July 2022

The Da Capo visual novel series will have a new entry, and it will appear on PC browsers in Japan. Circus has opened a new website for Da Capo 5. The newest sequel will arrive to mark the series' 20th anniversary.

The website itself has yet to contain a list of platforms that Da Capo 5 will be available for. However, a Japanese press release announcing the game has shown up courtesy of Exnoa, the company behind the DMM Games platform. It confirmed that the visual novel will be available on PC browsers.

The Da Capo series originated as an adult visual novel released for PCs in Japan in June 2002. However, Circus also released all-ages versions of the games on PCs and consoles. The company mostly sells the PC versions in physical formats. As of this writing, Da Capo 3 R is the only entry that is available digitally on Steam.

The previous mainline entry, Da Capo 4, appeared in 2019. In 2021, Circus also released Da Capo 4: Fortunate Departures, a direct sequel telling stories after the endings in the original game.

The NieR fan community has been in an uproar over the last several days, following the saga of a "secret church" area supposedly discovered five years after the game's release. Now the secret of the NieR Automata church has been revealed. As it turns out, it's neither an elaborate hoax, nor a bit of viral marketing for something new to do with NieR. Rather, it's a bit of both. According to its creators, the whole event was a complex, engrossing stunt designed to show off a powerful new set of modding tools.

You can read more about the beginnings of the stunt in this post. But to summarize, an anonymous player going by "sadfutago" began posting videos and screens a never-before-seen church area supposedly found in NieR Automata's Copied City location. Many were left wondering whether the thing was a hoax or actual, newly-discovered content in the game. The case for it being "legitimate" was bolstered by the fact that at the time, NieR Automata modding tools and techniques were widely considered incapable of fashioning entirely new areas as demonstrated in the videos and screenshots posted. Combined with cryptic references to the rest of the NieR franchise, some suggested it was a viral marketing trick to promote the upcoming Switch port of Automata, or even a new NieR game.

The final episode of imported Australian TV show, Neighbours airs today on channel 5 here in the UK and, considering I’ve haven’t watched an episode in over 20 years, I’m actually surprised at how sad I am about that fact.

Neighbours was a huge part of my childhood, as it was for many other people my age, and it was always something I looked forward to watching after school and then discussing in the playground the following day. I vividly remember things like the death of Daphne after a tragic car accident (I think that might have been the first regular TV character I ever saw die) and how my primary school was abuzz with excitement for an upcoming episode that would feature the wedding of fan favourites Scott and Charlene.

One storyline in particular has stuck with me all of these years, though, and that was the time Todd Landers got addicted to the video game Ghosts ‘n’ Goblins.

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Meta has released its quarterly financial results, giving insight into its recent decision to increase the price of its Meta Quest 2 headset.

Reality Labs, the division of Meta which works on its virtual reality and metaverse products, posted a net $2.8bn loss over the last three months.

Revenue during this period saw a 48 percent increase to $452m, which CFO Dave Wehner attributed to sales of Meta Quest 2 during Meta's earnings call with investors, but this was heavily outweighed by the costs and investments Meta is putting into Reality Labs.

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Another week ends, meaning it's time for another Weekly, the quick-talking podcast where we recap the week on Eurogamer for you. Remember, premium supporters get episodes on Friday whereas everyone else listens from Monday.

Today on Weekly, Martin Robinson dives into Xenoblade Chronicles 3, a game he's just rated Essential and spent the last month playing. What's so good about it? And can I play it if I haven't played the others? We hear it from the horse's mouth. (Note: Martin is not actually a horse.)

Christian Donlan, meanwhile, takes us into the world of Rollderdrome, which looks to be another banger from London-based OlliOlli developer Roll7 - how does it do it? This game is a rollerskates shooter where you need to pull off tricks to power your combat. Donlan is very into it.

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Yesterday, Valve issued an update for devs who sell on their storefront. Starting September 1 of this year, “banner images,” referred to as “Capsules” in Steamworks, will be restricted from including a variety of accolades, current sales, and more. In the announcement of the policy change, the house of Gordon Freeman…

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Valkyrie Profile, Tactics Ogre, and Front Mission are all due out in the months ahead. What year is it again? It’s 2022, and it’s already been glorious for fans of new and classic JRPGs alike. But some of the most exciting stuff is still ahead. Years after the genre was left for dead, it’s never felt more vibrant.

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If you’re looking forward to NBA 2K23, a new trailer dubbed the “First Look” delivers all the gameplay you could possibly want. We’re only currently a little over a month away from release, and this is probably not the last trailer we will see.

There has been plenty of NBA 2K23 coverage leading up to this point, including the special edition that honors Michael Jordan. NBA 2K23 will also be honoring the WNBA and have a cover featuring legends Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird.

You can find the trailer below, oddly enough it starts off with one of the members of dance crew the Jabbawockeez and they just never come back. There is a nice section of the trailer that highlight’s cover athlete Devin Booker.

NBA 2K23 will be releasing on Sept. 9 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and PC (via Steam).

When you think of Roblox, even if you don’t play it at all, one of the first things that come to mind is the iconic sound that was associated with dying in the game: oof. This sound bite has been a part of many meme compilations, and fans still crack up when they hear it when playing the game. As of a recent update, though, it seems the effect has been replaced. Here is everything you need to know on if you can get the old school Oof sound back in Roblox.

Can You Get the Old Oof Sound Back in Roblox?

Thankfully, the answer is, yes, you can get the sound back. All you have to do is to look for the game via your Windows search bar and open up the file location.

How to Get the Old Oof Sound Back in Roblox

Once you’ve found the file location for Roblox on your computer, follow these quick and easy steps.

2K Games and Firaxis Games revealed another video about the turn-based tactical game Marvel’s Midnight Suns, dedicated to one of its playable superheroes.

This time around we get a deep dive into the history of Doctor Strange, A.K.A. neurosurgeon-turned-sorcerer supreme Steven Strange.

This time around, the video doesn’t need to dig deep to find the hero’s connection with magic as it happened with Captain America, Spider-Man, and Iron Man, for obvious reasons.

Interestingly, this breaks the pattern of the previous character reveals, which followed the brief introductory trailer with a deep dive into gameplay. That one is still missing but it’s likely safe to assume that it’ll come soon.

In the meanwhile, you can check this one out below.

Stray publisher Annapurna Interactive held a virtual showcase giving fans an insight into what to expect from the publisher in the near future. The showcase was full of unique and visually pleasing titles with one of the standouts being Flock. Flock is an upcoming game looking to task players with enlarging their flock of creatures, for those interested in the game, here’s what you need to know about when Flock comes out.

What the Flock Release Date Is

Flock is currently targeting a 2023 launch date, though no official date has yet been locked in. It is set to launch on Game Pass for the Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, as well as on Steam, and PlayStation platforms.

Not much is known about Flock outside of the general premise. Flock is a multiplayer co-op game that tasks players and their friends with flying around and collecting rare, elusive creatures to add to their flock. It looks mildly similar to Bugsnax with a blend of Pokémon and an infusion of relaxing vibes. You can check out the game’s reveal trailer below if you haven’t already.

We’re all looking for good days and can’t always rely on GOG or Steam to have a particular game on sale. Sometimes you have to shop around; one game may be cheaper on a different platform, but then you have to go through the trouble of creating an account and installing their launcher—it’s a hassle. There’s where CDKeys comes in handy. Naturally, you ask: is CDKeys legal and safe? And why is it so cheap?

Is CDkeys Legal, Legit & Safe (or a Scam)?

It’s understandable to be hesitant, especially with G2A creating a rather bad reputation for CD key reselling businesses. Despite that: Yes, CDKeys is legal and safe.

CDKeys deals with the gray market of the gaming industry. The CD keys you purchase are, as far as we know, legitimate codes. What’s unclear is where CDKeys purchased the codes, which isn’t information the company shares.

What is known is how the company does business to provide a cheap service. To be fair, it gives CDKeys a legitimate leg to stand on.

Why is CDKeys so Cheap?

Since CDKeys deals in the gray market, they can resell game codes at a price that seems too good to be true, like Sims 4: High School Years and No Man’s Sky. According to their FAQ:

“We buy from all corners of the globe to ensure the cheapest possible prices and as we only sell products in digital form we’re able to make significant savings on postage and related expenses…”

To say the Chainsaw Man anime is highly anticipated would be an understatement. One of the hottest properties to be released by Shonen Jump in recent years, it offers a strange and bloody twist on the usual shows filling the genre. Likewise, the anime has MAPPA handling its animation, leaving many hopeful that it’ll be ripe with visual splendor. However, one question remains that you’re probably asking yourself: When does the Chainsaw Man Anime Come Out? Fortunately, we’ve got you covered.

Chainsaw Man Anime Release Date

Though an official release date hasn’t yet been revealed, we do have enough information to provide two key windows where it could begin streaming: Fall 2022 or Winter 2022.

Because it has been confirmed that the anime is releasing this year on Crunchyroll, the Fall Season, which begins near the end of September or the start of October, or the Winter Season, which begins right around the end of November or the start of December, are the only options left. Either would allow the series to hit its intended release within 2022 and will give MAPPA more time to polish everything before revealing it to the world.

As for which season it’ll fall into, we’re still not certain. Promotional material is still being released for the series as we speak, with the cast for the series still not set to be unveiled until Aug. 5. Factor in that Crunchyroll will need to set a date for when the first episode will be properly subtitled, and there are more than a few factors left up in the air.

Breaking Bad is widely considered one of the greatest television series of all time, with its two main protagonists beloved for their dynamic relationship. But are Jesse Pinkman and Walter White in Better Call Saul, the popular spin-off which has gained a huge base of popularity in recent years? Here’s what you need to know.

Spoiler warning: Of course, for those who haven’t yet started Better Call Saul and/or are sensitive to spoilers, then you’re probably wise not to read on. This article contains minor spoilers of the show’s plot.

Are Jesse Pinkman & Walter White in Better Call Saul

So far, no, Jesse Pinkman and Walter White have not been in Better Call Saul, though it has been confirmed they will show up at some point soon in Season 6.

Today Marvelous Entertainment shared its financial results for the first quarter of the fiscal year, related to the period between April 1 and June 30, 2021.

Unfortunately, sales were 5.319 billion yen and declined by 1.153 billion yen year-on-year. Operating income was 780 billion yen, almost halved year-on-year.

This is due to the unfavorable comparison with strong sales of Rune Factory 5, which did well in the same quarter in 2021.

Speaking of games launched in the quarter, we hear that the zombie game Deadcraft failed to meet its sales target.

On the other hand, Shinobi Master Senran Kagura New Link for mobile platforms celebrated its 4.5th anniversary in May. The newly-introduced playable characters were well received and revenue has grown year-on-year.

We also hear that the company still plans to release the new JRPG Loop8 in 2022. The game is coming for PS4, Switch, and Xbox One, and was announced at a Japanese Nintendo Direct in February. After that, we haven’t really heard much about it.

Nothing is more satisfying than kicking off with your skateboard and clearing a gap or pulling off a trick you’ve been practicing for weeks. Skateboarding takes an immeasurable amount of skill, coordination, and patience. If you can do it, kudos to you. But when you aren’t skinning your knees from a failed grind, perhaps consider playing one of the 10 best skateboarding video games. Maybe it’ll give you a few ideas for your next trick?

10 Best Skateboarding Video Games

Skate City

Not every skateboarding game needs to involve collecting letters or racking up the highest score; Skate City is super-chill, just like the people who love skateboarding in real life.

During last year’s Game Awards, Falcon Age developers Outerloop announced Thirsty Suitors, a stylish story-driven RPG about battling your exes and disappointing your parents. Since then, the team have been keeping game details under wraps, but now thanks to the Annapurna Interactive showcase, Outerloop have released a free Steam demo, meaning now we can all have a go at beating the pulp out of our exes - a dream come true.

You play as Jala, a young woman who just got booted out of her shared apartment after having a fight with her, now, ex-partner. With nowhere else to go, she’s decided to take the bus back to her hometown of Timber Hills to move back in with her parents (hopefully, temporarily). While she's killing time on the journey, she begins to take a dating personality quiz aptly titled ‘What’s your Thirstsona?’ and it transports her to a colourful dreamlike metaverse where she can skate around and answer deep questions about her love life. Is she really a lost cause in love?

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Having given the MultiVersus closed beta a whirl around a month ago, I thought it was a free-to-play Smash Bros-like that came out swinging. And now I've returned to the open beta phase of the multiverse where Bugs Bunny and Taz The Tazmanian Devil are joined by... Lebron James?! Honestly, my thoughts remain largely unchanged – which is a good thing! It's a fun free-to-play fighter that iterates on the Smash formula but can't quite emulate its predecessor's polish.

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There's a set of Unreal assets that Alice of Bees once described as "angry playmobil". I've wanted to quote that for years but had yet to play a game using them that grabbed me enough to warrant an article. Let us be thankful, then, for ADACA, an angry playmobil FPS.

It's actually two games, and I'm not sure which to call the main event. I know which one I prefer, because the story mode is a love letter to Half-Life 2, complete with Bane-muffled jackboot cops, endlessly catching up with a Story Guy who's inexplicably ahead of you again, a bionic arm standing in for the gravity gun, and a spooky dark underground section where you're swarmed by creepy mutants. It was good enough to tempt me this week, despite a few minor niggles, but its other half, Zone Patrol, is a Stalker-esque sandbox where it really shines.

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D3 Publisher has a new game in the works, and it will be available worldwide. The Japanese company has set up a new website, Twitter account, and Instagram account that are also available in English.

An English version of the teaser trailer is also available, and you can watch it right below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43YLSjnEHMc

The trailer shows that the game will have anime-style visuals with cel-shading. It will star a long-haired Japanese schoolgirl who can wield a katana sword. The initials JKHH appeared at the end of the trailer.

Outside the trailer, D3 Publisher partially announced the game's title. It will have two words, and the last word will be Maiden. Nothing else is known about the new game from D3 Publisher, which has been a subsidiary of Bandai Namco since 2009.

Before this new project, D3 Publisher released the action RPG Maglam Lord as its newest IP in 2021. The game was available first on the PS4 and Switch, and the publisher later brought it to PC on May 30, 2022. The company is currently working on releasing Earth Defense Force 6 for PlayStation 5 and 4 in Japan on August 25, 2022.

D4 Enterprise has confirmed the release date for Record of Lodoss War Chronicle. It will release the compilation of classic PC and SNES games in Japan on August 31, 2022.

A new trailer showcasing the compilation has also appeared on the Project EGG YouTube channel. You can watch it right below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7shRV2RLzY

D4 Enterprise first revealed the compilation in April 2021 with a Spring 2022 release window. The initial lineup included classic titles released for the PC-9801, MSX2, and Super Famicom (SNES). The publisher has since added the X68000 versions of the first three titles. These versions were based on the PC-9801 releases and had better graphics.

Here is the full list of titles that will be available in the compilation:

High-gloss paper. Gold-foil covers. Uniquely-numbered issues. Ridiculously-low print runs. This is Game Informer Gold, an ultra-rare collectible that one of you can win through this sweepstakes. You need to get your hands on Game Informer Gold to truly understand how big of an upgrade it is over our standard edition. From its increased thickness to the gold shine on the cover, this is as high-end as magazines get.

This month, the copy of Game Informer Gold that is up for grabs is issue 347, featuring Sonic Frontiers. Not only can you read our massive cover story on the best paper and print quality we provide, but there's also a feature on Open Roads and an early look at Stormgate, the new RTS from developers that worked on Warcraft III and Starcraft II. The issue boasts a huge preview section with new looks at games like Marvel's Midnight Suns, A Plague Tale: Requiem, Saints Row, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, Final Fantasy XVI, Redfall, and Street Fighter 6.

For more info on Game Informer Gold, watch this short video featuring our first Game Informer Gold issue #340:

Enter below by August 8, 2022 for your chance at this unique exclusive collectible. NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY. Daily entry options available so come back often for your best chance. Full rules are available below. Many will enter, but only one will win! Good Luck!

Our brief first look at NBA 2K23's on-court action shows off the fluidity of play and attention to detail that unfolds even after the whistle is blown. For years, this series has been lauded as a graphical powerhouse, and this teaser sizzles in this way.

We'll have to see how the footage shown breaks down as far as new gameplay features, but it would appear perimeter play is getting some of the spotlight this year. The realism in the superstars is also on display, both on the court and in how they celebrate and interact with fans.

NBA 2K23 will have three different looks on retail stands with NBA Legend Michael Jordan on one cover, Phoenix's Devin Booker on another, and the WNBA's Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi on the third. Michael Jordan's return unfolds through 15 different Jordan Challenge scenarios that recreate key moments from his career.

More details should be coming soon, as 2K Sports aims to ship NBA 2K23 on September 9 for PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, and PC.

Today Square Enix announced the air date of the next Final Fantasy XIV Letter from the Producer Live broadcast.

The livestream will happen on Friday, August 2 at 4:00 am PDT, 7:00 am EDT, noon BST, or 1:00 pm CEST.

It will air on YouTube (you can find the embed below), Twitch, and NicoNico.

This will be the 72nd Letter from the Producer Live and the topic will be, of course, update 6.2 “Buried Memory.” We’ll learn more about the patch on top of what was revealed in the 71st edition of the broadcast a few weeks ago.

Of course, you can expect a full report about the broadcast with all the content and reveals here on Twinfinite as soon as it airs, just in case you don’t want to be up and about at 4:00.

Incidentally, just yesterday we saw the key artwork of the update, and we learned that the planned expansion of the North American data centers has been delayed.

Following an extensive report into the development of Rockstar's hugely anticipated Grand Theft Auto 6 earlier this week, a few additional claims have surfaced, giving a clearer indication of just how ambitious the project was originally planned to be.

Rockstar finally confirmed development on GTA 6 was "well underway" earlier this year, and while official details remain extremely limited, a report by Bloomberg's Jason Schreier on Tuesday shared a number of tantalising details about the project, claiming it'll be set in Miami and will feature the series' first female protagonist as part of a Bonny and Clyde-style duo.

Notably, though, Schreier claimed Rockstar's initial plans were much more ambitious, featuring a map that would include "large swaths of North and South America". Axios' Stephen Totilo has since added a little more detail to those claims, citing his own source as saying Rockstar had earlier planned to have four protagonists in GTA 6, with the action unfolding across three cities.

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After the last stage of my Tour De Jeux gave me a flat tyre on my real bike, I started daydreaming about a bike repair game. A grubby game with fuzzy deductive puzzles as you rule out the many possible causes of similar symptoms. As far as I can find, no such game exists. But I did see two upcoming games with similar names: Bicycle Mechanic Simulator and Bike Mechanic Simulator 2023. Alas, I fear they might be PlayWay-style sims where you just click stuff in order then it all works tickety-boo. That is not the bike repair I know and begrudgingly enjoy.

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More info on the upcoming Chainsaw Man anime series is nigh. The official Chainsaw Man Twitter account revealed the show's key visual. At the same time, it teased that the first trailer for the series will debut early in August.

Check out the new Chainsaw Man key visual below.

The poster for the Chainsaw Man anime shows off Denji standing atop some rubble. Seen in his devil form and sprouting chainsaw blades from his limbs and head, the visual communicates the series' gory, violent aesthetic and its modern setting. Based on the manga series by Tatsuki Fujimoto, the show will follow the adventures of Denji, a novice devil hunter. After being betrayed and left for dead, Denji forms a contract with his pet chainsaw devil, Pochita. This allows him to fuse with Pochita and call on his chainsaw-wielding power to kill devils and make a better life for himself. The show is being produced by studio MAPPA.

One of the allures of PC gaming is building your rig to the specs you need. Last year, while I didn't pick my components, I built a machine using NZXT's streaming PC package, which comes with all the parts you need and a handy guide to walk you through the steps. The build took us about three hours, with only a few hiccups along the way.

If you don't want to dedicate time to the build and would rather have someone else put it together, there are plenty of pre-built PC options on the market. One of the newest companies exploring this space is Build Redux, a sister company of Digital Storm, the longtime boutique PC manufacturer.

When you go to Build Redux's website, you see the option to build your PC, but not in the way you would expect. You pick your top three games from a preset list of fifteen titles. The options include many reflex-based shooters like Call of Duty Warzone, Overwatch, and Apex Legends. When you click a game, a framerate appears over the box art. Clicking Apex Legends reveals a reading of 70 frames per second for Build Redux's "good" PC model. The "better" model raised the framerate to 110, and "best" jacked it to 145.

Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent, newly available on mobile, is a worthy sequel to the original 2018 Switch role-playing game. I had expected a watered-down combat system and a menu hell like many other gacha games on mobile devices. Square Enix proved me wrong. Champions retains the visuals and music…

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Following a June revamp, Sony’s PS Plus service now has a games-on-demand library (well, provided you pay for the $15 “PS Plus Extra” tier). The on-demand catalog comprises hundreds of games, with the obvious main draws being massive tent-poles like Ghost of Tsushima, Demon’s Souls, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, and…

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Grand Theft Auto Online has received its latest update via Criminal Enterprises, and there’s plenty of new content to check out as a result. There are money-making opportunities to exploit, new weapons to wage war with, and a host of new vehicles to track down. That last point, in particular, can be tricky, though, and if you’re like most people, you’re probably looking for help to figure out how to get all the new cars in GTA Online: The Criminal Enterprises. Fortunately, we’ve got you covered with this guide.

The No Sweat Summer event still going strong, and we are onto yet another quest that requires some level of destruction. If you’ve been following along, we are still a few quests away from the final reward, but it is getting close. This guide will lead you to exactly where you need to go to pop No Sweat Summer inflatable objects in Fortnite.

Where To Find No Sweat Summer Inflatable Objects

You will need to pop three of these total to complete the quest. You can see the locations on the map below.

While there are three spots, they aren’t exactly pointing to inflatable objects, but instead, the general areas you can find them.

Shortly after Nintendo released the first wave of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass DLC in March, data miners uncovered what appeared to be a near-complete list of platforms each new wave would be pulling tracks from - and the recent arrival of Wave 2 appears to validate that leak, giving fans a solid foundation for the giddy speculation of classic tracks still to come.

Following Wave 1's release, data miner Fishguy6564 shared a video of Mario Kart 8's track selection screen with the Booster Course Pass' ten remaining cups unlocked, complete with the platform origin of each included track. The then-unreleased Wave 2's Turnip Cup, for instance, was shown to contain four tracks taken from Mario Kart Tour, SNES, N64, and DS, while Propeller Cup listed tracks from Tour, GBA, Wii, and a final, yet to be defined course.

We now know, following Wave 2's release this week, that those leaked platforms line up perfectly with Mario Kart 8's newly expanded track roster. The final track listing for the Turnip Cup is New York Minute (Mario Kart Tour), Mario Cart Circuit 3 (SNES), Kalimari Desert (N64), and Waluigi Pinball (DS), while the Propeller Cup brings Sydney Sprint (Tour), Snow Land (GBA), Mushroom Gorge (Wii), and Sky-High Sundae (Tour). Notably, the latter is debuting as part of the Booster Pack but coming to Tour later, which might explain its absent tag in the leak.

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In the age of years-long development cycles, it seems miraculous that Wolfenstein 3D, a game that spawned the modern-day FPS as we know it, was developed by six people in just six months. The story of Wolfenstein 3D’s development makes for a fascinating time capsule of those early days of game development - a milestone in gaming history that underlines just how much the industry has grown over the decades since.

But that’s getting ahead of ourselves a bit. The origins of Wolfenstein 3D, a gloriously violent game that paved the way for the even more gloriously violent Doom, can be found in a somewhat more cutesy series of titles: the Commander Keen series. id Software made four of these side-scrolling platformers for MS-DOS in very quick succession between 1990 and 1991, and studio co-founder John Romero tells us that the team was definitely ready for a change.

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