Life & style, Play

Top five: Scariest video games of all time

Featuring Doom 3, Silent Hill 2, Dead Space and Thief: Deadly Shadows

5. Doom 3 (2004) The original Doom (1993) popularised the first person shooter, now the single most successful game genre, currently dominated by the ever-decreasing Call of Duty series. Developer id went back to Mars a decade later and remade their…

A guide to cheap deals for students in Glasgow and Edinburgh

A quick guide on where to go for cheap films, music, travel, tech and more

We all know money can be tight as a student, so Niki Boyle and Suzanne Neilson do their homework and find you the cheapest tickets, greatest deals and biggest bargains CHEAP FILM The upsurge in movie piracy has led to a cinema industry eager to…

Call of Duty: Black Ops II

After EA’s furiously po-faced Medal of Honor: Warfighter, it’s nice to see Activision countering with their annual package of unashamed nonsense. Following on from events in the first game, the sequel jumps around time and space as a team of special…

Computer games with ridiculous scenarios

Despite the bizarre or random storylines, these video games are also remarkably fun to play

Through gaming history, some of the best titles have been based on a premise that is, frankly, ridiculous. Take Jet Set Willy for example, where Willy the Miner of Manic Miner fame has to clear up his house after a massive party. Perhaps it's indicative…

Tekken: Blood Vengeance

Fluid but uneven CGI movie based on the popular games franchise

This is actually the third movie based on the immensely popular fighting games, but Tekken: Blood Vengeance (Manga Entertainment) is the first fully computer animated version and was originally available as part of the Tekken Hybrid package. It looks…

Risk!

The storytelling podcast has some celebrity guests, but the real stars are the everyday strangers

This fortnightly American podcast presented by Kevin Allison is ridiculously simple, with its mix of comedians, performers and members of the public sharing true stories. Grouped under themes such as ‘A Slippery Slope’ or ‘Perverse?’, it can sometimes…

Tomb Raider: Interview - Lead writer Rhianna Pratchett on rebooting video game fanchise

2013 Tomb Raider game release starts afresh with gameplay and story

Lara Croft is surely the most iconic female videogames character of all time. After 17 years (the first Tomb Raider was released in 1996), two big budget movie adaptations (with Angelina Jolie taking the title role) and a multitude of games, the…

Wii U Review: In-depth playtest of Nintendo gameing console

We give Nintendo’s fun new console a proper home trial

We tried out the demo model back in October but now we’ve got our mitts on Nintendo’s Wii U, with all the features up and running it’s time to give their latest console a serious test drive. The GamePad really does add a new element to gaming, actually…

Far Cry 3 (PS3/Xbox 360/PC)

Sublime and satisfying shooter set in vast and stunningly-realised island network

The original Far Cry was an ambitious FPS set on a tropical island, populated by an assortment of goons and – controversially – a menagerie of mutants. After developer Crytek split from Ubisoft to work on a new series (Crysis), it seemed like the Far…

Museum Explorer iPhone App

A fun, interactive way for kids to engage with the National Museum of Scotland

Scooshing round the Museum of Scotland is a major weapon in the armoury of any Edinburgh-based parent. It’s indoors, fascinating, huge and diverse. What, possibly, could make it better? 'Museum Explorer', a new free smart-phone app published by the…

Dundee's NEoN Digital Arts festival develops movement theme for 2012

Among the artists exhibiting are Jaygo Bloom, Peter William Holden, Matthew Collings and Erik Parr

Four years ago, NEoN (North East of North) was launched by Interactive Tayside – a body created in partnership between the public, private and academic sectors in the city of Dundee – to promote the region’s activity in the field of digital media.

Distant Worlds aims to bring the music of the Final Fantasy video games to Edinburgh's Playhouse

Strings stir, cymbals clash as before us an epic battle unfolds as good once again fights the forces of evil. This isn’t an opera or a big budget movie but a scene from Final Fantasy, one of the longest running and most respected RPG videogame series.

Best mobile apps and websites for students

Mobile apps for IOS and Android to make your life a little bit better

U@Ed An essential app for any new Edinburgh uni student, this includes campus maps, a lecture finder, library login and a handy friend-finder. Living Social Saving money is the name of the game with an app that offers up to 90% off restaurants…

Visiting the UK with the help of some local recommendations

Live like a local in British cities London, Glasgow and Edinburgh

The United Kingdom, soaked in history and heritage, welcomes millions of visitors to its shores every year and every year they flock like lemmings to the same destinations over and over. That is not to take anything away from our symbolic heritage sites…

Health to provide Max Payne 3 soundtrack

The LA noise rockers follow the game-soundtracking example of Opeth, Trivium and others

Ever since the very earliest days of home gaming and the release of the Atari 2600 (1977), videogame music has become a part of cultural life. The lack of processing power meant it was necessarily tinny, bleepy and repetitive. Despite this, 8- and…

Save up for some summer sporting action

2012 Olympics, Wimbledon and F1 at Silverstone on the calendar

It’s shaping up to be a great summer, with London taking centre stage as the Olympics come to town. And as the eyes of the world are focused on the UK, this could be the year that re-energises our attitudes to sport and helps spectators make the…

David Kushner - Jacked

An entertaining, if hyperbolic, 'unauthorised' history of Grand Theft Auto

(Collins) After a similar book on Doom, journalist David Kushner returns to familiar ground with Jacked. This ‘unauthorised’ history of Grand Theft Auto traces the game’s development from its early beginnings in Dundee to become one of the highest…

Sony PS Vita handheld console - playtest

We try out the new hardware with some of the PSV launch titles, including WipeOut and Uncharted

Sony’s new PS Vita is a pretty impressive bit of kit. It’s the most powerful dedicated handheld gaming device on the market. In practical terms it’s pretty much a PS3 in your pocket. The full HD OLED screen really pops and, due to the processing power…

Preview of 2012 - Games

A look at the videogames that'll rule your world this year, including GTA V, Halo 4 and Max Payne 3

First off the biggie: Grand Theft Auto V. We’ve seen the trailer and it looks like we’re back in Los Angeles, sorry Los Santos, for the latest instalment of the world conquering videogame developed by Edinburgh’s own Rockstar North. The shoot outs, car…

Spotlight: Starter for 6 - Salute

Starter for 6 is an enterprise training programme run by Cultural Enterprise Office

What's your name? Danity Blame Name of business? SALUTE Tell us more SALUTE is a unique multi-platform lifestyle brand created by those in the know! Our core focus areas consist of Creative PR, Marketing, Events, our ‘SALUTE’ Digital Magazine…

The best family games this Christmas

Animal Croquet, Pointless, Angry Birds, Rory Story Cubes and Spyro the Dragon featured

Animal Croquet One for the little ones or if you just fancy a very civilised mini game of croquet indoors. £24 (currently on special offer online at £16.50) from poshlittletots.com Pointless The much loved TV quiz show with Alexander Armstrong…

Battlefield 3 vs Modern Warfare 3 - review

The two big first person shooters go head-to-head

First out of the blocks is Battlefield 3 PC/PS3/Xbox 360 (EA) ●●●●, sequel to the 2005 tactical FPS. For the first time in the series’ history we have a single player campaign and it’s a turgid affair, plagued by over-scripting and infuriating enemy AI.

Take a break this winter - without breaking the bank

Winter fun or winter sun?

Whether you’re into winter sports or winter sunshine, look out for special deals and packages. Avoid school half-term and the Christmas holidays if you can, and be flexible about dates and times – flights are often cheaper mid-week or at unsociable…

Rockstar releases the Grand Theft Auto V trailer

Watch the latest release from the Scottish game developer here

Edinburgh-based games developer Rockstar have unveiled the first look at Grand Theft Auto V, the latest instalment in the world-famous series. The trailer, while still occupying the fictional universe that GTA has always been set in (with one small…

NEoN Digital Arts Festival 2011

Highlights include works by artists Tom DeMajo and N55 and an event exploring the sound of stars

Digital arts festival NEoN is once again transforming Dundee into an electronic playground for six days. With its series of film screenings, live music, DJ performances and workshops, NEoN’s main aim is to create works of art that couldn’t have existed…