We dig into how Starfield and Baldur’s Gate 3 steal your free time, check out Seagate’s Starfield Special Edition Game Drive and more.
It’s been a busy few months in an even busier year, but two games in particualr have made big waves. Both Starfield and Baldur’s Gate 3 are huge epics ready to steal all your free time, so we look into both of them to see if they’re worth the investment…
Starfield (Xbox Series X/S, PC)
For lack of a better pun, the expectation around Starfield has been out of this world. But as one of Xbox’s biggest titles in years, fans have been looking to the stars for something special and thankfully the good news is that it mostly delivers.
Things start out simple enough – filling the space boots of a miner tasked with collecting a mystical artefact, but things quickly escalate and before long you’re sent on a planet-hopping adventure with an almost overwhelming amount to see and do.
In typical Bethesda studios fashion you can infiltrate criminal networks, secretly haul contraband content, engage in space battles, and even just pop in to see your parents. You’re constantly distracted in Starfield but that’s rarely a bad thing.
Gunplay is also a big part of the adventure and while on-ground content clicked for me, especially if you have a jetpack to zip around with, ship-focused shooting never hit quite the same way. Still, gamers desperate to fulfil their space captain dreams will likely still get plenty of enjoyment from tinkering with the various systems all the same.
When all is said and done while Starfield mightn’t be the complete and gamechanger hardcore Xbox fans may have been hoping for, it’s still an incredibly enjoyable adventure filled with enough content that can see you playing for the months or (light)years ahead.
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Baldur’s Gate 3 (PS5, PC)
Speaking of beefy, content-rich games, Baldur’s Gate 3 hasn’t just emerged as one of Starfield’s biggest role-playing competitors, it has also easily cemented itself as one of 2023’s best games. It’s a truly outstanding CRPG that not only breathes new life into its Dungeons and Dragons foundations, and acts as the perfect vessel to introduce newcomers into the epic experience.
The way Baldur’s Gate 3 has managed to adapt the Dungeons & Dragons tabletop formula into a video game is outstanding – dice rolls and all. But at a fundamental level there is just an incredible sense of freedom at play in every scene, making you feel like you can do whatever you want, whenever you want. Whether you’re a smooth talker or big brute, you can walk down almost any path and feel entirely unique consequences, and it’s all backed up by rich characters and strong writing. Combined, it helps build a world that feels real and alive.
Even this PS5 iteration plays shockingly well outside of a handful of minor bugs. Not only are the visuals incredibly crisp and pretty to look at, the port translates the primarily PC-dominant controls pretty darn well to a controller. The turn-based combat will require the biggest adjustment due to its sheer level of depth, but it will never threaten to derail your overall experience.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is an example of a video game positively nailing its brief and deserves your time and your attention. Open yourself up to it and you’ll likely provide it with both in spades.
Also out now…
Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, XBO, PC)
After the truly wild success of Elden Ring, it was all eyes on From Software as the developers returned to their roots with Armored Core, but somehow Fires of Rubicon manages to provide the long-dormant series the shot in the arm fans have been aching for.
A large part of this is thanks to this entry’s truly tantalising combat, which is fast, frantic and buttery smooth, helping prevent any kind of monotony in taking down mindless robotic foes. Bosses, on the other hand, are anything but mindless, and continue to showcase From Software’s signature difficulty and will force you to chop and change your approach.
Sure, getting caught up in the nitty-gritty of your loadouts can feel unnecessarily convoluted, but the flexibility and depth is there if you need it, and if you don’t… that’s okay as well.
You’re still going to have fun exploding all sorts of robots and we couldn’t be happier that this franchise is back in action.
Mortal Kombat 1 (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC)
If you’ve been chomping at the bit for some bloody good fun, look no further than Mortal Kombat 1. Acting like a quasi-timeline reboot, the latest entry in the popular fighting doesn’t just shake things up with its story (offering new looks at classic characters) but with its actual mechanics as well.
Kameos, for example, act a little like assists in other fighters, allowing another combatant of your choosing to quickly pop in and either lay a few extra hits to help extend a combo or provide some much-needed breathing room when you’re really in a pinch. No matter which way you play it, Kameos not only add an extra bit of visual flair to each fight, but increase their pace to allow for more exciting bouts.
And while the story doesn’t hit quite the same highs as some of its predecessors, Mortal Kombat 1’s fatalities sure do, so rest assured that they are all as bloody and brutal as you’d hope for. To say anything would be to ruin some of the finisher’s spectacles but prepare for plenty of limbs to go flying, spines to be ripped and a whole lot more carnage.
It’s beautiful chaos.
Gunbrella (Switch, PC)
Although is might not cement itself as the instant indie classic many might have expected, Gunbrella is still worth giving a shot, if only for its creative central hook – the titular Gunbrella.
Part shotgun, floating device, the Gunbrella is a delightful gameplay mechanic that allows for some fun level design and problem solving. It can be used to zipline, reflect bullets and more, allowing you to work out the best way to navigate around environments and deadly foes. The weapon takes some getting used to but once before long you’ll be dashing and blasting with reckless abandon, especially when it comes to some of the standout bosses.
Throughout the whole experience Gunbrella’s pixel art is gorgeous to look at, which makes it a shame that I just didn’t vibe with the story surrouding it all. The age-old tale of revenge just never quite hit, despite the heavy noir vibe and various twists and turns.
But don’t let that stop you from checking out Gunbrella. It never outstays its welcome and will have you looking at the humble umbrella in a whole new light.
Super Bomberman R 2 (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PS4, XBO)
Bomberman might not have the cultural recognition he once did, but this party battler does well to shine a bit of extra spotlight after his big revival a few years ago.
This follow-up naturally plays much the same as its predecessor, but the new Castle asymmetrical multiplayer mode is a worthy new addition. It’s here that players are tasked into two teams – one person focuses on withholding a bunch of treasure while the sole purpose of up to 15 other players to capture it all. By allowing the solo ‘King’ to slightly editing the map to their whim, it opens the door for some entertaining strategic plays and keeps the gameplay fresh.
If you’re not so fussed on the multiplayer modes, it’s worth pointing out that Super Bomberman R 2 does have a single-player campaign. It’s a little light, so playing with a group of friends is certainly recommended, but if you do you’ll likely get more than enough bang for your buck.
It’s a Wrap (Switch, PC)
Now here’s a game that’s likely to be unlike any other you’ll play in 2023. That’s because It’s a Wrap not only focuses around a 1980s Hollywood aesthetic; its primary mechanic sees you tinkering with a simple video editing timeline.
Styled similarly to software like Adobe Premiere or Final Cut Pro, you’ll move elements of the timeline in order to allow a scene successfully run from start to finish before you actually take control of action star Johnny Rush to make it all a reality.
Puzzles might involve shifting platforms to allow for easy access or choosing the right placement for a boulder so that it doesn’t crush Johnny on the way through. These film-inspired puzzles ramp up in difficulty as more elements are introduced for you to juggle but they’re consistently creative and do well to play into their inspiration.
This is surprising little adventure is packed with charm and perfect for film nerds or anybody looking to take a chance on a creative puzzler.
Red Dead Redemption (Switch, PS4)
Thirteen years after its original release, Rockstar’s classic Western has made its way to the Switch, and unlike the slightly more troubled Grand Theft Auto Trilogy, it somehow has made the transition exceptionally well.
Considering the size and scope of Red Dead Redemption, it’s genuinely impressive how well the game runs on Nintendo’s now-aging machine – able to maintain a consistent 30fps across the board. In fact, this port looks arguably better than it did on its original launch consoles, making it the perfect avenue to experience John Marston’s epic tale for the first time or all over again. Similarly, whether you’re riding around the world or engaging in tense firefights everything feels tight and responsive in both handheld and docked modes.
Grab this port and you’ll also nab the excellent Undead Nightmare DLC, but don’t expect any discounts. This is a full-priced title, which may irk some considering the lack of visual upgrade, but it’s still incredible value, especially if this is your first trip to the wild west. Recommended.
Hands on with the Seagate 5TB Game Drive Starfield Special Edition
While Xbox Game Pass is one of the best deals in gaming, it does present one problem: storage space. If you’re anything like us, it’s all too common to start installing new or interesting games with reckless abandon, but it won’t take you long to quickly fill up your console’s in-built storage.
Enter the Starfield-themed Seagate Game Drive for Xbox. Designed to provide a quick and easy storage solution for your Xbox, the drive is available in 2TB and 5TB options (with a 8GB Game Hub also available). We’ve been utilising the 5TB offering for the last couple of weeks and honestly don’t know how we lived without it.
Let’s get the most obvious aspect out of the way immediately. This might just be the best looking hard drive you ever own. It’s that simple. While Seagate is no stranger to themed devices (including the likes of Marvel and Star Wars), there’s just something inherently appealing about the clean white colourway that this Starfield edition showcases. But then there’s the RGB LED lighting illuminating the front of the unit that gives it those few extra style points. Plus, it’s customisable should you prefer a particular colour palate.
Despite the beefy size the drive mercifully doesn’t require external power outside of the connection to your Xbox, meaning set-up was thankfully painless. Our Series X instantly recognised and formatting the drive, meaning we were up and running within minutes.
From there you’re free to make use of the speedy USB 3.0 connection and 7200 RPM. In our real-world tests, that allowed us to move an 11GB file from our Xbox to the Game Drive in 1 minute and 50 seconds, and then back again in almost the exact same amount of time. If you’re juggling games regularly, it’ll be an absolute godsend.
It’s worth remembering, however, that for all its positives, the Game Drive is still not an SSD, so won’t be able to match up to those increased speeds, and may mean that booting some games off the drive may not be the best choice (unfortunately, including Starfield). That said, considering the transfer speeds that all the big a deal, and at $309 (the 2TB retailing for $179) is significantly cheaper than investing in a storage expansion card.
Also, did we mention how pretty it is?
You can buy the Seagate 5TB Game Drive Starfield Special Edition now from JB Hi-Fi.
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