Editors’ Picks: Digital Discoveries

Contributing editor, Zak Storey, and staff writer, Christian Guyton, have been shouting about things

GOOGLE HOME MINI

A lot’s happened since I left these pages: I grew a beard, got a puppy, dabbled in the world of online, and now I’m back. Today, however, I’m talking about the little thing next to Maximum Doggo (below), the Google Home Mini. This weekend, it was a complete lifesaver.

My puppy has sadly been ill. She’s been crate trained, which is fantastic, as it keeps her safe and makes her feel secure during stressful situations and at night, but when she’s ill, it’s a bit of a curse. Unfortunately, I awoke on Saturday morning to a very distressed, lethargic dog, with herself and her bed covered in her own diarrhea.

It’s an assault on the senses and a lot to take in, first thing in the morning, when you’re standing there in your underwear, but the price I happily pay to have a companion like her. I immediately let the dog out, getting myself covered in the unmentionable as I did so, put her in the backyard, and began shouting commands at Google: “Turn on the lights!” “When’s the vet open?” “Broadcast: wake up!” “Call the vet!” “Play music!” Having the ability to do all that, alert my spouse, and distract myself while I cleaned up the awful mess was very much needed.

$40, https://store.google.com

WARFRAME: EMPYREAN

Just when I think Digital Extremes can’t make

Warframe any better, it does. What started as a procedurally-generated corridor shooter has evolved into something bigger and weirder, with over 40 playable “frames,” dozens of environments, and hundreds of funky sci-fi weapons.

Adding hoverboards and massive openworld regions wasn’t enough for the Canadian developer, as the latest major update sees players venturing into a whole new arena: co-operative space combat. With the Empyrean expansion, player clans in Warframe can now assemble a Railjack, a spaceship with a four-player crew, each with their own role on missions.

Space combat in games is nothing new, but Warframe has been around for almost seven years, making the Railjacks a huge addition to the already expansive roster of content. Perhaps the best thing is how well it works with the other elements—every Railjack has a person-sized cannon that allows you to board enemy ships, instantly switching to the game’s familiar closequarters combat. It’s incredible how far the game has come, and I for one can’t wait to see what Digital Extremes does next.

Free, www.warframe.com