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Friday, November 18, 2016
10:27 AM - November 18, 2016. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Fraser Gilbert
I'm addicted to Pro Evolution Soccer this year. In terms of gameplay, it finally feels like Konami has recaptured the essence of the series' glory years, improving on its previous iteration to a substantial degree. PES 2017 is packed with brand-new additions that contribute to this, and Advanced Instructions is one of them. It's a feature that makes the act of coaching a more streamlined experience, and if you can master this element of the game, you'll have a big advantage over those who don't even know it exists.
Let's take this opportunity to break these instructions down and discuss this feature in detail.
Read More - Breaking Down Advanced Instructions in PES 2017
Friday, November 11, 2016
09:38 AM - November 11, 2016. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Fraser Gilbert
Oh no, it's that time of year again. I try to avoid Football Manager as much as I can, purely because of its addictive qualities. I'm a writer with a busy job these days, and my time gets too easily invested in a multi-season save, falling prey to the game's alluring nature. It's not just me that suffers in this way. Since its original inception back in 1992, this series has destroyed marriages, ruined school grades and been the catalyst for a multitude of sick days at workplaces across the world.
In recent years, its momentum hasn't slowed one bit. Each year presents new challenges to keep the game feeling fresh and new, and that's no easy feat for a series with as much depth as this one. This year's game didn't need to reinvent the wheel, and it doesn't, centering its focus on fine-tuning and making subtle improvements across the board.
Read More - Football Manager 2017 Review (PC)
Tuesday, November 8, 2016
10:57 AM - November 8, 2016. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Fraser Gilbert
Now that we've had a substantial amount of time to digest NHL 17 and its pros and cons, we're getting a bigger picture of what the OS community thinks about it. The general perception is a favorable one, with many praising the vast array of positives while ensuring the handful of negatives are also well documented.
Today, we'll focus on those negatives and discuss some areas we'd particularly like the folks at EA to focus on moving forward.
Read More - Where Does NHL Go From Here?
Friday, November 4, 2016
06:50 PM - November 4, 2016. Posted by Steve_OS. Written by Fraser Gilbert
Football Manager 2017 officially releases today (Nov. 04), and we've been getting our hands on it in anticipation of a review. Until we come to a definitive conclusion, we're going to spend a little extra time evaluating it. I've got some early impressions to tide you over, but keep in mind these are based on the beta version of the game, which was playable for those who pre-purchased via select outlets.
Read More - Football Manager 2017: Early Impressions (Written by: Fraser Gilbert)
Friday, October 28, 2016
03:30 PM - October 28, 2016. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Fraser Gilbert
Of all the games I've played over the past year, PES 2017 is quickly becoming my favorite. It's a callback to the days of PES' (or Winning Eleven's) rise to prominence in the soccer game scene, when it commanded attention with its outstanding representation of the sport. Although the sales figures might not suggest it, PES 2017 is the mark of a series that is arguably back to its best.
It achieves this by implementing a whole host of careful refinements, capitalizing on last year's positives and repairing many of its weaknesses to great effect. If the dramatically enhanced goalkeepers of this year's version aren't enough to convince the doubters, the game-changing Adaptive AI system should be. Not only are games more balanced, authentic and fluid than last year, but they're a lot more fun too.
Read More - PES 2017 Rolling Along Post-Release
Thursday, September 29, 2016
04:17 PM - September 29, 2016. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Fraser Gilbert
Over the weekend, I had a chance to attend EGX 2016 in Birmingham, UK. During the time I spent at the expo, I got my hands on (what I would assume to be) an early build of WWE 2K17.
I want to make a few things clear before I detail my experiences. First, I didn't get enough time with the game to make any definitive judgments. Also, I was playing with gamers of varying skill levels, and the game's audio was particularly tough to hear in the confines of a busy convention. Finally, I only got a chance to experience the game in a one vs. one environment. Multi-person modes were available, but I simply wasn't able to try them due to a lack of time on the day. It should be noted that I was not attending on press duties, so I didn't spend as much time with the game as I normally would.
Please keep all of these factors in mind as you read through my impressions.
Read More - WWE 2K17: EGX Hands-On
Saturday, September 24, 2016
It’s 2 a.m. and I’ve been playing FIFA 17's new mode ‘The Journey’ for the past five hours. Well, at least I think it's 2 a.m. -- I’m far too hooked by the mode's addictive qualities to look at my phone. Alex Hunter’s tale is an intriguing one, and my personal mission to achieve glory as a member of the AFC Bournemouth squad has engulfed my interest.
I don’t want to venture elsewhere, but there's more to discover. After I've sampled its entire feature set, I come to realize that FIFA 17 is somewhat of a divided experience on the pitch –- a game of two halves, if you will. While it succeeds in creating a primarily authentic experience against the CPU, it undoes a lot of that work when more users get involved, fluctuating between arcade and simulation tendencies along the way.
Read More - FIFA 17 Review (Written by: Fraser Gilbert)
Thursday, September 22, 2016
02:23 PM - September 22, 2016. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Fraser Gilbert
If you're a keen FIFA fan, you've probably started to notice the FIFA 17 reviews trickling in. I've had a lot of time with the game so far, but we're going to hold back on our review temporarily for a couple of reasons. First, a patch has just been released containing a number of pre-release fixes. Also, I want to get more time in an online setting before summing up my thoughts.
We'll be unveiling our review as soon as we can, but in the meantime, I'm going to take this chance to sum up my initial impressions of this year's game.
Read More - FIFA 17: Reviewer First Impressions
Monday, September 19, 2016
11:21 AM - September 19, 2016. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Fraser Gilbert
I've played more than my fair share of NHL 17 over the past couple weeks, and I've been spending a lot of time in Hockey Ultimate Team. It's an area of the series that has undergone somewhat of an overhaul this year, with a few key changes to note.
I'm going to take this chance to go a little more in-depth with my thoughts on this addictive pastime.
Read More - NHL 17 Ultimate Team Offers a Good Experience
Wednesday, September 14, 2016
08:51 AM - September 14, 2016. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Fraser Gilbert
Today, Editor and Chief Chris Sanner sits down with Staff Writer Fraser Gilbert -- who reviewed NHL 17 -- to talk about the game a few days after the review hit the site. In the chat we talk about NHL 17's gameplay, how accessible the game is, and what we can look forward to with the future of the series. Check out our chat after the jump!
Read More - A Chat About NHL 17 (Roundtable)
Read More - A Chat About NHL 17 (Roundtable)
Saturday, September 10, 2016
The transition of EA Sports' NHL series to the current generation of consoles has been a storied tale thus far. We arrive at the third iteration in the cycle with NHL 17, and it finds itself in the fortunate position of being born out of a period of stability. Unlike last year, there are no significant wrongs to be righted, and the outpouring of fan unhappiness stemming back to NHL 15 has all but disappeared. It’s because of this that the shackles of the series have finally been let loose, paving the way for future innovations.
And yet, while NHL 17 is packed with an array of brand-new features and upgrades, it doesn’t feel like a revolutionary moment for the series. Instead, it tinkers with an already successful formula to create a sense of déjà vu, but one that feels more satisfying this time around.
Read More - NHL 17 Review (Written by: Fraser Gilbert)
Thursday, September 8, 2016
02:08 PM - September 8, 2016. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Fraser Gilbert
So, while we wait on the big patch to finalize the review, here are a few quick impressions of the game thus far...
Read More - NHL 17: Quick Impressions
Thursday, August 18, 2016
02:57 PM - August 18, 2016. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Fraser Gilbert
If you hadn't noticed already, we're a little light on the Olympic video game releases this year. Unless Nintendo's range of consoles have a place in your home, you're going to struggle to satisfy your cravings. Looking back is the only option, and I'm warning you, it's a bumpy ride.
Sure, there have been some great Olympic-themed games over the years. Konami's Track & Field is a particular highlight, as is Epyx's Summer Games I & II. But today, we're focusing on the official video games of the Olympics. They're here in all their button-mashing glory, and we're going to delve through the mediocrity to find five titles that have unexpectedly found themselves in medal contention.
Oh, and the Mario & Sonic series gets just one entry. Otherwise, we'd have a biased list on our hands.
Read More - What Are the Top 5 Olympic Games of All Time?
Thursday, August 11, 2016
10:57 AM - August 11, 2016. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Fraser Gilbert
The Olympics are back, and if you're anything like me, you've fallen prey to its alluring qualities. I've been watching it all, from grueling cycling races to nail-biting water polo matches. Normally, this is the time where I give into temptation and opt to purchase the official video game tie-in. This year, things are a bit different.
Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games is the only official console game of the Rio 2016 Olympics, releasing back in March for the Nintendo Wii U and 3DS. For mobile and tablet enthusiasts, there's also an officially licensed Android/iOS game.
What about the rest of us? In the four years since Sega released the respectable London 2012, you'd have thought that a simulation-based Olympics title would provide the perfect cash-in opportunity. That game did pretty well for itself, having sold 680,000 copies as of March 31, 2013. Nothing similar has surfaced for this year's Summer Games, though. Allow me to offer some thoughts as to why Xbox, PlayStation and PC devotees won't be winning any virtual gold medals this year.
Read More - What Happened to the Rio 2016 Simulation Game?
Friday, August 5, 2016
10:17 AM - August 5, 2016. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Fraser Gilbert
Today, we're going back 10 years to look at the world of sports gaming as it existed in 2006. This was a year that proved revolutionary for certain series, while others struggled under the weight of a new console generation. The Xbox 360 was entering its first full year, but Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii would have to wait until their respective launches in November of 2006 (US) to make a statement.
Looking back, there are more similarities with today's gaming scene than you might expect. EA Sports’ titles still reigned supreme for the most part, and series such as NBA 2K and MLB: The Show enjoyed immense popularity, as they do today. However, there were also plenty of highlights that disappeared from the gaming market in later years. Let’s go back and take a look at some of 2006's most important sports game releases.
Read More - Ten-Year Anniversary: What Sports Gaming Looked Like a Decade Ago
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