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The Preamble So, you have stumbled across The Gamer Guide and you are wondering, “Why do I need a guide to gaming?” Well, we will not guide you on how to game, but we will keep you informed as to what the gaming industry has to offer to get you the best gaming experience! Now, the second thing you are probably wondering is, “How did The Gamer Guide start?” Well, it can be a slightly long story. However, the shortened version is that the journey of three Twitch streamers brought them together, and with their passion for gaming, their experiences of streaming, and their love for everything within the world of entertainment… The Gamer Guide was born. But what exactly is The Gamer Guide? The Gamer Guide is a digital magazine that focuses on everything gaming and streaming. This includes the latest/upcoming releases, reviews on gaming accessories, streaming tips, and even interviews with streamers and industry professionals from across the globe. Our readership is predominantly other gamers and streamers, just like us! We understand that the love and passion for gaming extends far beyond just playing a game, and that is what we are all about! So, who are the people behind this magazine?

Brandon Sawyer - Content Director Brandon who goes by the name of Sawyer is the Co Owner & Content Director of The Gamer Guide. Predominantly Sawyer is an Xbox Gamer where he mostly plays his Xbox Series X but also has a Gaming PC, a Nintendo Switch, and even a Playstation 5, with a variety of platforms this gives Sawyer the ability to review the latest games for TGG. Sawyers main gaming love is Gears of war and RPGs because who doesn’t love an adventure or some chainsaw slaying with a cheeky blind fire or wall bounce. Due to Sawyers vast knowledge and background within the industry he came together with Emily to form The Gamer Guide.

Emily Welfare - Creative Director Emily, also known as CreativeTrashGaming, came together with Sawyer to form the Gamer Guide, bringing her creative knowledge. Her favourite types of games are those with a compelling story, or those that just make her inner Fantasy Nerd go ballistic. She also likes spooky stuff, not just in the gaming realm but in general, and has a podcast with her two sisters where they discuss all things horror. Emily loves to dabble in the art world often, creating digital art pieces and learning new crafts. A graphics designer in her full time job, Emily is an integral part of the team whom designs the entire layout of our magazines from top to bottom!

Jamie Yong - Operations Manager Jamie joined The Gamer Guide late 2022 as the Operations Manager. With gaming experience in multiple platforms, Jamie’s preferred platform is PC gaming; from aiming down the sights in an FPS to brandishing swords in the world of MMORPGs. Jamie has come on board to bring you content on your favourite creators; from streamers and YouTubers, to cosplayers and artists!

contents 3

tabletop corner

anker

crucial

logitech

avermedia

lexar

gamesir

rode

gt omega racing

egx 2023

mcm london comic con oct 2023

golden joystick awards 2023

xbox partner preview

gaming news

spider-man 2

robocop: rogue city

99 103

lil gator game like a dragon gaiden

107

forza horizon

111

assassins creed: mirage

114

alan wake ii

119

call of duty: modern warfare 3

123

metal gear solid: master collection

127

readysetben

137

phianixxtv

147

tjbasc Property of Ubisoft

The Gamer Guide's

Tabletop Corner

Fans of Critical Role are probably already aware of the new series called Candela Obscura - A tabletop investigative horror that the cast, along with some amazing guests, have been playing for the past few months. The game is a complete original by Darrington Press (The company in which is owned by Critical Role), with the lead game designers being Spenser Starke and Rowan Hall. “As an investigator of the paranormal secret society Candela Obscura, you and your circle are charged with exploring, fighting, and protecting the people of Newfaire from supernatural dangers lurking in the folds of a bustling world unaware of the occult magick simmering beneath.” On their Twitch and YouTube channel, Critical Role have been showing gameplay of this immersive tabletop experience, bringing in amazing guests such as Robbie Daymond, Anjali Bhimani, Brennan Lee Mulligan and Zehra Fazal. They have recently just introduced the newest circle to the series, lead by none other than Aabria Iyengar with guests Ashly Burch, Gina Darling, and Noshir Dalal playing alongside Liam O’Brien and Sam Riegel. It’s a thoroughly exciting watch, with their immersive set and incredible storytelling skills. Now though, watchers can finally have an experience for themselves, as the core rulebook has been released!!! Players can now create their own spooky investigations in Newfaire, exploring the dark happenings that occur behind closed doors. The book comes with 204 detailed pages and a satin ribbon for a bookmark (helpful for rulebooks, in my opinon!). The pages content not just the core rules for the game, but detailed backgrounds on the environments of the Fairelands, along with some example assignments, creatures and maps for gamemasters to draw inspiration from for their players. As someone who very much enjoys horror-based stuff, I have always been extremely intrigued by this game and will definitely want to give it a try! Who knows, maybe there will be a review for it in the future! If you want to find out more about Candela Obscura and the core rulebook, you can visit the Critical Role shop in the link below!

shop.critrole.co.uk

anker solix c1000 review Our good friends over at Anker gave us an Anker Solix C1000 to review which we are very grateful for and it was an honour to deep dive into such a product, but before we get into our review let us introduce you to Anker and who they are. About Anker Anker is the global leader in charging technology. This includes wireless charging, car charging, and their best-selling portable and wall chargers. Anker is pioneering Power Delivery technology to charge phones, tablets, and laptops at unprecedented speeds. They also have other innovations of Anker and those are Soundcore, EUFY and NEBULA. Soundcore breaks audio illusions to create speakers and earphones that spark real emotions. This includes the Flare series, 360° speakers with a beat-driven lightshow, and the Spirit series, the world’s first truly sweatproof earphones. EUFY is creating a new generation of connected devices and appliances that will simplify the smart-home experience and make it more accessible. This includes Eufy Genie, an Alexa-powered speaker, and a growing list of smart appliances such as lights, vacuums, and smart plugs. NEBULA represents a new and exciting class of smart, portable entertainment devices. This includes Nebula Mars and Nebula Capsule— the world’s first smart, portable cinema. Nebula combines smart capability with immersive audio and visuals. So as you can see Anker is a well established business with a lot of products and creativity going on around the world. What is the Ankler SOLIX C1000? So the product we have today the Anker SOLIX C1000, what may this be you ask? Well the Anker Solix C1000 is a portable power station that provides a long-lasting power supply. It has a capacity of 1,056Wh and can be expanded to 2,112Wh.

The device has a 1,800W Pure Sine Wave AC Output and can run 2,400W Loads With SurgePad. It also has a HyperFlash AC Input that can recharge the device from 0-100% in just 58 minutes via a wall outlet with a 1300W input which to me is absolutely crazy for how long such a thing lasts.

The device can be charged using a 600W Max Solar Input which is ideal if you are somewhere and don’t have access to a wall outlet or even a car top charge once the product has emptied its full charge. The device does however come with a remote app control and has a wonderful 5-Year Warranty and of course it’s recommended to have a 10-Year Lifespan which is more than enough as 10 years from now who knows what Anker may have introduced by then. The device has 9 ports and can connect up to 9 devices simultaneously but please do bear in mind these 9 ports are from plug to USB etc not 9 singular plug sockets. This product is built to last with EV-grade LFP batteries, industrialgrade components, a drop-proof design, and smart temperature monitoring. The device is ideal for camping and outdoor activities however we found that this would be perfect to target content creators who may vlog outdoors or who need that portability at events and such. The Anker SOLIX C1000 is ultra-fast and worry-free recharging. The device can be customised using the Anker app. You can customise the AC recharging speed, see real-time power stats, and set power schedules which to me is the ideal way to save your power when you are out and about.

The Anker SOLIX C1000 also comes with a 30 Day Price Match Guarantee and Lifetime Customer Support which is a great addition from the team over at Anker. The product and inside the box At first glance the Anker SOLIX C1000 did impress me not just by its heavy build but also its great compact construction. Please take into consideration that this product weighs around 13/14 KG. Inside the box I found an AC charging cable, a car charging cable, a solar charging cable, and a warranty card. This product has a very clean aesthetic, with an intuitive interface that makes it easy to monitor and control. The Anker SOLIX C1000 has received four UL certifications from SGS, assuring its safety and reliability. Anker also offers a 5-year warranty and a 10-year lifespan on the SOLIX C1000, providing peace of mind for consumers. Performance The Anker SOLIX C1000 is a powerhouse when it comes to recharging. With its HyperFlash AC Input, the unit can recharge from 0 to 100% in just 58 minutes which is an amazing achievement in itself. The Anker SOLIX C1000 is significantly faster than most power stations with similar capacity. The quick recharge time was super convenient when packing for trips, as it was able to be fully charged in the time it took me to pack my bags and be ready to go. Battery Life Down to battery life and With a battery capacity of 1056Wh, the Anker SOLIX C1000 was more than sufficient to power my devices during any of my events or remote vlogging encounters. I was powering lights, charging cameras and laptops, I even managed to get an xbox and a monitor to work! And outdoors too, the Anker SOLIX C1000 never let me down. I was super impressed. This was all down to this power station featuring a 1,800W pure sine wave AC output which allowed me to power multiple appliances and electronic devices simultaneously like my Xbox and Monitor. Another great addition to the Anker SOLIX C1000 is that you can even expand with an extra battery

to provide up to 2kWh of energy, offering more flexibility for larger power needs, maybe my pc in the woods next time.

Solar Charging One great trait that this product has is its Solar Charging which I personally found the solar recharging feature to be amazing. With a high maximum point of power tracking (MPPT) efficiency, I could stay off-grid for quite some time, harnessing the power of the sun to keep my devices running, however you do need to obtain a Solar panel which Anker does stock these as an additional cost, for example the Anker SOLIX PS400 Solar Panel is a great choice to match with this. That particular solar panel is a perfect companion for the power station, providing an eco-friendly power solution for outdoor adventures. The PS400 is also waterproof (IP67 certified) and offers fast charge times thanks to monocrystalline solar cells. Connectivity First up we should of course mention the SurgePad Technology which to me personally is hands down my favourite feature. With this feature, I could simultaneously power multiple devices, such as a The Xbox and Monitor I previously mentioned. The SOLIX C1000 can run 2,400W loads with its SurgePad technology. This was particularly impressive, as it allows the device to support high-power appliances that may not typically work with other portable power stations for example your setup in the woods. Of course there is also a remote app that comes with the Anker SOLIX C1000 through the Anker App which is downloadable to your smartphone devices. I found this app and feature incredibly useful for monitoring and controlling the power station remotely from my smartphone. The app offers a clean interface and easy navigation, making it effortless to customise the power station’s settings to your liking which to be honest making something so simple and easy to use is a brilliant addition.

Pricing As I always say you get what you pay for and this is no exception here, currently as of writing this the Anker Solix C1000 is priced at £750 with the full retail of £999/ $999, now do not let this put you off as you can imagine what must go into such a device and the ability to fully charge this in 58 minutes come on here you are getting premium of the premium here the top of the chain, a product which excels and provides such a thing you need when out on the go for days upon a time has to be priced so high.

market. Pairing it with a Solar Panelled device for example the Anker SOLIX PS400 Solar Panel, this provides an eco-friendly power solution.I personally think that there is an additional market for such a product like Ankers SOLIX range that they could potentially loan such a product out to events or even LANs some of the higher SOLIX ranges would go down a treat. Rating and Recommendations

The Anker SOLIX C1000 Portable Power Station has proven to be a reliable companion for any outdoor adventures that are not just camping but also in the content creation world either at an event or just vlogging outdoors, I personally would even use this as a trusted backup power source at home.

As for ratings and recommendations come into it, I personally couldn’t find any major faults well to be honest zero faults on the tech side of things however the weight of the product and the price may but off a handful of people, the ability to not just wheel this around too could be a deciding factor as my partner wasn’t keen on lifting this up so it may not be everyone’s taste but to be its shear brilliance a must have for any outdoor person or vlogger or even an event requirement. Scoring on that note I give this a 9/10 with just the weight and price being a consumer factor but to me this product is a great addition for many, luckily enough I live in area where we don’t have power outages but having something like this on standby if you did would be a life saver in some cases. On that note I do recommend this product with a TGG stamp of approval and a strong 9/10.

Its fast charging capabilities, solar recharging option, and long-lasting battery make it a standout product in the portable power station

With that in mind why not head over to Ankers site below and pick up this product or check out their range of other wonderful products too.

However the 10 year lifespan, the 5 year warranty and customer support for life, this price seems nothing if you were to buy several power banks within that time frame. For me if you spend a lot of time outdoors or you are a vlogger on the go in rural areas where you need something like this then the price is very much justified.

Final Verdict

Website: www.anker.com Facebook: @Anker X: @AnkerOfficial TikTok: @ankerofficial YouTube: @AnkerOfficial

Crucial t500 pro ssd review Our great friends over at Crucial have once again happily worked with us in producing this reviewing segment for their all new T500 Pro SSD, in which Crucial kindly gifted us a T500 Pro SSD with heatsink and 2TB of storage.

Who are Crucial? Now for those of you who do not know who Crucial are well let us explain them to you first of course. Crucial is a brand of Micron Technology, Inc which is one of the largest memory and flash storage manufacturers in the world. Crucial products include memory modules, solid state drives, and USB flash drives. Crucial products are compatible with most computer systems and are backed by rigorous quality standards and testing. Crucial is a global consumer brand that sells its products through various retail and e-tail stores, commercial resellers, and system integrators. What is the T500 Pro? The Crucial T500 Pro is a PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD that uses a 4-channel controller and Micron’s 232-layer 2400MT B58R NAND flash memory. It is available in 500GB, 1TB, and 2TB capacities, with or without a low-profile heatsink, luckily we managed to secure a 2TB version with heatsink which is the perfect option for the PS5 users out there. Speed & Performance? This is what matters when searching for an all new SSD and with the Crucial T500 Pro we found this to be one of the fastest PCIe 4.0 SSDs on the market, delivering up to 7400MB/s read and 7000MB/s write speeds for the 2TB version of course these speeds may differentiate with other memory capacities. The T500 also has excellent

random performance, reaching up to 1.4 million IOPS . What is IOPS? IOPS stands for Input/Output Operations Per Second, and it is a measure of how many tasks (reading and writing data) a storage device can perform in one second. It is a metric used to assess the performance of a storage device, such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid-state drive (SSD). In general, SSDs have much higher IOPS than HDDs, as they have no moving parts and can access data faster. However, IOPS numbers published by storage device manufacturers do not directly relate to real-world application performance, as they are often based on idealised scenarios and synthetic benchmarks. To get a more realistic estimate of the IOPS performance of a storage device, it is necessary to specify the response time (how long it takes to complete an I/O operation) and the workload (the mix of read and write operations, the data block size, the queue depth, and the access pattern) that are relevant to the intended use case. Pricing/Rating The Crucial T500 Pro is very affordable for its performance and capacity, costing around

$89/£87 for 500GB without heatsink, $129/£126 for 1TB, and $179/£175 for 2TB with heatsink which we recommend you go with. The T500 also has a decent endurance rating of 300TBW for 500GB, 600TBW for 1TB, and 1200TBW for 2TB. Compatibility The Crucial T500 is compatible with most PCs as long as they have a PCIe 4.0 NVMe slot which is common with most motherboards we use today, however this specific SSD and if you opt for Heatsink is super compatible and great with the PS5 models. Drawbacks? The Crucial T500 Pro has some drawbacks which do not allow this to put you off as it can be fairly minor, but the slow performance when the secondary cache runs out, average TBW rating compared to some competitors, and limited availability of the 4TB model, however they are due to launch a 4TB version soon.

Overall Overall, the Crucial T500 Pro is a solid all-around drive that offers ultra-fast and delightfully affordable PCIe 4.0 performance. It is also compatible with the PS5 console if you opt for the heatsink version which is what we have done here for the review. Load times for gaming seems very minimal on Pc & VPS5 so its great for that and if you are after an up to 2TB range then this is for you however in the meantime if you require more storage then it may be the right thing to shop around or wait for the 4TB ones to launch as Crucial hits the correct line for cost. Scoring time, for me Crucial is great, not only on price but performance, the minor drawbacks we have here are what will give this an 8/10 making it more cost efficient but less on capacity, with all that into consideration we do recommend such a product and with that in motion you should head down below to Crucial and their site where you can either pick up a T500 today or search their site for many other fantastic products too.

Website (US): www.crucial.com Website (UK): uk.crucial.com Facebook: @CrucialMemory X: @CrucialMemory Instagram: @crucial_memory YouTube: @CrucialMemory

Our great friends over at Logitech have hooked us up with their G cloud which is a handheld device that lets you play games in the cloud or run emulators on Android. Who are Logitech? First up let us explain to those who may not know who Logitech are. Logitech is a Swiss company that designs and manufactures computer peripherals such as mice, keyboards, webcams, speakers, and more. The company was founded in 1981 and has since become a leading brand in the computer hardware industry. Logitech is known for its high-quality products that are compatible with various devices and needs. What is the Logitech G Cloud? The Cloud is a cloud gaming handheld product which has a seven-inch multitouch screen with a 1080p resolution and a 60Hz refresh rate. It also has a modern controller layout with textured grips, but some reviewers found the triggers, buttons, and D-pad too small or soft which we can see where they are coming from however do not let this put you off from purchasing as overall it is down to personal taste and for me I had no problem. The device has a fast and reliable internet connection but doesn’t max out our optimise the higher ranges of networks, a huge shame as the Cloud does not support LTE. The battery life is longer than other handheld consoles, but the price is high which is to be expected for a longer lasting battery. The streaming performance and interface vary depending on the cloud service or emulator used. The device is mainly for hardcore cloud gaming fans who don’t want to use their phone or tablet, taking that into account it doesn’t fit in my pocket whereas my phone does. However the most striking thing about the

Logitech G Cloud is how thin and light it is, even compared to other gaming handhelds from Valve, Nintendo, and AyaNeo. Weighing in at just 463g and measuring at just 1.3 inches in thickness, it’s a slight machine, to say the least. Unfortunately, the main reason Logitech’s latest device comes in lighter and slimmer than its rivals is due to what is inside. That’s because the Logitech G Cloud is essentially an Android tablet running the Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G octa-core processor instead of something more hardware intensive, such as the Nvidia Tegra X1 or an AMD Ryzen APU. The hardware manufacturer claims you can expect around 12 hours of playback from the Logitech G Cloud’s 6000 mAh battery. From my testing, I can confirm that that’s about right when used purely for cloud streaming through in-built applications like Nvidia GeForce Now and Xbox Cloud Gaming. However, your battery time may seriously vary when gaming natively on Android in titles that will flex the hardware a little further. If you’re looking at having this as a machine to do both, then you’re looking at a more inconsistent 8-10 hours when all is said and done, but that’s still reasonably good for a handheld, all told. The Logitech G Cloud features two modes in the software for handheld and tablet use, the former is a streamlined approach with a console-style menu similar to Steam’s Big Picture, and the latter is a basic vanilla Android experience. For the bulk of my testing, I kept the machine in its Logitech G Hub menu just to make navigation straightforward, as it was the fastest way to jump between the various game streaming applications, the Google Play store, and the mobile titles I had installed and ready to go. Performance The performance of the Logitech G Cloud is wildly

inconsistent depending on the streaming service you choose to run for it. Many of my hours were spent with the Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta) through Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. While I can respect the convenience of being able to boot up any number of titles available to Xbox Series X users on the platform and play some of the best Xbox Series X games without the need for the system itself, the experience is incredibly mixed. There’s close to what feels like a half-second of delay, regardless of which game I was playing through the Xbox Cloud Gaming’s servers. To make matters worse, the video quality itself was lacklustre. It was frequently fuzzy in motion, making faster-paced titles, such as Forza Motorsport, close to unplayable as the roads merged together. Whereas Less intense games such as from space and power wash sim didn’t have this problem, but I found text hard to read, and the slight lag between pressing buttons and things reacting was frustrating more often than not. Yes, the service is in Beta (and also available for Android and iOS outside of the Logitech G Cloud), but seeing as this handheld pushes Xbox so heavily, it’s far from ideal that the performance is this lacking. I have a good wireless internet connection with up to 1GB capabilities. Through an internet speed test conducted from the Logitech G Cloud, I got around 490 MB/s download and 32 MB/s upload which greatly exceeds the minimum recommend rates cited by Microsoft itself. It wasn’t the best first impression of the handheld, but things quickly improved when switching over to Nvidia GeForce Now’s Ultimate package. This service utilises high-end gaming PCs to stream gameplay on far weaker devices. My subscription granted me access to rigs running the Nvidia RTX 4080, which meant I was getting far better-looking games overall. The streaming quality of Nvidia GeForce Now is genuinely excellent. There are only around nine frames of input delay, which is similar to what you’ll find when playing low ping multiplayer titles (near seamless), and the image quality was considerably sharper than through Xbox Game Pass. The trade-off is that you don’t have a vast game library to choose from. Instead, you can boot and stream games you already own through Steam, GOG, Epic, and Ubisoft Connect as licences. It’s a cool idea for sure, and it made playing through Cyberpunk 2077 a breeze as if they were running on native hardware. It’s not all good news, though. That’s because this service tier will run you $19.99 / £14.99 a month to play

games you already own, requiring you to have an extensive PC gaming library to make the most of this. The reliance on an internet connection to play games instead of being able to natively render them as the Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch can for a similar price. There’s also the fact that all these apps are available on Android phones and iOS which makes this handheld a harder sell unfortunately. Overall after an intensive two week rotation with the Logitech G Cloud I bounced between Xbox Game Pass & Nvidia GeForce putting Ge Force at the top of my choices but at a much more costly outcome which was a shame really. To Summarise The Logitech G Cloud has some redeeming qualities with its great screen, battery life, and form factor. However, the price point and reliance on inconsistent streaming software make it challenging to recommend compared to the competition in the handheld gaming market this year, the Logitech G Cloud could struggle to find a purpose in a crowded handheld gaming scene due to its high price, limited game downloads, and lack of 5G support . However the G Cloud is an exciting step into the future of streaming handhelds, offering a gorgeous form factor, generous display, and slick controls. However, it’s not without its flaws - not quite working hard enough to differentiate itself from a simple tablet device. While easy to use, it doesn’t give you enough reasons to justify ditching cloud gaming on your phone or tablet due to the lack of LTE, high price, and inconsistent streaming performance. On that note unfortunately this product falls short with a 7/10 however we do recommend this for you hardcore cloud gamers who are always on the go and you may need your phone for other things, after reading our review show Logitech some support and visit their site and socials below where you can either pick up a Cloud or one of their many other great products. Website: www.logitechg.com Facebook: @LogitechG X: @LogitechG Instagram: @logitechg YouTube: @logitechg

Well it would seem Christmas came early as we was very surprised to receive what seemed to us as one of the best care packages we have received to date by our good friends over at AVerMedia. What was inside the care package? This package contained a bunch of items from AVerMedia, some of the worlds first to be precise, the items included in this package were, a Live Gamer ULTRA 2.1 which is the worlds first USB Capture card to utilise HDMI 2.1 technology. Second up we have the Live Streamer Mic 350 which is the world’s first microphone equipped with DIRAC audio tuning technology which is normally exclusively used in luxury cars. Third but not finally was an Elena accessories Gaming mouse pad and card deck which to me was a nice touch and a great collectors piece and finally a nice custom AVerMedia hoodie in a XL which is just my size! We are ever so grateful that the team over at AVerMedia chose us, The Gamer Guide to gift such a great package to, thank you so much to everyone involved. Who are AVerMedia? AVerMedia is a global technology company that provides a variety of products for content creation, video collaboration, and Edge AI. Their product portfolio includes capture cards, webcams, microphones, embedded systems, and more. AVerMedia is known for its cutting-edge technology and high-quality products that are compatible with various devices and needs. AVerMedia Live Gamer ULTRA 2.1 The AVerMedia Live Gamer Ultra 2.1 is a capture card that offers HDMI 2.1 passthrough and 4K/60 capture. It is the first consumer capture card to

offer the ability to pass high and variable frame rates through to a monitor while capturing, with no need to set your source to 60fps. The device connects to your PC via a single USB 3.2 USB-C port (or a 10Gbps Type-A port if you switch the cable) that supplies power and data rather than a PCIe slot. The card supports 2160p/144, 1440p/144, and 1080p/240 passthrough out of the box, and even more resolutions and frame rates will be added gradually. The Live Gamer Ultra 2.1 is compact and lightweight, making it easy to carry around. The Live Gamer Ultra 2.1 is easy to set up and boasts an incredible array of features. We also must mention that the device is twice the price of an Elgato capture solution, or even Aver’s own 4K box, at $300/£280. However being the first to tackle HDMI 2.1 it is very much so expected at this moment in time. For us the Live Gamer Ultra 2.1 is the most impressive capture device we have worked with, flawlessly capturing 4K60 while maintaining incredible passthrough resolutions and refresh rates. Overall, the Live Gamer Ultra 2.1 is a great choice for those looking for a high-quality capture card with HDMI 2.1 passthrough and 4K/60 capture capabilities. Leaving just the price to be something to question but like the saying goes you get what you pay for and this premium price tag is very much so justified so to rate this it’s a 9/10 for us here at The Gamer Guide solely down to its performance and that is superbly justified. Pricing The AVerMedia Live Gamer ULTRA 2.1 is currently listed as of writing this at £279.99

AVerMedia Live Streamer Mic 350 The AVerMedia Live Streamer Mic 350 is a USB condenser microphone that is designed for streamers, podcasters, musicians, and anyone else looking to produce high-quality recordings of their voice or instruments. The microphone features a DIRAC Custom Tuned badge, which is a testament to its high-quality sound output. The device is easy to set up and comes with a comprehensive VibeEngine software that allows you to customise your audio settings. The Live Streamer Mic 350 is a well-crafted premium microphone with great sound quality. The microphone is aimed towards streamers, aspiring singers, musicians, podcasters, ASMR content creators, and pretty much anyone else looking to produce high-quality recordings of their voice or instruments. Overall, the AVerMedia Live Streamer Mic 350 is a great choice for those looking for a high-quality USB condenser microphone that is easy to set up and comes with a comprehensive VibeEngine software. This microphone somewhat blew me away. I was shocked how clear and great it was with its slick design and superb engine, another strong and high 9/10 rating for us here at the Gamer Guide. Pricing AVerMedia Live Streamer Mic 350 is currently listed as of writing this at £149.99 Elena Accessories Gaming Mouse Pad An additional surprise to tech in this package was a beautiful well designed mouse pad with a sizing of 70 x 30 cm ( 27.56 x 11.81 in) and a anti-slip rubber base. This is really a great mousepad. The super glow fibre and soft cloth surface with non-slip rubber base ensure precise, accurate mouse control and consistent stability on your desk. The ultra smooth surface is designed with

superfine fibre braided material, with a micro texture, smooth surface and precise navigation this will help optimise your gaming experience. Overall the design is nice, the quality is great which is what you expect for the $40 price tag it comes with then again you’ve got great quality here and its even branded with Elena what more would you want right? To me the price may seem steep but its worth it another across the board 9/10 for us. Elena Accessories Card Pack Now its not often we get sent a deck of cards and it was quite a nice touch as they came in a great plastic case with a unique and well done design, retailing at around $15 if you’re a fan of the art the that price tag is justified, I personally just loved the design and how it stands out, to me it’s a solid design a 9/10 across the board. To Summarise Well AVerMedia has blown me away something I did not expect in all honesty their products are excelling the market to become one of the leaders and at a fast pace too, with their initiative to tackle new markets and first too they will certainly be raising the bar for what their competitors need to do to keep up. For me I highly recommend AVerMedia especially for all you content creators out there who are wanting to go to the next level, AVerMedia is such a great brand and have been around sometime obviously doing things right. Across the board it’s a 9/10 with very little to improve on, maybe find a way to produce the next Live Gamer ULTRA 2.1 at a smaller cost possibly but that’s just my take as the quality it produces is second to none. With all that in mind why not head down below to check out AVerMedia website where you too can buy their products and while you’re at it why not check out their socials too.

Website: www.avermedia.com Facebook: @AVerMedia X: @AVerMediaUK Instagram: @avermedia TikTok: @avermediaus YouTube: @AVerMedia 17

budget power bundle review So now onto this little budget power bundle we have right here which again was kindly gifted to us via Lexar, now we have just covered an SSD which may be more powerful and of course pricier but we are going with a power budget bundle right here for the upgrades you need that don’t break the bank. ARES DDR4 RGB RAM 32GB KIT

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The Lexar Ares DDR4 RGB RAM has a sleek and elegant design, with a premium aluminium heat spreader and a diffuser light bar. The RGB lighting can be controlled by the Lexar RGB Sync software, which allows you to set colours, intensity, speed, and effects. You can also sync the RGB lighting with the RGB control software of major motherboard brands, such as Asus, Gigabyte, and ASRock.

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The Lexar Ares DDR4 RGB RAM delivers excellent and consistent performance, with low latency and high bandwidth. It can handle various tasks and games, such as video editing, streaming, and FPS. It also has a high durability rating, with a lifespan of up to 10 years under normal usage.

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The Lexar Ares DDR4 RGB RAM has a competitive pricing, compared to other similar products in the market. It offers a good balance between performance, features, design, and price.

Let’s deep dive into the RGB Ram first now here’s something worth noting not all DDR4 compatible motherboards do work with this so before you buy head on over to your Bios settings and turn on your XMP (extreme memory profile) settings which can normally be found in the tweaker tab or advanced settings section. How to access your bios is pretty simple, all you need to do is reboot your PC and wait for the splash screen to appear which is usually a logo or some sort of graphics for your motherboard, then at the bottom there should be instructions how to access your bios which is usually done by pressing either delete key, escape key or one of the function keys. Now onto the product itself, the Lexar Ares DDR4 RGB RAM. It is a memory kit that offers high performance, durability, and compatibility for gaming and content creation. It also features vibrant RGB lighting that can be customised and synchronised with various software and devices. Here are some of the highlights of the Lexar Ares DDR4 RGB RAM: •

The Lexar Ares DDR4 RGB RAM is available in capacities ranging from 8 GB to 32 GB, and in speeds from 2666 MHz to 4000 MHz. It supports the latest Intel XMP 2.0 and AMD Ryzen systems and has a limited lifetime warranty.

Pricing The price of the Lexar Ares DDR4 RGB RAM depends on the capacity and speed of the memory kit, as well as the retailer and the region. here are some of the prices I found for the Lexar Ares DDR4 RGB RAM in the UK: •

The 8 GB single module with 2666 MHz speed costs £29.99.

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The 16 GB single module with 2666 MHz speed costs £49.99.

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The 16 GB kit (8 GB x 2) with 3200 MHz speed costs £59.99.

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The 16 GB kit (8 GB x 2) with 3866 MHz speed costs £79.99.

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The 16 GB kit (8 GB x 2) with 4000 MHz speed costs £109.99.

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The 32 GB kit (16 GB x 2) with 3200 MHz speed costs £99.99.

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The 32 GB kit (16 GB x 2) with 4000 MHz speed costs £179.99.

These prices are as of writing this review and they may change over time. Installation To install the Lexar Ares DDR4 RGB RAM on your PC, you need to follow these steps: •

First, make sure your PC supports the DDR4 memory and has an available DIMM slot on the motherboard. You can check the specifications of your PC or motherboard online or in the user manual.

•

Second, turn off your PC and unplug the power cord. Open the case and locate the DIMM slot on the motherboard. You may need to remove some components or cables to access the slot.

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Third, remove the existing RAM module, if any, by pressing down the clips on both ends of the slot and pulling out the module gently.

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Fourth, align the Lexar Ares DDR4 RGB RAM with the DIMM slot, and insert it firmly until it clicks into place. Make sure the notch on the RAM matches the key on the slot.

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Fifth, reconnect any components or cables you removed earlier, and close the case. Plug in the power cord and turn on your PC.

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Sixth, check if the Lexar Ares DDR4 RGB RAM is recognized by your PC. You can use the Task Manager tool in Windows to see the memory usage and speed. You can also use the Lexar RGB Sync software to control the RGB lighting of the RAM.

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Seventh, enable the XMP 2.0 profile in the BIOS to optimise the performance and stability of the RAM. You can enter the BIOS by pressing a special key on your keyboard when the PC starts up. The key varies depending on the manufacturer and model of your PC, but it is usually one of the function keys (F1 to F12), the DEL key, or the ESC key.

And it is as easy as that, you have successfully installed the Lexar Ares DDR4 RGB RAM on your PC, it is time to embrace the lovely glow your RAM sticks will now produce. To Summarise I would say that the Ares DDR4 RGB RAM from Lexar is a good choice for anyone looking for a high-performance, durable, and compatible memory kit that also features vibrant RGB lighting. We personally praise the Ares DDR4 RGB RAM for its excellent and consistent performance, competitive pricing, high durability rating and power efficiency. I also like the design, the heat spreader, the diffuser light bar, and the RGB Sync software of the Ares DDR4 RGB RAM.

It seems to be a regular occurrence with Lexar in their drawbacks and they are the lack of hardware-based encryption, the use of DRAM-less architecture, and the unknown quality of the YMTC flash and the Maxio controller. However, these may not be major issues for most users who just want a fast, affordable, and spacious memory kit that can handle various tasks and games. Therefore, I would recommend the Ares DDR4 RGB RAM from Lexar for anyone who likes RGB and is looking for a good set of RAM modules. Another nice 8/10 rating across the board once more.

supports the latest NVMe 1.4 protocol, which offers improved performance and reliability over the previous versions. Cons: •

The Lexar NM620 has a mediocre performance, especially in sequential and sustained workloads. It falls behind other PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSDs in the market, such as the Crucial P5.

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The Lexar NM620 lacks a DRAM cache, which is a small amount of memory that stores the mapping information of the drive. Without a DRAM cache, the drive has to access the flash memory more frequently, which can reduce the performance and lifespan of the drive.

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The Lexar NM620 uses unknown components, such as the Maxio MAP1601 controller and the YMTC 128-layer TLC flash. These components have not been tested or proven by the industry, and their quality and reliability are uncertain.

NM620 1TB SSD Now onto the NM620 now this comes without a heatsink well our review unit did anyways and its read speeds (3300 MB/s) are over half the size of the NM790 which is expected but it still packs a punch, however. The Lexar NM620 is a solid-state drive (SSD) that uses the PCI Express 3.0 interface and the NVMe 1.4 protocol to deliver fast and reliable performance for various applications. It is available in capacities ranging from 256 GB to 2 TB, and it features a 5-year warranty and a high endurance rating. The drive does a couple of things very well and it is its low power consumption, high durability, and compatibility with a wide range of devices. However, we have criticised the drive for its mediocre performance, lack of DRAM cache, and use of unknown components. Some of the pros and cons we have put together:

The price of the Lexar NM620 depends on the capacity and the retailer of the SSD. According to the web search results, here are some of the prices I found for the Lexar NM690 in the UK: •

The 256 GB model costs £29.99.

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The 512 GB model costs £49.99.

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The 1 TB model costs £54.99

Pros:

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The 2 TB model costs £89.99.

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The Lexar NM620 has a low power consumption, which makes it suitable for laptops and battery-powered devices. It also supports the Host Memory Buffer (HMB) feature, which can improve the random performance of the drive by using the system memory as a cache.

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These prices are as of writing and they may change over time.

The Lexar NM620 has a high endurance rating, which means it can withstand a lot of write operations without wearing out. The drive has a Total Bytes Written (TBW) value of 300 TBW for the 256 GB model, 600 TBW for the 512 GB model, 1200 TBW for the 1 TB model, and 2400 TBW for the 2 TB model.

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First, make sure your PC supports the PCIe 3.0 interface and the NVMe 1.4 protocol, and has an available M.2 slot on the motherboard. You can check the specifications of your PC or motherboard online or in the user manual.

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Second, turn off your PC and unplug the power cord. Open the case and locate the M.2 slot on the motherboard. You may need to remove some components or cables to access the slot.

•

Pricing

The Lexar NM620 has good compatibility with a wide range of devices, including desktops, laptops, consoles, and NAS systems. It also

Installation To install the Lexar NM620 on your PC, you need to follow these steps:

•

Third, remove the existing RAM module, if any, by pressing down the clips on both ends of the slot and pulling out the module gently.

And it is as simple as that, you have now successfully installed the Lexar NM620 on your PC.

•

Fourth, align the Lexar NM620 with the M.2 slot, and insert it firmly until it clicks into place. Make sure the notch on the SSD matches the key on the slot.

To Summarise:

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Fifth, reconnect any components or cables you removed earlier, and close the case. Plug in the power cord and turn on your PC.

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Sixth, check if the Lexar NM620 is recognized by your PC. You can use the Disk Management tool in Windows to initialise, format, and partition the SSD. You can also use the Lexar SSD Dash software to monitor and optimise the performance of the SSD.

•

Seventh, enable the XMP 2.0 profile in the BIOS to optimise the performance and stability of the SSD. You can enter the BIOS by pressing a special key on your keyboard when the PC starts up. The key varies depending on the manufacturer and model of your PC, but it is usually one of the function keys (F1 to F12), the DEL key, or the ESC key.

I would say that the Lexar NM620 is a decent choice for anyone looking for a low-power, highendurance and compatible SSD that can handle basic tasks and games. However, if you need high performance, DRAM cache, or more proven components, you may want to look for other options that suit your needs better. Overall as mentioned before on a budget but need those upgrades then these two products are the ones for you, giving you enough storage to run some big games and give you the Ram you need to run them, overall a great bundle on a budget. To score the NM620 I personally would give it a 7/10 with there a fair few alternatives with more power and a similar price range but overall it’s a great product. Lexar is great and one of the market leaders. We recommend that you should check them out to find the product which you need the most, on that note why not head below to their site and check their socials to pick up some of their products today.

Lexar nm790 heatsink 4tb review Our great friends over at Lexar hooked us up with their all new NM790 with Heatsink and 4TB storage capacity, not only that they also supplied us with a power bundle which we will get into after we discuss more about the NM790. Who are Lexar? First up let us explain to those who may not know who Lexar are. Lexar is a brand of flash memory products that includes memory cards, USB flash drives, card readers, and solid-state drives (SSDs). The company was founded in 1996 and is currently owned by the Chinese memory company Longsys. Lexar is known for its high-quality products that are compatible with various devices and needs. What is the Lexar NM790? The Lexar NM790 with heatsink is a solid-state drive (SSD) that uses the PCI Express 4.0 interface and the NVMe 2.0 protocol to deliver fast and reliable performance for various applications. It is available in capacities ranging from 1TB to 4 TB and comes with a 5-year warranty. The heatsink version of the NM790 is a new addition that aims to improve the thermal management and stability of the drive, especially under heavy workloads. Performance The Lexar NM790 with heatsink is an excellent SSD with its consistent performance, competitive pricing, high durability rating, power efficiency, and compatibility with a wide range of devices, including the PS5, this truly is a great product. Some of the drawbacks we must mention however are the lack of hardware-based encryption, the use of DRAM-less architecture, and the unknown quality of the YMTC flash and the Maxio controller. However do not allow this to put you off because overall it runs super smoothly and in my opinion is best plucked into your PS5 as the read speeds are great I could load up Spider-Man 2 in a matter of seconds and the 4TB storage capabilities meant I

could have tons of games stocked up ready to go. I would say that the Lexar NM790 with heatsink is a good choice for anyone looking for a fast, affordable, and spacious SSD that can handle various tasks and games. It offers a good balance between performance, features, design, and price, and it has a decent reputation among reviewers and users. However, if you need hardware encryption, DRAM cache, or more proven components, you may want to look for other options that suit your needs better. The Lexar NM790 with heatsink also supports Host Memory Buffer (HMB) 3.0 and Dynamic SLC Caching, which can improve the random read and write performance of the drive. Read Speeds The read and write speed of the Lexar NM790 with heatsink is a measure of how fast the solid-state drive (SSD) can transfer data to and from the host device. The Lexar NM790 with heatsink is a PCIe Gen4 NVMe M.2 SSD that offers high performance and reliability for various applications, such as gaming, video editing, and content creation. The read and write speed of the Lexar NM790 with heatsink has a sequential read speed of 7400 MB/s and a sequential write speed of 6500 MB/s these speeds are the same across the board from 1TB to 4TB capacities. These speeds are based on internal testing by Lexar and may vary depending on the host device, usage, and settings. However under our testing benchmarks it turns out we were hitting very similar if not practically identical speeds. Pricing With 7400 MB/s read and 6500 MB/s write you will really struggle to match these speeds at these prices. The price of the Lexar NM790 with heatsink varies depending on the capacity and the retailer. Here are some of the prices I found on the web:

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The 1 TB model costs £64.99

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The 2 TB model costs around £99.99

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The 4 TB model costs around £215.99

installed the Lexar NM790 with heatsink on your PC.

For PS5:

These prices are full blown retail and will normally be listed lower at different sites.

To install the Lexar NM790 with heatsink on your PS5, you will need to follow these steps:

For Pc:

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First, make sure your PS5 supports the PCIe Gen 4.0 interface and the NVMe 2.0 protocol, and has an available M.2 slot on the motherboard. You can check the specifications of your PS5 online or in the user manual.

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Second, turn off your PS5 and unplug the power cord. Remove the base stand and the side panel of the PS5. You may need to use a screwdriver to remove some screws and a cover plate to access the M.2 slot.

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Third, remove the screw that secures the M.2 slot cover or the existing M.2 SSD, if any. Keep the screw in a safe place, as you will need it later.

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Fourth, align the Lexar NM790 with heatsink with the M.2 slot, and insert it gently at a 30-degree angle. Make sure the notch on the SSD matches the key on the slot.

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Fifth, press down the SSD until it is parallel to the motherboard, and secure it with the screw you removed earlier. Do not overtighten the screw, as it may damage the SSD or the motherboard.

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Sixth, reconnect the cover plate, the side panel, and the base stand of the PS5. Plug in the power cord and turn on your PS5.

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Seventh, check if the Lexar NM790 with heatsink is recognized by your PS5. You can use the Storage settings in the PS5 menu to format and partition the SSD. You can also use the Lexar SSD Dash software to monitor and optimise the performance of the SSD.

To install the Lexar NM790 with heatsink on your PC, you will need to follow these steps: •

•

First, make sure your PC supports the PCIe Gen 4.0 interface and the NVMe 2.0 protocol, and has an available M.2 slot on the motherboard. You can check the specifications of your PC or motherboard online or in the user manual. Second, turn off your PC and unplug the power cord. Open the case and locate the M.2 slot on the motherboard. You may need to remove some components or cables to access the slot. Third, remove the screw that secures the M.2 slot cover or the existing M.2 SSD, if any. Keep the screw in a safe place, as you will need it later. Fourth, align the Lexar NM790 with heatsink with the M.2 slot, and insert it gently at a 30-degree angle. Make sure the notch on the SSD matches the key on the slot. Fifth, press down the SSD until it is parallel to the motherboard, and secure it with the screw you removed earlier. Do not over-tighten the screw, as it may damage the SSD or the motherboard. Sixth, reconnect any components or cables you removed earlier, and close the case. Plug in the power cord and turn on your PC. Seventh, check if the Lexar NM790 with heatsink is recognized by your PC. You can use the Disk Management tool in Windows to initialise, format, and partition the SSD. You can also use the Lexar SSD Dash software to monitor and optimise the performance of the SSD.

And it is as easy as that you have successfully

And again it is as easy as that, you have successfully installed the Lexar NM790 with heatsink on your PS5.

To Summarise The Lexar NM790 with heatsink SSD is a pleasant surprise that delivers excellent and consistent performance, competitive pricing, high durability rating, power efficiency, and compatibility with a wide range of devices including the PS5. Overall we would recommend the Lexar NM790 with heatsink SSD for anyone looking for a fast, affordable, and spacious PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD that can handle various tasks and games. Being a market leader on price guarantee and read speeds we only managed to find some minor flaws that

being the lack of hardware-based encryption but with that in mind I’m pretty sure Lexar will iron this one out in the next product launch, with that in mind the encryption stuff is somewhat a hefty deal for us but not for an average consumer, so we can safely rate this product a solid 8/10 with a recommended go buy one now, especially for your PS5 as this is where mine comfortable resides nowadays running all the latest and greatest games superbly. On that note we will now head over to our power bundle which Lexar Kindly gifted us which you can see on the next page.

Website: www.lexar.com Instagram: @lexarmemory Facebook: @lexarmemory X: @laxargaming_eu YouTube: @LexarMemoryOfficial

gamesir t4 cyclone review Our good friends over at GameSir have hooked us up with some products to review, starting off with their all new T4 Cyclone Pro controller. Who are GameSir? First up let us explain to those who may not know who GameSir are. GameSir is a global leading game peripheral brand that offers a wide range of gaming controllers, gamepads, keyboards, and mice. The company is known for its high-quality products that are compatible with various devices and needs. GameSir’s products cover both cloud gaming and native gaming platforms, including Xbox/Shadow Cloud Gaming, Google Stadia, and Vortex, among others.

The T4 Cyclone Pro has some special features that make it stand out from other controllers and these are:

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Hall Effect sensors on the sticks and triggers, which prevent drifting and improve accuracy and smoothness.

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Microswitches on the face buttons, which have a short actuation distance of 0.6 mm and a crisp click feel.

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Trigger vibration on the T4 Cyclone Pro model, which adds two extra motors to the triggers for more immersive feedback.

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Two macro back buttons, which can be customised to perform complex commands or combos with ease.

What is a T4 Cyclone Pro? A GameSir T4 Cyclone Pro is a wireless gaming controller that can be used with different platforms, such as Windows PC, Switch, Android, iOS and Steam.

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A multi-function M button, which can switch between different modes and settings, such as trigger mode, stick mode, vibration intensity and ABXY layout.

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Motion controls, which can tilt, shake or rotate the controller for more interactive gameplay on Switch games.

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you want to use the controller with an Android device, press A+Home. If you want to use it with a Switch, press X+Home. If you want to use it with a PC, press Y+Home. You can also use the M button to switch between different modes and settings.

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Fourth, pair the controller with your device by searching for it in the Bluetooth settings. The controller will show up as GameSir T4 Cyclone Pro, Xbox Wireless Controller or Wireless Controller, depending on the mode you are in. If you are using a wireless dongle or a USB-C cable, you can plug it into your device and the controller will be recognized automatically.

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Fifth, enjoy your gaming experience with the controller. You can also customise the controller settings with the GameSir app or software, such as mapping buttons, adjusting vibration, programming back buttons and more.

The GameSir T4 Cyclone Pro is designed to be ergonomic and comfortable, with a textured grip and a LED light bar on the front. It has a rechargeable battery that can last up to 10 hours of playtime12. It also supports wired connection via a USB-C cable. The GameSir T4 Cyclone Pro is a versatile and powerful controller that can enhance your gaming experience on multiple devices. How to connect The GameSir T4 Cyclone Pro can be connected to different devices via Bluetooth, wireless dongle or USB-C cable, depending on the platform and mode you want to use. Here are some general steps to connect it to your device: •

First, make sure your device supports the controller and has the Bluetooth function enabled.

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Second, turn on the controller by pressing the Home button for 2 seconds. The LED light bar will flash in different colours according to the mode you are in.

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Third, choose the mode you want to use by pressing the corresponding button combination on the controller. For example, if

Compatibilities The GameSir T4 Cyclone Pro is not compatible with Xbox Series X/S consoles. The controller has an Xbox button layout, but it does not support the Xbox wireless protocol or the Xbox native vibration. The controller is mainly designed for PC, Switch, Android and iOS devices. If you want to use a controller with your Xbox Series X/S, you may need to look for other options that are officially licensed or compatible with Xbox. It is also worth noting that the GameSir T4 Cyclone Pro is also not compatible with PS5 consoles. The controller does not support the PS5 wireless protocol or the PS5 native vibration.

To Summarise Overall I use the controller quite often as mainly a switch controller although the layout can be off putting using with the switch with this controller layout being on more of a xbox layout it runs super smooth and I had a good 12 hours before even having to charge, it connected super well with zero issues to connect, the rgb is a nice touch and it really makes this controller stand out and look great. However the first initial feel of the controller seemed a bit cheap to be honest maybe it was due to me being used to using an almost £200 elite series 2 controller but that was my taste after some intense gaming playing games like The legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom I found the grip and the overall controller to be super comforting and with zero wear and tear after a month of heavy usage.The price point for such a controller retails at around £50-£60 which with competitors on the market that offer so much is very well priced, reasonable and worth a buy.

In our opinion the GameSir T4 Cyclone Pro is one of the best Android controllers, with support for wired and wireless connections, Hall-effect joysticks, customizable triggers, and phone clip compatibility. The GameSir T4 Cyclone Pro offers pro-level features at a budget price, with anti-drift Hall Effect sticks, 5-million-click micro switches, and multiplatform compatibility. The GameSir T4 Cyclone Pro is a great controller that is comfortable to use, heavily customizable, and with performance and features you would expect from pricier devices. With all that together we would be silly not to rate and recommend this product high so with that it’s a solid 9/10 with very minimalistic down points but overall we do recommend for you to pick one of these up today, very well done GameSir you have impressed us so far. Next up we will be reviewing another GameSir product and that is their all new G8 which is designed for Iphone 15s and or android phones to play cloud gaming related services

the gamesir g8 galileo review Up next during our GameSir features is another great product by GameSir and that is the G8 Galileo mobile gaming controller which GameSir kindly gifted us.

The GameSir G8 Galileo has received positive reviews and we too will be giving this one too as its performance, features, design, and price are all great aspects to such a product.

What is the G8 Galileo?

iPhone 15 connectivity

The GameSir G8 Galileo mobile gaming controller is a new product from GameSir who are a leading provider of high-performance gaming peripherals. The GameSir G8 Galileo is designed to redefine the way gamers experience mobile gaming, with console-controller design, a movable Type-C port, and Hall Effect sensors.

It is very much worth noting that connectivity to the new iPhone 15s is very different from plug in and play and the user manual doesn’t really explain this, however I will explain the steps to take below.

Features Some of the features and benefits of the GameSir G8 Galileo are: •

It has console-sized sticks and buttons, which offer unmatched comfort and precision for every game you play.

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It has a movable Type-C port, which ensures a reliable and smooth connection to your gaming devices, and supports pass-through charging, so you can play without interruptions.

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It has Hall Effect sensing sticks and triggers, which provide 360° seamless control and responsiveness, and can be switched to hair trigger mode for FPS and action games.

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It has an extendable bridge and sufficient rear space, which make it compatible with a wide range of phone models, including the iPhone 15 series and Android.

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A 3.5mm audio jack, whic=h allows you to connect your headphones directly to the controller for an immersive audio experience.

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It can be customised with the GameSir app or software, which allow you to map buttons, adjust vibration, program macros, and more.

The first time using the G8 for your iPhone 15s you must turn the controller onto iPhone mode and to do that you hold down the start and select buttons until the colours to the bottom of your controller become a solid white, for those who may not quite understand what start and select buttons are its the two small circle buttons at the top of the controller. This may have puzzled me for a few moments so it is worth noting for all your readers out there this helpful tip. Once you are connected then you are good to go, just head to the games you want to play. Pricing The GameSir G8 Galileo is available for purchase for $79.99/ £79.99/ €89.99 from Amazon UK, Amazon US, Amazon Europe stores, and the GameSir official website. With this price in mind it really does tackle and compete with its competition not only on cheaper price but a much better thought out product. Battery Life The GameSir G8 Galileo has a rechargeable battery that can last up to 10 hours of playtime. However, this may vary depending on the usage and settings of the controller. We however intensely played around with this and we found on average we were getting 8-9 hours of intense gaming action, so it is not far off the estimate. The controller also supports pass-through charging, which means you can charge your device while using the controller, ensuring continuous gaming

sessions. The controller has a battery indicator on the front, which shows the battery level in four colours: green, yellow, red, and flashing red. Companion application The Gamer G8 controller also comes complete with its own dedicated Gamer app. This software allows for controller remapping, enabling gamers to assign different functions to the controller’s buttons. This feature gives gamers the flexibility to customise their gaming experience. The app also lets gamers adjust the dead zones on the analogue sticks and triggers, improving the controller’s responsiveness. Moreover, the app facilitates firmware updates, ensuring the controller maintains optimal performance over time. On-screen key mapper The controller also includes an onscreen key mapper, a feature that allows physical buttons to correspond to on screen actions, providing a seamless gaming experience. This is particularly useful for games that do not natively support controllers, thereby expanding the range of games that can be enjoyed. The Gamer G8 controller is designed with a focus on comfort and precision. The analog sticks are smooth and accurate, providing precise control in games. The buttons on the controller are well-crafted, offering a satisfying tactile response. However, the D-Pad could benefit from further refinement to match the high standard set by the other components, thereby ensuring a consistent gaming experience.

To Summarise The GameSir G8 USB Type-C gaming controller is a significant step forward in gaming technology. Its wide compatibility, customizable features, and user-friendly design make it a top choice for gamers. As gaming technology continues to progress, it is intriguing to see how devices like the Gamer G8 controller will influence the future of gaming. This controller is a clear demonstration of the rapid progress in gaming technology, and it will be interesting to see how it impacts the development of future gaming devices. With all of that in mind we only really found one small thing with the D-Pad but overall it connects well, plays well and even lasts a great deal of time and lets not forget the price. This is truly the new mobile gaming controller which actually works with the all new iPhone 15s. Overall the G8 can safely be rated on a 9/10 scale once more as we continue to work with GameSir we are continuously shocked by how great their products actually are especially within the market they are created for. GameSir and their products have shown us they really do pay attention to detail and create some great products so with that in mind why not head below to their site and socials where you can secure one today you would be a fool not to at their prices and quality. And while you’re at it why not have a discount on the G8 too! For a step by step guide to use the G8 Galileo, you can follow a tutorial here.

Amazon: 15% off code: 15G8Galileo Official Website: 10% off code: G8CREATOR Website: www.gamesir.hk Instagram: @mygamesir Facebook: @mygamesir X: @mygamesir

rode wireless pro review To start off this huge RØDE Microphones feature, our wonderful friends over at RØDE Microphones have hooked us up with their all new Wireless Pro to review for you all.

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Polar Pattern: Omnidirectional

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Frequency Range: 20 Hz – 20 kHz

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Maximum SPL: 123.5 dB SPL

Wireless Pro

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Equivalent Noise: (A-Weighted) 22 dBA

The Wireless PRO is the ultimate wireless microphone, packed full of powerful features that offer incredible flexibility for recording pristine audio for your content. Never lose a take with 32-bit float on-board recording, keep all your video and audio flawlessly synchronised with timecode, and capture incredible-sounding content effortlessly with intelligent Gain Assist technology. The Wireless PRO delivers everything you could possibly want from a compact wireless microphone system, and much more.

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Signal-to-noise Ratio: 72 dB

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Analog Inputs: 3.5mm locking TRS (TX)

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Analog Outputs: 3.5mm TRRS (RX)

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Transmission Range: 260m (line of sight)

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Digital Connectivity: USB-C

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Operating System Requirements: macOS 10.15 above - Windows 10 and above - iOS 14 and above - Android 11 and above

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Power Requirements: In-built rechargeable lithium-ion battery, charged via USB-C (5V, 0.4A)

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Operating Time: Up to 7 hours

The Rode Wireless GO II and Rode Wireless ME bundles are extremely popular among content creators. Because of their easy setup, high recording quality, and long durability, the wireless clip-on microphones are a super helpful tool, especially on the go. Specs

Unboxing

Let’s start this off with the most important information for this product and that of course is the specifications which you can see a list of all which is needed below.

At first glance, I’m a bit surprised. Because inside the box, there are only two black cases and a USB-C cable. But with the Rode Wireless Pro, everything is designed for portability! Because there is really a lot here. Two transmitters and a receiver module are firmly set in the charging case.

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Acoustic Principle: Pre-polarised pressure transducer

When I opened the accessory case, all the promised goodies were there. And it’s a lot. There are two Rode Lavalier II microphones with screwable minijack connectors along with small windscreens. A red mini jack cable for connecting the receiver to a camera is also included. Additionally, there are two MacClip GO clips for attaching the two transmitters to clothing magnetically. Also included in the bundle are five fur windshields, both for the two Lavaliers and the three Wireless Pro modules, a USB-C to USB-C cable for use with Android devices, and a Lightning to USB-C cable for Apple devices. Now we just need a sound engineer in the box to do the recording for us! Setup and Levelling There are four scenarios for the RØDE Wireless Pro. Connect them to a smartphone for easy vlogging, attach the receiver to a camera for professional-looking interviews, use them while recording in front of a computer for live-streaming, or standalone. And with seven hours of battery life, you’ll have plenty of time to find the right format for you. If you take the three modules out of the charging case, the transmitters automatically connect to the receiver. They are also record-ready. Just hit the button on top. So I was able to do a couple of test recordings right away – either with the internal microphones (omnidirectional) or in combination with the included Lavalier microphones. These also come with a locking mechanism on their mini-jack connector. Finding the right recording level is made super either on the Wireless Pro with the Gain Assist feature. This mode is active right from the start and the transmitters automatically adjust to the appropriate level. In addition, there is a “Dynamic” mode. It allows for stronger level fluctuations before readjusting. What does 32-bit float do for the Rode Wireless Pro? I wouldn’t be surprised if, in a few years, we will all be recording exclusively with 32-bit float bit depth. The advantage is obvious: recordings made with this bit depth can (almost) not clip. So no sudden jump in volume with someone speaking louder or background noise swelling up can destroy a recording anymore.

And now, the Rode Wireless Pro has this feature as well. Just note, that this recording mode only works for the onboard recordings on the transmitter modules – you can’t use it while recording your audio signals directly onto the camera’s audio feed or your smartphone. But there’s plenty of space – up to 40 hours can be recorded on each transmitter! I tested this in numerous ways, screaming at the top of my lungs, setting almost idiotic recording levels – but there was nothing I could do to cause any clipping. On the transmitter, everything is either captured by the built-in omnidirectional mic or a connected (lavalier) mic. However, when you use 32-bit, the mic’s Gain Assist mode is disabled. Oh, and by the way, if you ever fill up the transmitter’s 40 hours of memory, be careful. According to the manual, the oldest recordings are automatically overwritten when the memory limit is exceeded. I asked German distributor Hyperactive, who supplied the Rode Wireless Pro for the review about this. They told me that they will be passing this onto Rode as a future update suggestion. So, we cannot rule out that there will be an option to automatically stop the recording further down the road. Automatic timecode No more clapping at the beginning of each recording – or endless frustration in the edit if you forget just that during recording. With the new timecode feature in the Rode Wireless Pro, your editing software automatically detects where to synchronise your recordings with your footage. As of this review, this feature is still exclusively activated and set in Rode Central, Rode’s free companion app. You can only access these features while connecting the receiver (or the charging case with the receiver in it) through a USB-C connection, no wireless connection is possible. When asked, André Giere from Hyperactive explains that a Bluetooth connection is neither available nor planned. Rode even advises turning off any Bluetooth connectivity during recordings as this wireless protocol is one of the leading causes of issues with wireless mics such as the Wireless Pro. In Rode Central, you can select five timecode modes for six different frame rates each. In mode 1, the receiver sends an encoded timecode signal through its minijack output. If you connect that

to your camera, it will record the timecode as an audio signal on its left channel. Timecode is also generated on the transmitter module. This mode was particularly helpful for me, as my camera (a Sony ZV-1F) does not have a dedicated timecode input.

and a USB-C cable are included. Also included in the accessories case are two Lavalier II microphones, fur windscreens for all three modules and both lavaliers, and much more.

The Rode Wireless Pro has everything you need as a content creator, a video journalist, or a live streamer. The bundle comes loaded with practical accessories and great features.

Well overall the Wireless Pro is the perfect wireless portable microphone with a great kit for on the go with supplied lavaliers making your on the go setup look even more classier than before, we currently use the Wireless GO II for all our in person interviews but with this upgrade I can safely say this will be taking over as our newly used interview go to.

For beginners, Gain Assist and the easy connection of all modules both provide a workflow that gets you going pretty fast. For more advanced users, 32-bit resolution, 260 metres range (line of sight), the two pretty good-sounding Lavalier IIs and the charging case offer the necessary support you desperately need in often hectic setup situations. Because the fact that you can’t even delete audio files from the memory of each of the transmitters via Finder/Explorer is a bit awkward. But make no mistake, this bundle is one of the best wireless microphone sets you can get right now. Just about everything is just so convenient. Which is a rare feat in pro audio. Prices and specifications for the Rode Wireless Pro Rode Wireless Pro is available now for $399.00 USD or £399.00 GBP. RØDE Central is a free download for devices running macOS 10.15 or later or Windows 10. The versions for devices running iOS 14 or later, and Android 9 or later, can be downloaded in the respective App Stores.The two transmitter modules each have 32 gigabytes of internal memory for up to 40 hours of recordings. They are connected to the receiver via 2.4 GHz band at a range of 260 metres (line of sight). A comprehensive accessories package is also included. A charging case for the three modules (with two full charging cycles), an accessory case,

What do we think?

We were very blown away with the quality of course and how compact it all is very recommended for on the go or events like we use these for with the 7 hours of battery life and a portable charger can you really fault this? I think not! We recommend this highly minus the steep price but what do you expect they throw in a portable charger and accessories very well priced I believe.

Rating So to rate such a product well this is obviously a premium product and a upgrade from its predecessors so with that comes an increased price but also an increase on quality so with that note we can happily and it is much deserved a 9/10 from us here at The Gamer Guide with a must buy for content creators the wireless range from Rode is just second to none and has always been our go to. Check out the links at the end of the article for more information about these mics!

rode streamer x review Our wonderful friends over at RØDE Microphones have hooked us up with yet another great product to review and that is of course the Streamer X.

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Jack (I/O) - 1x ¼” Headphone Jack

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Input Dynamic Range: 113dB

Streamer X

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Preamp Noise: -131.5dBV (A-weighted)

The Streamer X is a professional video capture card, audio interface and control surface integrated in one compact device that makes creating incredible content incredibly easy. It features studio-grade audio inputs for XLR microphones and instruments, headsets and RØDE wireless microphones, with an ultra-low-noise, high-gain Revolution Preamp™ and powerful APHEX® audio processing delivering pristine sound quality. HDMI connections offer up to 4K30 streaming and 4K60 pass-through for incredible video quality in a wide range of applications, from streaming and gaming, to podcasting and content creation, to business presentations. Dual USB-C connections seamlessly accommodate dual PC setups, and four fully customisable SMART pads allow for onthe-fly triggering of sound or voice FX and other actions on a computer. The ultimate all-in-one streaming solution.

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Frequency Range: Microphone Inputs: 20Hz20kHz - Headphone Output: 20Hz-20kHz

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Microphone Input Impedance: (Ω) 4KΩ

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Instrument Input Impedance: (Ω) 1MΩ

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Preamplifier Gain Range: 0-76dB

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Phantom Power: Yes

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Direct Monitor: Yes

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Headphone Output Power: 125mW per channel

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Internal Storage: (GB) 2GB (SMART Pads)

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Power Requirements: Via USB: 5V @ 3A

Specs Let’s start this off with the most important information for this product and that of course is the specifications which you can see a list of all which is needed below. •

Video Input Connectors: 1x HDMI Type A 2.0

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Video Passthrough Output: 1x HDMI Type A 2.0

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Max Input Resolutions: (HDMI In) 4Kp60 HDR - 1440p144 HDR - 1080p240 HDR

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Variable Refresh Rate Support: (VRR) Yes

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Max Capture Resolutions: 4Kp30 - 1440p60 1080p120 - 1080p60 HDR

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Audio Input Connectors: 1x XLR Combo Jack (Mic/Instrument) - 1x Wireless Receiver - 1x Input HDMI

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Audio Output Connectors: 1x 3.5 TRRS Headset

Key Features Of course next up is the key features of the Streamer X which will be the deciding factor why you may need such a product. The streamer X is a professional audio interface, video capture card and control surface integrated in one compact, easy-to-use device with up to 4K30 video capture and 4K60 pass-through via HDMI and of course Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) support. Neutrik® combo jack for connecting XLR microphones or instruments, with an ultra- lownoise, high-gain Revolution PreampTM for pristine audio quality with a 3.5mm TRRS input for connecting headsets and 1/4-inch headphone output for zero-latency monitoring and Integrated wireless receiver for connecting RØDE Series IV wireless microphones, including the Wireless GO II and Wireless ME. Internal DSP for advanced audio processing powered by APHEX® and four fully customisable SMART pads for triggering sounds, voice effects and keyboards shortcuts or other actions on a computer with dual USB-C interfaces for connecting to two computers or mobile devices

Easy configuration and control via RØDE Central desktop companion app and compatible with free UNIFY streaming software for advanced audio routing, mixing and configuration which is of course designed and made in RØDE’s precision manufacturing facilities in Sydney, Australia. Pricing The Streamer X currently as of writing this article retails at around £349.00 in the UK and $399.00 in the USA which to me seems a little pricey for what you get with most microphones nowadays coming with audio interfaces and capture card starting around £100 you could save yourself a bit on buying alternative separate equipment. However do not let the price point put you off as this is premium with premium software so you pay extras for that peace of mind you get the better quality video streaming and the better audio interface, so as one would say you get what you pay for and RØDE has always been on the premium side of a must when spending that extra to produce such better content. What do we think? The Streamer X is a simple slick design with everything you need, out of the box you can connect all sorts of XLR products and even some of RØDEs wireless products too, which personally this is a RØDE product for RØDE equipment so take that into consideration. With apps like RØDE Central which is a companion app for the Streamer X, this gives you access to the on-board audio processing, SMART pad customisation, mixer configuration, firmware updates and other advanced device settings. You also have access to Unify which the Streamer X

integrates seamlessly with, UNIFY is the ultimate virtual mixing solution for live streaming that offers everything from audio processing to advanced mixing and routing. With those in mind the Streamer X does bring a bang for its buck, with intense use and capturing of around 100 videos using this tech it showed little to zero stress and performed near perfectly which I was really impressed with but then again we are always impressed with products via RØDE making them one of the market leaders for a reason. Rating I have heard connectivity issues and frustrations with the device but for me it went smoothly, am I lucky or were they unfortunate? However there are cheaper alternatives on the market and the feedback from others I will take that into it when scoring this product. The Streamer X has a vibrant colourful design with a lack of visual level indicators unless using the apps for me and the team here at The Gamer Guide we can happily score this product an 8/10 with the frustration comments, the price and the must use of the apps lower the score unfortunately. Do we recommend it? Of course who wouldn’t? It looks great, feels great and records great but this is a strong but you’re paying premium for an all in one whereas you could source cheaper alternatives which produce similar things. Once you have taken all that into account then you can make the decision for yourself: do you cop or not? we say do!

rodecaster duo & usb pod mic review Our wonderful friends over at RØDE Microphones who may I say have supported us for over two years now hooked us up with yet another great bundle of tech to review for you all. If you are new to the magazine and are not quite sure who RØDE actually are, well let us give you an insight. About RØDE RØDE is a global leader in audio technology with a mission to amplify the voice and vision of the world’s creators. With a storied history dating back over 50 years, RØDE is a uniquely Australianowned and operated company with a passion for innovation, obsession with quality, and enduring commitment to making incredible audio accessible to everyone. Since the beginning, RØDE have been at the forefront of creator technology, revolutionising everything from home studio recording to audio for filmmaking to podcasting with iconic products that continue to inspire. So that is RØDE and what they do now let’s dive into what we have to review today starting off with the RØDECaster Duo of course. RØDECaster Duo A couple of years ago, you might have described Rode as a company that makes microphones. Today, it’s positioning itself more as a one-stopshop for creator tools. The original RØDECaster Pro podcast mixer was the first big step in this evolution. That includes the new, gamingfocused “Rode X” sub-brand and products like the Streamer X capture card. The company, of course, still makes a microphone or two. But, with the new, smaller, more affordable and very capable RØDECaster Duo stream mixer, this move toward general creators is basically official. The original RØDECaster Pro was the first mixing desk specifically designed for podcasters to really catch people’s attention. The build-quality, price, ease of use and simple workflow struck a chord with pros and amateurs alike. The RØDECaster Pro II ($699) went in a slightly different direction, introducing the ability to route different audio sources to different places, an essential tool for game streamers. The pads were upgraded from

simple audio triggers to multi-purpose smart pads that can be used for MIDI, vocal effects and more. The second version also came in with a smaller footprint, removing two physical faders and making them “virtual.” The RØDECaster Duo ($499) is arguably just the Rodcaster Pro II “mini.” The functionality is identical to its bigger sibling, but it comes with four physical faders (down from six); six pads (down from eight) and two XLR ports for microphones or instruments (down from four). You actually have control over seven mixing channels at any one time, but adjusting three of them is done via virtual faders. Importantly, you get to configure which inputs remain on physical faders and which are assigned to virtual controls in the companion software. Two other small changes include the removal of the “record” button, which is now virtual/on the display, and there’s also a headphone port on the front edge. This last change solves one of my main nitpicks with RØDECaster Pro II, which only had headphone ports around the back. The port on the front is 3.5mm rather than 1/4 -inch and is compatible with headset/TRRS mics, adding another input effectively one that’s particularly handy for game streamers. One of the biggest upgrades from the original RØDECaster Pro is the addition of a second USB-C port around the back which can connect to a second PC. This is a massive boon for streamers who want to keep their gaming rig separate from their streaming one, and the new routing table allows you to send whatever inputs you like to USB connection. This same port also can be used for connecting a phone, which is perfect for introducing callers or for streaming via mobile apps. You could always connect a phone via Bluetooth on the original model, which was handy but now you have multiple options (and via cable is much better quality). The fact that there are only two XLR combo jacks speaks strongly to who this is for. While the RØDECaster Pro and its sequel were originally built for in-person, multi-guest, podcasts, it’s also a very capable tool for solo creators which has helped fuel its popularity. And with an increasing

number of tools like Zencastr or Adobe Podcast, the need to host fellow flesh-sacks in the same room is no longer required for high-quality audio from all speakers. As such, the RØDECaster Duo makes a lot of sense for a broad stroke of creators from podcasters to streamers and even music producers and video editors (both the Duo and the II Pro are MIDI enabled). Be under no illusions, the Duo and its bigger sibling are just as “pro” friendly as the first RØDECaster, but they both lean into the creator space a bit more than the original. This point is made most clearly by the very existence of the Duo. The smaller footprint is a clear admission that this was made to live on a desk full time alongside your other daily tools. The RØDECaster II Pro was already a bit more manageable than the first model, but after a few weeks with the Duo, the difference is stark. It can remain nested under my monitor and easily moved into position when I go live. Before the Duo, I had the Pro II on my desk in a similar setup, but I was frequently moving it out of the way to make space for other things that it became a bit of a burden and I ended up unplugging it until show time. With the Duo it’s clear this can be a daily driver with little-to-no need to organise around it. RØDES audio chops are also not to be underestimated. The preamps and headphone outputs on the Duo are capital-L loud and squeaky clean with a very low noise floor. When the products were announced, Rode went out of its way to show how well it could power the notoriously quiet (and insanely popular) SM7B microphone. When you’re giving a shout out to a rival company’s product to demonstrate a feature, you better be confident that the feature you’re touting does the goods. And surely it does. The amount of clean gain to drive microphones such as the aforementioned Shure classic is impressive and a step up from the already-decent RØDECaster Pro before it. In short, the RØDECaster Duo feels like a product that RØDE maybe didn’t initially think was the main event. It’s the smaller, more affordable version of its flagship mixer after all. It turns out that this is likely the one that most solo creators will actually want. Even pros might want to consider the Duo over the Pro II if they don’t absolutely need the capacity to run four microphones in tandem. Summarise If you do any kind of live audio production or recording, especially podcasts, the RØDECaster

Duo is an easy sell. For streamers, it’s also a very capable device, one that’s also easy to recommend, but with a small asterisk. Streaming setups and their associated platforms are often a little more to their host’s tastes and preferences. As such, the Duo’s suitability will depend on what you’re used to and the specifics of what you want to do. But for most creators, the Duo is the better option over the Pro II at the very least. With that taken to note we are pleased and can easily stamp this product with a solid TGG 8/10. RØDE PodMic USB Next up we have the PodMic USB which adds USB connectivity while retaining the XLR output of the original PodMic. It also includes built-in digital processing (DSP) when using the USB output, a 3.5mm headphone port for latencyfree monitoring, and unlike the original PodMic, a windscreen is included to help reduce plosives. The combination of useful features, ease of use, and excellent build quality make the PodMic USB a new top choice for content creators or anyone who wants to get great sound without the need to invest in additional gear. We would say this microphone is best for Podcasters, remote workers, or anyone who wants quality and simplicity from their mic. Pros & Cons First up we will tackle a few pros and cons about the microphone, Convenient USB-C connectivity is the huge thing right here and a bonus that this product also comes with a windscreen which surprisingly works great and most importantly looks good right, DSP setting retained in the mic also a bonus and of course the sound and build quality is quite something special. Now the Cons, Well I would first note you cannot use USB & XLR output simultaneously which is a tool in itself which come super handy, there isn’t any physical monitor mix or gain knobs which again can be a bit mind boggling, this one was a pit puzzling also that the Mute LED is not visible while you are recording which if you are clumsy like myself you can record something and not realise you was on mute and finally the actually noise gate can be a little finicky. Hardware features Of course we want to know the full features which this PodMic beholds and we have listed these below.

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USB-C & XLR output (cannot be used simultaneously)

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3.5mm headphone output for zero-latency monitoring

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Headphone volume dial / mute button

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Monitoring/mute indicator LED (rear)

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Internal shock mounting

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Detachable pop filter

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24-bit / 48kHz audio conversion (USB)

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USB-C to USB-C cable included

So what is missing? One notable omission is a monitor mix knob. Many USB microphones on the market do not include a physical gain adjustment knob, however several do include a monitor mix knob allowing you to blend the amount of monitoring vs. computer/ system audio that you hear in your headphones, including Rode’s own NT-USB+. If you want to adjust the amount of each signal that you hear, you’ll need to do this in software (Rode Connect or UNIFY apps for Windows/Mac). The other and more significant hardware criticism is that you cannot use both the USB and XLR output at the same time. This is something that you can do with the Shure MV7 and it does have a few practical applications. For example, if you have a guest using the MV7, you can record one of the two outputs at a reduced level and use that as a safety track in case the primary output clips. If you require this capability in your setup, the PodMic USB won’t meet your needs unfortunately. My only other minor annoyance is that the LED indicator for monitoring/mute is on the rear with all the connections, making it impossible to view while recording. It was an interesting choice that Rode did not locate it somewhere that would be visible while using the microphone like they did with the XDM-100. The PodMic USB is compatible over USB with Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android devices. It will work seamlessly with your smartphone, and I have tested this with the Rode Reporter and Rode Capture apps on iOS without issue. However, Rode only includes a USB-C to USB-C cable, so if you do not have a USB-C input on your device you’ll need to supply your own cable or adapter.

Rode indicated in the product launch video that the PodMic USB could be connected to the RØDECaster Pro 2 (or the RØDECaster Duo) via one of the USB connections. The supplied pop filter works well and looks good doing it. With the original PodMic, Rode offered the WS2 windscreen (sold separately) which was effective but looks a little silly in my opinion because it covers nearly the entire thing. The new and thankfully included pop filter looks like part of the microphone and still does an excellent job of reducing plosives. Sound Quality & DSP The sound quality of the PodMic USB is not only on-par with the original PodMic, in my testing I believe it makes a slight improvement. Over XLR, the PodMic USB sounds ever-so-slightly clearer in the mids and with a touch more warmth (see the video above for the audio comparison). The included pop filter does take away a little bit of the higher frequencies, but that is a common occurrence with foam windscreens. Over USB, the PodMic USB retains its signature sound. The DSP features can be activated using Rode’s free software or mobile apps, and a significant benefit is that the DSP settings are “remembered” or retained within the PodMic USB after disconnecting. This means you can set up the DSP to your liking, disconnect and then connect to a different device and the settings will be retained. If you’re using the PodMic USB in your work from home setup, this can make a big difference because many employers don’t allow installation of third party software on companyowned computers. You can set up the DSP on your personal computer or smartphone, then connect to your work computer and your DSP settings will still be there. In terms of quality, the DSP sounds nearly as good as the processing on the RØDECaster Duo. You can choose between simple controls (Depth, Sparkle, Punch), or go into the advanced mode and control the high pass filter, noise gate, compressor, and exciter processing individually. In my testing, everything except the noise gate functions smoothly and provides a natural-sounding enhancement to the audio. My experience so far with the noise gate has been a little clunky compared to the same feature on the RC DUO. The advanced mode gives you the same level of granular control over the noise gate

settings, however the results don’t seem to sound as clean & natural. It sounds a bit aggressive and almost glitchy to me, the way processing sounds when it’s being pushed too hard, even after matching the settings to my RC DUO. This is something I came across in my initial testing and unfortunately no amount of tinkering has cleared it up yet. Hopefully this is something that can be improved with a firmware update.

For content creation including podcasting and video, the PodMic USB offers great versatility and the ability to get up and running with high quality sound and no need to purchase additional gear. For remote workers who want to level up their sound in virtual meetings, again the PodMic USB is a great choice because you can customise your DSP settings even if your work computer doesn’t allow installing software.

Summarise

Should you buy it?

The price of $199 feels perhaps a tad high at first. Upon further consideration, it should be priced higher than the NT-USB+ ($169) because the build quality is simply better and it offers more connectivity. The XDM-100 is USB-only and costs $50 more ($249), though it does come with a shock mount. On the competition side of things, the Shure MV7 would be the closest competitor in terms of feature-set, and also costs $249. So perhaps the PodMic USB is priced right where it should be.Now that I’ve had a chance to test the PodMic USB for a few weeks and compare it to several other microphones, I do believe it is now a top choice for several different scenarios.

Who shouldn’t buy the PodMic USB? If you have an XLR-based setup that you’re happy with and really have no need for USB features, then you’re better off putting your budget towards gear that doesn’t have extraneous features that will go unused. However, if you’re looking for a mic you could use in your primary XLR setup but also travel with and not need to bring an interface to get great results, perhaps the PodMic USB is just the right option. With all that in note again we can happily rate The PodMic USB with a strong TGG 8/10 with both products coming together with a across the board 8/10 rating. Check out the links below for more info in regards to all the great products we reviewsed in this article!

Website: www.rode.com Facebook: @rodemic X: @rodemics Instagram: @rodemic TikTok: @rode

zephyr series gaming chair review Our amazing friends at GT Omega sent us The Zephyr Series gaming chair to test out! The Zephyr Series is a modern update on the classic gaming chair. GT Omega has designed it to be a stylish accent piece for your gaming set-up or home office, with a range of features and adjustability to enhance comfort. About GT Omega GT Omega was founded in Scotland in 2009 and has grown to be a leading supplier of simulation racing equipment. They successfully expanded into the gaming furniture and accessories market by utilising and adapting their knowledge and expertise of racing ergonomics. GT Omega’s focus on accessibility and value for money has earned them a solid reputation as a trusted brand for any budget. They have partnered and collaborated with the likes of Celtic Football Club, Sidemen, Moza Racing, Game Belong Arenas, and they even have special edition My Hero Academia gaming chairs! Assembly The Zephyr Series gaming chair was delivered in two separately boxes; one contained the majority of the parts, and the second box was for the five star aluminium base. Both boxes were very well packaged, and we didn’t have a single part that had any damage or cosmetic issues. I would like to point out that I don’t believe there were any alterations made with the packaging specifically for us. The Zephyr series gaming chair we received is exactly how any customer will receive it. The assembly process for The Zephyr series gaming chair is straightforward and nothing out of the ordinary, however an additional pair of hands would make fitting the chair to the base easier. The Zephyr Series came with an assembly guide and a tool to build the chair. There is a specific order to the assembly but as long as you follow the instructions there is not much that can go

wrong. There are two minor details to point out regarding the assembly guide. First is about the assembly instruction for the side-covers; the image in the instructions is different to what you receive so for a moment I did question if we had the wrong part. The second is about the “Package Contents Diagram” – it indicates the inclusion of a headrest cushion, but the Zephyr Series does not include one, it has a built-in headrest as standard. I assume that most of the GT Omega chair uses the same assembly guide. It is not an issue for me personally, but I can see it may cause some confusion with some consumers.

Build Quality All the parts felt well-built and good quality during the assembly process. I didn’t feel like I could easily snap or break something at any point. The main framework for the Zephyr Series is designed to provide maximum support and comfort. The framework steel tubing is 2mm thick, which is thicker and stronger than the industry standard. Keeping everything afloat is the five-star aluminium base; the material is a good combination of strength and weightsaving. There is good weight distribution, and it makes the chair feel sturdy with great stability. Some may consider this a minor detail but I’m very impressed by the twin-wheel caster wheels. They are durable and larger than a lot of other gaming chairs out there which gives me additional peace of mind. It also makes rolling on carpet a lot easier. Although if you prefer you can opt to use GT Omega’s Floor Pad, which is also available in a range of colours.

Comfort

Aesthetics

I can genuinely sit in the Zephyr Series gaming chair all day, and I have on multiple occasions. The seat and backrest are padded well. The backrest does not have built-in lumbar support which personally I’m fine with. The extra padding where a built-in lumbar support would be is a good trade-off. When I wanted the support, I used the memory foam lumbar support cushion which attaches to the backrest via a double strap; easy to fit or remove, and adjustable depending on where you would like the additional back support. The fabric upholstery feels soft on the skin.

GT Omega kindly sent us the Fabric Jet-Black version of the Zephyr Series gaming chair. It can be very subjective whether a person finds something aesthetically pleasing or not. Personally, I really like the clean minimalistic design. The stitching is tidy, and nothing seems particularly out of place or look odd. The Zephyr Series is available in 6 colours (Jet-Black, Ice-Blue, Clouded-Grey, Rose-Pink, Cherry-Red, and Somber-Teal) with the fabric material option, or the one Carbon-PVC colour scheme if you prefer the leather material option. I’m glad GT Omega sent the Fabric version as I think I prefer it over the leather. However, one drawback I have experience with the fabric material is that if you have fluffy pets their hair/fur will stick to the fabric quite stubbornly.

The Zephyr Series has a generous seating area, with a 35.5cm wide flat area and 62cm end-toend for the whole bucket seat. Plenty of space for larger users, or for people with less conventional seating positions; there is definitely room for you to sit like L from Death Note if you so choose. I’m sitting cross-legged as I’m writing this review. The generous seating area does mean that if you’re under 5’3” (rough estimate) you may not be able to touch the floor when you’re sitting on the chair in the lowest setting with your back against the backrest. One of the reasons I am able to sit in the Zephyr Series all day is due to the adjustability features. I can recline the backrest almost to the point of being horizontal and the chair does not lose its stability. The chair’s multi-functional tilt locking mechanism offers control over the height adjustment and, more importantly, the rocking feature; I can safely throw myself backwards in frustration after being 1-tapped in Valorant without fear that the momentum will cause the chair to tip over! The feature I probably use the most is the 4D armrest. The armrest can be adjusted up and down, forwards and back, left and right, and event rotated inwards or outwards. The ability to do this allows me to adjust the positioning of the armrest to either provide support or move it out the way to maintain comfort in any given moment.

Final Thoughts It has been difficult to really pinpoint any glaring negatives about the Zephyr Series gaming chair. The minor points raised regarding the assembly guide and the material drawback if you have fluffy pets may put a very slight damper on the overall experience, but they are definitely not deal breakers and do not detract from the core features. If you’re after a very comfortable, spacious seating chair where you can even sit cross legged (depending on how tall you are), then you should definitely consider the GT Omega Zephyr Series. The chair retails for £349.95 but you should be able to get it with a nice hefty discount when GT Omega has a sale on. The Zephyr Series is very popular with my cat Jiji. Every time I get up from the chair he will seize the opportunity to steal it and make himself nice and comfortable. I have, on more than one occasion, pulled up an old chair As I’m weak and I can bear to move him when he looks so cute and comfortable! Perhaps a Zephyr series cat-sized chair is needed?

If you are interested in getting the chair yourself and want to know more information, check out their website below!

Website: www.gtomega.co.uk X: @GTOmegaRacing

Facebook: @GTOmegaRacing 54

2023 recap The good? The bad? And the downright ugly? Well EGX 2023 was somewhat eventful let me tell you that. Once again we attended EGX to cover this event which to me had its ups and downs and where the media is concerned with a few issues with the venue itself. Anyways down to the events main details what we saw and what we got up to of course.

First up, as you may be aware, we work with some wonderful creators, so our main focus was creator interviews and a few funny shenanigans along the way. After catching up with some wonderful people we were alerted that TikTok had invited a handful of creators to a wonderful space for everyone to relax and stream.We thought it would be great to check it out and possibly mingle with some more creators and achieve some networking. However, TikTok refused entry stating that only their own press team were allowed to enter. After discussing that we did not intend to film and were in fact on TikTok ourselves, entry was still refused. We went on to find out that quite a few creators, despite being TikTok focused, were also not allowed entry. This often led to friends having to say goodbye to each other at the doors, creating a huge rift between different type of creators. It was rather disappointing seeing this kind of treatment of the people that were otherwise invited to the event but prevented from actually enjoying the benefits of being a creator. But enough about that EGX had zero to do with that. EGX put on a great show for us with wonderful games from teams like Sega & Ubisoft, even a great family friendly area with nearby access to new and upcoming Nintendo games which was wonderful to see. EGX does playable games very

well in my opinion from AAA to even indie titles which we thoroughly enjoyed.

So what games did EGX have to play? Well we couldn’t try them all but we at least managed to play most of them, from indie titles such as the precinct which is crime beating game similar to urban chaos which I loved and make way a track building racer which was super fun as well as Loddlenaut where you collect trash from the ocean super cool, we also managed to try the all new Super Mario wonders game via Nintendo that was super fun a co-op funtastic moment. SEGA was there of course with some big games including the all new Sonic Superstars game and of course some big hits to the Like a Dragon series which I was starstruck by being a huge Yakuza game fan. We enjoyed most of our time checking out people play games and playing only so many but you had all sorts from VR to family friendly to even triple A like the all new Call Of Duty which you could play behind closed doors of course. EGX had everything for all gamers shapes sizes and ages you name it, it was there to enjoy with tons of friendly devs and approachable seating areas to really sink into the demos they had on

show much recommended right there as this is EGXs big hitter that’s for sure. Speaking of Devs we arranged a couple of interviews with the teams over At Secret Mode & Wired Productions we also caught up with Kwalee Games all three of these indie studies had some great games to show with Secret mode of course having Make Way & Loddlenaut, Wired Production showcasing Gori Cuddly Carnage which was like a Jak and Daxter type game but you played as a cat on a hoverboard, cool right? And of course Kwalee the team being Precinct, overall great chats business cards exchanged and very friendly teams with must play games. On The Show Floor Of course EGX is not just a playable demo area it also has some great tabletop areas, one in which we did a little dice game with creators for which you can see on our YouTube super fun and very welcoming area with friendly staff and such knowledge about tabletop. Merch You also have merchandise of course and tons of it from plushies to blind bags to even clothing and pokemon cards. There were needs met for all buyers of merch. EGX this year brought in a super cool Five Nights at Freddy’s area with photo opportunities and even a pizza truck that gave out free pizza. What a nice touch team. Cyberpower & HEX Across the show floor you of course had games merch and other things but not a lot of brands minus the wonderful Cyberpower PC bus this thing gets around and it’s so welcomed as they had tons of games to play even hosted some giveaways it was much fun, but they brought to them this company called The Ultimate Space Company in which they showcased their very own product the HEX, now what is the HEX? Designed by a world-class design studio, the new ‘Hex’ workspace provides the optimum size, insulation, sound and natural light levels required to create a flexible work and play space for today’s hybrid lifestyle. Small on the outside; remarkably big on the inside,

the internal space defies its footprint, providing a naturally light workspace designed for small gardens and outdoor spaces. Fully insulated, with no ongoing maintenance, the office comes complete with a fully adjustable desk, shelves and led lights and requires no planning permission or groundworks. Connection to your broadband and power supply is simple as the office includes a wifi router and fuse board. From designers to streamers, the workspace provides a versatile working environment for single-screen or multi-screen configurations.Thanks to its unique modular design, it moves with you. All backed by a 10-year guarantee. Sounds impressive right? Well we were quite blown away with this and surely can see the market whereas creator spaces come into consideration. We did however manage to catch an interview with Co Owner, Jamie Colonna which you can see here: https://youtu. be/3cYLRFXIh7U?si=xVbxn1wHWKLWvA9K

Tournaments & Panels Of course on the floor you had tournaments and panels with some great LAN stuff going on and of course some wonderful Tekken battles, the panels of course were great very knowledgeable friendly vibes and some great people on them, however during one of the panels and you may have seen there was a security breach a huge issue which is not down to EGX but the Excel venue itself making you think EGX should you return to the Excel I think not. On to detail there was some sexual harassment and crude words made towards a panellist which caused a heated moment with little to no security around to solve this meaning the public intervened almost causing a punch up big no right here, luckily security eventually came and the bust up was over. However another security breach happening during one of the tournaments again not EGX to blame but the security at Excel of course and that was Just Stop Oil getting it and spraying paint all over the tournament hosts equipment and screens absolutely shocking behaviour, these issues of course where the bad and ugly we mentioned earlier not a good look at all. Enough about that, what else did EGX have on the show floor?

After Hours

Overall

A popular demand was something to do after the show had closed catch a drink some food or see some panels and a great show well, the after hours segment was great you had some retro gaming fun with friends some laughable comedy acts some knowledgeable panels and just all around a blast very well done for putting in those extra hours we had a blast.

EGX have been great to us from gifting us Press passes to just having friendly chats with their staff, we really can’t fault the team behind it, just with the issues with TikTok and the security breaches which was not a fault to EGX, we believe you just need to tweak the venue and allow a space for friends not just selected guests or at least allow creators to welcome in their friends to the areas then you have nailed it down to perfection as the games on show are almost perfected, the panels are great, the tabletop side of things is wonderful and the merch is merch which gamers love and enjoy, so minus the hiccups which will be ironed out next year, we look forward to covering EGX next time!

Cosplay Of course you wouldn’t be at a gaming event without cosplay right! Well we saw some beautiful well thought out cosplays throughout the whole event with competitions and prizes and of course their very own masquerade, you can see a lot more about cosplay imagery winners and such in our next dedicated cosplay section of cosplay at EGX. EGX 2023 RECAP VIDEO We did capture a bunch more games and some interviews and such so anything I did miss to mention in this written recap then you can watch the video right below.

We did however notice the date change for next year with this one being in September instead of October which means super close to Gamescom and Insomnia but we will make them all. However if you would love to check out EGX and keep an eye on when you can purchase a ticket for yourself then you can do so below. www.egx.net

cosplay at egx 2023 EGX had an incredible cosplay show this year, with beginners and experts alike taking to the stage and showing off their costumes. The show took place on the main stage of the event, so the cosplayers were able to get a taste of being in the spotlight with a big audience.

The competition showcased so much talent this year, and the fine details of these cosplays were absolutely amazing! In the end though, there could only be 3 winners! Starting with third place was @RaikiriCosplay with their costume of Achilles from Hades. The moment I heard that character and game I let out the biggest cheer possible! They came out with absolute confidence and their costume was spectacular. At second place were @alicenyannya and @newtsip as Link and Zelda. The costumes were so well made, and the tiny performance they gave together was so adorable and completely sold the cosplay to the audeince as well! Lastly, at first place, was none other than @ MandaDoesACosplay as Freya from God of War Ragnarok. The sheer amount of detail in this cosplay was immense, with every single piece being handmade. A huge amount of time and effort was put into this cosplay and they thoroughly deserved their win. Congratulations to all of the winners! (Note: If you see your picture in this feature and were not tagged, please do contact us so we can tag you!)

MCM LONDON COMIC CON OCTOBER 2023 RECAP MCM Comic Con was back at the Excel Centre again this year and was filled to the brim with stages, panels, artists, stalls, food, interactive experiences and live music. We were invited back as Press to cover this event once more and share a recap with you. This time around, I felt like MCM was very focused on gaming (both tabletop and console) with the bigger panels focused on D&D, a huge selection of card game areas, a variety of arcade games, PC and console game experiences (and sneak peeks) for example Bandai Namco was there showing off the all new Sandland game which is created by teams from the Dragon ball games, plus a larger number of game and dice stalls than I’d seen before. There was also a tabletop game themed pub photo area too! We had been interested to see the Critical Role panel that was almost impossible to get into however we managed to secure some great seats and were blown away by how great this panel was. They really did engage with the audience and had the fans loving every moment. There were over 2000 people in the audience cheering for the cast!

Figures are always a huge feature of MCM, from the newly released or just announced to sought after older ones and those shipped in from Japan. Hasbro Pulse was a late addition to the roster but their booth was always buzzing, especially after the new figure announcements in their panel and a first look at their buyer backed HasLab creations, like The Ghost ship and figures from Star Wars Rebels. Blind boxes were a big draw too, with Popmart back again and Mighty Jaxx who we have previously featured had a central booth too which was great to see and catch up with the team. Mighty Jaxx had a range of their hugely popular Hidden Dissectibles figures and their Sanrio Kandy range which is a very cute addition for collectors. Aside from figures, the show floor is always filled with such a huge amount of interesting stalls. Irregular Choice had their Sanrio Halloween

collection out, Kodansha had Attack on Titan Monopoly amongst its huge table of manga, Padawan Outpost had an enormous selection of lightsabers, and even Miffy, Paddington and Tintin joined the other fandoms on a stall of their own. Then there were the more ‘unique’ offerings, such as a variety of characters represented in crochet figures, drinking horns and mead, alongside guys dressed as Vikings offering axe throwing and a huge T-Rex from Jurassic Park!

Artist Alley was, as always, a huge attraction for me, and it felt even bigger this year! I discovered lots of new creators there and on other parts of the show floor too. A few highlights from the new discoveries I made were Sonoeha (stunning Japanese prints), Jed Henry (traditional Japanese style artwork incorporating modern fandoms), By Miicha (original compositions and fan art in a gorgeous colour palette), Kukapuddin (both her OCs and fan art were drawn in such a beautiful style and she even has a cool Webtoon), Knight of the Galaxy (prequel era Star Wars and clone merch!), and Walking Whales (original character coasters and glassware) among many others. I could mention more, but we could be here all day as there are so many talented artists.

One thing I really enjoyed trying for the first time was the Bridge Command experience, where you could play at being in one of the bridge positions on a starship. You take on the roles of captain, comms, weapons, helm, science and engineering and each one is very different. Our experience only lasted for around 10 minutes to give us a taster of what to expect, but once the company launches next year they’ll be from 90 minutes and I think it’ll be fantastic for groups of sci-fi fans to do. Pop Asia gave us the most from live performances again, with K-Pop dance groups, live music, sumo and even gymnastics. However, the new afterhours parts of the weekend offered up DJs and comedy performances in other areas of the convention hall too. The afterhours sessions were definitely a good idea for allowing the crowds to disperse more slowly at the end of the night, as it’s always madness, but unfortunately I wasn’t able to experience any of it myself this time as I brought the kids along and that’s one part of MCM which I don’t recommend for children as its too noisy and a tad past their bedtimes..

One of the most popular attractions to any convention, especially on the Saturday here, is cosplay. MCM has an entire cosplay area dedicated to the art and craft of creating cosplays (there will be a full recap written by Emily all about Cosplay over on the next few pages), there were an enormous number of meet-ups and gatherings of cosplayers from different fandoms, the area outside the Excel centre was absolutely packed with them on the Saturday. Without fail we ran into so many fantastic cosplayers, from ones in shop bought outfits to entire handmade masterpieces. However you do it, dressing up as your favourite characters is always so much fun. Another great addition to MCM which they seem to host each year is their Kid play area which they call the treehouse, with lots of fun activities for the kids including bean bags to lounge on and lots of colouring which includes making your own drawstring bags, it is really great to get away from the hectic moments and relax with your little ones for a bit, the team behind this are great, very energetic and know how to entertain the kids, you must watch your kids at all times in this area as it isn’t a daycare thing so do pop in with your little ones and have some wonderful times with some great stuff to take home, one year we made personalised mugs please bring that back.

To Summarise MCM is a busy fun filled Con with many things to do that being buying merch playing games having fun with cosplay or just kicking it back catching a few panels or admiring some artists work, for me I believe it is a kid friendly place so don’t hesitate to take your kids but make sure to be aware the Saturdays can be a little overwhelming with how busy it gets, on top of this the panels I had one problem with and that was the security fencing being press it was a nightmare to get good imagery and up close because of this almost having to stick our big camera rigs through the fencing to even remotely get something good which was a huge shame. Overall the event is fun but very busy there’s activities for all ages and fun to be had with slight hiccups time and time again mainly down to the excel, MCM comic con is truly a great thing to see which we do recommend. If MCM Comic Con London is on your list to attend the head below where you find out when and where their next one is, on that note I’m Sawyer signing off, I hope you’ve enjoyed the recap, stay tuned for the cosplay segment next, I’ll catch you in the next one, Peace. www.mcmcomiccon.com

cosplay at london mcm comic con As always, the calibre of cosplay at London MCM Comic Con was outstanding. Not only on the cosplay showcases themselves, but on other panels, shows and on the main floor itself. I cannot express enough how amazing it is to see the sheer amount of effort and time people put into their costumes, walking around whilst completely in character and making people smile. On the Friday was the Cosplay Lip Sync Show. Judged by none other than Blu Hydrangea from Ru Pauls Drag Race UK, cosplayers took to the stage and showed off their lip syncing talents. The whole show was such good fun, with the audience cheering excitedly for each and every performance. The overall winners of the show were @Willow__cosplays as Loki and @vernievrn as Nitiri from Avatar Both of them had amazing costumes and their performances were incredible!

On the Saturday came the Cosplay Masquerade Championships, as well as the qualifying competition for the World Cosplay Summit. For these competitions, the best of the best take the stage, showing their skills in costume creation and bringing a performance with it. For the World Cosplay Summit, the rules were clear: to be a pair that would perform a short skit in their handmade cosplays. The winners would then go on to represent the UK in Japan the following year! All of the performers for this were absolutely amazing. I was astounded by the sheer amount of effort put into not only the costumes, but the performances as well as all of the set pieces and props. The winners who would go on to represent us in Japan were ultimately Jazzy Chan and Huani who cosplayed as Raz and Kai from Valkyria Chronicles 4. Not only was the skit they performed extremely well done, but the sheer level of detail in the outfits and the set pieces was second to none (I especially liked the little tank that peeked out from behind the wall!). A huge congratulations to them both and we cannot wait to see them in Japan for WCS next year!

The second competition of the night was the Cosplay Championships, of which a plethora of cosplayers took to the stage to show off their talents in costume making. To say this must have been tough for the judges is an understatement. I know I definitely would have struggled to choose a winner in this competition! Though, after much deliberation, winners were chosen! The Best Beginner Award went to @backtackcosplay cosplaying Emet Selch from Final Fantasy XIV. A very much deserved prize. They achieved every little detail of Emet Selch’s outfit from the game and it was hard to believe that was a beginners costume!!! The first Judges Award went to @acorn_cosplays and @rxefii as Lightfury and Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon. When I tell you how I audibly gasped when these two stepped out onto the stage... Absolutely incredible cosplays and such a unique take on the characters! The second Judges Award went to Totoro (no name for the cosplayer unfortunately!) from My Neighbour Totoro. This costume must have been SO hard to walk around in. We found out after the fact that the cosplayer actually had a camera on the top of Totoro’s head in order to see where she was walking! Clever! Lastly, the Best Costume prize went to @candescent_cosplay cosplaying as Asmodeus from Helluva Boss. I absolutely adored this cosplay the moment they stepped out onto the stage. The use of colours and layers was gorgeous and it was a thoroughly deserved win! Congratulations to all of the winners!

The Sunday held the Cosplay Masquerade and Variety Show, which allowed cosplayers to come onto the stage and give short performances as well as showcasing their costume-making talents. A little more laidback than the Saturday competition but with prizes just as amazing, the calibre of skill was still at an extremely high level. I would not have liked to have been the judges for this one! In the end though, winners were chosen and were as follows: @jubbyjk as Lucy Grey from The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds. A truly stunning cosplay. All of the colours used in the dress were truly beautiful! @esu_hearts as Hoshino Ai from Oshi no Ko. I honestly could not stop staring at this costume. That might have been the magpie in me with how shiny and colourful it was! @soryn_cosplay and @xenia_cosplay as Jaskier and Ciri from The Witcher 3. I have a soft spot for these characters anyway, but was also thoroughly impressed by all of the details put into both costumes! @niamhmaireas Nurse Joy from Pokemon. A truly unique take on Nurse Joy! The dress was made in a Victorian nurse style and it was so beautifully made, a thoroughly deserved win in my books!

golden joystick awards 2023 This year’s awards took place on Friday, November 20 and for the first time since 2019 it was in person again in London, as well as live-streamed around the globe. The show, which is now in its 41st year, recognizes the talent present all across the video game industry. From those who create experiences that enrich our lives and transfix us during our downtime, to the people who bring those characters and worlds to life, there are plenty of games and studios that deserve recognition each year. The Golden Joystick awards received a record amount of votes this year, with you all coming out in your millions to pick your games of the year across over a dozen categories. This year, it’s Larian Studios’ Baldur’s Gate 3 that took home the most awards, picking up a record-breaking seven Golden Joysticks in total including UGOTY and Larian itself taking home Studio of the Year. Here is the full list of all the Golden Joystick Awards 2023 winners: Best Storytelling •

Baldur’s Gate 3 (winner)

•

The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood

•

Armored Core 6: Fires Of Rubicon

•

Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals

•

Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo

•

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Still Playing Award • • • • • • • • • • • •

No Man’s Sky (winner) Genshin Impact The Sims 4 Fortnite Naraka Bladepoint GTA Online Warframe Valorant Counter-Strike: Global Offensive / CounterStrike 2 Apex Legends Dota 2 Call of Duty

Best Visual Design • • • • • •

Baldur’s Gate 3 (winner) Starfield Hi-Fi Rush Viewfinder Lies of P Street Fighter 6

Studio of the Year • • • • • •

Larian Studios (winner) Digital Eclipse Nintendo EPD Mimimi Games Remedy Entertainment CD Projekt Red

Best Game Expansion • • • • • •

Power Wash Simulator DLC Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty (winner) The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom The Case of the Golden Idol Mysteries: The Lemurian Vampire and Spider of Lanka Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania A Little to the Left: Cupboards & Drawers

Best Indie Game

Best VR game

• • • • • •

•

C-Smash VRS

•

Horizon Call of the Mountain (winner)

•

Synapse

•

Vertigo 2 VR

•

F1 23 VR

•

The Light Brigade

Dave the Diver Pizza Tower Dredge Cocoon Viewfinder Sea of Stars (winner)

Best Multiplayer Game

Best Gaming Hardware

•

Exoprimal

•

Diablo 4

•

PlayStation VR2 (winner)

•

Street Fighter 6

•

Remnant 2

•

Turtle Beach Stealth Pro Headset

•

Mortal Kombat 1 (winner)

•

Alienware 34 AW3423DWF

•

We Were Here Expeditions: The FriendShip

•

Nitro Deck

•

ASUS ROG Strix Scope II 96

Best Audio

•

Samsung 990 PRO

• • • • • •

Breakthrough Award

Stray Gods Hi-Fi Rush Bomb Rush Cyberfunk Starfield The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Final Fantasy 16 (winner)

Best Game Trailer • • • • • •

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty - Official Cinematic Trailer (winner) Alan Wake 2 - The Dark Place Gameplay Trailer The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Official Trailer #3 Baby Steps Reveal Trailer Mortal Kombat 1 - Official It’s In Our Blood Trailer Dave the Diver - Official Release Month And Accolades Trailer

Best Game Community • • • • • •

Final Fantasy 14 Warframe Baldur’s Gate 3 (winner) Deep Rock Galactic Dreams The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Cocoon / Geometric Interactive Critics’ Choice Award Alan Wake 2 Best Streaming Game Valorant Best Lead Performer • • • • • • •

Ben Starr - Clive Rosfield in Final Fantasy 16 (winner) Yuri Lowenthal - Peter Parker in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Cameron Monaghan - Cal Kestis in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Ilkka Villi and Matthew Porretta - Alan Wake in Alan Wake 2 Nadji Jeter - Miles Morales in Marvel’s SpiderMan 2 Ellise Chappell - Kathy Johanson in Deliver Us Mars Melanie Liburd - Saga Anderson in Alan Wake 2

Nintendo Game of the Year • • • • • •

Pikmin 4 The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (winner) Fire Emblem Engage Metroid Prime Remastered Octopath Traveller 2 Fae Farm

PC Game of the Year • • • • • •

Baldur’s Gate 3 (winner) Diablo 4 Dave the Diver Tchia System Shock Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew

PlayStation Game of the Year • • • • • •

Final Fantasy 16 Resident Evil 4 (winner) Street Fighter 6 Humanity Armored Core 6: Fires Of Rubicon Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Xbox Game of the Year • • • • • •

Starfield (winner) Chants of Sennaar Hi-Fi Rush Planet of Lana Dead Space Pentiment

Most Wanted Game • • • • • • • • • •

Death Stranding 2 Star Wars Outlaws Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth (winner) Tekken 8 Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl Hades 2 Fable Hollow Knight: Silksong Everywhere

• • • • • • • • • •

Frostpunk 2 Ark 2 Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater Persona 3 Reload Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League Pacific Drive Black Myth: Wukong Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin

Ultimate Game of the Year •

Baldur’s Gate 3 (winner)

•

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

•

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

•

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

•

Alan Wake 2

•

Resident Evil 4

•

Cocoon

•

Starfield

•

Final Fantasy 16

•

Diablo 4

•

Forza Motorsport

•

Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon

•

Assassin’s Creed Mirage

•

Super Mario Bros. Wonder

•

Street Fighter 6

•

Metroid Prime Remastered

•

Hi-Fi Rush

•

Lords of the Fallen

•

Dead Space

•

Sea of Stars

So there we have it, all the winners and nominees of the Golden Joystick awards 2023, did your favourites win? We hope so. You can find out more about the Golden Joystick Awards here: www.gamesradar.com

everything announced at the xbox partner preview showcase Despite being short, the Xbox Partner Preview showcase was stuffed with Xbox reveals and Xbox Game Pass news. Here’s a quick roundup of everything announced. If you didn’t catch Microsoft’s first-ever Xbox Partner Preview showcase, fret not! We have rounded up all news and announcements from the event into one handy place. From a first in-engine look at Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater to a deep dive into Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth’s Animal Crossing-style life-sim mode, here’s everything revealed during the Xbox Partner Preview showcase. All Xbox Partner Preview showcase reveals Ryu Ga Gotaku opened the show with a new trailer for Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth’s Dondoko Island — a game mode that looks incredibly similar to Animal Crossing. PowerWash Simulator developer FuturLab announced Ikaro: Will Not Die for Xbox Series X|S. FuturLab says this action-adventure roguelite is a spiritual successor to the studio’s Velocity series. The Chinese Room dropped a new gameplay trailer for the narrative-driven first-person horror game Still Wakes The Deep, which is coming to Xbox Series X|S and Xbox Game Pass in 2024. Out now on Xbox Series X|S, developer Teyon gave us another look at some action-packed RoboCop: Rogue City gameplay.

Next up, developer Microbird revealed more about the social gameplay aspects of Dungeons of Hinterberg, showing us a day in the life of protagonist Luisa. Dungeons of Hinterberg launches for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox Game Pass in 2024 Surprise sequel Spirit of the North 2 was then announced, giving us a first look at the stunning adventure game. A release date wasn’t announced, but you can expect Spirit of the North 2 to arrive on Xbox Series X|S “soon.” A big surprise came next, with Konami showing off for the first time some in-engine footage of its upcoming Metal Gear Solid 3 remake, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater. Hooded Horse and Slavic Magic announced that the highly-anticipated medieval city builder Manor Lords will join PC Game Pass in April next year and Xbox Game Pass at a later date. The Finals is a destruction-filled free-to-play shooter developed by former Battlefield veterans at Embark Studio. During the Partner Preview, Embark announced a cross-platform open beta for The Finals that kicked off on October 26. Developer Studio Wildcard gave us our first proper look at its Ark: Survival Evolved remake, Ark: Survival Ascended, which got delayed on Xbox Series X|S to November. Finally, Xbox and Remedy Entertainment closed out the showcase with an intense and creepy launch trailer for Alan Wake 2.

microsoft completes $69 billion acquisition of activision blizzard Following 20 months of duking it out with regulators, Microsoft has now officially acquired Activision Blizzard for a record-breaking $68.7 billion. Following approval from the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), Microsoft has now completed its $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard the biggest video game acquisition of all time. Teams from Activision Publishing, Blizzard Entertainment, Beenox, Demonware, Digital Legends, High Moon Studios, Infinity Ward, King, Major League Gaming, Radical Entertainment, Raven Software, Sledgehammer Games, Toys for Bob, and Treyarch are all now a part of the Xbox family. In a statement posted on Xbox Wire, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer said, “We love gaming. We play games, create games, and know first-hand how much gaming means to all of us as individuals and collectively, as a community. And today, we officially welcome Activision Blizzard and their teams to Xbox. They are the publishers of some of the most played and most beloved franchises in gaming history across console, PC and mobile. From Pitfall to Call of Duty, World of Warcraft to Overwatch, Candy Crush Saga to Farm Heroes Super Saga, their studios have pushed the boundaries of gaming for players around the world. “I’ve long admired the work of Activision, Blizzard, and King, and the impact they’ve had on gaming, entertainment, and pop culture. Whether it was late nights spent playing the Diablo IV campaign with friends from start to finish, gathering the entire family in the rec room for our weekly Guitar Hero night, or going on an epic streak in Candy Crush, some of my most memorable gaming moments came from experiences their studios have created. It is incredible to welcome such legendary teams to Xbox. As one team, we’ll learn, innovate, and continue to deliver on our promise to bring the joy and community of gaming to more people. We’ll do this in a culture that strives to empower everyone to do their best work, where all people are welcome and is centred on our ongoing commitment of Gaming for Everyone. We are intentional about inclusion in everything we do at Xbox – from our team to the products we make and the stories we tell, to the way our players interact and engage as a wider gaming community. Together, we’ll create new worlds and stories, bring your favourite games to more places so more players can join in, and we’ll engage with and delight players in new, innovative ways in the places they love to play including mobile, cloud streaming and more.” Spencer also noted that Microsoft “will also continue to make more games available in more places – and that begins now by enabling cloud streaming providers and players to stream Activision Blizzard games in the European Economic Area, a commitment made to the European Commission.” As for Xbox Game Pass, Spencer said that Microsoft has started work today to bring “beloved Activision, Blizzard, and King franchises to Game Pass and other platforms” and will share more on what you can expect to play “in the coming months.” Microsoft first announced its intent to purchase Activision Blizzard back in January 2022, and ever since, Microsoft has been battling with competition regulators across the world to get the deal over the line. After public spats with Sony, going back and forth with the EU Commission, a high-profile court case against the US Federal Trade Commission, Microsoft accidentally leaking its future Xbox plans, and the UK’s CMA blocking and subsequent clearing of the deal, it’s all finally over.

fallout tv series release date The Fallout TV show now has a release date for its Prime Video debut, as confirmed in a brief announcement featuring a suitably cheery Pip-Boy. We’re all excited for the upcoming Fallout TV show, and now we finally know when we’ll be able to watch it. Details on the show, which entered production last year, are still scarce, but we’ve at least got confirmation of the release date with this clip the Fallout Twitter account shared. The Fallout TV show arrives for Amazon Prime Video on April 12, 2024. There are now social channels up for the upcoming TV show, including a Fallout on Prime Twitter page, but there isn’t much on there yet. A press release tells us, “set in the future post-apocalyptic Los Angeles and world of Fallout, the series is an original story based on Fallout that will be part of the canon of the games.” The series will be a collaboration between Kilter Films and executive producers including Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, Bethesda’s Todd Howard, Bethesda’s James Altman, and more. The first three episodes of the show have been directed by Nolan (we don’t yet know how many episodes there will be overall). The cast includes Yellowjackets’ Ella Purnell, The Hateful Eight’s Walton Goggins, Emancipation’s Aaron Moten, and more.

activision blizzard ceo hiints at potential guitar hero reveal In an internal meeting with employees, Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick reportedly hinted at the return of the Guitar Hero franchise. Kotick reportedly held an internal town hall meeting on Tuesday 10th October 2023 to discuss with employees the future of the company, and it appears the topic of Guitar Hero came up. Kotick spoke about Microsoft’s strength when it came to research and development, noting the “unlimited potential” of working with the tech giant. “A big part of what I’ve seen in Microsoft is research. And they do development in areas that are extraordinary. And so being able to tap into their AI and machine learning capability, the data analytics, new ways of thinking about graphics I just see unlimited potential for what we do,” Kotick reportedly said. “We’re uniquely situated as a company because we have the very best franchises in all of video games.” Looking ahead at the next ten years of gaming, Kotick reportedly namechecked Guitar Hero, suggesting that a new entry into the franchise could be on the way, “The re-emergence of Guitar Hero and other things would not be possible without the different types of resources. And so, you know, just the endless possibilities for the future that are just incredibly exciting.” Kotick has said in the past that he’s been interested in making a new Guitar Hero for quite a while, so hopefully something is in the works. Xbox boss Phil Spencer has also said he’s keen to revive the Guitar Hero franchise.

When it comes to white-knuckle set pieces, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 doesn’t do things by halves. The sequel to developer Insomniac Games’ superlative 2018 Spider-debut opens by throwing you headlong into an action sequence that immediately sets the tone, pitting SpiderMen Peter Parker and Miles Morales against a rampaging classic villain across the game’s expanded New York City. Few games open with such gusto, Insomniac setting out its stall for tantalising times to come, and from this point on Spider-Man 2 fails to disappoint. With Peter striving to hold down a job as a college tutor and Miles attempting to live as normal a life as possible, following the events of 2020’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, it’s not long before things inevitably go topsy-turvy. Thanks, in no small part, to Kraven the Hunter’s visit to NYC on the hunt for the ultimate prey, both Pete and Miles’ lives are turned upside down, and when you throw a mysterious ‘symbiote’ suit into the mix which Peter inherits at a certain juncture during the story, gaining untold powers in the process - you have all of the requisite ingredients for high, comic-bookinspired drama. Despite the glut of trailers building up to the game’s launch, revealing Lizard as a villain, alongside Kraven and Venom, Insomniac has, amazingly, managed to keep a fair few twists and secrets under its hat. Consequently, Spider-Man 2’s narrative has ample capacity to surprise, although comic book pedants like myself might be perturbed by the quite major departure in how events unfold – suffice it say, things happen very differently within the hallowed pages of Marvel’s classic comics. 91

The result, however, is an unpredictable and wonderfully fraught rollercoaster ride. Despite playing a little fast and loose with widely known Marvel lore, this nonetheless feels like a faithful take in its own right, retaining the spirit of its characters. Crucially, this is another delicious slice of that same divine traversal and crunchy combat that lit up the previous two games. The joy of swinging between New York’s skyscrapers is all the more joyful thanks to the addition of web wings to Peter and Miles’ suits, enabling you to gracefully glide across the skyline, using updraughts from ventilation fans and tracts of wind to go higher, further, and faster. It’s utterly glorious. Equally brilliant are the additional skills that Peter and Miles can bust out during a fight, the former using his metallic Spider Arms to pummelled and electrocute enemies, while the latter is able to summon Venom abilities to zap baddies with bright orangey energy – great for turning the tide when you’re outnumbered. Later, Pete can swap out his Spider Arm skills for all-too-gratifying symbiote strikes from his swanky black symbiote suit, while Miles’ formidable Venom gifts evolve, granting even more potent jolts of crackling lightning. The Focus metre returns, too, offering either a cinematic finishing move or an injection of health, encouraging you to string together unbroken combos to keep the cells charged up. As before, you can web up and throw enemies around; yank weapons and shields out of hands, before forcefully hurling them back; and generally mete out non-fatal Spider-justice. It’s spectacular stuff. Even the Mary Jane bits are better than they were in Spidey 1 MJ has learnt

some new tricks since last time. She’s even acquired a new face that few are talking about - Insomniac seemingly can’t settle on definitive faces for its cast. You’ll find enormous scope for brawling, swinging, and gliding, with the game’s detailed rendition of New York almost doubled in size, thanks to the addition of Queens and Brooklyn. Taking in the Coney Island fairground, both Miles’ college campus and Pete’s old seat of learning in Midtown High, there are myriad new places to explore, and Insomniac has done a fine job in filling its world with fun, interesting stuff to do, whether it’s conducting experiments for the Emily-May Foundation, founded by Peter and his best pal Harry Osborn, downloading data from Kraven’s Talon drones, investigating Hunter Bases, or looking for skittering Spider Bots. Every little bit of Spider-Man 2 has been expertly crafted by a studio that really grasps the unique appeal of ol’ webhead and his newer webhead companion. Together, Peter and Miles make a sensational duo, and, when you’re off the leash in NYC, you can switch between Spider-Men at any time, via the revamped Friendly

Neighbourhood Spider-Man app accessed with a left swipe on the PS5’s DualSense controller touchpad. Speaking of the DualSense, no game has quite nailed the wobbly haptics and added immersion of the adaptive triggers quite like Spidey 2. The feel of the breeze as you soar with your web wings deployed rippling through your fingers, special abilities pulsing into your palms, collectible tech stash doors accessed by pulling both triggers to a specific point before you find the biting point and the triggers go slack. And this is how you do superhero games. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 cements Insomniac’s place as purveyors of comic book heroics par excellence, telling a compelling, swiftly paced story with enough downtime to give you room to breathe between the myriad freewheeling, eyesaucering set pieces, transcendent traversal, and superior combat. It sets up exciting things to come, too, leaving a few threads dangling tantalisingly. Clearly, Insomniac is the best there is at what it does, which bodes remarkably well for its upcoming Wolverine game.

Overall TGG Rating Pete and Miles join forces for a stellar dose of open-world superhero shenanigans, setting a new standard for Marvel video game adaptations. The first one was amazing, but Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is truly spectacular.

9/10 Audio 9/10 Pete and Miles get their own themes and ambient tunes, both befitting of their cinematic super heroics. The sound of web shooting from the DualSense speaker is great.

Visuals 9/10 Jaw-dropping. Spider-Man 2’s New York City looks stunning, and its cast of characters are rendered in sumptuous detail. One of the best-looking games on PS5.

Playability 9/10 From the traversal to the combat, every little nut and bolt in Spider-Man 2 has been polished and tightened up. Also, web wings. This is utterly sublime.

Delivery 9/10 A solid 30 hours of game, with very little filler. Not every side activity hits the mark, but, overall, this is a generously proportioned slab of Spider-brilliance.

Version tested: PlayStation 5

Reviewed by: Brandon Sawyer

RoboCop: Rogue City you can do pretty much anything RoboCop can. You can even write tickets for parking infractions, and punish really petty crimes, like some sort of jobsworth. Rest assured, this is the ultimate RoboCop fantasy, especially if you like the idea of RoboCop as a traffic warden. Coming from Teyon, the Polish developer behind Terminator: Resistance, RoboCop: Rogue City is a similarly faithful love letter to a gloriously violent ‘80s action film, set after the events of the second movie, which actually released in 1990. Clearly, however, there’s a greater affection in evidence here for the 1987 Paul Verhoeven-directed original, and rightly so. As such, many of the callbacks are to that beloved classic, including the game’s central villain a criminal mysteriously referred to as ‘the new guy in town’, who happens to have a personal beef to settle with the chrome copper. Meanwhile, the mayoral elections are about to take place, and OCP, the ubiquitous dodgy corporation at the heart of the RoboCop series, has plans to build the new Delta City. Tensions are running high. As such, Old Detroit is sparsely populated and a place of abject poverty and crime. While the few streets you’ll patrol are relatively confined, Old Detroit is an immersive and detailed place, but it’s the main missions proper that provide all of the best action. The gunplay in particular is very good, giving you limitless ammunition using Robo’s Auto-9 handgun and his computer vision, which outlines hostiles in lime green. Blasting your way through abandoned industrial buildings, banks, courthouses, and other 95

institutions riddled with criminal scum is not only a lot of fun, but it’s also uncompromisingly violent, with skulls popping, and blood splattering up the walls. Environmental destruction lends to the dynamism of a gunfight, too, as masonry crumbles, glass shatters, wood bursts into splinters, and unwisely discarded red containers explode in balls of bright-orange flame. There are also enough slow-motion breach and clear moments – through brick walls and doors alike – to fill about fifty Call of Duty games, but, in fairness, they seldom get old. Just don’t forget to protect the innocent when all of those bullets start flying. There’s shared DNA with Teyon’s Terminator game in Rogue City, but this is a more polished, and better presented package, even if it does still suffer more than a handful of technical shortcomings. Characters wearing glasses feel compelled to touch their eyes, hands clipping through their frames; and there’s an awful lot of texture pop-in. Character animation in general is horribly janky most of the attention, it seems, was lavished upon making sure RoboCop and ED-209 look and behave authentically, at the expense of almost all of the other peripheral characters. Fans of the films will recognise all of the key players, including RoboCop’s longsuffering partner, Anne Lewis; the blustering Sergeant Reed; and the stern-faced Omni Consumer Products CEO, ‘The Old Man’. Likenesses are all present and correct, even if not all of the voices are. This being an ‘80s vision of the future, there’s also a slimeball OCP corpo sleazebag hanging around the Detroit Police Department, and he likely knows more than he’s letting on about

a sinister plot known as ‘Project Afterlife’. Mixed up in it all is the aforementioned ‘new guy’ and some of Old Detroit’s nastiest gangs, all of whom are fair game for a dose of leadflavoured justice at the business end of RoboCop’s Auto-9. Said gangs also peddle an uber-addictive drug called Nuke, which you’ll find all over the place. Rogue City’s bad guys they’re all unreservedly bad, revelling in the rampant violence and anarchy, pelting poor old Robo with grenades and bullets from all angles. They started the fight. And you’ll have a lot of fun finishing it. Light RPG elements, like those found in Terminator: Resistance, enable you to earn skill points and upgrade RoboCop’s abilities, granting neat tricks like being able to ricochet bullets off certain surfaces, punch foes with Robo’s hacking spike for an instant kill, recharge health using fuse boxes, or crack safes without having to find the code. Enhancing Robo’s attributes succeeds in making enjoyable gunfighting against crime even more so. When

you’re plodding through the somewhat lifeless Old Detroit back alleys (why is it so quiet?) and decrepit, rubbish-strewn thoroughfares, detective work can seem a tad mundane by comparison. Some side objectives manage to draw you in, providing a nice break from the story, but the process of finding ‘serve and protect’ instances soon grows dull. You’re best swerving them altogether at times unless you happen upon them by pure luck. Focus on the narrative, the side missions that are actually worth doing, and that robust, hugely entertaining shooter action, and RoboCop: Rogue City is a guilty pleasure to be relished. Peter Weller does a fine job in reprising his role for the first time since RoboCop 2, while decent character likenesses make this feel like a proper companion piece to the trilogy. What’s more, it’s nigh-on essential stuff for RoboCop fans, especially those with a soft spot for the ‘87 Verhoeven original (the best one). Your move, creep.

Overall TGG Rating A lack of polish and a smattering of filler content aside, RoboCop: Rogue City is a good, solid shooter, imbued with a clear love for the movies it’s based upon. I’d certainly buy it for more than a dollar.

7/10 Audio 7/10 The RoboCop theme makes the cut, while Weller convincingly reprises his role as the title character after thirty-six years. There’s an inconsistency to the audio, however, with the robo effect on RoboCop’s voice simply not there at times. And why is it almost silent in Old Detroit? Weird.

Visuals 7/10 RoboCop himself looks great, but the quality of the game’s NPCs is patchy at best - their skin with texture like orange peel. Frequent texture pop-in can also pulls you out of the game, but environments are packed with plenty of detail. Those puddle reflections and neon signs look lovely, too.

Playability 7/10 The moment you draw RoboCop’s classic Auto-9 pistol from its holster and start filling punks full of lead, it just feels right. Secondary weapons you can pick up pack a nice bit of heft, too, but it’s all about that sidearm and that fun shooter gunplay.

Delivery 7/10 A fairly substantial chunk of single-player shooter campaign, with various choices and consequences to take into consideration, tying into multiple endings. Some extra modes might have helped increase replay value, but what’s here is more than decent enough.

Version tested:Xbox Series X

Reviewed by: Brandon Sawyer

We were kind enough to be notified by Playtonic Games about this release in which they kindly sent us a code to review for the Xbox Series X, So what is Lil Gator Game? Well it is a platforming adventure game that has been recently released on PlayStation 5 and Xbox having previously been out on the Nintendo Switch. The game has been praised for its adorable and wholesome gameplay, which is suitable for gamers of all ages including my Daughter (Aged 5) who hasn’t put this game down in a while. The game follows the story of a young gator and his older sister, who spend their days playing in nature and creating video gameinspired adventures together. The game has been described as an endlessly charming and restorative platforming adventure that is an essential odyssey for gamers of all ages. The game’s presentation has also been praised, with the autumn forest cel-shaded visuals looking wonderful on console. So what does the team think of this game baring that my child adores it well let us tell you. We mentioned how the story begins but what is the goal well, Lil Gator must befriend everyone on the island by completing ‘quests’ for them to get them involved with the game until their sister can’t possibly refuse to join in one last time. The main plot mostly takes a backseat to 99

exploration and smaller interactions with characters, however It’s rare that we see a story from the perspective of the younger sibling, but the tale here is relatable, heartfelt, and told through witty writing that effortlessly manages to swap between childlike joy, Zelda references, and more mature and deep moments. Speaking of Zelda I did get mass windwaker vibes playing this game which was much welcomed. It might be easier to label Lil Gator Game a platformer, but it’s more accurate to call it an exploration game. The handmade RPG that Lil Gator and their friends are playing is just a kid’s game crafted with cardboard, so there’s no fall damage, no risk of getting hurt from the wooden slimes and nothing to consider beyond a stamina metre which was ideal as mentioned my 5 year old played this on her own after I had reviewed it in which she loved every moment. Since platforming is so risk-free, it isn’t really the focus of Lil Gator Game, despite how satisfying climbing up cliffs ala Breath of the Wild and skating, jumping, and running all around the island feels thanks to responsive controls and a weighty gator. Instead, the impetus is on exploring the world and choosing how to interact with it. What makes that so much fun is how creative Lil Gator Game gets. In Breath of the Wild, one of the coolest things that you can do is surf on your shield. At any point, Link can do a flip, land on whatever pot

lid he’s using to protect himself and use it to merrily glide along the floor. As rad as that sounds, the fun will eventually come to an end with the sound of smashing glass and the view of Hyrule’s champion eating the floor. Lil Gator Game takes that shield-surfing mechanic (and a lot of other Breath of the Wild mechanics, thankfully), politely shuffles the degradation system out of the back door and encourages you to shield slide all around the island as much as you please, without any consequences. That fun-first approach sums up Lil Gator Game’s philosophy with everything it does, never letting restrictions get in the way of a good time. As you collect friends around the island, each of them will also give you recipes for new variants for your sword, shield, and glider. A select few of these are just cosmetic and only serve to let Lil Gator style it out, but most of them have unique effects, like the ninja headband making you run like Naruto, or the trampoline shield causing you to bounce all over the place when you use it as a sled. These items, combined with the lack of any real kind of danger or ways to fail, meant that some

of my favourite moments were just messing around on the island, trying to do cool tricks and take funny photos while using whatever tool I’d just unlocked. It perfectly captures that childlike feeling of adventure, exploration, and mucking around like no other game I’ve played. Even after I’d hit 100 percent completion and seen everything there was to see on the island, I was still running around the gorgeous areas to take photos with the in-game camera, using different items together to see what would happen, and taking in the sights, sounds, and vibes of the island. I do wish there was a bit more to do, though. Lil Gator Game’s easy going vibes suit a shorter experience, but fully finishing the game took me around four hours total, which feels just a little too brief. Do not let this bother you as my daughter spent days on this laughing at the gator faces and just having fun with the interactive characters. It really is a little gem for the little ones and us who love all things Zelda as mentioned it gave off a huge Zelda vibe which I loved. As my Daughter would say this is cool dad let me play more…

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Overall TGG Rating A short, but endlessly charming, funny, and in the end, very bittersweet game. Just like the childhood afternoons that inspired it, Lil Gator Game only lasts a few hours, but they’re hours that will stick with you. It’s a game for any aspiring artists or creative types who’ve lost the passion and love for that art.

8/10 Audio 8/10 From the get-go, the soundtrack is brilliant. It’s hard to define the exact genre, but the mellow melodies that accompany us on Lil Gator’s island hopping journey are so soothing. The mix of woodwind, percussion and other instruments really sell the feel of childhood exploration. I highly recommend playing this game with sound on at all times, the music is just that good.

Visuals 8/10 The warm colours, paired with a bright sun and blue sky, make it incredibly cosy, and listening to water trickle in streams and leaves rustle underfoot as I dash around is like being transported into the physical interpretation of a Headspace soundscape.

Playability 7/10 Short but sweet, great exploration and a beautiful creative mind to produce such a wonderful game. It is a shame I want more than 4 hours giving there not much umph once you’ve done the game.

Delivery 8/10 With such a charming, wholesome story about friends, family and fun, all wrapped up into a lovely package, I couldn’t stop smiling and laughing at the brilliant writing and humour. I can confidently say it’s one of the cutest and friendliest games I’ve ever played. Version tested: Xbox Series X Reviewed by: Brandon Sawyer

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You can’t keep a good hero down, it seems, and while we thought we’d waved a tearful goodbye to Kazuma Kiryu in Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, here he is once more, stalking familiar labyrinthine streets and old haunts. And, within the space of the first five minutes of Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, Kazuma Kiryu finds himself strolling straight into a scuffle on the streets of Tokyo. You can take the man out of the yakuza, but you can’t take the Yakuza out of the man. “Turn around now and I’ll let you go home in one piece,” he warns, now operating under the pseudonym of ‘Joryu’, having faked his own death. Thugs everywhere would do well to take heed – Kiryu/ Joryu can still bust heads with the best of ‘em. So too can RGG Studio’s prolific series. Rocking a Clark Kent disguise, Kiryu is taken aback when gangsters start crawling out of the woodwork, recognising the legendary Dragon of Dojima in and around the back-alleys of Sotenbori. Seriously, what did he expect? Nonetheless, he has a new identity now, and a new job as an agent for the Daidoji faction, in exchange for keeping his continued existence on the down-low. With his work putting him right into the line of fire, however, Kiryu’s cover as Joryu is a tenuous thing. Thank goodness for the suite of gadgets the Daidoji has furnished him with, then, like the standard-issue Spider gadget, which enables Joryu to tie up and throw enemies with neon, gossamer-like threads. Or grab otherwise out-of-reach collectibles. Later, Joryu gets his mitts on Hornet drones 103

he can summon to swarm enemies, exploding Firefly cigarettes he can casually flick into crowds, and, most absurd of all, a pair of rocketpropelled leather shoes he can use to boost out of trouble. You’ll find all of this under Joryu’s ‘Agent’ fighting style – a fast and fluid way of beating foes down, not a million miles away from his old ‘Rush’ style, or the martial arts moves flexed by Judgment’s Takayuki Yagami. If you’d prefer something more traditional, then you can always hark back to Kiryu’s Dragon of Dojima past with the ‘Yakuza’ fighting style, all brutal and hard-hitting. In the years since Yakuza 6’s denouement, Kiryu has learned a few new tricks, too, like the Ultimate Counter. Those old enemy heat moves that used to be impossible to block, can now be parried with a well-timed sidestep and subsequent followup attack, while you can use the Spider gadget to snatch weapons. Despite Joryu having only two fighting styles, there’s still a great deal of flexibility to Like a Dragon Gaiden’s combat, and an array of upgrades to acquire with cold hard cash and Akame Points (you’ll need plenty of both). The substories that Yakuza/ Like a Dragon is known for now fall under the aegis of the Akame Network, a benevolent underground operation run by headstrong redhaired firebrand Akame. At her behest, you’ll take on requests, substories, and brief errands scattered all over Sotenbori, all of which accumulate Akame Points. Meanwhile, Joryu’s relationship with Akame deepens, and the narrative eventually leads to

the Castle, a huge container ship concealing a gaudy complex built for pure debauchery. At the heart of the Castle is the Coliseum, where Joryu finds himself carving out a reputation as a formidable cage fighter, which, as you’d expect, only raises greater suspicion from spectators that maybe Kazuma Kiryu might actually be alive and well. In the Coliseum, you can assemble the Joryu Clan, a team of fighters to pit against opposing teams in noholds-barred Hell Rumble showdowns. And it’ll take a fair few fights to reach the Platinum tier, granting full access to all of the Castle’s amenities, including the full range of clothing options at the boutique, where you can play dress up. As ever, Like a Dragon Gaiden delivers big on distractions and side activities, with Pocket Circuit racing making a return, alongside the usual raft of gambling games, karaoke, darts, pool, SEGA arcade classics and Master System games, as well as slightly weird live-action Cabaret Clubs. But it’s the central narrative that manages to compel, as it always does. It feels good to be back in the thick of it with the Omi

Alliance and the Castle’s smarmy overseer, Homare Nishitani III. There may be a few too many callbacks, references, and connections to the rest of the series for newcomers, but fans will immediately feel right at home in Kiryu’s latest adventure, a wonderfully cinematic yarn that, despite its relative brevity, manages to fit an awful lot in. It’s remarkable that Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name feels fresh after so many series entries, but, again, RGG Studio has done a great job in introducing a lot of new ideas, especially for a game that’s a stop gap for the next mainline chapter (the literal translation of Gaiden is ‘side-story’). While it might be a little shorter overall, Like a Dragon Gaiden is every bit as fun and exciting as any of the other series’ highlights, and a perfect appetiser for the impending launch of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth in January. If you’ve been desperate to check in with Kiryu since Yakuza 6, then this is not only a characteristically enjoyable way to catch up with a character you’ve no doubt grown to love, but an absolutely cracking game full-stop.

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Overall TGG Rating A relatively short side-story it may be, but Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is a blistering chapter in Kiryu’s journey, a Yakuza 6 epilogue that brilliantly tees up what’s next, while delivering on the unadulterated fun and weirdness the series is celebrated for.

8/10 Audio 8/10 A lot of familiar ditties and a few new ones, as well as all of those recognisable street sounds across Ijincho and Sotenbori. Excellent voice acting, as ever, too.

Visuals 9/10 RGG Studio’s Dragon engine ensures lovely rich visuals, as always, although many of the same little bugs persist. Still, this is a gorgeous-looking game brimming with detail.

Playability 8/10 The brawler side of the Like a Dragon series still has ample mileage, and RGG introduces enough new mechanics to keep things fresh. Crucially, it’s still great fun.

Delivery 7/10 A shorter game, but one that still has an impressive amount of content crammed into it, most of which falls under the Akame Network and its substories.

Version tested: PlayStation 5 Reviewed by: Brandon Sawyer

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In just shy of two decades, the Forza franchise has gone from plucky underdog, to best in class. Along the way, it spawned an arguably more successful open world spin-off in Forza Horizon, but for the car purists out there, Forza Motorsport is and always will be king. It’s been that title that’s always set the standard and here we are eighteen years later, with Xbox’s flagship racer receiving a reboot of sorts. Yet, while Forza Motorsport has usually been synonymous with being genre defining, the reboot is anything but. In Forza Motorsport games of years gone by, the onus has been on providing a racing experience tailored for car lovers, with an incredible attention to detail when it came to things like the Top Gear partnership and introducing ForzaVista for the first time. The Forza Motorsport reboot, however, feels really bare bones by comparison. Under the hood, players have the chance to jump into either the limited career mode, pre-set multiplayer races (or private lobbies with friends), Rivals racing against ghosts, and custom races. That’s it. Now, when compared to what its closest rival, Gran Turismo, recently put out, it’s quite clear that despite the student once becoming the master, is now becoming the student once again. The less said about the career mode, as well, 107

the better. The perceived mandatory practice sessions for each race is the most bizarre game design decision I think I’ve seen in quite some time. I say perceived, because it took us bloody ages to realise you could start the practice session, hit pause, click exit, and then skip the practice altogether. The fact you even have to do that, then watch cutscenes and loading screens for a practice session I didn’t want to do in the first place, in order to simply skip it, is pretty mind boggling. We’re not even sure why this supposed mandatory practice is a part of the career anyway, it just ruins the flow - people buy racing games to race against other cars. It personally feels like a way to artificially extend the life of the game if you ask me. There needs to be an option to skip practice sessions long before then, rather than load it up just to skip it. Bonkers. Outside of that, the career is uninspired and formulaic, regardless. All you’ve got is a smattering of different tracks, and a huge variety of different cars, but that’s about it. I know that’s what racing games usually are, but it doesn’t feel like a best-in-class racing game with many varieties when it comes to activities. There’s no motivation to keep racing, except to complete a checklist of events. The truth is, there’s no sense of progression or even a

reason to continue playing the career beyond a few races, just to wet the whistle. When it comes to the tracks as well, they’re all very similar real-life circuit races surrounded by a bunch of trees, bar a few exceptions. It’s probably the worst track list in the series’ history if you look at it objectively. There’s no Prague, no Bernese Mountains, no Rio De Janeiro… Just a lot of very similar circuit venues with very similar, lifeless backdrops. A bit of biome diversity would have been nice, as would have one of Turn 10’s epic city courses. The thing is, though, while the sum of its parts are severely lacking, on the track Forza Motorsport is still the bee’s knees. The handling and actual racing is second to none. Racing at night in the heavy rain on the Xbox Series X is as exhilarating a racing experience as I think I’ve ever had. It’s absolutely stunning, and one of those gaming moments that still has the ability to take your breath away.That’s why I’m torn when it comes to Forza Motorsport,

because behind the wheel, Forza is still as good as it’s ever been - perhaps even more so, thanks to the Xbox Series X. Both visually and handling-wise, Turn 10’s sim racer is still utterly sublime, and leaps and bounds ahead of the competition. However, outside of that, it no longer feels like the stellar racing game with tons of content and depth that we’ve always known and expected it to be. The track selection is iffy to say the least, and the career is a total washout. The truth is, Forza Motorsport feels like it was released to tick a box on the Game Pass release calendar, rather than striving to retain its place at the pinnacle of video game racing. And if this is the future of Microsoft’s first party games, Game Pass might not be the big deal it’s been treated as. Forza Motorsport no longer feels like a love letter to racing car fans, but instead feels like a leaflet someone has shoved through my letterbox.

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Overall TGG Rating On the track, Forza Motorsport is still in pole position, but in terms of content depth and variety, it’s languishing somewhere near the back, being lapped by the competition.

8/10 Audio 8/10 The cars sound excellent as always. On the flip side, though, there’s very little accompanying music or inspiring voice overs giving us goosebumps. It’s just the roar of the engine, which isn’t an awful thing.

Visuals 9/10 The car models and overall quality of the visuals are stunning, but the tracks are a little samey and lifeless.

Playability 9/10 I can’t stress this enough, but Forza Motorsport, when you jump behind the wheel, is still an excellent racing game. Perhaps still the best. If racing games are for you I reckon you could get lost into hours of gameplay here.

Delivery 7/10

There’s not a lot of truly rewarding content in Forza Motorsport. There’s a career mode which is great, some custom races, and some multiplayer racing. That’s it. It’s all Very underwhelming which is a shame as I do believe other Forza games did offer more but maybe we get additional modes at a later date.

Version tested: Xbox Series X

Reviewed by: Brandon Sawyer

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A white hooded robe. A hidden blade. Actual proper stealth. These are things that have been sorely absent from Assassin’s Creed for all too long, but in Assassin’s Creed Mirage, they’re all back with a vengeance. Paying homage to where the series began back in 2007, the newest entry from developer Ubisoft Bordeaux actually inhabits a nice, cosy medium ground between the old and the new, cribbing some light RPG elements from Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla, alongside revamped combat mechanics. This is the good stuff. Mirage feels like the most authentically Assassin’s Creed game in years, and it’s a welcome renewal of focus after years of colossal maps, pocked with a bazillion mission markers and collectibles. Of course, the franchise had to go through all of that to reach a wonderful homecoming with Mirage, and Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla, despite their sheer overwhelming size, were enjoyable in their own way. I would argue, however, that Mirage, as a more easily digestible experience, is perhaps more immediately gratifying. Things begin with Valhalla’s Basim picking pockets as a street thief in Anbar, before he finds himself getting into hot water with his partner in crime, Nehal. Things go from bad to worse, leading Basim to find a new life as an initiate with the Hidden Ones, where he’s sent on all manner of contracts, until he’s embroiled in a rebellion. Corruption is everywhere in Baghdad, and the Order of the Ancients - a network of shady dignitaries hiding behind masks - is pulling the strings. You know how in previous Assassin’s Creed games, taking on the Order forms only a part of a broader 111

questline? In Mirage, it’s essentially the whole thing, with Basim conducting a grand investigation to get to the ‘snake’s head’ at the heart of the Order. Lieutenants lead to the Order’s big cheeses, until you gather enough clues to expose the biggest of the big cheeses. And you can tackle the Order in whatever order you see fit (for the most part). Infiltrating fortresses, enemy camps, and other strongholds isn’t as simple and straightforward as you might think (despite having faithful eagle drone, Enkidu, at your beck and call), however, and more than ever, stealth is vital. Go steaming in with your sword and dagger swishing about the place, and you’ll be mobbed, cut down in seconds. Basim is a fledgling assassin, so while he’s handy in a fight, he’ll come unstuck if faced with more than four enemies. You can parry attacks with Basim’s dagger, while dodging strikes that can’t be parried, but against a gang of guards, sometimes you’re better off just turning heel and legging it. Thankfully, Basim has a nice selection of tools at his disposal, starting with throwing knives, and expanding to other useful gear like a blowpipe, explosive proximity traps, throwable noisemakers, and the old faithful smoke bomb. Each of your tools can be upgraded at any Hidden Ones’ Bureau, too, so you can have poisonous throwing knives, blow darts that send guards berserk, and smoke bombs that either heal you or damage foes. Once you’ve unlocked a tier of a certain tool (of which there are three), you can head back to the bureau’s Bana Musa to change your chosen upgrade, enabling you to adapt your loadout whenever you want.

This being Assassin’s Creed, you’ll still find viewpoints to synchronise, and each district of Baghdad, from Harbiyah to the bazaars of Karkh, and the affluent Round City, has its fair share of collectibles to track down. But gone are the extraneous odds and sods, making for a tighter, more densely packed adventure that feels neither too short or overly long. Mirage’s story is nicely paced, its side content offers a modest selection of optional contracts to carry out, and the collectibles are nice and manageable. Baghdad is an exotic, beautiful place, its inhabited areas surrounded by a sandy wilderness, which itself harbours secrets. But it’s Mirage’s gameplay fundamentals that really shine through – stealth feels empowering, while combat will test your timing and reflexes and traversal has you seeking out the optimum free running routes. Climbing, too, returns to

the roots of Altaïr and Ezio, having you look for viable handholds, rather than miraculously letting you scale any surface you set your eyes upon. Each mission that demands infiltration presents you with various opportunities and pathways, making objectives seem more dynamic and emergent – in essence, this is not only a return to AC’s roots, but something of a return to old form, too. Ubisoft Bordeaux’s decision to keep things lean (there’s still a good 20-30 hours in here, mind you) ensures that Assassin’s Creed Mirage doesn’t feel over-encumbered with ideas and one too many RPG trappings. Instead, it rounds up the best ideas from both past and recent chapters, injects a few ideas of its own, and tells a compelling story charting Basim’s journey towards becoming the character we first met in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.

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Overall TGG Rating In paring things back and zoning in on what really makes Assassin’s Creed special, Mirage emerges as one of the most pure and enjoyable entries in the series for a while. Basim’s origin story is certainly one well worth delving into.

9/10 Audio 9/10 The score by composer Brendan Angelides is superb, while the voice work is also strong across the board. Truly wonderful stuff.

Visuals 8/10 Like many Assassin’s Creed games before it, Mirage has the capacity to conjure some incredible sights, and the level of detail on show is also impressive. And there’s the cold blue Assassin’s Creed 1 ‘Iconic Filter’, too.

Playability 9/10

Not a huge amount of change here, other than the revamped combat and renewed focus on stealth. Still, this is almost Assassin’s Creed at its purest.

Delivery 9/10 While it’s not the biggest AC game by a long stretch, Mirage’s focused, smaller open world is hugely welcome. This is something denser and more detailed, and it’s great.

Version tested: Xbox Series X

Reviewed by: Brandon Sawyer

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The original Alan Wake was one of the most captivating and engaging new IPs that has launched in at least the last ten to fifteen years. The first game was not only uniquely atmospheric, but it was one of the most compelling pieces of narrative design, a rare one-of-a-kind experience. It demonstrated masterful storytelling but its take on dark versus light, combined with memorable set pieces, set the world on fire. So, to finally get a sequel is absolutely great. I guess it helps that the sequel is also just as good but in very different ways. Alan Wake 2 sees you step into the shoes of both the titular Alan Wake, and newcomer Saga Anderson, an FBI agent called into Bright Falls, to investigate a ritualistic killing with her partner Alex Casey. Bright Falls, of course, being the original setting of developer Remedy’s first foray into the world of the renowned writer. In the same vein as the original, Alan Wake 2, while a very good game mechanically, is all about the narrative, the characters and the wonderfully woven, bizarre world of Bright Falls. With the Finnish studio going all in on its Remedy Connected Universe with Control, there was a possibility that it might have pushed things too far with Alan Wake 2, but in fact, it actually helps to actually make sense of the bizarre goingson at Cauldron Lake and beyond. Alan Wake 2 is still equal parts The X-Files, Twin Peaks, and Outer Limits, but now brought into sharper focus by the far-reaching Remedy Connected Universe. In fact, somehow, Alan Wake 2’s story proves to be a much better narrative - and far less confusing - than the original, which is high praise indeed. One of the shortcomings of this new approach,

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however, is that you’re likely to feel lost if you’ve not experienced everything Alan Wake created before you sit down with Alan Wake 2. It’s a follow-up that is probably more of a pure sequel than anything we’ve played in recent years. With locals returning from Alan Wake 1, with characters and references from Control, you’ll probably feel a bit lost if you’ve not experienced the rest of the story so far. If you have, then the fan service will undoubtedly delight. Sure, Alan Wake 2 is a sequel, and it’s natural that there are some overlapping elements, but this feels next level. With two differing perspectives and diametrically opposed narrative threads, Alan Wake 2 might not have as many set pieces as the original, but what it does have are two balancing viewpoints with their own peaks and troughs. At first I wasn’t really a fan of the new semi-open-world setup - compared to the linear experience of the original - but it does start to grow on you. In the end you realise it’s not worse or better, it’s just different. And that’s okay. While the shift from a linear narrative affects the set piece, it does, however, make up for it with the sheer variety of settings and scenarios. Alan’s fourth chapter, for instance, is one that will forever live on long in our memory and wouldn’t have worked in the original’s more confined setting. Everyone remembers the Ashtray Maze from Control, right? That chapter is Alan Wake 2’s Ashtray Maze. On top of that, Saga’s campaign is more traditional Alan Wake survival-horror, while Alan’s time in the Dark Place, with his ability to rewrite scenes and physically alter the world he’s battling through, is frankly genius, and something that Remedy has absolutely nailed.

The semi-open-world format, however, does open up more possibilities gameplay-wise, with meaningful collectibles like Lunch Boxes, Cult Stashes, and bizarre Nursery Rhymes to solve, all of which further your character’s progression and flesh out the world. Exploring in an Alan Wake game is a novel experience, and, again, it definitely won us over in the end. Whether you’re playing as Saga or Alan, the gameplay remains very much the same. Alan Wake 2 is still a battle between light and dark, with the flashlight remaining a central mechanic. If you were expecting a shakeup there, don’t. Its move towards survivalhorror territory does put greater emphasis on resource management, with a brand-spanking new inventory management system too, but it’s still a similar experience. It genuinely feels like Remedy saw what Capcom is doing with Resident Evil, and decided it wanted a piece of that. Heck, there are even Break Rooms now, which serve as safe spaces. While you don’t save the game at a typewriter - which would probably have been more fitting for Alan Wake than any other Resident Evil character - you do save the game at Coffee Thermoses. Another subtle nod to Twin Peaks. One of the big new additions is what’s known as the Mind Place (or the Writer’s Room for Alan), where Saga disappears into her own mind to analyse the case and attempt to make sense of it all. Genuinely, grabbing clues, investigating, and doing proper detective work in the Mind Place, and then filling in the blanks on the Case Board, is probably one of Alan Wake 2’s highlights.

A fantastic addition that we hope Remedy sticks with moving forward. Alan Wake 2, however, is by no means perfect. Sure, the cheap jump scares whereby Remedy flashes something on the screen with loud noises become tedious and outstay their welcome very quickly, but our main issues with the game are more technical. On both versions - Xbox and PlayStation - we encountered a smattering of bugs. Bugs that lock you in menus, bugs that lock you out of conversations, audio issues, and black screens galore. All issues were fixed with a quick reboot, but with Alan Wake 2’s inconsistent autosaves, we did lose a fair bit of time and progress thanks to these. Thankfully, we could count on two hands how many times this happened in our numerous playthroughs but Alan Wake 2 does lack that little bit of polish that you’d associate with an all-time classic. Also, Alan and Saga’s run speed is pitiful, it must be said. Bugs aside, Alan Wake 2 is a brilliant followup to the original, and, in the intervening thirteen years, Remedy has demonstrated that Alan is in safe hands, and brimming with new ideas. The Mind Place and Alan being able to physically rewrite the Dark Place’s environment alone are innovations that should be lauded, especially in a time when innovation is more iterative, rather than embracing truly fresh ideas. With a wonderful narrative, a fantastic cast of characters, and a semi-open-world full of intrigue, Alan Wake 2 is almost certainly one of the best games of 2023, and perhaps this generation so far. It helps that it looks stunning, too.

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Overall TGG Rating Alan Wake 2 might feel slightly different than the original in terms of composition, but it’s still equally as brilliant. With two vastly different campaigns and perspectives, Remedy’s sequel is a great survivalhorror game and a fantastic detective drama, boasting one of the best narratives in recent memory.

9/10 Audio 9/10 Alan Wake was all about the dialogue and the music, and Alan Wake 2 is no different. It’s atmospheric, it’s uneasy, and when it comes to the licensed music, Remedy has smashed it out the park once again here. Throw in some brilliant characters and performances, and you have something really special here.

Visuals 9/10 From a fidelity standpoint, you can’t fault Alan Wake 2. It’s up there with the best-looking games ever made. It does, however, suffer from bugs and a few frame rate issues every so often, which takes the sheen off of it a bit.

Playability 9/10 Taking what made the original so successful and adding new layers to it, means that Alan Wake 2 is by definition ‘a proper good sequel’. With the Mind Place and Wake able to rewrite realities, Remedy certainly hasn’t rested on its laurels. Alan Wake 2 takes some bold gambles, most of which pay off.

Delivery 9/10 Whether you’re playing as Saga or Alan, each campaign offers something truly unique and engaging. And whichever campaign you’re in, you’ll be on the edge of your seat from start to finish. A truly wonderful experience with pitch perfect pacing, that almost never outstayed its welcome. Version tested: Xbox Series X Reviewed by: Brandon Sawyer

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We all know the score by now. There’s a terrorist on the loose, and it’s your job to stop him. So it goes with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III’s campaign, the villainous Vladimir Makarov returning (having wrought havoc in 2009’s MW2) with a typically nefarious plot to inflict chemical weapons upon the world, and he doesn’t mind breaking more than a few million eggs to make his dastardly omelette. Task Force 141 is called back into action, then, in what is quite possibly the most disappointingly brief and half-baked Call of Duty campaign of all time. That’s the least of MW3s problems, though – the way in which the package is presented is enough to give you a headache. After scrolling through no less than three user agreements, you’re then treated to an unskippable promo video hawking the game’s latest skins and such, before having to endure a Battle Pass animation, showing you all the delightful things you can unlock. Mercifully, this happens only the first time you start up the game. That’s just to get to the main menu, mind, which itself is a fairly messy affair. Now that Modern Warfare III resides within the ‘Call of Duty HQ’ along with MW2 and several other ‘legacy’ titles, there’s an awful lot of clutter to navigate. Then there’s the campaign itself, which mixes linear missions with new ‘Open Combat Missions’ the latter of which can prove 119

more than a little frustrating. Essentially Call of Duty’s attempt at ‘doing a Battlefield’, Open Combat Missions present you with a series of objectives to complete in any order you see fit, using whatever tools you can lay your hands on. These are all well and good, providing you can methodically meander your way through the map, picking off enemies without coming unstuck before you complete an objective and earn a checkpoint. Checkpoints can be quite far apart, and so retrying Open Combat Missions probably accounts for the majority of the campaign’s rather brief runtime. And the story portion of MW3 is short, remixing some greatest hits from the original three Modern Warfare games, whether it’s courting ‘No Russian’-style controversy with a mission aboard a commercial flight and at a football stadium filled with screaming civilians fleeing the baddies, or visiting London for a siege in the Channel Tunnel. Oh, and there’s the obligatory overwatch mission, in which you circle in a plane, raining death from above through monochrome thermal vision. Classic. Furthermore, the campaign’s coda doesn’t succeed in quite being the tragic gut punch the swelling strings on the soundtrack make it out to be. It’s hard to care about much of

anything in Modern Warfare 3’s narrative, and the breadcrumbs leading to another chapter hardly induces excitement. It also seems quite apt for a game that features sixteen old multiplayer maps from 2009’s original Modern Warfare 2 that the campaign is somewhat reheated fare. Multiplayer doesn’t exactly reinvent the wheel either, but then, what did you expect? The thing is, Call of Duty’s multiplayer simply works, and it works well. MW3’s multiplayer offering is no different in that regard and choosing to modernise a slew of fan-favourite maps, alongside a few new ones, isn’t exactly the worst idea in the world. The new War Mode doesn’t always hit the mark either, with a large map featuring a procession of ‘Operation Spearhead’ tasks to complete with your squad, like seizing missile sites, escorting a tank, then initiating a missile strike, or vice-versa preventing the taking of missile sites, destroying the tank, and stopping the missile strike. For my money, I much prefer a more conventional Call of Duty multiplayer experience on a relatively compact map, without vehicles and all that. Leave that stuff to Battlefield. Slightly more effective is the new 3v3v3 Cutthroat mode, offering short sharp shots of action wherein you either fight over a flag or attempt to wipe out the other teams before they seize said flag. It’s simple, straightforward, and the perfect thing to dip into between the staple Team Deathmatch, Kill Confirmed, Domination, Search and Destroy, Control, Hardpoint, or whatever your particular poison may be. While Modern Warfare 3’s Multiplayer offering is predictably robust, Zombies, developed by Treyarch, the original creator of the mode, is

something that I personally enjoy. Dubbed ‘Operation Deadbolt’, MW3’s Zombies offering takes place within a new and expansive map, in which you can scavenge for loot, tackle objectives called ‘contracts’ as they emerge, and perhaps make your way as close to the centre of the map as you dare. The further into the map’s red zone you push, the more the threat level rises, and the more dangerous it becomes. However the primary issue with MW3’s Zombies mode is that it’s often profoundly dull. Much of your time will be spent stranded in the middle of an expansive stretch of nothing, maybe with a squad mate or two, who are just as bewildered as you are. Without clear goals or any sense of immediacy, this iteration of Zombies is lacking a handful of things which may come to light with future updates I hope as I love to take on DMZ with no PVP vibe they are taking. However some people are really hating this mode at this moment in time. Indeed, as an overall package, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 might seem like a typically generous slab of content, but once you’ve dispensed with the short-lived campaign and beat ACT 3 of the Zombies mode, you’re left with a fairly standard multiplayer suite, which, of course, is what the majority of players sign up for. And, I suppose, at the end of the day this is all that will really matter for most. For anyone who relishes a good Call of Duty campaign, and the raw, intense fun of Zombies mode, however, you’re likely to find yourself feeling shortchanged. Still, if it’s competitive online gratification you seek, then there are few shooters out there that do it as well as Call of Duty does.

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Overall TGG Rating A disappointing campaign and a Zombies mode somewhat lacking longevity and in need of a couple of updates, the new entry of Call of Duty intends to aid those thirsting for more multiplayer action and they will enjoy that factor. For anyone who plays for the campaign or is stuck on round based zombies only then maybe Modern Warfare 3 is not for you.

7/10 Audio 7/10 Nothing unusual here. The same brand of orchestral pomp, loud gun sounds, explosions and all that. Everyone is gruff and gravelly, too.

Visuals 8/10 Call of Duty always goes big when it comes to visual presentation and high production values, and Modern Warfare 3 is no different.

Playability 7/10

You’ve played a Call of Duty game, right? This offers the same kind of tight, intuitive gunplay for which the series is renowned.

Delivery 6/10 All of the usual modes you’d expect, only, it’s all starting to wear very thin indeed. Campaign falls short, and Zombies, although I enjoy it, this is still a dull open world with much more needed. Multiplayer remains robust as usual.

Version tested: Xbox Series X

Reviewed by: Brandon Sawyer

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Kojima’s departure from Konami was akin to a nasty divorce: the heated end to a long-cooled union, rife with rumour and bitterness, with only one party taking custody of the kids. And here they are again – Solid Snake, Liquid Snake, and the rest of the terrible children that make up this astonishing series. What we have, in short, is a bundle of re-releases, and the latest in a line of efforts, on the part of Konami, to patch its reputation. Since Kojima’s exit, Konami has appeared dazed, absent. Lately, though, it’s as if it were desperate to shake the crown of stars whirling above its head and whip itself into a fervour. We had a pair of Castlevania collections, in 2019 and 2021; Silent Hill is drifting back to our screens, in a proliferation of damp forms; and now this, which Konami presumably hopes will warrant the shriek-burst of an exclamation mark. This volume includes, in chronological order: Metal Gear, Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. Chronological order, that is, in terms of their release, not of their overarching storyline; time, in this series, has a toxifying habit of slithering back and forth and coiling inwards, nipping its own tale. You will not emerge from this batch of espionage adventures with a clear picture of its twin heroes, Solid Snake and Big Boss. Nor, if you already possess a mortal weakness for Metal Gear, will you glean any fresh knowledge of its creation. But part of the joy of these games is their enduring belief that pictures and knowledge can’t help but grow murky and stale, fouled up by the formless gush of time. This is the sort of package that I would recommend paddling around in over the course of a 123

contented weekend, picking away at its entrails. Dive first into Snake Eater (or technically Subsistence, the upgraded version included here), and, basking in its paranoid, greenhouse air, you will immediately feel better about life. Then into Metal Gear Solid, the star of this first volume, which until now has only been legally available to download on the PlayStation 3 and the PlayStation Vita, and on PC via GOG.com. It’s a relief to see it on a TV, as that submarine ripples out of the blue toward the camera, a promise, back in 1998, of impossible depth – and you hear Colonel Campbell’s briefing. The game has a beautiful feel now. In solidarity with its star, it has about it the texture of cardboard: the quivering walls, the wet-darkened hangars, and the muffled audio that seems to seep in from all sides. One advantage of having these titles packed in together is the chance to register the clashing of climates, from sunshocked jungle to nose-dripping cold, from snowy Alaskan helipads to New York harbours in the frothing rain. It reminds you of the geographical restlessness of Metal Gear, its will to wander without borders into hotspots of strife, and also its determination to crawl through shifts of political weather. “This game contains expressions and themes which may be considered outdated,” reads a message at the start. “These elements have been included without alteration to preserve the historical context in which the game was made and the creator’s original vision.” Note the placement of that apostrophe. Not slotted in after the “s’’ but before, slicing away the notion of a group effort. What’s interesting about this is not that the work of Yoji Shinkawa, Tomokazu Fukushima, and Harry GregsonWilliams is being snubbed. Rather, it’s Konami’s

surreal ambivalence toward Kojima, bowing to his singular stamp but still refusing to call him by name. Plunge into the Master Books – digital times, intended to illuminate and you will find this surreal equivocation everywhere. In a passage on the original Metal Gear, whose ambitions to be an action game were belted by hardware limitation: “It was decided that while the game would still be about war, it would now have the player sneak through enemy territory.” It was decided. The passive voice, caked on like camouflage, is as elusive as its subject. Then again, in a chapter covering “The Evolution of the Metal Gear Series,” those games with which Kojima was not directly involved are listed under a section entitled “Others.” Konami is well aware of the Kojima Canon, in other words, but by far the best coup of Master Collection Vol. 1 is its embrace of apocrypha. You will find, if you head into the Bonus Content file, the bastardised American release of Metal Gear, for the Nintendo Entertainment System, and, far more heretical, its follow-up, Snake’s Revenge. That game, referred to discreetly in the menu as “an alternate sequel,” has you taking on “Higharolla Kockamamie” and his “untold hundreds of Uzi toting soldiers,” not forgetting to dispatch his “Ultra-Sheik Nuclear Attack Tank.” You can imagine Kojima like The Sorrow, from Metal Gear Solid 3, an uninvited ghost over Konami’s shoulder, protesting with a downpour of tears. Let him cry on! As vital as Kojima’s Metal Gear is to the general health of games, those “Others” in its penumbra huddled at the back of the Master Book, consigned to the silly oblivion of non-canonicity help us keep a good check on the health of Metal Gear. I’m thinking of Metal Gear Acid, for the PlayStation Portable, which cut the actions of the series into cards and had Solid Snake shuffling through what felt like a bad dream. Metal Gear Solid: Ghost Babel, for the Game Boy Colour, which was happily haunted by the noise and visual language of those early MSX games. Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops, for the PSP. Its cutscenes, like those of Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, featured artwork by Ashley Wood, whose worried loops of ink scratch away at the same anxieties that infest the main entries.

These curios help us trace the arc of Kojima’s output, the particular madness it inspired in other developers, and, more important, the good games that it sparked to life. It’s heartening to see Konami look beyond him, as it does here. But we need more than looks, more than Master Books; we need the games, many of them locked on islands of old plastic, and we need them now. And so to housekeeping. What’s here is welcome, though owners of the 2011 Metal Gear Solid: HD Collection may feel irked at the prospect of parting with £59.99 in exchange for four games they already own – minus Peace Walker, which is doubtless going to clomp along in future volumes. The biggest draw, then, is Metal Gear Solid. It’s a fine port, with attention paid to several welcome details. We have updated button prompts; on PlayStation 5, the hard rumble has been pestled into haptics; and we also have the PlayStation version of Metal Gear Solid: Integral, the rereleased Japanese edition of the game, lined with appealing extras. It’s nice to have. The ability to play the entire story in first-person view is to be relished, along with the Very Easy mode, which grants you an unlimited MP5. But the Metal Gear helpless will feel the pang of missed opportunity. For one thing, the developer commentary hasn’t been translated from the Japanese, so you had better buy a phrasebook and get cramming. Also, the PC port of Integral, while clumsily truncated, remains the only version with DirectX support, calming the shakes of those console polygons, like a dose of Pentazemine, and sharpening the resolution. To have that on modern platforms would be a thrill. Some things are, perhaps, too much to ask for, many of them roped up in rights issues. Given that the Master Collection is a multiplatform release, we still don’t have the Snake vs. Monkey minigame, a wondrous nod to the Sony-exclusive Ape Escape, which was peeled from Snake Eater in the HD Collection and never reinstated. Likewise, the idea of Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, the GameCube remake from Silicon Knights, ever breaking out of its purple prison seems unlikely. 124

In the end, this is, for serious Metal Gear addicts, a must. It brings these games onto modern platforms and puts them in each other’s company. They start to talk among themselves across time. Check out the opening of the NES version of Metal Gear, wherein Snake leaps from a plane and parachutes into the trees, rather than the watery ingress of the MSX version. I couldn’t help but wonder if Kojima hadn’t glimpsed something in those seconds: the image of a hero in free fall, swallowed by something steamy and corrupted, and came up with the start of Snake Eater, and its HALO jump.

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And look at the echo in the opening of Metal Gear 2, as Solid Snake climbs unglamorous up a cliff, and you can make out the first minutes of Ground Zeroes, with Big Boss gripping similar crags. Whenever Vol. 2 appears, its chief contribution will be to deliver Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots – currently languishing in a Cell on the PlayStation 3. But I hope that Konami pursues the exciting, disloyal track it has begun here, and gives us those stranger games. What looks like betrayal may, in fact, be allegiance to a deeper legacy.

Overall TGG Rating A comforting anthology for diehards, with some disappointing omissions, sweetened by the inclusion of certain curios.

7/10 Audio 8/10 Some of the best scores composed for games and featuring full digital track lists to listen to. The scores haven’t been remastered; they’re just presented as is.

Visuals 7/10 Standard ports of the HD Collection, and a low-maintenance port of Metal Gear Solid 1 – beautiful in their day but nothing has been done to them here.

Playability 7/10 A slew of classic stealth games, all of which hold up very well, and shine a light on modern stealth games in interesting ways – though custom save points would have been nice.

Delivery 6/10 There are five main games here, totalling well over 60 hours, and there are a number of intriguing curios and oddities. But there are also some disappointing omissions, and the overall lack of effort with the collection is a shame.

Version tested: PlayStation 5

Reviewed by: Brandon Sawyer

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readysetben Benjamin, also known as “ReadySetBen”, is a UK streamer, content creator, Twitch ambassador, Black Twitch UK and Rainbow Arcade team leader, host AND presenter! Benjamin’s content focuses on streaming on Twitch as a variety creator and providing a platform to strengthen the Black and/or Queer community in the content creation space!

Hi Ben! First of all, we would like to thank you, truly, for taking the time to chat with us! How have you been and what have you been up to recently? Thank you for having me, I’ve been fantastic! I feel like this year has been an absolute blur. So much has happened! With personal achievements such as getting to speak in front of overwhelming large crowds on Black and Queer issues or better yet, giving advice to up and coming creators! Amazing! We love to see creators hitting those personal achievements! Let’s start from the beginning, tell us a little bit about your streaming and content creation life? How long have you been streaming/creating content? And what made you want to start? Truthfully, my journey began due to poor mental health. I was quite the hermit and I stayed indoors and out of sight most of the time. I was enveloped in MMORPGs living an alternate life to escape where I was mentally. After a few months of watching some of my favourite creators, I decided to give it a try, break me out of a funk and regain my confidence. It’s now been 6 years and I share my journey openly and honestly as I’ve come to realise there are people just like me going through issues and need a place of solace to rest. Your journey has been incredible to follow, and one many have found joy, comfort and safety in. What influenced your decision to be

a variety streamer/content creator instead of being dedicated to one game? Turning into a variety streamer was scary. I transitioned from Final Fantasy XIV to Animal Crossing when that was released in lockdown. Due to platform bloat at the time, It was easier staying in one category than it was to bounce around, people knew what to expect but as the world slowly opened up, the pace of speaking to animals that could talk just wasn’t hitting right. Thus! I started my journey in variety and I’ll never look back! I’m meeting more people than ever from all different genres and I love it! There are definitely pros and cons to being a single game or variety streamer. We’re glad you were able to blossom and create a great community! We see you’ve been playing quite a bit of Baldur’s Gate 3. Who would you say is your favourite playable NPC and why? So, this changed for me! For the longest time I thought I would be a huge fan of Astarion but the later we got into Baldurs Gate 3 the more I likened to Karlach! Her story is so compelling and the character development is out of this world! The whole Baldur’s Gate 3 cast are amazing but I’m also a huge Karlach fan, I just want to give them the world! Sticking with games, what are the top 3 games you have played so far? This is a difficult question! I definitely have to 128

put Baldurs Gate 3 in here, this was my TRUE introduction to DnD and I can’t wait to find people to actually play with! Secondly! Final Fantasy XVI for it’s writing, such a gorgeous story! Finally I would have to choose Lies of P, I’m a soulsborne nerd and this tickled my need for punishment! A fantastic list of games there, and one that would be hard to argue against. You became a Twitch Ambassador in 2022. What does being a Twitch ambassador mean to you and what does it involve? I consider being a Twitch Ambassador to being a Brand Ambassador, the face of the company but without actually being the face of the company. Someone who believes in Twitch and what it’s capable of, providing feedback based on general community concerns, having open discussions with folks at Twitch who care to make the platform a better, safer place. We also get a cool badge ha! We thank you for contributing to making the platform better and safer for us all! As a host and presenter, what would you say has been your favourite hosting/presenting role? I couldn’t really pin a favourite; I’ve enjoyed all my experiences. If I could pick the most fun show, it would have been PogPicks, we were live on Twitch from Hamburg, Germany. It was UK vs. Germany in a really, really… REALLY long show that went on for 5/6 hours, maybe more, of playing games, community giveaways, so much energy and laughs! That sounds like such a blast! I definitely need to watch it if there’s a VOD of the stream somewhere. For those who aren’t familiar with Rainbow Arcade, can you tell us a little about what it is, and your role as a team leader? Rainbow Arcade as a Twitch Team is all things queer. I like to think of it as a place where everyone cares about queer voices and uplifts other creators or viewers alike, the world can be a harsh place but each member, in some way shape or form has the opportunity to help, even if its just in a small way. As one of the 129

Team Leaders, I moderate aspects such as new applicants, or if I’m not actively participating in an event Rainbow Arcade hosts then I would help to moderate the overall experience. Collectively we work together to make sure the rest of the team feels comfortable. You are also a team leader for Black Twitch UK! Similar to the previous question, could you tell us a bit about it and your position as a team leader there? Black Twitch UK is hands on. As an underrepresented community in most spaces, Black Twitch UK offers a place for people, like myself, to put their foot in the door and gain the opportunities we aren’t typically featured in. There’s a wide range of activities such as 1-2-1’s coaching and development, and we all contribute to the success of each other. A massive congratulations on being on the front page of Twitch celebrating Black History Month in the UK! Could you shed some light on how this came about and how you feel about it? In short, Twitch reach out to me and many other Black creators and I said yes! In terms of how I feel about it, I’ve always loved it, the team at Twitch listen to what changes need to be made year on year, and progressively the experiences gets better and better. Big shoutout to the team at Twitch for featuring me. Also, congratulations on being invited to EGX as an official creator! Whether you’re attending as an official creator for events or just as yourself, do you think it is important for aspiring creators looking to grow to be at these events? So this was my first experience at EGX and to be invited by TikTok was amazing! Whilst EGX is extremely consumer focused, I think its very important for creators to meet new faces and broaden their circle of friendships. One of the main reason my mindset, in terms of how I make content, has change is based on the people I’ve met at conventions and hearing about new ways of doing things.

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Are there any events, anywhere in the world, you would love to attend either as an official creator or normal attendee? This is a difficult question as I’ve only just started to attend conventions in the last 18 months. I don’t mind whether I attend as an official creator or as an attendee. I’d love to attend as many as possible but we’re in a cost of living crisis and my bank will surely say no… To add to this, I would prefer to attend many events located somewhere in a hot country, please... Yes sign me up for somewhere hot as well please! What would a standard content creation day in the life of ReadySetBen be like? Wake up, cry, become inspired! I currently work 9-5 in PR so my days are hectic but somehow, I manage. My content goes far beyond just posting clips, it’s all the background activity and filming for brands that people don’t often see. Once I finish work, I’m onto a new project, streaming or editing. No two days are the same! The dream for many creator sprouts out there for sure! For you, what do you think are the essentials that you can’t create content without? The essentials for me would have to be a good camera and mic setup. Though not required to make content, since upgrading my setup over the years you get used to a certain level of quality! Pssst... Elgato... Elgato are definitely at the top of their game with equipment for creators! Away from your content creation life, what do you do in your spare time? As a stunning 36 year old, I nap and nap some more. I’d love to say gaming but my quiet time is for me and my friends, my friend being the fridge and it’s content. Jokes aside, when I’m not bound to my PC, I really enjoy trying new foods, where I live there’s always new places opening up and although I should probably create something around it, it’s all about putting your phone down and enjoying the moment!

We can be too connected as a society sometimes. It’s good to switch off and enjoy the moment from time to time! What is something that no one who watches your channel/content knows about you? I definitely think I would ruin my career if I told you anything other than what people NEED to know haha! Haha fair enough, good call. With most of 2023 behind us, what are your goals for 2024? I plan on rebranding, not in name but in content. I’m taking 2024 for a ride and I’m going FULLTIME. This is a scary venture but one I’m willing to take! Whilst I can’t spill secrets, definitely keep an eye out as I’m confident that the conversations I’ll be having are much needed. Exciting stuff! We’ll definitely keep an eye out for ReadySetBen 2.0! What have been your favourite moments being a content creator so far? As I’m completely obsessed with myself, due to the fact that nobody else is… Going to Twitchcon Amsterdam as an Twitch Ambassador. Besides the fact I got stopped at the airport on the way into the country due to my face being plastered all over the convention centre and respective train stations. All of that experience was something I’ll never forget, even if during my speech at the end, the live stream cut out. Finally, what are you currently working on that you’d like our readers to know about/check out? Truthfully, I’m waiting for 2024 but in the interim, it’s all about connections. With the holidays coming up it can be quite a difficult time for most so I want to make sure that whatever we do, it’s chill or fun. And that’s it! Thank you very much again for taking the time to have this interview with us, it’s been an absolute pleasure. We wish you all the best in the future! If you would like to check out ReadySetBen on any of their socials, you can do so on the next page! 134

Be sure to check out ReadySetBen’s Twitch channel and other social media platforms! Twitch: @ReadySetBen Instagram: @ReadySetBen Twitter (X): @ReadySetBen TikTok: @ReadySetBen YouTube: @ReadySetBen

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Phianixxtv Phoebe, better known as “PhianixxTV”, is a Queer UK variety streamer, content creator, body painter, model, AND she travels all around the world working at gaming events providing all sorts of tech support! Does PhianixxTV have time to eat or sleep? We will find out!

Hi Phianixx! First of all, thank you for taking the time to have a chat with us. How have you been and what have you been up to recently? Hello!!! I’ve been a little busy, but what’s new?! I recently went to do some work in Sweden which was awesome, and have been churning out a bunch of content as well as trying to streamline some of what I do so it has been an interesting time trying to change old habits! Event season has been slowing down which, as much as I’ve loved seeing so many wonderful faces and meeting new people, I could do with a bit more time to get settled! I’ve had some really cool brands offering me to try out their products lately and they’re brands I’ve really been keen to collab with for a while too! So some exciting things on the horizon! You’re definitely one of the busiest creators we know! Amazing to hear about the brand opportunities coming your way, we love to see it! So what is the story behind your name Phianixx? I really wanted “Phoenix” for my model name back when I joined the Suicide Girls (no, it’s nothing sinister! SG is an international brand based in LA which focuses on a worldwide community celebrating “alternative beauty”). Basically there was already a version of Phoenix in the archives, so I decided I would have a different version, just spelt weird. It’s funny because I actually hate bad spelling so I’ve cursed myself really! I have to explain it quite often that “it’s Phoenix, just spelt funny!” I added the TV so I could keep that more for Twitch/Youtube/socials and then keep my SG/ model stuff separate.

You found a creative way to get the name you want, that’s a win in my book! Tell us a little bit about your streaming and content creation life? How long have you been streaming/creating content? And what made you want to start? I’d been creating content and streamed under a different name since 2017, but I moved to PhianixxGaming, and eventually settled on PhianixxTV in March 2019. I can be well-known for being completely chaotic and clumsy, so if I ever told a story of how I won a round of DBD or Fortnite back then, nobody would believe me or would say it was probably someone else using my account! Same with weird glitches, I used to want to capture them on recordings because they could be quite hilarious! Once I started streaming, I realised it was far more than that. You could build a really cool community and make so many wholesome friends along the way. It has made me want to strive to create a safe space for people to feel welcomed, no matter their background. It really has been a lifesaver in so many ways as we’ve been through a lot of highs and lows together. I streamed daily for a whole year in 2020/2021 which really did bring a lot of us closer together and made me realise how important it is to “just be yourself” no matter what you’re going through. I will never forget the times the community has been there for me - I owe them my life! The friends and communities that come from streaming is what we love to see at TGG! There is nothing quite like connecting with awesome like-minded people from all around the world!

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What influenced your decision to be a variety streamer/content creator instead of being dedicated to one game?

I think my favourite character that I’ve done so far would be Maya from Borderlands! I also loved doing The Joker.

ADHD! The neurodivergence doesn’t always let me focus on one game and certainly means I can have a few games on the go at times! Having said that, it’s nice when we do focus on something for a while and get through the story together. Thankfully, I’ve been able to see many to completion whilst streaming, but also know that I can play anything as long as I’m enjoying it at the time, so it never feels like a chore.

Your Maya, and many others you have done are just insanely good! I’m in awe at how talented body painters are.

It’s nice being able to stream and play the games you want to rather than need to. There are so many great games coming out these days I think it’s more difficult to stick to just one game.

Oh yes! I’ve learnt that a white base before the colour helps cover up tattoos, and also makes the colours pop better. Starting light and finishing with the darker colours is usually the way to go too, they show up way better and turn out better that way. I’ve also learnt that on a budget, moisturiser works better with the cheaper paints so they don’t crack too early. The type of paint and brushes you use really do make a difference, but doesn’t mean you can’t experiment and do a bit of trial and error if you can’t afford the more expensive ones.

What would be your top 3 games you have played so far and why? Oh gosh, just 3?! I’ve just finished the Red Dead Redemption 2 story and oh my god, absolutely loved it and will play more in future! I can’t wait to finish Baldur’s Gate 3 as I’ve really enjoyed scratching the surface of that. Detroit: Become Human was another great game - I love the choice based stories! I also love a game that will make me cry so the Life is Strange, the Ori games, Edith Finch, etc needed a special mention! (Did I mention I have ADHD?!) Detroit: Become Human is an amazing game, and of course I think everyone knows by now we are huge Baldur’s Gate 3 fans! Moving away from video games, how did you get into body painting? Do you have a favourite look/character you have done? Art was by far my favourite subject at school and I just grew to love it so much! Then I discovered different mediums and had always wanted to try body painting after seeing it on TV one day, so I thought why not try for the first time ever on stream?! My first attempt was Jean Grey from X-Men.

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Have you got any body painting tips and tricks that you have picked up that you think may be helpful for people looking into trying out body painting? Like how to paint over tattoos for example?

The tattoo cover-up trick is a handy one to know, I would have never thought of that. Different content creators will have their own preference on the platform that works for them. Would you say you currently have a preferred platform for the content you create, and if so why? To be honest the world of content creation can change at such a fast pace that it’s always useful to be prepared and try and keep up with what is working right now and what the future looks like. I absolutely love Twitch and my main community is there for live streams, but I do also have TikTok which I’m trying out for shorts and “get ready with me” lives as well I definitely am enjoying both but who knows where the next year will take us! More and more streaming platforms are popping up, it definitely is hard to keep on top of it.

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Photo Credit: Jon D Barker 143

Stepping away from the PC and moving to IRL - It’s awesome to see you being invited as a creator to so many events this year! Whether you’re attending as an official creator for an event or just as yourself, do you think it is important for aspiring creators looking to grow to be at these events? Absolutely, it’s such a great way to meet other creators, influencer managers and even meet some of the community too! I’ve found the key is to avoid overkill as it’s so easy to burnout in doing all of this, but it’s so worth seeing people IRL! You travel all around the world working at gaming events, which is incredible, and I’m 100% jealous! Are there any events, anywhere in the world, you would love to attend either as an official creator or normal attendee? Also what has been your favourite event of 2023? Oh man, I’ve always wanted to go to San Diego Comic Con and hopefully I’ll get to soon enough! The cosplays are insane there, I’d have to think of something extra cool if I went as a creator! I would say Gamescom is a personal favourite from this year - I’ve been to a few now! Getting to go to other countries for gaming launch events or conventions is so much fun and I always have to pinch myself that I even get to be involved! You are definitely living the dream a lot of creators strive for! What would a standard content creation day in the life of Phianixx be like? So for the longest time, it has been chaotic but I’m really working on it! I have a full time job that I have to work around when I’m not doing freelance events. The problem is that I’m my own boss, so discipline isn’t always where it needs to be! On top of that I do a lot of recording/editing for my full time job so there is a large amount of content creation to juggle.

In an ideal world, I would work on shorts for social media and try to create in bulk, schedule for the week/fortnight ahead, stream 3-4 days per week and create a long form video each week. In reality, my ADHD has me fighting my brain and procrastinating a lot so I try to do what I can and it’s a constant work in progress. At the moment, I’m trying out a new schedule which isn’t quite there yet, but we’re getting close! For you, what do you think are the essentials that you can’t create content without? For me, it’s a decent PC, camera, microphone, lighting and editing software as the absolute basics. Oh and wifi connection! That makes all the difference! You can start small and work your way up though, I started streaming directly from my playstation and created content from my phone. It did the job! From what we have seen, you seem to be incredibly busy most of the year. There may be a lot of aspiring creators out there who believe that is what they want. Can you provide a bit of insight into this? How is your work-life balance with being so incredibly busy all the time? Where do you find time to sleep?! Sleep?! What’s that?! For real though, it’s honestly a huge challenge, juggling so many jobs in the hope that I can move the content creation I do for Twitch/TikTok/YouTube to eventually a more full time basis. What I would say is don’t expect it to be easy - it requires hard work, dedication and the ability to research what works/what doesn’t with a lot of trial and error. If I could go back in time, I would absolutely have worked towards a STRUCTURE and done my best to stick to it without so many tangents. It is so important to take days off, to reset, to have things ticking over to stay relevant. It’s also important not to get focused on the numbers. They aren’t always going to be steady or on the up, but that is ok. And if things are dull or feel lacking in enjoyment, change things up! The success won’t come instantly, but hard work and promotion across other socials pays off.

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You’re quite open with your diagnosed AuDHD – does this have an impact, whether it is positive or negative, on your content creation, modelling, work, and life in general? If so, do you have any advice for people who may be experiencing something similar? Oh massively! I talk about the negatives a lot and hope to spread awareness to others, normalising things that I had always been hard on myself for. For example: It’s ok to have days that aren’t as productive as others. There will be days where it may feel super overwhelming. It’s important to regain focus when you can, but definitely don’t be too hard on yourself. It’s so easy to get caught up in bad thought patterns - especially before being diagnosed - I couldn’t explain why I was the way I was. Now I know, I at least have an explanation, but I do get caught up in believing I’m just “lazy” or “not good enough” and that’s simply not true! I definitely think the neurodivergence has a huge positive impact too - I love my creativity, even if my brain goes at a million miles an hour sometimes and I struggle to physically keep up! It’s so important and wholesome to see creators like yourself providing a safe space for those who may be experiencing the same thing. Away from your content creation life, what do you do in your spare time? I absolutely love to travel, especially if it’s to a place with beautiful scenery! I love watching a good movie or series (currently going through Bleach), reading a good book whilst hanging with my cat (@ Paul_thegirlcat) or spending time with friends, family and loved ones. Creating art too, just for fun if I had more time! What is something that no one who watches your channel/content knows about you? Oh gosh, there are a few random facts I could share, this is kinda obscure! Now technically, I’m not a huge musical fan, but I’m OBSESSED

with the musical Hamilton! I know all the words to the first disc of the soundtrack because I wanted to learn it and ended up playing it in my car ALL the time… totally normal, right? I’ve heard great things about Hamilton but I’ve not seen it yet; will have to check it out! With most of 2023 behind us, what are your goals for 2024? Honestly to get more of a better work/life balance and have a better structure in place for my work/content creation. To be consistent with it where I can but also to allow myself regular time off which I don’t do enough at the moment. To continue to provide a welcoming space on the internet free of judgement to all backgrounds, and do what I can to keep it safe and fully inclusive. The main thing is for me to enjoy life and help others enjoy it too, honestly - we only get one, we need to make the most of it and not take it for granted! Some positive and healthy goals, we can’t wait to see what you get up to in 2024! What have been your favourite moments being a content creator so far? Meeting the community and other creator friends have been by far some of my favourite moments ever! I really do feel the love when the community comes together. Getting to try out some amazing products - I got gifted some pretty awesome things like a chair, peripherals and lighting this year. Like, how cool is that?! Also getting to check out new games, like Starfield ahead of release and BG3 upon release earlier this year as well as a tonne

of cool indies! I feel insanely lucky to get to experience all of this. Thank you to anyone that has taken a chance on me and sent me things!

And that’s it! Thank you very much again for taking the time to have this interview with us, it’s been an absolute pleasure. We wish you all the best in the future!

Finally, what are you currently working on that you’d like our readers to know about/ check out?

If you would like to check out PhianixxTV on any of their socials, you can do so below!

I have a really cool body paint idea that I can’t wait to share!!! That will be coming to stream soon!

Twitch: @PhianixxTV

I’ve also been changing up my structure so keep an eye out to see if I can manage things a bit better and whether my content is a little more noticeable/streamlined in various areas. I’m always happy to keep trying so watch this space!

Instagram: @PhianixxTV Threads: @PhianixxTV Twitter (X): @PhianixxTV TikTok: @PhianixxTV YouTube: @PhianixxTV

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tjbasc Tori, better known as “TJBASC”, is a UK streamer, YouTuber, and Ubisoft creator hailing from London! TJBASC’s content focuses on streaming on Twitch as well as variety gaming, VLOGs, and unboxing content on YouTube. She is also part of the amazing Black Twitch UK stream team, a service founded to highlight the massive amount of talented Black streamers in the UK and help brands to discover them! Hey Tori! First of all, we would like to say a massive thank you for taking the time to do this interview with us! How have you been and what have you been up to recently? Thank you so much for having me! I’ve been great, thanks. A lot has been happening recently which I’m very grateful for. I had the opportunity to be on my fifth panel at a Twitch Spaces event hosted by The Nerd Council last month and I recently became a Charlotte Tilbury Ambassador. I’ve also begun working full-time as a Junior Account Executive at a gaming and esports PR company which is just so amazing that I get to work in the gaming industry. That is awesome! Congratulations on your personal and content creation wins! We love to see it! Let’s start from the beginning, tell us a little bit about your streaming and content creation life. How long have you been streaming/creating content? And what made you want to start?

the platform, and seeing my friends get into streaming, encouraged me to start on Twitch and my first stream was in August 2021. The progress you have made and the achievements you have accomplished in 2 years is amazing! What influenced your decision to be a variety streamer/content creator instead of being dedicated to one game? I just didn’t like the idea of putting myself in a box. I love sooo many different types of games, from Call of Duty to Animal Crossing to Assassin’s Creed and I wanted to share the love I have for those games with everyone. I definitely had some doubts as to whether or not I should stick to variety gaming, but I believe it’s a great way to connect with other people and try new things! I streamed FIFA 22 once (never again, haha) but at least I tried it. I also didn’t want the focus of my content to be solely on the game I was playing, but on who I am as a creator.

Well, I’ve been creating content since I was 10 years old—making silly videos and vlogs on Windows Movie Maker on my Nan and Grandad’s PC. But I officially started creating content back in May 2021. Creating content has always been a passion of mine that was dormant for a while, but after joining gaming communities and seeing other content creators doing their thing, it reignited the love I had! I started watching Twitch streams in April 2021. Seeing the communities people had on 148

That is definitely a very varied list of games; big respect for the attempt at FIFA. Having played such a wide variety of games, what would be the top 3 games that you have played so far? Hmm, my top 3 games would have to be Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Horizon: Zero Dawn and Professor Layton & Pandora’s Box. A very good list! I personally really enjoyed Horizon: Zero Dawn. Moving away from games for a moment - we noticed you are a fan of anime, so of course being lovers of anime ourselves we must ask the question. Picking one I feel is too difficult (at least for us!) so what are your top 3 favourite anime series, and what would you recommend to other anime fans out there as a must watch? Oh gosh, even 3 is difficult! But I’d have to say Haikyuu, Hunter x Hunter and Attack on Titan. If anyone is a new anime fan out there, I would recommend watching My Hero Academia. It was the first anime I watched so it’s close to my heart. In general though I would definitely recommend checking out short anime like Erased, Charlotte and Anohana. Honourable mention to Promised Neverland (the manga)! A very strong top 3 list; I've re-watched Hunter X Hunter so many times, and I never thought I would be interested in volleyball but Haikyuu was a fantastic watch! We noticed you cosplayed Bakugo from My Hero Academia; you looked awesome by the way! Can we expect to see more cosplays from you? And if so, anything in the works that we can share with your followers? Thanks so much! That was my favourite cosplay so far! Yes, I do have another cosplay in the works, hopefully it’ll be ready as we enter into the new year, but it’s a secret. Looking forward to seeing the new cosplay, hopefully we'll be able to catch you at events cosplaying! If you had to give one up and you’re never allowed to have it again, which would you choose – cookies or cookie dough ice cream? And why? Cookies for sure because with cookie dough ice cream, not only can I have something cold 149

to eat when it’s hot, but if I want cookies, I can just put the cookie dough chunks in the oven (I’ve done this before and they taste so good!). What is the story behind the “seen in MetroUK” that was previously in your Twitter (X) bio? That was actually my very first time being featured in an article! I was approached by a journalist last year to talk about my experiences in gaming as a Black woman which was very exciting and I’ve kept it in my bio ever since (it’s not there anymore but it sounded official at the time, haha). That's awesome, we'll need to find that article! For those who aren’t familiar with who they are, can you tell us about Black Twitch UK and the stream team that you are a part of? Sure! Black Twitch UK is an absolutely amazing platform founded by GeekyCassie and Ebonix to highlight, support and uplift Black streamers in the UK. They are always looking for and creating ways for us to grow in the industry and have the confidence to step out on our own. They also have a dedicated team of streamers, which I’m a part of, who represent BTUK both online and offline (at events and things). I love Cassie and Dani to bits and I’m very grateful for the time and effort they put in to making BTUK a safe space for us to flourish. Black Twitch UK is an inspiration within the industry and the work they do for Black streamers and creators is remarkable! A massive congratulations on being on the front page of Twitch celebrating Black History Month in the UK! Could you shed some light on how this came about and how you feel about it? Thank you! Twitch have made it a regular occurrence to reach out to streamers for different events such as Black History Month, which I think is great as so many amazing and talented Black streamers can receive the visibility they so deserve! This was my fourth time being involved in a front page campaign with Twitch and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

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Also, congratulations on being invited to EGX as an official creator! Whether you’re attending as an official creator for events or just as yourself, do you think it is important for aspiring creators looking to grow to be at these events? YES! Going to events is such a great way to meet new people, network and get a first handson experience with new and upcoming games. I really resonated with what tech reviewer GadgetsJon said in a panel at Insomnia Gaming Festival, which was that if you don’t have the money to buy new games, attend gaming events and use that opportunity to play games before they’re released, share your opinions online and build an audience through that. I honestly believe that if you have the passion for something, you can make it happen. Are there any events, anywhere in the world, you would love to attend either as an official creator or normal attendee? I would LOVE to go to Dream Con as a creator. Oh, and I’ve been to TwitchCon in Paris but I would love to go to one in America one day! The cons in America are on another level, hopefully we'll see each other there one day! What would a standard content creation day in the life of TJBASC be like? I don’t actually have a standard content creation day, It’s more like a content creation week! I plan what I need to do for the week every Monday, so when I’m going to stream, record a video or publish something. YouTube and Twitch content is pretty structured in that way but TikTok videos are very sporadic. I usually decide to make a TikTok video or stream on TikTok on that same day. For you, what do you think are the essentials that you can’t create content without? My Elgato Wave:3 mic, Logitech Litra Glow streaming light, Sony ZV-1F vlogging camera, Western Digital external hard drive (I have EVERYTHING on there), Elgato HD60X capture card and my notebook that I use for all of

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my ideas and scripts. I also use Notion to schedule most of my content and make a note of things that I need to record, edit and/or publish. Away from your content creation life, what do you do in your spare time? In my spare time, I still play a lot of games. I have games that I play that I don’t make content on or stream and that’s how I keep the separation between making content and relaxing. I also like reading (I recently reinvested in a Kindle), going to theme parks and supporting my friends by watching their videos/streams. What is something that no one who watches your channel/content knows about you? I was one of the unsung heroes of YouTube who made lyrics videos for songs back in the day on Windows Movie Maker. I also have a YouTube channel where I make lyrics videos for gospel songs. A true unsung hero indeed! I watched my fair share of lyrics videos and music videos using anime scenes back in the day. With most of 2023 behind us, what are your goals for 2024? Well if I haven’t already become a YouTube Partner by the time this interview is published, then that is one of my top goals for 2024. I would also like to partner with another brand and travel more. Hopefully we'll see you at a TwitchCon in the US and that'll tick off quite a few goals at once! What have been your favourite moments being a content creator so far? Gratefully, there are so many moments I have to be thankful for and have enjoyed! But some of my favourite moments include attending my first IRL #YouTubeBlack event, going on a solo trip to TwitchCon Paris, being invited to be on my first IRL panel at Insomnia Gaming Festival, having the opportunity to play Assassin’s Creed Mirage on its release, being involved in my first makeup campaign with Charlotte Tilbury and being a guest on their podcast.

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Some absolutely amazing moments you've had this year. We're looking forward to see more from you in 2024! Finally, what are you currently working on that you’d like our readers to know about/check out? I have been asked by so many people about it but going into the New Year I want to finish making a Rubik’s Cube tutorial for YouTube. It’s been on my to-do list since I started my channel! And that’s it! Thank you very much again for taking the time to have this interview with us, it’s been an absolute pleasure. We wish you all the best in the future!

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And that’s it! Thank you very much again for taking the time to have this interview with us, it’s been an absolute pleasure. We wish you all the best in the future! If you would like to check out TJBASC on any of her socials, you can do so below!

Twitch: @ TJBASC Instagram: @ TJBASC Twitter (X): @ toriijada TikTok: @ TJBASC YouTube: @ TJBASC

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The Gamer Guide - Issue 16