Table of contents for Issue 305 in PC Powerplay

MONITOR NEWS | OPINION | DEVELOPMENT It's been a rough couple of years for the games industry – and even laying it out like that feels like an understatement. Back in February, the number of layoffs and studio closures had already hit over 16,000 people, and the number of employees losing their jobs hasn't exactly slowed down since. A high-profile recent shock came from Microsoft, which shut down Dishonored maker Arkane Austin as well as Tango Gameworks, the studio behind surprise hit Hi-Fi Rush. It was an especially messed-up situation because, as plenty of developers noted in the aftermath: a studio probably shouldn't sink after a single flop like Redfall, but even if they do make an excellent game, that still won't save them from the margin-fuelled manoeuvres of executives…

SHATTERED SPACE Starfield's first piece of DLC has been announced and is set for release sometime in 2024. Shattered Space is based around House Va'ruun, a religious cult that believes in the Great Serpent, an eternal space snake deity. The expansion will let gamers visit House Va'ruun's home planet, too, and will almost certainly also introduce a few new weapons and pieces of armour. But, thankfully, not horse armour. Full details at shorturl.at/4rQBe 3 months DIABLO IV: VESSEL OF HATRED RELEASE October 8, 2024 | DEVELOPER Blizzard The first expansion to Diablo IV, Vessel of Hatred introduces a new character class, Spiritborn, as well as a whole new region and co-op gameplay options. CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 6 RELEASE October 25, 2024 | DEVELOPER Treyarch The online military shooter…

One of my oldest videogame wishes is about to be granted. Assassin's Creed is finally bound for Japan, but I've resisted getting too excited until I see it in action. Ubi says Shadows will return to the series’ roots as a stealth game, similar to last year's Mirage. Here are my thoughts after an hour-long hands-off demonstration. PLAYED IT Shadows is still firmly in the territory of Valhalla combat – lock on, dodging, animation cancelling – but I noticed some improvements. Enemies seemed less spongy, and in general both Yasuke and Naoe are more deliberate with their attacks. The pace of combat was a bit slower, and looked really cool. It's also great to see enemies actually react to each of Yasuke's strikes. Nothing pulls me out of an Assassin's Creed…

TYLER COLP Specialist in Angering crones Currently playing Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree This month Was called a villain by a crone. And in Shadow of the Erdtree he… JUSTIN TOWELL Specialist in Losing races Currently playing F1 24 This month Challenged Max Verstappen to a race around the world in 80 days.. ROBIN VALENTINE Specialist in Wearing capes Currently playing Capes This month Contrary to the advice of Edna Mode, wore a series of colourful capes around town. PHIL SAVAGE Specialist in Chasing destiny Currently playing Destiny 2: The Final Shape This month Finally witnessed The Witness, who in turn had witnessed him. KERRY BRUNSKILL Specialist in Seeking vengence Currently playing Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengence This month Traded insults with a giant mothman called Jeff. He's alright really.…

All the best superhero teams have one thing in common: everyone has their role. While Wolverine's charging in, claws flashing, Cyclops is up on a ridge shooting down lasers, and Colossus is body-blocking energy blasts. That's what your squad of superheroes feels like in Capes as you're directing them in turn-based battles. From teleporter Rebound to psychic Mindfire to speedster Mercurial, each character is wonderfully distinct, and securing victory means combining their unique powers to enhance their strengths and cover their weaknesses. The Capes are not quite your typical superheroes, however. They're based in King City, a dystopian near-future metropolis that's been ruled by a team of supervillains for decades. Your crew is less like a classic crime-fighting team, and more like a cell of young supers fighting back against…

DEAR ESTHER 2012 A trip through a brilliantly conceived landscape that rewards attentive engagement with a moving story. AMNESIA: A MACHINE FOR PIGS 2013 A cerebral and spooky adventure that expands on the franchise's sinister story and themes. EVERYBODY'S GONE TO THE RAPTURE 2015 A leisurely stroll through a beautiful apocalypse. Rapture is a stirring and heartfelt journey. VAMPIRE THE MASQUERADE: BLOODLINES 2 2024 A long-awaited sequel to the cult RPG classic. Coming later this year.…

1 ZOLTAR THE MAGNIFICENT The best way to sell Nvidia's GeForce 3 GPUs in 2001? A scary genie with ominous backlighting. 2 ISLAND 1 You're going to be gutted, James Cameron, because ATi's 2001 Radeon 8500 demo is Avatar before Avatar. 3 THE SAMARITAN Unreal Engine 3 announced its spectacular ability to render people shooting each other in rainy alleyways in this 2011 gem. 4 3DMARK 05 Howmuch traffic can deep space possibly teem with? Futuremark was only too happy to show us. And melt our GPUs.…

IT'S ALL OVER… Frank was dead. Battered to death with a crowbar. His cracked cranium lying ina pool of blood that crept, like a dark tendril, towards the abandoned weapon. It had no prints. Damn. Had Frank met a sticky end because of an affair with a married woman, Cora, the new owner of the PC gaming cafe? An act of vengeance by her angry partner? No. Nick ‘The Greek’ Papadakis, Cora's former husband, was dead too, killed in a car crash three weeks ago. The LAN gaming cafe had been set up by Nick, a one-time Valve employee, as something to keep him busy in retirement. Over the years since it had developed into a haunt for professionals like me who needed PC gaming information off the books. This…

HIGHS Witcher's Work CDPR's devs are loving Elden Ring's DLC. Creative Block A mad Minecraft scientist has voxelised Google Maps, effectively letting you export the whole world into the game. Bombshell News Fan-made Fallout 2 remake Project Arroyo now has over 100 devs working on it. LOWS Publisher interference The Internet Archive was forced to remove half a million books from its library after being sued by publishers. Too hard, really? Shadow of the Erdtree hit ‘mixed’ user reviews on Steam. Going Hollow Neither SGF nor the most recent Nintendo Direct had Hollow Knight: Silksong news, driving fans even further around the bend.…

CHERRYNANA BY HYPERLODIUM This is a cherry. It's close to a banana, but not quite! Keep going, Hyperlodium, I'm sure you'll get there eventually. KOALA BANANA BY BUGACHI You might notice that this is a koala, and not a banana. It's not even a fruit. I'm really teetering on the edge here. SINKHOLE BANANA BY RICKYBOBBY_ I give up. Nothing's real any more. I'm throwing myself into the bananabyss. SKULLNANA BY MKD One day, your flesh, too, will be banana. Until then, have this horrifying work of art and keep waiting.…

If there's one thing Ubisoft loves, it's a multi-functional animal. As I'm shown new footage of Star Wars Outlaws in action, it's clear that hero Kay Vess’ furry little axolotl-like friend Nix is another of their signature living Swiss army knives. NEW INFO In other words, a successor to Assassin's Creed Origins’ Senu the Eagle, Immortals Fenyx Rising's Phosphor the phoenix, and Far Cry's entire menagerie of useful pals. So, yes, that means Nix can send out a pulse that highlights foes and interactables, do a distracting little dance to attract attention, and stun people by leaping at their faces. I even see him setting up traps, rigging up barrels to explode in a burst of choking smoke the next time a guard patrols past them. It's only at that…

Pax Dei is an exciting prospect. A ‘social sandbox’ MMO from Mainframe Industries, a developer that includes many EVE Online alumni, it eschews concepts like levels, classes and heroic journeys, instead promising players a medieval life. You can become a tailor, an architect, or a knight serving in a barony, upholding its laws. PLAYED IT “The idea is that we'll have emergent trades, and then we'll have artisan guilds, and people will come together and they will form big towns,” says game director Reynir Hardarson. “And over time you'll have the formation of actual civilisations. But currently, the game is a little bit more like a survival game, because it's missing a lot of pillars.” All the trappings of the survival genre are here: you must scour the world for resources,…

HOW WE REVIEW We review each game on its own merits, and try to match it to a reviewer who's a passionate expert in the field. The main aim of reviews is to help you make buying decisions. To this end, we're selective about what we review, and try to focus on the notable, interesting, exciting or surprising. DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT DLC might be new missions for a game, or it might be a single new item. If we think you want to know about it, we'll review it. EARLY ACCESS Any released alpha, beta, or otherwise unfinished game that you can currently pay for. For these games, we won't assign a score, but we will tell you whether they're worth your time. THEY'RE BACK Whenever there's a bargain or re-release…

REVIEW Destiny 2: The Final Shape It's been weeks since The Final Shape's release, and I'm spoiled for choice. Loading into the new Pale Heart destination, my map is filled with icons all fighting for attention. I could go exploring, hunting down Visions of the Traveler – hidden collectibles that give progress towards the exotic version of the Khvostov auto rifle. I could run a Cyst activity to collect more of the item needed to unlock the last few Fragments of the new Prismatic subclass. Or I could matchmake into Overthrow, the new patrol event. Completing it gives another drop of the exotic sword Ergo Sum, which randomly rolls perks taken from other exotic weapons. I really want a version with Wolfpack Rounds. Instead I pick up one of the post-campaign…

DIARY PERSONAL ADVENTURES IN GAMES EXTRA LIFE When we last saw him, The Detectorist was enjoying a pleasant upturn in fortunes. He'd been fired, re-hired and injured, and had fallen victim to a systematic regime of bullying and belittlement by the owner of the promotion at which he worked. It was almost as if a hobbyist archeology gimmick based on a gentle ABC comedy was a poor fit for professional wrestling. But, in his most desperate hour, he was offered a contract by the Weekend Warriors, an MMA-themed promotion that specialises in shootfighting. So, the good news is that The Detectorist has a paying gig again. The bad news is that he has never won via submission during his entire career. I'm not joking when I say this: I don't know which button…

The Spy is ready for the apocalypse. While The Spy is dubious that an apocalypse will ever happen, The Spy recognises the value of always having a plan. Here's the thing, though: The Spy is not some deranged prepper, hoarding guns and beans and individually sealed military-grade wet wipes in some concrete bunker. This is foolish behaviour – both an obvious target and, frankly, just boring. What's the point of even surviving the end of the world if you can't live a little? Instead, The Spy will roam the lands, scavenging what The Spy needs to make it through the day. To this end, The Spy has spent the last 30 years burying useful items at various places around the country. A Swiss army knife in a field in Dubbo.…

Sometimes, there's a moment you can look back on that you identify as a turning point in your life. For Vincent Abric, this was reading a technically detailed John Carmack interview on the subject of Quake III Arena. “That's the moment I told myself, ‘I want to do this,’” he says. Convincing his father to buy him a book on C++, Abric taught himself programming before going on to learn computer science at university. Having successfully earned a master's degree in computer graphics, he entered the game industry, eventually expanding his skillset to encompass not just graphics, but also physics, UI, gameplay programming and more. Procedural generation – in the context of Dead Cells and Windblown, at least – fundamentally means that “the assets are not placed by hand in…

Spare a thought for all the mid-budget RPGs set to release in the next few months. Launching a game in a genre as storied as this is hard at the best of times. Adding to it less than 12 months after it was shocked into the limelight by a universally beloved phenomenon feels faintly masochistic. PLAYED IT Though if Baldur's Gate III will inevitably stand as the yardstick to which all CRPGs are – fairly or unfairly – compared over the next several years, at least GreedFall 2: The Dying World seems to have inadvertently repositioned itself to court those fans wanting more of its party-based combat. This half-prequel, half-sequel to developer Spiders’ 2019 gunpowder fantasy ditches its predecessor's middling action-RPG fights to raise the camera to a semi-bird's eye view…

Guild Wars 2's fifth expansion is checking off one of the biggest requests on the community's wishlist. Homesteads are a new player housing system, giving you a chance to own a slice of new territory, and decorate and customise it to your liking. PLAYED IT Homesteads bring a major overhaul to the decorations system currently used for guild halls. New options let you move, rotate and scale each decoration. You can float items into the air or clip them through the ground. You can even move items into each other, using them as smaller pieces of a larger build. I was given access to a Homestead that one of the developers had started decorating. Its most prominent feature was a lighthouse they had constructed out of individual floor tiles, columns,…

So Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is now here and, as our ridiculously high-scoring review of the game shows this issue, it's an absolute must-play. Further more, it shows how its dev, FromSoftware, continues to run rings around its opposition in the action-RPG genre. At the end of the day, there's most Soulslikes, and then there's Elden Ring, and Shadow of the Erdtree really takes the game to wondrously dark and engaging new heights. Elsewhere, we're really enthused to see that the dark narrative horror adventure, Still Wakes the Deep, is as good as it looked in preview. The artistry on show from its dev, The Chinese Room, is palpable in every facet of the game, which while short, is well-written, smartly paced and has a disturbingly beautiful atmosphere.…

MIQUELLA A demigod who has spent his life trying to save the downtrodden despite his implicit role in their subjugation. MARIKA Queen of the Lands Between who birthed a religious order and then decides to end it by shattering the Elden Ring. LADY LEDA A devoted knight of Miquella who welcomes you into the Land of Shadow with no patience for doubt. THE ERDTREE A golden tree at the centre of the Lands Between and an object of faith with secrets hidden in its shadow.…

Going into Still Wakes the Deep, I was confident in my ability to withstand the horror clichés that I knew were about to come my way. But, instead of just dealing with your typical chase scenes and jumpscares, The Chinese Room decided to pull something out of its sleeve that I hadn't experienced before – the most traumatic dialogue and voice acting I've ever heard in a horror game. You play as Caz McLeary, an electrical engineer on the Beira D oil rig who's running from the law and some stupid decisions. Caz has been on the rig for a while, so you don't have to worry about getting to know your co-workers – meaningful relationships have already been established. Still Wakes the Deep skips the usual slog of tutorial-like…

SONG OF FLAME Class: Warlock Subclass: Dawnblade What it does: Lets you spam supercharged melee and grenade attacks while also giving damage resistance to your team. Is it good? Yes, it's a way to not run Well of Radiance while still being useful to the team. TWILIGHT ARSENAL Class: Titan Subclass: Sentinel What it does: Throw some axes. They do damage, and then hang around so you (and your teammates) can pick them up and use 'em again. Is it good? Finally, a Titan ranged super that does some decent damage. STORM'S EDGE Class: Hunter Subclass: Arcstrider What it does: Throw a knife to teleport to its location and do some damage. Then do it again two more times. Is it good? That depends on the answer to one question:…

WHY I LOVE WHAT MAKES GAMES SPECIAL EXTRA LIFE There are lots of things to dislike about Oblivion. The yam-faced NPCs. The boring main questline. The speechcraft minigame. The levelling system that punishes you for not grinding secondary skills. While the last is inescapable without mods, the others stop being issues, or at least recede into the background, when you go to The Shivering Isles. There's a portal in Niben Bay that lets you escape the trad fantasy land of Cyrodiil. Bypass the guard telling you only crazy people enter and they come out even crazier, and on the far side you'll find a humble waiting room with a ticking metronome and a flat-voiced man waiting at a table. Does his collar make his bald head look like it's emerging from a flower?…