Dylan Blereau

THE Alienware brand has been synonymous with the world of PC gaming for as long as I can remember. From their beefy gaming laptops to their prebuilt desktop gaming PCs that proudly adorn the brand’s iconic Alien head logo, they’ve always been around as an option for those wanting to dip their toe into the RGB-laden waters of PC gaming. Despite being an icon of the PC gaming space, I’d never once owned or messed with an Alienware product up until just recently, when the opportunity arose to get my hands on some of their PC accessories, such as the…

Kirby’s Dream Land is a game that I have such fond memories of experiencing during my early childhood years. I really enjoyed the game, yet somehow I don’t think I’ve played another Kirby title since. When Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe was announced for the Nintendo Switch last September, I made a pledge that it would serve as my return to the Kirby series.  It’s a pledge I’m so happy to have made, as Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe is an exceedingly enjoyable albeit simplistic 2D platformer that remasters a largely forgotten Wii title, and adorns it with…

Since I reviewed the Logitech G915 around this time last year, it has been my go to wireless gaming keyboard. From its quality design, to its solid battery life and reliable low profile mechanical keys, it’s a board that I quickly fell in love with. Throughout the year however, there have been instances where I wished the board was smaller, a reality that G915 TKL fulfills, stripping elements from the board such as the numpad in order to cut down on its overall footprint. My experience with the G915 TKL has largely been the same as my time with its…

When I bought my first OLED TV back in 2019, I very quickly became enamoured and obsessed with the sheer beauty it was capable of showing on its crystal clear display. The deep blacks, high contrast, superior viewing angles and the insanely thin and sleek design made for one of the nicest viewing experiences I’ve ever had, and years on I still feel that it was well worth its roughly $2000 price tag. Interested in trying out an OLED monitor to see if it could transform my office to the same degree in which it revolutionised my living room, I…

No matter how much time you spend gaming, the reality is that you simply can’t play everything. Even the most distinguished of gamers have a small list of shame, comprised of game franchises they’ve never played, or a game that they “promise” they’ll clear from there ever inflating backlog, only to have it sit there for years (I’m looking at you Hollow Knight).  Despite having played hundreds of games throughout my time across a multitude of different genres, I was quite surprised to realise the amount of popular franchises I’ve never experienced before. Whether it be Mortal Kombat, Civilization, Castlevania,…

THE Nintendo GameCube is and likely will always be my favourite console of all time. Having spent my formative gaming years playing copious hours of Super Mario Sunshine and Super Smash Bros. Melee, the memories of the console are some of my most nostalgic. Despite my reverence for the system, there are many titles on the console that I unfortunately missed back then, with Metroid Prime being one of the most renowned titles I didn’t experience.  Thankfully, more than twenty years after it’s initial GameCube release, Metroid Prime has made a triumphant return to modern hardware in the form of…

As a child, I spent an insane amount of time watching Nickelodeon. From Danny Phantom to the Angry Beavers, each show brought me plenty of joy, with SpongeBob SquarePants being my favourite of them all, to the point where I still dabble in the show at times today.  Despite my reverence for SpongeBob, I’ve never played any of the games featuring him. SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake is my first foray into the world of SpongeBob video games, and I’m happy to say that despite some issues, it’s a good time. The story begins with SpongeBob and his best bud…

UNLIKE most who are keen to play The Callisto Protocol, I’ve never played its inspiration Dead Space. Despite this, over the last few years I’ve fallen in love with survival horror games, and from the moment I saw The Callisto Protocol, developed by Striking Distance Studios and published by Krafton it quickly catapulted to the top of my most anticipated games list.  Unfortunately The Callisto Protocol fumbles the ball quite badly, with its uninteresting protagonist, lack of exploration and bizarre combat mechanics resulting in a fine but far from great end product. The Callisto Protocol quickly introduces you to its…

The Roccat Burst Pro Air wireless gaming mouse is yet another quality product made by the German manufacturer, packing RGB lighting, dual connectivity with 2.4GHz or Bluetooth, and a hefty battery life into a relatively lightweight and stylish 81 gram shell. Available in Black and White, the Roccat Burst Pro Air not only looks great, but feels great in hand too. The honeycomb shell design that the majority of lightweight mice use in order to trim the fat is present on the Burst Pro Air, but they’re housed within a water and dust-resistant shell, protecting the internals from exposure.  The…

One of my favourite showcases back in June during the not-E3 glut of presentations was the Wholesome Direct, a roughly hour long presentation that highlighted more than 50 upcoming indies of the cutesy, charming and wholesome variety. Despite being amped at the showing of games such as Coffee Talk Episode 2 and Paper Animal RPG among others, the game that stood out to me the most was a game called, A Walk with Yiayia.  A heartfelt looking indie story about a young man and his Yiayia (Greek for grandmother) heading out on a walk together and just talking, complete with…

Despite playing Call of Duty religiously as a teenager, over the last few years, I’ve fallen out of love with the series. After the announcement of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II I pledged to get back into the series, largely due to nostalgia of the original Modern Warfare 2 that released back in 2009, and despite some questionable omissions in the game prior to its recent Season 1 update, I’m happy to be back.  Akin to the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare reboot of 2019, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II comprises three different modes: Campaign, Multiplayer, and Special…

Despite Sonic the Hedgehog being a franchise nearly constantly dunked on for its multitude of subpar video game releases since its transition to 3D back in the late 90’s, I’ve been a Sonic fan for as long as I can remember.  Sonic Adventure 2 was the first 3D Sonic to have me hooked, and I have fond memories playing other titles such as the original Sonic Adventure, Sonic Colours, and Sonic Generations. Other than this select few, the greater majority of Sonic’s 3D catalogue have ranged from simply average to downright abysmal (I’m looking at you Sonic Boom: Rise of…

When God of War released on the PlayStation 4 in early 2018, it immediately had me (and pretty much everyone else) captivated by its action packed gameplay and its engrossing story. Greek mythology was replaced by Norse mythology, and the titular God of War Kratos was far more likeable and relatable than before, mellowing out marginally as he tried to shield his son Atreus from the grim reality of godship.  It’s one of my favourite gaming experiences of all time, which in turn has made the wait for its sequel God of War Ragnarok all the more difficult. Thankfully though,…

DESPITE being too much of a scaredy cat to enjoy horror films, I’ve always for whatever reason never had too much of an issue with horror games. Admittedly, I still fall victim to the odd jumpscare here and there, but for the most part I fare okay. It doesn’t matter if it’s a well known horror game juggernaut such as Resident Evil,  or lesser known indies such as Bendy and the Ink Machine and SOMA, I always find myself deeply engrossed and intrigued. When I first saw the reveal trailer for The Fridge is Red, a bizarre looking psychological horror…

WHEN Splatoon released in 2015 on the Wii U, I found myself absolutely enamoured with its frantic online 4v4 gameplay, to the point where I ultimately burnt out and found myself looking for another game to play.  I admired Splatoon 2 and its success from afar, but I barely dabbled in it, as my interest in the Switch at the time was at an all time low. Keen to make amends for that mistake, I’ve spent the last few weeks heavily invested in Splatoon 3, and although things aren’t perfect, its addictive multiplayer, solid single player and welcome new content…

DON’T get me wrong, I do love wired headsets, but there’s just something about wireless headsets that make me gravitate towards them more.   I’m not sure if its the new found freedom of being able to roam the home with my headset still snug on my scone, or the lack of wires making for a more visually pleasing office space, but once I went wireless a few years ago with the RIG 700HX, I’ve found wired headphones far less appealing to use on my PC.   In saying that, my beloved RIG 700HX are in dire need of a replacement, so…

WHEN I attended PAX Australia back in 2019, I came across a wholesome looking indie title known as Wayward Strand. It was clear that the game was still well and truly a work in progress, but its promise of an interactive narrative set on an airborne Hospital in Australia had me intrigued enough to follow its development. Almost three years on from meeting the game at PAX, Wayward Strand has finally released, packing a unique story that is yours to shape.  Set in 1978 on the coast of Victoria, Australia, Wayward Strand sees you assume the role of Casey Beaumaris,…

AS a kid who spent the majority of the sixth generation of video game consoles with only a Gamecube, titles that were only on the PlayStation 2 and original Xbox were games I only got to experience for short periods when visiting friends or family.  Although I was largely satiated by the vast array of games I played on those consoles across the years, there were also a small batch of games I’d seen at retailers or read about in magazines that I never managed to experience.  One such franchise I can remember my young mind obsessing over was Destroy…

WHEN it comes to computer peripherals such as Keyboard and Mice, I’ve always largely opted for products from the big name companies such as Razer, Logitech and SteelSeries, perhaps unfairly neglecting other brands purely out of brand preference. One brand I’ve always seen but never heard a great deal about is Roccat, a German company specialising in PC accessories that only a few years ago were acquired by Turtle Beach.  Despite never really hearing a great deal about their products, I’ve recently gotten my hands on the Roccat Vulcan TKL Pro Keyboard, and after using it for a few weeks, I’m…

AFTER years sitting idly by as Microsoft released various renditions of their Xbox Elite Wireless Controller, Sony has finally decided to join the premium controller party by announcing the DualSense Edge during the Gamescom Opening Night Live showcase. The roughly 30 second trailer provided a brief but welcome glimpse at the premium controller, highlighting the expected features on a controller of this kind, such as adjustable triggers, replaceable stick modules, and back buttons, to name a few.  Visually, other than the new added buttons, there isn’t a great difference in design when compared to the original white DualSense controller. It…