Speculation is rife about Sony’s new PlayStation 5 and when it might hit the shelves in the UK. A new theory is now in the mix from a leading analyst, who claims the PS5 could be released as soon as 2018. This theory comes from the same man who predicted the release of the PS4 Slim and PS4 Pro, so it could be worth taking into consideration. After all, Sony have some big competition, with the upcoming release of the Xbox One Pro later this year.

However, most experts are still betting on a 2019 or 2020 release date. This is mostly due to technology and the prevalence of 4K televisions on the market. They will be much more widely used by then and it could be advantageous for Sony to wait until general technology has caught up with theirs. Until then, let’s keep watching for more news and see if Sony themselves make any comments.

I often look at games at a cost vs time as part of my assessment of whether or not I should buy them. I look at role playing games in particular when making this decision. The Shadowrun series is one in particular that has always taken my interest, I played the first game in this rebooted series and it was ok; a cool aesthetic, decent combat and a good identity. Since that first game, though, the developers have really hit their stride and have realised what the fans want, and what they themselves are good at.
Since that opening we have had two games; Dragonfall, which I own, and Hong Kong which have steadily improved and are now easy games to recommend to anyone who is a fan of RPGs and owns a PC that is half decent. Strong writing, great aesthetic and a whole lot of fun to play.

File this one under “weird stuff that I was never sure would get made” – in fact I might go even further and say “who saw this coming?” Dragon Quest is a series familiar to many; a traditional Japanese role playing game – perhaps the most traditional of them all – where you and a band of intrepid adventurers travel the world and conquer evil in a light hearted way – in typically gorgeous environments with a wonderful soundtrack to boot.

Dragon Quest Heroes, though, is a game with only a few things in common with that. It has the graphics, has the music but the gameplay is totally different. The game has more in common with Dynasty Warriors than anything else as you hack and slash your way through hundreds of monsters from the Dragon Quest universe and… not much else? Still – the game is enormous fun and complete nonsense – the perfect match.

I recently wrote about gaming commitments; or rather how sometimes it’s best to just sit back, relax with a control in your hand and just enjoy the one game you have chosen to play instead of worrying about all the others you have sitting, unplayed or unfinished. The one game that I decided to do that with over this weekend was Fallout: New Vegas. The game, often seen as a side shoot to the main Fallout franchise, is actually a worthy entry and, in some respects, a more complete game than its predecessor, Fallout 3.
The game takes place in the Mojave desert following on from a nuclear attack. The land is barren, the survivors are scarce and there is almost no law. You wake up from being attacked with no memory of who attacked you; all you knew is where you heading and what you needed to deliver. The game’s story is one of the strong points and keeps you guessing throughout.

Bioshock is one of my favourite gaming series of all time, despite just featuring three games and a handful of downloadable content. The first game burst onto the scene for Xbox 360 and PC and set a new standard in passive exposition, level design and narrative in mainstream gaming. Such was the success of the first game that Bioshock 2 was quickly announced and developed, releasing across all the major platforms of the time. Despite none of the original team involved the game was received pretty well. Then came Bioshock: Infinite.

The third game in the series was a return for many of the staff from the first game. A new setting, new character but the same overall tone made Infinite a success. However not one without its flaws; missed deadlines, staff departures, cutting of content and an over ambitious plotline (and an insistence on using too much gunplay) meant that Infinite fell short of what it might have been; a genre redefining masterpiece.