Making games is hard. Making fun of them isn’t. It’s really, really easy, actually. Of course, we wouldn’t be so critical if we didn’t love them so damn much (and if we weren’t, you know, critics). We think games are just the bee’s knees, and that’s why we get so pissed about all the stupid crap they do ...

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May 6, 2009

Guns that don’t shoot bullets

PS3 Feature | Half-Life 2

“Guns don’t kill people, bullets do.” But do they have to? Not at all, and in fact, this is all the destructive power you’re going to get out of shooting bullets. ...

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Mar 21, 2008

59 levels to play before you die: G - L

PS3 Feature | Half-Life 2

Legions of exasperated gamers whined that Kratos' escape from the bowels of Hell - complete with rotating columns of bladey cartilage, platforms of bone and two huge towers of spinning blades - was 'stupid', 'cheap' or 'toohardIwantmymummy!' but we loved it. ...
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Jan 18, 2008

Gordon Freeman: Strongest personality in gaming

PS3 Feature | Half-Life 2

18th Jan, 2008 [Warning: Like our Portal article from December, this piece features some pretty heady discourse, and also benefits from a visit from Mr. Narrative Theory. If that stuff makes you run screaming, then feel free to run screaming. Also, if you haven't completed Half-Life 2, leave now. This contains some inhuman spoilers.] Half-Life 2 is widely and rightly regarded as a modern classic. In terms of both gameplay and artistry there have been few, if any, games in the FPS genre which ...
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Jan 17, 2008

Interview: Half-life 2's David Speyrer

PS3 Feature | Half-Life 2: Episode Two

David Speyrer was interviewed for his job at Valve on the day the original Half-Life went gold in late 1998. He started working there soon after, just as Half-Life 2 began its lengthy development. Since then, hes risen through the ranks from programmer to project lead. Now, David talks us through some of the processes that led to Half-Life 2: Episode Two being the remarkable game it is. Warning: if you havent played Episode Two yet, there are spoilers ahead. Has Episode Two taken you anywhere ...
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Jul 26, 2007

Flash Gordon

PS3 Feature | Half-Life 2: Episode Two

Having written sci-fi and horror novels such as Dad's Nuke, The Orchid Eater and The 37th Mandala, Marc Laidlaw joined Valve in 1997 during the development of the original Half-Life. He's a charming guy, and given the opportunity to speak on his specialist subject, he does so perceptively and at great ...
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May 18, 2007

Valve's industrial revolution

PS3 Feature | Half-Life 2: Episode Two

Back in 1996, two Microsoft executives quit their spectacularly high-paid jobs, formed a games company and made the best game ever. Twice. They didnt like the way retailers were throttling the industrys creativity, so they cut them out. They did what a lot of mod teams were doing, they hired them. They published any game they liked through their digital distribution network, however commercially risky, and saved several independent developers in the process. Their revolution was so successful ...
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Jul 2, 2009

Trailer Trash 10

PS3 Feature | Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Thanks to the casual game asplosion, publishers are racing to put every possible leisure activity into Wii form. Our first page of Trailer Trash deals with a few egregious examples of activities that are more fun (and cheaper) in real life than on Wii. ...

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May 28, 2009

Trailer Trash 7

PS3 Feature | Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

In this week’s trailer trash, we’ve selected videos for casual games to outrage your brain. From downloadable shovelware to half-hearted licensed schlock, something here is guaranteed to make you shake your head in disgust. ...

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Feb 18, 2008

The Top 7... Failed Franchises We Know How to Fix

PS3 Feature | Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix

Videogames, television and movies frequently overlap. With so much cross pollination, you'd think the biggest and best film franchises would have respectable game adaptations by now, but that's just not the case, is it? Sure there are a handful of successful tie-ins, but many series flop around for years, seeing game after terrible game created with little or no regard for the source material. Well, we're sick of it. ...

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