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Articles by Paddy Dunne
EA FC27 Review – Stunning Comeback or Final Whistle?
As sure as the sun rises in the morning and the moon rises at night, EA Sports releases their yearly iteration of the most popular football game ever, EA FC 27. The game formerly known as FIFA has returned and asks us to part with our hard-earned cash. Every year, we tell ourselves that this will be the one that changes everything. And every year, we find ourselves wanting a little more.
EA Sports FC 27 is coming this week
This Friday sees the return of the most popular and best football franchise, EA Sports’ FC27. For those of you who have been living under a rock, this is the game formerly known as FIFA. Last year’s iteration was head and shoulders the best football game on the market. Having said that, it was a little too similar to the previous year’s title. You can catch my reviews here and here. Now to justify its AAA price tag, we are hoping to see some new innovation. Otherwise, fans would just play EA FC 26.
Thomas & Friends: Wonders of Sodor – A wonderful adventure
Thomas & Friends: Wonders of Sodor – A wonderful adventure Thomas & Friends: Wonders of Sodor on the PS5 is a difficult game to review. I am not the target audience here. Not even close. It’s not for you, and you know that from the outset. But that is one of the joys of having kids. Now, I had my small 4-year-old human sitting beside me called Aimee, controller in hand, curiosity piqued with a beaming smile on her face.
A.I.L.A - You Can Call Me AI
A.I.L.A – You Can Call Me AI A.I.L.A is a very, very interesting concept. You play as Samuel, a game tester hired to trial a new prototype of a horror-creating artificial intelligence, A.I.L.A. The premise is simple but effective: the AI generates twisted, fear-tailored horror scenarios, which eventually bleed into your day-to-day life. This isn’t about haunted mansions with predictable scares, but an ever-shifting nightmare machine that treats you like a lab rat.
EA Sports FC26 - Here we go, here we go, here we go... again - GamEir
EA Sports FC 26 is here! There’s comfort in routine; a cup of tea in the morning, a heatwave when the Leaving Cert starts, and EA releasing another football game that looks suspiciously like the last one. EA Sports FC 26 (FC26 for anyone who values their time) arrives with all the ceremony of a club unveiling yet another new kit; an improvement, but not exactly anything you weren’t really expecting Still, credit where it’s due: there are improvements this year. Genuine ones.
Hidden Memories of the Gardens Between - A Hidden Beauty
Hidden Memories of the Gardens Between is a game that doesn’t strive to be anything but its own game. In a gaming ecosystem where most new releases are remakes, new versions of old titles, sometimes a game like this comes along and invites you to sit back and remember when life was simpler. The premise has best friends Arina and Frendt fall into a series of vibrant, dreamlike island gardens peppered with everyday objects from their childhood.
Cyber Clutch - Will it Drive you Crazy?
Cyber Clutch is one of the latest futuristic racing games from Lion Castle B.V. There’s nothing like the thrill of a good racer. The lights go green, your thumb hovers on the trigger, and suddenly you’re thrown backwards as your car goes forward at breakneck speed, leaving common sense in the dust. That’s the magic games like Wipeout and F-Zero gave us, and it’s what Cyber Clutch clearly wants to recapture on the PS5. And to be fair, on first impression, you’ll think they’ve cracked it.
Hide the Corpse - Do what now?
Hide the Corpse is the (how do I put this?) latest corpse-hiding simulator on the PSVR2. Since I have had my PSVR2, it has made me realise that there are some really odd games out there. Case in point, we have Hide the Corpse, a game that does exactly what it says on the tin. There’s a body in the middle of the room, and you’ve guessed it, you need to hide it before someone finds it. While it sounds incredibly morbid, it is more Weekend at Bernie’s than Wolf Creek.
EA SPORTS FC 25- Football's Coming Home?
EA SPORTS FC 25- Football's Coming Home? 2024-10-26 Time to lace up your boots again as EA SPORTS FC 25 is back for its yearly installment. The game formerly known as FIFA, has a habit of being received as nothing but a copy and paste the previous years iteration. Will this year be any different? Well yes, and no. I was critical last year about the lack of changes in EA FC24 compared to the one before (read here) and didn’t want to feel the same this year.
Funko Fusion: Funko Pop or Funko Flop?
Funko Fusion: Funko Pop or Funko Flop? 2024-10-07 Funko Fusion is an unusual game based in a vibrant and cartoonish world, filled with the iconic Funko Pop! Characters. For those who are not familiar with Funko Pop merchandise, they are the large headed pop culture figures that pretty much took over GameStop until it closed. Developers 10:10 Games have taken these figures and have created something unique So what is this game?
Shadow of the Ninja Reborn - Back with a Bang!
Shadow of the Ninja Reborn - Back with a Bang! 2024-09-09 Shadow of the Ninja Reborn on PS5 is a welcome callback to classic side-scrolling action of yesteryear. It has the perfect blend of nostalgia with modern sensibilities. You may be unfamiliar with Shadow of the Ninja. It was a highly acclaimed, but criminally forgotten, game on the NES which originally released in 1990. It doesn’t hold the same legendary status as Ninja Gaiden and Shinobi, both of which are household names.
Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse
Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse - The Devil is due 2024-09-09 Sam and Max: The Devil’s Playhouse, from Skunkape Games, is given a fresh lick of paint to allow fans of the series to relive the Telltale’s final chapter one last time. Since the early 90s, the duo have been delighting gamers with their charming, and downright absurd antics. Individually they are a six-foot dog in a suit (Sam) and a hyperkinetic rabbity-thing (Max), and their own unique way of fighting crime.
Helldivers 2 - Join the Fight, Spread Democracy
Helldivers 2 - Join the Fight, Spread Democracy 2024-02-23 Sony and Arrowhead Games Studio have teamed up to give us a long-awaited sequel to Helldivers, which they have imaginatively titled Helldivers 2. Has it been worth the long nine-year wait? The answer is a resounding “Hell Yeah!” Helldivers 2 is a third-person, team-based, co-op shooter that sees you, a proud patriot of Super Earth, fighting off hoards of alien insect creatures and mechanised killing machines of various shapes and sizes.
Toy Trains VR Review -
Toy Trains VR Review - 2024-01-17 Toy Trains VR is essentially a train-set simulation for VR. I mean, we have Goat Simulators, Power Wash Simulators so why not a Toy Train Simulator? In Toy Trains, you are someone who unearths a train set in your grandparent’s attic. While waiting for your Mam and Dad to arrive home, you open the train set and let your imagination run wild.
Not For Broadcast VR Review- Too Hot for TV?
Not For Broadcast VR Review- Too Hot for TV? 2024-01-10 Not For Broadcast VR is an unusual game. On the surface, it looks like a fun, throwaway Job Simulator type simulation with added Full Motion Video. However, as this game will teach you, don’t believe everything you see. There is much, much, more underneath the surface. You are in control of a newsroom production desk and are tasked to run a half-hour-long news show.
Kill It With Fire VR - Kill them, kill them all
Kill It With Fire VR - Kill them, kill them all 2023-11-19 The well-known arachnid slaughtering sim Kill it with Fire has made its way to the PSVR2. A game that began its life as a regular flatscreen game has added an extra dimension in order to try to terrify arachnophobes everywhere. And for the most part, it works. Kill it with Fire is definitely not a mainstream title, nor will it be for everyone. At its core, it is a very simple game where the player needs to enter a room and kill spiders.
EA UFC 5 - Punching Above Its Weight?
EA UFC 5 - Punching Above Its Weight? 2023-11-19 Oh EA! In a move that will surprise absolutely nobody, EA have once again released the newest iteration of a popular franchise with minimal improvements. UFC 5 is, much like their recent EAFC release, a fantastic example of a great game, which feels very much like a missed opportunity. Unlike the football game formerly known as FIFA though, the UFC franchise does not get a yearly update.
Pixel Ripped 1995 PSVR2
Pixel Ripped 1995 PSVR2 - Let's go Retro! 2023-10-12 Pixel Ripped 1995 is the second of the series of nostalgia fuelled Virtual Reality games. In case it wasn’t blindingly obvious, this one is set in 1995; the glory years of gaming. The game released a couple of years ago for the first PlayStation VR. Earlier this month, the developers Arvore released a PSVR2 update for the game. Does it still retain the charm it once had? Thankfully it’s a resounding yes.
EA FC24 - Different name, same game
EA FC24 - Different name, same game 2023-10-12 Due to a reported disagreement over the cost of licensing the name FIFA in their title, EA’s most famous franchise has been rebranded from FIFA to EA Sports FC24. This has given EA the unique chance to change up the world’s most famous football game series and reimagine and revamp what has frankly become a little stale. With an open goal at their mercy, have they managed to score a screamer? I still do not know.
Mortal Kombat 1 Review - Flawless Victory?
Mortal Kombat 1 is here. Obviously, it is not the first game in the 31-year-old franchise, but instead, it is a soft reboot of the story. This is in no way a bad thing because, in recent years, the story has become quite convoluted and hard to follow. In much the same way as the Marvel Universe has almost ruined itself with reliance on time shifts and alternate timelines, Mortal Kombat was following that path. A nice simple reboot of the story is welcome.
Green Hell PSVR2 - Welcome to the Jungle
Green Hell PSVR2 - Welcome to the Jungle 2023-10-05 Green Hell VR is a survival game for the PSVR2 which is a port of an older PC game. Originally, it was designed as a flat-screen game, but it lends itself particularly well to the extra immersion that the VR platform inevitably gives you. The story has you as an anthropologist in the Amazon. You are trying to connect with a lost tribe and learn all about them.
Tad the Lost Explorer - A tad too tame
Tad the Lost Explorer - A tad too tame 2023-08-28 Who among us isn’t a fan of the amazingly well-known films about Tad the Lost Explorer? What do you mean you’ve never heard of him? Well, you wouldn’t be the only one. Apparently, Tad the Lost Explorer is a very popular cartoon, especially in Spain, and has spawned 3 feature films. The titular character Tad is a hapless, bumbling adventurer who has aspirations to become like Indiana Jones but acts more like Mr. Bean.
Batora: Lost Haven, finding solace in action
Batora: Lost Haven, finding solace in action 2023-04-26 Batora: Lost Haven takes place in a post-apocalyptic world, with most of the Earth destroyed after a mysterious event. The main character is Avril, a 16-years old girl, who, due to the event, lost her older sister. Avril and her friend Mila discover two amulets connected to two unknown entities, the Sun, and the Moon. After this, both of them are transported to Gryja, the planet representing the Earth element.
Postal 4: No Regerts, I have quite a few
Postal 4: No Regerts, I have quite a few 2023-04-26 Postal 4: No Regerts has been billed by the developers as the “true sequel” to 2003’s controversial Postal 2. The series itself is perhaps more well-known for its reputation rather than its content so will this console release finally give us a game to live up to the hype? The game is set a few years after the events of Postal 2 and has you in control of the main character, the Postal Dude.
Oddballers, odd but a lot of fun
Oddballers, odd but a lot of fun 2023-03-17 Oddballers is a game that harkens back to the simple five rules: Dodge, Duck, Dip, Dive and Dodge. If that reference means nothing to you, I will make it simple. It is a fun little multiplayer game about dodgeball from Ubisoft. But is it any good? Dodgeball at its core is a rather simplistic game. You pick up a ball and try to hit your opponent, whilst trying to avoid being hit.
Go Go Pogogirl! - GamEir
Go Go Pogogirl! 2023-03-07 I am a sucker for quaint little platforming games so when this synopsis for Go Go Pogogirl! was given to me by developer Ratilaika Games, how could I refuse? “PogoGirl is a pogo champion living on Pogo Island. She’s fun-loving, happy and easy-going but one fateful night, her favourite pogo stick is stolen from its case.
Just Dance 2023, it's time to boogie
Just Dance 2023, it's time to boogie 2023-01-18 Just Dance 2023, where in the name of all that’s holy do I start with this review? I’m sure when Ubisoft was creating this game and who their target demographic would be, I would be last on their list. An unfit, 41-year-old man who thinks modern music “isn’t as good as it used to be” wouldn’t be exactly who they had hoped would critique their latest release. But here we are. Ubisoft’s latest instalment in the Just Dance franchise.
Idol Manager - The highs and lows of being one
Idol Manager - The highs and lows of being one 2022-09-28 Have you always fantasised about becoming the manager of a successful Japanese girl band? Well, if that is the case, I first recommend you take a long hard look at yourself, and then afterwards, give Idol Manager a try. Glitchpitch’s management simulation game, Idol Manager tasks the player to look after every aspect of their manufactured pop band’s career.
Become an unstoppable Kung Fu Machine with Sifu
The critically acclaimed Kung-Fu roguelike and beat-’em-up Sifu is receiving a major update on August 31st. Something for everyone Catering for all types of players, the update will give players another chance to push their abilities and skills to the limit or to beat their enemies stress free. These modifiers swing in both directions to. Sifu’s challenge can be increased by letting enemies ignore a player’s guard and preventing them from picking up weapons.
Gameplay revealed for Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty
TKOEI TECMO Europe and developer Team NINJA have revealed the first gameplay trailer for Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty. For all you sadists, this is shaping up to be a very interesting masocore supernatural thriller. Wo Long, Marieanne The new trailer showcases a dark Three Kingdoms plagued by demons. It also showcases the sword-based action based on the Chinese marital arts. Set during the Later Han Dynasty, it’s the story of a soldier in a militia, fighting for survival against an infestation of demons.
Bright Memory: Infinite is none too bright
Bright Memory: Infinite is none too bright 2022-08-18 Bright Memory: Infinite is a First Person Shooter. It’s fine. That pretty much could be the review. In all honesty, the game does very little egregiously wrong. The visuals are basic at times, really impressive and at other times not horrendous. The gameplay is simple if a little awkward and the storyline is unremarkable if a little too convoluted. It is the epitome of an average game. What’s the Story?
Parasite Pack, fleas and tapeworms and fun oh my
Parasite Pack, fleas and tapeworms and fun oh my 2022-08-18 Parasite Pack is a duo of games; Flea and Tapeworm Disco Puzzle. Yes. You read that correctly; Flea and Tapeworm Disco Puzzle. It’s a very difficult review to write. Essentially, the two games in the Parasite Pack are games that would not be out of place on an Atari 2600. Graphically, they are more basic than basic, and gameplay-wise, you would be hard pushed to find anything more simplistic.
Time to take aim in Sniper Elite 5
Time to take aim in Sniper Elite 5 Good wholesome Nazi-killing fun for all the family 2022-06-09 Sniper Elite 5 is the fifth instalment in the franchise which once again has you play as gravel-voiced sniper Karl Fairburne, using your specific set of skills to thwart the Nazi project known as Project Kraken by means of exploding the heads, lungs, hearts, and testicles of enemy soldiers in whatever way you see fit. For anyone familiar with the series, you know what to expect.
Crowalt: Traces of the Lost Colony, a nostalgia wonder
Crowalt: Traces of the Lost Colony, a nostalgia wonder A throwback to the point and click games of the 90's. 2022-03-22 Gamers of a certain vintage will have fond memories of the Point and Click genre. Back in the 90’s, they were exceptionally popular with gamers. Classic titles such as Monkey Island, Maniac Mansion, Day of the Tentacle, Full Throttle and Broken Sword all had special places in our hearts.
Gran Turismo 7, let's ride
Gran Turismo 7, let's ride A slick and stellar driving experience that might be unwelcoming for the non-initiated. 2022-03-02 Sony’s flagship racing franchise is zooming back to the PlayStation with the eagerly anticipated newest and shiniest instalment of Gran Turismo, Gran Turismo 7. Can this game cross the chequered flag and live up to its accelerated expectations? Or does the latest game in the series pump the brakes and send the franchise into a spin?
PlayStation's Players Unlocked
Our friends at PlayStation have unveiled the latest episode in their six-part content series Players Unlocked. Hosted by gamer and comedian Tony Cantwell, this week’s guest is none other than award winning film and gaming composer, Eimear Noone. The Galway native became the first female conductor in Oscar history at the ceremony in February 2020 and throughout her 15-year career has conducted many orchestras including Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the BBC Concert Orchestra.
Happy's Humble Burger Farm, a job simulator with a horror twist
Happy's Humble Burger Farm, a job simulator with a horror twist Gameplay Graphics Length Cost 2021-12-10 Happy’s Humble Burger Farm puts you in the shoes of a lone worker of a strange fast-food outlet, tasked with carrying out menial tasks such as taking out the bins, cleaning the cooking equipment, making the food and then ultimately serving it to your customers.
Riding high with Riders Republic
Riding high with Riders Republic Gameplay Graphics Length Cost 2021-11-10 Ubisoft has recently released Riders Republic a “totally rad” open world, extreme sports game, the spiritual successor to their previous extreme sports title Steep. While Steep had its moments and was relatively well-received, it was ultimately forgettable. Can Riders Republic build on the solid foundation of Steep and even surpass it? The answer is a resounding yes.
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