• The name’s Bond, James Bond: 007 First Light Review

    The name’s Bond, James Bond: 007 First Light Review

    Initial Thoughts

    A young James Bond is serving as a Navy aircrewman when his helicopter is shot down over Iceland, which then launches into one of the most impressive prologues I have ever played. 

    Right from the get-go, you’re in the thick of it, learning the stealth mechanics, the traversal and pretty soon the combat. It’s adrenaline-fueled, action-packed, and just a straight-up masterclass in storytelling and believability from this unbelievable cast.

    Now I will set the record straight: I’ve never really given Hitman the proper try it deserves. I’m not the biggest stealth fan, but this game has the perfect balance of stealth and action to keep me completely drawn in. 

    Not once did I ever feel any repetitive strain, I never felt bored or never thought “that was a bit shit”, whilst I do have my grievances with this game, there was never enough for me to be annoyed or put off.

    The Mechanics

    As you’re learning to become an unstoppable spy, you need the tools to do so, right? In your loadout, you can have up to 3 gadgets, which then increases to 4 as you get through the game. From flashbangs to lasers & poisonous darts, you can use all these tools to aid in getting through sticky situations. 

    On top of that is the hacking feature, which is very well thought out. You really do feel like James Bond when you’re using all these things at your disposal. 

    The introduction of the bluff is definitely one of my favourite mechanics in recent years of gaming. If you’re in a tight spot, you can just hit bluff and bullshit your way out. It only lasts about 10 seconds, but it works a charm when you’re desperate. You only have limited uses, though, so use it wisely! 

    The combat is fun, engaging and downright brutal. Landing blow after blow, bouncing people’s heads off walls, chucking ashtrays into their faces, tackling them over ledges is damn fun! The parry mechanic is easy enough, and the use of your gadgets whilst fighting can really make you think about how you’re going to deal with situations. 

    The gunplay is also very decent; it did seem that ammo was quite scarce, and you constantly had to pick up other guns or hope the guy you just killed had the same ammo as yours. 

    Whilst it wasn’t awful, it did sometimes disrupt the flow, but at the same time, it made me think more. This also didn’t stop License to Kill from being one of my favourite moments when it happened, when your screen changes from “trespassing” to “license to kill,” that’s when you can forget stealth, and you know all hell is about to break loose.

    Performances

    Everyone’s portrayal in this game is just fantastic. Patrick Gibson’s Bond is absolutely wonderful, charismatic, witty, charming, smug, just all the traits to make a brilliant Bond. If it got announced he was the next Bond to take over from Daniel Craig, I wouldn’t be surprised now.

    Image Credit: IO Interactive | Polygon

    Kiera Lester, who voices Moneypenny, put on a brilliant performance; her character’s chemistry with Bond was just perfect. Such a well-written and executed character, the wit and calmness of her character, resonated so well with me.

    A huge shout out to Lennie James as Greenway as well, my personal favourite character of the game, a mentor for Bond, and a grumpy one at that, just a brilliant performance from him.

    As I said, it’s a brilliant cast except one hiccup (here’s looking at you Lenny Kravitz). Bawma didn’t resonate with me at all, and I thought it was an odd choice of voice…

    Issues

    I’m going to stop the glaze for a minute and talk about a few bits I wasn’t keen on. 

    The driving in this game was ABSOLUTE ASS, now I don’t know whether I’m just being a dick because I’m off the back of 30 hours with Forza Horizon 6, but holy crap, thank god there’s only a few car chases because it was absolutely dreadful, now I get it, it’s not a driving game but come on…

    I think the yellow paint went a step too far in this one as well. It was extremely hand-holdy. I get it, sometimes an open-world game will need that element, but this is extremely linear, and there’s just too much help. I did test this across difficulties, and it didn’t make a difference.

    Whilst it’s obviously integral to progression and updating your loadout, I wasn’t a fan of after every mission, going back to Q’s lab to run around trying to find shit. I’ve just been through some unbelievable mission, then watched a brilliant cut scene with amazing performances, to then be back milling around Q’s lab looking for my pistol, just immersion breaking.

     They weren’t bad, but I wish the boss fights had a bit more to them; they were far too easy, unless I just got good.

    Verdict

    007 First Light is a true love letter to this huge franchise. The wait has been long for a new installment to this gaming franchise, and my god, has this been worth the wait. 

    Image Credit: IO Interactive | Xboxwire

    The cinematics were absolutely unbelievable, and I was playing on a base PS5; it was graphically stunning. The nightclub scene is genuinely some of the best lighting I have ever seen in a game. 

    The settings are absolutely fantastic, the gameplay loop is amazing, the characters are so believable, and the story is also really engaging and well-written.

    I am giving 007 a 9/10 on our scale as this is an incredible game, from start to finish. This will go on to be an extremely successful series of games, and I can’t wait. I’m already excited for what they do next.

  • State of Play June 2026 – What I Would Like to See

    State of Play June 2026 – What I Would Like to See

    PlayStation’s State of Play broadcast goes live on Tuesday, 2nd June, and I’ve written below some things I’d like to be shown, some reasonable, but most outlandish.

    First-Party Saviours

    PlayStation has multiple studios with historic capability in creating outstanding games. They are known to show off at least one first-party game either at the beginning or at the end of their presentation, and I’m hoping that trend continues on Tuesday.

    If I had to choose only one game that I’d want to see, it would have to be Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, which is being developed by the creators of The Last of Us (Naughty Dog).

    The game was announced back in December 2024 during The Game Awards, which gave us a small glimpse of what to expect; it was clearly inspired by the 80s, even though it’s set years in the future, with the protagonist watching anime and practically shoving brand deals in our faces with the likes of Sony, Porsche and Adidas making appearances.

    It feels like it’s been a lifetime since we’ve heard anything else about it, as that first trailer is the only thing we’ve seen of the game so far, and it’s about time we finally got some story details and gameplay.

    Also, let’s be real, PlayStation needs the hype and giving us a more in-depth look at a game developed by one of the best developers in the world (in my opinion), I believe that would bring back some of the excitement PlayStation has been lacking.

    Of course, I’m not forgetting some of the other studios… It’s been a long time since we’ve heard anything from the likes of Media Molecule, Bend Studio and Polyphony Digital.

    I do wonder whether the huge success of Forza Horizon 6 might push Polyphony to make an announcement for a new Gran Turismo. As they’re both racing games/driving simulators, they may not want to fall behind.

    Image Credit: Gran Turismo 7 / Shirrako

    Media Molecule’s Dreams was released in 2020, and support from the devs stopped at the end of 2023, with nothing else being announced since. I can’t help but be curious about what they’re cooking up.

    I’ve refrained from mentioning most of the other studios since they all either mainly provide support to other developers or they’ve recently released/announced something. I do suspect that we may get a further look at Marvel’s Wolverine, given that the game releases in September this year, but I think it’s possible that during this presentation, they may announce a separate State of Play dedicated to the game, which is something they’ve done in the past.

    Third-Party and Indie Games Galore

    A good chunk of PlayStation’s State of Play presentations include external studios’ upcoming work. Whilst I’m not fully knowledgeable on every third-party title, there are some that I think would be a treat to see.

    Square Enix has appeared numerous times in various broadcasts and has also developed an array of game series, most notably the Final Fantasy series. Could this State of Play be where they announce the eagerly anticipated 3rd game in the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy? Or potentially an entirely new Final Fantasy game altogether? My dream scenario would be an announcement of a remake for Final Fantasy X (I would literally sob), but I do know that’s extremely unlikely. Can you blame a guy for dreaming, though?

    A nice surprise would be from Stardew Valley creator ConcernedApe. Stardew has remained one of, if not the best, cosy farming sim games ever. The developer announced a new game a few years back called Haunted Chocolatier, where players will run a confectionery shop and collect ingredients to make chocolate whilst building relationships with the town locals and ghosts. Presently, we’ve only seen very small snippets of the game and, even in these, you can see the similarities to Stardew Valley. If it’s anything like its predecessor, it’ll shape up to be another amazing sim game that I’ll likely sink hundreds of hours into.

    I have to mention the Phoenix Wright games. It’s been years since we’ve had a new one, so please bring it back! And on that note, I’d love for more information on Danganronpa 2×2… Can you tell I enjoy games where I get to investigate murder cases and go on trial to catch the killer?

    I’ve also just remembered Hogwarts Legacy, which was released over 3 years ago and was a major hit. As someone who’s got the platinum trophy for it, I obviously really enjoyed it, and I know for sure that Warner Bros. Games will be working hard to get that sequel out, and I think now would be a good time to show it off…

    Updates to the Game Catalogue

    We usually get to see what the upcoming monthly games are, so we’ll likely get an early look at what to expect for July, along with which games are being added to the game catalogue for mid-June.

    I’m never too picky when it comes to these additions, but I think I’d like to see a first-party game in there somewhere, maybe Gran Turismo to add to the hype of a possible new game? Although I’m aware that the licensing complexities due to real-world cars may make this impossible. Stellar Blade would be a great addition and so would Astro Bot! That being said, I’d advise anyone to please buy Astro Bot. It’s a phenomenal game, such a fun time, and if you’re a longtime PlayStation fan, you’ll LOVE the cameos and Easter eggs from various different games that celebrate its history (plus buying it full price will heighten the chance of another Astro game, SO PLEASE BUY).

    Image Credit: Sony / Gamespot

    Power of the Wildcard!

    The Persona series has been a fan favourite for a long time. I picked up the series when Persona 5 released, and it quickly became one of my favourite games. Since the game’s release, it received an updated version called Persona 5 Royal (which I’m currently playing), a remake of Persona 3 was released, and developer Atlus announced a remake of Persona 4. P5 has also received multiple spin-off titles, and as much as I love the cast, I agree with the hardcore fans when they say they want a new game, so a Persona 6 announcement would be something truly special.

    For another wildcard suggestion, BioShock would be my number one pick because I’ve been such a huge fan of the series for so long. BioShock Infinite came out 13 years ago. If you include the DLC that was released, it’s been over 12 years since we got to explore that universe. There was a rumour years ago that a new game was being developed, but nothing has come about since.

    Image Credit: 2K

    Wilder would be a Bloodborne remake, I just know how insane the internet would be if that dream of many came true, and I’d be over the moon for those people, because the game DESERVES some love.

    Writing all this has made me realise how greedy I seem, but this is more like wishful thinking; if even one of the games I’ve mentioned makes an appearance, then I’d be happy.

  • The state of PlayStation in 2026

    The state of PlayStation in 2026

    As a longtime PlayStation fan who has seen the height of the PS4 era and the release of so many critically-acclaimed games, it’s not hard to notice the ever-growing decline since the PS5 released, and with the price increases that Sony has announced on its hardware and subscriptions, I do wonder… what can PlayStation do to reclaim all that praise they had 10 years ago?

    Nobody can deny the impact The Last of Us had when it released. For years now, PlayStation has been known for its quality first-party studios such as Santa Monica Studio, Insomniac Games and Naughty Dog. However, in more recent years, whilst the quality of the games from these studios remains just as good, the increase in the complexity and the potential of modern hardware means that there’s now more work than ever required in making the games, lengthening game development but shortening fans’ patience.

    The First-Party Release Problem 

    It may be hard to believe, but since the PS5 released back in November 2020, Naughty Dog has only fully developed ONE game on the system (and no, I’m not counting The Last of Us Part II Remaster). Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet was announced at The Game Awards in 2024, but still has no release date. This is a running trend with plenty of studios as of late, but most notably, PS first-party studios. However, this leads to my next point.

    Years ago, a rumour spread that Sony planned on developing multiple live service games. What followed was the incredibly unsuccessful release of Concord with its two-week lifespan, and the cancellations of The Last of Us Factions 2, a God of War live-service game and a live-service shooter from Days Gone developer Bend Studio. It’s safe to say that the rumour had some truth to it, and it was a terrible idea from the start.

    Back in 2019, Hermen Hulst (co-founder of Guerrilla and Managing Director of one of my favourite games: Horizon Zero Dawn), became Head of PlayStation Studios. At this time, he’d worked at Sony for almost 20 years, and I believed that this was a positive step for the business. I truly felt that Hulst was going to continue to push the first-party studios to keep doing what they were doing, because it was working.

    “I am beyond excited to have the opportunity now to lead such an inspired and talented team whose singular mission is to build amazing games for PlayStation fans.” – Hermen Hulst, back in 2019

    The Live-Service Push Changed PlayStation’s Direction 

    My presumption is that the folks at PlayStation wanted to bank on the hype of live-service games and believed it would pay off, but in my view, the push towards these projects contributed to delays, cancellations,  studio closures and layoffs. Hulst was supposed to keep the momentum that the business had during the PS4 cycle going, but instead, upon the PS5’s release, it led to the never-ending joke that “the PS5 has no games”. At this point, can you say people were wrong?

    I could go into another rant about the numerous studio closures PlayStation has done, but with how much I can say on it, it’d be best for a different article. However, I have to mention Bluepoint Games; they were so talented in remaking much-loved older PlayStation games and a personal favourite of mine… that’s one I’ll never forgive you for, Sony.

    Price Hikes Have Made the Decline Feel Worse 

    The recent price hike on hardware hasn’t helped either, with the PS5 now costing a huge £569.99, and this is almost 6 years after it was released! The PS5 Pro and PS Portal also went up in price, and to any new or lapsed customers, PS Plus’s 1-month and 3-month subscriptions across all tiers now cost more.

    Sony needs to reevaluate their decisions, and to start, that would be to stop trying to pump out live-service games. The PlayStation team have excelled for a long time at creating outstanding single-player experiences: Uncharted, Ghost of Tsushima, God of War, Horizon, Ratchet & Clank, and the list can keep going, so I want them to just remind themselves of what their studios are capable of.

    With all that being said, I think they can return to their glory days. They’ve delivered some amazing titles like Astro Bot, Spider-Man 2 and Ghost of Yotei in recent years, so I have faith that PlayStation can make this fan of over 25 years proud again.

  • The Witcher 3’s Surprise DLC Exposes A Strange Industry Habit

    The Witcher 3’s Surprise DLC Exposes A Strange Industry Habit

    When CD Projekt announced new DLC for The Witcher 3, Songs of the Past, it got me wondering about a standard practice in the industry.

    Games get patches. Games get bug fixes. Games get next-gen upgrades. Games even get DLC years after release if they’re live-service titles, but a major single-player RPG receiving brand new content more than a decade after launch? That’s almost unheard of.

    So it got me wondering, have we become too quick to move on from games?

    We Really Don’t Let Games Breathe Anymore

    To be fair, not every game deserves a second life; nobody is sitting around in 2026 demanding new DLC for Gollum. Some games are classics that stand the test of time, while others are lucky if players remember them by the end of the year.

    But for genuinely beloved games, it feels strange how quickly publishers shut the book on them. The cycle is usually the same. A game launches, receives a few patches, maybe a sizable expansion or two, then development ends as the studio shifts focus to the sequel.

    That made sense when sequels arrived every three or four years, it makes a lot less sense when players are waiting the better part of a decade.

    The Witcher 3 is still played today, and people are still discovering it today. Yet under normal circumstances, CD Projekt would have been expected to leave it behind years ago simply because that’s what the industry does.

    The question is why?

    If people still love the world, still buy the game, and still actively discuss it, why is the expectation that developers simply move on?

    The Eight-Year Wait For A Sequel Is Getting Silly

    The biggest difference between gaming today and gaming twenty years ago is the amount of time it takes to make a blockbuster title. AAA development has become enormous, and everything is growing with the input these games need to try to bring what we want.

    Teams are bigger. Budgets are bigger. Expectations are bigger and as a result, the gaps between sequels are becoming absurd. Players can now wait eight, ten or even twelve years for a follow-up to a game they love. Entire console generations can pass before a franchise receives another mainline entry. (Here’s looking at you, Rockstar)

    So here’s the question: if studios know fans will be waiting that long anyway, why aren’t more of them creating substantial expansions for existing games?

    Imagine FromSoftware suddenly announcing a new area for Bloodborne, the gaming community would collectively lose its mind. At this point, some Bloodborne fans would probably celebrate a new loading screen if it came with a FromSoftware logo attached.

    Of course, a DLC isn’t the same as a sequel. New stories and new ideas are important. Developers shouldn’t become trapped endlessly revisiting the past.

    But surely there’s a middle ground.

    A major expansion released six or seven years after launch could keep a community engaged, generate revenue, and give fans something meaningful while they wait for the next big release.

    In many cases, it might even be a smarter use of resources than starting from scratch.

    Maybe The Witcher 3 Isn’t The Weird One

    The more I think about it, the less surprising Songs of the Past becomes. The Witcher 3 remains one of the most celebrated RPGs ever made. The audience never really disappeared and the demand never really disappeared either.

    Perhaps the strange thing isn’t that CD Projekt is returning to a ten-year-old game.

    Perhaps the strange thing is that more publishers aren’t doing the same.

    As development cycles continue to grow longer and longer, maybe the future isn’t choosing between sequels and DLC, maybe it’s learning that great games don’t have to be abandoned just because they’ve hit a certain age.

  • The state of XBOX in 2026

    The state of XBOX in 2026

    Like A Phoenix From The Asha’s…

    2026 has seen a lot of shake-up at Xbox (no, I’m not going to type XBOX every time) with Phil Spencer & Sarah Bond both leaving the corporation and Asha Sharma stepping in and bringing in a wide variety of people.

    The initial hire was met with resentment and a fair bit of hate; horrifically funny morons gatekeeping gaming were scared of the woman who didn’t play many games, ha! 

    The Re-build. 

    Game Pass has reduced its price whilst booting Call of Duty out of the day one line-up. Whilst it didn’t fully go down to the price it was before, it seems it has had some decent impact anyway with Asha’s latest statement: 

    “Growth slowed down and subscriber loss accelerated after the pricing and SKU changes last year. Since our price reduction, we have seen acquisitions grow and retention improve, which is a good first step.“

    This is positive to see; could Xbox be at the start of what could be a successful rebuild? The identity was so hurt by the Xbox One and  “TELEVISION” god, what a nightmare showcase that was. The rebrand back to Xbox and kicking Microsoft gaming to the curb was met with positivity across the community and made Xbox fans start believing again.

    The launch of the Xbox voice campaign has also been an interesting read; Xbox fans have clearly stated what they find important and exclusives seem to be the front runner. You can see what Xbox fans are striving for and wanting from their platform; some of these have already been actioned with Asha and team Xbox working hard.

    Promotional images forCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, Halo: Campaign Evolved, Fable (2026) and Gears of War: E-day
    Image Credit: Activision and Xbox Game Studios

    Playability & Pull

    Gamepass to me is still the best deal in gaming and the day one launches are the front runner to that, having just had Forza Horizon 6 and now we’re staring down the barrel at a new Halo, Fable and Gears, what will happen next at the showcase? I’d personally like to see Xbox fight for a spot in the market, they will never get near the likes of PlayStation and Nintendo, but keeping things like Halo and Gears on their platform would be a benefit for who they want to be, and that’s a serious competitor in this stacked era of gaming.

    Oh, and by the way Xbox – you should advertise the Series S as the cheapest way to play GTA VI. I’ll be awaiting my job offer to work in your marketing team…

    The overhaul to achievements and just these subtle changes are all brilliant stepping stones and setting a clear vision that change at Xbox isn’t just on the horizon – it’s here. The future is wide open and in your hands Asha. Don’t fuck it up!

  • Forza Horizon 6 Review

    Forza Horizon 6 Review

    After starting our journey in the US, then through to southern France and Italy, heading down into the Australian outback, coming back to Europe for a slice of the UK, then across the Atlantic into Mexico, we now find ourselves in the beautiful country of Japan for the 6th instalment of Horizon.

    Welcome to Japan

    You start your time in Japan as a guest visiting your friend but find yourself without a car. Well, you’re in luck; you get given three good starter cars, which isn’t annoying at all to the progression of the game and something that is always slandered in these titles…. Nevertheless! It’s a decent start and I feel like this time, Playground has really taken the progression aspect into account more. From the get-go, you do feel like you’re earning your cars more and all the credits that come along with it! Most importantly is the amount of wheel spins you get given. Yes, the wheel is back! But for GOD SAKE, Playground just take the fucking horns, emotes and clothing out of them! You have given us less spins, but now a spin might still land me a new horn that plays camp town fucking racers, YAY! Forza 7 better fix that.

    A Map Worth Getting Lost In

    As always in a Horizon game, exploration is such a huge part and my god, what a breathtaking map. I will say as well that my entire experience of this game has been on my ROG Ally and it’s just gorgeous. The usual suspects are out to play. You have your roads to find, your boards to smash, and your breakables to find. Horizon 6 is split into ten regions and each one is special in its own way. Whether you’re in Tokyo centre or up in the snowy mountains wishing you’d chosen a four-wheel drive car, you can guarantee that every single drive you do will ultimately need you to be able to handle all terrain and also not be afraid to tank through every tree and see what insane jump you can find (also a bonus if you happen upon a 5,000 xp smashable sign).

    Playground has definitely taken a very solid approach to the culture of Japan as well. The only tree you can’t decimate at 200mph is the cherry blossom due to their cultural stance in Japan. The world is packed with life and NPC vehicles who seem to be programmed for one thing and one thing only, indicating into my fucking lane at the very last second. My favourite part though is the stance you can take on push bikes. I found an entire section under a bridge that was just full of push bikes. As an avid hater of them, I ran through the lot in my Mustang and went about my day. It was rather enjoyable.

    Classic Horizon Chaos

    The races are the same as always. You have your Road, dirt & cross country, and they are shaken up very well in this instalment of Forza. I tended to use the game’s suggestions a lot with regards to what I should do next, so it gives a good mix of racing, sightseeing, and also all the trials as well: speed, drift, trailblazer, launch. A wonderful variety has me never finding it getting stagnant or repetitive, and I’m now at about 29 hours played. (I’ve only got about another 80 roads to find.) The collectible whore in me gets reeled in far too easily to this kind of stuff.

    Let’s talk about an elephant in the room with this one. There’s been quite a bit of fuss about the auto-drive function you can use. Here’s an idea: just don’t fucking use it. It’s optional. I never even felt the need to do it, hell I didn’t even know Horizon had a fast travel until this one because why would you fast travel?! Just don’t use it. OPTIONAL MEANS OPTIONAL.

    After every section of the game, you earn a new wristband, and your objective is to get the golden wristband and get to Legends Island. The Horizon events are some of the best there’s ever been. You race against a giant fucking mech! Two jets, you’re doing a time trail whilst a rocket is launching. The jumps, the views, the feeling of sheer adrenaline whilst you’re racing all these different things is just true Forza formula, and it’s enough to make me keep coming back for more.

    Verdict

    Forza Horizon 6 is just a return to pure brilliance. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! This wonderful game has earned 9 out of 10 Qwayls and is an incredible video game.