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Gears of War: E-Day - Co-op on Mute

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Four of us spawn into the Horde Siege briefing room. One of my new teammates heads to the supply drop to do a last-second check of their loadout, which is sensible, while another heads toward the exit, revving their chainsaw. The third is yet to move. I jump on top of a large table and scatter the items on top, because jumping on tables is funny. A timer is counting down from ten. When it hits zero, our team will be unleashed on the Locusts, who we can already hear shrieking outside. As it hits five seconds, we gather by the door - there's just enough time to do a reload check, but not enough to climb back onto the table. Zero! The doors fling open and we sprint out into mayhem, but we do so in silence. Or at least it's silence for me, as I've muted everyone. For all I know, the rest of my team is nattering away, sharing strategies or cussing me out for jumping on the table. I don't know for sure, but I get the feeling they're not. Actions over words; fragging peace...

Grand Theft Auto VI: Am I Bothered Though?

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I should be more excited for Grand Theft Auto VI. I should be fully hyped, planning what remains of my year-in-games around the fast-approaching November 19th launch. I should be bursting to get my hands on GTA VI. I thought I would be, yet I'm not. This lack of anticipation on my part isn't GTA VI's fault, as it looks fantastic. A generous, lavish, max-graphics, top gameplay-looking computer game.  So if it's not the game, it must be me. GTA and I have history. I played both the original and GTA III soon after launch, and while I enjoyed the chaos, the structure wasn't convincing enough to keep me invested beyond simply running riot across the city. GTA IV, however, was a watershed moment where the promise of GTA was fulfilled. Narrative-wise, the series had come of age, and I was smitten. I even revisited it a couple of months ago to play the DLC , and had a wonderful time. I enjoyed GTA V too, but it failed to leave a lasting impression. I played to completion an...

Tokyo Game Show 2026 - Stranger Than Heaven Hands-on

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My Tokyo Game Show 2026 Coverage Tokyo Game Show isn't Tokyo Game Show without a new demo from RGG Studio. Last year it was Yakuza Kiwami 3 , the year before that was Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii , and in 2023 we got both Gaiden and Infinite Wealth , which made up for 2022 being Yakuza-less. Covid ate up 2020 and 2021, but we were treated to Like a Dragon in 2019 and, well, you get the picture.  RGG Studio demos are a fixture of TGS. This year, we got Stranger Than Heaven, a spin-off-slash-prequel to the Like a Dragon (Yakuza) series. It follows Makoto Daito, eventual founder of the Tojo Clan, across five eras, stretching from 1915-1965, and five distinct locations. The demo offered a very limited slice from three of those: 1915 Kokura, Fukuoka; 1929 Kure, Hiroshima, and 1943 downtown Osaka. Each linear section was structured identically: do some light exploration while walking toward a fight, then throw down. The demo didn't reveal much about Makoto Daito, beyond what we already k...

Tokyo Game Show 2026 - Final Fantasy VII Revelation Hands-on

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My Tokyo Game Show 2026 Coverage Last week, I played the Final Fantasy VII Revelation TGS demo. As you might expect, it's a lot like Remake and Rebirth. I had opinions about both of those -  Remake  /  Rebirth  - and for the most part I enjoyed them. However, I haven't returned to either since my launch-window playthroughs, which means that I struggle to recall which mechanics changed between part one and two, and my comparisons between them and Revelation may not be all that reliable.  With that disclaimer out of the way, I can say that Revelation struck me as being more of the same (complimentary). Thank you for reading my preview.  Don't worry, I do intend to put more effort into this! What I'd like to share are the similarities and differences that most jumped out to me, informed by my unreliable recollections of what has or hasn't already been established in Remake and Rebirth. Sounds good? Before I do that, let's get the details out of the way. T...

Tokyo Game Show 2026 - Day Two

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TGS Day One My Tokyo Game Show is done. As for attendees on the public days, their show is about to be cut short. Monday, day five, has been cancelled, due to a typhoon that'll bring heavy rain and will likely cause extensive delays to public transport. I'm afraid Mother Nature doesn't respect our right to play a Monster Hunter demo in September. There was no danger of me going on Monday, or Saturday-Sunday for that matter. I have had my fill of the TGS hustle and bustle and desperately need to put my feet up and eat some vegetables. I made the most of my two days in attendance, and on Friday was able to fit in most of what I missed on day one. That included Crazy Taxi World Tour, Ace Combat 8, Professor Layton & The World of Steam, Cybernetic Attack Final Mission and Star Wars Galactic Racer, which is made by ex-Criterion devs. Can't go wrong with that Burnout pedigree! Day two was just as crowded as opening day, and I was shocked by how many lines were essentially...

Tokyo Game Show 2026 - Day One

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A lot of people went to Tokyo Game Show today. And many of them were carrying unreasonably large bags. Today was as well-attended as any TGS business day I can recall. The enormous number of attendees is good news for the show, and it's greatly encouraging to see that it still generates this much interest, but it was bad news for anyone who had only 4 minutes until the start of their Final Fantasy VII Revelation demo, and two halls standing between them and the Square Enix booth. So yeah, a lot of people. I swear they'll let anyone in nowadays, even bloggers. Even fucking bloggers. Anyway, here's my Day One blog. My Big Two I've already played my Big Two . I went to Sega Atlus when the doors opened at 10:00 and got my hands on Stranger Than Heaven. Next, I headed over to PlayStation and secured a demo slot for Final Fantasy VII Revelation. I enjoyed both to varying degrees, but their structure didn't do them any favours. Stranger Than Heaven consisted of three very ...

Tokyo Game Show 2026 - Preview

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I've already settled on my Big Two.  When the doors open on day one of Tokyo Game Show 2026, I'll head straight for either Stranger Than Heaven or Final Fantasy VII Revelation. On day two, I'll head directly to whichever I didn't play the day prior.  I always like to decide on my Big Two in advance. Two games that I'm keen on and which are guaranteed to attract longer lines as the days wear on. My Big Two are usually AAA big-hitters housed at the biggest booths, because I like big shiny things, bloated budgets, bright colours and loud sounds. I'm pretty simple like that. So, I'll head for Sega Atlus and Square Enix. However, after that, I'm lacking a concrete plan. I've had a good look through the exhibitor's TGS websites, and not a great deal jumps out, at least not to me, and I haven't heard of any rumours of yet-to-be-announced titles. Maybe it's just one of those years? But don't worry, half the fun comes from not having a complet...