Deep down, you realize they’re not real. You understand that what you’re seeing on screen is only pixels and polygons, that what you’re talking to is only a voice actor and that what you’re supposedly interacting with is only a fancy collection of programming codes. Sometimes, however, you can’t help but be a little fooled. Especially when you’re a young, dumb, naïve and impressionable kid… ...

In this week’s thrilling installment, TalkRadar brings on a special mystery guest to finally settle a question that’s been burning in the minds of our fans for months: What exactly the hell happened between Chris Antista and Tyler Wilde? Once that’s settled, it’s on to our usual dissection of this week’s Top 7, followed by a frank discussion of why we chose what we chose for our Greatest games on every platform ...

There are two editorial gold mines in the videogame-list business. The first is box art, because laughing at other people’s hard work gone awry is fantastically easy. Right behind those myriad articles about game packaging are lists devoted to poking fun at their very names – and we’re not afraid to go back to the well for another bit of fun. ...

In a medium full of perfect teeth, washboard stomachs and breasts that have their own gravitational pull, it’s rare to see characters with disabilities. But they do exist… and they’ve done some badass things. Be it killing gods, eating hardened soldiers or even creating the Nintendo universe; being physically challenged never got in the way of this bunch’s fun.

Disabled and deadly in: Metal Gear Solid 3: ...

When the hero's mistakes end the world instead of saving it. ...

You’ll often hear about games lauded for their exceptional soundtracks. Some succeeded with NES-style bleeps, others had orchestral scores or fully licensed songs that lent credibility to a medium struggling to be more than a toy. ...

Brave humans battling valiantly for the bright future of their world against a soulless alien horde? Not at all. Arrogant human invaders trying vainly to maintain their stranglehold on an abused and suppressed planet. That's more like it. 

Want to really save Cera? Leave it to the Locust. ...

Last week, Gears of War 2’s Lead Designer, Cliff Bleszinski, debuted GOW2 gameplay to a completely unsurprised public. We paid attention, but only because we had nothing better to do - after all, what do we want with your sloppy seconds? Here’s our six snotty comments about your stupid 360 exclusive. ...