Features

Best Video Games of 2017 (Q1 Edition)

Published

April 4, 2017

Joseph Berida

2017 is shaping up to be a banner year for video games. With a bevy of new releases flooding the first quarter of the year, GadgetMatch is here to help you pick out the best.

Based on order of release:

Resident Evil 7

Miss the genuine terror of being vulnerable in the old Resident Evil games? The seventh installment in the hallowed survival horror series gets back to basics, thrusting you into a labyrinthine estate of a deranged, murderous family. You have only your wits and whatever you can find in that madhouse to survive. It also marks a franchise first, as the whole game is set in first-person, shoving every jump scare right in your face. Play the whole game on PlayStation VR if you dare!

Available on Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One (January 24)

Yakuza 0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45ghK1zX0Rk

Fans of the cult Japanese gangster sim finally get the origin stories for antiheroes Kiryu and Majima in Yakuza 0. Showing their struggle as they rise through the ranks of the Tojo clan, this prequel also works as an introduction for series newbies to the twisting intrigue and occasionally wacky world of Yakuza. It uses the economic bubble period of 1988 Tokyo and Osaka to maximum effect, casting a light on the politicking, backstabbing, and brawling of organized crime with glitz and grit.

Available on PlayStation 4 (January 24)

Nioh

Hardcore action RPG gamers who love the challenge of Dark Souls need not worry about the end of that particular franchise. Nioh is a worthy successor to the unforgiving tactical combat throne. It’s set in a fictional feudal Japan where demons are wreaking havoc across the war-torn lands, and it’s up to you, the Irish swordsman William, to put an end to this yokai menace. With responsive controls, a varied arsenal of medieval weaponry, and intense boss battles, Nioh is the “Samurai Souls” you’ve always wanted.

Available on PlayStation 4 (February 7)

For Honor

If fighting AI-controlled opponents has gotten too predictable but you still want to live out that middle ages power fantasy, then For Honor is for you. It’s a competitive online multiplayer brawler that pits knights versus vikings versus samurai. There is a single-player campaign that serves as a short tutorial to the frenetic large-scale battles and intricate duels. When you’re ready to face actual humans, jump into team fights and one-on-one affairs where you clash for control over multi-tiered maps littered with computer mobs, or just see who can slay their enemies more.

Available on Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One (February 14)

Night in the Woods

Compelling conflicts in games don’t always involve extreme competition. Sometimes, they take on the form of an existential crisis, such as finding your once ambitious college-educated self returning to your backwater hometown, realizing you’re not the hotshot you thought you were. This is Night in the Woods, a charming, introspective story-heavy adventure game where you talk to fellow anthropomorphic animals rendered in punchy 2D cartoon art, and make small but weighty decisions.

Available on Windows, macOS, Linux, and PlayStation 4 (February 21)

Horizon Zero Dawn

Ever had that childhood dream of fighting and taming cool robot dinosaurs? Horizon Zero Dawn fulfills that fantasy through a gorgeous post-post-apocalyptic wilderness where long-lost technology is as mystical as magic. You play as the determined, redheaded hunter Aloy on a quest for redemption. Master a vast open world chock-full of savage mechanical beasts and majestic vistas that rival Uncharted 4‘s visuals. It’s also the best reason for getting a PS4 Pro, as the game’s graphical fidelity takes full advantage of the upgraded console’s 4K resolution and HDR lighting capabilities.

Available on PlayStation 4 (February 28)

Torment: Tides of Numenera

Old-school CRPG enthusiasts who hail the cult hit Planescape: Torment as the gold standard of the genre are raving about this crowdfunded spiritual sequel. Torment: Tides of Numenera wears its forebears’ influence proudly, with its classic isometric camera, pre-rendered backgrounds and 3D art, and pages and pages of text for dialogue and world-building. If complex characters and difficult choices are what you’re looking for, then you’ll enjoy the well-written narrative Torment weaves based on your every action.

Available on Windows, macOS, Linux, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One (February 28)

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

What better way to say goodbye to the Wii U and hello to the Nintendo Switch than with a boldly ambitious title from a flagship franchise? The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild isn’t revolutionary, taking on sandbox and survival game conventions such as a sprawling map, stamina and equipment management, and crafting. It’s how Nintendo refines these mechanics and melds them with familiar Zelda trappings, resulting in an immersive world of dynamism and discovery on an unprecedented scale. Play it on the Switch for the optimum experience, but the Wii U version is fine if you’re on a budget.

Available on Wii U and Nintendo Switch (March 3)

Snipperclips

In case the new Zelda isn’t enough for you to get a Switch, Snipperclips might just do the trick. Take control of Snip and Clip, two anthropomorphic shapes with meme-worthy reaction faces, and solve a variety of puzzles by cutting each of the two into the appropriate, well, shapes to interact with the environment. You can play through the game by yourself, but it truly shines when you’re sharing the joy (and the frustration) with friends and family.

Available on Nintendo Switch (March 3)

Nier: Automata

Plenty of sci-fi stories across all media have meditated on consciousness, sapience, and morality through the lens of artificial intelligence. There just hasn’t been a video game that does so with the perfect balance of style and substance until Nier: Automata. It blends super cool swordplay with breakneck bullet hell into a ballet of brutality, all the while philosophizing over what it means to be human. Pro-tip: keep playing after the credits roll, and get ready to have your mind blown and your heart broken.

Available on Windows and PlayStation 4 (March 7)

[irp posts=”9530″ name=”8 new facts about the Nintendo Switch”]

Accessories

The GameSir G8 Galileo is great for PS Remote Play

While we wait for the PlayStation Portal

Published

November 30, 2023

Rodneil Quiteles

We happen to be in a region where the PlayStation Portal has yet to be released. Good thing, PS Remote Play is available and GameSir has a controller you can hook up to your smartphone that’s readily compatible. Enter the GameSir G8 Galileo.

You might not see it right away, but the biggest difference with the G8 Galileo compared to other smartphone controllers (even the ones GameSir made themselves) is it’s actually full size.

Watch our unboxing.

@gadgetmatch

Unboxing the Gamesir G8 Galileo. Best smartphone controllers right now? #gaming #mobilegaming #remoteplay #RemotePlay #remoteplayps5 #mobilecontroller #controller #controllers

♬ original sound – GadgetMatch – GadgetMatch

Most smartphone controllers prioritize portability. Thus, they’re more compact. That means smaller face buttons, smaller thumbsticks, and generally smaller overall profile.

Usable, sure. But not exactly ideal for people with chubby hands like yours truly.

BackBone One | GameSir G8 Galileo

This is also one of the primary reasons why, despite owning a Backbone One, I’ve rarely used it for its intended purpose. And the reason why the PlayStation Portal is appealing to me.

The GameSir G8 Galileo changes all of that because of its size. It’s also not just larger. Its ergonomics are great too. Your hands will sit nicely on the nice, curved handles for a more comfortable, more enjoyable handheld gaming session.

PS Remote Play

Another big area of convenience is you don’t necessarily have to have the GameSir app to make it work. Simply download the PS Remote Play app, register, and fire it up.

To make sure it’s on PS Remote Play compatible mode, just press the Share and Options buttons simultaneously. Those are the tiny buttons on the left and right hand side of the controllers right above the left thumb stick and the face buttons.

Upon pressing simultaneously, make sure the color on the GameSir logo on the lower right part of the controller is white. That’s how you know it’s on PS Remote Play mode.

Currently green so you have to press the buttons for Remote Play.

Once done, just easily plug-in your smartphone with a USB-C port on GameSir’s signature flexible USB-C plug and off you go.

Actual play time

Here’s a quick Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 gameplay using the GameSir G8 Galileo along with the HONOR Magic5 Pro with Remote Play:

Playing #SpiderMan2PS5 via Remote Play using an HONOR Magic5 Pro and the new @mygamesir G8 Galileo. pic.twitter.com/q6eDBYAq1E

— rodneil (@rodneilquiteles) November 30, 2023

This under a minute clip, naturally, isn’t representative of the entire Remote Play experience. Anyone who has tried it before knows that with extended play time, you’ll likely experience a few hiccups here and there. That’s just the nature of the beast.

That said, this whole set-up has been generally great. Other than Spider-Man 2, I’ve managed to play a handful of quick NBA 2K24 games like this. I still racked up a handful of wins despite suffering from occasional latency trouble.

The feel of the controller is fantastic and is easily the most enjoyable out of every other smartphone controller that I’ve tried before. And I’ve tried a few other than the Backbone One. There’s the GameSir X3, GameSir X2 Pro-Xbox, and the Razer Kishi V2.

Compatible games, mapping

Depending on the platform you’re on, the GameSir G8 Galileo will work on multiple other games. If you’re an iPhone 15 Series user, Remote Play, select Apple Arcade games, and even the AAA games set to release for that iPhone will work with this controller.

For Android users, it’s the usual handful of controller supported games that will work with this. For everything else, you’ll have to resort to mapping — a task for those with patience.

If you need more tutorials on how to get it working, just follow GameSir on Facebook or YouTube. They constantly post tutorials.

You can buy the GameSir G8 Galileo here: https://bit.ly/gsg8galileo

Use G8Creator on the Coupon Code for 10% off.

Buyer's Guide

The Best TV Buyer’s Guide 2023: Black Friday Deals

Which TV is right for you?

Published

November 28, 2023

GadgetMatch

With plenty of different sizes, models and tech to choose from, do you go QLED or OLED? 4K or 8K? 55, 65, 75, 85, or 98K? Which TV is right for you? This Holiday Season we’ve partnered with Samsung to help you find your dream TV.

This Buyer’s Guide will feature three TVs from Samsung: two from their Neo QLED series, the Neo QLED 4K QN90C and Neo QLED 8K QN900C, and another from their OLED line, the OLED S95C.

If you’re in the market for a new TV, you can get up to $2500 off on Samsung’s Black Friday deals: Samsung Neo QLED 8K, Samsung Neo QLED 4K, Samsung OLED 4K.

Cameras

GoPro HERO12 Black: Making heroic shots with the new HERO

Small but not terrible

Published

November 24, 2023

Vincenz

The HERO of action cameras is back! And no doubt, the GoPro HERO 12 Black is one of the hottest action cameras around.

Not only does it provide great video output, it’s also packed with features and improvements that make it stand out from the crowd.

Packed Inside and Out

If you’re already planning to purchase the new GoPro HERO 12 Black, here’s what you should expect with its thicc packaging.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by GadgetMatch (@gadgetmatch)

If you’re here for the nitty-gritty new features of the brand’s latest action cam, you can see all the specifics in this article.

Keep on reading for the actual hands-on experience..

Reels-Ready

With the continuous rise of Reels and/or TikToks, having to shoot vertically is the way to go.

This is where the new Vertical Framing feature comes handy as it can shoot vertical videos for you without actually turning the device — as opposed to other action cameras including its older counterparts.

Make It Even Wider

The GoPro HERO 12 Black, just like any other action camera, comes with a default lens that it’s enough to shoot wide enough footage.

But with the optional Max Lens Mod 2.0, it makes shots even wider.

You can choose between three lens views: the default Wide (16-34mm), Max SuperView (middle ground), and the Max HyperView (the extremest view).

Just remember, you can only apply these when shooting in the default horizontal orientation.

If you’re shooting for Reels or TikTok and want this super wide look, you can stick with the default FoV (Field of View) of Vertical Mode. Otherwise, you can shoot in Horizontal Mode and just rotate it during post-process (or via GoPro’s Quik app available in both Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store).

Also, don’t forget to enable it in its drop-down quick settings menu. This way you can fully-maximize its full-blown super-wide angle view whenever, wherever.

Memento Making

I enjoyed using the combination of the new lens and vertical shooting of this wonder cam during the duration of my travel. And with just one press of the top button, it instantly starts recording.

Several swipes also enables it to shoot photos or record timelapses.

Terrific Thailand.mov

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by @vincenzlee

Cute Capy Cafe.mp4

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by @vincenzlee

Short Singapore Stop.mkv

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by @vincenzlee

What’s Poppin’ in this Pop Up.hevc

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by @vincenzlee

Compact Camera Companion

The GoPro HERO 12 Black is fantastic for recording and keeping travel mementos. But other than that, it’s also be good for documenting your everyday life.

The thing I love about the GoPro HERO 12 Black is that it features a built-in mount that can be flapped out within seconds.

My former action camera relies on its case before it can actually be mounted.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by @vincenzlee

Despite the continuous advancements of smartphone cameras and their video-making improvements and capabilities, the ultra-wide lenses aren’t the best performers when you’re trying to shoot videos. This is true even if you rock the latest flagship Android smartphone or even the maxed out iPhone 15 Pro Max.

The GoPro continues to exist to fulfill that vital role in shooting. Its compact form, ease of access, easy usability, and rugged-readiness are more points to consider on owning a GoPro HERO12 Black. It’s better than actually pawning your phones just to shoot UWA (ultra-wide angle) footages in the harshest conditions.

Pricing and Availability

The GoPro HERO12 Black is being sold for PhP 24,990 (US$ 399.99 / EUR 449.99 / GBP 399.99 / SG$ 580). Meanwhile, the HERO12 Black Creator Edition retails for PhP 36,990 (US$ 599.99 / EUR 679.99 / GBP 599.99 / SG$ 890).

The Max Lens Mod 2.0 is a separate purchase for PhP 7,490 (US$ 99.99). A special bundle is available for other regions. Visit GoPro.com for specific pricing and other bundle offers in your respective regions.