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Intel is a company in a spot of bother: TSMC, Apple, and other rivals are outpacing its chip technology and Moore’s Law – literally created by Intel’s founder – is starting to cause the chipmaker some headaches.

However a patent unearthed by Twitter user @Underfox3 has found that the company could well be developing a plan: stacking transistors on top of each other for better performance in less space. Now, of course, this is only a patent – companies patent weird and whacky things all the time for a variety of reasons, most likely to prevent competitors from getting the jump on them. 

But there is something interesting about Intel thinking its way around the problem of how to squeeze more power into ever-smaller spaces – namely, if this design comes to fruition, Intel could be looking at sub-2 nanometer (nm) processes. 

Intel calls the design “stacked forksheet transistors” and you can see why: the transitions would be stacked on top of each other. 

As Intel explains: “A first transistor device includes a first vertical stack of semiconductor channels adjacent to an edge of the backbone. A second transistor device includes a second vertical stack of semiconductor channels adjacent to the edge of the backbone. The second transistor device is stacked on the first transistor device.” 

The end result from this extremely nerdy patent application is that Intel could create a 3D vertically-stacked CMOS architecture, allowing for increased transistor counts over today’s current architectures – a huge boost for the company. The company does note however that, as it stands, the constraints are “overwhelming”. 

It’s impossible to tell exactly what kind of performance uplift could be achieved by Intel’s design, and the company conspicuously doesn’t speculate, but TSMC moving from a 5nm process to a 3nm process resulted in 10% to 15% performance gains while using up to 30% less power.

Whether this patent ever makes it into production or not, it’s interesting to see Intel working through the problem of how to squeeze more power out of less, especially as the company begins its transition under new CEO Pat Gelsinger. A sub-2nm process would be game changing, putting Intel in-line with Apple’s incredibly impressive M1 series processors. 

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Via Tom’s Hardware

I don’t remember the day the Macintosh launched.

On January 24, 1984, I was still in college, consumed with papers, tests, grades, finding a way to speak to that girl in Tower B, and missed one of the most monumental launches in tech history.

To be fair, personal computers weren’t all that interesting or sexy back then. My Commodore 128 was the ultimate utility device, where I wrote every single college paper and then tried to forget about it.

At school, we had computer labs where we learned BASIC or Fortran, painfully aware of the chasm that existed between these quotidian efforts and Star Trek’s responsive and effortless “Computer.”

Today, we remember the Macintosh with the hagiography of hindsight. It was earth-shattering (or at least screen-shattering if you believed the Super Bowl commercial) and set the stage for all personal computing to follow.

Not so compatible

At the time, though, the media was consumed with compatibility. A few years into the personal computer revolution, most of which was still happening in offices and, to a lesser extent, academia, unveiling a computer that offered zero interoperability with the IBM PC was at least shocking.

Yes, Apple and Steve Jobs bet the farm on the Macintosh launch, but what’s been lost to memory is how Apple hedged is bets a bit with the Lisa 2, 2/5 and 2/10, 32-bit updates to 1983’s Apple Lisa computer. Despite a graphical desktop, no one remembers the Lisa as a ground-breaking system that made the Macintosh possible, though it clearly was.

The Mac’s desktop (early reports still put “desktop” in quotes as if it was so proprietary and esoteric that it might not outlast the Mac) was even described as similar to Lisa’s, though tech journalists took pains to describe in detail the act of, for instance, dragging an icon on top of an ever-present trashcan icon to delete it. Functions we take for granted are described in terms now reserved for explaining “Bitcoin” to aging parents: “The entry-level personal computer also supports a cut-and-paste feature that allows data from one display window to be electronically transferred to another.”

Despite its ability to open multiple “windows,” the first Macintosh did not even support multi-tasking (the Lisa did).

The big risk

Apple and Jobs has big dreams for the Macintosh but also recognized the enormous risks of so much investment (a reported $50 million alone on advertising) and attempting things like a just-in-time supply chain (maintaining just weeks of inventory to build and deliver new Macs), something that had never been tried before in computer (or most) American manufacturing.

“Our whole premise for the Macintosh is based on the fact that current technology is not sufficient to reach the tens of millions of people who need personal computers,” Jobs told ComputerWorld on in January 1984, adding, “If the people in this industry do not require radical technical innovation, then this company will not be here in two years’ time.”

Apple’s controversial decision not to support IBM compatible systems directly (there was software that allowed Macs and Lisa computers to act as sort of dummy DOS terminals) did raise some eyebrows. Still, among the Macintosh computer’s earliest supporters was Microsoft.

The company was making a sizeable investment in productivity software for young platform, which ran on an 8 MHz Motorola 68000 CPU. It clearly saw a fresh market opportunity, especially in places where the DOS-running IBM PC had yet to break through (the home, school).

“To create a new standard takes something that’s not just a bit different. It takes something that’s really new and captures people’s imaginations. Macintosh meets that standard,” said, yes, Bill Gates at the time.

Don’t have much

With a proprietary OS, almost no software ready at launch (it did have MacWrite and MacPaint, which was described as “a clever graphics package that uses the Mac’s high-resolution screen to the fullest”), and no clear path between it and more established computing options, Macintosh was anything but a sure thing.

In those early days, though, Apple moved quickly. The 256K Macintosh was followed in short order by the Macintosh 512K, then the Macintosh SE, and by 1989, the Macintosh SE30.

I met my first Mac, a 512K model, I think, in 1986. By then there were already some black and white, GUI-based applications including Aldus PageMaker, an excellent desktop publishing application (“no one called anything “apps” in 1986) that let you build entire layouts and print them out, one half at a time, on an Apple LaserWriter printer (the two halves never lined up perfectly).

Having spent college on that old Commodore, the Macintosh was the revelation Jobs promised and Gates foresaw. I was inspired because it was inspiring.

As for the Lisa computer, it was already forgotten, discontinued in 1986.

An icon’s bumpy ride

The Macintosh didn’t sail on through the 21st Century. Apple’s Macintosh II was a failure and the company’s personal computers wouldn’t regain their footing until company founder Steve Jobs, who was ousted from Apple in 1985, returned more than a decade later and relaunched Macintosh as an iconic, cotton-candy colored iMac.

No Mac, however, has quite caught the magic or sparked the zeitgeist like that first portable box. By today’s standards, it’s charmingly underpowered. I loved how tech press at the time described the 512 × 342 pixel resolution 9-inch screen as “high resolution” (your Apple Watch has 448 x 368 pixels). Still for 1984, it was the equivalent of the door between Dorothy’s black and white world and Oz’s colorful wonderland. So many new possibilities. That’s worth remembering and celebrating.

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A recently discovered supply chain attack has reportedly left more than 300,000 WordPress sites at risk of attack. 

Cybersecurity researchers from Jetpack (a security and optimization tool for  WordPress) found that a malicious actor has compromised AccessPress, a developer of themes and add-ons for the website builder.

AccessPress has so far built 40 themes and 53 plugins. All of the free ones have been compromised, so that once installed, they allow the attackers full control over the website. The researchers did not test the commercial ones, and cannot confirm if they’ve been compromised as well. The report also states that the malicious code that grants attackers access, covers its tracks with relative success. The only way to discover if a site was compromised or not, is to use a core file integrity monitoring solution, it was said.

Selling the vulnerability online

So far, researchers have found, the backdoor was used to redirect visitors to malware-dropping and scam sites. Given the complexity of the initial compromise, and the lack of sophistication in the second stage, researchers are inclined to believe that the original malicious actors most likely sold the access to third parties on the dark web.

BleepingComputer says 360,000 websites are using AccessPress’ add-ons and themes. JetPack first discovered the threat in September 2021, while AccessPress pulled them from the store on October 15. After a few months of tackling the issue, the developers issued a new, clean version, of all the affected plugins on January 17.

However, if the site has already been compromised, simply installing the latest version will not remove the backdoor. It will just prevent future threats. So far, BleepingComputer says, the only way to clean up the site is to migrate to a different theme. 

To learn if your site was compromised, WordPress users can follow the instructions found here. 

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Via: BleepingComputer

According to newly leaked benchmarks, the mid-range 12th-generation Alder Lake mobile processors score surprisingly high, just in time for some new gaming laptops to hit the market. 

The test leaks come from both Weibo post from user 金猪升级包 and a video on Bilibili, both featuring scores from Cinebench R20, R23, and the CPU-Z. The Intel Core i5-12500H and i7-12700H beat the AMD Ryzen 7 5800H in every one of them.

The rumored benchmark reveals that the Intel Core i7-12700H is up to 24.78% faster in the single-threaded test against the Ryzen 7 5800H and 34.62% faster in the multi-threaded test.

The i7-12700H is a 14-core/20-thread processor with a base clock speed of 3.5 GHz and a max turbo speed of 4.7 GHz. Meanwhile, the Core i5-12500H is a 12-core and 16-thread SKU allegedly beating out the 11th Gen Tiger Lake H-series flagship i9-11980HK.

Intel’s 12th Gen Core laptop series will be launching in February. Until we get these laptops in our own labs, you should take these performance numbers with a grain of salt. 

Via VideoCardz

As if Dark Souls 3 wasn’t  already difficult enough, playing it online could open up your computer for malicious actors to swoop in, steal sensitive data, and brick it completely, if they so wished.

A report from Dexerto claims that playing the popular game online comes with a Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability. RCEs are usually considered among the most dangerous vulnerabilities, as they allow third parties to run any code on the affected device, which includes ransomware, malware, infostealers, and pretty much anything else.

The vulnerability was demonstrated on a live stream from The__Grim__Sleeper, who was streaming the game for his 70,000+ viewers on Twitch when the game crashed, a Microsoft PowerShell opened up by itself, and the text-to-speech feature was triggered, causing Microsoft’s robotic voice to start criticizing the streamer’s skills.

Drawing attention to the problem

As comedic and harmless as the scene may appear, the message was received loud and clear. In fact, it turns out that delivering the message was the whole point, as the hacker behind the attack first tried to contact FromSoftware, Dark Souls developers, to raise awareness about the issue, but was met with silence.

Only then, did the hacker decide to demonstrate the power of the vulnerability in front of a large audience, and it seems to have worked. 

FromSoftware has now shut down its servers for Dark Souls, Dark Souls 2, and Dark Souls 3, which all seem to be vulnerable to the flaw. 

There are even worries that its premiere upcoming game Elden Ring could also be vulnerable, with the company promising to investogate.

According to a report on The Verge, the anti-cheat mod for Dark Souls 3, called Blue Sentinel, which was developed by the game’s community, was patched to protect endpoints against the vulnerability, while Bandai Namco, the game’s publisher, took to Reddit to thank the community for drawing their attention to the flaw.

The servers are expected to come back online once the issue is permanently fixed.

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Via: The Verge

Dive into the best single player games available right now for a gaming experience you’ll never forget. These are titles big and small that have managed to not only capture the imagination but they offer fresh narratives and gorgeous environments to get lost in.

It was not that long ago that it seemed like the largest publishers were giving up on the idea of single-player tites. And, though live-service games, multiplayer shooters, and battle royale games have all diverted plenty of gamers’ attention, great single-player games are still being made and are still being played.

And, that’s true regardless of what platform you’re on. No matter if you’re using a PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, or PS5, new and fantastic single-player titles are just a download away. You’ll find something exciting here including some of the best free games. So, read on to see what you’ve been missing and pick out that next exciting adventure.

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Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

If you’ve ever harboured a suspicion that the Viking life is for you (it’s hard not to when you keep getting Thor on those Marvel personality quizzes), then Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is probably the best chance you’re going to get to find out.  The Assassin’s Creed games tend to offer fantastic single player experiences and this latest entry is no different. In our review we awarded Assassin’s Creed Valhalla 3.5 stars, praising the game’s memorable protagonist Eivor who’ll be your primary company on your grand adventure through the Viking Age. 

The game is available on PC as well as both last and current-gen consoles, with some visual and performance enhancements for those on PS5 and Xbox Series X. 

Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales

Marvel’s Spider-Man made it to this list, so it’ll probably come as no surprise that its sequel, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales is here too. Miles is a charismatic and loveable protagonist and there’s nothing better than swinging in and out of the New York skyline with him. 

Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales delivers a blockbuster, cinematic experience that easily rivals Hollywood’s best. We gave it 4.5 stars in our review, calling it “comfortably the best action blockbuster” of 2020.

This game is a PlayStation exclusive and those on PS4 or PS5 will be able to play, with the PS5 version offering some visual and performance enhancements. 

Check out our full Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales review.

Ghost of Tsushima

If you’re looking for a game world that will totally sweep you off your feet, then look no further than Ghost of Tsushima. Set on the island of Tsushima in feudal Japan, this open-world game lets you live out your samurai dreams in style. Its mysterious landscape, engaging combat and eventful main story make it the perfect single-player game.

Ghost of Tsushima is a PlayStation exclusive so you’ll only be able to play it if you’re on PS4 or PS5. 

Check out our full Ghost of Tsushima review.

Control

Remedy Entertainment’s Control is a deeply cinematic single-player game that’s probably going to appeal to anyone who’s got a fondness for the work of David Lynch.

In Control you step into the shoes of Jessie Faden, the newest director of the clandestine Federal Bureau of Control (FBC) – a Government agency which researches, and ultimately aims to control, paranormal activity. But Jessie’s new role has a few issues not exactly laid out in the job description, including the uprising of a paranormal force known only as the Hiss.

In our review, we gave Control 4.5 stars out of 5 for its “inspired narrative”,  “cinematic visuals”, “clever environment design”, “standout performances”, and “deeply satisfying combat system” all of which come together to make “for an electrifying, unmissable narrative juggernaut that will invade your dreams and probe your psyche.”

Control is on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation and Xbox. If you’re hoping to get the option of a free next-gen upgrade with the game, then you’ll need to make sure you buy the Ultimate Edition of the game.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps

A lot of the best single-player games tend to be sprawling open world RPGs, so if you’re looking for something that isn’t that, then Ori and the Will of the Wisps might be perfect for you—it’s a 12 hour challenge in a hauntingly beautiful world that will stay with you. 

A sequel to Ori and the Blind Forest –  one of our favorite Metroidvania 2D dungeon crawlers on Xbox One – Ori and the Will of the Wisps takes our protagonist Ori into new environments while keeping the heartfelt spirit and enjoyable gameplay that made the original so good.  

Ori and the Blind Forest is available on Xbox consoles, Nintendo Switch and PC.

Hades

If you’re looking for an excellent rougelike that will bring you hours of fun, then Hades is the one for you. If you have even a passing interest in Greek mythology then it’ll get bonus points.

From Transistor developer, Supergiant Games, Hades sees you take control  of Zagreus, the son of Hades, as he attempts to escape from Underworld to reach Mount Olympus, with the occasional bit of help from the Olympians themselves. 

With a great soundtrack, satisfying combat, an interesting story and stellar RPG systems,  it has a lot going for it. Oh, and it even lets you pet Cerberus. Basically, it’s just really good fun (actually we think it’s kind of addictive) and isn’t that what you’re looking for from a single-player game?

If Hades sounds like your idea of Heaven (or maybe Hell?) then you can play it on PC and Nintendo Switch. 

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt 

Four years after its release, millions of gamers are still carrying on their solemn journeys across the war-ravaged low-fantasy world of The Witcher 3. It remains to be the apex of video game storytelling. Everything – from side-quests with lowly peasants to political tinkering of lords and barons – seems to be treated to the same degree of love and attention from the writers.

This is the game that made surly, concrete-voiced hero Geralt of Rivia an icon (and soon to be star of a Witcher Netflix show). The world is not just astounding in terms of topographical scale and variety, but also impressive in its sense of history and life, as it seems that every village, castle ruins and cave has a story to tell. 

The fact that The Witcher 3 remains as remarkable an experience today as it was when it first came out is proof of its groundbreaking role in the medium.

Resident Evil 2 Remake

A remake of one of the great survival horror games can be a poisoned chalice, but Capcom succeeded in creating a magnum opus both within the series and among all video game remakes.

Like the original, Resident Evil 2 Remake has two coinciding campaigns as Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield. While it follows the narrative beats of the original game, it’s also an archetype of modern level design, as you solve puzzles and open up shortcuts around the maze-y Raccoon City Police Department. 

Each zombie is a bullet sponge and mortal threat, resources are hardly adequate, and an unkillable blue man dressed like a hard-boiled detective marches after you through much of the game. Remake or not, this is one of the best horror games to date.

Undertale

Undertale is the kind of game that will pull you in and then stay with you long after you’ve put the controller down. 

Taking many of the best elements from the ever-evolving RPG genre, it weaves a world built on choice, consequence and compassion. As a child dropped into an underground world filled with terrors, you’ll have to face a whole host of monsters to make it home. How you face them and what choices you make define your journey. 

Undertale’s engrossing story, dialogue, characters and overall world make it one of the best single-player experiences out there.

Undertale had a somewhat sporadic release on different platforms but as of now, it’s available on PlayStation, Xbox, PC and Nintendo Switch.

Celeste

The makers of Towerfall, one of the greatest couch multiplayer games around, took some of the game’s best mechanics and transformed them into a winning 2D platformer about climbing a mountain. 

The core mechanic is the ability to rush in eight directions, but as you progress, you’ll find yourself confronting a constant and growing trickle of different obstacles and challenges. Ultimately, Celeste amounts to a tough old time.

Many levels can be played through in different iterations, and all that finger-cramping platforming is wrapped in a touching story about friendship and tribulation. Celeste feels as significant and seismic for the modern 2D platformer as Super Meat Boy was when it came out a decade ago.

Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey 

Taking a year off in 2016 to rethink the Assassin’s Creed series was a clever move by Ubisoft, because with Odyssey that decision really paid off. Looking to RPGs for inspiration, it’s an inconceivably large open-world adventure set in the scorched azure idyll of the Hellenic peninsula.

It’s not just the backdrop and gloriously recreated Greek architecture that make Odyssey such a joy. It’s also in the way Alexios and Kassandra’s story weaves through history and myth, and in how it enhanced certain systems – like ship-sailing and level-based enemies – from earlier titles.

Some will balk that it’s no longer the cloak-and-dagger assassin game the series is known for, but the reality is, it’s now become so much more.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

The game that helped the Switch sell bucketloads, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is still played regularly by fans even today – three years on from release.

Setting players loose as longtime protagonist Link in a beautifully realized (and ruined) Hyrule, Breath of the Wild is the first truly open-world Zelda title and takes some cues from The Elder Scrolls franchise.

Rolling plains, puzzle-filled shrines, and dense forests are there to be explored, while combat slowly reveals its impressive nuance after some tough early skirmishes. With crazy physics that allow for new solutions to each problem, Breath of the Wild is the gift that keeps on giving.

Total War: Warhammer 2

While the Total War series stagnated with Rome 2, Creative Assembly made up for it by taking on for its next project one of the most inspired possible fusions of videogame genre and IP: epic-scale strategy and Warhammer.

Total War: Warhammer 2 embraces the asymmetry of its source material, with each faction offering a distinctive tactical and narrative experience. If you also own Total War: Warhammer 1, all the major factions of the vibrant grimdark world are represented in the sequel. 

Skaven lurk in city ruins and skurry through an underworld, Vampire Coast pirates embark on treasure hunts, and Dwarves hunker down behind heavy armour, ready to fight any infantry charge.

Each campaign lasts dozens of hours, delivering endless clashes between the most well-crafted, inventive armies seen in a strategy game.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Sekiro is a tense, tough, and visually striking samurai game set in a more mythical feudal Japan, and it’s one of the best single-player games you can buy.

If you’ve played Dark Souls or Bloodborne, you’ll know what awaits, and already have an idea of whether its unforgiving style is for you or not. Some see the severe combat as sadistic, others see it as a highly challenging, high rewarding experience that has no equal. Whichever way you lean, you can’t question the meticulousness of Sekiro’s mechanics.

Where Sekiro differs from its spiritual predecessors is that it’s less obtuse, with a linear, articulate narrative and the addition of more mainstream action-game elements. 

You leap around vertically oriented levels in quest of shortcuts and secrets, while combat is about finding the right angle and timing for that legendary killing katana blow. It’s never easy to land, but once you start doing so consistently, you begin to understand what all that suffering is for.

Red Dead Redemption 2

Rockstar’s latest might not be to everyone’s tastes, slowing the breakneck pace of the developers Grand Theft Auto series to a comparative crawl, but it’s one of the best single-player games available right now.

Red Dead Redemption 2 offers a prequel to the original game, telling the story of Arthur Morgan, a member of the notorious Van Der Linde gang at the tail-end of the Wild West. A bad man looking to make amends for his many transgressions, Arthur’s narrative lacks immediacy but weaves itself through one of gaming’s most detailed open worlds with true artistry.

Then there’s the animations, the sound, the little details, and the supporting cast of loveable (and not so loveable) rogues. An unmissable experience.

Marvel’s Spider-Man

Taking one of the world’s most iconic characters and handing the reins to one of the most consistent developers in gaming turned out to be a match made in heaven for PlayStation fans.

Telling an (excellent) original tale in a non-MCU Spider-Verse, Marvel’s Spider-Man is anchored by fantastic performances from Yuri Lowenthal and Laura Bailey as Peter Parker and Mary Jane. That’s to say nothing of new versions of the Wallcrawler’s rogues gallery and surprising relationships explored with longstanding characters.

Thankfully, the gameplay is more than up to snuff, too. Combat is kinetic, exciting, and rewarding, and swinging from building to building to traverse a stunning recreation of New York is like something from our childhood dreams.

What Remains of Edith Finch

A breath of fresh air from the big-money behemoths that dominate this best single-player games list, Edith Finch is so poignant and exquisitely crafted that it will soften the hearts of even the most resolute walking-simulator naysayers.

As the titular character, you meander about in her sizeable but recently abandoned family home set on a haunting, crepuscular island in Washington State. You explore the richly detailed house, visiting the still-furnished rooms of each family member where you get swept up in the dreamy haze of surreal vignettes that show you how they died.

It’s a meditative game about piecing together the story of a family that seems to be afflicted by a merciless curse.

Edith Finch is the kind of thematically heavy, highly curated experience that doesn’t seem to be quite done justice by the word ‘game’.

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End

Nathan Drake has become one of gaming’s most enduring heroes thanks to his everyman nature and quippy dialogue, but Uncharted 4 might be the game that solidifies his place as the most likeable gaming protagonist.

On the trail of pirate treasure with his long lost brother, Drake’s final adventure is full of incredible action set-pieces including a car chase, a heist, and fights in plenty of crumbling buildings, each chapter is more unforgettable than the last.

It’s a perfect closing chapter for the characters we’ve come to love over more than a decade, their conversations and interactions more believable than ever before.

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Metal Gear fans are understandably disappointed that Kojima’s final instalment didn’t tie up the series’ long, winding narrative as they’d hoped, but in gameplay terms ‘stealth action’ has never been better.

Taking the infiltration-based mechanics to an open world and then layering plenty more on top, Metal Gear Solid 5 is a toy box of gadgets, gizmos, and missions players can attempt a near-infinite number of ways. 

Carefully extracting enemies can allow you to recruit them to your cause, which then feeds into a huge metagame as players build out their ‘Mother Base’, which then offers extra benefits in the middle of a mission. It’s compulsive, with ‘just one more mission’ feeding into another, and then another.

Hollow Knight

Of all the genres to have re-emerged since the indie revolution nine-odd years ago, Metroidvania has been the biggest benefactor. The kinds of games that have come out haven’t just been throwbacks to the good old days of the 90s, but profound evolutions in their own right.

Hollow Knight feels like the pinnacle of the last several years of Metroidvania design, and it’s certainly earned its place in this list of the best single-player games. You traverse an enchantingly forlorn subterranean kingdom as the titular knight, incrementally gaining abilities, which then let you go down deeper into the world.

It’s both cute and brooding, magical and daunting, filled with thoughtful touches like the fact that Hollow Knight physically pulls out a map whenever you look at the map screen. 

God of War

2018’s God of War is a soft reboot of the series and sees a fresh beginning for Kratos, the titular God of War. Here, the antihero has moved from ancient Greece to the frigid colds of Norse Mythology and started a new family. After the death of his wife, he takes his son, Atreus, to cast her ashes from the tallest mountain in the realm.

Of course, things don’t go to plan, and our protagonist finds himself in the sights of a whole new pantheon of gods. With incredible combat (the Leviathan axe might be one of the best weapons in all of gaming) and a story that features absolutely no camera cuts, God of War is gaming nirvana.

Dishonored 2 

One of the tragedies of single-player gaming is that the immersive sim – sprung from cerebral first-person games like System Shock, Thief and Deus Ex – has seldom been a big seller. The future of masterpieces like Arkane’s Dishonored, therefore, has always seemed tenuous.

Dishonored 2 casts you as a preternaturally skilled assassin on a revenge mission in the sun-kissed steampunk city of Karnaca. Each large area lets you explore apartments, shops and cluttered rooms from all angles before you swoop in on your objectives.

It’s both visceral in its black-magic-and-blades combat, and ingenious in its level design, with the ever-shifting Clockwork Mansion and the time-travelling Crack in the Slab giving you some of the most memorable gameplay sequences you’ve ever played.

Halo: The Master Chief Collection

Ok, this is technically cheating, but if you own an Xbox One (or Windows PC), you really must invest in the Master Chief Collection (or download it from Game Pass).

A collection of the big, green Spartan’s first four mainline adventures, the Halo games have aged impressively – particularly given the increase in resolution across Combat Evolved, Halo 3 and Halo 4.

The main attraction, however, is Halo 2 Anniversary. With 4K visuals, reworked sound effects, and the ability to switch between original and Anniversary graphics with the push of a button, it’s one of the finest first-person shooter campaigns in history.

The collection continues to grow, too – with Halo Reach and Halo 3: ODST also being added since launch.

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