Assassin's Creed Syndicate

The dream combination is finally here – the series has arrived in Victorian London. And with it comes the double trouble of twins Jacob and Evie Frye, gang warfare, a rope launcher, battles atop trains, and a sprawling city map that, frankly, gives us OCD-induced night terrors. Getting our final hands-on before release, it’s hard to know what to do first. Hijack a carriage? Switch out Jacob’s hat for a hood and stalk the streets? Maybe we’ll visit inventor Alexander Graham Bell, who takes on the Da Vinci role this time around? No, it’s clear: the only way is up.

Mirror’s Edge Catalyst

Why Faith’s open-world origin story is a balancing act only DICE can achieve

Scamper across a tall building, hop off the edge, land with a graceful roll, and keep going: Mirror’s Edge Catalyst makes something dangerous and exhilarating look oh-so-simple. Underneath the smooth, clean surfaces, however, lies a fascinating tangle of conflict. Style versus playability. Innovation versus iteration. Punching versus sprinting. Catalyst must appease whooping series fans, yet still offer something fresh. It has to retain the crisp, clinical design of the original, but provide players with an open world there to be explored, not admired. Not so simple.

Don't waste your gadgets, just wipe them

Try a clean install before you send hardware off to landfill, urges Barry Collins

We now live in a society that’s as disposable as a used tissue. Clinging to perfectly functional hardware until it breaks, instead of instantly replacing it when a new model comes out, now marks you out as something of a weirdo rather than a sensible, frugal type.

Best privacy add-ons for browsers

Worried about advertisers and social networks tracking your movements on the web? Wayne Williams tests six tools that can help you block them

Privacy Badger

Privacy Badger is from the EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation), a non-profit organisation that has 25 years’ experience of defending civil liberties and privacy in the digital world.

The death of Flash

Flash is no longer the darling of the internet and is increasingly being seen as the enemy by many web companies. David Crookes explains why Flash is finished

What's happened?

Flash, the software that’s used to create and deliver online videos, games and adverts through a browser, has had a torrid time of late. Various technology companies have been warning people against using it, with some browser makers going a step further and blocking it altogether. Many people believe that the final nails are now being hammered into Flash’s coffin.