The hardest thing about modern sports games? Navigating EA’s customer support
Dominik Diamond
My dreams of reliving the good old days of NHL 94 on the Sega Mega Drive were thwarted by the unexpected difficulty of getting online play to work
May 2024
F1 24 review – an enjoyable way to rewrite recent Formula One history
The first F1 game to let you pursue a multi-season career as any of the current drivers is more true-to-life than ever – and the best chance of ending Max Verstappen’s reign
April 2024
A skate through cyberspace: on the edge with the Now Play This festival of experimental video games
This week, Somerset House houses a selection of avant garde games on the theme of liminality
November 2023
From Sensible Soccer to Sociable Soccer: Jon Hare is back with a new football game
Hare’s new opus Sociable Soccer 24 aims to bring the joys of arcade-style football games to a new generation of players and consoles
September 2023
EA Sports FC 24 review – new name, same ridiculously fun football sim
The latest game in what was previously known as the Fifa series has some added RPG elements for upgrading players’ skills. But most importantly, the fluidity of the action is beguiling
July 2023
Wimbledon courts the young with video games and fashion brand
Home of championship targets younger audience with volley of themed games, apps and clothing lines
April 2023
EA Sports PGA Tour 2023 review – serious players have much to master in EA’s return to the virtual fairway
The controls can be tough to get the hang of, but the visuals are stunning, the commentary impressive and the play itself gives you all the challenge and realism you could want
September 2022
Fifa 23 review – EA’s final Fifa game bows out gracefully
Fittingly, this year’s final edition of the perennial branded football sim at last achieves its aspiration of enjoyable realism
August 2022
The final Fifa: after 30 years, the football sim plans to go out with a bang
It started with blocky players and electronic crowd noise, now it boasts intelligent animation and specific movement capture for the women’s game
July 2022
Fifa 23 to add women’s club football for first time
History-making Sam Kerr joins Kylian Mbappé on cover of Fifa 23 video game
May 2022
Fifa believes it can make great sims without EA – but it should heed the fate of Championship Manager
Keith Stuart
Electronic Arts to stop making Fifa
April 2022
I’m trying to educate my son in sport using video games. He’s having none of it
Dominik Diamond
For his own good, my soon-to-be-18-year-old needs to understand sport. It’s the only way he’ll survive. Unfortunately, 90s video games are of limited use
February 2022
OlliOlli World review – vibey skater game offers a meditative ride
For those feeling worn down by the daily grind, this calming skater, with popping pastel colours and a soothing soundtrack, is a charming alternative
Windjammers 2 review – resuscitated sports game brings back joy of the arcade
With its special combos and metres, this frenetic and summery Air Hockey-style game has more in common with Street Fighter than with other sports games
OlliOlli World: the game that captures the vibrant soul of skateboarding culture
Radlandia, the skating game’s exuberant and diverse world, was created during the pandemic as a happier place to which its developers could escape
October 2021
The beautiful game got ugly: why I broke up with Fifa
Dominik Diamond
For nearly 30 years, Fifa has been a constant presence in my life. But it’s time to blow the whistle on this long-term relationship
May 2021
The 15 greatest video games of the 80s – ranked!
Button-bashing arcade sports vied with the thrill of urban planning, Pac-Man ate up everything, and Super Mario Bros smashed gaming into the mainstream
April 2021
Clap Hanz Golf review – virtual golf that’s fun for everybody
Exuberant presentation and a fast-moving conveyor belt of small challenges get this golf game off to a flying start
