After some high quality copy delivered in a timely fashion? Stay a while and listen – I might be what you’re after.
I’m an experienced freelancer who can turn in fresh & entertaining copy within your style guide quickly and to a high quality. I’ve attended more trade shows (E3, Gamescom, TGS etc) than I can now count, and am used to the pressure of turning out quality content during those brilliant, stressful messes. I’ve interviewed an eclectic range of individuals ranging from CEOs of multi-million dollar companies right down to the more humble independent business owners and industrious fans.
I also have a range of experience outside of the journalistic space writing marketing copy and working on social media and community road maps if that sort of thing is what you’re after. Drop me a line at alex [at] donaldson.zone, and see some of my work linked below.
My Work
VG247
- Gears of War 4 Interview: Everything you need to know about the new Horde mode – Interview – 2nd September 2016
- Final Fantasy 15 interview: Tabata talks delays, Versus, fan expectation and more – Interview – 1st September 2016
- Tekken 7’s Katsuhiro Harada talks eSports ambitions, balance and fan feedback – Interview/Feature – 31st August 2016
- Hitman Episode 4 review: an exciting locale for a run-of-the-mill mission – Review – 29th August 2016
- Harvey Smith takes us inside Dishonored 2’s insane clockwork mansion – Interview – 29th August 2016
- Dead Rising 4 has me excited and worried in equal measure – Preview – 25th August 2016
- Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy 15 review – strictly for forgiving fans – Review – 14th August 2016
- Deus Ex Mankind Divided review: an amazing action RPG, but its narrative stumbles – Review – 23rd August 2016
- Nier Automata might bridge action and RPGs in ways Final Fantasy 15 could only dream of – Preview – 22nd August 2016
- Final Fantasy 15 Hands-On: Weird, wonderful and definitely in need of that delay – Preview – 16th August 2016
- Turtle Beach Elite Pro Headset Review: Pricey but Impressive – Review – 5th August 2016
- Xbox One S Review: A sleek redesign to set things right – Review – 3rd August 2016
- I Am Setsuna charms & satisfies but falls just short of its classic JRPG inspirations – Review – 29th July 2016
- Street Fighter 5 comes out of EVO better than ever, but Capcom’s DLC plan still stinks – Feature – 19th July 2016
- Gravity Rush 2 has cult favourite written all over it – again – Preview – 8th July 2016
- Hands-on with Xbox One exclusive ReCore: a little bit Metroid Prime, a little bit Mega Man – Review – 6th July 2016
- I Am Setsuna and the search for the Japanese RPG’s soul – Preview – 5th July 2016
- Street Fighter 5’s new story mode nails the series’ cheesy tone – Review – 4th July 2016
- At its episodic halfway point, Hitman 2016 is looking like a classic – Review – 4th July 2016
- Tekken 7 nails the feel of Street Fighter’s Akuma perfectly – Preview – 1st July 2016
- Hands-on with Injustice 2: will the new gear system cripple or crown Nether Realm’s next fighting game? – Preview – 29th June 2016
- Gwent: The Witcher card game you’ve been waiting for since Wild Hunt – Preview/Interview – 29th June 2016
- Horizon: Zero Dawn appears to be a proper RPG, and an exciting one – Preview – 27th June 2016
- Sid Meier’s Civilization 6: it’s nearly time to clear 260 hours in your diary – Preview – 24th June 2016
- Hands-on with Watch Dogs 2: will it fulfill the promise of the original’s early hype? – Preview – 23rd June 2016
- Mafia 3: does gang management offer an alternative to gangland shootings? – Preview – 23rd June 2016
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a return to Nintendo’s prime at last – Preview – 22nd June 2016
- Harvey Smith wants Dishonored to become a pen and paper RPG – Interview – 21st June 2016
- Dead Rising 4’s weapon juggling changes the game – Preview – 20th June 2016
- Sea of Thieves: hands-on with the surprise hit of E3 – Preview – 16th June 2016
- Final Fantasy 15’s hands-on demo is really clumsy – Preview – 15th June 2016
- Fallout 4 VR: Hands-on with Bethesda’s virtual reality experiment – Preview – 14th June 2016
- Umbrella Corps: what happens when Resident Evil meets Counter Strike – Preview – 27th May 2016
- Star Ocean: hands-on with the self-assured 20th anniversary release – Preview – 16th May 2016
- The Witcher 3: Blood & Wine – an evolution of the “peasant misery simulator” – Interview – 11th May 2016
- The Witcher 3: Blood & Wine – hands-on with Geralt’s retirement plan – Preview – 10th May 2016
- Uncharted 4 review: not as groundbreaking as 2, but the best in the series – Preview – 9th May 2016
- Dark Souls 3 review: Miyazaki’s triumphant middle ground – Review – 4th April 2016
- Black Desert Online: Life after the Mediah expansion – Feature – 15th April 2016
- Dark Souls 3: the best trick From Software ever pulled – Feature – 30th March 2016
- Hitman’s release might be a mess, but the game could be a series best – Review – 14th March 2016
- Black Desert Online review: lots of potential, but heavy on the MMO cliches – Review – 10th March 2016
- Dark Souls 3: Miyazaki explains the difference between “difficult” and “unreasonable” – Interview – 2nd March 2016
- Dark Souls 3: Miyazaki returns to Dark Souls with a splash of Bloodborne – Feature – 1st March 2016
- Street Fighter V Review: It could be perfect… if it didn’t lack solo content – Feature – 16th February 2016
- Street Fighter V: The best arcade sticks and fightpads – Feature – 16th February 2016
- Street Fighter V Guide: All moves, characters, tips & tactics – Guide – 16th February 2016
- Yes, Final Fantasy VII Remake will be different – it has to be – Opinion Feature – 7th December 2015
- Minecraft: Story Mode is inventive and utterly soaked in its source material – Review Feature – 13th October 2015
- Why Call of Duty: Black Ops 3’s entire campaign is unlocked from the start – Feature – 12th October 2015
- The Witcher 3: Hearts of Stone feels like a true expansion – Feature – 28th September 2015
- Just Cause 3’s exaggerated action is still damn satisfying – Gamescom Feature – 19th August 2015
- Crackdown 3’s spectacular tech suggests the cloud may be Xbox One’s killer app after all – Gamescom Feature – 14th August 2015
- Mafia 3’s change of pace is its best shot at mainstream success – Gamescom Feature – 13th August 2015
- Quantum Break’s action looks familiar, but its FMV twist is fresh – Gamescom Feature – 11th August 2015
- Taking flight: Final Fantasy 14 Heavensward spreads its wings – Feature – 26th May 2015
- Hands-on with Final Fantasy XV – Feature – 7th March 2015
- Paradigm Shift: Blending Action and RPG in Lightning Returns – Feature – 28th October 2013
- The Story of NeoGAF – Feature – 15th-17th May 2013
- From the ashes: FF14’s director on failure & redemption – Feature – 14th March 2013
- Distant Worlds: why music is Final Fantasy’s legacy – Feature – 3rd December 2012
- Wii U Playtest – Miyamoto’s gun is shooting blanks – E3 Feature – 8th June 2012
- Class war – Bleszinski on GoW: Judgment’s multiplay – E3 Feature – 7th June 2012
- Friends forever: Mass Effect 3 and the save game legacy – Feature – 9th March 2012
- Uncompromised: PlayStation Vita launches in the UK – Feature – 22nd February 2012
- Crossing the Line: Hands-on with Street Fighter X Tekken – Feature – 16th February 2012
- Under pressure: is FFXIII-2 a step back from the brink? – Feature – 7th February 2012
- Inside the UK’s Largest Fighter Tournament – Part Two – Feature – 18th October 2011
- Inside the UK’s Largest Fighter Tournament – Part One – Feature – 17th October 2011
- Something old, something new: Sonic Generations – Preview – 4th October 2011
- Embracing Death: Vigil’s Fitzloff on Darksiders II – Interview/Preview – 3rd October 2011
- The Politics of Trust: Sega’s Nagoshi on Binary Domain – Interview – 7th September 2011
- Violent, Fast & Kick-Ass: Hands On with Anarchy Reigns – Preview – 30th August 2011
- Crash, Bang, Wallop: Hands-On with Burnout Crash – Preview – 25th August 2011
- Vive la Résistance: Hands-on with Sony’s Chimeric shooter – Preview – 24th August 2011
- The Force is Strong in This One: Talking to Bioware’s Greg Zeschuk – Interview – 22nd August 2011
- Indestructible: DICE’s Karl Troedsson on Battlefield 3 – Preview/Interview – 20th August 2011
- Fan service: Gearbox’s Martel on Aliens: Colonial Marines – Preview/Interview – 18th August 2011
- E3: On the edge with Uncharted 3’s single-player – Preview/Interview – 8th June 2011
- Game Guide Content:
- Street Fighter V
- The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine
- Uncharted 4 – Collectables / Conversations
- Pokemon Go
- No Man’s Sky
- Hitman – Paris: In Plain Sight / Public Speaker / Terminal Velocity
- Battlefield 1: Tips & Tricks
- Assorted News Cover Shifts:
- 8th-9th May 2013
- 24th – 25th May 2012
- 2nd April 2012
- 19th March 2012
- 22nd – 23rd September 2011
- 16th August 2011
- 22nd – 24th March 2011
Game Watcher
- Street Fighter V Video & Text Review – Review/Video Review – 16th February 2016
- Armored Warfare Video Interview – Video Feature – 2nd November 2015
- World of Warships Video Interview – Video Feature – 6th October 2015
- Warhammer Neocore Games Video Interview – Gamescom Video Feature – 20th August 2015
- Nobunaga’s Ambition Video Interview – Gamescom Video Feature – 17th August 2015
- Civilization: Beyond Earth Video Interview – E3 Video Feature – 7th July 2015
- Total War: Warhammer Video Interview – E3 Video Feature – 26th June 2015
- Video Interview – Wargaming League Boss Mo Fadl – Video Feature – 6th May 2015
- Video Interview – Virtus.PRO eSports Team – Video Feature – 13th May 2015
- Tested: Acer H7550ST Projector – Hardware Feature – 26th October 2015
- Tested: Turtle Beach Ear Force Stealth 450 – Hardware Feature – 7th September 2015
- Tested: Turtle Beach Impact 700 Gaming Keyboard – Hardware Feature – 31st August 2015
- Tested: Cougar 550M Gaming Mouse – Hardware Feature – 17th August 2015
- Tested: Element Gaming’s latest high and low end keyboards – Hardware Feature – 14th July 2015
- Tested: Element Gaming Iridium 820 Mouse – Hardware Feature – Hardware Feature – 19th May 2015
- Today I Learned: PC Liquid Cooling isn’t as scary as it sounds – Hardware Feature – 3rd May 2015
- Tested: Fractal Design Define R5 PC Case – Hardware Feature – 15th April 2015
- Tested: ‘Tournament Ready’ PC inputs from Mad Catz – Hardware Feature – 1st April 2015
- Solid State Drives: The best PC gaming upgrade you can make – Hardware Feature – 31st March 2015
- Element Gaming unleashes top British-made PC accessories – Hardware Feature – 18th March 2015
RPG Site
- Dark Souls 3 Hands-On – Iteration over Revolution – Text/Video Preview – March 2nd 2016
- Why RPG fans really should give XCOM a try – Feature – February 4th 2016
- Final Fantasy Explorers Video Impressions – Video Feature – January 28th 2016
- Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen PC Review – Review/Video Feature – January 14th 2016
- Interview: Yoko Shimomura talks writing some of the genre’s most iconic music – Interview – January 5th 2016
- Final Fantasy Explorers Hands-on – where Crystal Chronicles meets Monster Hunting – Preview – December 29th 2016
- Final Fantasy VII’s PS4 and iOS port has a feature all classic JRPG re-releases should copy – Feature – December 14th 2015
- Chronus Arc Review – Review – November 30th 2015
- Zodiac: Orcanon Odyssey Review – Review – November 29th 2015
- The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes Review – Review – November 29th 2015
- Fallout 4 Video Features – Video Features – November 9th 2015
- Fallout 4 In-Depth Impressions – Video Feature – November 9th 2015
- Fallout 4 Review – Review – November 8th 2015
- Spotlight: SSV Normandy SR-1 – Feature – November 7th 2015
- Dreams Come True: Behind the Scenes of Final Symphony II – Interview Feature – October 5th 2015
- Faster and slicker but no easier: Hands-on with Dark Souls III – Preview – August 18th 2015
- Scalebound looks like the most interesting big-budget Japanese RPG in a while – Preview – August 8th 2015
- Talking Combat, Conspiracy & Choice with Deus Ex: Mankind Divided’s Producer – Interview – July 7th 2015
- Final Fantasy IX and me – 15 years on – Feature – July 7th 2015
- After hands-on time, Triforce Heroes feels a potentially worthy Zelda spin-off – Preview – June 24th 2015
- Horizon Zero Dawn may well be the most pleasant surprise of E3 – Preview – June 21st 2015
- Fallout 4’s detailed E3 showing leaves rivals looking meagre – Preview – June 21st 2015
- Rebel Yell: XCOM 2 Impressions – Preview – June 20th 2015
- Final Fantasy X HD PS4 Footage – Video Feature – May 13th 2015
- Final Fantasy Record Keeper Review – Review – April 15th 2015
- Borderlands: The Handsome Collection Review – Review – April 1st 2015
- Xenoblade Chronicles 3D Review – Review – March 31st 2015
- We’ve played Final Fantasy XV – here’s what you need to know – Audio Feature – March 7th 2015
- Talking Heavensward Jobs, Game Balance & more with FF14’s Naoki Yoshida – Interview – March 7th 2015
- Spotlight: Midgar – Feature – January 30th 2015
- Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel Review – Review – November 3rd 2014
- Fable Legends Hands-On – Preview – October 15th 2014
- Fantasy Life Review – Review – September 30th 2014
- Musical Magic: A chat with Theatrhythm Final Fantasy’s Creator – Interview – September 10th 2014
- Square Enix’s new Adventure Game may be worth a look for RPG fans – Preview – August 27th 2014
- Diablo III: Ultimate Evil Edition – Review – August 25th 2014
- Natural Doctrine Hands-On – Preview – August 21st 2014
- Sacred 3 – Review – August 11th 2014
- Talking Frozen, Philosophy & more with Kingdom Hearts 2.5 & 3’s Co-Director – Interview – July 1st 2014
- The Witcher III: Wild Hunt Impressions – Preview – June 22nd 2014
- Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel Hands-On – Preview – June 18th 2014
- Talking Visual FX, Passion & Witchers with CD Projekt RED – Interview – June 17th 2014
- Borderlands 2 Vita – Review – May 30th 2014
- The Elder Scrolls Online – Review – April 25th 2014
- South Park: The Stick of Truth – Review – March 4th 2014
- Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII – Review – February 11th 2014
- Deus Ex: Human Revolution Director’s Cut – Review – January 24th 2014
- Looking back on 10 years of Final Fantasy XIII with Yoshinori Kitase – Interview – November 14th 2013
- Inazuma Eleven 3 – Review – October 2nd 2013
- The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD – Review – September 30th 2013
- Talking Talent, Western Development and Sequels with Final Fantasy Producer Shinji Hashimoto – Interview – July 24th 2013
- Deus Ex: The Fall – Review – July 22nd 2013
- Talking Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts & Development Philosophy with Tetsuya Nomura – Interview – July 16th 2013
- Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn Interview with Naoki Yoshida – Interview – July 8th 2013
- Deus Ex: The Fall Hands-On – Preview – June 24th 2013
- E3 2013: Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Hands-On – Preview – June 17th 2013
- E3 2013: The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds Hands-On – Preview – June 16th 2013
- E3 2013: Final Fantasy X & X-2 HD Remaster Hands-On – Preview – June 15th 2013
- E3 2013: Fable Anniversary Hands-On – Preview – June 15th 2013
- E3 2013: Fable Anniversary Developer Interview – Interview – June 15th 2013
- Thought dump: And then there were Fifteen – Feature – June 11th 2013
- Fire Emblem: Awakening and the spirit of the classics – Feature – May 29th 2013
- Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn Interview with Naoki Yoshida – Interview – 24th February 2013
- Hand-On Impressions: Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn – Preview – 24th February 2013
- The Conundrum of Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII – Feature – 17th January 2013
- The Old Republic’s ‘gay paywall’ is far worse than its planetary segregation – Feature – 15th January 2013
- Mass Effect 3: Omega – Review – 30th November 2012
- The Elder Scrolls Online Interview: Paul Sage, Creative Director – Interview – 20th November 2012
- The Elder Scrolls Online Hands-On – Preview – 22nd October 2012
- Fable: The Journey – Review – 9th October 2012
- Borderlands 2 – Review – 25th September 2012
- Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII is a statement of intent for the future of the series – Feature – 31st August 2012
- Mass Effect 3: Leviathan – Review – 29th August 2012
- The Old Republic Interview: Bioware’s Jeff Hickman – Interview – 23rd August 2012
- Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn Impressions – Preview – 23rd August 2012
- Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn Developer Interview, Round 2 – Interview – 22nd August 2012
- Borderlands 2 Preview – Gamescom Preview – 20th August 2012
- Ni no Kuni Preview – Gamescom Preview – 19th August 2012
- Square Enix Luminous Studio Interview – E3 Interview – June 25th 2012
- Borderlands 2 Interview – E3 Interview – 17th June 2012
- Borderlands 2 Preview – E3 Preview – 17th June 2012
- Fable: The Journey Interview – E3 Interview – 7th June 2012
- About the Mass Effect 3 ending controversy – Feature – 22nd March 2012
- Kinect Effect: Commanding Shepard’s Squad with Voice – Feature – 9th March 2012
- Mass Effect 3 – Review – 6th March 2012
- Final Fantasy XIII-2 Yoshinori Kitase Interview – Interview – 16th November 2012
- Final Fantasy XIV Producer/Director Interview – Interview – 1st November 2011
- Dark Souls Review – Review – 3rd October 2011
- RPG Site Holiday 2011 Import Guide – Feature – 21st September 2011
- Mass Effect 3 Hands-On – Preview – 2nd September 2011
- Xenoblade Chronicles Review – Review – 1st September 2011
- Deus Ex: Human Revolution Console Review – Review – 31st August 2011
- Final Fantasy VII and VIII are on Steam – but will likely never see release – Feature – 23rd June 2011
- E3 2011: Mass Effect 3 Preview – Preview – 18th June 2011
- E3 2011: Mass Effect 3 Interview – Interview – Interview – 16th June 2011
- E3 2011: Fable: The Journey Impressions – Preview – 14th June 2011
- E3 2011: Peter Molyneux Fable: The Journey Interview – Interview – 14th June 2011
- E3 2011: Final Fantasy XIII-2 Impressions Round 2 – Preview – 13th June 2011
- E3 2011: Heroes of Ruin Impressions – Preview – 12th June 2011
- E3 2011: Final Fantasy XIII-2 Developer Interview – Interview – 9th June 2011 [With Erren Van Duine]
Strategy Informer
- Cryorig R1 Cooler – Hardware Feature – 3rd March 2015
- Logitech G300 – Hardware Feature – 3rd February 2015
- Mad Catz @ CES – Hardware Feature – 13th January 2015
- Turtle Beach @ CES – Hardware Feature – 9th January 2015
- Lightpack – Hardware Feature – 5th January 2015
- Turtle Beach Z60 – Hardware Feature – 1st December 2014
- Civilization Beyond Earth – Preview – 3rd July 2014
- World of Warships – Preview – 2nd July 2014
- Batman Arkham Origins – Preview – 3rd July 2013
- Command & Conquer 2014 – Preview – 1st July 2013
- Titanfall – Preview – 23rd June 2013
- The Evil Within – Preview – 3rd June 2013
- Wolfenstein: The New Order – Preview – 28th May 2013
- Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen – Review – 30th April 2013
- SimCity – Review – 26th March 2013
- Tomb Raider – Review – 13th March 2013
- Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag – Preview – 4th March 2013
- Hitman HD Trilogy – Review – 8th February 2013
- The Elder Scrolls Online Hands-On – Preview – 22nd October 2012
- The Elder Scrolls Online Developers Talk Shop – Interview – 22nd October 2012
- Tekken Tag Tournament 2 – Review – 11th September 2012
- Tomb Raider Hands-on – Preview – 22nd August 2012
- Devil May Cry HD Collection – Review – 10th April 2012
- Kinect Star Wars – Review – 3rd April 2012
- Rayman 3 HD – Review – 21st March 2012
- Street Fighter X Tekken – Review – 5th March 2012
- Alan Wake’s American Nightmare – Review – 27th February 2012
- Shank 2 – Review – 22nd February 2012
- Soul Calibur V – Review – 31st January 2012
- Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath HD – Review – 2nd January 2012
- Dynasty Warriors 7: Xtreme Legends – Review – 7th December 2011
- House of the Dead Overkill (PS3) – Review – 23rd November 2011
- Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 – Review – 14th November 2011
- Tropico 4 (360) – Review – 11th November 2011
- Street Fighter X Tekken Interview with Seth Killian – Interview – 2nd November 2011
- Street Fighter X Tekken Hands-On – Preview – 2nd November 2011
- Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 Hands-On – Preview – 1st November 2011
- Dragon’s Dogma Interview – Interview – 31st October 2011
- Dragon’s Dogma Preview – Preview – 31st October 2011