Joe Donnelly
Joe Donnelly is a sports editor from Glasgow and former features editor at 12DOVE. A mental health advocate, Joe has written about video games and mental health for The Guardian, New Statesman, VICE, PC Gamer and many more, and believes the interactive nature of video games makes them uniquely placed to educate and inform. His book Checkpoint considers the complex intersections of video games and mental health, and was shortlisted for Scotland's National Book of the Year for non-fiction in 2021. As familiar with the streets of Los Santos as he is the west of Scotland, Joe can often be found living his best and worst lives in GTA Online and its PC role-playing scene.
Latest articles by Joe Donnelly
The excruciating wait for Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is a blessing and a curse for the action RPG
By Joe Donnelly published
Big In 2024 Big In 2024 | Elden Ring's first slice of new content has been a long time coming, for better and worse
I was sold on Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth 27 years ago
By Joe Donnelly published
Big In 2024 Big In 2024 | The latest slice of the modern day reimagining ticks so many old-school boxes
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle looks like the best series adaptation since Temple of Doom on the Atari ST over 30 years ago
By Joe Donnelly published
Big In 2024 Big In 2024 | I love Lara, but this looks like the sort of tomb raiding I've wanted from Indy for so long
Prince of Persia The Lost Crown has given the 35-year-old series its second reinvention, but I still think it's better-suited to action RPG over Metroidvania
By Joe Donnelly published
Opinion Opinion | The Lost Crown has made Prince of Persia relevant again, setting its next steps up perfectly in the process
What to expect from PlayStation in 2024
By Joe Donnelly published
Big In 2024 Big In 2024 | In the wake of a steady but subdued 2023, Sony will be keen to make some noise in the coming weeks and months
Prince of Persia The Lost Crown review: "It gets so much right, but falls short of greatness"
By Joe Donnelly published
Review
I played A Tiny Sticker Tale with my 5-year-old daughter for a laugh, but was nearly brought to tears by its poignant themes of fatherhood
By Joe Donnelly published
Indie Spotlight Indie Spotlight | Turning A Tiny Sticker Tale into an inadvertent pantomime was the perfect tonic to combat end-of-year fatigue
With the GTA 6 hype train in motion, 2024 will be the most exciting year for Grand Theft Auto in the series' almost 30-year existence
By Joe Donnelly published
Grand Theft Advent Grand Theft Advent | Merry Christmas, happy Grand Theft Advent, and here's to a busy and rumor-driven New Year
The first GTA 6 trailer was incredible – but what can we expect from the second?
By Joe Donnelly published
Grand theft advent Grand Theft Advent | With GTA 6 not here till 2025, we'll surely be seeing more of Vice City soon
Did the GTA 6 leaks help or hinder Rockstar's long-awaited GTA 6 trailer reveal?
By Joe Donnelly published
Grand Theft Advent Grand Theft Advent | Rockstar has come through one of the most turbulent periods in its history pretty unscathed, it would seem
I might be in the minority here, but I hope GTA 6 launches without a first-person mode
By Joe Donnelly published
Grand Theft Advent Grand Theft Advent | I'm happy to wait for another way to play
Rediscovering the 24-year-old open-world GTA game that totally changed my opinion on PC graphics
By Joe Donnelly published
Grand theft advent Grand Theft Advent | I brought one of my favorite Grand Theft Auto games back to life, and it's been the perfect way to round out the year
PlayStation Year in Review: A steady but subdued year for Sony, despite its noisy neighbors and a visit from Spider-Man
By Joe Donnelly published
Opinion Opinion | A big year for video games, but a distinctly normal-sized one for PlayStation
I can't lie, the GTA 6 trailer was my favorite thing about video games in 2023
By Joe Donnelly published
Grand theft advent Grand Theft Advent | From Baldur's Gate 3 to Alan Wake 2 and Dead Space, it's been a blockbuster year for games… but the GTA 6 trailer stole the show for me
Charting the 26-year evolution of my favorite Grand Theft Auto car, while keeping my fingers (and legs and toes) crossed it returns in GTA 6
By Joe Donnelly published
Grand Theft Advent Grand Theft Advent | Here's hoping for a vroom with a view in Vice City
I hope GTA 6 gives these 3 in-game communities a new lease of life in 2025
By Joe Donnelly published
Grand Theft Advent Grand Theft Advent | Lucia may be the star of the show, but what about the communities underpinning the main stage?
The strange story of Darkel, one of GTA 3's most mysterious cut characters with speculated (but unsubstantiated) ties to terrorism
By Joe Donnelly published
Grand Theft Advent Grand Theft Advent | Speculation is part of the Grand Theft Auto experience, and Darkel is part of the series' folklore
We used the Florida Man Birthday Challenge to learn more about GTA 6’s Leonida and got more than we bargained for
By Iain Harris published
Opinion Grand Theft Advent | Come share in our wisdom
Best local multiplayer Switch games
By Jordan Gerblick last updated
Best List Remember to tighten the straps on your Joy-Cons before playing the best local multiplayer Switch games
Marvel's Spider-Man 2's Rio Morales actor on the importance of representation: "I've received so many lovely messages from players"
By Joe Donnelly published
Interview Interview | Jacqui Pinol chats to GR+ about aligning herself with one of the coolest moms in video games
The top 5 GTA reveal trailer theme songs of all time
By Joe Donnelly published
GRAND THEFT ADVENT Grand Theft Advent | Tom Petty's Love Is a Long Road is the latest reveal trailer tune, but where does it rank among the series' best?
The 26-year evolution of the GTA logo – from the original Grand Theft Auto to GTA 6
By Joe Donnelly published
GRAND THEFT ADVENT Grand Theft Advent | A visual tour of how the GTA logo has changed over the last quarter of a century
New versions of Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio and my absolute favorite beat 'em up from 34 years ago could make 2024 and beyond very special indeed
By Joe Donnelly published
Opinion Opinion | Sega will reimagine a host of classic games "over the next several years" and I cannot wait to learn more
I don't say this lightly but I think The Finals, from a team of ex-Battlefield devs, could change the face of PvP FPS games forever
By Joe Donnelly published
Preview Preview | The Finals has the best destruction physics I've ever seen
From Hollywood to Assassin's Creed to creating a fascinating new Metroidvania inspired by grief: "I think my father would be proud"
By Joe Donnelly published
Interview Interview | The BAFTA-winning actor Abubakar Salim is leading the change at Surgent Studios with its debut project - Tales of Kenzera: Zau
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