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
How Ubisoft transformed Assassin's Creed Mirage protagonist Basim from evil to endearing
By Joe Donnelly published
Interview Interview | An antagonist in Valhalla, Basim Ibn Ishaq is back in the form of Assassin's Creed Mirage's hero
How rejecting racism, reconnecting with Arabic culture, and a chance phone call helped bring Assassin's Creed Mirage's Basim to life
By Joe Donnelly published
On the Radar On the Radar | In conversation with Lee Majdoub, the man tasked with reimagining Basim Ibn Ishaq in Assassin's Creed Mirage
With respect to the last decade's blockbuster open world games, GTA Online is still the best of them all in 2023
By Joe Donnelly published
Opinion Opinion | As GTA Online turns 10, we explore why players are still flocking to the city of sin after so many years
Meet the GTA Online skydive stunt master who's spent over 10,000 hours perfecting aerial tricks – their latest anniversary montage will blow you away
By Joe Donnelly published
Features Interview | Ash Skyqueen is back dazzling in the skies of Los Santos and Blaine County with a new stunt collection
I haven't felt this way about a fighting game since I knocked myself out on a Mortal Kombat arcade cabinet at a bowling alley 30 years ago
By Joe Donnelly published
Opinion Opinion | As a reboot, Mortal Kombat 1 will inevitably draw newcomers – but its appeal for me spans decades in more ways than one
GTA Online changed the face of multiplayer heist games, but Payday 3 holds the blueprints
By Joe Donnelly published
Opinion Opinion | Payday 3 doesn't reinvent the wheel but it'll definitely feed your heist movie power fantasies – assuming its servers let you
Starfield is bigger and more ambitious than Skyrim, but will it stand the test of time in the same way?
By Joe Donnelly published
Opinion Opinion | It's got the ingredients to match The Elder Scrolls 5's legacy, but does Starfield know what to do with them?
Bloodborne changed the face of action RPG horror, but Lies of P could redefine our expectations
By Joe Donnelly published
Opinion Opinion | Lies of P could, and probably should, mark a new dawn for Soulslike horror
If you can't play Starfield, this sci-fi Skyrim mod has 7 districts, 200 interiors, 400 NPCs and is perfect for space envy
By Joe Donnelly published
Features Struggling with Starfield FOMO? You might fancy visiting Fort Knox via Tamriel
GTA 5's open world map was so ahead of its time that it's no surprise people are still flocking to it 10 years later
By Joe Donnelly published
Features Opinion | It may be cliche to describe video game settings as central characters, but it's absolutely true of Grand Theft Auto 5's Los Santos and Blaine County
Solo-ing this old-school GTA Online mission is the best way to make quick cash during this week's 4x RP and GTA$ event
By Joe Donnelly published
Opinion Opinion | This Lamar Davis throwback is loud, lively, and, crucially, lucrative - cash in while you can!
The most exciting Nintendo and Sony showcase standouts were last century's ideas
By Joe Donnelly published
Opinion Opinion | It really feels like a golden age inspired by a Golden Age
I'm late to the Baldur's Gate 3 party, so I've decided to ruin that party by being an absolute bastard to everyone I meet
By Joe Donnelly published
Opinion Baldur's Gate 3 is an incredibly flexible story-generator for the best and worst players among us
My first experience of an open world space game was on the Atari ST 31 years ago – Starfield is the game I've dreamt of ever since
By Joe Donnelly published
Opinion Opinion | I've waited 31 years and 12 computers for a space game like Starfield
I went hands-on with my most-anticipated upcoming open world game, and it didn't disappoint
By Joe Donnelly published
Preview Impressions | Islands of Insight is a game-changer for puzzle game fans – check out its open playtest now
Starfield isn't "Skyrim in space", and I'm torn on whether that's a good thing or a bad thing
By Joe Donnelly published
Opinion Opinion | Starfield's slow burn sets apart from what's come before, for better and worse
Starfield thrives in its quietest moments because few studios do implicit dread like Bethesda
By Joe Donnelly published
Opinion Opinion | Raiding seemingly abandoned outposts is one of the most entertaining side ventures in Starfield
Blasphemous 2 has the best interconnected map I've seen since Dark Souls
By Joe Donnelly published
Feature Opinion | From the Crown of Towers to Profundo Lamento and the City of the Blessed Name, Blasphemous 2's world is a joy to explore
Worldless is a gorgeous action platformer that blends peaceful Metroidvania adventure with hectic rhythm combat
By Joe Donnelly published
Preview Preview | Worldless will keep you on your toes in its loudest and quietest moments
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