PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC; IO InteractiveIndustrialised murder probably shouldn’t be this entertaining, but this final part of the trilogy is a minor masterpieceIt is when I am shot by two armed guards while attempting to...

PC, Mac; Tim SheinmanIn this brief but insidious information game, you’re an aide to a defeated commander-in-chief who is refusing to concedeThe terrible truth about conspiracy theories is that they’re fun. Making and sharing connections offers a sense...

During lockdowns, handhelds have come into their own: here’s our Top 20, from Gizmondo to NintendoOK, it’s here more for the amazing backstory than the qualities of the handheld itself, but Gizmondo did momentarily look like a contender back in 2004, o...

Although details are sparse, fans are hopeful the game being developed by Massive is just the epic narrative adventure they are looking forUbisoft is working on a new open-world Star Wars adventure, the company has revealed. Development will be handled...

PC, Nintendo Switch (version tested), Xbox One, smartphone (forthcoming); Team MeatPrecision and playfulness made the original irresistibly difficult, but this vindictive sequel feels more like a punishmentTen years ago, attempting to conquer Super Mea...

The global video gaming industry took in an estimated $180bn in 2020 – more than sports and movies worldwideIt would be incorrect to say video games went mainstream in 2020. They’ve been mainstream for decades. But their place in pop culture feels far ...

An ultra-stylish trip to Gotham, a new Hogwarts adventure and a long-awaited sequel to Psychonauts lead our preview of this year’s most anticipated releasesLast year’s ensemble Avengers game was a bit of a disappointment, so DC fans will be hoping for ...

You heard all about The Last of Us Part 2, Animal Crossing and Cyberpunk 2077. Here are the overlooked gems that kept us sane in the pandemicBy Lewis Packwood, Matthew Castle, Laura Hudson, Jay Castello, James McMahon, Lewis Gordon, Keza MacDonald, Edw...

About 25 million logged on to the PC gaming platform Steam on the biggest ever Christmas Day for the video games industryThis Christmas has been the biggest ever for the video games industry, as lockdown, technological leaps and new consoles combine to...

A queer coming-of-age story charmed us, a balletic shoot-em-up raised our adrenaline and the star game of lockdown provided a desert-island escape from real lifeMore on the best culture of 2020 Continue reading...

Sector grows as developers continue to work and consumers search for Covid boredom reliefThe lockdown boom in video games has put the spotlight on the global success of British game makers, attracting the attention of deep-pocketed US giants looking to...

Starring Keanu Reeves and hyped to the heavens, Projekt Red’s dystopian but glitchy romp has been pulled from sale. What went wrong? Cyberpunk 2077, one of the most-anticipated video games of the year was released last week. A dystopian romp around a B...

Developer forced to add health warning and apologise after launch of hotly anticipated gameSony has announced it is pulling this year’s most-hyped video game, Cyberpunk 2077, from its online PlayStation store after complaints of bugs, compatibility iss...

Devotion first caused controversy in 2019 after gamers found poster seeming to insult Xi JinpingAn award-winning Taiwanese horror game was removed from storefronts by the beleaguered developer CD Projekt Red amid a backlash from Chinese gamers, hours a...

PC (version tested), Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, PS5, PS4; CD ProjektBlade Runner meets Grand Theft Auto in this sprawling hellscape of a role-playing game, which is extraordinarily immersive but let down by misogyny and xenophobiaSo here we finally are...

CD Projekt Red, developers of science-fiction epic, have apologised for the state of the game Disappointed gamers have been offered refunds and an apology after the year’s biggest game was released in a barely-finished state for owners of current-gener...

US games company behind Fifa franchise scuppers deal with rival Take-Two InteractiveBritish video games maker Codemasters has become the focus of a £1bn bidding war after accepting an offer from California-based Electronic Arts, scuppering a previously...

Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC; Out of the Blue Games / Raw FuryCarefully crafted puzzles and clues in the story give this game, set on a Polynesian island, the satisfying feel of a journeyThis first-person puzzle adventure is set on a mysterious Polyne...

More than a million of you read our article calling for volunteers to take part in research into why some gamers invert their controls. The response was incredibleIt is fair to say that no one was anticipating this. When the Guardian ran my article on ...

Can rich video game worlds introduce us to nature? A forager, a programmer and a botany professor discuss the educational possibilities of simulated plantlifeSomething is afoot in the sleepy Shropshire village of Yaughton. The locals have vanished into...

You can’t taste it or smell it, but food and drink play a big role in video games, providing everything from sustenance to secret weaponryFood has always played a vital role in video games. From Pac-Man’s bonus fruits to Mario’s magical mushrooms, it h...

Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, Xbox OneYou’re a DJ splicing the drums, bass, melody and vocals of your favourite tracks in dizzy new ways in this latest from the makers of Guitar HeroHarmonix is the Boston-based studio responsible f...

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PC, PS4/5, Xbox One/Series X/S; DontnodInvestigative reporter Sam Higgs goes back to his home town and becomes entangled in a dark mystery he must solveThe grizzled journalist returning to their rural home town and becoming enmeshed in a dark mystery i...

Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Mac; Romero Games/Paradox InteractiveAs a prohibition-era mob boss, you’re at war with rival gangs as well as the police in this ambitious, if uneven, gangster simBrick-by-brick and bullet-by-bullet, Empire...

You’ve got your PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X – but what else do you need to experience the future of gaming? Here are the TVs and headsets we recommendThis month we welcomed a new video game generation with the thrilling (if rather limited) arrival o...

Our article asking why so many players invert their controls provoked a fierce debate that has now caught the attention of researchers into visual perceptionIt is one of the most contentious aspects of video game playing – a debate where opposing sides...

PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S/X, Nintendo Switch, PC; UbisoftUbisoft’s derivative gods and monsters game has divine charm, but starts to feel like a golden cageWeeks after Assassin’s Creed Valhalla proposed that Norwich in the d...

With a background including Elder Scrolls, Fallout and forthcoming epic Starfield, how does the acclaimed developer see games in the next five years?When you’ve got a discography like Todd Howard’s, full of critically acclaimed games in the Elder Scrol...

A new hunger for social contact during lockdown has boosted participation in online multiplayer gamesIf “sus” and “vent” mean nothing to you, then you’ve somehow missed out on the smash-hit multiplayer game Among Us. But with numbers playing the online...

Many still regards video games as a waste of time or downright sinister. But the real story is very differentAfter an Oxford study this week showed that people who play more video games report greater wellbeing, the headlines reflected a sense of stunn...

Online retailer is investigating a spate of pre-delivery thefts of newly released £450 consoleAmazon has said it is investigating reports that brand new PlayStation 5 consoles have been stolen in transit, as customers have complained of missing deliver...