Rock, Paper, Shotgun

Right. Let’s think about this. If I start the round by protecting my engineer with Karl’s shield, then he won’t be blown to pieces by Deathblow’s rocket at the six second mark. That means this loop he’ll survive to place the turrets I prepared in the first round, which should be enough to deal with the flanking zippy boy from round two. Then I can wrap around, finish off the Deathblow before he turns his rocket spam on the second objective, place a second shield on MY flanking zippy boy just in case he runs into trouble next loop, then finally fire some lasers at the first objective to counterbalance any extra enemy damage it might take in either the future or the past. Easy!

It’s not, but then again, it sort of is? Lemnis Gate clearly wants me to compare it to 4D Chess, but in (this) reality it feels much closer to timey-wimey Tic-Tac-Toe.

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The UK's best gaming show EGX returns to the physical plane at London's ExCel later this week, and you could be there in person for zero pounds by signing up to the RPS supporter program today. New UK subscribers who sign up for a yearly premium subscription will be able to redeem a code for a free day ticket to EGX on Saturday, October 9th, which would normally set you back £26. Read on for more details.

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Long before Jesse Faden and the denizens of Control were losing their minds over sentient fridges and rubber ducks, Alan Wake was doing unholy battle with possessed logging tractors and combine harvesters. In hindsight, it seems obvious that these two worlds would eventually collide in Remedy's newly established Wake-iverse - such is their shared love of shadowy, flying objects - but back in the dark days of 2010, little did we know that Remedy's tortured horror writer would be making such a big comeback eleven years later.

Well, at least he is over on consoles. While the original Alan Wake had a brief, year-long holiday from Steam in 2017 due to the expiration of its music licences, PC folks have been able to play Remedy's cult classic shooter more or less uninterrupted since its release in 2012. Alan Wake Remastered, however, marks the first time it's ever come to PlayStation (it having been an Xbox console exclusive all these years), and its spruced up character models, higher frame rates and 4K texture packs feel very much intended to get PS4 and PS5 players up to speed on this old-but-new figure in Jesse's life than us on PC. Indeed, when there's still a perfectly good version of Alan Wake sitting right there on Steam for less than half the cost of this new remaster, you're probably better off playing the original than stumping up the cash for this latest nip and polygon tuck.

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Out on the Far Shore, the Wyld calls to outsiders. Sounds wishy-washy, I know, but this is a world where the spiritual meets the rational. Tor, the conical peak that sits among the waves of a rambunctious ocean, broadcasts a clear signal across the stars, like the DJ of a mystical pirate radio station. Miraculously - or inevitably, depending on your attitude to prophecy - somebody answers. A species not entirely unlike humanity leaves behind a failing orb not entirely unlike Earth, and makes an impossible journey out of faith and desperation to the source of the Hymnwave. Jett: The Far Shore’s protagonist, Mei, is one of the first scouts to step onto the shore: “A mystic among them,” as predicted by a soothsayer long ago.

Once there, the newcomers find confirmation of their wyldest dreams, but the planet soon turns against them. Equipment is damaged or taken by local fauna, and the weather pins the would-be explorers in place. Tor seems to at once welcome its guests and push them away, as if at odds with itself. Though the Hymnwave has hummed through the ether for many years, it’s clear the planet is not yet of one mind.

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Want to learn how to create the best Diluc build in Genshin Impact? Maybe you’re here because you wished for Diluc with all your heart and finally got to add him to your party. Or maybe you’re here because he stole your pity. Whatever the reason may be, we’re here to help. As the owner of Dawn Winery (despite his hatred for wine), Diluc holds a hefty position in Mondstadt, and he’s strikingly powerful in battle as a main DPS.

This guide will show you how to create the best Diluc build in Genshin Impact. Below we'll cover everything you need to know about Diluc, including wishing, weapons, artifacts, ascension materials, talents, abilities, and constellations.

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If you're keen on alchemy, JRPGs and fighting magical monsters, you might be pleased to know that Koei Tecmo announced a sequel to Atelier Sophie at the Tokyo Game Show this weekend. In Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist Of The Mysterious Dream, main lass Sophie is a fully fledged alchemist, but she's gotten herself lost in a dream world where her friends don't remember her. Disaster! You can help that little fiasco when the game releases next year.

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Four days before the start of their huge Dota 2 tournament, Valve have called off having a live audience at The International. This year's event in Romania was meant to be a glorious return after 2020's International was cancelled by the pandemic, but that pandemic is not yet over. With Covid-19 infection rates in Romania rising again, Valve will still hold the tournament but now without the audience. They're automatically refunding event tickets, obvs, but oof that'll be a lot of people out travel costs.

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When I stepped up to become the new editor-in-chief of RPS after Graham ascended to the big corporate ship in the sky, I did so by leaving behind my throne of hardware boxes. Luckily, a new heir to the RPS tech chair has arisen, and his name is James Archer. Please come and say hello.

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Sundays are for sinking into a scorching hot bath. Before you run the tap, let's read this week's best writing about games.

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Madness: Project Nexus will stir nostalgia for people who used to play browser games via Newgrounds. It's a fully 3D entry in the Madness Combat series of Flash animations which began in 2002, and named after the Flash game released in 2012.

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People have been adding a seemingly-possessed Thomas The Tank Engine to games via mods for years, from Skyrim back in 2013 to the Resident Evil 2 remake more recently.

Choo-Choo Charles turns a pursuing locomotive into an entire open-world horror game. Also the train has spider legs. Find the trailer below.

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New World has implemented a system to stop players from creating characters on "full" servers. Announced today via Twitter, the system is part of Amazon's ongoing efforts to deal with overwhelming demand from folks wanting to play the new MMO.

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Like a king cutting down lesser heirs, Paradox Interactive have cancelled "several unannounced games". The company say they want to focus on "proven game niches and projects that better meet the company's requirements on return and risk." By which they mean they'll be focusing on strategy and management games.

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New reports citing anonymous sources say that Konami are going to return to development of major games, with both new instalments and remakes planned for Metal Gear Solid, Castlevania, and Silent Hill. As first reported by VGC, many of these games would be developed by external studios.

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Happy Bandcamp Friday, a thing I didn't know existed until two weeks ago when Alice0 mentioned it. But it sounds good! Celebrate by buying music from small artists, even if that music isn't anything to do with video games. Am I allowed to promote non-game things? Hmm. Not sure. We'll see if a gaming sniper (no-scope, natch) has taken me out by the end of this post or not. In the meantime, here are the games we're playing this weekend!

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There's no shortage of developers reafirming a love for PC as a platform lately. Sega want to do more PC ports. Atari have restructured and shifted focus to consoles and PC. Capcom too, are now saying that they want PC to be their main platform with an equal share of their game sales within the next two years. Hey, maybe the next Monster Hunter game could get a simultaneous launch. That'd be a dream.

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A bloody new Gungrave game is on the way, including a launch on PC, and that's not all that developers Studio Iggymob are adding to the series with Gungrave G.O.R.E. Yasuhiro Nightow, creator of Gungrave's antihero Grave and the Trigun manga, is joined by former Ghostwire: Tokyo game director Ikumi Nakamura. Along with a new cinematic and gameplay trailer, Studio Iggymob are touting Nakamura's involvement in the game, saying that she's been heavily involved in bringing "her own unique style" to the next Gungrave game.

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October's here, so it's time to start putting on a few extra layers. Of clothes, sure, but maybe some extra layers of spooks too. Layers Of Fear developers Bloober Team have just released a new trailer teasing a return to their series about creatives types in frightening locales. The next of the series, from the looks of it, might be headed back to the drawing board—or the canvas perhaps—with another story about a painter.

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October is shaping up to be a busy month on Steam. Earlier today the latest game demos event kicked off (here are the 13 best Steam Festival Demos) and later this month they'll be running another Digital Tabletop Festival. Like last year, it's a sale and livestream celebration of games inspired by and adapted from board games. This year the event will lean into RPGs, including a chat with the folks behind both Disco Elysium and Baldur's Gate 3 when it kicks off later this month.

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Indie extravaganza Steam Next Fest is back for another edition today, showering us with hundreds of upcoming game demos to try over the next week. Running from today, October 1st, until Thursday October 7th, the latest Steam Next Fest is positively packed to the rafters with things to play, and we've picked out some personal highlights to help you get started.

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Summer's in the bin, which means it's time to stop looking back at those E3 showcases and start thinking about the end of year shows. The Game Awards, the December-ly bonanza of world premieres interspersed with the occasional trophy, is back on again. After going online in December 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, show host Geoff Keighley is getting the band back together on stage this year for an in person show that's been scheduled for December 9th.

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Where can you find Briar Branches in New World? Harvesting from Briar bushes in New World can yield a number of different resources including Briar Branches, which are needed to complete the Windsward quest A Prickly Request. But with so much greenery around the isle of Aeternum, sticking your face into every shrub to see if it's the one you're looking for is a time-consuming prospect. On this page, we save you (at least some of) the trouble by explaining where you can find Briars in New World.

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Puzzle game Bonfire Peaks is probably a metaphor about emotional baggage and closure. But I know writers who use subtext and they're all cowards. Published by Draknek (wot did the equally puzzly A Monster's Expedition), Corey Martin's new voxel Sokoban-style game features a man slowly making his way up a mountain and totemically burning all of his stuff. Secretly, though, it is a story about a man who has the only superpower people in their 30s actually want: being able to pick up and move any number of boxes at any time.

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Today is another Bandcamp Friday, when the splendid DRM-free music shop waive their cut of sales to give artists more money. It's a good time to buy music from a good place but a bit overwhelming when the store is so big. Last month, I had some slightly esoteric game music recommendations of my own. This month, I've had everyone in the RPS treehouse recommend a huge spread of video game soundtracks and music on Bandcamp, from Paradise Killer to Skyrim covers. Come, see what we're hearing!

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When Epic unveiled their first Unreal Engine 5 tech demo last year, its ultra-realistic geometry systems and dynamic lighting effects looked impressive and all, but the resulting Tomb Raider-esque sequence left me feeling a little cold. To my eyes, Epic's tech demo didn't really look that much different to what games look like now.

After playing a new UE5 tech demo from Japanese studio Historia, however, I am fully converted to the merits of Epic's new game engine. At 20GB-odd, The Market Of Light is a hefty download for its 15-20 run-time, but this freeform exploration game is absolutely worth a look if your PC meets its surprisingly reasonable tech requirements - especially if you're a fan of games that feature cooking. Seriously, Epic's Tomb Raider lady can get stuffed. For me, Unreal Engine 5 is all about delicious-looking next-gen food.

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This week's episode of the Ultimate Audio Bang is marked by competition. Imogen and I quiz each other on all things shooter trivia, and someone knows more than the other. Anyway, before that, there's plenty of news to catch up on. Call Of Duty: Vanguard has fixed a weird dognado glitch, time-loopy shooter Lemnis Gate is out, Halo: Infinite tech preview number two arrives very soon, and Overwatch 2 announces some reworks. Spoiler alert: Bastion now has a hat.

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The Forza Horizon 5 PC system requirements are out in full, and hoo boy, are you gonna need the best graphics cards to max it out. Revealed in a blog post, the new specs both update the previously listed Minimum requirements on Steam, and include an “Ideal” tier on top of the Recommended requirements. This doesn’t specify a particular resolution, but does ask for either an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 or AMD Radeon Radeon RX 6800 XT as the GPU – two of the most powerful, expensive, difficult to buy graphics cards on the market.

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I accepted long ago that If the yoof ever do the right thing, I'll probably be dragged out into the street and shot along with all the other old bastards, despite hating them just as much.

That's sort of what Svoboda 1945 Colon Liberation is about. Dynamics like that happen, especially as fascists and collaborators lie and deny everything, so there'll always be collateral in the wake of revenge on a large enough scale.

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I immediately fell in love with Strange Horticulture when I played the demo, and now I've had a few hours with a longer, more polished preview build I am even more in loverer. I do not understand why this is not everyone's most anticipated game ever. Imagine if all the horrible shouting griefers playing war games put down their weapons and picked up a strange plant and a taxonomic tome. What a world that would be! Certainly a world with more plant shops, anyway, though probably not (m)any as strange as Strange Horticulture.

You inherit this shop, along with its secrets, a folding map of the area to go exploring, and shelves of odd plant specimins. Sometimes it is raining. It is a real October vibe. There is a strange mystery, involving cultist and murder - a stranger in a beautiful jade mask comes to the shop, sometimes, as well as the detective struggling to solve a number of troubling murders in the area. But what care I for that? I am deep role-playing as a horticulturist.

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Spin-offs are dead handy. You take an established character that's already known, stick them in a new environment full of fresh characters, and you've got yourself a Frasier. Bingo bango, job's a goodun. It's a format that's done the business in television, so no wonder video games have followed suit.

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Desperate to find out how to get unstuck in New World? It's always a good thing when developers add an "unstuck" feature into their game - particularly a sprawling MMORPG like New World where getting your character stuck in bits of landscape is more common than you might think. Fortunately, it is possible to get unstuck in New World, and this quick walkthrough will explain how to do it.

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Wondering how to transfer your character to a different server in New World? Amazon's titanic MMORPG New World is full to bursting with players across its various servers and realms, but as with all such games, some servers are going to be more preferable to certain players than others. Whether it's about dodging long wait times and lag, or just joining the same realm as your friends, most players want to know sooner or later about character transfers and how they work.

Read on to find out how and when you can transfer your character over to another server in New World.

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Square Enix today announced new game Dungeon Encounters, and surprise, it's launching in only a fortnight. The dungeon crawler is directed by Hiroyuki Ito, who directed Final Fantasy VI, IX, and XII, as well as creating the Active Time Battle system. Some other FF veterans are onboard too. But more important than all that is: along with all manner of warriors, possible party members include a giant cat named Sir Cat, a dog holding a sword in its mouth, and a hamster. Yes, thanks.

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Action adventure Dream Cycle certainly feels like an early access game. Animations are stiff, the audio mix is a bit funky, and it doesn't really have a save system yet. But look past the jank and I reckon there's a bright future ahead of Cathuria Games' latest. The studio was set up by Toby Gard, one of the folks who helped create Lara Croft, the tomb-raiding OG, so there's adventure pedigree at the helm, even if Dream Cycle bears no real resemblance to Tomb Raider. However, if you're into Skyrim and Dishonored, I'd definitely urge you to keep an eye on its progress.

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Want to know if you can change your name in New World? It's a common tale of woe among MMO players: your ideal name is already taken, so you have to settle for an inferior moniker. Then later you realise that it just doesn't sit right and you need a name name to strike fear into the hearts of your enemies. But can it be done? Find out whether you can rename your character in New World below.

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How long is New World's AFK timer? Amazon's gigantic new MMO New World has had quite a launch week — with players reporting hours-long queue times before they can even set foot on the island of Aeternum — and we've not even had the first weekend yet. Amazon have promised more and bigger servers to handle the demand, which they say will begin rolling out within the next two weeks.

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Square Enix today announced a release date of March 18th, 2022 for Stranger Of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin, the curious action-RPG spin-off made by the studio behind Nioh, Team Ninja. A new trailer is here too and I have to say it looks more Final Fantasy-y and less less ha-ha-hilariously edgy than June's announcement trailer. It still looks plenty edgy, mind: watch out for the poor wee cactrot which gets... turned into a blood crystal and exploded?

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To fire some of Destiny 2's guns at their fastest possible rate, you need to click six times per second. This sucks. This especially sucks if you have physical issues which impede rapid clicking. Honestly, with these semi-auto weapon archetypes I've often looked for rolls with the Full Auto Trigger System perk to spare my hands. So it's grand to hear from Bungie's new accessibility initiative that yep, they're planning to add some sort of accessibility option enabling automatic fire. In some way.

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Wondering how to get a house in Genshin Impact? Genshin Impact’s Serenitea Pot system grants you the ability to decorate your own realm with characters, furniture, plants, rocks, and even pets. Some players have carefully crafted gardens with elegantly decorated houses. Other players have simply used their teapots to trap Venti in an empty room filled with animals — whatever you want to do with your house, we can’t judge.

Whether you haven’t unlocked the housing system yet or you’re looking for ways to improve your Serenitea Pot, this guide will show you everything you need, including unlocking housing, placing characters, choosing a layout, getting furniture, and increasing your Trust Rank and Adeptal Energy.

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Not just the best songs. These are the best songs performed by characters in-game. In other words, if it's not sung by a fictional band, hollered by a karaoke-obsessed protagonist, or purred by a honey-tongued vocalist who also shoots at you with a ridiculous firearm, then it doesn't count. For this reason, in-game radios are also out. It's too easy, video games. Sorry. That means no rock station classics from Grand Theft Auto and no 80s bangers from Metal Gear Solid V. Learn to accept it. The best music is diegetic, baby.

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