Ten under the radar PC games we’re looking forward to in 2019

A Plague Tale: Innocence – Feb 2019

There are few more terrifying things than rats, so naturally developer Asobo Studio has made a game absolutely rammed to the hilt with the ruddy things. Set in 14th century France where everything is going catastrophically to pot, A Plague Tale: Innocence has players controlling young French lass Amicia and her little brother Hugo in an attempt to get them to safety.  

Underpinning its compellingly grim story with oodles of stealth and adventure gameplay, A Plague Tale: Innocence is shaping up to be one of the most terrifying titles of 2019. Bloody rats, I tell you, *shiver*.

Wasteland 3 – TBA 2019

A sequel to, well, Wasteland 2, and developed by the folk behind Torment: Tides of Numenera, Wasteland 3 once more thrusts players out into the irradiated husk of a post-apocalyptic world in search of glory, loot and blood sausages (well, maybe not that last one).

A more ambitious offering in every way than its predecessor, Wasteland 3 is a sprawling, open-world tactical RPG that lovingly recalls the halcyon days of Fallout before it discovered the first person perspective that chucks in co-operative multiplayer in for kicks. One to watch if you like your RPGs near endlessly deep and with tonnes to do.

Biomutant – TBA 2019

If the descriptor for Biomutant which states “Biomutant is an open-world, post-apocalyptic Kung-Fu fable RPG” doesn’t get you going then, quite honestly, I’m not sure what will. On a tremendous, face-smacking quest to heal the Tree of Life and stop a mysterious plague sweeping the land, Biomutant is a third-person open world adventure that has players taking control of a number of different mutated animals who employ Wushu martial arts, enchanted firearms and special magics to get the job done.

Boasting a vibrantly colourful presentation and allowing players to explore the enticing expanses of its post-apocalyptic game world by mech, air-balloon, jet-ski or a range of other mounts, Biomutant could well be the next big open-world adventure you never knew you needed.

In The Valley of Gods – TBA 2019

If you’re a fan of Firewatch or just well-written story efforts in general, then In The Valley of Gods should be very much on your radar. From Campo Santo, the same hugely talented team that brought us the aforementioned Firewatch in 2016, In The Valley of Gods has a similarly compelling premise.

A narrative-driven, first-person single-player adventure, In The Valley of Gods whisks us off to 1920s Egypt and casts players as Rashida, a disgraced explorer who for once more chance at glory, embarks on a voyage of discovery among the old kingdom of the pharaohs. The kicker though? Accompanying her on this odyssey is Zora, a former associate that Rashida vowed to never work with again. Yeah, we’re loving look of this.

Phoenix Point – June 2019

Currently doing the rounds in early access, Phoenix Point comes to us from Julian Gollop, the chap responsible for creating and bringing the original X-Com to us all those years ago. Pushed into action against the Pandoravirus, an affliction that can massively alter the DNA and attack capabilities of invading alien forces, Phoenix Point thrusts players into a turn-based, tactical odyssey where the enemy is never the same.

Drop in extensive character customisation, highly destructible environments and a Geoscape surveillance mode that allows you to pinpoint resources and incoming threats, and it looks like Phoenix Point is going to be every bit the supremely assured tactical treat we hoped it would be.

Spelunky 2 – TBA 2019

There is no timeline where more Spelunky is a bad thing, so it is with our pickaxes primed and our climbing ropes uncoiled that we eagerly anticipate the delectable debut of Spelunky 2. While the award-winning original template remains assuredly intact, developer Mossmouth has implemented a veritable avalanche of new features to enhance its sequel offering.

For starters, a range of new enemies await, including everything from armored lizards to a hugely aggressive, toothy mole that chases you across the level. With a range of new traps, mounts (yes, mounts) and refined level design, Spelunky 2 looks set to put the exclamation point on what is already one of the greatest roguelike platformers ever made.   

The Sinking City – March 2019

Putting a welcome open-world spin on the horrors of Lovecraft, The Sinking City comes to us from Sherlock Holmes developer Frogwares and deftly combines the talent of that studio for crafting compelling sleuthing affairs with frenetic third-person combat.

Taking place in the partially submerged city of Oakmont, The Sinking City has players solving cases and vanquishing nightmarish foes in order to get to the bottom of the disturbing mystery that plagues the area. With multiple ways to complete each case and showcasing a world drowning in atmosphere that begs to be explored, The Sinking City looks like it’ll satisfy lovers of Lovecraft and intriguing open-world adventures when it arrives in March.

Untitled Goose Game – Early 2019

Yes, that’s actually the name of the game, but better than that, the premise of this particular curio is that you play a backhearted goose who must torment the humanfolk by stealing food from their picnics and generally making an annoying arsehole of yourself in the process.

With the objective always being to cause as much crafty havoc as possible, and all the while making frequent use of a dedicated honk button, I mean really, how can you not love this game?

Desperados III – Summer 2019

Of perhaps all of the IPs that we didn’t expect to be revived, the superb RTS series Desperados was right up there – thank our lucky sheriff stars then that THQ Nordic have gone and brought it back to life. Even better, Desperados III is being developed by Mimimi Productions – the studio responsible for the sublime Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun.

Taking control of a band of gun-toting vagabonds in 1870s America and Mexico, players must leverage and combine the unique skill-set of five different character classes to assassinate, steal, sabotage and elude their enemies. If you enjoyed the Commandos games from back in the day, or even the previous Desperados titles, than the threequel is shaping up to be a masterful exercise in real-time strategy.

Witchbrook – TBA 2019

So, the folks who published the superb Stardew Valley have a game called Witchbrook popping in over the horizon – it’s basically a Harry Potter, high-school simulation RPG and if you’re not excited by the idea of that, you probably need to check your pulse.

As a witch-in-training living in a magical world, you’ll discover multiple schools of magic, take part in bizarre classes and make friends (or enemies) with your fellow students. Quite honestly, this cannot come soon enough.

The best PC games of 2018

2018 was the longest year since years were invented in 1981. But did you know that some PC games also came out in 2018? It’s true.

But what were the best PC games, the cream of the crop, the games that each month made us stop and go ‘hey, that’s a good game’.

Wonder no more, we have your back. Look below to feast your eyes on each month of 2018, and the best game from each month on PC.

January – Celeste

Everyone’s talking about Celeste this year, and for good reason. It’s an incredibly tight platformer with rock solid controls, and a soundtrack that’ll keep you happy even while you die for the four hundredth time.

Combine that with a set of options which mean even the most platformer-averse person can have a good time, Celeste is a shining example of how things can, and maybe should, be done.

February – Rust

It feels like Rust has been a part of our lives for a long time now, mainly because it’s been early access for quite a while. But now it’s out and we can all finally enjoy its be-donged joys.

Rust is one of those games that defines a genre. The survival game genre and Rust go absolutely hand in hand and now it’s fully released, it can go in your hand too.

March – FFXV: Windows Edition

Final Fantasy XV has had a long and torturous development. It’s taken a long time for this, the best road trip game ever made, to get released, but now it has it was well worth the wait.

It’s lighter on the systems than other Final Fantasy games, but it absolutely makes up for that with buckets of character. Everyone has their own favourite Boy (and that’s Prompto, right?) and favourite thing to do (fishing, yeah?). Even if it’s a bit tonally all over the place at times, it’s still an utter marvel.

April – BattleTech

What’s better than turn based strategy? Turn based strategy with giant stompy robots of course.

BattleTech lets you customise your mechs and manage your fledgling mercenary company throughout a fairly open ended campaign. Think XCOM, but in space. And with big robots! Yeah, it’s good stuff.

May – Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire

The original Pillars of Eternity was an utter love letter to the era of Aurora-engine RPGs, and Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire expands on that in every way.

Filled with quests, magic, and brilliant writing, Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire is set on the Deadfire Archipelago and sees you face off against awoken gods and much worse.

Also there’s boats in it – if you ever want me to fall in love with a game, put boats in it.

June – Vampyr

It is a curiosity of humanity that one of our most persistent myths – and one of our sexiest ones – features us getting all our blood sucked out.

Vampyr sees you take on the role of a newly turned vampire, and sees you decide your path through Victorian London. Drenched in blood and gaslight, Vampyr is an utterly atmospheric exploration of the darker side of the vampire myth.

July – The Banner Saga 3

The original Banner Saga showed us all what could be achieved narratively by managing a group of Vikings.

The Banner Saga 3 continues and improves on this legacy, with this version being the best one yet. Filled with difficult decisions that will see your wandering Vikings either embrace safety, or meet an early (and grisly) end.

August – Monster Hunter: World

The Monster Hunter series has long been a stalwart of Nintendo systems and the news that it would be opened up to other consoles and the PC was met with concern.

Well, concern over. Monster Hunter: World is an absolute triumph. With deep meaningful combat and a huge amount of monsters to hunt, skin, and craft things out of. Monster Hunter: World is a game you’ll be playing for ages.

September – Dragon Quest XI

Speaking of ages, here’s the absolutely colossal Dragon Quest XI.

Another series that’s most associated with Nintendo, Dragon Quest XI is the latest in a long series of slime-killing JPRGs, and it’s an absolute wonder.

Featuring a load of things to do, an absolutely huge main quest, and some of the best voice acting of the year (yeah, we were surprised too), Dragon Quest XI is a must-have for any JPRG enthusiast.

October – Call of Duty: Black Ops 4

We didn’t expect Call of Duty to ditch single player, and we certainly didn’t expect it to develop the best Battle Royale mode.

But it did, and it did.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is all multiplayer and it might even be better for it. With diverse modes and robust combat, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is one of the best multiplayer experiences you can have.

November – Hitman 2

Hitman 2 follows up 2016’s Hitman by improving on absolutely everything, which must’ve been hard to do because Hitman was an astounding murder sandbox already.

The levels are huge, the ways to kill are many and varied, and there’s always a way for you to perfect your kill as you seek out the best way to get Silent Assassin.

Hitman 2 is more of the same, maybe – but when that ‘same’ is this good, who’s complaining?

December – Insurgency: Sandstorm

Insurgency: Sandstorm is the game you’re looking for if other shooters are just a bit too arcadey for you.

With sound design that’s frankly disturbing in how good it is, and gunplay that’s as accurate as you can get without firing the gun yourself, Insurgency: Sandstorm is the multiplayer game for anyone wanting to just immerse yourself in brutal multiplayer conflicts.

This month in Indie Games – January

That’s right, after only 3 years we are finally out of 2018 and into 2019. Finally it’s the year for us, what could possibly go wrong?

Don’t test that, I don’t want to know.

Anyway, in more hopeful news we get even more games to look forward to. It never ends, hurrah. 2018 was absolutely packed with indie releases and 2019 looks to be no different, so here are some games to look out for in January.

Pikuniku

Pikuniku is a strange looking puzzle-exploration game. It is wonderfully colourful and looks to be a lot of fun. It seems to be a very optimistic, and very peculiar little game and has local co-op to keep things really interesting. As you work your way through you get to see more of this delightfully dystopian world, and maybe try to uncover some of its secrets. Pikuniku is coming to PC and Switch January 7th.

Bury me, my love

Sometimes video games have to tackle difficult subject matters. Bury me, my Love is one of these games. It tells the story of Nour, a Syrian refugee trying to flee the horrors of her homeland in order to come to Europe. You can tell just from this small synopsis that this game is going to be intense. Bury me, my Love is coming to PC and Switch January 10th.

Hell Warders

Hell Warders has had a fairly positive reception while in early access and is nearing its full release. This is a hero-based tower defence game that has you literally fighting off the hordes of underworld. You get to choose a class and then get knee deep in demons as you stand shoulder-to-shoulder with your friends. Hell Warders is coming to PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Switch January 17th.

YIIK: A Postmodern RPG

YIIK (Y 2 K, as in the year 2000) is a Japanese style RPG set in the 1990s. It follows the story of Sammy Pak who goes missing, the only clue you have to go on is a video showing her being pulled from an elevator. The people behind this reads a little bit like an all-star indie cast of incredibly talented people. It’ll be interesting to see how much nostalgia this makes as well as how many people who didn’t see the 90s enjoy it. YIIK: A Postmodern RPG is coming to PC, PS4, and Switch January 17th.

Slay the Spire

If you want an intensely challenging, turn-based roguelike that has deck building and RPG mechanics than boy are you in luck. The gameplay loop is one of the most satisfying in recent years and it’s managed that whilst only in Early Access. The full release promises even more content for this strange dungeon crawler and is sure to be a must-play for those seeking a challenge. Fully released on PC January 23rd. Coming to Switch at some point.

Sunless Skies

Sunless Skies sees you journeying around space in a locomotive as part of the British Empire. Honestly, this game looks absolutely great and is full of eldritch wonders and horrors. Rather than playing as one character you’ll play as a lineage of space captains and always continue the journey with the next in your line. You get to make countless decisions and see where things take you. Sunless Skies is officially launching on January 31st.

As you can see, it looks to be a very strong start to the year. No doubt there will be hidden gems aplenty as we make our way through another hellscape – I mean year. Get ready for roguelikes, metroidvanias, visual novels, and weird dating sims.

Green Team Tips – Episode 10

Maybe you want to start streaming, maybe you’re an experienced content creator, or maybe you’re just looking to learn something and improve your knowledge.

The Green Team is here to save you, each week we’ll be profiling three of our Green Team, along with the hints and tips they want to share with YOU about content creation. So strap yourself into your learning chair and let The Green Team level up your brain.

iPixelDot

Describe your channel – Variety streamer <3

Favourite game – Fallout!

Favourite Content Creator – Seriously… too many to name

If you had to give one tip to other content creators, what would it be? – Don’t stop!

Best Strike

Describe your channel – Playing all sorts of games mainly battle royale for now. But I like to try out any games and just have fun.

Favourite game – Call of Duty Black Ops 4

Favourite Content Creator – B0aty

If you had to give one tip to other content creators, what would it be? – Starting youtube or livestreaming is hard. But if you spend the time and the effort and keep on making videos / livestreaming. You will start slowly growing. I would say having 1 main game and making daily videos of that game is the best way to grow your channel. But at the same time try to make videos about different games. It will be more fun this way. Dont focus on views. Just have fun playing and making videos.

ZBCSTUDIOQ

Describe your channel – High skill gameplay, competative multiplayer and rpg.

Favourite game – Skyrim

Favourite Content Creator – ESL

If you had to give one tip to other content creators, what would it be? – Be stable!

If you’re part of the Green Team and want to join in, check here. If you’re not part of the Green Team then what are you waiting for? Use these tips and sign up here!

Green Man Gaming’s Holiday Sale – Break it down for me

The nights have drawn in, the wind is cold in your bones, the temperature has plummeted. That’s right, our yearly Holiday Sale has started!

Of course this only applies in the Northern hemisphere, if you’re in the Southern you’re probably lounging on a beach somewhere or sweating up a storm, wondering why the heck this article begins with a description of the cold.

But no matter where you are, our Holiday Sale is here for you and we’ve got some killer deals for you this year.

With over 1800 games on sale, it might be hard for you to find The Game. You know, the one. The thing game you don’t even know you want yet.

So relax, take a sip of that mulled wine/margherita, put on a sweater/swimsuit, and let us guide you to the game of your dreams.

Staff Picks

Green Man Gaming isn’t just a company of people who want to sell games, we’re a company of people who want to play games too. Unfortunately work and real life keeps getting in the way, but that doesn’t mean we can’t tell you about some of our favourites that are on sale right now.

  • Frostpunk – Stern choices and stern weather, it’s all fun and games until it isn’t in this city management game.
  • Hitman 2 –  Like a game of murder mousetrap where the ball is death and winning is death too.
  • Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen – The dragon’s got your heart, time to get it back: the violent way.
  • Fallout: New Vegas – What did the team that made Fallout and Fallout 2 do next? Made the best modern Fallout, of course.
  • PUBG – Still the best Battle Royale game out there, and it’s still going strong even though it’s been more than a fortnight since it came out.
  • XCOM 2 – Oh no, you lost the first game (well, canonically). Now the aliens are here to stay, so get your squad and get rid of them.
  • Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age – Can you believe people had a problem with this game when it was released? Buy it now and find out how wrong they were.
  • Final Fantasy IX – Can you believe people had a problem with this…wait I’ve said this before. Still true though, FFIX is brilliant.
  • Assassin’s Creed Odyssey – If ancient Greeks and a heck load of murder don’t float your boat, maybe that this game has boats in it will. Also it’s great.
  • RUINER – Cyberpunk violence with a soundtrack that slaps? RUINER’s got that and loads more.
  • Deep Sky Derelicts – Dungeons in space? Absolutely.
  • Monster Hunter World – Loads has been said about the tight combat and huge amount of things to do, but really we’re just here for the Palicos.
  • No Man’s Sky – Now with more content than you can shake a stick at, and it’s a big stick too. One of those space sticks.
  • World of Warships – What if the whole world were warships and the only way you could kiss people was with guns?
  • Cities Skylines – The only city building game that Did It Right after the great City Building Explosion of the mid 2010s.
  • ABZU – Scary, beautiful, serene, and much more. ABZU has all the emotions. ALL OF THEM.
  • Warhammer 40,000 Mechanicus – What if XCOM had zombie robots and you played as a group of technology worshipping cyborgs? Oh and you’re never sure if you’re the good guys or not.

Top Titles in your Country

Chances are you live in a country. If you do, hello fellow country dweller! We also live in a country!

Each country is a bit different from the other countries. Did you know, for example, here in the UK we love Resident Evil VII, Middle-Earth: Shadow of War, and Far Cry 5? It’s true!

Unless you don’t live in a country in which case you can’t participate, but that’s ok. We love you too.

Best Sellers – 2018

It’s been a hell of a year. In that we mean it’s been a hell of a year, and also that for many people this year has been hell.

But it’s been a year of games. Video games.

Some of the best sellers came out this year, like Monster Hunter World and Vermintide II, but some are just classics that you can’t get enough of, like The Division and Borderlands 2.

People have bought a heck load of games in 2018, and this is just a fraction of the huge variety of games that you and people like you have picked up. Well done for buying games! Now buy some more (this message brought to you by my boss).

Extend Your Game

Games are great, but the sadness of games is that they end. Not every game goes on forever. That’s just life.

But you can extend your game. You can make your time with that game last that little bit longer.

Some genius wizard called Derek Leander Cross invented something to make games a little longer back in 2006 and DLC (named after him) has been booming ever since.

In our Holiday Sale we’ve partitioned a little section off for DLC. Maybe you’ll tack on a little extra to your Assassin’s Creed journey, maybe you’ll see what the residents of Far Harbor have in store for you in Fallout 4, maybe you’ll just pick up some season passes because who knows what’ll come out for your favourite game.

Genres

Maybe you play all kinds of games, but maybe you’re just looking for something specific. We’ve got a load of different sections in our Holiday Sale which make finding that special something a little easier.

Here’s the list, your favourite genre is already divided up for you and ready for you to dip a toe in and grab yourself something you think you’ll love:

How nice is that? So if you love Simulation games, you know you can click that link and bam, games you’ll probably love will be right there.

Go check ‘em out. Don’t worry – we’ll wait.

Publishers

Honestly there’s so much to this sale we’re just going to have to take a little time and give you each publishers’ sale page. Each one has the games that publisher has put in our sale, so if you’re looking for Bethesda or Square Enix games, we got ‘em, and you can find them below:

So that’s it, that’s our Holiday Sale – all broken down for your easy digestion. Want to just check the whole thing out though? You can, just head on over to this link and you’ll be on your way to gaming heaven. And don’t forget that you can use the code GMG12 to save an extra 12% on your purchase!

Psst, now the hasty clickers have gone. Did you also know you can win some games and an i7 7700k Intel Processor?

Best local multiplayer games for the holidays

Christmas time is the dreaded time of year when you have to spend time with family and pretend you wouldn’t rather be gaming. For some though, it is a good chance to spend some time with family and friends and do some gaming at the same time! Surprising for sure, but also true for the lucky few. For those lucky few, here are some fantastic local multiplayer games that you might not have thought of.

Screencheat

Who’s it for: Fans of the olden days.

Easy to pick up: The systems aren’t complex, but wrapping your head around the concept can be.

Description: Screencheat is an FPS where everyone is invisible. The only way to spot each other is by paying attention to the screens of your opponents. The levels are all full of colour coded areas so that you can easily find each other. The array of weapons all leave a trail behind them to make spotting each other simpler if you don’t get hit straight away. This is a game for those who remember crowding around an N64 and hunting each other down in Goldeneye.

Crawl

Who’s it for: RPG players and those who like the eldritch.

Easy to pick up: Simple to play, hard to master.

Description: If you’ve ever wanted to journey into an eldritch dungeon and eventually possess a hydra then have I got a game for you. You and three other people have become lost in dungeon. Madness sets in and you all try and kill each other, and it’s here that the game begins. With three of you becoming spirits and one of you being an adventurer your aim is simple, either kill the adventurer to become them, or escape the dungeon while you are still alive. The feel of this game is fantastic, it has a wonderful soundtrack, and a round can go from five minutes up to several hours if you are all on equal footing.

Jackbox Party Pack

Who’s it for: Pretty much anyone with a phone and a sense of humour.

Easy to pick up: Incredibly easy.

Description: The Jackbox Party Packs have been around for a little while now, each one containing a selection of games designed to be easy to play. You simply use your phone to play along with the various mini-games and enjoy the weird sense of humour that you all share. The latest one is a lot of fun and contains a robot rapping game that is worth the price of entry all on its own. The games all scale up from family-friendly to don’t-show-your-parents based on how the group answers, so it is a very flexible choice.

Super Mario Party

Who’s it for: Fans of board games.

Easy to pick up: Definitely, plus each mini-game is explained beforehand.

Description: This is a classic series that is very much back to its best with the latest entry. There are a few different modes, but the main attraction is the board game mode where you and your family try to get as many stars as possible. You need to roll high and try to do as well as you can in the mini-games to get the coins you need to stay ahead. The each of the mini-games is easy to play and this is sure to be a winner at any post meal chillout.

Gang Beasts

Who’s it for: Everyone.

Easy to pick up: Nobody ever knows what they are doing… so yes?

Description: This game is what happens when you take a fighting game and cross it with trying to make silly string stand up straight. All you need to do is be the last beast standing, to do this you can either stay out of the way and hope for the best, or try to through the others into the sea, the fire, or off of a building. This game levels the playing field completely by being incredibly odd to play, and the better you get the funnier everything is.

Runbow

Who’s it for: Platformer fans.

Easy to pick up: Incredibly simple to pick up.

Description: Platformers are one of the earliest genres, and one that remains fun to this day when done well. This is a very colourful platformer that has you racing other players through obstacle laden courses that constantly change. The platforms can only be used when they can be seen, if the colour of the platform is the same as the background then the platform simply doesn’t exist. It is a fun take on an easy to play genre that leads to some pretty competitive moments.

These are just a few of the great games that you can play with your family and friends. Just be aware that no matter which game you choose, there’s always a high risk of sore losers and sore winners being insufferable, so plan accordingly.  Of course, you can always ignore everyone and play whatever gargantuan single-player jaunt you bought for yourself instead.

Why Batman Arkham Origins is All You Need This Christmas

Warning: minor spoilers for Batman: Arkham Origins.

Rocksteady’s Batman is constantly lauded as one of the best video games quadrilogies in existence, alongside one of the best interpretations of the Bat we’ve ever seen. What a lot of people forget about is the severely underrated Batman: Arkham: Origins, developed by WB Games Montréal. Sandwiched in-between the releases of Arkham City and Arkham Knight, we see a younger Bruce Wayne take on the mysterious Black Mask and eight assassins all out for blood, set to the backdrop of a midwinter Gotham on Christmas Eve.

For many of us, without the Rocksteady label attached combined with reviews not being as high as its predecessors, Origins was overlooked. No question, I’m guilty of this. However, once the holiday season approaches there are few non-traditional video games that can offer a Christmas experience like this. Origins provides an exciting outing, with many of Batman’s rogues gallery showing up for the party. Snow drapes the whole landscape presenting a chilling aesthetic that Mr. Freeze himself would be proud of, while goons patrol the streets wearing Santa hats before preparing to pulverize anything that gets in their way. It’s all wonderfully unsettling, considering it takes place on supposedly one of the happiest nights of the year.

Christmas itself is a busy time. Family, friends, parties, Netflix binge days devoted to the latest series of Black Mirror. I get it. You don’t want to put dozens of hours into a world only to find out you’ve barely made a dent. That’s why Origins is a sweet but satisfactory entry that can be played through in approximately 13 hours. Due to the numerous unexpected moments and quick shifts in gameplay, the game rarely offers a mundane moment. Taking the same perfected mechanical structure outlined by Rocksteady, WB were smart by not only utilising the firm’s formula but building upon it.

Thanks to this, there are an abundance of boss fights that will keep you entertained until the New Year. Deathstroke’s encounter is often polled as the best fight in the series, due to its refreshing take on hand-to-hand combat. Just straight up, heart-pounding, mano e mano. As exhilarating as this clash is, for me though, the stand out belongs to the bizarre dimension that the Caped Crusader finds himself in after a tussle with the Mad Hatter. Taking clear inspiration from Arkham Asylum’s Scarecrow segments, these freakishly haunting scenes sees you trying to rescue an innocent girl by the name of ‘Alice’ before her holiday spirit runs out. Literally.

Apart from this, there are little genuine heart-felt moments scattered throughout the story, helping to enrich the characters and world they preside in. Known for being the voice of Sonic, Roger Craig Smith does a fantastic job of bringing a younger, more inexperienced Batman to the foreground, while Martin Jarvis does an impeccable job of portraying the Dark Knight’s faithful butler, Alfred Pennyworth. These two help to cement the duo’s relationship and bring a strong sense of compassion and believability as to why both feel they must carry on to the bitter end. Their affection for one another is evident from the performances given, proving that the pair consider each other family, if not a dysfunctional one. Isn’t that what’s Christmas all about anyway?

Best Christmas Multiplayer Games

One of the best ways to bring people together at this time of year is through games. After all, there aren’t many things better than getting your headset on, nabbing a grab bag of snacks and some cans of fizz (cracker produced festive hats are optional), while you get some decent multiplayer gaming on the go.

So, with that in mind here are five online multiplayer offerings that will go down easier this holiday than a partially-basted turkey from Tesco, a handful of cheesy footballs and a bottle of discount plonk.

ARK: Survival Evolved

Though ARK: Survival Evolved has been in full release for over a year, its appeal has hardly dulled in that time. If anything, being a dinosaur owning (and breeding) overlord of your own personal utopia remains an attractive prospect, and one that absolutely needs to be indulged with friends and family this holiday season.

Starting from literally nothing and then building up your empire, brick by brick, will always be an enjoyable cornerstone of the ARK: Survival Evolved experience. Yet, ruling over that empire with friends and discovering everything that the world has to offer is an evergreen delight and one that is amplified by the massive, chimney-busting array of mods for ARK: Survival Evolved that currently exist. Just make sure you stock up on all the crisps, chocolate and fancy fizz you can find – you’ll be a while.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4

Ahh, nothing says love for your fellow man and woman quite like running along a wall at breakneck speed and emptying a cartridge of ammunition right into into their pie-eater. The best Call of Duty title in quite some time, this year’s effort chucked out the traditional, glitzy turkey shoot single-player campaign from previous years and has instead doubled down on the multiplayer side of things.

Evidently a wise move, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 caters ably for competitive folk by not only crafting the best iteration of the franchise’s regular multiplayer mode, but also by including Blackout – the series first stab at the Battle Royale genre that ably stands shoulder to shoulder with the best in the genre.

Finally, in channeling the spirit of working and playing together this holiday season, Black Ops 4 also fashions the most ambitious Zombies mode to date, allowing multiple players to wage war against a relentless undead menace across multiple varied stages and settings. So, if you like shooting things and want to shoot these things with other folks this holiday, you’ll find few titles quite as enjoyable as Call of Duty: Black Ops 4.

Hitman 2

What captures the spirit of the holiday season better than pitting yourself against a friend to see who can kill a bunch of obviously horrible folk the quickest? Nothing, that’s what. So it is then that Hitman 2’s Ghost mode – which introduces competitive multiplayer to the series for the first time – is so horrendously good.

Like many of the best things in life, the premise behind Hitman 2’s Ghost Mode is deliciously simple. Two players must compete against one another to see who can off five unfortunates the quickest without being discovered in the act. The kicker, however, is that while you can observe one another, the fact that the game world is effectively instanced means that you cannot interact or interfere with each other’s murderous plans. It’s genius stuff.   

Tense, taut and whole bunch of other awesome words beginning with ‘t’, Hitman 2’s competitive multiplayer is so good it’s a wonder it hasn’t been done before now.

Injustice 2: Legendary Edition

Whether you’re smashing skulls to pieces in clearly non-lethal fashion as Batman, or straight-up wrecking fools with Donatello’s (yep, that Donatello) expert staff skills, it’s fair to say that Injustice 2: Legendary Edition is one of the best fighting games available on PC right now, and a proper belter when played online against other folk.

Anchored by an enticingly massive roster of DC and special guest characters (Hellboy!), Injustice 2: Legendary Edition also excels on account of a well implemented progression system that allows players to unlock better gear and equipment for use in online matches. Spectacular to watch, hugely enjoyable to play and stuffed with more content than some RPGs, Injustice 2: Legendary Edition is just the ticket for those on the look-out for some long-lasting, festive fisticuffs.

Monster Hunter World

There are perhaps few thrills better enjoyed with friends than strapping on a bunch of impossibly looking massive weapons before heading out and hunting down an equally massive beastie. Arguably the most significant evolution the series has seen to date, Monster Hunter World makes a great case for itself as a holiday highlight where online multiplayer shenanigans are concerned.

While gaining new loot, crafting new items and generally transforming your character into a super militant version of Sir David Attenborough all hold grand appeal, it’s really in the tactics that you’ll need to work out with your friends to beat these creatures that Monster Hunter World finds itself to be most compelling. Also, boasting a co-operative multiplayer campaign that spans into the hundreds of hours, Monster Hunter World is a title that will easily keep you busy beyond next year’s holiday season, let alone this one.

Why The Crew 2 is worth your time

The Crew 2 is a fast paced racing game with a huge open world to explore and race in. Between the 13th and the 16th of December, it’s also free to play. You’ll be able to hop into a car and drive the heck out of the USA, all for nothing.

So you’ve got an open world racing game for nothing, but for some reason you’re still not checking it out.

Let us convince you why you should care.

Why should I care?

The Crew 2 is an absolutely solid racing game. If you miss the days of Burnout Paradise or Fuel, then The Crew 2 will definitely scratch that itch.

The game doesn’t include the entire USA – that’d just be too big, but it does have a condensed version that more than anything *feels* like the USA.

Imagine that, the open road, top down on your car, and off you go. It’s the dream of freedom and escape that many have and it can be yours, for a while at least, for nothing.

OK so the fantasy is good, what about the game?

There’s a huge amount of content in The Crew 2, you’re not just limited to driving about admiring the scenery.

Races are everywhere, and you’re not just in cars anymore. Planes, bikes, boats, all await your speedy hands on the controls. 

But how does the game handle? It’s definitely on the arcade-y side of things. Especially compared to extremely realistic games like F1 2018 or Dirt Rally. The game’s lighter than those, but that’s absolutely not a bad thing. Sometimes you just want to drive, and The Crew 2 gives you that in spades.

So you’ve got a game that fulfills the fantasy of driving out on the open road, it’s full of races, and it’s got a whole range of vehicles for you to drive.

All that, and it’s free this weekend. That sounds like it’s definitely worth your time.

The Crew 2 is free to play right now, until the 16th of December.

Insurgency Sandstorm – What will its DLC look like?

Insurgency Sandstorm is being released today, the sequel to the hugely popular Insurgency once again puts players in the midst of frantic, realistic multiplayer combat.

There’s been no mention of potential DLC for it, so let’s take a look at where it can go next in expansions and extra content.

Insurgency I Hate Sand-storm

A potential mashup with Battlefront could see Insurgency take to the stars, or at least the different-sands. Everyone knows the desert planet of Tatooine is covered in the damn stuff, it’s coarse and rough and irritating. 

That said, there’s plenty of Jawas and Sand people to shoot, so you and your squad won’t be bored while you’re there.

Insurgency Sandi Toksvig-storm

There’s been a colossal change that’s affected each and every one of us.

That’s right, the Great British Bake Off moved from the BBC to Channel 4. As part of this, Mel and Sue were out, and in stepped Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig.

In this visionary piece of DLC, Insurgency players are parachuted into the White Tent and forced to construct elaborate cakes for the ever gaping dry mouth of Paul Hollywood. Your training didn’t prepare you for this, soldier.

Insurgency Sandworm-storm

There’s one place that’s more sandy than anywhere, and that’s Arrakis.

You might think that you’re scary with your balaclava and gun, but you’re nothing compared to Shai-hulud. The great sandworms cover the planet and they will swallow you whole without even noticing.

They’re the ultimate predator, and can even carry a full complement of Kyle Maclachlans into battle making this the next challenge for your Insurgency Sandstorm team.

Insurgency Sands of Time-storm

We all know the best Prince of Persia is Sands of Time, right? Right.

So it makes sense that this piece of DLC will see you amongst the walking dead. No not those walking dead, the sand-resurrected. 

But it’s ok, through the power of time (and bullets) you can blow these fools back into the sand from whence they came. Just don’t lose your shirt over it.

Insurgency Sand-a Claus is coming to town-storm

[You’re fired – Ed]

Well I don’t know about you, but we feel pretty confident that developers New World Interactive are already working on at least one of these ideas for Insurgency Sandstorm.

Insurgency Sandstorm is out today on PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 and by all accounts, it’s looking special.