The IWG Games Team

Last week we asked you to narrow down just one of your favourite characters from gaming, and whilst it's certainly not easy to settle on just one character out of a whole managerie, you attempted it anyway! We singled some of the most interesting. Only ten made the cut!

Did yours?

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 Vanessa Hague

It's one of the most disappointing feelings a gamer can experience - you fall in love with a game, find out it has a sequel (or sequels), play said sequel and – low and behold – it doesn't quite live up to the expectations. This can be for a variety of reasons; bad story, poor voice acting, clunky and repetitive gameplay - if you can name them, they're probably all in a bad sequel in some form or another.  Every gamer, myself included, has fallen prey to a bad sequel. With that in mind, and in no particular order, here are a pick of five worst sequels in gaming.

By Luke Kirby

It’s somewhat of a harsh truth but the catalogue of games on the Wii U has been rather lacking, specifically with the popular/iconic franchises, since the release of the console in November 2012. So I gleefully look forward to the release of Mario Kart 8 released on the 30th of May because quite frankly my Wii U is gathering thicker layers of dust as the days go on.

By Paul Robert Scott

For gamers there are few things that can induce a simultaneous feeling of both hope and dread quite like hearing that the latest blockbuster film is going to get a video game tie-in. On the one hand we always hope that the developers will get it right and capture the magic of the big screen, but as experience has taught us the end result is just as likely to be a massive let down. Invariably for every Goldeneye we get an E.T., the latter of which now being legendary for being so bad all unsold copies were literally buried; and even more often we are given a game so mediocre that it’ll find itself back in the pre-owned section before a second playthrough. This is often down to the speed in which the games are produced, with designers often pressured to get their project released at the same time as the film it’s based on. 

By Carla Hodge

As much as we all love it, gaming suffers from a bit of an image problem. And not in the 'it's just a thing for men who don't grow up' kind of way. More of a physical way, if you will. Idealized bodies are all over the virtual landscape, and occasionally it goes, well, a bit too far and into downright unnecessarily sexy. There's a time and a place, if you will. So in case you're having a bad self-esteem day and don't need to see too-sexy bodies and moments in your digital media, here's a quick run down of some characters and moments (though definitely not all) who took it a bit too far. Fair warning: it gets a little NSFW up ahead.

by Ben Mapp

Over the last year it has been revealed that game franchises such as Ratchet & Clank, Assassin’s Creed and The Last of Us will be receiving the big screen treatment. With that in mind, we have decided to offer some casting guidance to other big brand developers who may also be considering the transition from game to film. We feel that as lovers on both games and films it is therefore our duty to ensure that future movies based on games should only be done if they are done right.

By Josh Foote

There’s something magical about Halloween. As a kid it’s a chance to eat excess chocolate and sweets and to scare a few neighbours with cheap plastic spiders and water pistols. For adults, it’s a chance to organise a gathering with friends and make fools of ourselves while dressed as zombies, witches and pop culture characters.  

It also means that I get to indulge in a wide range of films, television and video games that all try their best to spook you. There’s something about being scared that truly fascinates me. That feeling of a cold shiver down the spine and the ever increasing pulse of your heart beating as you turn a corner expecting something to come out and kill you, it’s truly breath-taking! Sadly Halloween has come and gone and in my spooky blues I decided to look back at my favourite horror games and analyse why I love them so much. Before I begin this is my own personal favourite list and therefore, is truly subjective. If I have missed out a particular gem then it’s because I either haven’t played it or didn’t like it. So with that little disclaimer out of the way let’s dive right in with! 

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 Reece Merryweather-Brown

Without its lead protagonist, a video game is nothing but a shallow husk of code. And so, I created this list to showcase the best of the best; the crème de la crème of videogame heroes, and anti-heroes.