Gaming

2019 has gone and passed. We’ve had a number of major headlines dole out throughout the year; the highs of the unexpected success of Apex Legends, to the lows of the fallout from the Blizzard/Blitzchung debacle. But the past is the past, and we now head on to the year 2020, which is aiming to be one of the most exciting for the gaming industry. Here are the headlines that you should expect for gaming in the year 2020: An onslaught of GOTY contenders 2019 has been a quiet year for gaming. Yes, we had spectacular games in Sekiro: Shadows…

Esports. What feeling does that conjure up in you? The thrill of the rush? Excitement? Or perhaps somewhere at the other end of the spectrum like disdain? Whatever it is, you’re probably either on one side or the other, with fewer people sitting in the middle on the subject. As a multi-million dollar subset of a billion-dollar industry, there isn’t any doubt that esports isn’t huge. The sport itself has attracted a worldwide audience of around 400 million – close to competing with traditional sports – as well as garnering close to a billion dollars in revenue, mostly through brand…

Ridiculous, visceral and bloody. Those are words that you would normally associate with Bethesda’s recent reboot of the Wolfenstein franchise. For Wolfenstein Youngblood, you get those things as well, however, there is an air of blandness that permeates throughout the whole experience. Wolfenstein Youngblood is the result of a collaboration between MachineGames and Arkane Studios, and like the studios, you and a friend will collaborate together to take down Nazis as you play as Jess and Zoph Blazkowicz, daughters of BJ Blazkowicz, the main protagonist from the past two games. Together, the sisters are out to find their father, who…

Back to basics, that’s where Activision has decided to take the Call of Duty franchise. Despite the continued financial success of the series, there is a general consensus that the futuristic military theme from the past few games (excluding 2017’s Call of Duty: WWII) has gone stale. As such, the publisher thought it necessary to go back to the one that started the craze in order to reinvigorate the series, producing an all new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare game.  Developer Infinity Ward is again at the helm for the game and though it shares the same name and several…

Borderlands 2 was one of the highlights of 2012 when it was released for the previous generation of games; combining the dopamine of collecting loot along with a competent RPG system and FPS gameplay. It delighted numerous players and was a major success for developer Gearbox Software. Seven years on, that same success has eluded them, which is probably why the company decided to finally return to the fan-favourite series with the release of Borderlands 3. As with each new Borderlands game, Borderlands 3 introduces a new cast of characters for players; Moze the Gunner, Zane the Operative, Amera the…

With a viewership that stands over 400 million people globally and continues to increase year over year, it simply cannot be denied any longer; Esports is big. The substantial growth that the sport has seen has also turned the heads of many within sports movement. And now on 16 December 2019, those two bodies are combining together to bring the sport forward with the worldwide launch of the Global Esports Federation. The Global Esports Federation (GEF) will be the first-ever global governing body for the esports ecosystem. This will consist of athletes, sports organisations, commercial partners and other constituents. GEF’s…

Admittedly, music-based games are not my forte and not something that I would actively look for to play. But in Songbird Symphony, I have gained a newfound appreciation for the medium.  For the uninitiated, Songbird Symphony is a sprite-based platformer/rhythm game that follows the story of the ever-enthusiastic fledgling Birb. At the insistence of the forest’s wise owl, Birb sets off on a journey to learn new songs in his quest to find out who his real family is. Birb’s story of self-identity is a simple one, but that doesn’t mean it lacks substance. The five or so hours I’ve…

The dust has settled in what has been a successful outing for National Youth Council (NYC)’s YOUTHX Weekend Festival that occurred during 3 and 4 August 2019. A 60,000 strong crowd turned up to support what was the culmination of a month-long celebration of youth aspirations and talents, attending highlights like the Super 24 Dance Competition, performances for SHINE and also newcomer Campus Game Fest. Campus Game Fest itself isn’t a new event, as the annual gaming event is a significant feature every year in Singapore ever since its first show in 2013.  However, the event organiser Singapore CyberSports &…