Author: Marcus Yeatman-Crouch

Download, Video Games

Battlefield is back – now how will it dethrone a reinvigorated COD?

ItÔÇÖs been a while, but this year will see the return of the Battlefield franchise. Remember it? Most recently, developers DICE went old school with Battlefield 1 and Battlefield V, both set in the World Wars. While the historical settings didnÔÇÖt prevent excitement from the massive maps and set pieces the series is known for, it did feel like DICE were falling behind. Behind who? … Continue reading Battlefield is back – now how will it dethrone a reinvigorated COD?

Marcus Yeatman-Crouch
Download, Video Games

Is Returnal the start of the PS5 Era?

ItÔÇÖs been 7 months since the PlayStation 5 released, and itÔÇÖs safe to say that thereÔÇÖs not been an avalanche of exclusives just yet. But thatÔÇÖs nothing to worry about – the PS4 only launched with a few big titles, though itÔÇÖs understandable fans will have been getting a bit impatient waiting for some games that really push the boundaries of the system. WeÔÇÖve had … Continue reading Is Returnal the start of the PS5 Era?

Marcus Yeatman-Crouch
Download, Video Games

Mario Party is finally online, but are Nintendo late to the show?

By Marcus Yeatman-Crouch ItÔÇÖs been three long years, but Super Mario PartyÔÇÖs latest update will have many thinking itÔÇÖs a brand new game. Since its original release in 2018, the iconic couch co-op game has been restricted to, wellÔǪ just the couch. 10 out of 80 mini games were available to play online with friends, and it was impossible to play the main feature ÔÇÿMario … Continue reading Mario Party is finally online, but are Nintendo late to the show?

Marcus Yeatman-Crouch
Download, Video Games

Casuals vs Completionists – Where do you stand?

By Lewis Empson and Marcus Yeatman-Crouch Two words that will often crop up in the gaming lexicon are ‘casuals’ and ‘completionists’. Pretty obvious terms, and total opposites: the casuals who will play through a game, finish the story then put it down; the completionists who will vampirically drain a game for all its worth before they move on to the next. We all know someone … Continue reading Casuals vs Completionists – Where do you stand?

Marcus Yeatman-Crouch
Download, Video Games

Back to Basics: How MMOs are Rebooting their Fanbases

Some of the biggest MMOs (massively multiplayer online games) have been around for a while. World of Warcraft has entered its 17th year, while RuneScape is clocking in at the grand old age of 20. MMOs are a bit different to regular games, of course. TheyÔÇÖve got ÔÇÿlive serviceÔÇÖ, continuous updates and maintenance to the world so you can always expect more when you log … Continue reading Back to Basics: How MMOs are Rebooting their Fanbases

Marcus Yeatman-Crouch
Download, Video Games

From Flop to Film Star: Sonic in the 2010’s

By Marcus Yeatman-Crouch ItÔÇÖs been a rough ten years for Sonic, the legendary SEGA mascot who once went head-to-head with Super Mario. Looking at him now of course, in the wake of a Hollywood film, youÔÇÖd think Sonic was back on the rise. That may be true, but the more recent news of the mascotÔÇÖs English language voice actor Roger Craig Smith leaving the role … Continue reading From Flop to Film Star: Sonic in the 2010’s

Marcus Yeatman-Crouch
Download, Video Games

Voice Acting: The Gaming Industry Making its Mark

By Lewis Empson and Marcus Yeatman-Crouch A lot goes into making a modern video game. The programmers, graphic designers, writers and creative directors all deal with the gutty works and behind-the-scenes of a game. But, in a story focused game like Uncharted, The Last of Us, or God of War, who are we really hearing from? The character – or, more specifically, the voice actor. … Continue reading Voice Acting: The Gaming Industry Making its Mark

Marcus Yeatman-Crouch
Download, Video Games

The KFConsole and Other Weird Console Ventures

When asked to think of a ÔÇÿconsoleÔÇÖ, most of us have two easy answers – Xbox and PlayStation. Throw Nintendo into the mix and you have the three biggest consoles on the market, sitting alongside PC as the core platforms for gaming. There is, however, a bit of a market for niche, third party consoles that have been attempted by different parties. HereÔÇÖs just a … Continue reading The KFConsole and Other Weird Console Ventures

Marcus Yeatman-Crouch
Download, Video Games

Download’s Game Awards

By Lewis Empson and Marcus Yeatman-Crouch In this seemingly endless year there’s been a massive amount of games released, including triple A blockbusters, sleeper hits and derailed hype train disasters. If you read last week’s article, you already saw our thoughts on the official Game Awards winners of this year, but we decided to do our own spin on the awards, with some different winners … Continue reading Download’s Game Awards

Marcus Yeatman-Crouch
Download, Video Games

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla | Review

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Review by Marcus Yeatman-Crouch | ÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿà A massive thanks to Ubisoft UK for the review key and images. All opinions expressed in this article are my own. The AssassinÔÇÖs Creed franchise has made a bold foray into the RPG genre in recent years, starting with Egyptian-themed Origins, improving on the format with the Ancient Greek Odyssey, and now going further than ever … Continue reading Assassin’s Creed Valhalla | Review

Marcus Yeatman-Crouch
Download, Video Games

Phasmophobia – Spooky Season’s New Hit?

By Marcus Yeatman-Crouch WeÔÇÖre in the middle of spooky season now, and it seems only right that the newest title grabbing the gaming communityÔÇÖs attention is a positive ÔÇÿMost HauntedÔÇÖ simulator. ThatÔÇÖs right: Phasmophobia is the spine-chilling and somehow simultaneously hilarious co-op ghostbusting game perfect for the build up to Halloween.  Phasmophobia is a multiplayer, psychological horror developed by one (yes, one!) man, but you … Continue reading Phasmophobia – Spooky Season’s New Hit?

Marcus Yeatman-Crouch
Download, Video Games

Among Us: All Your Friends are Sus

By Marcus Yeatman-Crouch ThereÔÇÖs no game that quite sums up how weÔÇÖre all feeling at this point in the year than Among Us. Despite being out for 2 years already, itÔÇÖs sprung onto the scene as an accessible, addictive party game that can be enjoyed alone or with a bunch of friends. But why is it that it has so suddenly shot to fame? What … Continue reading Among Us: All Your Friends are Sus

Marcus Yeatman-Crouch
Download, Video Games

Is This the Death of Flash Gaming?

By now, most of us have heard the news. Adobe is bidding farewell to its legendary Flash platform this December, signalling the end times for many a beloved game. Flash provided us with thousands of free games online, across a host of websites. Now, we face the prospect of losing these important games and the sites that host them forever, as the internet modernises and discards the outdated Flash player in favour of total HTML5 conversion. Continue reading Is This the Death of Flash Gaming?

Marcus Yeatman-Crouch
Download, Video Games

Thoughts On: Gamescom

By Lewis Empson and Marcus Yeatman-Crouch Gamescom is one of the biggest gaming conventions on the calendar, and while coronavirus has prevented the usual hordes of fans from showing up at the convention centre in Cologne, that didn’t stop the organisers from presenting a virtual conference – similar to the type we’ve seen from Ubisoft, Sony, and Microsoft – with a lineup of 38 games … Continue reading Thoughts On: Gamescom

Marcus Yeatman-Crouch
Download

Internet Deepdives: reddit

By Marcus Yeatman-Crouch Reddit is a social media platform that tends to hang around the fringes of other popular sites like Twitter or Instagram, often escaping the public eye. This is despite having 330 million active users per month – the same as Twitter – and 168 billion page views in 2018 alone. While it is gaining popularity, reddit is often considered a bit of … Continue reading Internet Deepdives: reddit

Marcus Yeatman-Crouch
Download, Video Games

What Next for EA’s Star Wars Saga?

Since EA took over the coveted Star Wars IP, you could say theyÔÇÖve given us a mixed bag. Mobile game Galaxy of Heroes aside, EA have published two revamped Battlefront titles and a singleplayer Souls-like in Jedi: Fallen Order. Of the former, Star Wars: Battlefront I was critically panned and deemed just another EA money grab, whilst its successor only achieved a steady playerbase after … Continue reading What Next for EA’s Star Wars Saga?

Marcus Yeatman-Crouch
Travel

Sustainable Tourism

By Lauren Dittmer┬á The Galapagos Islands are a National Park and Marine Reserve which host some 225,000 tourists each year. Despite thralls of visitors, the archipelago is one of the most protected environments in the world. I spent six weeks here in 2018 and will be returning in January 2020. It is a destination I would encourage anyone to visit. The Islands boast beautiful landscapes, … Continue reading Sustainable Tourism

Marcus Yeatman-Crouch
Travel

Picture Perfect

By Josie von Jascheroff Siem Reap, Cambodia. Away from the crowds of tourists posing in front of mesmerizing Angkor Wat, there is a little cluster of smaller temples. Some are partially in ruin while others allows sweltering Europeans to seek shelter in the shade. Amongst these, there is a construction of four ginormous Buddha heads called Angkor Thom. Each head faces in a different direction … Continue reading Picture Perfect

Marcus Yeatman-Crouch
Travel

The Real Meaning Behind the Day of the Dead

By Haydee Mart├¡nez Zavala & Edith Rojo-Zazueta In Mexico, thereÔÇÖs a saying that goes like this: ÔÇ£El muerto al pozo y el vivo al gozoÔÇØ. The literal translation of this phrase would be: ÔÇ£The dead ones go to the pit and the living ones to the joyÔÇØ. After celebrating the Day of the Dead this past 1st and 2nd of November (All SaintÔÇÖs Day, and … Continue reading The Real Meaning Behind the Day of the Dead

Marcus Yeatman-Crouch