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Articles by Padraig Ryan
REVIEW: Death Stranding 2 is a masterpiece that could define a decade
Hideo Kojima’s original Death Stranding split players down the middle. Some were captivated by its cryptic storytelling and unconventional gameplay, while others found its slow pace and confusing narrative to be a frustrating experience.. That made approaching Death Stranding 2: On the Beach with cautious optimism feel like a necessity.
REVIEW: Assassin's Creed Shadows proves Ubisoft has failed to learn from past mistakes
There seems to be a lot of expectation around Assassin's Creed Shadows, which is going to exacerbate any of the issues it may have. With a plethora of disappointing games, unruly business practices and generally poor reception to Ubisoft in general over the last year or two, Shadows has to perform to get Ubisoft back to the good graces of gamers everywhere.
Stellar Blade PC sales expected to outsell PS5 after record-breaking year for developer
Stellar Blade is just going from strength to strength, bringing in $43 million in royalties for developer Shift Up who posted a record year in terms of finances. Not only that, it seems like the PC version of the game is going to outsell the original PlayStation 5 game.
GEEK GOSS: Rocksteady has new Batman game and Monolith has a Wonder Woman reboot in the works
According to a new report, Monolith's Wonder Woman game is undergoing a reboot, and Rocksteady has a new Batman game in the works. While the likes of Hogwarts Legacy has been a success for the company, the gaming division at Warner Bros has had quite a few failures over the last few years.
Ōkami creator urges fans to steer clear of Wii edition before playing sequel
The director behind Ōkami has expressed his dislike for one version of the game, as he continues work on the follow-up. Developer Hideki Kamiya is known for directing some of the best games ever, between his work at Capcom like Resident Evil 2 and Bayonetta at PlatinumGames. Today's top videos STORY CONTINUES BELOW One of his most beloved titles is Ōkami, which he directed under Capcom’s Clover Studio.
Football Manager developer confirms next instalment's cancellation
It has been announced that, after a series of delays, the latest instalment of the Football Manager video game series has been cancelled. Sports Interactive released a statement that shared how it had made the ‘difficult decision’ to cancel the 2025 edition of the game after previously delaying its release twice.
How much will the Nintendo Switch 2 cost? Expert weigh in
The price of Nintendo's highly anticipated Switch 2 remains a mystery, but rumours suggest the company is aiming to make it 'affordable'. Although no specific details have been confirmed, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa recently offered some insight into the factors influencing the pricing.
Former PlayStation boss Shawn Layden thinks Xbox could become the new SEGA
Xbox could be going the same way as Sega, according to former PlayStation boss Shawn Layden, as he addresses Microsoft’s strategy. As Microsoft continues to bring more Xbox games to other platforms, the future of Xbox has become a huge talking point within the games industry.
Console Wars: Nintendo adjusts profit projections in light of Switch 2 announcement
As gamers start to look ahead to the release of its next console, the Switch 2, leading to lower sales, gaming giant Nintendo has cut its net profit forecast for its financial year. The Japanese company has revised its profit forecast for the year to March 2025 to 280 billion yen (€1.76 billion), down from 360 billion yen (€2.27 billion).
Wizard-themed video game shocks the industry with Grammy award win
In a surprise victory at the 2025 Grammy Awards, a remake of the cult-classic role-playing game Wizardry: Proving Grounds Of The Mad Overlord triumphed over blockbuster nominees such as God Of War Ragnarök, Spider-Man 2, and Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora.
REVIEW: Is the Stellar Blade x NieR Automata DLC worth the money?
Stellar Blade has released a new paid DLC, a collaboration with its inspiration Nier Automata, an addition which was almost fated to happen given Shift Up admitting their love of Nier Automata. Not to mention how Yoko Taro has openly stated he will do any collaboration as long as the collaborator pays him enough money. Today's top videos STORY CONTINUES BELOW But is the DLC good? Yes! Is it worth the money? Well... maybe.
Report claims Gears Of War and Hellblade 2 among Xbox games coming to PS5 in 2025
Microsoft is planning to port nearly all of its biggest Xbox games to other consoles this year according to an insider, including Gears Of War. Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer recently said there are no ‘red lines’ when it comes to the company’s multiplatform push, and it seems we’re about to see those words in action in 2025.
Nintendo claps back after Switch 2 'leak' at CES
After a supposed replica of the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 was showcased at CES, the Japanese company has now spoken out about the 'leak'. As previously reported, an accessory company called Genki was showing off a Switch 2 replica (behind closed doors) and is claiming to know the console's release window.
Call of Duty budgets revealed, making the series one of the most expensive ever
Activision has recently disclosed the budgets for its Call of Duty franchise, cementing its status as one of the most expensive series in gaming history. These figures reveal astronomical sums, far exceeding the budgets of other blockbuster titles in the industry, but apparently also includes marketing costs.
Has the Nintendo Switch 2 release date just leaked at CES?
The ultimate tech expo, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, is up and running for 2025 and apparently, an accessory company showcasing at the event has alluded to the Nintendo Switch 2 release date. While Nintendo themselves have kept schtum on any details regarding their next console, there have been numerous leaks and expert opinions floating about to confuse us all.
Sony and Elden Ring's Kadokawa reach 'business alliance' agreement
After rumours of a takeover bid gripped the internet, it's been announced that Sony and the Elden Ring parent company Kadokawa have reached a 'business alliance' agreement. Talk had been rife that the Japanese tech giant was making moves to acquire the Kadokawa Corporation, who owns the Elden Ring developer FromSoftware, and Kadokawa even admitted they had received an inquiry.
PlayStation Studios doubles down on live service games despite Concord setback
Sony’s PlayStation Studios remains committed to live service games, despite the high-profile failure of Concord and the subsequent closure of its developer, Firewalk Studios. According to PlayStation Studios CEO Herman Hulst, the company sees potential in the format and plans to pursue it alongside its acclaimed single-player, story-driven titles.
Check out Geek Ireland's 10 best video games of 2024
With 2024 coming to a close, we can look back at some of the year's best video game releases. While there have been some major disappointments, we can’t look past just how many diamonds we’ve had in the rough. Today's top videos STORY CONTINUES BELOW Here is our top 10 of the best video games of 2024 (aka our favourites of the year). Vanillaware is a niche developer for sure, with their games having a gorgeous, vibrant art style and intricate mechanical depth.
These are Geek Ireland's 10 worst video games of 2024
While 2024 had undoubtedly some phenomenal games to play, there was an equal share of disappointments. Whether a game launched in a buggy, unplayable mess, with a poor story, poor writing or some combination of the three, some were just terrible, so here are 10 of the worst video games of 2024. Today's top videos STORY CONTINUES BELOW A Splatoon clone, through and through and weirdly enough, this one from Square Enix that crashed hard on launch.
5 of the best TV box sets to binge over Christmas
Christmas time is a time to indulge, and what better way to do so than to find some great box sets of popular TV series and just absolutely binge it to the high heavens? You know you have those 3 tins of roses that you need to get through before January after all, why not stick on some great TV and binge away? Today's top videos STORY CONTINUES BELOW But, we hear you ask, what can I binge? Is there no short, convenient lists of great box sets to binge over Christmas anywhere on the internet?
Get Your Game On: Top 5 single-player games for Christmas
There have been quite a few single-player games released in 2024, but here are 5 of the best ones for folks who want to enjoy a solo experience. This game isn’t quite Fallout but in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone, it’s a little bit more complex than that. Today's top videos STORY CONTINUES BELOW STALKER as a franchise has always been quite hard to get into initially, but if you stick with it and give it a chance, you’ll find one of the most creative first-person shooters on the market.
Get Your Game On: Top 5 multiplayer games for a Christmas bonanza
Are you looking for something fun multiplayer games to play with your pals over the Christmas break? Here are 5 of the best games released this year that scratch that multiplayer itch. Today's top videos STORY CONTINUES BELOW Democracy never felt so good, or so violent! Squad up with 3 of your friends and take on hordes of bugs, or evil automatons. Helldivers 2 captures the absolute chaos of a 4 player co-op shooter with friendly fire perfectly. That friendly fire is very much emphasised by the way.
Get Your Game On: Check out our top 5 VR games to play this Christmas
Did you recently treat yourself to a shiny new VR headset? Are you expecting one from the big man in the North Pole? Here are 5 of the most essential VR games to try out with your new headset! Today's top videos STORY CONTINUES BELOW There is nothing more fun than flailing some lightsabers around to the beat of the music, as the blocks fly at you in VR. Now, you might look like a raving lunatic to anyone watching you and you are a hazard to anything in your surroundings, but it’s worth it.
All the highlights from the 2024 Game Awards
The 2024 Game Awards was a surprisingly excellent showcase of games to look forward to in the next few years. It’s obvious that Geoff Keighley took a lot of the feedback from 2023 to heart and worked to improve the show. Today's top videos STORY CONTINUES BELOW That was obvious with some of the awesome announcements that were dropped for the three-hour show, and here are just some of those highlights.
Move over Concord! Until Dawn is the new biggest flop on the video game block
Despite launching in the spooky season, Sony’s Until Dawn remake has failed to make any sort of impact across PC and PS5. Sony’s commitment to unnecessary remakes and remasters has accelerated in recent years, between The Last Of Us and Horizon Zero Dawn, but even in light of this strategy, a remake of Until Dawn felt particularly pointless.
A quick guide to Gamerfest's October event
GamerFest has returned to bring new and classic video games, as well as sim racing and esports, to Irish fans this October. This is the group's second event of the year, after already taking over the RDS in May. Today's top videos STORY CONTINUES BELOW Check out everything you need to know about this year's Winter GamerFest.
Bandai Namco cuts lead to multiple game cancellations
Bandai Namco has become the first Japanese publisher to lay off developers this year, although their approach is very different to Western companies. We’re still not at the end of the year and already over 13,000 people have lost their jobs in the video games industry in 2024.
Industry expert claimes the next Nintendo Switch is called...
It looks like we might finally have the name of the next Nintendo Switch console, and if the latest rumours are true, it seems they’ve learned from past mistakes. Unlike Sony’s PlayStation, Nintendo tends to avoid numbering its consoles, with the closest they’ve come to being the jump from the DS to the 3DS.
REVIEW: Super Mario Party Jamboree is fun for all the family
The latest entry in Nintendo’s virtual board game series has more characters and more mini-games than ever, and even a few new ideas. Mario Party is not something you expect to see on a list of the best multiplayer games of all time but as far as we’re concerned it deserves to be there. Clearly, it’s not a hyper competitive online game like Call Of Duty but that’s the point.
Game Freak hack leaks Pokémon Gen 10 game for Nintendo Switch 2
The developers behind Pokémon are victims of a ‘teraleak’ scale hack, which has leaked detail of new games, the Nintendo Switch 2, and employee data. Pokémon developer Game Freak has become the latest studio to be severely impacted by hackers, following recent attacks at Insomniac and Rockstar Games.
New report contradicts Splinter Cell remake's cancellation talk
Despite some reports to the contrary, the remake of 2002 classic Splinter Cell has not been cancelled, but it is going to be a while before it’s out. There are an awful lot of video game remakes around at the moment and for every welcome surprise, like Silent Hill 2, you get a bizarrely unnecessary waste of space like Until Dawn.
Who is Marvel's Wiccan and why should we care?
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has just introduced a key character from the comics – Wiccan, a fan-favourite hero with deep ties to both magic and some of Marvel's most iconic figures. It was recently confirmed that Joe Locke’s Teen in Agatha All Along is actually Billy Kaplan aka Wiccan, and fans are excited to have finally had the reveal on our screens. Today's top videos STORY CONTINUES BELOW But who exactly is Wiccan, and why is his arrival such a big deal?
Roblox report calls game an 'X-rated paedophile hellscape’
A new report has flagged concerns over child safety in Roblox, while accusing the platform of inflating player metrics for their financial reports. Roblox is one of the most popular video games in the world, alongside Minecraft and Fortnite, but it’s also among the most controversial.
REVIEW: Until Dawn remake feels like a downgrade from the original
The Until Dawn remake is a tough game to review, because in spirit it is just a graphically updated version of the classic horror game from 2012. That game was good, but attempting to ask full price for this game when the only thing it offers is the graphics overhaul.
Baldur's Gate 3 director has high hopes for next game's release window
Nobody knows what Larian’s next game is, but CEO Swen Vincke has warned not to expect it anytime soon. After the huge success of Baldur’s Gate 3 last year, many expected that developer Larian Studios would continue to work with the Dungeons & Dragons licence and do a sequel, or at least some downloadable content.
PlayStation Magazine's October edition to be its last
Future Publishing’s last magazine dedicated to PlayStation is coming to an end, almost 30 years after it all began with Official PlayStation Magazine. The past decade has seen the presence of video games magazines gradually dwindle on newsagent shelves, and now a PlayStation regular is officially closing its doors.
Is James Gunn writing his own Superman comic?
James Gunn is a man of many talents and the's some talk that the co-CEO of DC Studios is about to embark on a writing journey for a Superman comic. However, this may not be the case as Gunn himself weighed in on the matter in a post on Threads following a report in BleedingCool.
Sequel to Alien Isolation in the works 10 years after original
A sequel to Alien Isolation has been announced 10 years after the original, with the same director set to return. While it’s seemed for a long time like a sequel to Alien Isolation was strictly a pipedream, developer Creative Assembly – which is owned by Sega – is officially making it a reality.
Insider claims Sony to cancel all PS5 live service games except for Horizon Online
The sequel to Horizon Forbidden West is going to be a long coming, according to a source that says Guerrilla Games are working on an online game instead. Between the success of Helldivers 2 and the failure of Concord, it’s hard to guess whether Sony’s push for more live service games will continue as planned or if the publisher is starting to lose faith in the concept.
Game of Thrones star Kristian Nairn Dublin-bound for book-signing event
Famed for his role in the hit series Game of Thrones, actor-turned-DJ Kristian Nairn is coming to Dublin for a special book-signing event. The Belfast native is celebrating the release of his first book, Beyond the Throne, which will depict tales from his difficult childhood in Northern Ireland, to learning on-the-job for his breakout role of Hodor.
Sexual health warning issued by doctor ahead of EA Sports FC 25 release
Fans are urged to manage their time playing EA Sports FC 25, as it could result in unexpected side effects, says a doctor who’s given tips for staying safe. A recent report gave an indication of just how popular video games are, with more than 70% of people in the US finding time to play on either PC, consoles, or mobile in 2024.
Blizzard and Bethesda insider claims Xbox is ‘just a disaster’
The most respected video games insider in the business has described Xbox as ‘a mess’, complaining that they ’change their minds every month.’ The last two years have not shown either PlayStation or Xbox at their best, with disappointingly few first party releases and very mixed messages about the future.
Epic Games files another lawsuit! This time against Google and Samsung
Epic Games is back with another litigation, this time taking on two of the biggest companies in the world, claiming Google and Samsung are colluding against third party apps. Back in 2020, Epic Games sued Apple, when the latter removed Fortnite from its storefront. The reason was because the game maker, while protesting the 30% fee for in-app purchases on Apple phones, had purposefully ignored its guidelines and added its own mobile payment method for the in-game currency V-Bucks.
Insider claims alternative reason for Assassin’s Creed Shadows delay
As Star Wars Outlaws is rumoured to have only sold 1 million copies in a month, an insider reveals the complex reasons for Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ delay. The delay of Assassin’s Creed Shadows into 2025 wasn’t the most unbelievable piece of news this year – big games get pushed back all the time and this is only until February – but the reasons for it being delayed appear to be many and complicated.
COMIC ORIGINS: Who is Mephisto?
After recently being name-dropped in the MCU, Mephisto is one of the most notorious villains in Marvel Comics, often considered the embodiment of evil. First appearing in Silver Surfer #3 in 1968, Mephisto was created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Buscema and over the years, he has become a central figure in Marvel's supernatural and mystical storylines, frequently opposing heroes like Doctor Strange, Spider-Man, and even the Avengers.
Gamers unhappy with new PS5 update clogging menu screen with ads
Sony’s latest PlayStation 5 firmware update has come with an unexpected new addition, as game splash screens are replaced with ugly news updates. While the lack of themes and general customisation on the PlayStation 5 dashboard has been an issue for many since the console launched, a new update has made navigating through your games library even more of an eyesore.
Get Your Game On: Anger Foot
Anger Foot is exactly the sort of game that needs to be talked about more. It’s silly, it’s fun, and it’s very well made. If you were to be trapped in an elevator by a madman who wanted to explain whatever this game is, they’d most likely narrow it down to ‘Hotline Miami, but in first person’. Today's top videos STORY CONTINUES BELOW Levels are tightly designed mazes where each room requires you to deal with the threats efficiently and quickly.
Bethesda reveal 'Early builds' of Elder Scrolls 6 already playable
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of The Elder Scrolls, Bethesda has shared a progress update on the upcoming sixth instalment in the franchise. The Elder Scrolls 6 was announced way back in 2018, and there’s been little update since then, but now it seems like development is accelerating on Bethesda’s long-awaited follow-up to Skyrim.
Get Your Game On: No Plan B
No Plan B, developed by GFX47, is a unique tactical planning game, akin to something like Door Kickers. The main difference, though, is kind of alluded to in the title. There is no plan B. Everything you plan out is planned out in advance. There is no altering the plan, regardless of what happens during the mission. It’s a little dangerous, but very unique. It’s also incredibly fun, when the AI decides to let you enjoy yourself.
George R R Martin blames TV adaptations for Winds of Winter delays
The man behind the Game of Thrones novels, George R R Martin, has given fans an update on the long-awaited novel The Winds of Winter, and seemingly blamed the TV adaptations for the delay. The book was originally slated for release in 2014, meaning it's already 10 years behind schedule, and many fans are wondering if they'll ever get their hands on the next instalment.
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