From The Armchair: The Games of 2018 that Got Away

2018 was an amazing year for games, but there’s only so much time to play them all. Here are the ones I wish I’d had a chance to try.

Red Dead Redemption 2 wasn’t worth the hardship

Let’s face it, no video game is worth working yourself into ill health over.

The Ridley amiibo is a thing of beauty

Samus Aran’s nemesis makes for one of the best amiibo yet.

Review: Arca’s Path VR (PSVR)

Like Super Monkey Ball, but with all the fun sucked out of it.

Review: Hollow Knight: Voidheart Edition (PS4)

Hollow Knight is one of the best Metroidvania games I’ve ever played, and a remarkable result for a first-time developer.

Exciting goose news

Goose sock puppets! A fuzzy goose T-shirt! Untitled Goose Game has got some seriously lovely merch.

Review: 428: Shibuya Scramble (PS4)

This acclaimed visual novel from the makers of the Zero Escape series received a perfect score from Famitsu magazine back in 2008 – and now it’s finally available in English.

From The Armchair: Welcome To The World Of VR

PlayStation VR has entered The Manor, and it’s flippin’ amazing.

Review: Call of Cthulhu (PS4)

Call of Cthulhu is a pleasingly atmospheric take on Lovecraft’s creations – as long as you’re willing to overlook some of the rough edges.

Review: Valkyria Chronicles 4 (PS4)

A masterful return to form for a series that had lost its way.

You can never go back: the Play Expo Blackpool Retro Special

I loved seeing all the historic arcade cabinets and retro consoles at Play Expo Blackpool – but sometimes old games are best left in the past.

Review: Steel Rats (PS4)

The long-awaited Steel Rats is finally here, chainsaw wheels and vertical driving fully intact. But does it live up to its promise?

Look at these amazing Japanese-woodblock-style gaming prints

Starfox, Mario Kart and Pokemon like you’ve never seen them before.

Two fascinating gaming books are on the way

The NES Encyclopaedia and Japansoft: An Oral History are both set for release next year.

Win a download code for Steel Rats on PS4!

We’ve got two EU codes for the wonderfully OTT Steel Rats to give away, but you’ve only got a few days to enter, hurry!

UPDATED: My six-page feature on Genesis LPMud is in the new issue of PC Gamer UK!

My feature on one of the oldest online multiplayer games is in issue 323 of PC Gamer!

How do the 20 PlayStation Classic games measure up?

Hmmm, interesting list.

Hazelnut Bastille is a gorgeous-looking 16-bit-style RPG

A stunning Zelda-like top-down RPG is storming its Kickstarter goals.

First Impressions: The Light Keeps Us Safe

I previewed the latest game from the makers of The Signal of Tolva for Kotaku UK. Let’s see how that went.

Why I want to set my PC on fire

I got a new gaming PC. And now I want to DESTROY IT UTTERLY.