Page 18 – Green Man Gaming Blog

TMNT: The Top 10 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Characters of all time, ranked

For almost forty years the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have seeped into our collective consciousness through various different adaptations and become a cultural touchstone that most of us can feel affinity for. No cartoon, comic, or video game can work without a cast of characters and TMNT is no different. That’s why we’ve decided to take a peek at the top 10 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles characters and do to them what should’ve been done a long time ago – rank them.

It’s turtle time.

Baxter Stockman

We’ll start at the bottom. Baxter Stockman isn’t the worst character ever by a long way but in terms of Turtle power rankings he’s severely lacking. Never a full villain he’s more an irritant, never managing to get the attention he wants. Most are probably familiar with him in fly-human form either from the TMNT cartoon or the 1980s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles show.

Casey Jones

Casey Jones isn’t a bad character all things considered, a hockey-themed vigilante isn’t necessarily a bad idea. What puts Casey Jones so far down the list is his position as merely a supporting character, one who shares a few visual attributes with a certain Mr. Jason from a certain horror film series. He’s fine, serviceable. No-one complains if he’s there in a storyline but relatively few would complain if he were absent.

Michelangelo

He’s a party dude ok? And you will never, ever, ever be allowed to forget that. Michelangelo is the team comic relief which would work if he were funny, alas he rarely is. He doesn’t even get the cool weapons – instead being stuck with nunchucks, a weapon that inspired many children to smack themselves in the face. But hey, he loves pizza, and that’s a redeeming quality in this writer’s eyes.

Splinter

It’s hard to put Splinter into a place here, without him there wouldn’t be any Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in the first place and he does an admirable job raising them. That said, he can be a little one-note. He’s wise, calm, patient, and an excellent teacher. Often though, that’s it. There simply isn’t much more to the character in some adaptations and while that means he’s great, he falls in the middle of the pack in this ranking.

Leonardo

Ah Leonardo. The leader of the group who comes armed with twin katanas. Leonardo can be a nuanced character, sometimes worrying about their position as leader and their anxieties about taking over for Master Splinter, but often they too are a little flat as a character. In the real world people devoted to doing good are wonderful but often in fiction they can be a little dull, in this case our poor Leonardo often comes out on the flatter side.

April O’Neil

The problem with April O’Neil is how she’s treated in the majority of media. She’s a great character, or at least has the potential to be a great character, but that potential doesn’t always get fulfilled. Often relegated to ‘damsel in distress’ each adaptation seems to roll a die to see if she’ll be capable of not. Sometimes she’s basically a ninja, sometimes she’s psychic, often she’s just in trouble until the Turtles turn up. What I’m saying here is – she deserves better.

Krang

Krang doesn’t actually appear in many adaptations, like 2003’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon they only appeared as a brief blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo. That said, Krang’s impact on the series reverberates to this day, their appearances in the original cartoons mean many associate Krang and the Turtles incredibly strongly. After all, who doesn’t want their own Technodrome? Exactly.

Raphael

Who doesn’t love a turtle who’s really into kicking Foot Clan butt? That’s right, Raphael is basically Batman with a shell and he’s not afraid to embrace his darker side to put the enemies of the Turtles down. That’d be enough but there’s often a core of uncertainty with Raphael in many versions, where his anger and search for justice covers his deep worries about being good enough for the team. Raphael’s a compelling character and definitely one of the top Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles characters of all time.

Shredder

It had to be Shredder as the number one villain on this list, didn’t it. Shredder has had a few different interpretations through the years, from bitter rival of Splinter to an alien-powered mecha, but one thing always remains the same: Shredder is cool. Shredder’s armour is cool. Shredder’s motivations are often cool. Look, Shredder is cool and that’s about all we have to say about him.

Donatello

The Turtles are brilliant warriors and that’s something we always see but without Donatello they could never have become full heroes. Donatello is an utter genius able to rub two machines together and come up with a third and many of the Turtles’ takedowns rely on his mechanical ability. Combine that with his trademark Bo-Staff and you’ve got a powerful fighter with a godlike intellect, if he wasn’t on the side of good that’d be seriously scary.

Buy Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge here

It’s time to hit the streets with the Turtles in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge, and you can do so for less when you shop with us. Head over to the Green Man Gaming store and grab yourself a copy, why not use the money you’ve saved to buy a pizza and live that turtle life. TMNT and Green Man Gaming make one lean, green, ninja team.

Honourable mentions: Bebop and Rocksteady

it's bebop and rocksteady, two of the best turtles characters out there

We’ve got basically nothing to say about Bebop and Rocksteady but we felt that if we didn’t mention them, we’d have a riot on our hands.

The Most Underrated Indie Games in 2022

There are thousands of indie games released every year and not all of them get the attention they richly deserve. We don’t like that – there are so many brilliant games that should be shouted about from the rooftops. That’s why we asked our followers on Facebook and Twitter to tell us about the indie games they think deserve more from the world and let us know about the most underrated indie games out there.

We got a ton of responses so here’s our top picks for the most underrated indie games (that definitely deserve a lot more attention).

CrossCode

If solving Zelda-esque puzzle dungeons is your thing along with expansive 16-bit era RPGs, then CrossCode might well be the game for you. A stunning graphical style combined with an RPG that takes brilliant elements and remixes them into something new? CrossCode is definitely one of the most underrated indie games out there.

Buy CrossCode here.

Gods Will Fall

Sometimes you have to end the rule of the gods. In Gods Will Fall that’s precisely what you’ll be doing, as you take on colossal foes in your quest to bring down the gods themselves. Inspired by Celtic legends, this is an action RPG brimming with brutal combat in a world you won’t forget.

Buy Gods Will Fall here.

The Artful Escape

An all-star cast, a story about the depths of imagination, and one of the best soundtracks in gaming? The Artful Escape may have won many plaudits but it’s still a game that deserves far, far more attention than it received. If you want a brilliant experience wrapped in some of the best presentation you’ve ever seen – The Artful Escape may be the one for you.

Buy The Artful Escape here.

Song of the Deep

songs of the deep - one of the most underrated indie games

What if a metroidvania was underwater? Song of the Deep is set in a vast ocean where you play as a girl trying to find her missing father. Of course, you have a submarine, which helps considerably. With a great narrative and many hours of exploration and puzzle solving ahead of you, it’s no wonder that Song of the Deep is one of the most underrated indie games.

The Beginner’s Guide

It’s hard to talk about The Beginner’s Guide without giving it away. Part museum, part personal narrative, part exploration of game mechanics. We really can’t say much more than that other than it’s a story and an experience that will sit with you for many hours after playing, if not the rest of your life.

Iconoclasts

Iconoclasts was a long time coming but now it’s here it has completely lived up to expectations. This action platformer has a stunning art style but it doesn’t just rely on that, you’ll have fiendishly difficult bosses to fight and tons of action in your way. Play as Robin as you try to restore the world, as any good mechanic does, and enjoy one of the finest platformers ever made.

Buy Iconoclasts here.

Chicory: A Colorful Tale

Indie games are renowned for experimentation with form and with graphical style, and Chicory: A Colorful Tale does all that and more. This adventure game sees you explore a colouring book as you make friends and solve puzzles by drawing on the world itself – and everything else. Chicory isn’t just a wonderful and joyful game, it’s a wonderful and joyful experience and one that deserves to be yelled about from the tops of very tall buildings.

Little Inferno

World of Goo was one of the first really big indie games that exploded onto the scene, their follow-up is Little Inferno and it couldn’t be more different. It’s cold outside and you’re the owner of a Little Inferno Entertainment Fireplace. To keep warm you toss everything in, including your toys, burning them to unlock new things to burn. There’s more to this than it sounds, giving you a rich and compelling experience that you’ll itch to replay.

ZeroRanger

ZeroRanger is a vertical scrolling shoot’em up that is an absolute love-letter to the shmups of the past. But it’s more than that. Much more. ZeroRanger has a brilliant story full of heroism and this story is interwoven with the action in a truly unique and wonderful way. Again, like many other underrated indie games, we can’t say much more other than to recommend it – heartily.

Nuclear Throne

Vlambeer has parted ways but they’ve left us with such a brilliant legacy. Their high point is undoubtedly Nuclear Throne, a roguelike shooter that has the absolute best screen-shake in the business. If you don’t think that’s worthy of mention then you haven’t played it. The screen-shake is just one of the elements that make this a blast to play, with every shot feeling impactful and powerful. Nuclear Throne is great and a worthy inclusion in any list of underrated indie games.

Horace

Horace is a platformer that will surprise you in many ways. You could be forgiven for discounting it on first look but we implore you – look deeper. What you’ll find is a rich narrative told in an incredibly competent and emotional way, filled with references to classic eras of gaming that’ll put a smile on your face. Horace is an intensely brilliant game, one that deserves every plaudit it gets – and then some.

Buy Horace here.

The Outer Wilds

Like some of the other games on this list we can’t talk much about The Outer Wilds. We’ll just keep it simple, you’re a new recruit in the Outer Wilds Ventures, a space programme set up to explore this alien solar system. From there the adventure is your own and we’ll spoil it no further except to say this is one of those games that comes along once in a decade. It’s impeccable, densely layered, and one of the best games of all time. Play it and then when you’re done, play it again.

Buy The Outer Wilds here.

Now you know our picks of most underrated indie games, why not let us know yours? Head over to our Discord server and have your say – we’d love to hear from you.

Everything You Need To Know About Marvel’s Spider-Man On PC

Arguably one of the most stunning offerings in a glittering crown of PlayStation Studios developed efforts, Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales are both making the leap to PC at long last. Following in the footsteps of previous PlayStation exclusives such as Horizon Zero Dawn and God of War, Insomniac’s sublime Spider-Man games will imminently arrive on PC, but what’s all the fuss about?

From the release date, to gameplay details and more besides, this guide will clue into everything you need to know about all these Spider-Man games releasing on PC. After all, with great power comes great responsibility. Or something.

Marvel’s Spider-Man: Remastered On PC – What Is It All About?

what's spider-man remastered on pc all about

Single-handedly returning the Spider-Man license to a state of grace, Marvel’s Spider-Man was nothing short of a revelation when it was released on PlayStation 4 back in 2018. Though casting players as Spidey and providing access to a wealth of webby powers and gadgets was strictly nothing new, the traversal and hugely intuitive (and satisfying) combat really did put Insomniac Games’ superhero debut in a class of its own. Simply swinging around the Manhattan skyline was borderline euphoric – the way that Spider-Man would gracefully pivot, leap, dive and run across just about any surface, really made you feel like you were the web-slinger himself. Meanwhile, the combat found itself similarly executed brilliantly, providing would-be superheroes with sufficient creative latitude to unleash a series of devastating combos, throws, counters and even objects in the nearby environment to stymie their foes.

Throw in an epic and appropriately tragic story, one that has Peter Parker attempting to balance his regular and superhero lives as he comes into conflict with supervillains Doc Ock and Mister Negative and you’ve got a superhero game for the ages.

How Do The Suits Work?

One of the key elements of Marvel’s Spider-Man: Remastered is the many different Spidey suits that Peter Parker will get to wear over the course of the game. Representing much more than just a purely cosmetic change, shifting from one suit to the next actually has a sizable effect on all that running, jumping and baddie-mashing that you’ll be getting up to. With a number of different upgrade progression paths available to our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, the suits are essentially an extension of this concept – providing players with buffs to specific skills while also providing abilities that are unique to that suit.

Even better still, the suits themselves are actually unlocked by completing specific missions, locating secrets and fulfilling particular objectives, neatly adding additional value to a game that is already generously stuffed with things to do.

What’s New?

Much more than just a straight-laced port of the original 2018 release, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Remastered fulfills the promise of its extended moniker duly. Boasting 4K visuals running at a buttery smooth 60 frames per second or higher, in addition to the implementation of ray-traced reflections, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Remastered has never looked better.

Beyond the technical side of things, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Remastered on PC also boasts all of the additional story campaign DLC that arrived after release. Oh and the DLC is super worthwhile too – having players team up with frequent frenemies Black Cat and Silver Sable in order to avert a potentially city-destroying catastrophe.

Marvel’s Spider-Man: Remastered PC Release Date – When Can I Play It?

The Marvel’s Spider-Man: Remastered PC release date is confirmed to be August 12, 2022. Already available in remastered form on PlayStation 5, though individual digital storefront platforms haven’t been confirmed as yet for its PC release, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Remastered will very likely match its fellow PlayStation Studios stablemates by releasing on Steam and the Epic Games Store.

Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales On PC – What Is It All About?

Coming from PlayStation Studios, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales swings and leaps beyond its PlayStation console domain, giving PC players the chance to experience one of the best superhero games ever made. Though Miles Morales largely embraces the same basic excellent traversal, suit and combat mechanics that so excellent define its predecessor, Insomniac Games’ second bite at the superhero apple goes further still.

Encompassing a much more intimate and emotional storyline thanks in no small part to the compelling master-mentor dynamic that exists between Peter Parker and it’s titular hero, Miles Morales also streamlines the wealth of additional activities and side missions that are found in its open world, making the game feel much less bloated as a result.

What’s New?

While Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales has no additional story based expansions to be included here in one neat package, technically speaking the PC will certainly boast best in class visuals that likely go above and beyond the PlayStation 5 version of the game with higher frame rates, improved ray-tracing and much more.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 – Is It Coming To PC?

Previously announced for a 2023 PlayStation 5 release, many folks are wondering if Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 will be coming to PC. At this point it’s too early to definitively tell, however given Sony’s recent surge in PC porting activity and the very fact that both Marvel’s Spider-Man: Remastered and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales will be available soon, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 coming to PC would seem to be a matter of ‘when’, rather than ‘if’.

What Do We Know?

Though the announcement trailer for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 didn’t give anything away as to new features, it did provide a whole heap of insight as to the setting of the game. First off, it looks like that fresh off of their tandem adventures in Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, both Peter Parker and Miles Morales will be teaming up once more – this time taking on the symbiote-infected anti-hero Venom, who is voiced by horror icon Tony Todd no less.

Next, given the threat that Venom presents, it wouldn’t be especially surprising to see Insomniac make more of the Morales-Parker partnership – maybe allowing the web-slinging duo to perform special double-attacks and possibly weave co-op style missions into the formula, too. Then, there’s the potential for either Peter Parker or Miles Morales to get hold of their own, symbiote-powered suits as well. 2023 cannot come soon enough.

What Is Stray? Everything You Need To Know About Stray – Updated

Stray is the latest independently developed effort to come from indie publisher Annapurna Interactive. Developed by the clever folks over at French outfit BlueTwelve Studio, Stray is an arresting cyberpunk adventure that puts players into the soft toe beans of a wayward cat that is trying to find its way home through a world overtaken by sentient machines. Sounds great doesn’t it? Well, we thought so too which is why we’ve conjured up this handy guide that tells you everything you need to know about Stray.

Stray Release Date

Stray will be released on the 19th of July, 2022 – whilst a delay from its original intended release date of October 2021, this means we’ll be able to get our hands on Stray sooner rather than later.

Stray will be released on PC via Steam in addition to PS4 and PS5 console platforms, meaning so long as you have a reasonably capable PC or a PlayStation console from the last decade or so, you’ll be good to play Stray when it releases later this year. Stray very recently received an age rating from the Korean rating board, so it wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect Stray to release sooner rather than later.

What Sort Of Game Is Stray?

Looking something akin to a sketch from the Netflix dystopian animation anthology show, Love, Death & Robots, Stray began life as a prototype demo known as HK_Project which essentially was little more than (an admittedly stunning) short demo of a stray cat leaping and bounding around a neon-lit, Hong-Kong cityscape.

A single-player, third-person platforming adventure with puzzle solving elements and a focus on nimble traversal, Stray has players exploring a frankly massive range of different environments that largely subscribe to the cyberpunk design ethos with plenty of twilight hours, neon-hued signs, reflective puddles and robots – lots of robots. Aided by a friendly drone called ‘B-12’, Stray has our fearless feline collecting items, avoiding enemies and roaming a neon-stained, decaying cyberpunk city as they attempt to get back home to their family.

Stray Gameplay

How Does The Platforming Work?

Platforming in Stray is a mixture of dynamic and scripted leaps, climbs and hops. Essentially, though you are free to take to the air whenever you like, particular leaps from one platform to another can be accomplished by simply being in the local vicinity and waiting for the appropriate prompt to appear. Now while this may seem at odds with the otherwise freewheeling agility that Stray appears to preach elsewhere, these more prescribed feats of agility appear to crop up in particularly fast moving sequences which might prove aggravating to traverse if full agency was provided to the player. Simply put, developer BlueTwelve Studio looks to have nailed the movement and finessed agility of the not-so-humble cat extraordinarily well to say the least.

What Puzzles Are There?

Between our furry protagonist and its trusty B-12 robot drone, Stray presents our duo with a wide variety of conundrums to solve. Largely predicated around resolving physics based puzzles to progress further in the game world, Stray’s cheeky cat can hold onto items in their maw and spit them out to progress.

One such example has our plucky pussycat picking up a plant pot by its handle before spitting it out to jam an extractor fan, allowing them to progress as a result, while in another, the cat can use its paws to push down planks of wood to create a makeshift bridge. Further afield, other puzzles require the cat and B-12 to work in tandem, with the latter activating out-of-reach switches for the former which in turn open up new pathways to proceed through the area.

How Does The B-12 Robot Drone Work In Stray?

Much more than just an oddly adorable NPC, the B-12 flying drone essentially acts as an interface of sorts for the cat, allowing it to access areas and parts of the world that its thumbless and fingerless paws wouldn’t be able to permit. From activating switches, hacking into systems, collecting items and shocking dormant systems into use, B-12 soon proves to be an invaluable companion for our curious feline.

Is There Combat In Stray?

As a fairly small cat lost in a world surrounded by all manner of androids and forgotten creatures, it should perhaps come as little surprise that there’s no direct combat in Stray – though later in the game your trusty B-12 robot drone can be upgraded to destroy smaller robotic creatures that attack our precious protagonist. Instead, the bulk of your time will be spent avoiding trouble, exploring, solving puzzles and scratching up furniture.

How Stray Brings Out The Playful Side Of Cats

Happily I can report that Stray takes full advantage of the fact that, well, you’re a cat and thus permits you to do all manner of cat-like activities. Whether it’s clawing the side of a couch into absolute ribbons, or purring and rubbing yourself against the legs of Stray’s android denizens, Stray is clearly a labour of love for a development studio that describes itself as “a small team from the south of France mostly made up of cats and a handful of humans.” Sounds like the future of game development to me.

Will Any Expansions Be Released For Stray?

As yet, neither publisher Annapurna Interactive nor developer BlueTwelve Studio has confirmed the existence of Stray DLC, since presumably they’re too busy trying to get the base game finished in time for a Summer 2022 release. However, given the expansive possibilities of Stray’s ruinous cyberpunk slumland and the ancient forgotten worlds hinted at that lay beyond, there’s definitely potential to expand the game beyond its initial offering.

Where Can I Watch The Latest Trailer For Stray?

With the Summer 2022 release window of Stray rapidly approaching, publisher Annapurna Interactive has yet to put out a shiny new trailer for Stray. However, the most recent trailer for Stray, which was released last year, is a gameplay walkthrough that goes into a fair amount of depth surrounding Stray’s platforming, exploration and puzzle solving gameplay beats.

Everything you need to know about The Elder Scrolls Online: High Isle

The Elder Scrolls Online is the plucky underdog that beat the odds. Whilst it hasn’t undergone a revolution like Final Fantasy XIV did, it turned itself around and became if not a juggernaut, then a well-maintained, exciting MMO that’s become almost a full Elder Scrolls game in its own right. Filled with lore, quests, and enough content to keep anyone happy, The Elder Scrolls Online in 2022 is a big game with big ambitions. The next chapter, High Isle, looks set to expand the game in all the right ways too.

Taking us to a brand new location never seen before in an Elder Scrolls game (outside of maps), High Isle is also introducing new mechanics to while away our time with, giving us unique rewards for participating.

There’s a lot to cover in ESO: High Isle so get off your mount, stow your weapons, take a moment, and let’s get you up to speed on everything you need to know so you’re ready when the game releases on the 6th of June, 2022.

ESO High Isle Story and New Area

a beautiful high isle city is laid out before you

Players are off to a brand new location in High Isle – the Systres Archipelago. Made of three islands, we’ll be spending most of our time on the largest of them – High Isle (hence the name of the expansion). That said, we will also be visiting the prison island of Amenos nearby.

Situated between Summerset Isle, High Rock, and the Hammerfell islands of Stros M’Kai, High Isle is mostly populated by Bretons after it was sold to them by the Colovian Estates. High Isle is a forested outpost that has rolling hills and a Mediterranean climate. In opposition to that is Amenos, which has a much harsher climate with jungles covering much of its surface.

But why are we there? High Isle is a location chosen where secret negotiations are taking place to seek to end the Three Banners War. As it’s so far from everywhere it seemed unlikely to draw attention, but alas – attention was nonetheless drawn. The Ascendant Order will be our main antagonists throughout this chapter of ESO’s story, as they intend to foment discord and keep the war going – at any cost.

Of course as an archipelago is our setting for the expansion we’ll be coming up against sea-faring creatures and pirates of all flavours. We may even bump up against the Maomer, the Sea Elves from Pyandomea, as we will be adventuring fairly close to their stomping grounds.

New Companions

ESO: Blackwood added the companion feature to the game which allows us to be accompanied by an NPC who helps out in combat and has a few…choice words to say if we do things they don’t like.

High Isle is adding two more companions to the mix, Ember and Isobel.

Ember is a Khajiit who grew up on High Isle itself, becoming a skilled Destruction sorcerer able to wield devastating magic on the battlefield. You’ll find Ember a little cynical as they join you on your adventures, which is understandable as she’s had a pretty hard life.

Isobel is a strong warrior from a line of proud Breton knights. She’ll join you, fighting side-by-side in the melee, but be warned – if you turn against what she views as best for High Isle’s Bretons she may turn against you.

Tales of Tribute – A New Collectible Card Game

Many Elder Scrolls Online expansions come with new mechanics, such as the Antiquities system added in Greymoor. This time we’re getting a brand new card game you can play in the taverns dotting High Isle. It’s called Tales of Tribute and it looks set to take over ESO like Gwent did for the Witcher 3.

As you gain new cards and upgrade your deck, you’ll be able to take part in a questline that introduces you to the game and how to play it. You’ll also be able to win currency, crafting materials, cosmetics, furniture and other rewards by participating.

ESO High Isle Trailers

There’s several High Isle trailers that will help you get a feel for this expansion. Firstly, take a look at the cinematic announcement trailer titled Legacy of the Bretons:

It wouldn’t be an ESO chapter without conflict and High Isle is no different. This beautiful island appears peaceful but scratch the surface and there’s a wealth of dark undercurrents ready to sweep away the unwary adventurer.

Take a closer look at the lore behind this expansion with the History of the Systres trailer:

Finally, welcome Billy Boyd who joins the voice acting cast as Brahgas:

And Laura Bailey who will play the companion Isobel:

ESO High Isle Gameplay – New Events and Trials

In addition to the new questlines and side quests you’ll be undertaking in this expansion, High Isle will also bring a new Trial to the game. Titled Dreadsail Reef it’ll see players take the fight to some local pirates’ lair, with the aim of taking home four armour sets which are only available in this Trial.

ESO chapters always include special world events you can participate in for loot and experience. Volcanic Vents will see you descend upon smoke vents across the archipelago, fighting off waves of enemies before plugging up the vent to ensure the safety of the local area.

System Requirements

Check if your system is beefy enough for this latest chapter in the ESO saga, here’s what you’ll need to be running:

Minimum Requirements:

OS: Windows 7 64-bit
Processor: Intel® Core i3 540 or AMD A6-3620 or higher
Memory: 3 GB RAM
Graphics: Direct X 11.0 compliant video card with 1GB RAM (NVidia GeForce 460 or AMD Radeon 6850)
DirectX: Version 11
Network: Broadband Internet connection
Storage: 85 GB available space
Sound Card: DirectX compatible sound card

Recommended Requirements:

OS: Windows 7 64-bit
Processor: Intel® Core i5 2300 or AMD FX4350
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: Direct X 11.0 compliant video card with 2GB RAM (NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 750 or AMD Radeon™ HD 7850) or higher
DirectX: Version 11
Network: Broadband Internet connection
Storage: 85 GB available space
Sound Card: DirectX compatible sound card

ESO High Isle Pre-Purchase Bonuses

Anyone who pre-purchases The Elder Scrolls Online: High Isle will get immediate access to bonus content, in addition to the bonus content received at launch.

Pre-purchasers who pick up the expansion will get the Palefrost Elk Mount when they next log into the game.

When the expansion launches on the 6th of June, 2022 they will also receive the following:

Knights of the Flame Pup Pet
Abecean Privateers Apparel Costume
Dark Chivalry Crate
3× High Isle Treasure Maps
2× Crown Experience Scrolls

That should help make those first steps on a new island a little more welcoming.

Shop ESO High Isle Here

shop the elder scrolls online high isle below

If you’re looking for a brilliant price on The Elder Scrolls Online: High Isle then Green Man Gaming is the place to go. Check out the game via the links below and see if we can serve you a price you’ll love to see:

The Quarry – Cast and Voice Actors

Horror is hot right now and there’s no horror developer hotter than Supermassive Games. Until Dawn and their Dark Pictures Anthology show that they’re masters of their craft and with The Quarry they’re set to take fear to a new level.

It’s absolutely jam-packed with characters and a roster of celebrity voices, check out who you’ll be helping descend into nightmares in our guide to the cast and voice actors for The Quarry.

The Quarry Voice Actors Cast List

The quarry cast list - some of the game characters looking like they're at a party

Chris – David Arquette

Where you know them from:

David Arquette is most commonly associated with the Scream series but you might also know him as Randy Mann in Pushing Daisies, a role in My Name is Earl, as well as being married to Courtney Cox for a while.

Travis – Ted Raimi

Where you know them from:

Even if you don’t know Ted Raimi’s name you’ve probably seen him about as he’s the brother of director Sam Raimi and pops up a lot in his films, such as in the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man films. He’s starred in many horror films and properties, like Ash vs. Evil Dead, Supernatural, and Drag Me to Hell

Abigail – Ariel Winter

Where you know them from:

11 years of Modern Family has brought Ariel Winter into homes across the globe and is probably their most famous role to date. They’ve also done voice work here and there, such as Robot Chicken and Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory.

Emma – Halston Sage

Where you know them from:

If you’re a sci-fi fan you’ll have seen Halston Sage as Alara Kitan in The Orville, she’s also appeared in X-Men: Dark Phoenix and has had a prominent role in Prodigal Son. She also starred as Lacey in Paper Towns, if there’s any John Green fans reading this.

Rod Serling – Mark Silverman

Where you know them from:

Mark Silverman is a voice actor with a long history of acting in TV series, games, and animations. The reason they are in The Quarry, and one of their most prominent roles, has been doing an incredibly uncanny impression of Rod Serling, The Twilight Zone host. You’ll also have heard him in Watchmen: The End is Nigh, Eragon, The Pirates of Dark Water and a lot more.

Dylan – Miles Robbins

Where you know them from:

Miles Robbins hasn’t had the lengthy career that some of the cast has had, but it doesn’t mean you haven’t seen or heard them before. If you’ve seen the recent X-Files reboot they appeared as Jackson Van De Kamp in three episodes, as well as Halloween (2018).

Max – Skyler Gisondo

Where you know them from:

If you’ve been getting into The Righteous Gemstones recently then you’ll certainly recognise Skyler Gisondo. They played Gideon Gemstone throughout the series, as well as appearing as Eric Bemis in Santa Clarita Diet and even an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Bobby – Ethan Suplee

Where you know them from:

At one point in time Etahn Suplee would be best known for his role in My Name is Earl as Earl’s brother, Randy. Since then though Ethan Suplee has gone on to a ton of roles, appearing in Wilfred, Raising Hope, The Wolf of Wall Street, Jennifer Falls, and more.

Ryan – Justice Smith

Where you know them from:

With big roles in Generation, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, and The Get Down, Justice Smith is rapidly making a name for himself. He even appeared in Paper Towns alongside Halston Sage. For gaming fans, you’ll have spotted him in Detective Pikachu as Tim Goodman, y’know, the main role.

Nick – Evan Evagora

Where you know them from:

Evan Evagora is probably best known for appearing in much of Star Trek: Picard as Elnor, a Romulan who accompanies the titular character on their mission to stop the budding AI conspiracy from wreaking destruction across the galaxy. He’s also appeared in the Fantasy Island film from 2020 and Home and Away.

Eliza – Grace Zabriskie

Where you know them from:

Grace Zabriskie may not be a name everyone knows but she’s certainly had enough roles to merit recognition from almost anyone. Here’s just a smattering of what she’s appeared in: Twin Peaks, The Alienist, Outcast, Ray Donovan, Big Love, Charmed, Medium, The West Wing, The King of Queens, Seinfeld, Armageddon, NYPD Blue, Child’s Play 2, and much, much, MUCH, more.

Jacob – Zach Tinker

Where you know them from:

Soap fans may recognise Zach Tinker from a role in Days of Our Lives as Sonny Kiriakis. They’ve also appeared in American Horror Story, The Young and the Restless, 13 Reasons Why, and more

Jebediah – Lance Henriksen

Where you know them from:

You know Lance Henriksen ok? You do. Even if you’re coming to me saying ‘Alex I don’t know Lance Henriksen’ you know them. They’ve been in Aliens, AVP: Alien vs. Predator, Hannibal, The Blacklist, Dog Day Afternoon, The A-Team, Cagney & Lacey, The Terminator, Tales from the Crypt, Millennium, and more than we have space to mention.

Kaitlyn – Brenda Song

Where you know them from:

You’ll probably know Brenda Song from The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and The Suite Life on Deck as they played London Tipton throughout the series. In addition, Station 19, Doiface, The Social Network, Amphibia, and New Girl are Brenda Song’s other key works.

Laura – Siobhan Williams

Where you know them from:

Siobhan Williams has popped up in loads of productions over the years since their first role in Heartland. SInce then they’ve been seen in Level Up, Hell on Wheels, Black Box, UnREAL, Wynonna Earp, Beyblade Burst, Van Helsing, and Deadly Class.

Constance – Lin Shaye

Where you know them from:

Lin Shaye is another actor with more credits to their name than we have space for. Here’s some of her most memorable roles – The Twilight Zone, Critters, The Running Man, Wes Craven’s New Nightmare, Dumb and Dumber, Frasier, Detroit Rock City, Me, Myself & Irene, Contagion, My Name is Earl, ER, Insidious, American Gothic, Penny Dreadful, and a lot more.

Shop The Quarry Here

Now you know who’s in The Quarry it’s time to check it out on our store (and buy it, if the fancy takes you). Head over here to our Green Man Gaming store and see if we can do a deal with you on The Quarry. If you pick it up before the game’s out you’ll get three filters to change how the game looks, bringing more of that horror film nostalgia to your gaming experience.

The Best Games of the Last 12 Years As Chosen by You

12 years is a long time. Since 2010 we’ve seen many changes to the gaming landscape, the Xbox 360 / PlayStation 3 era ended, an entire generation of consoles came and went, and we saw the rise – and rise – of free to play games and Battle Royales, amongst many others.

Over the years we’ve also seen some absolute heavyweight games be released too, games which have shook the foundations of gaming and are still played by millions today. Yes, it’s been a banner decade (and a bit) for gaming and we thought, as we’re celebrating our 12th birthday, that we would like to take a look back at the best games of the last 12 years.

But we didn’t want to choose them ourselves, we instead opened the voting to you. So without wasting your time any longer with intro text, and with over 7000 votes cast, here are the best games of the last 12 years – as chosen by you.

Best RPG – The Witcher 3

First up we have a bit of a surprise. We know – everyone knows – that The Witcher 3 is a brilliant RPG rich in worldbuilding and narrative, with a massive map that can take you many hours to explore.

We did expect to see Skyrim give it a run for its money, but it appears that Geralt’s spell holds firm over everyone – and for good reason. The Witcher 3 is a huge achievement, expanding upon the books in every way and bringing a bit of The Witcher into households across the globe.

Best Shooter – Doom (2016)

It’s fair to say that every Doom game so far has been great. From the 1993 original to the survival-horror-esque Doom 3, they all brought something new, something unique, and something wonderful to the world of gaming.

Doom (2016) managed to do something utterly special. It brought an old series bang up to date, modernising everything whilst still keeping the game feeling like Doom. You are, once again, a one man demon mincing machine mowing through Mars, but it’s the innovations that really set Doom (2016) apart. If you’re an old school fan or new to the series, Doom (2016) is definitely one of the best shooters of the last 12 years and one of the best shooters of all time.

Buy Doom (2016) here.

Best Multiplayer Game – Final Fantasy XIV

Nobody could have foreseen that Final Fantasy XIV would become the juggernaut it is today. After a launch that can only be described as disastrous, it was taken back offline, put into development, and emerged like a Chocobo from the ashes into one of the best MMOs ever created.

With several stunning expansions, huge amounts of character choice, and storylines that aren’t just good for an MMO – they’re good compared to most RPGs – Final Fantasy XIV is a game worthy of praise, and we’re glad to see it get the recognition it deserves.

Buy Final Fantasy XIV here.

Best Adventure Game – Death Stranding

‘Adventure game’ used to be a genre with a strong definition but over the years that definition has expanded considerably. What was once the preserve of point and clicks and little else has become something that encompasses a broad church.

Death Stranding is a game with strong adventure game elements, especially focusing on how you explore the world, soaking up the atmosphere, and how you experience the story. It’s a game frankly unlike any other and one that defies categorisation, but it definitely fits into the adventure game slot. Going up against many traditional adventure games, Death Stranding won the vote handily, making it your worthy choice for the best adventure game of the last 12 years.

Buy Death Stranding: Director’s Cut here.

Best Indie Game – Stardew Valley

Ah, Stardew Valley. If any game can take over your life, it’s this one. You take control over a dilapidated farm and bring it back to life, planting, harvesting, raising animals, building a few bits and pieces. It’s lovely.

And that would make for a great game but there’s so much more, another island, adventuring, relationships with the townsfolk…and so much more. Stardew Valley isn’t just a game, it’s a life in game form.

Best Strategy Game – XCOM 2

When the X-COM series was rebooted into XCOM, we got a game that revitalised tactical strategy games as well as bringing a whole new layer of polish to a series that had lain fallow for far too long.

Then XCOM 2 came out and it improved on everything all over again, along with introducing key new ideas that make it play unlike anything else out there. The main difference in XCOM 2 is that you’re not defending against an alien threat – the alien threat already won. You’re more a guerilla force, striking from the shadows and taking out targets in a hit-and-run style series of attacks. It’s fast paced but full of depth, and definitely one of the best games of the last 12 years.

Buy XCOM 2 here.

Best Sim – Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft’s Flight Simulator series has always been a stalwart of the simulation genre. Going right back to floppy disk days they have strived for realism.

Enter the new Microsoft Flight Simulator, a game that aims not just for realism of the planes themselves but for the world, taking its data from actual satellite data of the Earth. Fly over your town, fly over your house, it’s all possible in this staggering simulation of…pretty much everything. It’s hard to comprehend how far this series has brought us until you step up to the controls and start flying yourself, then you’ll be swept away – and you might never come back.

Buy Microsoft Flight Simulator here (XBOX only)

Best Action Game – God of War (2018)

One of the key themes over recent years has been a tendency to look at our past in order to produce new pieces of art. You see it on television, film, even music, and definitely in games. Often to mixed success but sometimes you get gold.

The original God of War series brought the Spartan warrior Kratos to the world, a Chaos Blade-wielding force of destruction. In God of War’s 2018 outing we saw Kratos become something else, a father (for the second time, anyway). His interactions with his son as they travelled to fulfil his wife’s last wishes bring a new depth to the character. Combine that with brutal, intense action and you’re onto a game that’s an all-timer.

Buy God of War (2018) here.

Best Roguelike – Hades

Hades is the game that took over the world for a while there, with seemingly everyone getting sucked into its heady mix of action and Greek mythology wrapped in a roguelike setting.

Playing as Zagreus attempting to escape the underworld and find your mother, Persephone, Hades goes beyond most roguelikes by offering a compelling cast of characters, brilliant music, and tight gameplay. Many roguelikes now grace our consoles and computers, but few aim as high as Hades – a game that shows a mastery that few can aspire to.

Best Survival Game – Minecraft

It had to be, really.

We’ve got nothing else to say about it. It’s Minecraft. What can you say that hasn’t been said a million times before?

Nothing, other than Minecraft is a worthy winner of this category, and is a game that has done that rare thing – it’s become a cultural phenomenon, not just a gaming phenomenon.

Best Fighting Game – Mortal Kombat 11

Mortal Kombat is that rare type of fighting game, one that aims to broaden its appeal and bring in new fans. With an expanded tutorial and a fighting style that gives you a little more time to think about your moves, Mortal Kombat 11 isn’t just good for pros, it’s good for newcomers too.

And all that’s without talking about its huge roster of characters and huge story mode. Have you ever wanted to see Robocop fighting Kitana? Now you can. Terminator having a crack at the Joker? It’s in there. Mortal Kombat 11 is ambitious in every sense of the word and amazingly, it achieves its ambitions.

Buy Mortal Kombat 11 here.

Best Horror Game – Resident Evil 2 (2019)

You’ll have noticed that a few games on this list are remakes or revamps of earlier works. Games like the Resident Evil 2 remake show that this is something definitely worth doing.

This remake keeps the themes, keeps the setting, but revamps almost everything else. Bringing the gameplay right up to date along with new visuals and even new frights, Resident Evil 2 has never looked or played better and as the vote shows – you agree. This remake shows what’s possible when remaking a game and we’re so glad it exists.

Buy Resident Evil 2 (2019) here.

Have Your Say

12 genres, 12 winners. But what about you? If you disagree with any of the winners or want to talk more about the best games of the last 12 years*, head over to our Discord and have your say – we’d love to hear from you.

*Or even if you just want to share pictures of your pet. We like that too.

Dragon’s Dogma – 10 Years On

Dragon’s Dogma is ten years old now, and frankly, the world has not learned enough from this gem of a game. Released a mere six months after Skyrim (we’ll get back to this), Dragon’s Dogma put the player into a dark fantasy world filled with necromancy, dragons, chimaeras, classes, and some of the best lines of NPC dialogue in existence like the mighty “they’re masterworks all, you can’t go wrong.”

Ow, My Heart

grigori, the titular dragon, is very big

Dragon’s Dogma has one of the most absurd storylines going. There are time-travel implications, multiverse-potential, and also you don’t need your heart to survive for some reason. It’s hard to explain how you get from “I need my heart back” to, “I need to kill or become god” because frankly, while it makes sense at the moment, the second you leave that moment it sounds like a fever-dream.

That’s getting ahead of things a bit; let’s talk about the opening hours. After having your heart yoinked out of your body by a giant dragon, a dragon that you can climb on because Dragon’s Dogma is basically perfect, you have to set off to get it back. You immediately come across beings called pawns, creatures which look like humans but have no will of their own. You can send these pawns across space and time to learn about quests, areas, and monsters too, and they can bring that knowledge back to you. It’s a glorious system that works to make the game feel like you’re adventuring with a group, even though it’s a single-player game.

You venture out onto the open roads and fend off goblins, wolves, bandits, and whatever else you come across. While it is an open world, it’s a far smaller one than many others in that subgenre. It’s got a lot more purpose, because there are random chests to find, strange quests to stumble onto, and monsters to find. It’s not about getting a 0.5% increase to a stat or a weird currency for something you hardly understand. It’s about the joy of discovery, and the sheer ecstasy of getting stronger and stronger and having gigantic benchmark monsters to test that on, monsters you can climb on to fight, or summon meteors at.

One of the first quests you have ends up with you fighting off a damn hydra as it crashes into your camp, cutting off its head, and then carting that head off to the capital for props. Then you end up getting pranked by a weird little jester who puts a stupid hat on you. Do you know how unbelievably good that sequence is, or how good the characters are in general? If you don’t, then you need to go and play it.

Then there’s the class system too. You start off with your basic rogue, warrior, and mage archetypes. But you then unlock the ability to either specialise in those classes, or pick one that’s between two of them. The latter allows you to become a knight that summons a magical orb that spits out homing projectiles, or a magick archer that can shoot ethereal arrows to strike down their foes. It’s a joy to play around with, and the ability to take different passive buffs from different classes offers a great deal of flexibility and freedom when building your own character.

Check out 5 reasons to play Dragon’s Dogma and why Dragon’s Dogma is a big deal.

A Different Open World Philosophy

There’s a risk of this going off the rails here and just being a love letter to Dragon’s Dogma, and while it sort of is, I actually want to talk about the design of the open-world versus the likes of Skyrim, which I think we can all safely agree has been the inspiration for most open-world adventures in the last decade, especially every iteration of Skyrim.

Skyrim has a fairly good open world, but while it is replete with things to find, the end result of many of these excursions is a minor fetch quest or a marginally better sword. Frankly, the sheer scale of it means that you’re likely to find things you never use, because the scope is too big. This is a key part of a lot of bloated games now, where there are 3,000 things to do, but all of them give you essentially nothing, or a deeply dissatisfying stat boost. There are discoveries, sure, but they’re marked on your map, and they’re so rarely worth finding.

That’s been the case in so many games in the last decade, and I blame Skyrim. If Dragon’s Dogma had become more of an inspiration we’d be living in a different world. The open worlds would be smaller and denser, and every discovery would have a strange boss to fight, fun weapons to use, and respect for your time.

The only game that’s really followed the Dragon’s Dogma theory of worldcrafting in the last decade literally launched this year; Elden Ring. We could be living in a world that spits out new worlds like Elden Ring every year, and instead, we’re left with the weird hybridisation of Skyrim and Far Cry 3. Do not cry because of what we have, but mourn the potential wasted because not enough people have played Dragon’s Dogma. I guess that’s the message I’m going for here.

Could everyone just email Capcom and beg for Dragon’s Dogma 2, please? We nearly got that instead of Devil May Cry 5, and while DMC 5 is great and all, I need to be able to climb up some giant dragon legs soon.

Buy Dragon’s Dogma Here:

Haven’t played it? Now’s your chance. Grab Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen for PC here, it’s like the original game but with a ton of bug fixes, some quality of life improvements, and a huge meaty dungeon expansion that’ll test your Arisen’s power. Get it for less when you shop with Green Man Gaming and embark on an adventure that’ll stay with you for the rest of your life.

The Best DnD Video Games

If you’re looking for the best DnD video games, coming up with a definitive list of the best is no easy feat thanks in no small part to just how many have rocked up over the last four decades or so. That said, since Dungeons & Dragons evolved from its tabletop origins to the humble home computer in the 1980s, there have been more great games than you can shake a hairy kobold at. So without any further ado, here are the best DnD video games you can get right now.

Baldur’s Gate II: Enhanced Edition

probably the best dnd video game of all time, it's baldur's gate 2

Arguably the best DnD video game to ever be released, Baldur’s Gate II is a stellar RPG that perhaps more than any other aspect of its excellent design, manages to perfectly encapsulate the main lure of the tabletop experience – namely choice. Developed by BioWare when the Canadian studio was seen to be at the height of its considerable powers, Baldur’s Gate II had players taking control of a party of motley adventurers that must prevent the emergence of Bhaal – a god of much evil and ultimately a really, really bad lad looking to do bad things.

Where the tabletop influences come in are the 2nd Edition Dungeons & Dragons ruleset that the game adopts but more keenly, in the breathtaking width and breadth of decision making that it allows players to get involved in, not to mention the extremely well written lore that permeates every location and every character you encounter along the way. With such unforgettable characters as Minsc and Boo (the former is a massive ranger who believes that boo is a giant space hamster), hundreds upon hundreds of questing to be done and an epic story with staggering stakes, whenever folk talk about going back to the ‘golden days of Bioware’, *this* is the game they’re waffling on about.

Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom

Representing something of a seismic shift from the distinctly RPG focused DnD video games seen elsewhere in this guide, Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom transported the world’s favourite tabletop RPG into a side-scrolling fighting game that could often be seen in the same arcades as fellow coin-sucking brawlers such as Final Fight.

Though calling Tower of Doom ‘Final Fight, but with Dungeons and Dragons’, isn’t entirely inaccurate, it is somewhat reductive thanks to the additional wrinkles that developer Capcom has woven into an otherwise shopworn formula. For a start, each of the four heroes you can choose from not only have their own abilities, but they can also be upgraded by earning precious experience points from kills and scooping up treasure. Elsewhere, multiple pathways through each stage make Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom much more replayable than many of its genre stablemates to boot.

Eye of the Beholder

One of the best old-school examples of cell-based movement first-person RPGs (try saying that really fast ten times in a row), Eye of the Beholder was a stirring and eye-opening epic for its time. Set underneath the city of Waterdeep, players are tasked with taking a customised party of four into the sewers in order to uncover the shadowy power behind a number of incursions on the streets of the city.

Much more than its initial premise might hint at, Eye of the Beholder was a raucous adventure – one that whisked players off to long forgotten Dwarf and Drow civilisations that lurked miles under the ground, all the while entertaining with challenging combat, fiendish traps and a whole heap of shiny loot to collect. A neat bit of trivia for you – the Sega CD version of Eye of the Beholder had a soundtrack that was partially composed by Streets of Rage musical maestro Yuzo Koshiro. Neat, eh?

Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition

Leveraging the same game engine that brought Baldur’s Gate II to such vivid life, Icewind Dale follows the exact same structure as the previous BioWare DnD video games – essentially providing folks with a massive, social calendar destroying RPG that is absolutely awash with player choice, interesting characters and tactical battles.

A proper DnD classic, Icewind Dale tasks a party of often dysfunctional adventurers to venture into the frigid north to, you guessed it, prevent a mysterious evil that has designs on potentially laying the smackdown on the rest of the world. Basically, imagine that the quality of writing and the frosty magic bits of Game of Thrones weren’t complete piddle and you’ve pretty much got Icewind Dale. Sort of. Oh and the ending won’t cause you to punch your TV in the face, either. Bonus!

Neverwinter

Every property of any decent size seemingly needs to have an MMO offering of some kind and Dungeons & Dragons is certainly no exception. Very much different from Dungeons & Dragons Online which provided a more linear and focused experience when it was released back in 2006, Neverwinter instead basically transplants the tabletop experience and sticks it firmly in the established MMORPG mould of games such as World of Warcraft – and it actually works.

Generously filled with famous cities and characters from DnD lore (Minsc and Boo feature hilariously) and with a frankly monstrous amount of quests to complete, loot to collect and endgame content to tackle, Neverwinter is a surprisingly engaging MMORPG to say the least. Neverwinter is an MMORPG that’s built for the future too, as it boasts a remarkably generous free to play model that provides eager players with a steady stream of new campaign expansions that are actually pulled straight from the pages of its tabletop source material.

Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition

Whisking away the non-linear storytelling and heavy RPG adventure beats of the Baldur’s Gate games into the realm of full 3D visuals and design, Neverwinter Nights managed the somewhat Herculean task of bringing just about everything people loved about those games intact and with an all-new setting and visual engine to boot.

Building upon the non-linear storytelling, compelling characters and deep quests that everyone loved about the previous BioWare DnD games, Neverwinter Nights also brings full multiplayer support and more importantly the ability for players to craft their own stories and quests via a highly intuitive module creation suite. Going even further, Neverwinter Nights also boasts a Dungeon Master Client which allows one player to fully control the narrative, monsters, quests and items that other players will encounter in their adventures. Perhaps of all the DnD video games in this list, Neverwinter Nights gets the closest to emulating the entirety of the DnD tabletop experience.

The Best Vampire Games

The best vampire games are the ones that don’t suck even though they do. That might be the only pun in the article, but you’ll have to keep reading to find out. Vampires in games are a natural fit, because they’re sexy, powerful, and fun to both play as and fight against. It’s no surprise then, that some of the best vampire games are easy to access on Steam.

It means that there’s a whole world of games out there just waiting to stake you in the heart and pull you into their service as a thrall. Each of the best vampire games is connected by everyone’s favourite glittery undead, but that’s about the only thing they have in common.

The Best Vampire Games

Because the best vampire games don’t fit into any specific genre, it means that there’s likely something for everyone on this list, as long as you like this classic monster. So, rather than waiting around for the sun to go away in a coffin or something, how about we just get into the games.

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is a spiritual successor to the old-school Castlevania games, and it brings with it a bunch of different modes to play through, a wonderfully dangerous castle to explore, and tons of abilities to find. The actual number of vampires in the game is fairly slim, but the ones you do find are brutal.

Vampire Survivors

Vampire Survivors is a roguelike where all you do is wander around and let your weapons kill things for you. You literally don’t attack at all, but each weapon you collect has a different attack pattern, and learning them is the key to victory. It doesn’t sound like much, but the fun comes through weaving through hordes of enemies, collecting and evolving weapons, and eventually becoming a bullet hell boss, the likes of which have never been seen.

Vampyr

Vampyr casts you as a doctor in the midst of a plague in London, and while you want to help people, you’ve kind of been turned into a vampyr, and that means you also want to eat them. While the execution isn’t perfect, Vampyr has some of the most intriguing interwoven systems around, and it’s a blast to play making it a worthy inclusion as one of the best vampire games on PC.

Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines

While we all still await the next entry in this series, Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines remains one of the best vampire games ever made. It’s an RPG that lets you carve your own path through political schemes, battles, and hot vampires everywhere. It’s showing its age a little bit now but it’s still a great game.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Look, you might not think of Skyrim as a vampire game, but the Dawnguard DLC means you’re wrong. This DLC added in a huge questline that allowed you to become a vampire and inherit their powers. It’s absurdly good fun, and if you’re looking for the vampire power fantasy, then Skyrim has you covered, making it definitely one of the best vampire games on PC.

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing

A good Diablo-like can be hard to find, but with The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing, that’s exactly what you get. This game takes the ARPG into the realm of monster-slaying with you having to battle against all manner of supernatural monsters in your quest to save the world. What’s really cool about this one is that it’s also playable in co-operative too, which means you can experience the joys of vampire slaying with some friends.

Code Vein

Code Vein dares to ask “what if we put hot vampire people in a Soulslike?” and the world is better for it. Set in a post-apocalyptic hellscape where vampires are all that remain, you have to fight through hordes of monsters to survive and uncover the secrets at the heart of this strange world. The degree of customisation both visually and in terms of gameplay is staggering here, and it’s great in co-op too.

Castlevania: Advance Collection

Why buy one game when you could buy four? The Castlevania: Advance Collection features Dracula X, Circle of the Moon, Harmony of Dissonance, and Aria of Sorrow, to make it one of the best collections of Castlevania games going. Each of these is a classic in its own way, and if you play through all of them you’ll be begging for a Castlevania: DS Collection like the rest of us. Sorry.

First Bite

First Bite is a visual novel where you accidentally stumble into a den of vampires and have to sweet-talk your way through them. It’s a game where every sentence you utter might be your last, but if you’re lucky, you might end up finding a bit of love here too. It’s incredibly funny, very silly in parts, and kind of horrifying in others, but it comes together to make for a really entertaining experience.

Rogue Lords

Rogue Lords has you playing as the Devil, and leading an army of famous evil villains as you try to conquer the world. It’s a nice change of pace playing as the bad guys for once, and you’ll have to lead your rabble through turn-based battles and try and overcome a new religion that has popped up in your absence from this world. You get to choose three different party members at once from the likes of Dracula, Baron Samedi, Lilith, and other famous villains, and each one changes how you can play the game too.

Will Starfield Be More Than A Futuristic Elder Scrolls?

Being an ambitious space age, open world RPG that comes from the same talented hands that have brought us the Elder Scrolls games (not to mention the first original IP to come from the studio in 25 years), it’s easy to wonder if Starfield will be just a futuristic elder scrolls or perhaps something more.

With that in mind, we’d advise you to strap yourself in and aim for the stars as we give you the lowdown on the Starfield release date, Starfield gameplay details and just how big Starfield is shaping up to be.

Starfield Release Date & Platforms

The Starfield release date has been confirmed as November 11, 2022. Starfield will be released on PC via Steam, in addition to Xbox Series X/S console platforms. Because Microsoft owns Bethesda Game Studios as a first party developer, Starfield will not release on any other platforms than PC and current generation Microsoft console hardware.

Sorry folks, an Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 or Nintendo Switch Starfield release just isn’t on the cards.

Is Starfield A Futuristic Elder Scrolls?

There are certainly a wealth of similarities between the Elder Scrolls series and Starfield to say the least. Both Starfield and the Elder Scrolls games allow you to fully customise and create a character from scratch, sending them off into a vast open world (well, galaxy in Starfield’s case) to pursue an overarching story, chat with NPCs, specialise in certain roles and take on all manner of side missions however they see fit.

Indeed, based on the limited details that have been released about Starfield, it sure does seem like a futuristic Elder Scrolls – not least because Bethesda head honcho Todd Howard described Starfield as “Skyrim in space.” Like most things in life however, the truth is a little bit more complicated than that.

Starfield Gameplay Details

How Does Starfield Play?

In keeping with the notion that Starfield is essentially some kind of futuristic Elder Scrolls, we know that Starfield is a resolutely single-player based affair which boasts a hugely in-depth character creation. Certainly, lead artist Istvan Pely stated in March 2022’s dev diary that “[with] this game we’ve definitely, severely levelled up. The tech is based on scanning real-world models, similar to the photogrammetry we do in our landscapes.”

Beyond being able to create and realise character models to a refreshing level of visual fidelity where they no longer look like they’ve ingested swallowed a hotel full of bees, Starfield also promises something of a return to the more hardcore computer RPGs of old too, as Bethesda’s latest places a rigid premium on in-depth conversation, dialogue trees and non-linear gameplay where every decision counts. Perhaps more than anything though, Starfield encourages the player to explore every inch of its vast cosmos and around this notion, has structured special NPC companions that will remark on your discoveries (and failures) along the way.

Will Starfield Be First Or Third Person?

Continuing the grand tradition of the Elder Scrolls and Fallout games, Starfield will allow players to explore every nook and cranny of its expansive galaxy from either the first or third person perspective according to their preference.

How Will Combat Work In Starfield?

Though Starfield undoubtedly shares much of the same design DNA that can be seen in the likes of Skyrim and the other Elder Scrolls games, one thing you won’t be doing in Starfield is murdering enemies with a big broadsword, a wooden bow or a spellbook full of arcane nasty words. Instead, combat is likely to be much more predicated along the use of more high-tech laser weapons, cannons, grenades and more, while the idea of combat between spaceships is also a strong possibility given Starfield’s setting and the sheer amount of planet to planet traversal.

Can You Romance NPCs In Starfield?

Yes, you absolutely can romance NPCs in Starfield. In the second episode of the ‘Into The Starfield’ dev diary series for the game, it was revealed that Starfield will allow budding cosmic casanovas to get their amorous adventures on between all those missions, planet hopping and galaxy exploring shenanigans. Don’t be surprised either to discover that Bethesda has woven romance and tragedy in equal measure into Starfield’s main mission and side missions as well.

What Factions Are In Starfield?

Like any sprawling open world offering worth its salt, Starfield is generously filled with all manner of factions for wannabe cosmic adventurers to hook up with. In Starfield there are at least four factions that the player will encounter during their time with the game. This quartet of space factions that currently know of in Starfield include the Freestar Collective, Ryujin Industries, the United Colonies and finally the Crimson Fleet, the latter which are basically a bunch of swashbuckling space pirates that are looking for the next easy payday.

Much like the Elder Scrolls and Fallout games before it, gaining membership to these factions will almost certainly result in not only unique side missions, perks and items, but also completely bespoke NPCs to speak with that each have their own story to tell.

How Big Is Starfield Going To Be?

Given that we’re just under seven months away from the Starfield release date, there is still so much that we simply do not know about Starfield and chief among that knowledge is an answer to the question – how big is Starfield going to be? On a basic level at least, we can safely assume that Starfield will in all likelihood be larger than probably every Bethesda RPG put together and then some, simply on account of the fact that you’ll be flying around a massive galaxy stuff into which there are a whole host of planets that you can land and walk about on, each with their own landmarks, cities, hidden areas, NPCs and more.

For his part, Bethesda boss Todd Howard had already previously remarked that Starfield’s map would be much bigger than the one seen in Fallout 76 – the current largest Bethesda game which is itself already more than four times the size of Skyrim. Howard also confirmed that Starfield would employ a mixture of procedural generated and handcrafted geography too. So be ready to book out a whole heap of time out of your social calendar, because Starfield is going to be all kinds of extra from a size standpoint.

Check out Starfield at Green Man Gaming

Be prepared for Starfield’s launch by heading over to our store and adding Starfield to your wishlist. Make sure Starfield’s in your future with Green Man Gaming, where we’ll work to get you the best price possible on this futuristic leap into the unknown.

Morrowind at 20: Still Important in 2022

20 years ago the world was a different place. Social media wasn’t a thing yet, double denim was in, and Terry Pratchett was releasing his Magnum Opus – Night Watch. Over in video gaming, the followup to Daggerfall burst out into the world. The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind was a massive leap forward for the series and today, 20 years later, it still holds a firm grip over the hearts of many.

It’s rare for a game from so long ago to still be so entrenched in the zeitgeist, with many equally genre-shifting games becoming little more than footnotes to history. It might not be the most popular game in 2022 but to its fans, there’s nothing that’s ever managed to replace it. Simply say ‘Morrowind’ in some circles and unfortunately you’re in for a 12 hour lecture about its many highlights (and its occasional flaw).

As it’s 20 years old as of the 1st of May, 2022, we thought we’d take a look back at Morrowind, why it’s remained so popular, and why you should check it out if you haven’t so far.

Morrowind – Weird, Messy, Brilliant

One of the dullest things you can say about a game is that it’s playable. What an awful phrase, but yet, Morrowind remains incredibly playable. Today this would go without mention as most games are smooth, slick affairs that don’t throw confusing mechanics at you. In 2002, however, the gaming landscape was a vastly different affair, especially when it came to RPGs.

You see we just didn’t have the rules then. In the 90s games were incredibly ambitious and experimental but often that experimentation came at the cost of playability. Many games had wonderful worlds, ideas that leapt out of the screen at you, but mechanics that just…weren’t great.

Morrowind, unlike many of its predecessors, was playable. It, alongside games like Halo which released the year before, helped turn gaming from a load of obtuse experiments into an industry. Playing games had fewer barriers to entry suddenly, helping gaming take over the world.

That’s not to say that Morrowind doesn’t have its own swathe of obtuseness. Dice rolls fill every skill check but they’re hidden from the player, meaning you have no real idea why you’ve failed to hit that Kwama Forager. It’s also populated entirely by NPCs who only have a vague – at best – grasp of directions.

Which in itself may be another reason it’s still held in such high regard today. The Dark Souls series took vagueness and ran with it, making an entire series about hints and whispers of story hidden in weird worlds. Morrowind does the exact same thing, just a few years earlier.

If you want to know what’s going on you’re going to have to put in the legwork yourself. No-one will say ‘hey, this is the plot’ because even at best that’s just their take on it. Similarly if you want to find a dungeon you’re going to have to really work to understand the creative directions you get at times. Everyone on the island of Vvardenfell has been stricken with terminal unreliability, so it’s up to the player to let the game’s story and world live in their head.

Unless you spend the time thinking about what’s going on or where you’re going, maybe taking a few notes along the way, you’re going to be a little lost from time to time. Morrowind, as a result, lives in you even when you’re not playing it. It’s no wonder that its fans become fanatics.

On one hand you have a game that’s less difficult to get into than its predecessors whilst also requiring you to put the work in, making it almost a perfect recipe for obsession. And that’s before you take into account its peerlessly weird world filled with creatures that border on nightmarish.

Also it has Silt Striders, the most fantastic creatures with the most beguiling voice in any video game.

Read more about Morrowind here.

Mods Make it Your Own

The other reason for its enduring success is the ability to mod the game, making it entirely your own. Whilst some of us cough are Morrowind purists, still playing through the same game roughly unchanged since 2002, many like to rip the game to pieces and create something wholly unique – and all power to them.

There’s almost no end to what can be altered in Morrowind, from textures and graphical upgrades to mechanical changes, new islands, new quests, new worlds to explore. You can even slap a Star Wars adventure in there, should you wish.

The base game is more than enough for many, but if you really want to make this your forever game, modding can unlock a game that never stops giving. The sky really is the limit – and with some mods, even that won’t even stop you.

Morrowind Beginner’s Guide – 2022

If you’ve got this far and have never touched Morrowind, here’s a few tips to get the most out of your first Morrowind adventure. Despite the game being smoother to play than most at that time, it does have a few rough edges which can make the prospective player bounce off it.

The Basics

First you’ll need a copy of Morrowind. Thankfully, you can grab it over here and activate it on Steam.

From there we’d recommend a few little tweaks to ensure that you get the most out of your first experience. For technical fixes, we’d recommend the Morrowind Graphics Extender, which allows you to get the game running in modern resolutions easily.

Next we’d recommend a couple of mods. Not many – this is your first time playing, so it’s probably a good idea to just hop into the game as close to the original as possible. Later on, mod away, but for your first time – let’s keep it vanilla.

Here’s our recommended mods for a new start:

Morrowind Code Patch – Fixes some bugs in the game engine
Patch for Purists – This is a mod that fixes more bugs, but keeps the experience close to the original.
Morrowind Optimization Patch – Helps optimise the game, making it run a little smoother.

Character Creation & First Steps

Now you’re ready to dive into the game and…there’s a lot to choose from right off the bat. Whilst we do recommend playing with the character creation tool a bit, there’s a few pointers we’d recommend:

Avoid purely magic or stealth based builds – Play these to your hearts’ content later but they are very much harder than playing a class that can take a hit or swing a weapon.
Make sure you have an armour and a weapon skill – Being able to hit things and take a beating right from the start will make all the difference to your survival;.
Do not take The Atronach – This birth sign may seem intriguing, but it will stop you from regenerating mana. If you ever intend to get involved with lobbing spells about, give this a miss until you’re more familiar with the game systems.
Read a guide – If you get really stuck, you can’t go wrong with the Unofficial Elder Scrolls Pages guides to classes, attributes, skills, and races.

After exiting character creation you’re off – the game’s basic tutorial will unfold throughout the Census & Excise offices, but here’s our recommendations for starting out:

Rob the Census & Excise offices blind – Grab everything you can EXCEPT – and we do mean this – where anyone can see you. Everything in the other rooms? Fair game.
Explore Seyda Neen – There’s a couple of quests here that’ll net you a bit of cash and some starting gear. Fargoth’s Ring, Fargoth’s Hiding Spot, and Death of a Taxman are great quests that can help you start off right.
Buy some gear, sell some gear – Around Seyda Neen you’ll find some bits and pieces like an Iron Shardaxe in a tree stump near the lighthouse which will net you a pretty penny or two. Head to the town’s shop and grab a weapon and some armour – whatever suits your character’s class.
Addamasartus – This dungeon right outside of town is quick, simple, but contains a fair bit of early game loot. Think of it as your final tutorial section.
Walk to Balmora – The first quest directs you to the city of Balmora, we recommend walking there instead of taking the Silt Strider. You’ll encounter a few small adventures, some NPCs, and another town on your way – and in Morrowind the most important thing is to experience the world and engage with its systems. This little trot will see you hopefully be a little more comfortable with the game, and will give you some low level enemies to test your mettle against.
Decide who you want to be – A large part of the joy of Morrowind is that many of its quests and factions are exclusive, meaning you can’t do everything. Deciding what kind of person you want to be on Vvardenfell will help you decide where to go and what to do. Here’s some brief examples:
- Thief? – Try the Thieves Guild or House Hlaalu in Balmora.
- Warrior? – Try the Fighters Guild in Balmora, the Imperial Legion in Gnisis, or House Redoran in Ald’ruhn.
- Mage? – Try the Mages Guild in Balmora or House Telvanni in Sadrith Mora.
Have fun – Morrowind isn’t always the easiest of games, especially at the start. Remember to soak up the atmosphere, talk to people, and just enjoy being there. Also don’t worry about the difficulty slider, slap that down to lowest if you want. We won’t judge.

Morrowind, 20 years on, remains a bright spot in the history of gaming and one that holds sway over many devoted fans. If you’ve played it, you probably already have a million stories about your adventures. If you haven’t played it yet…we’re jealous. You’re in for something special.

The Best Spider-Man Games

From the stunning contemporary web-slinging shenanigans of Insomniac’s Spider-Man games all the way back to Neversoft’s still-good Spider-Man effort on the humble but beloved PSOne console, it’s certainly fair to say that your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man has translated well to the beloved medium of video games. With great power comes great responsibility and so it’s our responsibility to let you know just what the best spider-man games are in this handy guide.

Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales

Not just the best Spider-Man game to pop along in an age but one of the best superhero games of the last few years hands down, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales is a tour de force to say the least. Casting players as the titular hero, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales confidently stakes its claim as the best spider-man game.

Not only does it build upon the superb traversal and open world adventure beats of 2018’s Marvel’s Spider-Man game on PS4 with a much tighter focus on compelling stuff to do, but it also weaves a more interesting and emotionally affecting tale to boot, reflecting the fact that Miles Morales himself is a resoundingly more emotionally resonant Spidey than Peter Parker is. Throw in some cutting edge visuals, greatly improved combat and a heartbreaking final battle, it’s easy to see why Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales sits at the apex of the best Spider-Man games.

Marvel’s Spider-Man

Insomniac’s first take on Spider-Man was something of a revelation when it was released on PS4 approximately 1,000 years ago back in 2018. Marvel’s Spider-Man was an enticing one-two and, well, three punch of engrossing open-world traversal, satisfying combat and an engaging cast of characters – all of which added up to make Insomniac’s take of the Life and Times of Spider-Man a resounding success.

Not since Rocksteady allowed players to don the cape of the Dark Knight in Arkham Asylum had a superhero video game felt quite so empowering. Indeed, in a similar fashion to how the Arkham games made you feel like the Caped Crusader, so too did Marvel’s Spider-Man make you feel like the webbed wonder as you swung, lept, spun, dived and tumbled with ease through an immensely detailed take on the Big Apple. Marvel’s Spider-Man is the good stuff and set the stage for Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales which arguably refined that excellent formula yet further still.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2

A licensed and very loosely based take on the 2014 Marvel flick of the same name, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 thrust players into downtown Manhattan as Spidey himself, boffing bad dudes, unlocking new abilities and taking on side-missions to improve the webslinger’s reputation – with failing to do so causing the authorities to come after you.

Though more than a little formulaic and certainly over familiar, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Game nonetheless had a series of really quite epic boss battles which helped to separate it from other superhero efforts of the time.

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions

Doing the whole multiverse thing roughly eleven years before it was cool, Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions expanded the stakes of Spider-Man’s escapades massively beyond the local neighbourhood of your friendly Spider-Man. Taking control of the web-shooters of not just one, but four different Spider-Men (Amazing Spider-Man, Spider-Man Noir, Spider-Man 2099, and Ultimate Spider-Man), Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions was certainly something of a departure from the Spider-Man games that preceded it.

Much more of a linear effort than the more open-world Spider-Man games that would release later on, Shattered Dimensions nonetheless earns its place on this list thanks to stylish combo system and some neat set-pieces – one of which has Ultimate Spider-Man taking part in a television show hosted by Deadpool. Oh and it also inspired the creation of the resolutely superb Into The Spider-Verse animated movie which debuted in 2018, too. So that’s nice.

Ultimate Spider-Man

Being the only Spider-Man game to bring Venom into the fold as a playable character (2023’s Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 features the classic villain as a non-playable antagonist seemingly), 2005’s Ultimate Spider-Man switched players between ol’ Petey Parks and Venom as they attempt to put a stop to classic villains in the form of the Sandman, Carnage and more.

Where Ultimate Spider-Man made its mark though, was in how Spider-Man and Venom both had their own unique playstyle. Spider-Man is able to zip around the city at speed and use his webs to immobilise foes, whereas the hulking Venom can gobble up random folks (his health slowly decreases otherwise if left idle) and cause chaos in the city by smashing up cars and buildings; resulting in the authorities coming after him in earnest. It’s a wonder that more Spider-Man games haven’t made Venom a playable character quite honestly.

Spider-Man

Neversoft’s Spider-Man has been deemed by many to be one of the best takes on the masked web-slinger ever made and, well, they’re not wrong. Encompassing a cavalcade of Spider-Man’s most dangerous villains, including Doc Ock, Venom, Carnage, Mysterio and more), Spider-Man made the most of the ageing PSOne hardware that it was primarily developed for, whisking players across a number of challenging platforming and combat focused levels.

Though that might sound a little unexciting to us with our massive open-world expanses and fancy traced rays, Neversoft’s Spider-Man was nonetheless the first video game that really made you feel like Spider-Man – giving you full agency over his impressive array of acrobatic abilities, combat and web shooting shenanigans. A neat bit of trivia for you – Spider-Man leverages the same engine that powered the original Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater (another Neversoft joint).

Spider-Man: The Movie

Often forgotten by many folks, there was actually a Spider-Man title that was released on the original Xbox all the way back in the dark mists of 2002. Known as Spider-Man: The Movie, to help promote the Sam Raimi directed movie of the same name, this Treyarch developed Spider-Man effort followed the linear design principles set out by Neversoft’s take on the licence some two years earlier. Encompassing all manner of combat, traversal and stealth across its numerous linearly designed levels, Spider-Man: The Movie was also notable for allowing players to play as Harry Osborn after the game is completed the first time, providing eager Spidey fans with an intriguing scenario which depicts the younger Osborn getting to grips with the Green Goblin armour in the wake of his father’s death.

Spider-Man 2

Much like Spider-Man: The Movie before it, Spider-Man 2 was largely created to accompany the second of Sam Raimi’s Spidey flicks, however it had a lot more to offer than just its Hollywood connection. Spider-Man 2 was not only notable for being the first Spider-Man game to embrace an open-world setting but it was also one which keenly remembered that Spider-Man and Peter Parker are in essence two separate people, as it had the player splitting their time between smashing up bad guys as the former and keeping up appearances with the friends and family of the latter.

Shop Marvel Games Here

Many of these games may be out of reach of our store, but if your taste buds desire a bit of Marvel on them then check out our full range of Marvel games right here. From LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 to Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, we’ve got plenty to keep any Marvel fan happy.

Games Like Total War: Warhammer 3

If you’re one of the many that have fallen in love with the latest Total War game, then you’ll likely be on the hunt for more games like Total War: Warhammer 3. There’s just something glorious about sinking your teeth into a deep strategy game that other genres can’t always replicate, and while you could just keep playing Total War: Warhammer 3, sometimes you’re going to want a bit of variety.

The easy answer here would be to recommend a game like Total War: Three Kingdoms, which is also an incredible entry in the series, but we’re not going to do that, even though we sort of just have by mentioning it. Anyway, if you’re looking for your next hit of strategy gaming, then here are the best games like Total War: Warhammer 3.

The best games like Total War: Warhammer 3

Now, games like this don’t come along very often, so we’re keeping this list down to a very trim five entries. While none of these replicates the joys of Total War: Warhammer 3, we feel as though they capture the essence of the series pretty well. That means you’ll get the same feeling of being a damn genius when you win, along with feeling as though you’re a waste of DNA when you lose. You’re still good though, don’t beat yourself up, it’s just a game.

Crusader Kings 3

If what you love about Total War: Warhammer 3 is decision making, then boy howdy (is that a phrase?) do we have a recommendation for you. Crusader Kings 3 is the pinnacle of a series renowned for allowing players to make a staggering number of choices, and it delivers on every front.

Rather than playing as any one character, you take control of an array of different characters as they make their way through history. Your job is to try and guide your bloodline through the political landscapes of the Middle Ages as the world constantly challenges you with new problems to overcome, backstabbing vassals to avoid, and the innately enticing pursuit of expanding your domain.

Age of Wonders: Planetfall

If you’re keen to get stuck into a sci-fi game as opposed to the more fantasy or historical settings of many strategy games, then Age of Wonders: Planetfall is the game you’re looking for. It takes the 4X genre and plonks it in space, with your main role being to explore different planets as one of a selection of alien races, all of whom have their own way of playing and their own objectives.

Age of Wonders does the thing where it bombards you with tutorial boxes upon beginning the game, but as long as you’re happy to do a bit of reading and play around a bit, you’ll find yourself deep into an incredibly cool sci-fi strategy game.

Civilization VI

Ah Civilization VI, what a gem you are. While Civ VI is a little less combat-intensive than Total War: Warhammer 3, it still captures the breadth of choices that helps to make the series so special. You get to choose your faction and then build them up from the ancient stone age all the way up to the modern age and beyond, and you’ll be in charge every step of the way.

This one wins extra points for being one of the greatest games in history in the “just one more turn” genre that’ll have you accidentally losing an entire weekend to a single game. This is especially true if you’re playing with a group of mates, but hey, at least you’re dragging them all down with you.

Age of Empires IV

two big armies face off against each other

Real-time battles are a big part of the appeal of Total War: Warhammer 3, and if that’s the main part of what makes the game so enjoyable for you, then you should probably grab Age of Empires IV. We’re pretty sure the series needs no introduction, but just in case, this is one of the best real-time strategy series of all time, and the latest entry is a high point for sure.

You have to guide an empire (get it) through time as they rise from a little group of guys into being a world-dominating force. You’ll have to keep on top of a lot of things to come out on top in Age of Empire IV, but that’s probably exactly what you want from a strategy game, so we’ll not hear any complaints from you.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War

You thought there wouldn’t be another Warhammer game on the list, didn’t you? Well there is, we did it people, everyone can go home now and have a nap. Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War is, let’s be honest, kind of old, but that doesn’t stop it from being a huge amount of fun. Your role is to guide one of the four different races through an array of battles to help them accomplish their goals.

You do this by tactically pushing your army of units through real-time battles against the other factions in brutal over-the-top battles and probably while laughing maniacally or something. Despite being old enough to vote in the UK, it looks pretty good all things considered, and the multiplayer modes are still a blast to play through as well.

Games like Yakuza

The Yakuza series is one that’s taken a really hard turn in the last entry. What used to be an action-adventure series about getting distracted by karaoke, has recently become a turn-based RPG where, well, you still get distracted by karaoke. Games like Yakuza don’t come around very often, and no matter how faithful you want a game to be, you’ll often have to make some allowances when trying to fill that hole in your heart.

Thankfully though, we’re on hand, right here, right now, to give you a list of games like Yakuza for you to sink your teeth and time into. Some of these are so close to Yakuza that it’ll give you a fluffy warm glow, while others have a similar heart, or something familiar when it comes to the gameplay mechanics.

So, let’s dive into this list of games like Yakuza, no matter which entry you’re thinking of, so that you can move on with your life once more. Of course, you could always just replay the Yakuza games again, it’s not like there’s not enough of them.

Judgment and Lost Judgment

These entries are kind of cheating, because they’re from the same development studio as the Yakuza games. Despite that, if you’re looking for games like Yakuza, you basically can’t get any closer than the Judgment games. Both of these follow along with what an ex-lawyer turned private detective as he goes on missions to try and solve deeply messed-up crimes, but mostly gets distracted by side activities instead.

Final Fantasy XV

Final Fantasy XV is something of an oddity in the series, but it’s got its own charm. You take control of a grumpy prince and his boyband-esque attendants as you all drive around a massive fantasy world, racing chocobos, saving people, and staying at fancy hotels. It’s all very silly but in a serious sort of way. Plus, with a big beautiful world to explore and plenty of bromance to enjoy along the way, it fits well on this list.

Dragon Quest 11 S: Echoes of an Elusive Age

buy dragon quest 11 here. I'm not typing the full name again

This is one specifically aimed at people who want a game like Yakuza: Like a Dragon. Like a Dragon was inspired by the Dragon Quest series, so it makes perfect sense that the latest game in this long-running JRPG series would also feel familiar. You get to play the hero, meet absurd characters, and throwdown in amazing magical battles too. This version is especially wonderful as you can switch between 2D and 3D visuals, which makes it all the more charming.

Mafia 3: Definitive Edition

Mafia 3 places you in the shoes of Lincoln Clay as you hunt for revenge. You do this buy building up your very own mafia family, before striking out at those who have wronged you. There’s a big world to explore, plenty of side quests to undertake, and an intensely compelling story that ties it all together too. Plus, the definitive edition has even more content, and that can only be a good thing.

Vampyr

Vampyr is an intensely ambitious and highly enjoyable game where you take control of Jonathan Reid, a doctor whose main aim is to save London’s denizens amidst a horrifying flu, but has also ended up turning into a vampyr. It means you’ll constantly have to weigh up whether you should save someone or feed on them to become more powerful, and it results in a game that’s wonderfully complex and filled with satisfying choices.

Watch Dogs 2

Despite questionable first and third entries, Watch Dogs has a lot of potential. Watch Dogs 2 is the only game in the series that lives up to that though, but it does so with aplomb. You play as Marcus, a young hacker who’s recently joined the hacker group DedSec, and you’ve got your eyes set on ruining the rich. There are a lot of moment-to-moment decisions you can make to help change the feel of your character like sticking to nonlethal yo-yo attacks, or deciding to mess around with everyone by hacking lights, security systems, or even cars. It’s got a similar vibe as you journey around a city and play around with it all, so it’s a game that’s a lot like Yakuza.

The Shenmue Series

Now, the Shenmue games are a little archaic and old-school, but they’re undoubtedly the precursors to the Yakuza series. You take control of Ryo Hazuki, a young man driven by a need for revenge. To do that though, you have to deal with adult life a lot. This means you’ll need to learn to drive a forklift truck, open a lot of gachapon, and even have to save money as well. It doesn’t sound fun, but if you want to see what Yakuza would have been like on the Dreamcast, then that’s basically the Shenmue games.

Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition

Of all of the games like Yakuza, none of them come close to Sleeping Dogs. Sleeping Dogs casts you as a detective called Wei Shen, who has to try and destroy the Triads from the inside. You’ll need to learn about Hong Kong, master martial arts, and follow along with a constant stream of conspiracies and lies if you want to survive. The action is brutal, the city is wonderful, and the side quests are plentiful.

The Best PC Games not on Steam

Despite many folks seemingly thinking that Steam is the be all and end all of all things when it comes to PC gaming, there are actually a whole heap of *really* good PC games that aren’t available on Steam. So with that in mind, we’ve put together this guide which chronicles the best PC games and the best free PC games not on Steam.

Fortnite

Arguably the biggest gaming juggernaut of the last five years and likely for many years to come, Fortnite is nowhere to be found on Valve’s storefront and yet is easily one of the best free PC games not on Steam.

Constantly updated with oodles of content and boasting some truly incredible crossover characters and campaigns including the likes of Marvel’s X-Men, Tomb Raider, Ripley from the Aliens franchise and many, many more, Fortnite is a beautifully presented and effortlessly playable third-person shooter that everyone can enjoy.

Genshin Impact

Speaking of free to play juggernauts, Genshin Impact also does an ample job of reinforcing why it’s one of the best free PC games not on Steam, too. A generously content stuffed action RPG with a vibrant and colourful anime presentation from which style oozes out of every digital pore, Genshin Impact has only gained in popularity since its release back in September 2020. This is in no small part due to an avalanche of constant updates and the introduction of celebrity crossovers that has kicked off in earnest with Aloy, the flame-haired protagonist from PlayStation Studios’ Horizon Zero Dawn. Expect many more celebrity crossovers further down the line.

Immortals Fenyx Rising

One of the biggest surprises of 2020, Immortals Fenyx Rising is a third-person action adventure which took the shopworn open-world formula that the Assassin’s Creed franchise has long embraced and crafted a compelling experience, namely one that has players taking on the gods and monsters of ancient Greek mythology.

Immortals Fenyx Rising not only boasts a wealth of puzzles and secrets to keep things interesting, but also a Zelda: Breath of the Wild influenced visual style, which coupled with a grin-inducing sense of humour ensures that Immortals Fenyx Rising is the most refreshing open-world effort to come from Ubisoft in quite some time – not to mention one of the best PC games not on Steam.

Kena: Bridge of Spirits

One of the best PC games not on Steam, Kena: Bridge of Spirits is quite the tantalising curio indeed. A third-person action platformer that has players liberating trapped forest spirits as they attempt to seek out a mystical shrine, Kena: Bridge of Spirits combines easy to play, 2000s style action platforming and animation studio quality visuals to create one of the most impressive looking folklore adventures you’ll ever play.

Kingdom Hearts Series

From the very first Kingdom Hearts title which saw Sora embark on an odyssey to free his friends from a dark power, to the climatic final entry in the series, Kingdom Hearts III, the entirety of the Kingdom Hearts franchise isn’t on Steam – and that’s something of a crying shame. Even though the labyrinthine narrative can sometimes disappear up its own backside, there’s little doubting the appeal of a third-person action RPG series with sky-high production values that beautifully intertwines an original story with a range of characters and storylines from the world of Walt Disney.

Whether you’re riding a magic carpet high above the streets of Agrabah with Aladdin, punching through legions of bad dudes alongside Hercules or teaming up with Elsa, Christoph and Olaf from Frozen, it’s easy to see why the Kingdom Hearts series represent some of the best PC games not on Steam.

Riders Republic

Another Ubisoft game that has side-stepped Steam entirely, Riders Republic transplants Ubisoft’s penchant for open-world shenanigans into the realm of extreme sports and what do you know, it works – it really works.

From skiing to biking to snowboarding and even swooping through craggy valleys in a wingsuit, Riders Republic is a decidedly high octane effort which creates a veritable kaleidoscope of extreme sports disciplines. More than that though, Riders Republic wraps it all up in a compelling framework of single-player and multiplayer activities, races and more for players to get stuck into.

Rocket League

Football meets racing to create an absolute top-tier online multiplayer experience – who’d have thought it? Well, developer Psynoix thought of it and in doing so have brought us Rocket League, a dizzying fusion of the Beautiful Game and high octane racing that has entranced millions the world over across multiple platforms.

Fulfilling that old maxim of being easy to play, yet difficult to master, Rocket League is an effortlessly fun genre hybrid that stands tall as one of the best free PC games not on Steam.

Sifu

A loving ode to the idols of the golden era of Hong Kong kung-fu cinema, Sifu is the latest title from Sloclap, the standout Parisian developer which brought us the superb (but overlooked) third-person brawler Absolver in 2017. Building upon the resoundingly robust foundations set down by its previous game, Sifu puts players in the dusty sandals of a martial artist who must avenge the murder of his family by smashing through a legion of similarly talented goons in a bid to gain a measure of justice.

With an emphasis on timing, combos and situational awareness, Sifu isn’t just a precisely calibrated brawler, but also a smart one with a special trick up its sleeve too. Each time you die you are given the option to resurrect yourself, albeit much older and capable of doing much more damage, but also not able to take so much damage in return. One of the best PC games not on Steam? Yep, we think so.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2

One of the biggest icons of the 32-bit console era (and certainly the one most responsible for getting non-musical folks of that time into punk and rock choons), Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 is a textbook example of how to remaster a classic from yesteryear without compromising its enduring essence.

Lavishly decked out in highly detailed visuals and a super smooth framerate, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 is one of the best PC games not on Steam because it manages to pretty much single-handedly resurrect skateboarding games for a modern audience and does so in such a way that fans both new and old can thoroughly enjoy it.

How to get good at FPS games

Learning how to get good at FPS games can be an aggravating experience, especially if you’ve only recently started playing on PC using a keyboard and mouse. You’ll often feel like you’re so far behind everyone else that it’s not even worth trying, and that the games you play online are filled with hyper-skilled people with unnatural reaction speeds and impossible aims.

The good news though, is that you don’t have to simply languish in your own failing and accept your losses, you can, in fact, get better at FPS games, but it does take a bit of practice. While it may seem odd to practice in a video game, it’s actually a fairly rewarding process, and is a big part of why games like CS:GO and Apex Legends are so successful. It’s nice to see your progress and hard work paying off, and FPS games are especially good at showing you the results because being better is so noticeable.

How to get good at FPS games

Now, saying to practice is all good and well, and while it’s important, you’ll likely want more specific pointers. So, let’s break it down a bit more. We’ll be approaching this on the assumption that you’re genuinely brand-new to FPS games, so feel free to skip a bit if you feel that some of these points aren’t what you need. That being said though, it’s always worth practising more anyway, because at worst, you’ll get better. Also, make sure you’ve got a good ergonomic set up, and you’re comfortable controlling the game with whatever your preference is.

If you’re on PC, one of the best things you can do is download Aim Lab. Aim Lab is a game that is designed to help players get used to playing FPS games, and it’s used by an absurd number of players to that end. Along with having an array of different drills for you to take part in, it also has a bunch of stats to look over. It means that you’ll not only be doing drills to help you improve, but you also have quantifiable results you can track and look over. It’s probably the best possible way to practice getting better at FPS games in general, but it’s not the only relevant part.

The other key part is learning your game of choice and the weapons within it. Take Apex Legends, for example, which has an array of different weapons alongside key movement skills that help players get around. It’s not only important to familiarise yourself with the weapons in the game, but also how they feel on the move. You can start by learning to handle the recoil as you’re just firing at stationary targets in the training mode, but once you’ve learned about the recoil patterns, you’ll need to add more layers in. That means you’ll need to start firing as you strafe, as you run, as you jump, and even as you slide around.

You need to fully learn the game you’re trying to play alongside getting better at FPS games in general. It’s a tall order, but the bonus of something like Aim Lab is that those skills will give you a far higher starting ability in any other FPS game you decide to play. If a rising tide raises all boats, then good FPS training will help you improve your KDA substantially even if you’re coming into a brand-new FPS game. That’s all a lot of work still though, so here are some suggestions for games you can play to improve.

Good starting FPS games

We’ve already mentioned Apex Legends here, and it’s an excellent game, and free, but can be daunting. For new FPS players, you’re probably better off getting a feel for things in a more chilled PvE game. So, we’re big fans of the Borderlands series in that respect. While the shooting in this game can be frantic, it’s generally a far slower pace than most FPS games, and the RPG aspects can help new players ease themselves in a little bit more. Plus, the co-op is blast.

If you’re feeling like you still want PvE, but at a faster pace, then Roboquest should be your next game. Roboquest is a fast-paced roguelike. It again has co-op, and feels similar to Borderlands, but it’s a substantially faster pace. Along with that, you don’t just have to think about shooting enemies, but also managing your double jump, unique class abilities, and there are also a lot of different weapons to mess around with. It’s absurdly hectic, but learning to manage that is key if you want to keep getting better.

Destiny 2 is our next pick. This is because it’s got an excellent PvE mode, but also allows you to branch into PvP too. The gunfeel in Destiny 2 is second-to-none, and your ability to transfer your skills from the random mobs you fight out in the world to other people in the PvP modes. It means you can learn your weapons in a less chaotic setting, and then take that confidence into matches against other players and probably do better because of it. From there, you can easily decide to take those skills onto other games like Apex Legends, Call of Duty, or any other FPS. Just keep in mind the quirks that each individual FPS game has.

Shop FPS games here

Get a taste of the best FPS games on offer over on our store, where you can browse our full FPS range and pick up your next favourite shooter. All at prices so good you won’t need a health pack to heal your bank account.

Dune: Spice Wars – Faction Reveal and Early Access Release Date

Arrakis—Dune—Desert Planet. After two film adaptations, a TV miniseries, and a few different games, it’s time to set foot back on that harsh planet once more. Source of spice, the lifeblood of the Empire, it’s a place where legends are forged and destinies are carved out of the very dunes themselves. Wars, intrigue, and mysterious prophecies abound, all centred around spice and dreams of a future messiah.

In Dune: Spice Wars we’re heading to Arrakis to get immersed in the fractious, deadly rivalry between houses once again. With a new film sweeping up awards and a 21 year gap in-between Dune games, it’s definitely the right time to get dusty.

What is Dune: Spice Wars?

Dune: Spice Wars is a real-time strategy game which will see you take control over one of four factions as you vie for control of the most important planet in the known galaxy. This isn’t just your standard strategy game, however, as intrigue and 4X elements are deeply embedded in the DNA of the game, allowing you to play your faction in a way that suits your goals and your playstyle.

From open warfare to backstabbing and economic control, there are many ways to the top in Dune: Spice Wars. It’s all about the spice though, that mysterious substance that prolongs life, gives visions, and is the only way to travel faster than light. Whoever controls the spice, controls the universe, after all.

Explore the surface of Dune, expand your territory, exploit resources by harvesting spice, and exterminate your foes to become ruler of all. However, always bear in mind that Arrakis is a deadly place even without human intervention, always keep your eyes to the horizon for wormsign. You never know when Shai-Hulud is about…

Dune: Spice Wars Release Date

Dune: Spice Wars will be entering Early Access from April the 26th, meaning if you can’t wait to dive into some sci-fi strategy then you won’t have to wait long.

Developers Shiro Games estimate that the Early Access period should last between 9 and 12 months, so keep an eye on the game as it evolves over this period into the full, final game.

New Faction: Fremen

In addition to the release date, Funcom and Shiro Games have announced a new faction. The Fremen are inhabitants of Arrakis not aligned with any great house or smuggling ring, they exist in perfect symbiosis with the planet, hoping one day to transform it into a green Garden of Eden.

The Fremen are also renowned as deadly fighters, Arrakis is a planet that is almost impossible to survive in so those who thrive there have learned to fight for every breath. In the novels, the Fremen are considered more than equal to the Imperial elite troops, the Sardaukar.

The addition of Fremen to Dune: Spice Wars means that not only will there be multiple choices in how to play the game depending on your goals and strategy, but there will also be four very different choices to make at the outset.

Check out more information about the Fremen over on the official news update.

Check out Dune: Spice Wars at Green Man Gaming

If your palate has been sufficiently whetted for a bit more Dune, why not head over to our store to take a closer look at Dune: Spice Wars including trailers, gameplay details, and much more. Just remember that the spice must flow, otherwise the Emperor will be very unhappy indeed.

All Chrono Trigger Characters & How To Get Them

Easily one of the most beloved JRPGs ever made, Chrono Trigger’s excellence has endured not just because of its time-hopping plot but chiefly because of its compelling cast of characters who are arguably the beating heart of the whole affair. From Frog to Ayla, Magnus and more, we’ll be providing an explanation about each of the Chrono Trigger characters and more importantly, how to get them to join your party. To the time… thing!

Chrono Trigger Characters

In total there are seven playable characters in Chrono Trigger. Beginning with Crono (who for obvious reasons is already unlocked when you start the game), the remaining six characters are unlocked at various times and places as you make your way through Chrono Trigger. Let’s get started with Lucca – one of the most important characters in Chrono Trigger. Oh and beware – though it might seem obvious, there are big ol’ spoilers in these hills (well, words).

Lucca – How To Get Her In Chrono Trigger

Crono will actually meet Lucca first of all at the Millennial Fair (and even provide a name for her there, too) but she actually won’t be a permanent part of Crono’s ragtag group of time-travelling misfits until later in Chrono Trigger. The first party member that you’ll recruit, Crono will bump into Lucca again in the depths of the Guardia Castle dungeon after being falsely imprisoned for abducting Queen Leene – and then hilariously being freed by the very same person he was accused of abducting.

Once Lucca joins the party in Chrono Trigger, she brings a whole heap of bum-kicking to the table thanks to her proficiency in gun and hammer based combat, in addition to a handy mastery of fire spells.

Marle – How To Get Her In Chrono Trigger

Though you’ll meet Marle very early on in the game at the Millennial Fair, she’ll be whisked away by a mysterious portal to 600 A.D and Crono will chase after her. After arriving in 600 A.D (affectionately referred to as the ‘Middle Ages’ within Chrono Trigger’s lore), Crono will escape a deep fissure called Truce Canyon which will in turn take him to Truce Inn whereupon he’ll come upon an explorer that will regale him with a story about the missing Queen Leene. Well, as it happens the story of this missing monarch has relevance because Marle has been mistaken for the wayward queen (also discovered in the Truce Canyon by some soldiers prior to Crono’s arrival) and can be found in Guardia Castle during chapter two.

Once found here, Marle will join Crono’s party for good and in addition to possessing a rather nifty bow, can also obtain elemental ice powers to devastate her foes.

Robo – How To Get Him In Chrono Trigger

Robo is a character that you’ll pick up during Chrono Trigger’s sixth chapter. Set in the far flung future of 2300 A.D, you’ll need to immediately head south at the beginning of the chapter in order to reach the Trann Dome. From here, you’ll need to Lab 16 in the north in order to resume your journey eastward and then go outside into the Arris Dome where you’ll fight the challenging Guardian boss. Once you’ve defeated the Guardian boss, you’ll need to catch a rat that will provide you with an access to code to activate a motorised bridge which will in turn allow you to reach Lab 32. A very small area, the only place you can go to from here is the Proto Dome and it is here that you at last will find Robo who will eagerly join your party.

Able to soak up a massive amount of damage, Robo also boasts a veritable kaleidoscope of offensive capabilities that allow him to deftly blend physical, shadow, fire and light based attacks with ease.

Frog – How To Get Him In Chrono Trigger

The first time that Crono and company meet Frog earlier in the game, the plucky cursed knight will only be able to join the group on a temporary basis. It’s only much later in Chrono Trigger, in chapter eleven (Tata and the Frog), that you’ll be able to get this noble amphibian to join your party for the duration. To get Frog to become a party member in Chrono Trigger, you’ll need to defeat the Masa & Mune boss in order to collect one half of the super shiny Masamune. From here you’ll need to go to Tata’s house and collect the Hero’s Medal which together with the other half of the Masamune (handily found in a trunk in Frog’s house in the Cursed Wood), will bring Frog into your party.

One of the strongest of all the party members you’ll collect in Chrono Trigger, Frog is an extremely skilled melee combatant that leverages his towering broadsword to great effect, in addition to wielding powerful water magic that not only lets him deal high damage to his enemies, but also provide ample healing to the party as well.

Ayla – How To Get Her In Chrono Trigger

It isn’t until you reach the halfway point in Chrono Trigger’s epic narrative that you’ll come across Ayla. Discovered during chapter twelve in 65,000,000 BC, Ayla will help you to vanquish a big group of her mortal enemy, the Reptites, who will attack you en masse as soon as you step through the time portal.

Shortly after this, Ayla will join your party and proves to be something of a boon thanks to her overwhelming physical attacks and ability to eat damage and just keep on going.

Magus – How To Get Him In Chrono Trigger

First things first you need to make sure that you’ve defeated the Blackbird boss in chapter 24 (essentially the second time that you’ll visit the 12,000 BC time period). Once you’ve laid waste to Blackbird, head to North Cape, investigate a weird looking sparkle and then you’ll bump into Magus where you have two options – you can either fight Magus with Frog exclusively in a difficult one-on-one battle, or you can refuse to fight him. In the case of the former, if Frog is victorious he’ll turn into a human during the ending that you’ll now receive, whereas electing to spare Magus, allows him to join your party for the remainder of the adventure and also feature in the ending.

Predictably harder than a bag full of hammers, Magus swings around a massive scythe and kicks out frankly ridiculous amounts of magical shadow damage. A force to be reckoned with to say the least.

Buy Chrono Trigger on PC

Now you know how to get the characters, why not get them in-game? Head over to our store and pick up a copy of Chrono Trigger for less. Or if you’re looking for more in the Chrono series, you can dive in with a copy of Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition, bringing the sequel’s HD remaster to PC for the first time.

All Assassin’s Creed Assassins’ Names

Have you ever wondered what all of the Assassin’s Creed assassins’ names are? There is a vast library of Assassin’s Creed games now with twelve games in the main series since it originally launched back in 2007. That’s not even counting the 12 spin-off titles either. It’s more than a little confusing to keep track of all of the names of the protagonists.

It’s not impossible though, because this is the internet, and the internet is full of secrets and information. Well, that and loads of memes, and images that you’d be ashamed of looking at while on a bus. Even if you did go simply searching for a full list of all Assassin’s Creed assassins’ names, you’d probably end up somewhere you’d hide from the person next to you. Anyway, we’ve gotten sidetracked.

We’re going to give you the lowdown on all of the Assassin’s Creeds assassins’ names now. We’ve split it between the main games and the spin-offs, so feel free to peruse the section which you’re more interested in, or simply just sit back and enjoy the ride.

All Assassin’s Creed Assassins’ Names in the Main Series

some assassin's creed protagonists, yesterday

The series kicks off with one Altaïr Ibn-La’Ahad. Altaïr isn’t the first assassin, not by a long shot, but he’s the one you end up in control of during this game as you try to assassinate nine big figures of the Knights Templar and regain your honour. Altaïr is still a fairly beloved character, but didn’t see quite as much game time as Ezio Auditore da Firenze, the next assassin. This is mostly due to the fact that this Italian assassin was in not just Assassin’s Creed II, but also Brotherhood and Revelations, along with a couple of spin-off games as well, and even Soul Calibur V.

Assassin’s Creed III takes us from long-long ago to, well, America. You take control of Haytham Kenway initially, who’s a key part of the Colonial Templars, but you mostly play as Ratonhnaké:ton, whose adopted name is Connor. Connor is a Native American, and leads the charge as you fight your way through parts of the American Revolution.

We’re up to 2013’s Black Flag now, which people liked because, well, pirates. You play as Edward Kenway this time around, who’s the grandfather of Connor from number 3. You’ve then got Assassin’s Creed Rogue, where you play as an Irish American assassin-turned-Templar called Shay Patrick Cormac, where you’re a bit of a bad guy, hence the name. There’s then Unity which has you playing as Arno Dorian in the French Revolution, and Syndicate which has you taking control of a pair of twins called Jacob and Evie Fyre in London.

That all leads up to Assassin’s Creed Origins, where the series became way more open-world and RPG-y. Origins, of course, was headed up by the wonderful Bayek and Aya of Siwa, both of whom made for excellent protagonists. Odyssey then placed us in charge of Kassandra, and also Alexios if you like making bad decisions. Finally, the most recent Assassin’s Creed game, Valhalla, has you playing as Eivor Varinsdottir, a mighty viking who requires more of your time than any other assassin. So, that’s all of the mainline Assassin’s Creed assassins’ names, let’s do the spin-offs.

All Assassin’s Creed Assassins’ Names in the Spin-off Games

There’ll be some familiar faces here as a few of the spin-off titles help to flesh out the lore behind the main characters. Take, for example, the first spin-off game Assassin’s Creed: Altaïr’s Chronicles, which follows along with Altaïr Ibn-La’Ahad once more. We get more of Altaïr Ibn-La’Ahad in Bloodlines too, though the third spin-off title, Discovery, switches over to Ezio Auditore da Firenze.

The fourth spin-off game also gave us our first female protagonist, Aveline de Grandpré. Her adventure is linked to the third title, and has her trying to fight off the Templars in New Orleans. A lot of people think it’s a shame this wasn’t a mainline game, as the spin-off status of it seemed to mean it had a little less care and attention when it came to gameplay versus the bigger titles.

The next game was Assassin’s Creed: Pirates, which was the first game to feature a protagonist that was neither Assassin nor Templar in Captain Alonzo Batilla. Maybe they shouldn’t be on this list then? Freedom Cry was next, and followed Adéwalé, who played a supporting role in Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag.

Next is a trilogy of sorts called Assassin’s Creed Chronicles, which took on a 2.5D viewpoint and followed along with Arbaaz Mir, Shao Jun, and Nikolai Orelov in their respective games. Not much to say about these outside of the fact that the gameplay was different.

There was then Assassin’s Creed Unity: Arno’s Chronicles that took us back to Arno Dorian once more, and finally, Assassin’s Creed Rebellion, which has a much larger cast of characters under the control of Aguilar de Nerha during the Spanish Inquisition. There are a few other spin-off games too, but they are either multiplayer only, or feature custom assassins, so we’re not sure that they belong here in an article about the Assassin’s Creed assassins’ names.

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check out our range of assassin's creed games

Check out all the Assassin’s Creed games we have for sale over on our store, helping you to do a spot of assassination for less. Explore the past from the safety of your own home and get ready to say ‘requiescat in pace’ to more historical figures than you can shake a historical stick at.