The new generation of gaming is almost upon us and Microsoft is first out of the gate with the release of the of Xbox Series X on Tuesday. It’s big, it’s powerful, it’s packed with impressive new features – but is it worth shelling out $800 for? Lee Henaghan took it for a test drive. … Read more
The debate over whether games can ever be considered a legitimate art form has been raging since the days of Manic Miner. Now Ori and the Will of the Wisps is the latest title to try to tip the balance. Lee Henaghan travelled to San Francisco for a hands-on preview. Can video games ever be … Read more
Lee Henaghan travelled to Canada for a special Gears 5 preview event at The Coalition studios in Vancouver. Could this be a return to form for the game that gave the world the chainsaw bayonet? Franchises, sequels, spinoffs, reboots, remakes and remasters – for an industry supposedly built on innovation and creativity, modern gaming is … Read more
Crackdown 3 is one of the most notoriously delayed games of all time, but it’s finally out next week. Lee Henaghan caught up with the game’s top creative talent to find out if it’s going to be worth the wait. With the possible exception of Hollywood, there is no industry more obsessed and fixated on … Read more
As a homegrown project from a Lower Hutt based studio making its first-ever game, Lee Henaghan desperately wanted Ashen to be awesome – and he wasn’t disappointed. Gaming journalists have always copped criticism from the angriest corners of the internet; some of it deserved, most of it not so much. The chief complaint among the … Read more
It’s already being compared to Dark Souls, Breath of the Wild and Journey, and after five years in the making, Ashen is almost ready for release. Lee Henaghan takes an exclusive look at one of the most ambitious games ever made in New Zealand. The rise of the open world action RPG has coincided almost exactly with the … Read more
Not only is Astro Bot: Rescue Mission a platformer on par with anything you’d expect from Nintendo’s moustachioed plumber, it’s also the first ‘killer app’ for PlayStation VR. Lee Henaghan grabs his helmet for the latest game of the year contender. Just as actors’ careers inevitably end up being defined by a particularly memorable role … Read more
It’s not just the silly victory dances and weekly challenges; this is the first massively multiplayer racing game where winning doesn’t really matter – it’s the taking part that counts. Lee Henaghan takes Forza Horizon 4 for a spin. Platformers, shoot-em-ups and racers: the holy trinity. Since the earliest days of interactive entertainment, these three … Read more
The fourth instalment of the globetrotting Horizon Festival is the series’ most ambitious effort yet. Lee Henaghan took the open world racer for a test drive ahead of its October 2 release. When the first Forza Horizon was released in 2012, it was seen as a light-hearted spinoff looking to capitalise on the popularity of … Read more