Following the flurry of announcements that we saw from AMD, PC accessories maker Corsair announced a couple of decent concept PCs along with some new technologies. Known as the Concept Curve and Concept Slate, Corsair reimagines some of its popular PCs with a unique new touch.
Concept Curve
The Concept Curve features a carbon fiber handcrafted body with tempered glass surrounding it for increased durability. This concept is based off the Corsair Graphite 780T and features an impressive curved design, almost reminiscent of a sports car. Thanks to the almost transparent body, users can have a good look inside the CPU which houses the liquid cooling system.
Concept Slate
This PC comes with two water-cooled systems under the hood, and ample fan speed to keep the heat to a minimum. The Concept Slate is built with performance in mind. This is what a dream super-tower PC would look like, featuring the best hardware that you can imagine. There’s state-of-the-art RGB lighting control built into the system. The Slate comes with a monolithic frame, which adds to the appeal of the PC.
Liquid Cooling
The company unveiled the new RGB Hydro Series liquid CPU coolers which offer enhanced performance and bolstered appearance. It offers magnetic levitation fans and a pump which is quieter and more efficient. The system also comes with 360 degrees RGB lighting. The company also unveiled its own custom liquid cooling water blocks, radiators as well as fittings. This is capable of cooling the CPUs of both the Concept Curve and Slate. Needless to say, the new fittings are the best in the business and come with Corsair’s promise of performance and quality.
Syncing
Using this handy feature, the user can coordinate RGB lighting between RGB case fans, Hydro Series CPU coolers, light strips, keyboards, mice, mouse pads, headsets as well as a handful of motherboards. This will allow users to offer a streamlined look to their PC by synchronizing the lighting of all components.
The annual Computex event in Taipei is a chance for chipmakers to showcase their best products every year. AMD has taken center stage this year and has offered detailed demonstrations of devices running its Ryzen and Radeon GPUs.
EPYC
It’s interesting to note that the company’s processors meant for data centers and cloud-based solutions, known as Naples, will now be known as “EPYC”. This processor will use the Zen x86 processing engine that can be scaled by up to 32 cores. AMD will bring the EPYC processors to the market by June 20.
Ryzen Threadripper
Aimed towards the high-end PC market, the Ryzen Threadripper received special attention during the company’s dedicated event. This processor comes with the ability to play 4K games in native resolution as demonstrated by AMD during the event. The company used Bethesda’s latest title, “Prey”, to demonstrate its GPU credentials.
The Ryzen Threadripper will be available in a few months from now with a Summer 2017 launch pegged by the company. AMD also showcased new motherboards from ASRock, Asus, Gigabyte, and MSI, which are based on the X399 chipset. These motherboards support 16 core/32 thread processors, quad channel memory and up to 2TB of RAM.
Ryzen Momentum
The company also shared some details on the new Ryzen Momentum processors, which is an evolution of the current gen Ryzen processors that are selling in the markets. Targeting the gaming market, AMD believes that all major OEMs will have Ryzen based designs by the end of June this year. The company showcased Ryzen based desktop machines from companies like Acer, Asus, Dell and Lenovo at the event.
Ryzen Mobile
These processors are designed for slim notebooks with a thickness of under 15mm. While Intel has dibs on Ultrabooks, the Ryzen Mobile can be used in new-gen slim notebooks from a number of manufacturers. The chipset brings four cores/eight threads and Vega based graphics to slim notebooks.
Radeon Vega Frontier Edition
The first commercially available Vega based GPU will be sold as the “Frontier Edition” apparently. This GPU will be designed for machine learning and artificial intelligence based endeavors while the official launch will take place on the 27th of June. The company showcased the Radeon RX Vega graphics card during the course of the event. This chipset is expected to break cover at the SIGGRAPH 2017 event in California.
VR Ready Processors
AMD announced that all the new Ryzen processors are approved by Oculus, thus bolstering its VR credentials. Processors will be characterized as AMD VR Ready Processors and AMD Ryzen VR Ready Premium processors to make it easier for the customers.
Why does DC do so well in videogames, but drop the ball every other time on the silver screen? That’s the question the top brass at DC are still asking themselves with the three poorly received films that proceeded the surprisingly successful Wonder Woman in their DC Extended Universe. Why does an ultraviolent Batman work so well in Batman: Arkham Knight, but trend almost into farce with the Batfleck?
It’s a conundrum that’s going to seem all the more perplexing now that Injustice 2 has dropped, running at a superpowered pace into the number one slot in the UK charts (just like its predecessor did in 2013, dethroning Bioshock Infinite no less a mere month after its own release). A game, I might add, that features a mass-murdering Superman.
We could argue it’s all a matter of understanding the source material - after all, Marvel has built the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe by preserving the colourful, fun side of its comics without straying too far into Alan Moore and Frank Miller territory. It knows its core audience are children and man-sized children and it unashamedly markets its films to capture their hearts and wallets.
But then there’s the inverse: Marvel has long struggled to gain a proper foothold in games bar a handful of crossovers with Capcom. The Spider-Man games have always failed to live up to the hype (Spider-Man 2 notwithstanding), the MCU tie-in games were so bad Marvel eventually stopped bothering and now we’re left with a bunch of mobile freemium titles nobody wants or needs.
So we have the two biggest players in comics enduring opposite successes and failures when it comes to adapting their properties to other mediums. (Although, with that big deal signed with Square Enix and Insomniac’s PS4-exclusive Spider-Man reboot, things could well be set to change…)
The Injustice of it all
For all intents and purposes, Injustice 2 is pretty much Batman vs Superman in gaming form: an ultraviolent reimagining of these classic DC characters that skews far from the blueprints we’re so accustomed to. Yet the DCEU gets gutted almost every time it tries something similar be it critically or commercially.
Has Injustice 2 suffered a similar fate? Practically the opposite, in fact. Sure, it’s no industry darling, but with a raft of positive reviews to its name it’s now become the first fighting game to hit the number one slot in the UK charts in over two years. It’s also one of the highest rated fighters on Metacritic at 87 (remember the beloved SFV only has 77).
Let’s be brutally honest - the issue here isn’t necessarily a matter of source material, but whether a medium and its audience is open to creators taking well known properties and trying something new. The videogame industry is filled with as many sequels and reboots as the silver screen, but there’s a lot of broad reinterpretation with these new incarnations, and a greater willingness to give these fresh takes a go from the gaming public.
Both the gaming public and critics seemingly have a greater faith in developer’s to deliver a complete experience, especially if it’s taking a globally recognisable brand and going off the reservation with it. We all felt The Dark Knight Rises' final act offered a damp squid of an end to a largely credible trilogy, and it rightly got a critical kicking for it in the world of film.
Yet 2015’s Batman Arkham Knight went all out in its own final act, offering perhaps one of the memorable last hour’s I’ve ever played. It played with tropes and convention and offered something that was both against the grain and true to its source. Sure, the actual Arkham Knight himself was a bit pap (and that Batmobile really split critics down the middle), but we applauded Rocksteady for trying something new and doing it well to boot.
Held to account
Perhaps as film goers, we find it harder to dismiss the memory of a creator’s previous efforts when preparing for their next. So many people seem to think Warner Brothers is purposely trying to ruin DC’s new cinematic incarnation - partly because its current take is so radically different from what we’ve seen before, but mainly because people don’t like the guy who directed 300 and Sucker Punch being anywhere near Batman.
But do we hold the forgettable and bland Urban Chaos: Riot Response against Rocksteady? After all, that middling title was the last thing the studio worked on before it embarked on Batman Arkham Asylum. We even gave NetherRealm the benefit of the doubt when it announced the original Injustice, despite the fact Midway Games utterly screwed up an MK/DC crossover game some years before.
Question is, can the top brass at Warner Bros find a way to capture the lightning that continues to maintain DC’s dominance in the gaming world and translate it to film? Wonder Woman is a good start, but if Geoff Johns and the rest of the creative minds now attempting to course correct the DCEU want to find the right formula they need to stop looking back into the comics that inspired them, stop trying to emulate everything that’s worked for Marvel in the past (because filmgoers aren’t stupid… well, most of them aren’t), and start studying DCs strong portfolio of recently licensed games instead.
Batman: A Telltale Story reimagines Batman in a way that harks back to the character’s roots while still offering a take that doesn’t feel rote. The Arkham series took the classic Batman template and slowly expanded it into the perfect amalgamation of Christopher Nolan and Zack Snyder’s vision of the iconic hero.
Hell, even Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham managed to marry its vast roster of characters without feeling like it was flogging a dead horse (despite the fact both it and Injustice 2 have Brainiac as the big bad). In reality, we know the DCEU films are probably just going to carry on down the path they’ve carved out for themselves, but at least we can console ourselves knowing the best Batman film never made has Kevin Conroy firmly in the cowl.
We’ve known since February that Middle Earth: Shadow of War is coming and from what we’ve seen so far it looks like it’s going to be a stunning game.
As a launch title for Microsoft’s upcoming Project Scorpio and a hotly anticipated sequel in its own right, we imagine we’ll see a lot of the game at this year's E3.
In the meantime, though, we’ve gathered everything we know about the game so far including its release date, trailers and all the gameplay that’s been revealed so far.
Cut to the chase
What is it? It’s the sequel to the 2014 action role playing game Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor
When can I play it? August 25 2017
What can I play it on? PS4, Xbox One, PC
Trailers
So far we’ve had three big trailers for Shadow of War.
The most recent was a mammoth 88 minutes of gameplay with developer commentary which showed off Talion conquering an Orc fort.
Prior to this in April IGN released an exclusive gameplay trailer which showed off the game’s 4K visuals.
In March Warner Bros Interactive also released a 16 minute gameplay trailer which talked players through the upgraded Nemesis system as well as the new follower recruitment system.
Naturally, the first glimpse of the game we got, though, was the cinematic trailer that was released in February which certainly seemed to promise epic battles in an expansive open world.
Release date
Middle Earth: Shadow of War will be released on PS4, Xbox One and PC on August 25 2017. We also know that the game will be one of the big launch titles for Microsoft’s upcoming 4K console Project Scorpio so we can expect a special high performance re-release for this platform when it’s launched later in the year.
When the game launches, players will have the option to buy the game in either standard, silver or gold editions with the more expensive editions offering access to more content including story expansions.
It’s worth noting, though, that these story expansions will be available to purchase as separate DLC when they become available for those who don’t purchase the Gold edition of the game.
What we know so far
What’s the story?
Once again, players will enter Tolkien's world and take up the role of Talion, a ranger killed by the Black Hand of Sauron whose body has bonded with the wraith of the Elf Lord Celebrimbor.
Having recently forged a new ring of power, this game will follow Talion and Celebrimbor’s original story during the midst of the battle for Middle Earth as they attempt to use the new ring’s power to face Sauron and the Nazgul. Aside from the fact that it’ll follow on from the events of the first game, not too much is known about the narrative of Shadow of War.
Despite following on from the first game, though, it doesn’t look like you’ll have to have played that before picking up Shadow of War as the developers have said that they’re keen for this to be an entry point into the series for new fans.
Gameplay
Gameplay is something we’ve had an extensive look at for Shadow of War with several trailers having been released already.
Like Shadow of Mordor, this will be an open world third person adventure though this time it looks like the game will be much larger in terms of scale with more of an emphasis on personalization, role playing and large battles.
At its core, though, the gameplay will very much build on Shadow of Mordor’s gameplay, bringing back the Nemesis system and similar melee combat mechanics.
Nemesis returns bigger and better
The Nemesis system that was such a big and highly praised part of the first game is unsurprisingly returning. For those unfamiliar with it, the Nemesis System was an innovative method of enemy design which involved pitting the player against procedurally generated but personalized bosses who had learned from the player’s previous defeats in the game.
This time the Nemesis System will be even bigger and as well as influencing the enemies you fight it will also apparently have an impact on the larger game world around you so that entire fortresses are molded by your actions as Talion.
This time around, Monolith has said that it wanted to step slightly away from the highly single player focused experience of the first game and create something that captured the epic scale of the battles in Tolkien's world, giving the player the opportunity to be at the center of them.
This will be done through sieges and battles. The player will be able to capture a fortress through instigating a siege with their army and it’ll be up to the player to kill the fortress Overlord (boss) and essentially clinch the battle. There will be many ways to weaken the fortress before attacking it (assassinating the bosses for example) but it’ll be up to the player what approach they take.
Recruiting allies
A new feature that will appear in Shadow of War is ally recruitment. This is something that appears in many games but it looks like it could offer serious depth in Shadow of War; different allies will be useful in different ways and players will have to balance their benefits with the risk that they could betray them at any time.
These recruited followers will be important, then, as players will have to use them to manage the large armies they build in order to attack enemies fortresses while they concentrate on their own close-quarter combat.
New enemies and skills to fight them
New skills and skill trees will also be introduced, giving the player more control over how they play in this larger and more responsive game world.
As you’d expect, this time around players will encounter brand new orcs and trolls (got to keep things fresh) as well as new kinds of Garug and entirely new creatures called Drakes, which are essentially fire-breathing dragons.
Players will also apparently take on Balrogs, Sauron and the Nazgul so it appears the plan to increase scale extends across every aspect of the game.
We're certain to see more of Shadow of War at this year'sE3so make sure you keep checking back for more news!
Our appetite for Apple products could be making it hard for Nintendo to ramp up production of the new Nintendo Switch console according to a recent report from the Wall Street Journal.
Though Apple and Nintendo don’t actually directly compete, companies across the tech industry are facing a shortage of the components required for smartphones, computer servers and digital devices such as NAND flash-memory chips, liquid crystal displays and the motors that enable the Switch’s HD Rumble.
It’s the demand for NAND flash-memory in particular that’s apparently causing Apple and Nintendo to butt heads, with a Toshiba spokesperson stating that “Demand for our NAND flash memory has been overwhelmingly greater than supply, and the situation is likely to stay for the rest of this year.”
Demanding too much to supply
The report suggests that the continual consumer demand for the iPhone 7 and the fact that Apple now requires parts for the production of the upcoming iPhone 8 means that Nintendo is struggling to get what it needs from these parts makers who are being pushed to their limits.
It's not clear whether Nintendo didn't anticipate demand for the Switch to grow as quickly as it has or whether it simply didn't foresee such a hardware demand clash. Either scenario is plausible.
Nintendo reportedly hopes to make 18 million units by the time the fiscal year ends in March 2018, a figure that's around double the company's original sales plan.
A report from The Financial Times said that Nintendo could sell more consoles than this, particularly with the increase in demand that’s expected in the holiday season. This would all be dependent, of course, on Nintendo actually having the consoles available to sell.
It’s unlikely that Nintendo would win out against Apple in getting first access to the parts it needs. Apple is going to place much larger orders than Nintendo making it a more attractive and stable financial prospect for prospective suppliers.
As a result, analysts suspect that Nintendo may have to increase spending if it’s to secure the extra components it’ll need, although this would require closing the already small profit margins consoles offer.
All may not be lost, though, with the report adding that Nintendo could make use of air cargo units to deliver Switch consoles to the US in time for the Holiday season. It’s not quite Santa’s sleigh but we imagine Switch-hungry Nintendo fans would see it as such. It certainly makes it unlikely you'll see any Nintendo Switch deals appear in this year's Black Friday sales, though.
We’ve reached out to Nintendo for comment on this report and will update when they get back to us.
As far as online multiplayer games go, Star Trek Bridge Crew is about as cooperative as they come.
The game sees you play as a team of four crew members piloting one of the franchises’ starships. One player is the helm officer, tasked with steering the ship, and another is the tactical officer, responsible for the ship’s weapons. Finally you’ve got the engineer, who balances power between the various systems, and the captain, who has access to all the tactical information and is responsible for giving instructions to the rest of the crew.
Even the most basic tasks require two or more players to work together. Warping to another system, for example, requires the captain to set a destination, before the helmsman prepares to warp, while the engineer helps to charge the warp drive.
Get friendly, fast
Cooperation in multiplayer games is nothing new, but what’s interesting about Bridge Crew is the fact that the game doesn’t give you any means to communicate beyond using your voice.
Where Team Fortress 2 allows you to simply press a button to tell your team you need a medic, Bridge Crew gives you no such shortcut. When the helmsman needs more power from the engineer, there’s no button they can press to alert them, they just have to suck it up and ask them directly.
Star Trek: Bridge Crew is the first game where I’ve felt the need to introduce myself at the beginning of the match to save someone the embarrassment of trying to pronounce my ridiculous username.
When I had a chance to play the game prior to its release, I was able to play with three other TechRadar staff members. We weren’t afraid to admit when we had no idea what we should be doing, and we all knew each other’s names and positions to be able to easily instruct each other what to do.
It was a completely different experience playing the game online with strangers. I could barely remember the names of the people I was playing with to be able to tell them what to do, and the embarrassment I experienced when I didn’t know what I needed to do was intense.
By the end of my session I was sweating, and this was only partially because of how clammy the HTC Vive headset is.
It’s normal to learn a game as you play, but it’s rare for me to feel this embarrassed when I feel like I’m letting my team down. With only four players, no overlapping roles, and an always-on voice chat, Star Trek: Bridge Crew leaves you no place to hide from your ineptness.
Imagine playing a live-action escape the room game with a group of total strangers and you’ll have imagined something close to the feeling of playing Bridge Crew online with strangers.
Beyond the multiplayer
Beyond the uniqueness of the multiplayer, and the odd feeling of shyness I got from playing online, I can’t shake the feeling that at its core, Bridge Crew is quite a dull game.
There’s simply not enough for each player to be doing at any one point in time. The engineer can route power to the relevant sub-systems, but then they’re pretty much left to twiddle their thumbs while they wait for the tactical officer and engineer to play their parts.
The captain is left with the most hands-off role of all as they keep an eye on the mission’s objectives, and the overall health of the ship, while everyone else gets the fun task of controlling their various systems.
Playing the game in single-player reveals just how shallow the core gameplay is. With only one player, the game gives you the option of either giving your AI companions instructions or jumping into their bodies to control them directly.
It’s not a fun experience. Removing the joy of coordinating a team of real players reveals how simple the core gameplay mechanics are. It’s like piloting an incredibly slow space tank where you have to swap characters to move from moving to shooting.
If you’ve got three friends who are equipped with VR headsets then the game is as fun as you and your friends make it. From coordinating strategies, to just having fun gesticulating at each other in VR, Bridge Crew is like a virtual reality playground set in a nerd’s paradise.
But if you’re buying the game in the hope of playing with strangers, then you’re going to have to leave any shyness or social anxiety at the door. There’s nowhere to hide in Star Trek: Bridge Crew, and you’ll have to be prepared to work not just as a team, but as friends, if you want to have a good time.
At Computex 2017, Dell unveiled two new all-in-ones (AIO) named Inspiron 27 7000 All-in-One (AIO) and Inspiron 24 5000 All-in-One (AIO) along with a new gaming desktop, which are part of its widely-known Inspiron PC product line. All the three products are available for purchase on Dell.com and third party retailers like JD.com in China. The global launch will be in coming few weeks.
Dell has raised the bar by including Dell’s iconic virtually borderless 'InfinityEdge' display that offers an exquisite edge-to-edge viewing experience for multimedia entertainment and online streaming.
The company has also added “Ready for VR” configurations capable of delivering immersive experiences through high-end VR headsets like HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. Dell stated that it is the only OEM in the industry that provides end-to-end VR solutions from VR content creation and playback to serving VR content via Dell cloud servers and infrastructure.
Commenting on the new products, Ray Wah, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Dell Consumer and Small Business Product Group, said: “Dell has experienced 17 consecutive quarters of PC growth by continuously innovating with our PC designs and experiences.”
Inspiron 27 7000 AIO (27-inch) is powered by a AMD 8 Core Ryzen™ processors, and it is equipped with AMD Radeon™ RX 500 series graphics card with GDDR5 memory. It can support upto 16GB of DDR4 2400MHz memory. It consists of two HDMI terminals, three USB 3.1 Type-A ports, and one USB 3.1 type-C port, and a USB 2.0 port. It is priced at $999.99.
Inspiron 24 5000 features a 24-inch InfinityEdge IPS FHD touch display. It is powered by a 7th Gen AMD processors and AMD Polaris RX500 graphics. It comes with two USB 3.1 Type-A ports, and one USB 3.1 type-C port, and two USB 2.0 port. It is priced at $699.99.
Originally shown off at CES 2017, Intel's Compute Card will ship beginning this August, with nearly a dozen partners at the ready to develop compatible products for the itty-bitty PC.
Designed as a kind of interchangeable "guts" for devices like digital signage, kiosks, smart TVs, and even 2-in-1 computers, the Compute Card is functionally a complete computer small enough to fit inside a wallet.
Inside the Compute Card's 55mm x 94.5mm x 5mm form factor is not just graphics and on-board storage, but also 4GB of DDR3 RAM, an Intel-branded processor, and both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.
Intel has four models of the Compute Card currently planned for release, which you can compare the specifications of for yourself in the graphic below:
Additionally, Intel announced that early partners such as LG, Sharp, and Foxconn are already working on Compute Card-compatible products.
LG and Sharp are currently slated to make smart monitors and digital signage, respectively, while Foxconn (as well as companies like ECS, Seneca, and NexDoc) are working on miniature desktops and all-in-one PCs that can be easily upgraded by swapping out Compute Cards.
Other partners like Dell, Lenovo, HP, and Pasuntech were also announced, but have yet to declare any samples products they intend to use with the Compute Card.
It's uncertain yet if Intel's standardized plug-ins will take off, (pricing details are being saved for Q2 2017) but we are definitely intrigued by the concept and will keep an eye on where Intel's micro-PCs take it.
Intel vs AMD: Which chip maker makes the best processors?
It's looking more likely that a newer version of the MacBook Pro is on the way, as Apple seemingly hints via its online store that prospective buyers should wait until after its big keynote before committing to the current model.
Shipping dates for the 15-inch MacBook Pro (with Touch Bar) on Apple's website have been pushed up, offering free delivery for those willing to wait until June 6-8 — smack in the middle of Apple's WWDC 2017 conference — before making the purchase .
Though we won't learn for sure until Apple takes the stage next week, this could be a sign that the tech giant is planning to release an updated version of its top-shelf laptop, encouraging customers to wait before potentially buying an outdated version of the 15-inch MacBook Pro.
Wait and see (and save)
By contrast, both the 13-inch and Touch Bar-less 15-inch MacBook Pro can currently be delivered to a US doorstep for free just 24 hours after placing an order. At this time, only the 15-inch MacBook Pros have their free shipping dates stretched out.
That said, we wouldn't be surprised if Apple refreshes its entire MacBook line at WWDC, as a Bloomberg report from earlier this month claims that not just a new MacBook Pro — but also a new 12-inch MacBook and MacBook Air — are expected to make their debut at Apple's big keynote event.
Will Apple be reinvigorating its laptop line following a tough bout of competition from the likes of Microsoft's Surface line? Fingers crossed we'll know exactly what's on Apple's mind come next week.
Home broadband can be expensive, so it feels like an insult when you can’t get the best Wi-Fi signal in particular spots around your home, especially if you are signed up to super-fast broadband.
However, there is a way to solve it– the GigaGate is a Wi-Fi bridge to help you get the best connection possible in hard to reach areas of your home, even when it’s really far away from the main router.
The devolo GigaGate is capable of reaching speeds of up to 2 Gbps and is perfect for that corner of your living room that’s full of internet connected devices.
If you’ve got a games console, smart TV or PC in a corner where it’s hard for the connection to reach, this little device may be the best way to solve the problem.
It uses new 4x4 quantenna chip technology to make sure your devices will be able to get the best available internet your home broadband provider supplies.
You won’t need to replace your home router either. You can plug one part of the GigaGate into the router itself and then place the second device near to the other devices you want to get a super charged connection.
One of the best parts of GigaGate is you won’t need to stress about setting it up either.
You need to connect the base into the router then find a location for the satellite. The rest is done by the GigaGate itself, which is already configured. After two minutes it is ready to start.
The satellite unit also features one gigabit port and four fast Ethernet ports for any wired devices you may have to give you even more connectivity options. This means that you’ll be able to connect a games console, TV, a smart home speaker system and even have one spare for when you’re using your laptop in that part of the house.
There’s also 2.4GHz Wi-Fi as well that offer speeds of up to 300 Mbps.
By using the GigaGate, you can ensure you get the best connection for when you’re gaming online so you won’t be kicked off an online match at the worst time possible plus you can be sure you’ll get the top buffering speeds while streaming TV from Netflix, Amazon Prime, BBC iPlayer and even more apps.
You can solve most of your Wi-Fi woes around your home with the GigaGate for only £219.99. That includes both the base unit and a satellite to use in another part of your home.
More satellite units are then available for £129.99, which will make sure you have better connections all around the house no matter how big your home is. Soon your connection woes can disappear entirely with the help of GigaGate.
You can buy the GigaGate here from devolo’s website.
devolo also produce a range of Powerline adapters, designed to boost internet signal as well as Home Control, a smart home system designed to improve comfort levels, energy savings and safety.
In the modern era of console gaming, gaming headsets have become essential items. Nowadays, most of the biggest games around include at least an element of co-operative or competitive online play. If you’re keen to play any game which involves teaming up remotely with others, then it’s quite simple: you’ll need to buy a gaming headset which combines headphones with a microphone.
When buying a headset, it’s worth considering a few factors. One of which is the types of games you play: if, say, you’re predominantly a fan of massively multiplayer online games, comfort should be your number one priority, since you will typically be wearing your headset for long periods. In such a situation a wireless headset, with finite battery life, will be unsuitable.
Meanwhile if you’re a serious fast-twitch ninja with pro-gaming aspirations, you could gain an edge with a high-end headset that boasts surround sound which can, for example, enhance the noise made by the footsteps of approaching rival players.
Your playing environment is important, too: if you want to remain aware of what is going around you while you’re playing, you should opt for an open-backed gaming headset, or if you like to play co-operatively in a noisy environment, a headset with a noise-cancelling microphone is a must.
To help you select the best console gaming headset, we’ve compiled this guide spanning the very best wireless, wired, high-end and budget examples currently on sale. Since it focuses on console rather than PC games, we’ve presumed that you’re more likely to use your headset for playing mainstream co-operative and competitive action games, rather than massively multiplayer games.
It’s also worth bearing in mind that both the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 have design quirks which can complicate the process of setting up gaming headsets to work with them. The Xbox One forces you to connect a gaming headset to its controller, and the older Xbox One controllers, annoyingly, don’t have 3.5mm headphone jacks, forcing you to buy an extra Stereo Headset Adapter (which the headset manufacturers rarely bundle with their products). And on the PS4, headsets can initially sound quiet, as the headset output level is set to half its full amount by default, which necessitates delving around in its system settings.
But once you get any of the following gaming headsets set up to your satisfaction, you’ll find that they are great pieces of kit which, when you remove their boom-microphones, also make great headphones for listening to music on the go, or TV and movies when you don’t want to disturb other members of your household.
HyperX has developed a sizeable following among the pro-gaming community over the years, and its newest headset, the Cloud Revolver S, adds Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound to the blueprint offered by the hugely popular Cloud Revolver without requiring you to take out a second mortgage.
Quite simply, the Cloud Revolver S sounds astonishingly good, especially at the price. You will marvel in particular at the dynamics of its sound: deep, rumbling bass and crisp, never shrieky treble that lets you hear every sound effect and totally immerses you in the ambience created by in-game music.
It’s pretty well made, comfortable and classily finished, and Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound is the cherry on top, allowing you to pinpoint incoming enemies in first-person shooters – particularly if you explore the preset equalisation modes into which pro-gamers had lots of input. A truly high-end-sounding headset at a mid-range price.
Best overall Xbox One headset
Turtle Beach is the longest established specialist gaming headset manufacturer, and it has a fanatical following among pro-gamers. When you unbox its top-of-the-range Elite Pro, you can see why. It simply oozes no-expense-spared design, and sports all manner of neat touches born from decades of pro-gaming experience.
But more importantly than that, it sounds spectacular, with huge bass and crystal-clear treble adding up to a sound which will allow you to get deeply immersed into whatever game you’re playing. Comfort-wise, it’s exemplary, with big, thick earpads that eliminate all ambient noise, and can be easily adjusted to fit all head-sizes. A neat feature lets you add spacing to the earpads to accommodate a pair of glasses.
On the Xbox One, we’d recommend teaming it up with piece of kit called the Tactical Audio Adapter, which clips into the Xbox One controller and operates as an amplifier, adding some of the extra sound-control features which come in a separate graphic equaliser-style box called the Tactical Audio Controller (which is pricey but adds Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound).
Those features include Turtle Beach’s Superhuman Hearing, which enhances the sound of incoming players’ footsteps and is great for hardcore first-person shooter fans, and Dynamic Chat Boost, which keeps chat-levels audible even when background noise rises. Plus it lets you independently adjust game and chat volumes.
Add tank-like build-quality to the equation and you have a headset which has become something of a status-symbol for those who take their gaming seriously.
Best wireless Xbox One headset
LucidSound is a newcomer to the world of gaming headsets, but it has certainly made a splash, thanks mainly to its LS40 headset, which has a specification to die for, and build-quality and audio fidelity to match. Not to mention looks: the LS40 is so well finished, with plenty of red stitching, that you would happily wear it in public.
Wireless headsets often suffer from sound-quality which is inferior to that of wired headsets, but the LS40 has no such problems, with a big, bold sound which should satisfy any gamer. Its wireless seems unburstable, too. And it boasts DTS Headphone: X 7.1 surround-sound that offers startlingly precise pinpointing of incoming sounds – a big advantage if you’re a hardcore gamer.
Comfort-wise, it’s spot-on, too, and a USB wireless dongle makes it as easy to set up as any wireless headset (inevitably a trickier process than for a wired headset). 15-hour battery life is as good as you will find. Its chat and overall volume controls, hidden in each earcup, do take a bit of getting used to, though. And as with all wireless headsets, you still have to attach one wire to your Xbox One controller. But the LucidSound LS40 is the headset that has it all.
Best wireless PlayStation 4 headset
The most immediately striking aspect of Turtle Beach’s Elite 800 headset is that its Bluetooth wireless transmitter doubles as a charging cradle, into which you can just plop the headset, rather than having to fiddle around with a USB cable. That’s particularly useful given that it has a battery life of 10 hours, which isn’t the best – although whether you should be gaming for more than 10 hours at a single stretch is questionable.
Otherwise, the Elite 800 contains much to admire. It sounds great: loud and pumping, with DTS Headphone:X 7.1 surround-sound and a welter of graphic-equaliser presets that can enhance rival-player sounds when you’re enjoying a first-person shooter, or are suited to movie-watching and so forth.
Comfort and build-quality are impressive, and you can adjust a vast number of aspects by pressing different areas of the backs of the earcups. This does take some getting used to at first, but at least every button-press triggers an electronic voice telling you what is going on.
As far as adjusting the sound to suit your gaming preferences is concerned, the Elite 800 offers as much as any wireless headset on the market. But to our ears, it sounds damn fine whatever its configuration. It isn’t the cheapest – although you can find it for well below its RRP – but you can certainly see why.
Best budget PlayStation 4 headset
Being strapped for cash doesn’t necessarily mean having to settle for an inferior gaming headset, and Turtle Beach’s EarForce PX24 does a pretty decent job of embarrassing plenty of its more expensive rivals. Sure, it makes more extensive use of plastic than headsets which are twice the price, but it still looks and feels sufficiently robust, and its overall lightness renders it pretty comfortable for prolonged use.
And in the areas that really matter – sound and configurability – the Ear Force PX24 is way better than it has any right to be at the price. While it doesn’t have the bass extension you'll find in a more premium headset, and its treble is a bit dry in comparison with such pricey beasts, it still sounds remarkably good, and thanks to an amplifier which clips between the headset and the PS4 controller, you can boost the bass, engage Superhuman Hearing mode for first-person shooters and even fiddle around with a virtual surround-sound effect.
Finding such features, and very decent sound indeed, is a revelation for such a cheap headset. You could quibble about the EarForce PX24’s slightly plasticky overall finish, but in our opinion, that’s a small price to pay for a great headset with a small price.
Best budget Xbox One headset
The old stereotype about gamers being geeky, style-blind types is hopelessly outdated now that gaming has fully entered the mainstream, and LucidSound’s LS20 gaming headset is squarely aimed at the style-conscious. It looks fabulous, with a sleek design reminiscent of Beats headphones (although with much better sound at a fraction of the price), and has also been designed for use as a general on-the-go headphone – it comes with a rubber cover for the boom mic-socket.
Sound-wise, it’s great for the price, with clear, well-balanced characteristics across the frequency spectrum, and a bass-boost should you require it. The reason why it punches above its weight in terms of sound-quality is that it contains an amplifier of its own. The downside of that is that even though it’s a wired headset, you still have to charge it and, unsurprisingly given the price, it doesn’t come with a charging cradle. But battery life is an impressive 20 hours, and it still works, albeit with inferior sonic characteristics, when the battery runs out.
If you’re a keen gamer without any pro-gaming aspirations, and seek a gaming headset which will also function as an excellent iPod or phone set of headphones, LucidSound’s LS20 will do the trick with aplomb.
Most video games suffer from high expectations. Massive build ups, the weight of previous successful installments, fan's demands and realistically limited possibilities all come together in a perfect storm of eventual disappointment for someone.
Even if that someone isn’t you, you’re almost guaranteed to hear or read about it.
Though I understand that’s just a part of being invested in something (it happens with films and books and music as much as it does games) the relentless exposure to negativity can sometimes feel draining.
Sounds terrible yet there I was, lying on the sofa in the oppressive heat (more like a Slowpoke than a Magikarp) utterly invested in a game I hadn’t even expected to enjoy. It was wonderful.
Then I went online in what I imagine was some kind of self-sabotaging attempt to smother my own perplexed joy and was delighted to find that, actually, the general feeling towards the game was as positive as my own.
Here, however, the underfish is the star of the show and it’s your job to grow your Magikarp by feeding it and training it so that it can compete in jumping competitions against other Magikarp.
Doesn’t sound like much, right? Well, that’s part of what makes it so good. Magikarp Jump is simple both in terms of its controls and in the goals it sets you.
The game is clear that it’s been designed to be extremely easy for anyone to play, but that doesn’t stop it from praising you at every turn which, to be frank, feels great. It's a game that's so relentlessly nice it's hard to hate it. It's basically a form of digital self care.
If a long week or even a long day has left you feeling drained and unappreciated at home or at work, Magikarp Jump is a great way to get some praise without exerting much more effort.
At some point or another we’ve all felt like a bit of a Magikarp, but this game shows that even when you do feel useless, pointless and annoying not everyone will see you that way and it’s important to try and be the best that you can be and make the most of what you’ve got because you still have value.
Another thing is the bond the game encourages between you and your Magikarp, a bond that’s made especially bittersweet by the fact that you know you won’t be able to keep your Magikarp forever, whether because it retires or because it’s stolen away by a hungry Pidgeot.
In the time you’re together you feel extra incentive to keep your Magikarp healthy and safe so that it can have some success in what could be a potentially very short life.
Basically, if you’re feeling a little run down or a little lacking in motivation this week why not try a short game of Magikarp Jump? Keep your expectations at the bottom of the pond and you might find you feel a little more positive very quickly.
MSI’s slimmer, lighter and quieter Stealth Pro range of gaming laptops have always offered high end performance in an extremely portable package, but the 2017 GS63VR that was unveiled today at Computex has managed to shrink the chassis to just 17.7mm despite packing a 6GB Nvidia GTX 1070 GPU. This slim package crams a surprising amount of features into the lofty 4.19lbs (1.9kg) 15-inch form factor.
The most notable of these is the option for either a rapid 120Hz 15.6” Full HD display with an unprecedented 3ms response rate or a 4K HDR-capable IPS panel, if you’re happy to pay for the upgrade from the stock 1080p display. The other key inclusion is NVIDIA’s recently announced Max-Q technology that offers rejigged pascal parts for significant boosts in efficiency and overall thermal properties.
Backing up these novel inclusions is a 7th generation Intel Core i7 processor, up to 32GB of DDR4 RAM, a 2.5 inch HDD slot and an NVMe M.2 SSD connected via PCIe that can utilize MSI’s Exclusive Super RAID 4 configuration to push read speeds of 3,300MB/s.
Cool gaming laptops with Per-Key RGB lighting
To achieve this power in a device so thin you need some serious cooling and MSI’s 5 heat pipe, triple Whirlwind 41-blade fan array dubbed the Cooler Boost Trinity is designed designed specifically to expel the heat created by the power hungry components.
Bringing back the longstanding partnership with SteelSeries is an all new RGB backlit keyboard that allows you to control the colour scheme key by key and the return of the SteelSeries Engine 3 mean you can continue to use the same preset macro’s you’re used to.
Price and global release details of the GS63VR and it’s similarly specced 17-inch sibling, the GS73VR are still to come, we’re looking forward to seeing getting hands-on with the unit soon.
During this year’s Computex 2017 festivities, Dell has pulled the curtain back on not one, but three brand new, all-AMD desktop PCs. Specifically, an Inspiron all-in-one PC has been shown at both 24- and- 27-inch varieties, as well as a new gaming desktop in disguise.
First up are the Inspiron 24 5000 and Inspiron 27 7000 all-in-ones, which both embody a subdued design so as not to detract from popping full HD and up to 4K UHD (3,840 x 2,160) touch displays, respectively.
AMD all the way
Both of Dell’s new AIO computers come packing the latest AMD Ryzen processors and Polaris graphics chips. The 24-inch model comes with a 7th generation, quad-core A10 processor paired with a Radeon RX560 graphics chip with 4GB of video memory.
Meanwhile, the 27-incher houses your choice of a quad-core Ryzen 5 1400 or octa-core Ryzen 7 1700 processor with another choice of Radeon RX560 graphics with 4GB of video RAM or Radeon RX580 with 8GB of memory. Both PCs offer up to 32GB of RAM and spinning hard drives as large as 1TB as well as solid-state boot drive combos up to 256GB PCIe SSDs.
Both of these PCs’ nearly bezel-less InfinityEdge screens – the first Dell AIOs to be nearly bezel-free – use interplane switching, or ISP, technology, making sharing movies and games on one screen much easier with wider viewing angles.
Finally, you will find far-field voice-controlled Cortana access from both of these AIOs as well as Windows Hello via infrared cameras, with the 24-incher offering a SmartByte software to prioritize network traffic for uninterrupted streaming sessions. The 24-inch Inspiron 24 5000 hits shelves this month for $699 (about £545, AU$941) to start, while the 27-inch Inspiron 27 7000 asks for a starting price of $999 (about £779, AU$1,345), also available now.
Inspiron goes gaming-ready
Dell also took the Computex stage as the opportunity to unveil its first-ever Inspiron gaming desktop, designed to bring near-boutique gaming PC quality to buyers for far less than the real deal.
The firm is bringing AMD Ryzen and Polaris technology to a potentially new audience inside a device designed to attract gamers with a chassis equipped with “Polar Blue” LED lights.
As for special features, Dell has been mum on those for its new entry-to-mid-level gaming PC for the masses, though keen to tout its PC’s five internal bays for storage upgrades as well as liquid cooling options. The Inspiron Gaming Desktop is available now starting at $699 (about £545, AU$941).
Will Dell’s new all-AMD PC push lead to powerful, sleek devices for less than before? We’ll have to see in some full reviews.
We were a little surprised when Gigabyte announced it’s ultra compact Aero 15 gaming laptop a month ahead of Computex this year, but after seeing the impressive range of revamped performance gaming laptops, it makes sense to have launched it a little early.
In addition to putting forward the latest iteration of the P57 (v7) at Computex 2017, Gigabyte showcased an all new P56XT performance-focused gaming laptop. With a reasonably conservative black plastic case design and mild orange trimmings at the edge of the keyboard, this laptop is clearly focused on performance.
Fitted with an Intel Core i7 Processor, an 8GB Nvidia GTX 1070 GPU and up to 32GB of DDR4 RAM, this unit will be no slouch. The 15.6 inch form factor of the new P56XT will also contain a super fast M.2 PCIe connected SSD and an optional secondary HDD with capacities up to 2TB.
This unit will also feature Intel’s new 40Gb/s Thunderbolt 3 connection that can carry power and 4K media. The P56XT will be released towards the end of June in Australia, Germany, France, Taiwan the UK and the US.
Cutting edge
Gigabyte also showed off the updates of its Sabre range of value gaming notebooks that included the Sabre 15, 17 and the slightly different Sabre Pro 15. The latter upgrades the GPU of the Sabre 15’s GTX 1050/Ti to a Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060, whilst keeping the i7-770HQ CPU, M.2 PCIe SSD, DDR4 RAM and Full HD 15.6-inch wide colour gamut IPS display.
To further distinguish the slightly premium pedigree of the Sabre Pro 15 it also features a brushed black metal finish as opposed to the robust plastic featured on the regular Sabre units. The Sabre Pro 15 is expected to be made available alongside the P56XT in June.
Just as we're all recovering from the spread of WannaCry, another security problem shows up on the internet - in this case a special line of web code that can send Windows 7 and Windows 8 into a serious slowdown.
As Ars Technica reports, Russian security experts have shown how a rogue file call to the Windows Master File Table on an NTFS disk can soak up system resources and end up leaving your computer pretty much unusable, eventually leading to a crash.
All that it takes is a visit to a page showing an image coded in a certain way, and your woes begin. Your machine isn't actually hacked or exposed, but it's an annoying little bug that Microsoft will no doubt be scrambling to fix.
Turn it on and off again
Windows 7 and Windows 8 (and 8.1) are the OSes affected, along with Windows Vista which is no longer supported by Microsoft. If you're using any browser in Windows 10, or Google Chrome on any OS, you should be safe.
While the bug has been reported to Microsoft, we haven't heard any official acknowledgement of the problem or any timescale on when a fix might be pushed out through the usual channels.
As always, keep your browser and your operating system right up to date to minimize the risk of getting hit by these sort of issues. No one seems to have tried to use the trick yet out in the wild, but if you do notice problems, a simple reboot should fix it.
Kudos to you if you've managed to get your hands on a Nintendo Switch since it launched in March, because demand has been high and supply has been short for the portable console so far. Now Nintendo is reportedly going to do something about it.
The gaming company has increased its order of Switch units for the coming months, the Financial Times reports, hoping to head off any supply problems that might arise around the holiday season. No one wants a disappointed kid at Christmas.
At the moment the Switch is selling out within hours of going on sale at most retailers. Nintendo itself has said the device is its fastest-selling console ever, and insiders are saying the aim is to get 18 million units out within the first year.
Here comes Mario
Another factor in all of this is the release of the Super Mario Odyssey game near the end of the year - it's a Switch exclusive and will be prompting a lot of gamers to shell out for their own console come Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Nintendo itself hasn't said anything one way or the other about ramping up production, but US exe Reggie Fils-Aime previously promised no supply issues for the console back in January. While it hasn't been impossible to get hold of a Switch since March, it hasn't been particularly easy either.
Meanwhile, as the FT reports, the high demand for Switch consoles is doing wonders for Nintendo's share price - a confidence that's further bolstered by Nintendo's plans to continue to cash in through mobile games for Android and iOS.
If you're trying to take off on a British Airways flight from London today then you might not be in the best of moods - a serious computer malfunction has left planes on the tarmac, with all flights from Gatwick and Heathrow cancelled until at least 6pm on Saturday May 27.
"We apologise for the current IT systems outage," the airline said via its Twitter page. "We are working to resolve the problem as quickly as possible." If BA provides any more updates, then we'll keep you in the loop on this page.
The BBC reports that the issue is affecting the BA website and its mobile apps, as well as the systems that keep flights running at the airport. Some staff have had to resort to using good old white boards to get information out to passengers.
Rescheduling and refunds
Whatever the problem is, it looks like it's knocked out BA's computer systems across the globe. A spokesperson for the airline told the BBC that it doesn't appear at this stage to be related to any kind of cyberattack.
Flights from other airlines are running in and out of Heathrow and Gatwick as normal for the time being, so if you're taking off for the bank holiday weekend or half term then your best bet is to check for updates straight from the company you've booked with.
BA says affected passengers will be offered a rescheduled flight or a refund, though judging by the amount of ire being shown on social media at the moment, that might not be enough. Details on the computer downtime are scarce at the moment, but when we hear more, we'll let you know.
Computex 2017 is next week, and the biggest brands and most die-hard fans in computing will descend upon Taipei, Taiwan. It’s arguably the most important show of the year for the desktop, laptop and components you’ll want to buy.
This is the show for folks who are left disillusioned by the lack of overclocking competitions and talk of gigahertz and teraflops at more mainstream tech expos, like CES in Las Vegas.
While we’ve already seen some of the wares that key computer makers will show off, namely that of Acer and MSI, there’s plenty more still behind all manner of curtains and veils.
However, recent leaks and announcements from the firms yet to break their big news of the show can help us make some educated guesses as to what we might see.
Here’s everything we are prepared to witness from the biggest computing companies planning to touch down in Taipei next week, from May 30 through June 3.
Acer
This firm based out of the very same country Computex is held annually has already shown its cards regarding the big show. With that, we know with certainty that we can expect to get hands-on time with Acer’s Nitro 5 gaming laptop as well as its Acer Spin 1 2-in-1 laptop and new Android tablets with Quantum Dot displays.
Having just come off of its massive annual media event in New York City this past April, chances are slim that we’ll see much more from Acer during Computex. If we had to wildly guess, perhaps Acer will have more in PC gaming hardware to show off, that being a major focus of the show these days – just don’t hold your breath.
AMD
Having been teasing its new Vega graphics chip architecture for what seems like eons now, AMD will perhaps choose Computex as the place we’ll finally see new the first Vega graphics cards. After all, we’ve at least already seen the developer-grade Radeon Vega Frontier Edition. We have to be close to seeing the future of PC gaming on AMD hardware by this point.
Speaking of which, we’ve been hearing plenty over the past few weeks of the next wave of AMD Ryzen processors, the Ryzen 9 Threadripper series. Designed to compete with Intel’s supposed Core i9 line of high-end chips, Threadripper will come rocking 16-core processors that may be slower than Ryzen 7 CPUs in frequency, but far more ready to handle multifaceted workloads.
Computex would be the perfect venue to showcase the power of not only Vega GPUs, but these new Threadripper CPUs as well.
Asus
This is one of the firms we know the least about in regards to what it might have to show during Computex 2017. That said, we do know that Asus will hold press conferences for both its core, eponymous brand and its gaming brand, Republic of Gamers (ROG).
We’ve heard murmurs of the next Asus Zenbook Flip, the UX370, to succeed the current UX360, which we enjoyed quite a bit. On the gaming front, Asus ROG has outright teased a gaming laptop powered by Ryzen to be shown at Computex in the above looping video. Here’s to hoping that’s an all-AMD build with graphics that rhyme with “mega”.
Dell
Frankly, we’ve seen very little in the way of leaks and rumors in the lead up to Computex, which doesn’t give us much, if anything, to go off of. However, one thing that we’re at least hoping to see in more detail is Dell’s head-mounted display for Microsoft’s Windows 10 Holographic program.
With the headset expected to launch later this year alongside the rest of the lot, Computex would be a fine place to demonstrate its capabilities. We know for a fact that Dell will hold a press event during the show, so hopefully this will be the place to see Dell’s big dip into virtual reality – sorry, “mixed reality,” if you’re asking Microsoft.
Intel
The one thing we expect to hear more about from Intel at Computex is its rumored Core i9 line of processors. According to leaks, this new echelon of Intel CPUs will include new Skylake-X and Kaby Lake-X models ranging from octa-core to dodeca-core dies.
Of course, the logic here is that Intel is preparing its defenses for the oncoming assault of AMD’s Threadripper Ryzen 9 processors. However, unlike AMD, Intel has yet to make anything official. The firm should change that during its press event scheduled during Computex.
Nvidia
This is another one of those component firms that won’t officially say much, if anything, about its plans (unlike a certain rosy rival) until it’s ready to discuss them in full. That said, Nvidia does tend to be leaky, and so we have talk of the firm’s Volta GPU architecture being prepared for a Q3 2017 launch, meaning any time after the end of June.
And, whaddya know, that’s just in time AMD Vega’s expected debut. Specifically, sites like WCCFTech report to have heard that Volta will be brought to bear through GTX 20-series GPUs.
If this is what Nvidia truly has in store for its Computex press event, then this ought to be a knock-down, drag-out summer for the red and green teams.
Qualcomm
Finally, we have the company that stands to shake up the show the most: Qualcomm. The firm has been largely silent on its plans to work with Microsoft to bring Windows 10 x86 app emulation to its next generation of Snapdragon processors since they were first announced last December.
It’s potentially the lynch pin in Microsoft’s mobile ambitions moving forward. Again, Computex would be the time to demonstrate how Qualcomm’s technology works and what types of new mobile devices running Windows 10, much less any, that it can enable.
There are some games that explode upon release, have praised heaped upon them by every publication under the sun, and then proceed to disappear from everyone’s memory within six months.
Far Cry 2 was not one of those games. Not because it stuck around, but because nobody really liked it in the first place.
From a hostile world that was a pain to traverse, to its forgettable story, to the fact that your character literally had malaria and would occasionally need to complete side quests to stock up on their life-saving medication, reviewers were flummoxed by a game that simply refused to play by the rules.
A game mis-sold
The problem was made worse by the preview coverage for the game, which consistently over-promised what it would eventually become. In interviews, the game’s creative director Clint Hocking talked about how open-ended the game would be.
He promised that you’d be able to ignore the game’s entire story and make a beeline straight for its principal antagonist, named 'The Jackal', if you wanted to, and that the game would be filled with companions that you’d have to put time into befriending so that they’d choose of their own accord to help you out in missions.
But when the game was released none of these features appeared to be present. You couldn’t get close to The Jackal without playing through literally every story mission, and those companions ended up feeling like little more than a cheap respawn animation.
Initial reviews weren’t terrible, but Far Cry 2 did not initially appear to have reached the heights that it had aspired to.
The cult-favorite
But over the following months and years Far Cry 2 slowly grew into a cult classic. It became the subject of numerous blogs across the internet, and podcasts endlessly discussed the creative and surprising ways that the game’s missions played out.
So how did this happen?
The problem was that Far Cry 2 was simultaneously ahead of its time, whilst also being completely unable to communicate just how ahead of its time it was.
Far Cry 2 was a game that you could truly approach in whatever way you wanted. You could hang back with a sniper rifle, picking off enemies before sneaking into an encampment and taking down the remainder of the pack.
Or perhaps you could go slightly more gung-ho and crash a vehicle loaded with explosives into a group of baddies, before sprinting from cover to cover with an assault rifle.
Nothing was pre-determined, and everything was possible. The game's world was a sandbox in the best possible way, filled with toys to throw around and secrets to discover.
Far Cry 2 was amazing because of how open-ended literally every single mission was, but the game never went out of its way to explain this to you as you played.
It was perfectly possible to play Far Cry 2 like a generic first-person shooter. You'd run into enemy encampments, gun down everyone in your path, and emerge victorious without realising the numerous other paths that had completely passed you by.
Was the decision not to explain itself properly to its audience a bad decision? Probably, but it meant that when you did happen upon an unannounced feature or tactic, it felt like an achievement, rather than the result of blindly following a breadcrumb trail that someone had meticulously laid out for you.
I still remember fondly straying off the beaten track to discover a hang-glider nestled in amongst some bushes.
Nothing about the game up until that point had ever explained to me that there were hang-gliders hidden around the world to be found to be found. They hadn’t featured in any trailers or posters, and yet here was an entire method of transportation that I’d succeeded in discovering by doing some exploring of my own.
The legacy of Far Cry 2
In the years since Far Cry 2, numerous other games have more explicitly sold themselves on the promise of discovery and open-endedness.
Just this year The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild proved that you could re-inject a sense of wonder into a decade-old series by leaving people to find their own way through its world. Dark Souls, meanwhile, presents you with a large mysterious world, and leaves you to your own devices to find your own way through.
The difference between Far Cry 2 and these more recent games is partly that our expectations have changed, but also that they simply refuse to let you play them in a traditional way, and instead force you into a mindset that suits them best.
Try to play Dark Souls like a generic hack-and-slasher and the game will chew you up and spit you out until you embrace its esoteric way of doing things. Try to play Breath of the Wild like any other Zelda game and you'll be left objective-less after the first hour.
Meanwhile, if you approached Far Cry 2 like a traditional first-person shooter it would reward you with a traditional first-person shooting experience. Nothing offensively bad, but it was a fraction of what the game was capable of. At a time when open-world games were still maturing, Far Cry 2 wasn't prepared to hold your hand through its fiery plains.
Far Cry 2 is one of the most important games ever made, it just took a little bit of time for anyone to realise.
2016 is done and dusted from a gaming perspective, but don’t fret - there are enough great titles coming out in 2017 to put your New Year’s resolution of getting outside more or spending less on games in some serious jeopardy.
That being said, we've gone through and compiled the list of the best games coming next year as well as collected the best ones that have already come out (Gravity Rush 2 anyone?).
The reason for this list is two-fold: First and foremost we want to give you a look ahead at the new year of gorgeous games – powered in large part by powerful hardware like the PS4 Pro and Xbox One S. Then, once we start collecting more games that deserve to be called "the best of 2017" we'll group them together by month for your perusing pleasure. Combined, this list should give you a pretty complete overview of where you should spend your free-time next year.
Oh, and in case you missed it, and are interested the best gaming moments of last year, be sure to check out our 2016 Game of the Year Awards.
OK, we've spent time enough living in the past. Our first eagerly-anticipated release is less than a month away, so let's not waste any more time.
Resident Evil 7
What system(s) is it on? PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
The latest entry in Capcom’s survival horror series is a wild departure from its past few predecessors, but in the end that only made it better. Foregoing the guns-blazing action mentality that had come to define the series for better or worse in the past few years, Resident Evil VII came at us with a much more subdued scare tactic. A first-person horror adventure trapped in a musty, rotted house with a family of musty, rotted maniacs? If that doesn't scream nostalgia, I'm not sure what does. Resident Evil 7 was a great return to form for the series and one that's well worth your time.
Gravity Rush 2 was a huge sleeper hit this month. The original – while definitely unique in its premise and art style – didn't reach critical acclaim, but that's a whole different story here. New gravity powers and styles make combat feel fresh and the expanded relationships give us something more to latch onto. There are still a few control problems here, as you might obviously expect from a game that involves manipulating gravity, but overall its charm and beauty far outweigh any lingering issues we might've had.
Yakuza 0
What system(s) is it on? PS4
Yakuza 0 is a game you didn't know you wanted from a series you might've only heard but it's downright amazing. Imagine Grand Theft Auto minus the ludicrous amount of ammunitions and adding in tons of hysterical side quests.
To that end, Yakuza 0 is a deadly serious game about some really adult material that never takes itself too seriously. You'll have just as much fun pummeling people for cash as you will playing any number of the wacky and wonderful mini games you can find throughout the massive game world. Gravity Rush 2 was this month's sleeper pick, but Yakuza 0 is this month's somehow even sleepier sleeper pick.
Horizon: Zero Dawn
What system(s) is it on? PlayStation 4
The newest project from Killzone series developer Guerrilla Games, Horizon: Zero Dawn’s concept is far more unique and engrossing than the forgettable mashup of words that make up its title. (Seriously, we challenge you to leave us a more generic-sounding title in the comments below.)
Thankfully, Horizon's premise was far more original.
An action adventure set in a world overrun with robotic fauna, Horizon casts you as a human hunter named Aloy who uses a mix of stealth, ranged combat, and a little improvisation to fell inorganic beasts and survive in the mecha-wilderness. Not just a unique take on an open world, Horizon pushes what the PS4’s hardware can do from a graphical level. That said, we feel this game deserves a spot in any gamer's PS4 library.
Despite it being eight years since the last game, Halo Wars 2 doesn’t feel like a large step from the original. It looks better and it takes into account everything that’s happened in the Halo story since the first game, but mechanically it is much the same as its predecessor. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though. Everything considered, Halo Wars 2 is enjoyable – if not that innovative.
What system(s) is it on? PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Given how the original Mass Effect trilogy wrapped up the epic tale of Commander Shepard’s battle for all sentient life with a nice lil’ bow, the next installment in BioWare’s sci-fi series had us intrigued. With essentially a blank slate to tell a new story, Andromeda is set far in the future, 600 years after the events of Mass Effects 1 through 3.
In an expansive, semi open-world environment, players are tasked with exploring new planets with the aid of your own ship, the Tempest, and a customizable six-wheeled space whip called the Nomad. Of course, things don't always go according to plan in the more roguish parts of the galaxy, so you'll also be bringing your allies, laser weaponry, biotic powers, and other abilities both familiar and new to Mass Effect fans along for the ride.
Though it's the latest game in the Mass Effect franchise we're not so sure it's the greatest and you can find out why in ourfull review.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
What system(s) is it on? Nintendo Wii U, Nintendo Switch
As we expected, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was the Nintendo Switch's big launch title and it's certainly done well for itself. With good reviews pretty much across the board it's a must-have title and a great way to start off your relationship with the new Switch console.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild takes the adventuring shenanigans of Link and blows it up onto a sprawling open world where players can explore at their leisure and daring. Even the series’ trademark dungeons can be played in whatever order the player wants, making Breath of the Wild a game that is just as much about maintaining the series' status quo as it is breaking it.
While previous entries in the Legend of Zelda series like Ocarina of Time and Wind Waker have played with the concept of a large explorable map, Breath of the Wild is taking things to ambitious new heights.
What system(s) is it on? PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Wii U, Nintendo Switch, PC
Sometimes it takes a genre coming back with a vengeance to remind you just how long it's been since you've seen one of its kind. That was the overwhelming feeling playing Yooka-Laylee, the Kickstarted spiritual successor to Banjo-Kazooie from a group of ex-Rare developers, left us with.
The recent absence of the cartoon platformer is what initially makes Yooka-Laylee such a novel game. You play as Yooka, and Laylee sits on your shoulders, allowing you to perform special moves and providing a second character to bounce witty dialogue off. It's a formula we haven't seen in some time, but it's one we're all the more excited to come back to all these years later.
What system(s) is it on? PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
From the ashes of the cancelled-before-its-time Prey 2, Arkane Studio’s revival of the Prey franchise is, well, some interesting branding. With little direct resemblance to the original Prey to be a reboot, nor anything really to do with its scrapped sequel, Prey is more of a re-imagining of the series’s original concept - though we question what constitutes a series when only one entry ever saw the light of day, but we digress. What now stands in Prey 2’s place is something wild, intriguing, and plenty ambitious enough to be whatever it wants to call itself.
Aboard a research vessel floating in space to study a mysterious alien life form, players will have to use their wits and resources to survive as a breach puts them - and possibly the entire Earth - in danger.
We've given the game a "play it now" recommendation in our full review, praising its often surprisingly deep story, incredible atmosphere and open-ended approach which offers something to both casual and hardcore gamers.
Marvel ain’t the only superhero property throwing down this coming year. NetherRealm Studios’ 2013 brawler Injustice: Gods Among Us is getting a sequel in 2017, returning to the DC Comics universe to knock some serious heads. With classic standbys like Batman, The Flash, and Wonder Woman going toe-to-toe with new additions like Gorilla Grodd and Blue Beetle, Injustice 2 is looking to be a from-the-pages slugfest both fighting game fans and comic aficionados alike can really enjoy.
To that end, Injustice 2’s tagline of “Every Battle Defines You” isn’t just a dramatic piece of marketing text. Each time you step into the ring with one of the DC’s finest, that character walks away with new loot that enhances their skills, traits, or overall ability until you have a suped-up Superman tuned exactly to your tastes.
When's it come out? June 30 2017
What system(s) is it on? PlayStation 4
Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is the game we've waited over 20 years to play – it's the not-quite-remastered remake of the game many of us loved growing up. It wasn't something we ever thought would happen considering that the game's original development studio, Naughty Dog, is deep in development of The Last of Us Part 2 and Uncharted 4 DLC, so we're thankful another developer, Vicarious Visions, was there to pick up the slack. Call us suckers for PlayStation-era nostalgia (guilty as charged) but with a year like 2016 in the recent past, it'll be nice to have something to bring us back to the good ol' days.
When's it come out? Fall 2017
What system(s) is it on? PlayStation 4, Xbox One
One of the few sequels that can get us excited over an announcement of an announcement, Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption 2 takes us back to the untamed, open-world expanses of the Wild West. The team over at Rockstar was kind enough to give the internet a passing glimpse of what to expect from their next stint in the saddle, showing off gorgeous stretches of untamed prairie, pristine forests, not-so-pristine settlements, and of course - a posse of armed men on horseback seemingly up to no good.
Rockstar has promised little of the next Red Dead installment, save for what the company calls “the foundation for a brand new online multiplayer experience,” leaving us desperate for details and counting down what seem like endless days before RDR2’s planned Fall 2017 release.
When's it come out? September 8
What system(s) is it on? PS4, Xbox One and PC
Destiny has established itself as one of the most solid and popular massive multiplayer online shooters out there and now Destiny 2 is getting ready to step in and take over.
The game has had a few trailers now and we know we're getting some exciting stuff including improved storytelling, new classes, new maps and new play modes.
Even better, the game will be coming to PC in glorious 4K.
When's it come out? Almost certainly by the end of September
What system(s) is it on? PS4/Xbox One/PC/Nintendo Switch
FIFA is a gaming release almost as certain as death and taxes and its continual success is a testament to its quality and popularity. This year we'll see the arrival of FIFA 18 and we have no doubt that it'll be one of the biggest selling titles of the year.
This time around FIFA will continue to use the more powerful Frostbite engine that was used for FIFA 17 so we can expect some excellent graphics. We're also looking forward to the return of The Journey, the single player narrative mode introduced last year.
With FIFA 18 set to make an appearance at this year's EA Play we're hoping we'll get a better idea of how the game will play very soon.
Call of Duty is returning at the end of this year and this time it's going back in time to WW2. A more historical approach worked for Battlefield 1 and there's great potential here.
After Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare disappointed fans and Activision it looks like this next installment is going to give the series a much-needed shake-up. Call of Duty WW2 will feature a single player story campaign, multiplayer, and a multiplayer mode with a story element so there should be something for everyone.
Expectations are high for this ambitious new game and we hope that when the game is released on November 3 it meets them.
What systems is it on? PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC
Star Wars fans have a lot to look forward to this year, and one of the things we're most excited about is the new addition to the Star Wars Battlefront series from EA DICE, Star Wars Battlefront 2.
Though the first game in the series really captured the atmosphere of the Star Wars universe, it was lacking in other areas. This time around it looks like DICE is really taking criticism on board and making some much-needed improvements.
First off, we're getting a single-player campaign mode that will put players in the shoes of Iden Versio, a member of the Imperial Forces elite ops unit called Inferno Squad and occupy the time between the sixth film of the franchise, Return of the Jedi, and the seventh film, The Force Awakens.
Excitingly, the sequel will also expand beyond the original trilogy and explore characters, locations and events from the new films and prequel trilogy too.
That means that in addition to characters like Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Han Solo and Boba Fett, players will get to take control of characters such as Rey, Kyrlo Ren, Yoda and Darth Maul.
Taking all of this together, we're looking forward to a game that should be bigger, deeper and hopefully better.
It's hard to say anything bad about Sea of Thieves, a massively multiplayer action adventure game that's being developed by Rare and published by Microsoft. The premise here is, well ... OK, there really isn't one. You're a pirate. Your friends are pirates. And everyone in the world is a pirate. It's up to you and your crew of marauders whether you want to be the nice, friendly kind of seafarers who explore just to see the world, or the digital incarnation of Black Beard. Ah the freedom of choice, a pirate's one true and only friend.
What system(s) is it on? PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Say what you will about the show's humor (though we think it's absolutely spectacular), Trey Parker and Matt Stone's first foray into South Park video games, South Park: The Stick of Truth, was actually fantastic. The game combined the hilariously childish and yet somehow poignant comedy from the show with the tropes of our favorite medium. It's with those memories in mind that we can't wait for its sequel, the outrageously named South Park: The Fractured But Whole, to come out sometime in 2017.
That being said, both Parker and Stone have been known to delay games until they're ready in the past, meaning we might end up waiting another 12 months until we get our hands on The Fractured But Whole ... wait, that just sounds wrong.
When's it come out? 2017 (Possibly?)
What system(s) is it on? PlayStation 4
We're really excited about Dad of War. Er, no, we mean God of Parenting. Sorry, sorry. God of War: The Parent Trap starring Lindsay Lohan.
Whatever you want to call it we're excited to see Kratos return to our Sony consoles in the next adventure in what has to be the most unfortunate man of all time's life. Shown briefly at E3 2016 last year, God of War follows Kratos as he travels far from his Greek homeland to the northern most parts of Europe where he encounters monsters from Norse mythology.
Most of the demo was a fight sequence but it opened and closed with Kratos teaching a young boy, who we assume is Kratos's son. How much of this turns out to be as it appears remains to be seen, however that doesn't make us any less excited to eviscerate our enemies in between lessons about the birds and the bees when God of War on PS4 comes out (we hope) in 2017.
When's it come out? 2017
What system(s) is it on? PlayStation 4
OK, we're being honest here: We have no idea what to call Uncharted The Lost Legacy. It's definitely a game. Like, definitely. But is it a standalone title? Is it the first DLC pack for Uncharted 4: A Thief's End? While it's probably more likely to be the latter than the former, The Lost Legacy is an insanely interesting spin-off from the main series that will feature two of the series' leading ladies – Chloe Frazer and Nadine Ross – as they do a bit of treasure pilfering in the Middle East.
There are still a bunch of questions we want answered (why did these two team up? What are they doing over there? Where's Drake?), but we're hoping at least some of them will be answered when Naughty Dog reveals more details about the game (DLC?) later this year.
When's it come out? End of 2017
What system(s) is it on? Nintendo Switch?
A new Super Mario game is always a big event and a new Super Mario game for the brand new Nintendo Switch console is likely to be huge.
Super Mario Odyssey looks set to be one of the biggest Mario games ever with a more open sandbox world, a wide variety of locations to explore and new moves that will offer even more ways to explore them.
We're even more intrigued now that it seems the game will offer a challenge to players after Shigeru Miyamoto said the game would appeal to veteran players who had lost interest because of the increasingly casual approach of recent Mario games.
This is sure to be one of the biggest hits for the Switch so far and though there's no confirmed release date just yet we know it's coming before the end of the year and can look forward to more details when we get hands on at this year's E3!
