Joel Franey
Joel Franey got his Bachelors in Creative Writing and Games Design from Brunel University in 2017, before going on to do a Masters in Creative and Critical Writing from Sussex University. During this time he also worked freelance in various gaming-related roles and professions, including design, PR, reviews and features, before eventually joining the guides team at USgamer and ReedPop in 2019. Since then, he has written professionally for numerous publications, including Gfinity Esports, Eurogamer, VG247, JellyDeals and Dicebreaker, in various capacities. These have involved, among other things, writing guides, news, features, reviews, and even working as an SEO consultant, restructuring and rewriting content for the purpose of increased online traffic. He eventually joined 12DOVE as a Guides Writer in 2021, with a focus on covering single player games and narrative games, though nonetheless regularly contributing to ongoing coverage of online gaming services and multiplayer properties, and has covered a variety of major AAA games in his time since then. In his spare time he is also a long-time fiction writer, having written books, screenplays and more besides in a variety of genres, and is the co-host and co-creator of the ongoing pop culture comedy podcast, "Margaret Thatcher, Templar Spy".
Latest articles by Joel Franey
All Dragon Age Veilguard factions and the best one to choose
By Joel Franey last updated
Guide Each faction in Dragon Age Veilguard provides a perk and specific rewards, but which one is best?
Every Dragon Age Veilguard guide you'll ever need to master Thedas
By Joel Franey last updated
Guide Every Dragon Age Veilguard guide you'll ever need
Dragon Age Veilguard Heart of Corruption walkthrough and guide
By Joel Franey last updated
Guide The Heart of Corruption quest in Dragon Age Veilguard is a long one and ends with a level 50 boss
I wasn't going to play Pokemon TCG Pocket for long, but then I got the rarest card in my first few hours – and now I can't put it down
By Joel Franey published
Feature Opinion | The newest Pokemon Trading Card Game has me hooked, and I can't tell whether it's down to very good or very bad luck
10 Dragon Age Veilguard tips we wish we knew before playing
By Joel Franey last updated
Guide These tips and tricks for Dragon Age Veilguard will help you prepare for the saga of the Dreadwolf
All Dragon Age Veilguard classes explained and the best classes to use
By Joel Franey last updated
Guide We've explained the basics of each of the three Dragon Age Veilguard classes and ranked them to help you find the right one for you
All Dragon Age Veilguard Companions and how to recruit them
By Joel Franey last updated
Guide There are 7 companions in Dragon Age Veilguard for players to recruit and bring along on their adventures
How long is Dragon Age The Veilguard?
By Joel Franey last updated
Guide Beating the main quest for Dragon Age Veilguard takes roughly 30-40 hours, but side activities add many more hours
How to play Minecraft for free at home, legally
By Leon Hurley last updated
Guide Play Minecraft for free and on your browser - no download needed
The best Minecraft cheats and console commands
By Iain Wilson last updated
Cheats We've got cheats and console commands for both Java and Bedrock Minecraft
The best Minecraft texture packs to enhance your world's look
By Jordan Oloman last updated
Guide Learn about installing the best Minecraft texture packs for Java and Bedrock Editions
The best Minecraft shaders to make your world look better
By Heather Wald last updated
Guide Change Minecraft's lighting and atmosphere with these shaders
Dragon Age Veilguard Echoes of the Past walkthrough
By Joel Franey published
Guide Bellara's personal side quest, Echoes of the Past, is about finding power crystals for artifacts
Should you knock out the First Warden or talk sense into him in Dragon Age Veilguard?
By Will Sawyer published
Guide As Weisshaupt crumbles, you must either knock out the First Warden in Dragon Age Veilguard or try to talk him around
How to complete Pinnacle of Its Kind in Dragon Age Veilguard
By Joel Franey published
Guide Pinnacle of its Kind has Rook hunt three demons across the map of Veilguard
Should you save the mayor or leave him in Dragon Age Veilguard?
By Joel Franey last updated
Guide The mayor choice in Dragon Age Veilguard is about whether to spare the corrupted leader
The Dragon Age Veilguard Lighthouse statues puzzle explained
By Joel Franey last updated
Guide The pairs of statues in the Veilguard lighthouse need to be turned to face each other
Best Minecraft mods for new biomes, more items, and optimization
By Aron Garst last updated
Guide Try the best Minecraft utility, building, and biome mods for Java Edition and enjoy a fresh experience
How to install Minecraft Forge and use mods
By Leon Hurley last updated
Guide Using Minecraft Forge to install and manage mods in your games
How to fix the Monster Hunter Wilds Black Screen glitch
By Joel Franey published
Guide If you get a black screen after character creation in the Monster Hunter Wilds beta, here's why
The best Helldivers 2 weapons and tier list
By Joel Franey last updated
Guide Our Helldivers 2 weapon tier list has seen some new additions with the new Warbond
What's the best Dragon Age Veilguard Lineage?
By Joel Franey published
Guide Elf, Qunari, Human and Dwarf are species options in DA Veilguard
Monster Hunter Wilds Rey Dau weaknesses, tips and strategies
By Joel Franey published
Guide Monster Hunter Wilds Rey Dau weaknesses, tips and strategies
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