone you’d fancy adding to your team?

Earlier this year we saw the first instalment of the RPG series hit the Xbox One with great aplomb and so it was only a matter of time before Asdivine Hearts II released to capitalise on the success. You won’t even need to have played the previous game to be able to jump right in and embrace all it has to offer.

We’ve already seen the likes of the Vurhonga Savanna and the Medved-Taiga National Park arriving as DLC for theHunter: Call of the Wild, but now the Parque Fernando reserve is available to purchase on Xbox One. It’s time to head out to an environment inspired by a South American region and see what new species are lurking about in the wild!

Each and every week EA Sports decides upon a FIFA Ultimate Team – Team of the Week (TOTW) based on players performing well in the real world for that particular week. Take a look at the official Team of the Week #14 that will be available in Ultimate Team packs for one week on FIFA 19 from 19th December at 6pm. Is there anyone you’d fancy adding to your team?