Every discipline and hobby has a gateway attraction that gently eases newcomers into the fold while urging them deeper inside. Video games have only gotten more diverse and user-friendly as the years go on, so the number of casual games casts a wide net today. As such, we’re focusing on games that are casual-friendly, yet also dip their toes into enthusiast mechanics or concepts. So, without further ado, here’s our list of 15 single-player games that turned non-gamers into gamers.
The Stanley Parable
The broad appeal of The Stanley Parable is easy to understand; it lacks a complex control scheme and doesn’t ask for long gaming sessions, and the experimental narrative sandbox is instantly gri…
As rumored last week, Square Enix’s Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster series is coming to Xbox Series X/S and the Microsoft Store for PC players. It’s actually out now, with each title available separately or in a bundle for $74.99 (currently discounted to $59.99). Check out the announcement trailer below.
Final Fantasy 1 and 2 cost $11.99, while the remaining titles retail for $17.99, though each is also on sale. Each remaster features updated pixel sprites and visuals alongside a “modern” user interface with different fonts (including the classic style). New features like auto-battle, turning off random battles, increasing XP gain, and more are also available.
There’s even an optional rearranged soundtrack (com…
Steven Spielberg’s 1975 film Jaws tells a story about a shark that is out for vengeance. It hunts down and kills people. This doesn’t happen in real life, but the film’s negative depiction of sharks seemingly played a role in the rush in sportfishing for the mighty creatures, and it’s something that Spielberg regrets.
Speaking to the BBC, Spielberg said he is sorry for playing a role in the “decimation” of shark populations due to the film, and the book it was based on.
“That’s one of the things I still fear–not to get eaten by a shark, but that sharks are somehow mad at me for the feeding frenzy of crazy sport fisherman that happened after 1975, which I truly, and to this day, regret the decimation of the shark population because of the book and the film,” he said, accordi…
CSKA Moscow have confirmed on their website the signing of Sweden midfielder Pontus Wernbloom from AZ Alkmaar.
The transfer brings an end to the player s three season spell in the Eredivisie, with the 25-year-old having joined AZ from Swedish club IFK Goteborg in 2009.
Wernbloom arrived at CSKA s training camp in Spain on Wednesday to finalise the transfer, with the Russian club currently on a winter break.
The Sweden international, who has made 20 appearances for his nation, is the second player to join CSKA from the Eredivisie in the January transfer window, after the side completed a deal for Ahmed Musa from VVV on January 7.
Wernbloom joins the club on a four-and-a-half-year deal.
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With time, it has grown increasingly clearer that the hero shooter space isn’t one where too many games are likely to find success. Since Overwatch took the world by storm in 2016, multiple games have tried and failed to replicate its success, and even the last couple of years alone have brought with them plenty of high profile examples of similar failures. Earlier this year, Concord unfortunately proved to be probably the biggest first party slipup in PlayStation history. Meanwhile, Overwatch 2 clearly has a healthy and thriving player base, so it is at least a successful game on that front- but Blizzard’s follow-up hero shooter has provoked widespread criticism and backlash for a multitude of reasons, and it woul…
Former Paraguay striker Salvador Cabanas has made his professional comeback 27 months after being shot in the head.
The 31-year-old turned out for Paraguayan third division 12 de Octubre, the club where he began his career in 1997, on the opening day of the Primera B third-tier championship.
Fans braved bad weather to see Cabanas, who still has the bullet lodged in his brain because doctors fear removing it could be fatal.
Cabanas, a leading player for Mexican side America at the time of the shooting in a Mexico City bar, was in the starting line-up for 12 de Octubre s match against Martin Ledesma.
The club won 2-0 and he played for 40 minutes before being substituted.
He took corner kicks and was not afraid to tussle for the ball but he was slow…
Uruguay must look to minimize the impact of Luis Suarez s absence at the Copa America, according to former striker Diego Forlan.
The Barcelona star will miss the South American showpiece, which gets under way in Chile next month, due to a ban following his bite on Giorgio Chiellini at last year s World Cup.
Suarez, Uruguay s record goalscorer, has been in scintillating form at Camp Nou this season but Forlan says Oscar Tabarez s men can cover his absence and defend their Copa title.
Luis Suarez is one of the best players in the national team, and in the world in fact, Forlan told the Copa America s official website.
It would have been very important to have a player like him, even more so given the way he has been playing.
But Uruguay ne…
David Alaba hopes to be involved in Bayern Munich s training camp in January as he continues his recovery from knee surgery.
Versatile Austria international Alaba was ruled out for several weeks earlier this month, after suffering a partial tear of the medial collateral ligament and damage to the medial meniscus in his right knee during Bayern s UEFA Champions League meeting with Roma.
However, the 22-year-old is confident he can soon return to action having undergone successful surgery.
The knee s looking good and it s feeling good too, Alaba told Bayern s official website.
I d like to be back with the team in time for the training camp in early January.
Bayern face Hoffenheim on Saturday, a club Alaba spent time on loan with in the second hal…
Moise Kean came off the bench to earn Juventus a 2-1 comeback win at home to AC Milan, paving the way for the runaway Serie A leaders to be crowned champions this weekend.
Napoli need to avoid defeat at home to Genoa on Sunday to keep their slim title hopes alive after Kean, who was subjected to alleged racist abuse in a midweek win at Cagliari, came up trumps.
Milan led in the first half thanks to Krzysztof Piatek s 21st Serie A goal of the season, with Juve struggling to create openings against the Rossoneri in the absence of injured superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.
But Paulo Dybala s penalty got Massimiliano Allegri s side back on level terms at Allianz Stadium and, with six minutes to go, teenager Kean fired home to score for the fifth consecutive game for club a…
The race for Manchester United star Paul Pogba is heating up.
LaLiga giants Real Madrid and Serie A champions Juventus are vying for Pogba s signature.
But Juventus are looking to steal a march on Real Madrid by offering one of their stars in exchange.
TOP STORY – DYBALA FOR POGBA?
After Real Madrid reportedly offered Gareth Bale to Manchester United in a swap deal for Paul Pogba, Juventus have countered.
According to Marca, Juve have put forward Paulo Dybala in an attempt to prise Pogba back to Turin following his €105million departure in 2016.
Dybala has struggled since Cristiano Ronaldo s arrival and Juventus are determined to add Pogba to Maurizio Sarri s midfield.
ROUND-UP
The Guardian sa…