2011 was a stellar year for gaming, with titles such as Crysis 2 and Portal 2 paving the way for some awe inspiring end of year blocksbusters – the cinematic Uncharted 3, the sprawling Skyrim and the hard-as-nails Dark Souls to mention a few. Another year passes and the annual question arises; what big names do we have to look forward to? If you’re in need of a friendly reminder, D+Pad has you covered… Read the full story »

First, a history lesson. The original Saints Row felt like a company capitalising on Grand Theft Auto not yet arriving on the next generation consoles. It was the ‘gangsta’ to GTA’s ‘gangster’ and it was difficult to tell if it was supposed to be a parody or if the makers wanted it to be taken seriously. With Saints Row 2, the IP became more distinct, as if a GTA title had transitioned to a parallel life, Sliding Doors-style. While GTA IV was immersive and serious, you almost didn’t want to damage the setting because you were there in amongst the story. In the alternate reality explored by Saint Row 2, the plot was boiled down to the basics – a mission centred around a simple land grab ethic and a fight against cartoony gangsters. It also shamelessly focussed on outlandish acts – smearing shit on buildings to lower their value, running around with a ninja posse, and getting a UFO as day one DLC. It legitimised acts like car surfing and drive-bys and threw a million unlockables at the player, rewarding any and every daft act with…stuff. Oooh…stuff! Read the full story »

It may have been months since The Elder Scrolls V hit store shelves to the glee of adventure fans everywhere, but what’s so impressive is how the title continues to hold strong beyond the holiday period and well into the New Year. For a game lacking any sort of online component (a sticking point for many these days), this feat is nothing short of staggering. After a slew of Game of the Year awards from various sites and publications, it’s clear that Skyrim deserves every bit of attention it receives, especially as gamers continue with the now-maligned ‘arrow to the knee’ meme. There are some, however, feeling as cold as the frozen tundra over the experience. Read the full story »

Ever since it was first released, the PlayStation 3 has faced criticism for the inconsistency with which players use voice-comms when playing online. The console has never come with an in-box mic, and although it supports all manner of bluetooth devices, you can never be sure of how much chat you will be faced with from game to game, session to session. Though the launch of the PlayStation Wireless Stereo Headset alone is unlikely to buck this trend, if you’re looking for a nicely packaged headphone and microphone combination, this may well be the product for you. Read the full story »

After a successful run on the Playstation Network, the audacious daredevil Joe Danger at last gets his time to shine on Xbox Live Arcade. The game had undeniable charm and a healthy dose of polish when it first tricked its way to consoles, earning a fanbase eager to declare it one of the finest offerings to date via download. Joe Danger: Special Edition brings a few new bells and whistles to the table, but is it second time lucky for Joe or is his comeback tour set to crash and burn? Read the full story »