Category: Gadgets & Apps

Hello, best wishes everyone and hello 2019!
I know you probably are busy working on your new year’s resolutions #fail. But when you are not sweating your xmas calories off in the gym or having one pint less, you might be spending some time on your tablet or on your playstation. This is for you.

And whether you are an avid PC gamer like moi, prefer to rock the old Playstation / Xbox or like to keep busy twiddling your fingers on your smartphone or tablet, either way I have a must play game list for you!

With platforms like Steam (PC), Playstation and Microsoft Store offering massive discounts on many big title games, now is your chance to grab one or all of them for a right bargain out of many 2018 games.

So I have come up with a list of games for multiple consoles ranging from mobile to console and PC that I believe are the absolute 2018 must haves. These are not the ten commandments, just my simple opinions and suggestions, in random order.

[I have added download links to the iOS/Android games below so you can download the apps straight from your phone]

Red Dead Redemption 2 (Console)

Without a doubt my favourite game of 2018, if not of all time. Red Dead Redemption 2 follows the epic adventures of Arthur Morgan and the van der Linde gang, putting you in control of the Wild West’s most notorious gunslinger Arthur Morgan. With some of the best visuals, voice acting, soundtrack and story I have encountered in a game in years, RDR2 will keep you busy for 60-100 hours easily. Okay from a story perspective it may not be beating Mass Effect 1,2,3 but its gets close.

Every choice you make counts and has an effect on the world, you decide whether you wish to go down the criminal path Darth Vader style or help others Captain America mode. There is so much to do aside from the main quests and the game pushes you to be responsible in terms of sleeping, eating, drinking and even having baths. It is one of the most realistic gaming experiences ever developed and I loved every minute of it.

With a surprising guest vocal performance by R&B superstar D’Angelo performing the compelling song ‘Unshaken’, RDR2 is full of melodic wonders.

PS. buying outfits/clothes at the tailors and looking the part is a hell load of fun.
PS II. Re-play Red Dead Redemption as John Marston from 2010 to fully comprehend the story and characters, it’s well worth it!

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey (PC & Console)

If you are into adventure platform games and love to fight in the famous historic periods of the world then you must definitely pick up Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. And if you have not done so before also play some of its predecessors, especially Origins (in Egypt) is a fantastic adventure and history lesson. The latest iteration of Assassin’s Creed drops into you into Zeus’s lap before he chucks you into the depths of Erebus to have tea with Hades. Yes, ancient Greece amidst the Peloponnesian War.

As you can see in the image above you get to choose with which hero you play. On the left the feisty, sexy, minge-munching, Kassandra (yes, not just on the isle of Lesbos). And on the right, Alexios, the Greek Thor that will make the average woman drool instead of playing the game (he also does not mind a bit of hanky panky in the game). Above all ACO delivers an immensely large world to play in with astonishing visuals, great acting and many choices to make. Oh and a lot of killing. But that is the fun part. Right? It’s a game, so I believe that does not make me a complete psycho yet…I think. You will hear a lot of ‘Malaka’ which is a curse word still used today haha.
May I make two big suggestions to any new gamers who are about to start this game?

Firstly try to acquire the Spartan kick skill as early as possible. Oh aye, you remember Gerard Butler as King Leonidas in the movie 300? (watch link below) This is Spartaaaaa!!

Secondly play with Kassandra of Sparta instead of Alexios, she has better voice acting and is a lot more fun to play with. Okay, she is hot and sexy as well.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance (PC & Console)

If you are in the mood for a completely unique first person gaming experience full of history, nature, knights and tales then Kingdom Come: Deliverance is a must for you.
Why unique? KC:D puts you in the farmer’s boots of Henry of Skalitz who rises to the rank of knight through an awesome tale of loyalty, war, and pride.

Developed thanks to an overly successful Kickstarter project by a tiny Czech team from Warhorse Studios, Kingdom Come: Deliverance makes life as Henry incredibly realistic.
You have to sleep, eat, rest, clean your clothes/armour, learn to read, learn to ride a horse, shoot a bow, fight with swords, axes, maces and daggers, make potions and much more. This makes you a crappy farmer’s boy when it comes to fighting at the beginning but gradually (with a lot of practice and killing) turns you into the true Lancelot you are meant to be. So you don’t have to pee or take a crap, but you better take your muddy boots off before going to bed boy!

Warhorse Studios created a beautiful medieval world set in the Kingdom of Bohemia during the 15th century. Fantastic voice acting, stunning visuals in a lively green world, a tale that will keep you hooked until the very end. The game initially had to deal with a tremendous amount of bugs and issues when it launched in February 2018 but runs smoothly since June, so no worries.

Please do play this on the PC if you can, the graphics are just amazing and better on a PC compared to a console and the controls I personally believe are better too with mouse and keyboard. To make things even better, for you PC players there is a 50% discount on the game and its DLC’s right now only on Steam. (also check the PS Store and Xbox Store for offers)

Check the link: 50% Discount on Steam

Football Manager 2019 (PC)

Bring out the inner Mourinho, or if you wish to keep your job bring out a bit of Jurgen Klopp or Pep Guardiola. Football Manager 2019 gives you an insane amount of control to run your club and team to glory. Or 6th place for Mourinho. With a little steep learning curve and many statistics making the average Excel nerd jizz his pants, FM19 offers even more tactical freedom and influence than any of its predecessors. I have been playing the Football Manager series since its early days in the 90’s when it used to be called Championship Manager.

Backed by a huge fanbase who have created a great amount of free add-ons like player pictures, kits, club badges, trophies and tactics which can be found at fmscout.com.

PokemonGO (mobile)

Oh my God stop being so childish! You seriously are not still messing about with those Pokemon? Yeah, I hear that a lot, unfortunately. Funny thing is that most PokemonGO players are adults and that anyone making fun of the game seriously does not know what they are missing. This game has kept me hooked since its launch back in 2016!

The developers Niantic have been very busy since its launch in July 2016 and added many features. I have written two pieces on the game in the past few months including a start up guide for new and even slightly more advanced players.

I can only say give it a try and read the following two articles of mine to get going:

→→PokemonGO is still fun, social, addictive and worth a play

→→Top 15 tips to playing PokemonGO

Now go catch ’em all!

Alto’s Odyssey (mobile)

Maybe you were already familiar with Alto’s Adventure, the 2015 endless runner snowboarding game by Snowman. With a variety of unlockable characters including a lama (oh yes), your character automatically moves to the right of the screen while the scenery and obstacles change. You only need one finger to play this game and execute the jumps and tricks. It also has a fantastic music theme that sounds best with headphones on, trust me.

Now moving to 2018, the successor to Alto’s Adventure is here: Alto’s Odyssey. And in short the same gaming principle, a new beautiful soundtrack and completely new scenery, obstacles, tricks and characters to play with.

It’s a great time killer when you are having a shit, are on the train or try to get through those boring meetings at work.

Marvel Strike Force (mobile)

I am sure the opinions will be divided on this one due to its pay to win setup, however let me just say that you can also get the most out of this game ‘without paying‘. Developed by FoxNext for Android and iOS in March 2018, Marvel Strike Force is a turn based role playing game. More importantly you get to play with all your Marvel heroes…and villains…Loki, have you decided whether you are good or evil?

The micro-transactions in the game are stupidly expensive, however the game offers constant events, new characters, bonuses and if you play this on a daily basis you will notice that with a bit of patience and dedication you can get the most out of this game.

The fighting, moves and costumes are awesome, especially Wolverine’s war cry when he finishes someone off. Avengers ASSEMBLE!

Detroit Become Human (Playstation only)

Every once in a while there is a game that tries to change things up and provide a slightly different gaming experience. Detroit Become Human successfully manages to give us this concept wrapped in a futuristic jacket. It’s visually stunning, comes with a fantastic story where all your choices have an impact, there is no turning back.
Controls are intuitive, great voice acting and if anything created to be replayed again and again in different ways, making different choices every single time.

Currently only available on the Playstation 4.

God Of War (4) (console)

Together with Geralt of Rivia from the Witcher series, Kratos is one of the most badass, over the top, angry motherf*ckers ever to be put into a game. This mythology based action series with a massive fanbase goes back to its original Playstation 2 days in 2005 with the original release of God of War. For a more lengthy description about Kratos his character follow this link.

God of War 4 turns from Greek to Norse mythology, with what I believe is the best iteration from the God Of War series. With an absolutely scintillating duo performance by voice actors Christopher Judge (Kratos) and Sunny Suljic (Atreus), God Of War brings a large world full of puzzles, intense boss fights, a lot of anger and waaaayyyy too much of Kratos saying: “BOY!”. The skill tree and gear upgrading system gives you a lot of freedom in choosing you fighting style, look and powers.

Together with Red Redemption 2 probably the best game of 2018!

Gardenscapes (mobile)

Last but not least a kids game. No just kidding. Apart from its childish demeanour and cute funny characters this is one hell of an addictive fun game. Gardenscapes I believe is a perfected version of Candy Crush.
Together with butler Austin and your pet dog you are put in charge of completely cleaning, restoring and upgrading your massive mansion garden. You do this by playing Candy Crush type games that provide plenty of challenge along the way. Don’t be seduced into buying micro-transactions, as the game provides ample freebies and rewards during general gameplay. Enjoy!

Look (picture below) at those numb-nuts standing there trying to find a silly little animal with a ball. Oh wait, I am actually also one of those numb-nuts who runs after his phone trying to catch oddly named creatures like Pikachu and Bulbasaur. Yup, Pokemon I am talking about folks. And let me tell you there aren’t just a few, noooo…. just the first generation alone has 151 Pokemon, there are actually 720 in total according to the official Pokedex. Poke-what? Yeah let us not go there, yet. What is more important is that after some major updates by Niantic, PokemonGO is more popular than ever! And as of today brings the release of the 4th generation Pokemon! Here is why my wife and I (both sane working adults) are still hooked after almost 2 years since its launch.

The game in brief
For all you Ash Ketchum’s just starting out and leaving your home and annoying mother behind or for anyone not at all familiar with the game PokemonGO, here is a brief and simple quick start. For a more in-depth explanation please go to the Internet and a place called Google. I will be writing my own take on how to play the game with everything I have learnt over the past 2 years, that article will follow later this week.

The goal in PokemonGO firstly is of course to ‘catch ’em all’!! You get the image of a map, very similar to Google Maps, just without the traffic jams. And wherever you move every now and then an odd Pokemon, a few or even a bunch of them will appear on your map. Then it’s quite simple, you click on the Pokemon and try and catch it.
There are two ways to do this, one way is with AR+ mode, where you use the camera of your phone to catch the Pokemon right in front of you. This means you can see them as if they were there in real life. Fun gimmick for about two throws. The other way is by turning this function off, which I can tell you makes it a lot easier to catch the pokemon. So just turn it off. Unless you are a 10 year old who will think of it as magic.

Catching Technique
To catch a Pokemon you don’t just chuck a Pokeball at the Pokemon as if it were a grenade. No, there is a technique you have to master, thankfully, otherwise this game would be far too easy. Every Pokemon has a coloured ring in front of it, this ring will decrease in size and go back to full size in a continuous cycle every-time you touch and hold the Pokeball. This ring will be green with more basic Pokemon that are easier to catch and will change colour to an orange or even red colour for the hardest and more rare Pokemon. The goal is to throw the ball in a curved direction in the middle of that coloured circle. If you do so you will get an ‘Excellent’ throw, if the circle is bigger it will be a ‘Great’ throw and if its at its biggest a ‘Nice’ throw. As you can imagine you want the Pokemon to stay in the ball, so once you threw it and hit the Pokemon, the ball will jutter three times, at the third time the Pokemon is caught. Chances are it comes out again after one or two jutters and you have to try again. But be careful there is a chance the Pokemon might flee. For more tips and tricks check out my upcoming article for both beginners and advanced players later this week.

For a quick and simple tutorial check out the video below with thanks to XM360.

Nostalgia
So why do I, a 31 year old married and working male, play a game that so many people consider childish, silly and a waste of time? Well in my youth I already collected the Pokemon collector’s cards, watched the series and felt rather nostalgic when in 2016 Niantic launched PokemonGO. Being able to combine that nostalgia with a game that keeps you on the move, is highly addictive and free to play really made it easy for my wife and I to give it a go. And apart from us I know there is a massive community of PokemonGO players globally that goes into the millions. According to Niantic reports from June earlier this year we are talking about almost 150 million people worldwide. Wow!

Walk Walk Walk
So you might think, I will just sit on my couch and let the Pokemon spawn around me. That way I can be lazy and still get them. Well lard-ass that is not possible with PokemonGO. It is designed to make you move and go to different places. There are places called Gyms and Pokestops spread all over the world, there could be one in your street. And these Gyms and Pokestops are important because there you can fight other player’s pokemon, conquer Gyms and defend them and more importantly spin them to earn items like candies, pokeballs, revives etc.. Also more on this in my advanced PokemonGO article later this week, so stay tuned!

But one thing is clear you have to move your ass out and about. Over the past 2 years I have walked 200 km. Of which I can safely say that most of that I walked these past 6 months. If you are in a rural area you will however find yourself with less spawning Pokemon and less Pokestops and Gyms available. The best places are often in the cities and very popular touristic destinations, parks etc..

Community
So at first my wife and I just walked about and caught one Pokemon after another, now going into the many thousands. However while walking around you notice you are not the only person doing this, especially when visiting these Pokestops or Gyms you might bump into other PokemonGO players. This happened to me, when apparently one of the people there was the admin of a Whatsapp group for my region and in that group they planned raids and battled gyms together. PokemonGO brings people of all ages and backgrounds together, which is great fun. Oh and if you are wondering, I have yet to bump into a kid (under 18) in this group. There are a lot of people between 20-40 years old and I have seen even older folks playing it. Anybody who says its childish and silly, that is your opinion and I respect that, but no, it really isn’t! Get out there and who knows you might find some new friends.

Addictive (evolving)
The most fun part in my opinion is not just the collecting of all these critters but more importantly the ‘evolving’ of them. Just like Dragon Ball Z’s Goku went from Saiyan to Super Saiyan, albeit with less blonde hair and screaming these Pokemon do the same.

Some Pokemon have one evolve others have two. To get these evolved versions you must collect a lot of candies. Basically every time you catch a certain type of Pokemon, for example Pikachu, you receive a certain amount of candies (mostly 3). You will have to accumulate these candies continually, until you have 25, 50 or for third evolves often 100 candies. So walk, walk, walk and catch, catch, catch.

This process is a very addictive and can make it a very exciting and exhilarating momentum when you catch that one Pokemon you need or those last candies you need to make the next evolve. Of course patience is also a virtue here.

Today marks the release of 20 new Pokemon from the 4th Generation of Pokemon, so download PokemonGO and start collecting those little bastards. Pikaaa-chuuuuuu!!

PS. Final note of warning. Please do be careful when walking around with your head buried in your phone’s screen. Constantly be aware of what is going on around you, there have actually been people who died (17) playing PokemonGO because they got run over.
Death Tracker 

*available on both Android and iOS