REVIEW: Call of Duty: Black Ops 4

By Mike O’Brien |┬áÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔ£░ Disclosure: Activision provided Quench with a copy of the game for review purposes. Call of Duty, arguably the best known shooter in the world, annually shatters industry sales records with impunity. Yet, for years now, itÔÇÖs been bedeviled by its passionately vocal community who arenÔÇÖt quite convinced that Call of Duty knows what it is. What began as a Second World … Continue reading REVIEW: Call of Duty: Black Ops 4

Nintendo’s new online platform is a disaster with promise

By Alex Daud Briggs and Mike OÔÇÖBrien | After a year of waiting, Nintendo has finally released their online service for the Switch – and fans are less than pleased. Anyone familiar with Nintendo will know that their online track record is comprised of a series of poor and perplexing decisions. But in the days of the Wii, the Wii U, and the 3DS, NintendoÔÇÖs … Continue reading Nintendo’s new online platform is a disaster with promise

Fake News vs Democracy: Can Technology Help?

By Alexandra Banfi | Since the inception of news, disinformation has been a legitimate societal threat. Whilst the term ÔÇÿfake newsÔÇÖ has enjoyed a renaissance thanks to Donald Trump, itÔÇÖs hardly exclusive to him ÔÇô and it presents far more sinister intentions than basic denial. ItÔÇÖs a method of demeaning critical voices in the press and manipulating democracy. The development of technology, especially social media, … Continue reading Fake News vs Democracy: Can Technology Help?

Nvidia RTX 2000 Series: A Tera-FLOP?

By Daniel Brown | After much anticipation, speculation and countless leaks, Nvidia finally officially revealed their new graphics card line-up: the GeForce RTX 2000 series. This series is a huge deal, as the new Turing architecture was designed with more in mind than just an incremental increase in performance as with previous generations. The Turing architecture was developed with the implementation of two newly designed … Continue reading Nvidia RTX 2000 Series: A Tera-FLOP?

Rapture Gaming Festival 2018: Wholesome, Professional, Profound

IÔÇÖve been to my fair share of gaming festivals and events in the past, but this yearÔÇÖs Rapture will always hold a special place in my heart. The scale of the event may not compare to more widely known events such as EGX or Insomnia, but the passion and craftsmanship most certainly do. Rapture was built professionally with a high degree of care that not … Continue reading Rapture Gaming Festival 2018: Wholesome, Professional, Profound

Music is your odyssey and mine.

By Mike O’Brien |┬á I recall having a conversation about music with a friend of mine last Summer. ÔÇÿWhat do you think about people who say music saved them?ÔÇÖ she asked, the subtext rich with doubt and bemusement. Ultimately, as with any passion or pursuit, some enjoy more intimate relationships with music than others. But it has certainly saved me. Having bounced from hospital to … Continue reading Music is your odyssey and mine.

REVIEW: 20XX

By Mike O’Brien |┬áÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔ£░Ô£░ Disclaimer: Fire Hose Games provided a free copy of┬á20XX┬áto Quench for review purposes. We all have vices. I, for instance, canÔÇÖt say no to sambuca. In the AAA games industry, no one can seem to put down the bottle labelled ÔÇÿBattle RoyaleÔÇÖ. And, just like the rest of us, indie games have picked their poison: roguelikes. With games like Enter the … Continue reading REVIEW: 20XX

REVIEW: Crash Bandicoot N Sane Trilogy

By Mike OÔÇÖBrien |┬áÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔ£░ Disclosure: Activision provided Quench with a review copy of Crash Bandicoot N Sane Trilogy for Nintendo Switch. Few of gamingÔÇÖs icons can claim the legacy of Crash Bandicoot. Though itÔÇÖs had a number of titles over the years, none have equaled the impact of the original trilogy by Naughty Dog, whoÔÇÖve since moved on to more adult pursuits in Uncharted and … Continue reading REVIEW: Crash Bandicoot N Sane Trilogy

Mario Tennis Aces Review: A strong serve with diminishing returns

By Mike OÔÇÖBrien |┬áÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔ£░ I have always admired NintendoÔÇÖs philosophy towards multiplayer. Save for a few minor missteps ÔÇô IÔÇÖm looking at you, Brawl ÔÇô Nintendo is king when it comes to perfecting the delicate duality of games that your nan can pick up, whilst somehow allowing plenty of legroom for advanced play. IÔÇÖm pleased to announce that the same is true of Mario Tennis … Continue reading Mario Tennis Aces Review: A strong serve with diminishing returns

Ubisoft at E3 2018 | Ubisoft’s ears are open, and it’s showing

By Alex Daud Briggs | If one thing is clear from UbisoftÔÇÖs E3 this year, itÔÇÖs that theyÔÇÖre listening. It doesnÔÇÖt feel like too long ago that Ubisoft were infamous for dubious DLC practices and uninspired sequels – but the last couple of years have been a firm renaissance for the company, and this yearÔÇÖs E3 is a fine example. Whilst there werenÔÇÖt too many … Continue reading Ubisoft at E3 2018 | Ubisoft’s ears are open, and it’s showing

EA at E3 2018 | EA extends a slightly clumsy but welcome olive branch

By Ashley Sterio | Despite carving out their own little space away from E3 in the name of ÔÇÿEA PlayÔÇÖ, EA did curiously little to deviate from their formula this year – but the standard-fare shock and awe of E3 has never been their game. Safe, accessible, and communicative are fit descriptors for EA, whose conferences are normally a tidy arrangement of well-anticipated but unsurprising … Continue reading EA at E3 2018 | EA extends a slightly clumsy but welcome olive branch

Sony at E3 2018 | Industry-leading talent at a glacial pace

By Mike O’Brien Since the launch of the market-leading PlayStation 4, SonyÔÇÖs E3 conferences have been storms of momentum, rarely stopping for breath nor the choreographed corporate fun that E3 is infamous for. ItÔÇÖs no surprise then that the PlayStation conference is, for many, the premiere event; for ninety minutes a year, all eyes are on Sony, and that attention seldom goes unrewarded. This year … Continue reading Sony at E3 2018 | Industry-leading talent at a glacial pace