By IWG Games Team

Last generation saw a welcome rise in unique storytelling, enriching gameplay and ultimately some of the most engaging and unforgettable gaming experiences to date. If, like most of us, you still can't afford a next-gen console then why not take a gander at some of last gen's most compelling contributions? We've visited a wide range of genres during our search, and here are our eight final choices.

By Graham Osborne

The Metal Gear Solid series has spanned multiple console generations, from the 90’s to present day, and the storyline is becoming more and more convoluted as time goes on. Possibly as an attempt by Hideo Kojima to sabotage the franchise, allowing him to move on (he’s been trying to escape since MGS2!) 

By Graham Osborne

Spanning nearly two console generations, Ratchet and Clank is probably the longest-running franchise for Sony at the moment. It’s had its ups and downs, but the series has aged well.

Into the Nexus is the conclusion of the “Future” series of Ratchet and Clank that began with Tools of Destruction on the PS3. As far as endings go, it’s pretty good. Nothing amazingly special, but not claw-your-eyes-out terrible.

By Graham Osborne 

Bad guys. They’re the ones you love to hate and hate to love. Throughout our years of gaming we've had so many despots and dictators trying to destroy the world, gain money or just generally be a dick. Let’s have a look at the ten best (worst?) antagonists of this gaming generation. Oh, and just to warn you, SPOILERS BELOW!

By Graham Osborne.

Deadly Premonition is my game of this generation, hands down. There are so many other games which probably deserve this title (Last of Us, Skyrim, GTA V - depending on how it turns out!) but for me, they pale in comparison to this bit of uniqueness. The only question that can decide whether or not you would enjoy this game is: what do you think of Twin Peaks?

If your answer to that question is even the slightest bit of an affirmative, then you need to play this game. But I’ll discuss the similarities more in a bit...

By Graham Osborne

On Tuesday, Microsoft called a press gathering to announce their new fighter in the console wars. The Xbox… One? I thought that was the first Xbox, what do I call that one now? Ah well, names aside; let’s move on to the rest of the machine.

We’ll start with the tech specs. The Xbox One is going to have an 8 core CPU and 8GB of RAM along with three operating systems. This is pretty standard for a gaming PC nowadays, so it makes sense, especially seeing as the PS4 is doing something very similar. It should also be mentioned that the three operating systems are to ensure a smooth running system; one system will play games, one will run Windows and Internet Explorer and the final system will link the two, so you can switch between them. This will all be voice activated, and you can play a game whilst it’s downloading. The Xbox will also feature a Blu-Ray drive, have wi-fi connectivity (unsurprisingly), and have a 500GB internal hard drive, though expect it to get an upgrade after it’s been out for a couple of years. The Xbox One will also have USB 3.0 and HDMI in and out ports. Finally, all Xbox Ones will come with Kinect 2.0, which has been upgraded to read your face and tell whether you’re smiling or frowning, and work out if you’re enjoying the game or not.

By Graham Osborne

Earlier this week, Hideo Kojima took to the stage at GDC and announced that Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain was real and would be coming to our (most likely) next gen consoles at some point in the future. He also had a very pretty trailer to show everyone.

If you haven’t seen it yet (for shame!) here it is, take a look below.

By Graham Osborne

Last week Telltale Games announced that the second series of their acclaimed The Walking Dead game would be arriving some time this autumn. With that in mind, we thought it was time to discuss what we’d like to see happen in the next series based on what happened in the first game. I’ll try to keep spoilers to a minimum, but I can’t promise they won’t appear at all, so if you haven’t played the game yet, do that and then read this article. If you do it the other way around, you’re just ruining your experience of one of the BEST games from last year.

By Graham Osborne

So, they’ve announced the third instalment of the Arkham Games, not much of a shock really. But the announcement means that we can start speculating on what might turn up in the game and make a few predictions of our own. Let the fun begin.

By Graham Osborne

First of all, if this review were based on titles alone, this game would fail in every single way. Revengeance is not a word… But I digress. From fuck you to bad-ass, Raiden’s journey has been an interesting one and this game is certainly no exception. 

Set four years after the events of Metal Gear Solid 4 and the destruction of the Patriot AIs, the game follows Raiden as a cyborg ninja, working for a PMC company to help bring peace to war-torn countries, until a terrorist organisation (also filled with cyborg ninjas) attacks an African President’s convoy and Raiden is injured in the ensuing battle. He then goes on to fight the PMCs who attacked him and bring them down before they can unleash another attack that will rival 9/11.