Live / The Gaslight Anthem, Troxy, 29/03/13 + 30/03/13

The Gaslight Anthem capture an oddball crowd. Both of their shows at London’s (nicely carpeted) Troxy venue this weekend pull in pierced punk rockers,  long-haired thrashers (read: me) and, most prominently, those looking to replicate the band’s care-free New Jersey good looks. And yet this is a band with little in the way of strained solos and ballsy riffs, begging the question of just how they’ve gathered such a varied following. But under the spell of Brian Fallon’s all-American vocals the answer becomes clear as everyone seemingly gels into one category of happy, bouncy youngsters looking to have a good time and sing their hearts out.

Game / Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

You could quite justifiably go up and down the score board with Metal Gear Rising. It’s a game that, in the hearts of the dedicated Platinum fans and action game elite, has all the makings of a perfect score experience, yet possesses the challenge, obscurity and downright weirdness to turn away even the most devoted of Metal Gear fans.

Live / Stereophonics, Brixton Electric, 04/03/13

The Stereophonics haven’t really been away since the release of 2009’s Keep Clam and Carry On. The three years between that and this week’s Grafitti on the Train have been filled with intimate tours and one-off shows that have highlighted the band’s extensive (and underrated) discography, including full performances of earlier records, Paul Weller-shaped guest spots and rarities that will likely never reach an audience again.

Game / Ni No Kuni: The Wrath of the White Witch

Visually stunning, aesthetically charming, thematically endearing and hopelessly cute, it’s all too easy to declare Ni No Kuni an instant classic. But while Level 5’s latest JRPG is indeed a whimsical joy to behold, it finds itself struggling to keep up with other genre staples from this generation – never really losing its training wheels and thus falling short of the bar that Nintendo’s Xenoblade Chronicles set a few years back.