Archive by Author

Matthew Figueira

Battlefield 3: End Game review

April 8, 2013 at 3:30 pm | 50 Comments

It's been around 18 months since Battlefield 3 first hit our rigs and consoles. If you are a twat like me and missed out on the last couple of DLC packs, fear not! End Game is awaiting your purchase, or simply awaiting login if you are already an existing premium member. It isn't called End Game for nothing, Battlefield 4 is pegged to be released by the end of this year after all.


Matthew Figueira

In the Ring: Borderlands 2 Vs Diablo 3

December 7, 2012 at 3:30 pm | 35 Comments

It's one thing to look into a game as an individual product, but human nature tends to have people throwing down comparisons left, right and centre. When there is no official yardstick to measure something, the next best thing is to look at is something similar. Gamers compare all sorts of things all the time. Boxers have their own unique attributes on paper, but it is their ability in the ring that determines who reigns supreme. It is with this thinking that I present to you today's two contestants in a gaming head to head battle.


Matthew Figueira

rAge 2012 – Do Gaming Lan Edition

October 8, 2012 at 3:30 pm | 7 Comments

Sure, there were thousands of gamers on the main expo floor, many of which undoubtedly thought highly of their gaming skills. However, If one had to search deep beneath The Dome, they would stumble into a large room in which the real professionals were duking it out.


Matthew Figueira

Counter-Strike: GO Review – New Dog, Old Tricks

September 17, 2012 at 12:15 pm | 19 Comments

I'd imagine that if you were ever a Counter-Strike fanboy, you are already happily shooting people as well as having your face shot off in the latest iteration of Counter-Strike. What sort of FPS Sourcery have the magical Valve studio released? Same game, different look? Predominantly yes, but for a mere $15, the age old addictive FPS multiplayer action with new tweaks, weapons and such can be yours.


Matthew Figueira

Local Gaming- The Dota 2 SteelSeries Spring League

August 29, 2012 at 1:00 pm | 9 Comments

It's no secret that I am a Dota 2 lunatic, dedicating just about all my free time to learning how to be efficient and decent at the damn game. Too bad the curve to being a pro is steeper than the Tower of Terror! In the meantime, perhaps it's better to grab a notepad and see just how the pro's themselves do things right.


Matthew Figueira

I Human – An Augmented Life

August 28, 2012 at 10:00 am | 9 Comments

Technology as we know it, is progressing faster than ever. I myself had my teeny little mind exploding upon hearing that there was something greater than the current HD resolutions we employ in everyday life. I knew it was out there in some sneaky high tech lab, but it seems that TV's containing such astronomical specs are available at exuberant prices exist. This is what really made it sink into my reality, that if I had the money, I could ready myself for the next gen of consoles with a magical box packed with bazillions of pixels.


Matthew Figueira

COD’s Granddaddy is a GO

August 22, 2012 at 10:45 am | 27 Comments

In the good old days, years before the adoption of the internet into around 99.9999% of gamers homes, LANS* were the only way to partake in some multiplayer tomfoolery. As I've mentioned before, the top of the list of my games to play was always Counter Strike. Even if you're a sad non pc user console gamer today, I'm fairly certain that you have some sort of distant memory of playing this ever popular FPS.


Matthew Figueira

Parental guidance: Gaming Restrictions

August 7, 2012 at 12:15 pm | 28 Comments

I've often wondered how I will manage my kids and their gaming one day. The way things are going, games are progressing into better visuals, and aren't lacking when it comes to violence. The reason I wonder, is due to several scenarios I have encountered in retail. While doing audits in stores in the past, I have often overheard or witnessed parents buying games for their children, and seen the kinds of choices they make.


Matthew Figueira

Dota 2 Preview: Addiction Prediction

July 19, 2012 at 3:30 pm | 23 Comments

Valve is probably the biggest troll when it comes to gaming. I say that in the most loving way possible, as they have always released a plethora of amazing games, yet kept Half-Life Episode 3 hidden away for the past few years. Is the game even happening? Hopefully. In the meantime however, if you're a an action RTS addict fan like myself, you are no doubt excited about Dota 2, which we know is confirmed and being developed by the giant gaming company we all love.


Matthew Figueira

Battlefield 3 Premium Review – Bang! Bang! Bang! For Your Buck

July 13, 2012 at 12:15 pm | 19 Comments

So you've done it all in Battlefield 3; You've driven that C4 jeep into tanks countless times, you've decimated entire squads with a simple UAV, and you've even sniped a pilot out of a plane just to jump in and hijack it? That may be all good and fascinating, but does the actual game still excite you? Do anything for long enough and fatigue or loss of interest is bound to set in. If I had to mention DLC now, I'm sure I would lose the interest of many, but hear me out. Battlefield 3 Premium is more than just some silly add-on DLC appended with the word "premium".


Matthew Figueira

Diablo III: Megarom LAN Edition

May 21, 2012 at 12:15 pm | 33 Comments

As a society, we have swiftly progressed from the Electronic Age straight into the Information Age. The internet is touching all corners of the globes, connecting people in ways that were unimaginable. This itself has changed the way we game, and the way certain games are made. Take a look at the Modern warfare (snorefare) series as an example. A huge chunk of the consumers that purchase it do not even touch the single player campaign! They delve straight into the frantic online fps multiplayer action.

Once upon a time, LAN's were the only way one could effectively engage in multiplayer. Rumour has it that such gatherings are becoming more and more rare, and I do not dispute this claim at all. However, much fun and raucous laughter is still to be had, away from your haven at home! I was fortunate enough to be thrown an invite to a Diablo III gathering, hosted by Megarom at the Internet Solutions offices. It's a bit ironic if you think about it. We would all be part of an Internet LAN; gamers in the same room questing together, while our games synced back and forth across the world.


Matthew Figueira

Diablo 3 Launch – BT Games Eastgate Edition

May 15, 2012 at 1:00 pm | 40 Comments

If you're reading this and you attended a Diablo 3 midnight launch, I'm going to go ahead and assume that you survived your clickathon which probably lasted into the wee hours of the morning.

With various retailers offering launch parties, it may have been tricky to choose where to go. I  attended the BT Games Eastgate launch, and they seemed well prepared for the occasion.


Matthew Figueira

Mid Wars – bringing more anger issues to Heroes of Newerth players

May 11, 2012 at 1:30 pm | 14 Comments

So after my last article, it turns out that not many of you are really into Heroes of Newerth that much. It's perfectly understandable considering that the community can be unforgiving, whether you are new to the game or have been playing for your entire life.

Nonetheless, it is the 2 year anniversary of the now F2P game. I remember the good old beta days when there were probably less than 30 heroes to choose from. That hero pool now stands at a staggering 100+ currently, with more being added consistently. To celebrate their birthday, S2 Games are incorporating a new mode into the game - available today!


Matthew Figueira

Defense of the DOTA’s

May 8, 2012 at 12:15 pm | 27 Comments

I remember years ago when LANS were the only real place to go to for true multiplayer gaming. I set up my pc with the thought of several hours of Counter Strike and various other games ahead of me. I remember how countless times I browsed through the available servers expecting to find dozens of maps or games happening, only to find one or two servers, and they weren't even full.

WHAT WAS GOING ON?! A quick glance around the room gave me my answer. Every damn gamer was in a game of Dota. At the time the only thought in my head was that I was there to game and to game now. I didn't want to learn how to play some new game, especially if it wasn't a shooter! Years passed, and I never once tried it out.


Matthew Figueira

Re-review: Batman Arkham Asylum

May 4, 2012 at 12:15 pm | 12 Comments

So you've read about the Batman Arkham City Game of the Year Edition, and you've told yourself that you are going to buy it. What! You've never played Arkham Asylum? Perhaps you skimmed the reviews in 2009 when it came out. Maybe you overlooked the pre-played area when you were out shopping last week. Perhaps you were just broke.

Don't worry, I was in the same boat. Truthfully, there is no longer any excuse for not experiencing the asylum, and now is the time to leap into the Bats costume and find out what happened in there!