the gaming world is turning against microtrasnactions and post-purchase spending in games - but would you prefer the alternative, where games cost more?

Ubisoft Montreal’s peculiar medieval fighter generated a lot of excitement around its release early last year.. since then? Not so much. The future (or lack thereof) of For Honor depends entirely on Ubisoft Montreal’s actions in the coming weeks.

Hollywood is evidently at it again: taking iconic video game heroine Lara Croft and de-powering her by turning her into a daddy's girl. Or at least that's how trailers make the upcoming Tomb Raider movie reboot look.

Injustice 2 set a new precedent for fighting game design when it released last year. Though it lacks much of the complexity attributed to tournament fighters like Street Fighter V or Tekken 7, NetherRealm Studio’s latest one-upped the competition in several departments. Its accessibility is a testament to its user-friendly design and it offers a level of polish in its presentation that is unparalleled in the genre. And it could mean great things for a new Mortal Kombat

Critics largely celebrated the release of Machine Game’s 2017 sequel to their Wolfenstein reboot. The reviews hearken towards the title’s expert storytelling, meaty gun-play and eclectic cast – all merits The New Colossus certainly holds in varying degrees. Its narrative reaches into some dark and intriguing places, the gameplay often manages to make one feel supremely skilled and virtually every character is a genuine delight. However, a number of vexing decisions – small issues with writing, the anticlimactic pacing, over-reliance on simplistic stealth, and the unnecessary decision to pull control from the player – hold Wolfenstein back from its potential status as the quintessential modern First-Person Shooter.

My relationship with Hearthstone took a steep dive of Cristiano Ronaldo proportions last year. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but following the stellar showing in 2016, where Whispers of the Old Gods (still my favourite piece of content, I think), One Night in Karazhan, and Mean Streets of Gadgetzan launched, everything that followed in Blizzard’s once addictive card game just didn’t seem to hold my attention, not for the long run anyway. That changed when the latest expansion appeared. Blizzard released Kobolds & Catacombs near the end of 2017 - just in time for the festive season

2017 was something of a landmark year for the PlayStation 4’s life cycle. Though the Nintendo Switch gave Sony some ardent competition and deservedly stole back much of the attention, the PS4’s exclusive output was notably excellent. First Party studios like Guerrilla Games and Naughty Dog pumped out great work respectably, while Sony’s Japanese development partners delivered incredible offerings like Yakuza 0, Nioh and Nier: Automata. Some of these titles would see release on PC, but the PlayStation platform nevertheless stood out in terms of the sheer variety of its exclusive content in the console market. Can they do it again?

For the last three days, it has been entirely overcast in my neck of the woods while simultaneously being stickier than Spider-Man’s bed after a web-shooter malfunction at night. Clearly, some rain is on the way…right? I went outside, I looked at the grey heavens and I said “Hey some rain would be great right about now”. The clouds stared back at me, shouted “NOPE CHUCK TESTA” and then instantly parted so that I could be vapourised on the spot by the searing heat of the star that we orbit. Fortunately, I got better. As for the rest of the week? Take it away Glenn!

How much data is enoguh data? In the age of digital distribution and streaming content, how much bandiwthd are you going through?

The beginning of the gaming industry was a modest one. It took decades for gamers to shrug off the stereotypes of being unsociable, basement-dwelling nerds. It took just as long for gaming to be recognised as a serious industry with far reaching significance and potential for positive social impact. Whilst most of the world lagged behind on the power of gaming, gamers themselves understood and believed in its future. Of course it would be hard to predict just how massive gaming would become and the scope of its competitive scene, but nowadays it is hard to argue against its importance globally.

From Rick and Morty Porn through to YouTube punishments and an excuse to praise the sun on the Nintendo Switch, here's all the news that you may have missed out on this week.

While the PlayStation 4 may be the better overall console of the generation (depending on who you talk to, of course), there are few who won’t readily admit that the Xbox One has the superior controller – just as the Xbox 360 did in the last generation. The offset analogue layout is better, no matter what tiny-handed PlayStation fanboys might suggest.