Chris Tapsell
@christapsell.bsky.social
Deputy Editorial Director at Eurogamer. I look after reviews, opinions, and freelance, and secretly add in all the Oxford commas. Limit Break mentor. He/him.
Pinned
Right, hello, job stuff! I’m now Deputy Editorial Director at Eurogamer. I’m going to be looking after opinion, reviews, criticism, curation and all that lovely stuff. Plus all freelance commissions (hello again!) and a bit of EG “vision” stuff, which everybody understandably loves to talk about.
I wrote this and everyone fucking hated it
I don’t blame anyone who detects an air of self-serving posturing to coverage of this game. It’s being weirdly propped up as a bully pulpit for games as art, when the actual problem here is clearly structural, an opacity that demonstrates the deleterious effects a virtual monopoly has on an industry
The Horses stuff is very tiring because so many in games like the idea of games being “art” when it suits them, but revert to “nooo games are fun toys” when it makes them uncomfortable.
December 4, 2025 at 3:32 PM
I wrote this and everyone fucking hated it
Good list! This is very close to being ours plus the 5 games we couldn't fit into a top 10, and therefore very close to being an Objectively Correct Opinion
Hi, Keza and I decided on the 15 most important Xbox 360 games. I’m afraid we will not be taking questions
www.theguardian.com/games/2025/d...
www.theguardian.com/games/2025/d...
From Gears of War to Uno: the 15 most important Xbox 360 games
As the Xbox 360 turns 20, we celebrate its most influential and memorable games – both exclusives, and those that came to the console first
www.theguardian.com
December 2, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Good list! This is very close to being ours plus the 5 games we couldn't fit into a top 10, and therefore very close to being an Objectively Correct Opinion
Here's a fun Friday afternoon article from me! About the chilling effect of censorship in games, the ethical obligations of being a poweful entity in the medium, and how we respond when video games' freedom of expression - from so many directions - is under siege.
www.eurogamer.net/however-you-...
www.eurogamer.net/however-you-...
However you frame it, Valve's ham-fisted ban of an indie darling is another blow for free expression in video games, and this will always be a tragedy
Free expression in video games is in the spotlight, and Valve's banning of Horses might be only one instance of many that put that expression at risk.
www.eurogamer.net
November 28, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Here's a fun Friday afternoon article from me! About the chilling effect of censorship in games, the ethical obligations of being a poweful entity in the medium, and how we respond when video games' freedom of expression - from so many directions - is under siege.
www.eurogamer.net/however-you-...
www.eurogamer.net/however-you-...
A big story on EG this eve - the incredible @santaragione.com seems likely to close, after a bizarre decision from Valve to ban Horses from the platform, submit it to several unusual extra layers of scrutiny in the application process, and offer the studio no recourse to make changes or re-apply.
"It's extremely frustrating and also f*cked up" - one of the world's best indie studios is facing shock closure following confounding Steam ban
www.eurogamer.net/its-extremel...
www.eurogamer.net/its-extremel...
November 25, 2025 at 5:09 PM
A big story on EG this eve - the incredible @santaragione.com seems likely to close, after a bizarre decision from Valve to ban Horses from the platform, submit it to several unusual extra layers of scrutiny in the application process, and offer the studio no recourse to make changes or re-apply.
Reposted by Chris Tapsell
"No one will play Uno! On a console, really? Why bother?" - Looking back at Uno, the Xbox Live Arcade hit that thrust social play onto the 360 generation www.eurogamer.net/no-one-will-...
November 21, 2025 at 12:16 PM
"No one will play Uno! On a console, really? Why bother?" - Looking back at Uno, the Xbox Live Arcade hit that thrust social play onto the 360 generation www.eurogamer.net/no-one-will-...
Reposted by Chris Tapsell
"This is not a phase that teenage boys go through" - legendary Xbox boss Peter Moore on how Microsoft made Xbox 360 "a cultural phenomenon"
Our big Xbox 360 interview continues here, with part 2:
www.eurogamer.net/the-story-of...
Our big Xbox 360 interview continues here, with part 2:
www.eurogamer.net/the-story-of...
November 20, 2025 at 2:51 PM
"This is not a phase that teenage boys go through" - legendary Xbox boss Peter Moore on how Microsoft made Xbox 360 "a cultural phenomenon"
Our big Xbox 360 interview continues here, with part 2:
www.eurogamer.net/the-story-of...
Our big Xbox 360 interview continues here, with part 2:
www.eurogamer.net/the-story-of...
Reposted by Chris Tapsell
BioShock was hugely important to the Xbox 360, but I remember it most for turning me into a smartarse
www.eurogamer.net/bioshock-was...
www.eurogamer.net/bioshock-was...
November 20, 2025 at 12:00 PM
BioShock was hugely important to the Xbox 360, but I remember it most for turning me into a smartarse
www.eurogamer.net/bioshock-was...
www.eurogamer.net/bioshock-was...
Reposted by Chris Tapsell
Megabonk and the mystery of the missing YouTuber - is creator Vedinad actually Danidev? www.eurogamer.net/megabonk-and...
November 19, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Megabonk and the mystery of the missing YouTuber - is creator Vedinad actually Danidev? www.eurogamer.net/megabonk-and...
Reposted by Chris Tapsell
"Microsoft was afraid Sony was going to own the living room" - Xbox 360 boss Peter Moore sheds new light on its fierce battle with PlayStation and the origins of the modern console war www.eurogamer.net/microsoft-wa...
November 19, 2025 at 1:23 PM
"Microsoft was afraid Sony was going to own the living room" - Xbox 360 boss Peter Moore sheds new light on its fierce battle with PlayStation and the origins of the modern console war www.eurogamer.net/microsoft-wa...
Forever proud of this site. Barely half-way through the stuff we have planned for 360 week and even more to come beyond it:
November 19, 2025 at 1:32 PM
Forever proud of this site. Barely half-way through the stuff we have planned for 360 week and even more to come beyond it:
It’s more complicated than this so 1000 caveats but…
I face this even in criticism. If you adapt to accommodate the lowest common denominator so you still get consumed, you just end up making something bad. Widely consumed but bad. Which raises the question: what is the point of doing it at all?
I face this even in criticism. If you adapt to accommodate the lowest common denominator so you still get consumed, you just end up making something bad. Widely consumed but bad. Which raises the question: what is the point of doing it at all?
You wanna know why we're having nag line discourse in 2025? Because developers know we're fighting an attention economy war we'll lose no matter what. Players don't read, have TikTok open next to them, god forbid we are scared you miss something and then blame us for not giving you all the info.
November 14, 2025 at 10:32 PM
It’s more complicated than this so 1000 caveats but…
I face this even in criticism. If you adapt to accommodate the lowest common denominator so you still get consumed, you just end up making something bad. Widely consumed but bad. Which raises the question: what is the point of doing it at all?
I face this even in criticism. If you adapt to accommodate the lowest common denominator so you still get consumed, you just end up making something bad. Widely consumed but bad. Which raises the question: what is the point of doing it at all?
Tom suggested I compare exclusives here, immediately activating my dormant guides brain and sending me to the spreadsheets.
As it turns 5, why doesn't the PS5 feel like the beloved console it looks like on paper? Lots of reasons, as ever. But I found everything ultimately points back to the games.
As it turns 5, why doesn't the PS5 feel like the beloved console it looks like on paper? Lots of reasons, as ever. But I found everything ultimately points back to the games.
Five years from launch the PS5 is a roaring success, so why doesn't it feel like it? The answer is surprisingly simple
Chasing a reason for the slight apathy towards a hugely successful generation, we compare Sony's PS5 exclusives to the PS4s - and get a pretty clear answer.
www.eurogamer.net
November 13, 2025 at 2:21 PM
Tom suggested I compare exclusives here, immediately activating my dormant guides brain and sending me to the spreadsheets.
As it turns 5, why doesn't the PS5 feel like the beloved console it looks like on paper? Lots of reasons, as ever. But I found everything ultimately points back to the games.
As it turns 5, why doesn't the PS5 feel like the beloved console it looks like on paper? Lots of reasons, as ever. But I found everything ultimately points back to the games.
Reposted by Chris Tapsell
sort of incredible to read a review that doesn't just made a vague nod at AI being bad, but actively reckons with the ways in which falling obsessively to AI usage actively obliterates the artistic intent and integrity of the work you've made.
November 10, 2025 at 4:59 PM
sort of incredible to read a review that doesn't just made a vague nod at AI being bad, but actively reckons with the ways in which falling obsessively to AI usage actively obliterates the artistic intent and integrity of the work you've made.
Ahhh, yes, another review written. Now to edit all of my personal opinions, principles, and ideas out of it, and it'll be ready for public consumption.
November 10, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Ahhh, yes, another review written. Now to edit all of my personal opinions, principles, and ideas out of it, and it'll be ready for public consumption.
Reposted by Chris Tapsell
For Arc Raiders to ride the wave of human sociability all the way to the bank, while also being so contemptuous of the thing that makes us social animals in its own workflow demonstrates a lack of artistic integrity that I find impossible to ignore.
Our review: https://bit.ly/49bVn01
Our review: https://bit.ly/49bVn01
November 10, 2025 at 4:31 PM
For Arc Raiders to ride the wave of human sociability all the way to the bank, while also being so contemptuous of the thing that makes us social animals in its own workflow demonstrates a lack of artistic integrity that I find impossible to ignore.
Our review: https://bit.ly/49bVn01
Our review: https://bit.ly/49bVn01
I have huge respect for Rick for having a clear stance on this, that's laid out simply and effectively in terms of the game's own themes - robots replacing humanity! - and the way it undermines its otherwise standout emergent systems.
Rich PvE combat and an unusually friendly community make Arc Raiders a more approachable extraction shooter than most, but Embark Studios' continued use of AI voice generation is a black mark against its reputation.
Our review:
www.eurogamer.net/arc-raiders-...
Our review:
www.eurogamer.net/arc-raiders-...
November 10, 2025 at 4:13 PM
I have huge respect for Rick for having a clear stance on this, that's laid out simply and effectively in terms of the game's own themes - robots replacing humanity! - and the way it undermines its otherwise standout emergent systems.
Saw some interesting chat yesterday about GTA 6's potential outdatedness come launch, which I thought was kind of fascinating, and got me thinking about open world lineage.
For GTA 6 to be outdated, the rest of the open world genre needs to have moved forward signifcantly. I don't think it has.
For GTA 6 to be outdated, the rest of the open world genre needs to have moved forward signifcantly. I don't think it has.
GTA 6 runs the risk of being totally outdated by the time it finally arrives - or does it?
GTA 6's major second delay raises questions about whether it'll still be relevant by the time it finally arrives. Gaming's lack of progress suggests otherwise.
www.eurogamer.net
November 7, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Saw some interesting chat yesterday about GTA 6's potential outdatedness come launch, which I thought was kind of fascinating, and got me thinking about open world lineage.
For GTA 6 to be outdated, the rest of the open world genre needs to have moved forward signifcantly. I don't think it has.
For GTA 6 to be outdated, the rest of the open world genre needs to have moved forward signifcantly. I don't think it has.
Quick-ish piece from me on 'carrot and stick' design and BF 6's Redsec, which is a perfectly cromulent battle royale but also one that makes me pine for my trusty PUBG - or really, any game that has the confidence to cut the filler, be quiet, stop giving me objectives, and get out of their own way.
Battlefield's Redsec battle royale mode is perfectly fine, but also leaves me pining for the golden days of PUBG
Battlefield 6's new battle royale mode is predictably competent, but falls into the same traps as so many others in the genre: there's too much going on.
www.eurogamer.net
October 31, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Quick-ish piece from me on 'carrot and stick' design and BF 6's Redsec, which is a perfectly cromulent battle royale but also one that makes me pine for my trusty PUBG - or really, any game that has the confidence to cut the filler, be quiet, stop giving me objectives, and get out of their own way.
Reposted by Chris Tapsell
Here's a big old chat I had with Hamaguchi-san, which in many ways was a bit of a casual hangout before we did the MCM panel. We talk about all sorts - part 3, dataminers finding non-final versions of Rebirth's pivotal scenes, and how Square lost all of the design data for the original FF7.
The big Final Fantasy 7 interview: How the Remake Trilogy director plans to iterate ahead of Part Three, despite having "almost no documentation" from the original game to reference
www.eurogamer.net/the-big-fina...
www.eurogamer.net/the-big-fina...
October 30, 2025 at 12:07 PM
Here's a big old chat I had with Hamaguchi-san, which in many ways was a bit of a casual hangout before we did the MCM panel. We talk about all sorts - part 3, dataminers finding non-final versions of Rebirth's pivotal scenes, and how Square lost all of the design data for the original FF7.
Reposted by Chris Tapsell
Delighted to announce Heartbeats, Dreams and Laser Eyes: 15 Years of Simogo, and equally thrilled to be working with @hollynielsen.bsky.social, @nadiaoxford.bsky.social, @illogicaljoker.bsky.social and Christian Donlan, who will be contributing essays to the book. Preorder at the link below!
Heartbeats, Dreams and Laser Eyes: 15 Years of @Simogo.com 💗
Look sharp!🤵We've partnered with Simogo on a book that reveals the heartbeats of the Malmö based studio fuelled by curiosity – and nuclear-strength coffee! ☕
Pre-Order by Jan 2nd: lostincult.co.uk/simogo
Look sharp!🤵We've partnered with Simogo on a book that reveals the heartbeats of the Malmö based studio fuelled by curiosity – and nuclear-strength coffee! ☕
Pre-Order by Jan 2nd: lostincult.co.uk/simogo
October 28, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Delighted to announce Heartbeats, Dreams and Laser Eyes: 15 Years of Simogo, and equally thrilled to be working with @hollynielsen.bsky.social, @nadiaoxford.bsky.social, @illogicaljoker.bsky.social and Christian Donlan, who will be contributing essays to the book. Preorder at the link below!
Giving our excellent Halloween playlist from Matt a shout out as it's increasingly rare (and difficult) to have lists that express a site's personality and taste, and aren't just pure SEO-based collections of the standard genre canon. Brilliant stuff here:
www.eurogamer.net/getting-into...
www.eurogamer.net/getting-into...
Getting into the Halloween spirit? Here are the 21 best spooky, scary games to play right now
As Halloween approaches, here are the 21 best spooky, scary horror games to play right now.
www.eurogamer.net
October 28, 2025 at 9:37 AM
Giving our excellent Halloween playlist from Matt a shout out as it's increasingly rare (and difficult) to have lists that express a site's personality and taste, and aren't just pure SEO-based collections of the standard genre canon. Brilliant stuff here:
www.eurogamer.net/getting-into...
www.eurogamer.net/getting-into...
Reposted by Chris Tapsell
Psychonauts studio Double Fine returns with a surprising, shapeshifting adventure of captivating wonder and beauty.
Our Keeper review:
www.eurogamer.net/keeper-review
Our Keeper review:
www.eurogamer.net/keeper-review
October 17, 2025 at 3:16 PM
Psychonauts studio Double Fine returns with a surprising, shapeshifting adventure of captivating wonder and beauty.
Our Keeper review:
www.eurogamer.net/keeper-review
Our Keeper review:
www.eurogamer.net/keeper-review
ALSO: contributed the bottom half of the tips here for getting started in Pokémon Legends: Z-A.
Some handy battle stuff I picked up over time, but the big one for me: spend those mega evolution shards early and often - there's a very low cap to your storage.
www.eurogamer.net/nine-things-...
Some handy battle stuff I picked up over time, but the big one for me: spend those mega evolution shards early and often - there's a very low cap to your storage.
www.eurogamer.net/nine-things-...
Nine things to know before playing Pokémon Legends Z-A
Eurogamer's top nine tips to know before you start playing Pokémon Legends: Z-A!
www.eurogamer.net
October 16, 2025 at 3:18 PM
ALSO: contributed the bottom half of the tips here for getting started in Pokémon Legends: Z-A.
Some handy battle stuff I picked up over time, but the big one for me: spend those mega evolution shards early and often - there's a very low cap to your storage.
www.eurogamer.net/nine-things-...
Some handy battle stuff I picked up over time, but the big one for me: spend those mega evolution shards early and often - there's a very low cap to your storage.
www.eurogamer.net/nine-things-...
Here's a very long, good old fashioned preview from me on FM26. I think FM fans are in for a shock with some of the new UI. And I've some reservations about how some of that new UI actually works, too, beyond the newness.
BUT: that new tactics system. COR!
www.eurogamer.net/brace-yourse...
BUT: that new tactics system. COR!
www.eurogamer.net/brace-yourse...
Brace yourselves, Football Manager fans, I've played a day of FM26 and it's going to take a lot of getting used to
After a day of playing, it's clear Football Manager 26 will take some serious getting used to for regular players. That might be a good thing.
www.eurogamer.net
October 16, 2025 at 3:07 PM
Here's a very long, good old fashioned preview from me on FM26. I think FM fans are in for a shock with some of the new UI. And I've some reservations about how some of that new UI actually works, too, beyond the newness.
BUT: that new tactics system. COR!
www.eurogamer.net/brace-yourse...
BUT: that new tactics system. COR!
www.eurogamer.net/brace-yourse...