Game Changer

For as long as I've been gaming there have been consoles and the rule of thumb has always been that two opposing companies duke it out for dominance. Once Sonic and Mario had extracted their pound of pixel flesh from each other in the 1990s, it was Sega who gave up the fight. Out of the current two contenders, Sony was the first to the mat with the original Playstation back in 1994. Playing the original Resident Evil and Final Fantasy 7 were some of the highlights for me. The Xbox landed a little later in 2001, stole Halo from PC gamers (still bitter) and the stage was set. Many times throughout this era, the death of PC gaming was greatly exaggerated.

A few years ago it was announced that Microsoft was going to buy Activision Blizzard and in doing so, it seemed they would win the current generation in one fell swoop. This was gaining control of juggernauts like Call of Duty, World of Warcraft and so many more. The deal went through (after months of shenanigans) and then the strangest thing happened: Microsoft just started to implode from the inside out. Games like Redfall and the latest Halo landing with a terrible reception didn't help. The much-hyped Starfield was also seen as a huge letdown, with bland gameplay in a sea of procedurally generated monotony. Then we started to see Phil Spencer seemingly getting overruled by the Microsoft mothership on some big promises he made. It now seems that ‘exclusive’ Xbox games will actually be seeing daylight on the PlayStation ecosystem. So Sony won right? Not necessarily. 

I have owned every Playstation and look back at each generation fondly. The day I scurried home with my launch day PS5 and started up Spider-Man I was in awe of what I was seeing on our new 4K OLED. What followed was an extravaganza of amazing single-player games from Ratchet and Clank, The Last of Us 2 and Forbidden West. However, over the last twelve months there has been little in the way of big games and to be honest, the next year is looking very lean. This combined with many Playstation games now arriving on PC and there has been very little reason to turn on my increasingly dusty PS5. This is why the unveiling of the PS5 ‘pro’ was extremely vexing, as I don't feel like we've had anywhere near the mileage out of our base PS5 systems. The discless direction they seem to be taking is another nail in the coffin of physical media, a change we will heavily regret accepting in generations to come. In the last few weeks, Sony has also been reeling from the utter failure that is Concord, a new (and now defunct) live service shooter. Jim Ryan, it seems, saw the way the wind was blowing and jumped ship while he still had that golden parachute. 

All of this doesn't really affect me that much right? After all, I'm predominantly a PC gamer and we now have all these stellar PS ports to enjoy. Well, Sony apparently couldn't leave that alone either. After testing the water with Helldivers 2, Sony now seems hellbent on alienating as many PC gamers as possible with a mandatory PSN login. I was proud to see the Helldivers community fight back, ending with Sony backing down and stating they were listening: but we all knew they were just licking their wounds for the next fight. Moving forward all Sony titles coming to PC will be burdened with a requirement to sign into the PSN. It's not just that Sony is burning through all the goodwill they had earned with PC gamers, this DRM means over a hundred countries now can't even access these games on PC. It also legitimises the act of downloading pirated games. This could have been such an amazing way to let those non-PSN countries enjoy this truly stunning catalogue of games. It begs the question, what the hell is Sony playing at?

With a good few ‘live service’ games now being thankfully mothballed (notably The Last of Us and Spider-Man), we still seem to be getting a live service Horizon game: literally nobody wants this. Let's hope common sense is now spreading through the higher-ups at Sony and we will soon hear about a new focus on the third (single-player) Horizon game. Another source of tension this month has been the announcement that Horizon Zero Dawn is getting a remaster. It is true, playing this on PC still looks fantastic and I can see why many reacted the way they did. However, after seeing the trailer it is clear this is more than a cheap pass with the texture brush. 

Straight away you can see so much more foliage and detail in the environments, including moss-covered monuments and relics. As a huge fan of both games, I am now thrilled to see there will be much more parity between the two. The puppet look from the previous dialogue scenes is gone as they have been completely recaptured using the gorgeous visuals from Forbidden West: this alone must have taken hundreds of hours. It is also great to see the hell-spawn that is Aloy Junior, replaced by a human-looking child. If you already own the game, the price to upgrade is a very reasonable ten quid so I will be checking this out on the 31st of October and in all likelihood doing a full play-through.

In the last few months, I've reviewed some fantastic games such as Star Trucker and Space Marine 2. In regards to the latter, it has been awesome to finally see a game realise the epic battles I always imagined when playing the tabletop version. However, the real stand-out for me has been replaying God of War Ragnarok on PC. This is a great port of an absolutely beautiful game and playing at 144fps is lush. It is a crying shame that Sony has hamstrung the release with the aforementioned PSN requirement. Just as I was about to publish, we saw that Rockstar has finally announced that Red Dead Redemption is coming to PC: only took fourteen years. Given this news, I may review this first and then move on to Horizon later in November. With the nights now drawing in and Halloween getting closer, it is now time to embark on my yearly Last of Us run. I suspect next year I'll be able to complete this tradition with both games on PC! That's all for now folks, stay safe and see you next time.

The Show Must Go On

There is no point making the best game in the world, if nobody knows about it. For decades the games industry has dedicated one week of the year to letting us all know about what is cooking. All the sites, content creators and gaming bods enter a collective frenzy as hungry gamers guzzle down the trailers like Blackpool seagulls eat chips. 

So while E3 was run by the much disliked Entertainment Software Association, I still miss watching the event from afar. I know many gaming journalists lament those early days, if nothing else it was a great opportunity to meet other folks in your profession. E3 was born in 1995 and I believe back then it wasn't even open to the public. Over the years it grew into a massive event that would house all the main players in the games industry. However, slowly support for the show began to ebb away and the big companies started running their own shows. Like so many institutions, the pandemic took its toll and acted as the final nail in the coffin for E3.

Game publishers will always want to show off the projects they have invested money in and this is where Geoff Keighly saw an opportunity. This year saw the fourth annual Games Fest, which kicks off a week of separate gaming shows. While I see Geoff is listening to feedback, there are clearly some kinks to work out. The main criticisms seem to be around too much advertising and game developers not getting enough time on stage. However, there also seemed to be a real lack of big games this year: I suspect Microsoft held onto as much as possible for their own show. 

The Playstation show would have been ok, but the news that Sony is doubling down on their idiotic PSN policy is very frustrating. This was made clear when it was announced that God of War Ragnarok would be coming to PC, which should have been a cause for celebration. However, Sony is now insisting PC gamers sign into PSN, even with single-player games. This would be bad enough on its own but unfortunately, there are one hundred and eighteen countries that just cannot access PSN. This shows how desperate Sony suits are to get PC gamers into the club and rarely have I seen stupidity on this scale from a major publisher. After the Helldivers 2 debacle, Sony said they were still learning what PC gamers wanted and backed down on their requirement to use PSN. It seems they were just regrouping and in fact, hadn’t been listening at all. 

Microsoft has been under fire in recent months for a catalogue of failures. A painful lack of big games, some absolutely terrible releases (Redfall, Halo etc) and the albatross that is called Series S hanging around their necks. Xbox had also just shuttered a few studios they recently acquired in the massive Activision/Blizzard deal. What was especially galling was that Tango Gameworks had done about as much as they could, in terms of making a successful game. My take is this: why on earth would you spend all that money on studios only to just mismanage and ultimately drive them into the ground? So it was probably even more of a bolt from the blue to see Xbox smash the show this year. Opening with a blistering trailer for the new DOOM game they were off to a great start. After that it was just game after game: no filler, no ads and each one was fantastic. I have published a review of the games that stood out over all the shows, but for me, the two picks of the bunch were MS Flight Sim 2024 and Stalker 2.

Last month we saw V-Rising finally leave early access which meant I could give it the full review treatment. To celebrate the release a group of friends hired a server and for two glorious weeks, we sucked hard! The game was always great, but now in its final form we have the big boss himself in place, a new zone and some new end-game systems to keep players happy. I'm sure we will be returning to this game many times over the years, you can see my full review here. The other game I recently reviewed was the PC release of Ghost of Tsushima, which was ported by the most excellent folks at Nixxes. This studio is now the best in the business at porting games to PC and this could be their best work yet. The game runs great and looks stunning on PC with a silky smooth fps. You can check out my review here.

As our wet summer trundles onward we are now entering a period of relative calm. My first game to dive on (in between sessions of Helldivers 2) was Still Wakes the Deep, the latest game from The Chinese Room. I'm not sure I have time to do a review now, but if you are a fan of horror games in a similar vein to Alien Isolation, then this is a must-buy. The less you know going in the better but it is worth noting this game has a very short run time of around four to five hours. However, those few hours seemed much longer when hiding in lockers and gasping for air in the bowls of a crippled oil rig! 

Once we enter July I am very much looking forward to the survival MMO Once Human. I gave the demo a whirl in the Steam NextFest and it was surprisingly good. The aesthetic reminded me of Control, with otherworldly objects and creatures cobbled together from everyday appliances. There seems to be plenty of things to do from building bases, learning new skills and hunting down boss encounters. The combat is mostly based on ranged weapons and here I was also pleasantly surprised how tight the shooting was. I'll be giving it the full review treatment once I've played enough later in July. This year still has some massive games to drop such as Black Myth: Wukong, Indiana Jones and Kingdom Come Deliverance 2. For now, that's me signing off until next time, take care for now.

Pay to Play

It's the kind of thing you’d expect to be followed by a punchline. The executive of a game company, talking about charging gamers real money for individual bullets in an FPS game. Yet, with a straight face, this was a legitimate proposal by one such industry big cheese some years ago. It is, of course, a completely ridiculous idea that gamers would dismiss out of hand. However, this is the greedy mindset of people who would ruin gaming without even thinking twice. Like the frog in the pot, the landscape of the games industry is slowly being changed beneath our feet.

These are the same small-minded pricks who lop thousand-year-old trees down to grow rape seed or dump raw sewage in waterways because it's cheaper to pay the fine. So why am I ranting about selfish executives (again)? Because this month Dragon's Dogma 2 launched to a litany of bad press due to this exact issue. There are some wrinkles of the more common variety, namely awful optimisation and some annoying game bugs. Given this is a Capcom game I'm not banking on them being fixed any time soon, but we can always be surprised. The bigger issue is a design decision to limit the game to one save slot, which will be overwritten automatically whenever the game thinks it should: great if you love losing hours of progress. On top of that players can't even restart with a new character, once you're locked in: that is it.

I have not played it to be fair, but if the reviews are accurate this is actually a fantastic game with a lot to offer players. An interesting Pawn system that manages your NPC helpers and even makes them available to other players. Fun combat that is great at creating emergent gameplay and those hilarious, one-in-a-million moments we all love. An interesting story and world to explore as you develop your chosen class. Yet, after the review process was finished those sneaky bastards quietly slipped in a whole suite of microtransactions ready for launch. Even this act alone makes me want to opt for a boycott.

This is a game being sold at a premium price and for a AAA game, this is acceptable. However, deciding to then add extra charges into the game on top is the kind of thing you’d expect from EA or Ubisoft. The fast travel system, for example, requires hard to acquire resources but wouldn’t you know it: there's a way to buy this resource for real money. It’s the same with bringing characters back to life or changing your appearance. ‘But wait!’ say the hordes of copium-addled defenders.. ‘you can find most of these items in the game!’ Maybe you are a person who can resist these tempting conveniences and just play the game, but as Capcom damn well knows, there are a lot of people out there who will just pony up the dough. I think many, including Capcom, have been caught off guard by the backlash. I'm not expecting anything to change, but it does feel like gamers are starting to tire of these schemes.

It has been my thing for a while now to have a main game to plough through with another game on the side as a palate cleanser. My ‘on the side’ game for the last month has been Helldivers 2: which is still, thankfully, alive and kicking. I think anyone who has seen a few gaming winters will know the score, in that all games will lose players after launch. Some will settle into a nice stable community while others will just fade away. You will get spikes in activity, usually around DLC or expansions, before dropping back down to the baseline again. While this decline can be seen in Helldivers 2, the numbers are still holding in the hundreds of thousands. One thing that will certainly have kept people spreading managed democracy, is the astounding amount of content dropped since launch. Humble, honest and for the love of gaming: this is how you actually run a live service game.

This week I published my take on a game I've been dying to review for years. As more of the Sony exclusives march towards the promised land, my PS5 continues to sit gathering dust. This week another of these juggernauts released on PC and it's a corker. Horizon Forbidden West came out two years ago to wide critical acclaim, yet it was overshadowed by another massive title called Elden Ring. To be fair, it was the developers of Elden Ring that moved their release date nearer to Forbidden West. Looking back with hindsight, the whole series has been beset with launch woes. The original game had a little game called Breath of the Wild to contend with. Even with the PC launch, the publishers decided the day before Dragon's Dogma 2 released was the way to go.

I absolutely love the Horizon games and when I heard Nixxes was handling the PC port it was a huge relief. Nixxes have proven themselves to be one of the best companies for this kind of work, with Spider-Man being an excellent example. This version has all the features PC gamers look for such as ultrawide support, upscaling like DSLR etc. As well as being extremely well-optimised for PC, all the menus are snappy and responsive which makes such a huge difference. It is this fantastic port of an already amazing game, which has left me bewildered and pissed off by the PC Gamer review. 

Unfortunately, PC Gamer are still seen as the IGN of PC gaming and attract the most traffic for our platform (although this is changing). Not only have they given the game 70/100 which is devastatingly unfair, but the reviewer has made some frankly bizarre claims. Playing on a mid-range PC (red flag number one), Oscar Taylor-Kent, suggests that little has evolved in the sequel. This ‘review’ is a joke, with bad take after bad take and doesn't even cover some of the basics like sound, PC-specific features and controls. It is painfully obvious that the guy just flat-out dislikes Aloy and either doesn't understand or care why she is the way she is. I know people are entitled to their views, but many of these opinions are patently wrong. With such a wide influence, it is a crying shame that so many PC gamers will now never play this stunning game.

Compared to the start of the year we are now heading into a relatively quiet period with more time to catch up on the never-ending backlog. A few titles of note are coming out this month, namely Manor Lords and No Rest for the Wicked: the latter coming from the developers of Ori and the Blind Forest. Then heading into May we are getting the 1.0 release of V-Rising, an amazing indie game that is a fresh take on living the life of a blood-sucking Vampire. With exhilarating combat, satisfying base building and stellar boss fights: this is looking like a surefire hit. I very much look forward to bringing you my full review in May. As for my slower release of blog posts, I think I've settled into a more manageable three-month turnover. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog, take care and I'll see you all next time.

Signs of Life

On the 19th of June 2015, I published my inaugural Blog Post. Until I checked, I honestly hadn’t realised how long ago I started my little site. Reading through a few of my older posts has stirred some deep emotions inside my ever-swirling thought cabbage. I have been struggling to engage with the site now as both my parents are having serious health issues, so this combined with other aspects of life, has been absorbing my spare time. This blog post is me just sticking my head above the surface to say I'm alive and the embers of life are still glowing.

When you flip the switch and your site is born, you are the only person who knows you exist and it is very easy to stay that way. I left Facebook years ago, so the only social media platform I have used to promote myself is Twitter. That was going well until a billionaire man-baby got his mitts on it and it is now unclear if Twitter even has a future. Watching on as he inflicted his petulant tantrums on the Twitter infrastructure (and identity), Elon Musk has done immeasurable damage to social relationships in the games industry. However, that’s a whole other topic for another time.

So in eight years of writing reviews, what have I learned? Well, for one thing, the written word is still not top of the pops; but I knew that before I started. I do know there are people who like nothing more than to sit back and get absorbed into a well-written review. Those folks have been my bread and butter, but they also seem to be a dying breed.

Once I get people on my site they seem to like what they find, the clean template and a rather quirky review wall have received the most praise. However, in the age of shortening attention spans and drive-by reviews, I’m finding it increasingly hard to get a slice of people's already saturated attention. Another aspect I like about my site is there are no adverts hijacking your hypothalamus and stopping you from seeing the content you came for. I’ve had many advertisement agents offering lucrative partnerships, but then my site would look just like PC Gamer.

When I started there was this whole catalogue of games I wanted to review and most were historic. Games like the Bioshock, Half-life and XCOM were all in my sights and I cannot express fully how fun it has been to write about them. As I progressed through my list, I started moving on to more current games and even started sending the odd email to publishers. For a time, I was making great strides and building up some good contacts. Attending Gamescom as an independent member of the press was a real highlight. I even had Activision send me the ultimate version of the latest COD through the post. However, for reasons I do not fully understand, when Covid hit everything changed. All of my time was funnelled into home learning and Rigged effectively shut down. As the world went dark many people's lives were being irrevocably changed. 

I will say this to anyone who is thinking about starting a game review site: getting hold of publishers and developers is a soul-destroying process. Most don't respond and those that do often tell you, in a nice way, you are not worth the bother. This access is something that the bigger review sites covet because it is what separates them from the rest of us (as Dan Stapleton once told me in no uncertain terms). Once you are a member of the club, life gets a lot easier as a reviewer. In a way, you are also treading a symbiotic line between PR and hype-fluffer-in-chief. Breaking through that barrier, for many reviewers, will be the deciding factor in how (or indeed if) you move forward.

So this may sound like a goodbye post but I am very happy to say it’s not. All the domain names have been paid and I’ve settled another year with Square Space. However, I have decided to divert some of my time into YouTube and finally start making some video content. I am considering a new name for the YouTube side of things as my idea for the channel is a little bit radical. Video content is also more agile (in theory) and maybe I can even make some reaction videos to industry news. In between current reviews, I can also start looking at doing historic video reviews for games that people may have missed. There is still a ridiculous number of people who haven't played Subnautica and that my friends needs to change. 

In a year that has been so rich in game releases, it has, unfortunately, also been a terrible year for PC ports. For a good few months, it seemed like there was some sort of conspiracy against PC gaming with titles like The Last of Us Part 1 and Jedi Survivor landing in a properly shocking state. What was even more unnerving was that the former was coming from a studio like Naughty Dog, who really should know better. Thankfully, as we entered the second half of the year things seemed to calm down, leaving PC gaming to lick its wounds and get ready for the next bout of releases. I do hope that developers and publishers have learned something this year and moving forward treat PC gamers as more than an afterthought. It is encouraging that the news of a PC port of Horizon Forbidden West came with the confirmation that Nixxes will be handling the game. I loved this game on PS5 and cannot wait to review it for PC. 

To finish off I'd just like to say what a genuine pleasure it has been to see Baldur's Gate 3 do so well this year. Not only is it one of the best games I have ever played, but all the circumstances around the launch are so inspiring. The people who made this game are disarmingly humble and in being so honourable, they emphasise how greedy other parts of the industry are. It will be no surprise that it took my game of the year, like so many other sites. So with that let me wish you all a wonderful holiday and a very happy new year. 

It's a Wrap

In what was predicted to be a relatively quiet year we have seen some absolutely stonking games come out in 2022. Of course, not all of them on PC, Ragnarok and Forbidden West are still installed on my PS5. However, with Sony now doing the business with their PC ports I would bet my back teeth we won't have long to wait for them to grace our platform. One big PC game I didn't cover this year was Elden Ring, which ironically won Game of the Year at the awards. Alas, real life was stomping all over me at the time so this is why I didn't get a chance to play it, but it is on my list for a retro review at some point next year. Speaking of the game awards, this year was a pretty good turnout. A new Bioshock-flavoured game from Ken Levine, a Death Stranding 2 trailer and The Last of Us is coming to PC. This means I can finally review one of my favourite games from the Sony Stable. 

As we now pick up speed towards the terminus of 2022 there have been a few games that seem to have stumbled over the finish line. Callisto Protocol for example has landed with a thud on PC and not a good one. With some surprisingly bad combat design and awful PC performance, this is unfortunately one to avoid. Interestingly the game this was said to be inspired by is getting a remake early next year and it is looking very special indeed. Sommerville was also a game I wanted the world to love but unfortunately not many did. Like Callisto, the art direction and style are superb, but then things go wrong when you start to play. 

The Witcher 3 ‘Next Gen’ edition also landed this week and in true CD Projekt Red fashion, it came with some major issues. In a switch from Cyberpunk, the console versions are looking pretty damn good and most seem very happy with it. However, the PC version is borked with framerate issues, stuttering and a crashing problem. Even the most powerful systems available are getting woeful performance, which is a shame because the game has never looked better. The have been a few hotfixes but with very little gains I’m now waiting for a more substantial patch before I start my full run. 

Despite these end-of-year wrinkles, we have also had some really excellent games arriving on PC thanks to Sony taking our beloved platform seriously. I have written reviews for both Miles Morales and Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection; which run like a dream on PC. With Microsoft and Sony both now treating the PC platform so well, it just leaves Nintendo still out in the cold. Interestingly Microsoft has just made a ten-year deal with Nintendo for Call of Duty. Of course, this is to show goodwill in the hopes Sony drops their campaign to stop the Activision buyout, but could it also bring Nintendo more on board with PC gaming? I have always wanted to see how Breath of the Wild (officially) faired on a high-end gaming PC, maybe now we will. 

It is heartwarming to see PC Gaming doing so well these last few years regardless of the economic issues and hardware shortages. The GPU market has now emerged from the Crypto Mining bollocks and the NFT insanity has seemingly fizzled out. Nvidia has not released their latest card lineup in the grandest fashion and with the loss of EVGA cards, I do wonder if there is trouble at the mill. With those issues aside, the 4000 series cards are performing very well (when not melting) and with the new DLSS 3.0 offering another massive leap in performance I hope they can roll out better next time. For now though, my ancient 3080ti will just have to do and we will see how things look when the 5000 series emerges sometime next year.

Speaking of the new year, how are things shaping up for early doors in 2023? As usual, publishers and developers seem intent on seeing just how many games February can hold before breaking. Prior to this inevitable mayhem, I will say the game I am most looking forward to in January is the Dead Space remake. Before EA pitched the series off a cliff with the third instalment, this was one of the best space-based horror games on the market. As always, my memories of the game seem more in line with the remakes visuals and seeing the classic version just reminds me that games rarely age well. The only other release on my radar is an expansion to a game that is criminally underrated and that is Rain World. Downpour adds a lot of new content into the mix including new areas, reworked encounters and most interestingly: five new Slugcats to master. I will apply for a review copy today so fingers crossed our correspondence gets plucked from the ether. 

So with that ladies and gents, I am going to wish you all a very happy 2023 and I hope your dreams are coming true no matter where you are.

Event Horizon

The world is a complicated place and every day it seems there is a new crazy situation to deal with. While the major powers in the world jostle to see who comes out on top, I find it very therapeutic to get lost in nights of gaming. This digital landscape is my place to go when I want to be somewhere else. A realm where I can make changes with immediate effect. Where you can rhythmically kick the bad guys in the junk for hours, have a cup of tea and then do it all again. So when some twerp called Timothy Sweeney decided to mess with PC Gaming, I naturally took this as an act of war. 

Epic is a very important company as they own and develop one of the very best creation engines in the industry. As Unity is currently trying to self-implode, they are an even more significant cog in the machine. When the Epic Games Store first launched, I was truly on board. Some healthy completion for Steam was never going to be a bad thing. As a mark of support, I purchased Hades (early access). Then the exclusive fuckery started and I immediately boycotted the EGS as I had seen how divisive this practice had been in the console space. This move was an aggressive and frankly selfish way for Tim Sweeney to force his way into PC Gaming. It was even more bewildering as Epic had the connections and resources to build a real store crammed with all the features offered by Valve. 

Years later it’s unfortunate that an increasing number of gamers have developed a level of tolerance for these exclusives. The other strategy Epic employ to entice gamers onto their store is throwing free games around, like Jack Nicholson’s Joker pitching wads of cash at folks in the 1989 Batman. Yet despite this ploy to gain traction, the EGS still feels empty and soulless. I’m not sure how Epic feel this experiment is going back a Sweeney HQ, but these transient visitors only seem to be interested in the free games. It baffles me how little Epic has developed the EGS beyond its initial launch format, maybe they know the score and are just happy to keep burning through all that Fortnight cash? This situation does create a very odd and worrying problem which was covered in a recent video from Bellular News, which I will link below. 

As Michael explains in this video, we have this frankly insane situation where some games are no longer being developed for gamers. Instead, they are grabbed by Epic as exclusives and dropped into the black hole that is the Epic Games Store. Like some kind of affluent trophy hunter, Sweeney then has these games locked away in his exclusive collection and the only way to see them is on his terms (by downloading his store). ‘But it’s free!’ I have had screamed at me on social media many times, ‘what is the problem with it?’ Well, the short version is that exclusivity fragments PC gaming and creates divisions where once there were none. Also having too many platforms can be, in of itself, an issue for gamers. When Netflix first launched it was unique and so folks didn't see the harm in signing up for that one service. These days everyone has their own platform, HBO, Now TV and Disney to name a few. We could very easily end up with the same situation on PC and the EGS is paving the way for that. 

It’s been a relatively quiet few months after the deluge of games earlier in the year and this has been an ideal time to replay some older classics. Of course, we have the new system which has made replaying Red Dead Redemption 2, Cyberpunk 2077 and Metro Exodus such a visual treat.  Experiencing RTX running in all its glory has been especially enlightening for me, now I can really see the potential in this power-hungry technology. As we have just returned from our family holiday I, unfortunately, missed the release date for Spider-man on PC. This was a game I always promised myself I would review if Sony ever did give PC gamers a chance to play it. Having already played it a few times on console I already knew how much I loved this Spider-Man game, but I’m thrilled to see this PC version really hit a home run. You can check out my review here.

There have, as there always are, a few games slipping off the release radar. Starfield, Hogwarts Legacy and now Forspoken have all seen delays into next year. In terms of the latter, I think this is definitely a good thing as while it looks great, it also could do with some work on optimisation. Like many I was very underwhelmed with the first look at Starfield and based on the last decade with Bethesda I’m not at all surprised, unfortunately. As the dust from GamesCom settles it seems like this year was a real flash in the pan. I wasn't very impressed with the opening night, simply because it was mostly CGI trailers and waffle. I don’t mind the occasional CGI offering for a game we already have a good bead on. However, for a brand new IP, they do very little to tell me about what that game is all about. 

So right now my PC is having a week's break after being almost constantly on for three months. As I have probably mentioned a few times now, one of my yearly traditions is to play The Last of Us. I’ve been doing this since it launched on PS3, I just adore the world they created and the characters that inhabit it. As some of you may be aware this week a full remake was released. There are remakes that take huge leaps away from the original vision, like the Final Fantasy 7 effort. Then there are more faithful remakes where the bones stay exactly the same and Part One is definitely of this ilk. Many were upset that gameplay wasn't also brought over from Part 2 but I think they would have changed the original game too much. This is a truly jaw-dropping piece of work by Naughty Dog, with the environments being completely remade to look more in line with The Last of Us Part 2. The facial animations also are now so much more engaging and this does actually show emotional beats not visible before. My only real issue is the price, I do think Sony should have given people who bought the game twice before a discount. This didn't have to be huge, just enough to say thank you for being loyal fans of the IP and platform. Regardless of the price issues, I am absolutely smitten with the remake and am just approaching the last section of Part 2.

So that is it for another spell ladies and gents. As we head into the autumn (the best season) we do have a few notable games on the horizon. Each time a version of Classic WoW has dropped I have played with the idea of levelling a character all the way. As a massive WoW fan back in the glory days of MMO’s I do miss this golden age where this genre was all the rage. I did give Burning Crusade a good stab but ultimately my interest fell away when new games were landing all around me. Wrath of the Lich King was by far my favourite expansion and I would say this will be my last chance to play the game as it was. If I do make the leap it will be ten percent impulse and ninety percent nostalgia. Another blast from the past is the new Monkey Island game, which I will certainly try to get a review code for. Finally, we will see the 1.0 version of the wonderful Grounded, basically the game version of Honey I Shrunk the Kids. I will be reviewing this one for sure.

Collapsing Star

After a very long hiatus from blog posts, I have finally penned one for the grinder. This lull has mainly been down to real-life issues jumping in the way and what little time I've had left has been pumped into reviews. However, I am back and raring to go so grab a brew and enjoy my latest ramblings about the games industry.

I distinctly remember the excitement I felt when booting Half-Life 2 up for the first time. I had been living in a house with no internet (an unthinkable concept these days) and Valve had decided to use this stupid new DRM thing called Steam (it’ll never take off folks said). The only solution was to cart my desktop across Reading, plug into a friend's dial-up and download the eagerly anticipated sequel. My none gaming friends made fun of my geeky excitement as the download completed: I flipped to offline mode and made the journey back home. Of course, my efforts had been worth it as Half-Life 2 was a milestone in single-player gaming experiences. Two years later we received Episode One and a year later Episode Two arrived to much fanfare. As the climactic sequence came to a tantalising end I was pumped and ready for the next instalments of this seminal story. Little did I realise, it would never come.

So what happened? Why did Valve seemingly abandon one of the most popular games in the industry? The story goes that despite a few solid attempts at a third half-life game, it was issues with the incomplete Source Engine 2 that was the final nail in the coffin. This is one of the best demonstrations of ultimate success, killing that hunger a company has for the product they once mastered. On paper Valve is doing very well of course, as they are still plugged into the never-ending river of cash from their digital platform Steam. They have also never been fully dormant, with fingers in various tech sectors such as VR and now the handheld market. Yet the games they once made have unfortunately ceased to be supported, the incredible Half-Life Alyx being a notable exception. In fact, this game only makes the break even more frustrating because they clearly still can make exceptional games. 

Blizzard is another example of a company having the world at their feet, only to buckle under a multitude of pressures. Flagship games like Diablo, Warcraft and Overwatch are all seeing troubled times in various ways. Making Diablo a mobile game in such a tone-deaf manner was one of those moments that became an infamous gaming meme. Now the monetization model is laid bare, not many can deny the Blizzard we once knew is gone. It is mind-blowing how a company with almost unlimited resources and talent can make so many bad decisions, in the apparent preference of profit over reputation. The same could be said for Bethesda or Bioware, falling from grace due to poor management, shortsighted policies and just too much interference from investors. The question I ask myself when considering how these massive companies have collapsed in on themselves is, is this an inevitable consequence of success?

As we crawled out of March, knackered from all the games that have kept us up late, the radar for April was almost empty. Looking back it has been an epic start to 2022, kicking off with the PC version of God of War. After a very successful Death Stranding and Horizon port, I think this one should seal the deal on a greater commitment from Sony to PC gaming. God of War was already astounding on PS4/PS5 but the PC version just takes it all to the next level. The news that Spider-Man, a game I adore on PS5, is also getting a PC release in September is a real shot in the arm for PC gaming. It will be interesting to see how it runs when not being supported by the bespoke SSD setup that has clearly proven itself with games like Rachet and Clank. I just really hope that Sony adds PC support for the adaptive triggers on the PS5 controller, as these make playing games like Spider-Man and Death Stranding so much more engaging.

Horizon Forbidden West wasn't on PC of course but I had promised myself a month off to sink into the stunning sequel from Guerrilla Games. As with other Sony exclusives, expect to see this on PC once the exclusivity gold rush has run its course. Weird West is my latest review and by gum, it’s a cracker. From Wolfeye Studios, who splintered off Arkane, this is western with a difference. You step into the shoes (literally) of not one but five characters, all with vastly different abilities and backstories. What sets this game apart is how much there is going on under the hood from environmental effects to real consciences for your actions. You can literally kill any NPC and the game just keeps on ticking. Find out why this is a definite contender for my game of the year in my review. Another notable game this month has been V-Rising, with a similar look and feel to Weird West. You can check out my thoughts on my preview sitting in the oven.

Our brand new rig is now here and it is a thing of beauty. Even though the system has the chops to run games at 4K it seems like 1440p is still the sweet spot and I’m really happy with that choice. I have just run through the Metro Series and even Exodus is getting 180 FPS. I am now digging into Red Dead Redemption 2 which also runs like a dream with everything cranked up to ultra. I’ll be honest, Red Dead 2 is one of the games I was most looking forward to on the new system and I’m happier than a pig in shit. It still holds up as the most realistic and detailed game world ever created, check out some screenshots below.

As the dust settles from a week of game shows, we now have a far clearer vision of how 2022 will pan out and beyond. In the void of E3 these shows now have a more fragmented offering. Bookended by Geoff Keighley’s Games Fest and the Xbox/Bethesda show, this year saw a good number of excellent games. However, I’ll be covering the show in a separate article so for now I’ll leave that there.

Phoenix Metaphor

I’ve been been starved of my creative writing for over a year now and I’m hungry. With limited time I have managed to put together the odd review but my energy has mostly been funnelled into homeschooling with my son and keeping the household ticking over. Memories of my own time at school have been flooding back with my distain for maths and conversely my love for science. I will say that while I adore teaching my son about the world at every opportunity, I’m not school teacher material. Alas, we have all survived and the schools have finally reopened (hopefully for the foreseeable future). It’s time to dust off the cobwebs and get back to writing.

With the website in semi-stasis for so long, I’m now wondering; is this now time for some changes to the way of things? The games industry has been thriving, in spite of the global pandemic, and gaming has become a refuge for so many people trapped indoors. With that said, the continuous effects of development teams from working from home have slowed many down to a crawl with subsequent delays now starting to become evident.

The months of March and April this year were fairly dead in terms of releases, so I decided to have a serious go at some games I’ve been wanting to replay: looking back I’m pretty impressed with how many I rattled through. GTA 5, Arkham Knight, Horizon Zero Dawn and the Wolfenstein saga to name but a few. I’ve always loved the way that when you improve your rig, all of your games also get improved in the process and the new GPU has made gaming at 1440p such a treat. Of course, the beast we have been saving for will now likely include a 3080ti: it’s just the small matter of finding one that doesn’t force us to remortgage the house.

Having secured a PS5 before Christmas means we have been able to enjoy games like Miles Morales and the remastered 2018 Spider-Man. It’s also been fantastic to play games like God of War and Days Gone in full 4K while running at 60fps: console and PC gaming has never been so close. As we hit June there are still huge shortages of both the new generation consoles and it’s been a real shame seeing so many people not able to enjoy them. Let us hope Sony and Microsoft can start getting more of these much sought after console out into the wild (and the scalpers all get dysentery.)

In my last blog post I had been looking forward to the imminent  release of one of the most hyped games ever made. In a shocking turn of events, the release was an unmitigated disaster and Cyberpunk 2077 has already become a cautionary tale in its own time. On one front the game’s performance (especially on last-generation consoles) was all over the place and with so many issues it was unplayable for many. Six months later in the cold light of day, it still seems like a different game came out and the real juggernaut from CD Project Red is still undergoing finishing touches. PC gamers did come off the best with my own playthrough being relatively issue free. The really sad part was that I could see the huge amount of work that had been put into the game and at times the city was intoxicating. However, the real issue for me wasn't the technical problems but the missing content and advanced systems promised. After comparing it to the 2018 E3 ‘gameplay’ demo it feels like this was an intentional deception and that is where this developer lost my support. According to CD Project Red, they are now working on some substantial improvements to the game (despite being badly hacked) and so we wait.

On a far more positive note, Assassins Creed Valhalla (in a slew of big open-world games from Ubisoft) landed just before Christmas and it was a belter. This was honestly a pleasant surprise as the early gameplay did look like a departure from what I loved about the Creed games. Once I embarked on this epic journey it was clear that this was in fact one of the best Assassins Creed games to date. Ubisoft has stayed the course with the new (increasingly less popular) open-world formula, but with this game, they added some much-needed meat. With such a wonderful and interesting landscape that is obviously near and dear to my heart, how could I not love it? Even the combat, that I was initially very worried about, turned out to be brutal and fun. You can check out my full review here and I’ll be working through the new DLC as it arrives.

My more recent reviews include both Subnautica Below Zero and the much anticipated Mass Effect Remaster. Below Zero spent a long period of time in early access but as the story’s conclusion unlocks with the 1.0 release, it was time to give my final thoughts on this aquatic adventure. Like the first Subnautica, Below Zero does a fantastic job of immersing you in the experience of underwater survival. While at a glance you could think they were the same game, this new chapter does add a respectable list of refinements, interesting features and new creatures. This is definitely a game I can recommend but if you need any more convincing you can find my review here.

The Mass Effect trilogy (Legendary Edition) was an absolute joy to sink into and certainly brought back a lot of fond memories. I always did want to review Mass Effect and this facelift gave me the perfect excuse to go back. As I detail in the review, it is the first game that has seen the most dramatic changes with rebuilt assets, higher resolution textures and many more well-considered changes. It makes me so happy to see this wonderful space epic get a remaster that breaths new life into the ageing bones while respecting the original material. All three games now feel like a more consistent experience to be enjoyed by veterans or new players alike. You can find my full review here.

Of course this week the gaming news has been coming thick and fast with the onset and conclusion of E3. I know the show has been getting increasingly lambasted by critics for waning relevance, but I still see it as an important port in the gaming calendar. I think part of the issue is that gaming has started to go more mainstream and so as you would expect, more localised gaming shows have started to crop up. The way we consume gaming media is also evolving rapidly with people watching their favourite streamers, as opposed to a review on IGN. This year Ubisoft had a fairly meagre offering and personally, I think they should have just skipped it altogether. I am really excited to see more Assassins Creed Valhalla content coming soon and another discovery mode will be more than welcome. 

In my opinion, the Microsoft and Bethesda conference was the one that stole the show, with an absent Sony they had the stage to themselves. The other smaller shows from Take-Two Interactive and Capcom were pretty awful to be honest, I’m not sure why they even bothered turning up. The cringe-machine that is the PC Gaming show once again provided a few interesting titles but mostly shovel-ware scraps which Microsoft discarded. Just once I would love to see a PC gaming show that not only gives the indie games some love but also shows off what a powerful PC gaming rig can do. Stand out E3 moments were the incredibly entertaining Devolver Digital show and the trailer for The Outer Worlds 2. Please check out my highlights list here which includes all relevant trailers.

So that is all for now folks. I am hoping to resume my blog on a more regular basis moving forward. This coming month there are a few things to look forward to including the Sea of Thieves update and also a new content drop for Grounded. Take care of yourselves and each other.

Something New on the Cards

I think it would be an understatement to say this has been a pretty awful year for most people on our little blue rock. With real signs of global warming bearing down on us in the form of devastating wildfires and rapidly melting glaciers; there has never been a better time to take these issues seriously. Of course the global pandemic holding the world to ransom is also still ongoing and has shaken our civilisation to its very core. Yet the games industry has endured and in many ways thrived in this new world where liars can be kings and a good firm handshake can kill you. While trapped indoors and reminiscing about simple freedoms, digital worlds have become the escape so many people yearned for. I put it to you that we have never needed gaming more.

In the last few weeks we have seen some massive events in the games industry and I would be remiss not to include the next generation of consoles being properly unveiled. After the longest game of chicken in history, Sony have finally revealed the PS5 and in terms of the show, they nailed it. We were treated to a promising lineup of games including a new Final Fantasy and confirmation a new God of War is in the post. For me the really exciting element of this console is the hyper fast SSD and what this means for game design itself. I have been surprised how many people have been willing to give up their physical media (and the freedom it grants) by going for the fully digital PS5, but that is another story. After many years of prevaricating over a 4K TV, our new LG OLED arrived this week and it is a beautiful thing: I cannot wait to see how the Miles Morales runs on it in November.

As a PC gamer it has always made sense to own a Sony console because most Microsoft games now land on PC. Speaking of team green, they have also been doing very well as of late. The new Xbox X itself is a very impressive piece of kit and offers console gamers a huge jump in visual oomph. Game Pass has also secured itself as the best deal in gaming right now: for a relatively small fee, you get access to a huge catalogue of games including day one releases. If this wasn’t good enough, people who have Game Pass Ultimate will get access to EA Play as of November the tenth which then makes this an insanely good proposition. However, a day before preorders for the new Xbox went live, Microsoft were holding an ace in the hole that has changed the landscape of console gaming forever.

On the 21st of September Microsoft announced that they had bought Zenimax Media, the parent company of none other than Bethesda. This now brings a staggering number of development studios under the wing of Microsoft and simultaneously gives them a clear edge for this console generation. Some of these developers include Machine Games (Wolfenstein) Arkane (Dishonored and Prey) and id Sofware. This now means that games like DOOM, Fallout and Elder Scrolls are all under direct control of Microsoft, all for the princely sum of 7.5 billion dollars.

The reaction by most gamers has been a mixture of surprise and guarded optimism. I think mostly because it means that games like Fallout New Vegas 2 could now actually happen, but there is another benefit to this acquisition. Bethesda has been on the ropes for a few years now, with disasters like Fallout 76 making the company a laughing stock in the industry. Rage 2 was also given a lukewarm reception (although I loved it myself) and the latest Wolfenstein game was just awful. I think many now hope that under the watchful eye of Microsoft, Bethesda can get back on track and start rebuilding their once awesome reputation. Of course, the big question console gamers are asking is how many of these AAA games, (which were always assumed would grace PS5 and Xbox X) will now be exclusive to the latter. While this move would lose a chunk of potential money, you have to ask yourself why else would Microsoft have forked out this much cash? Surely not to let their competitors profit from games like Starfield and Elder Scrolls 6? If this is the case Sony can’t really complain because they have been beating Microsoft over the head with excellent exclusives for the entire last generation. I for one have reservations about any one company having so much influence in the games industry and hope we don’t see things go sour in the future. Either way, this new console generation is getting off to an explosive start.

So you might think at this point I’ve forgotten Rigged for Epic is a PC centred website but remember that many of the ripples from console shenanigans will at some point cause waves in the PC gaming space. With that being said, PC gamers have had cause for celebration these last few weeks with the much anticipated 3000 series GPUs. In September Nvidia showed off the new Ampere based 3070, 3080 and the massive 3090. There have been many technical breakdowns since that day but one fact that grabbed headlines is that the 3070 would best a 2080ti and for a fraction of the price. This was not a good day for anyone who had picked up a 2080ti in the last six months. 

Performance testing for the 3080 has also shown huge leaps in the graphical prowess of PC gaming which will undoubtedly become the go to GPU for most gamers looking to upgrade. If you do like to dim the lights in the house when you boot your rig up there is also the 3090, which sports some insane levels of performance. This card is also physically massive and has caused much speculation on whether vertical builds will be required to support its weight (assuming it fits in your case). These cards also now seem infinitely more capable to handle software and games with RTX, something that has understandably left prior generation owners feeling like test subjects. Just bear in mind that at the time of writing there have been a good few third party cards having problems, seemingly due to them using cheaper capacitors and causing instability. Right now the Founders cards are the safest bet and I would wait for at least six months before trying the other companies (which with shortages it might take that long to get one anyway).

So, world changing seismic events aside, what games have I actually been playing over the last few months? In my personal time I sat down and played through the beautifully animated Spiritfarer which I can highly recommend. In the Oven there are only two games currently languishing in early access but that is about to change. This week I’ll be publishing my first thoughts on not one but two games that have yet to fully rise. First we have a title that could very easily be a gaming adaptation of Honey I Shrunk the Kids. Grounded is a beautifully presented survival game which has you facing off against a whole manner of backyard insects. While there are still a lot of bugs (I’m not even sorry) and jank, there are also some surprisingly polished elements already in place. My second addition to the Oven will be the eagerly anticipated Baldur’s Gate 3 from Larian Studios. In a move that shows confidence, the studio have asked full price for access into the first segment of the game, something like twenty five hours of play. Of course if you play it a few times (and you should) then this is a good chunk of fun to be had; not to mention playing co-op with friends. So far the impressions are that it is well presented with gorgeous visuals and excellent writing. There are also bugs aplenty, so we shall see how it all pans out but I have a really good feeling about this one.

With Cyberpunk 2077 just over a month away it seems like CD Projekt Red have narrowly avoided another delay by ramping up the hours for most employees. This process has been dubbed ‘crunch’ in the games industry and has become something of a crusade for the likes of Jason Schreier. For over a year now I have seen a small cabal of websites such as Rock Paper Shotgun, Polygon and Kotaku trying to find issues with CD Projekt Red (and their game). Going as far as to accuse them of being transphobic because of a poster in the fictional dystopian city where Cyberpunk is based. I’m pretty sure nobody ever accused Stephen King of being a murdering git just because he wrote the Shining. Needless to say, I strongly believe these sites seek to generate internet traffic (and income) by swimming against the inevitable praise this game will attract. In contrast, I do think that the hype that Cyberpunk has generated will cause many people to feel disappointed with the final product, how could anything live up to these monumental expectations? I would just say go in with an open mind and enjoy the game for what it is. 

When I sit back and consider how things have panned out for PC gaming in the last few years, it really does feel like we have entered a golden age for the platform. With Microsoft now treating PC gaming as almost an equal, this ensures a consistent stream of top tier games on the platform at launch. EA have also now seen the light and have been releasing many of their own games on Steam and this arrangement seems to be doing well. Indeed, even Sony have decided to grace the PC with some of their biggest exclusives, albeit a few years old. In terms of hardware consoles have finally levelled the playing field on data transfers speeds which is awesome for load times and other techniques to enhance gameplay. No gamer worth their salt should ever wish another platform to experience worse performance so they can remain top dog. We are all gamers and I believe strife based on which system you choose to play games on is (and will always be) a very bad thing.

So the table is set for an utterly fantastic end to 2020 (at least in terms of gaming). In between now and Cyberpunk 2077 we still have Watchdogs Legion and Assassins Creed Valhalla. Ubisoft have never once responded to my requests for review codes but regardless we shall try to make contact. Assuming I can play enough of them before the 19th then I shall indeed publish my reviews or least my initial impressions on Twitter. Based on what I know right now I am far more hopeful for Watch Dogs as Valhalla is looking very ropey on all the footage. If you haven't been checking in then head over to the reviews section where you will find my thoughts on Control (Ultimate Edition), Fall Guys (now heading into season 2) and Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition. All these games are well worth a look but Horizon didn't land in the best state and so I am now tracking the fixes as they roll out. That is all for now ladies and gents, stay safe out there.

Virus Detected

History is littered with deadly, world-altering catastrophes such as World War 2 or in my lifetime 9/11. Watching the latter unfold live on TV, I remember saying to my parents this would change everything. While in the midst of terrible tragedies the foreseeable future can often seem uncertain and likely to never be the same again. Maybe because we are creatures of habit our worlds do (mostly) return to a status quo and these terrible chapters become a cautionary footnote in history. As the months of lockdown roll on and the death toll continues to shock those of us paying attention, it is clear the Coronavirus will actually leave our world forever changed.

As the doctors and civilisation as a whole continue to wrestle this deadly virus with great assiduity, the question of ‘when will life go back to normal’ is being asked with increasing frequency. Some people (usually the mouth breathing variety) in this world are so desperate to deny the truth, they are protesting their ‘right’ to catch Conronavirus and putting their lives on the line. If this didn’t affect so many other people, such as medical workers, I’d say let Darwinism do its work. In the coming year, I suspect work on an effective vaccine will be complete and the gears of society will slowly groan back to life. However, should we really be aiming to get back to where we were before, eager to sweep this global disaster under the dusty carpet of history? 

There have been many lone voices over the last decade, warning us of this coming assault on our species. Not from nuclear devastation or a world-ending meteor; but from a creature so small we can’t even see it with the naked eye. Bill Gates foretold the entire catastrophe we now face in a 2015 TED Talk, of course, most people watched and then walked away back to their busy lives. The tech genius and philanthropist has been speaking to various governments for years now about serious research into the strategy for dealing with a global flu pandemic, as Bill stated in 2015; there isn’t one. 

The cost of this epidemic, both in terms of human lives and economic damage is still incalculable: simply because we still have no effective method of fighting the virus. If you look at how all the various nations have faired so far there have been stark differences in the number of cases and mortality rates. Countries like the USA and the UK often claim they have the best of everything and the world looks to them on how to deal with a crisis. However, I have watched how the populations of these two nations (as well as many other western countries) have gone into a state of mass denial, not following the social distancing requests from government and carrying on with their lives as if nothing were. Having a stiff upper lip it seems, does not protect you from Covid-19. In contrast countries like South Korea and New Zealand have kept death rates significantly lower than others due to a focus on early testing and not having right wing morons at the tiller. For the second time in as many years, I am ashamed to be British.

So how has all this been affecting the games industry? Well, the biggest immediate effect by far has been the cancellation of pretty much every major gaming event in the next twelve months. It’s encouraging to see plans for online events are being prepared and this should allow developers to at least show off any games they would normally be unveiled at E3 or Gamescom. Cancelling these events in terms of a physical venue is, of course, the right thing to do. With attendees tightly squashed together in gargantuan (often humid) spaces, Corona would spread like wildfire. Then all those people would head back to their respective countries and the result would be a devastating explosion of new cases. I know some have celebrated the apparent downfall of E3 (I’m no fan of the ESA) but do remember there are literally hundreds of thousands of people who rely on these events for their income; merchandise companies, workers who help run the convention centres, logistics and so many more. 

In terms of development delays, it has all depended on what stage the game has been at and what changes the developer has been able to make to. The Last of Us 2, a huge game for 2020 has been delayed by Sony and the list is growing. Of course with a catastrophic leak, Naughty Dog’s hands have been forced into setting a release date for June. As for other games choosing to delay, we also should consider that many of the systems used for the release of a big game, PR, legal, manufacturing, etc, are all shut down right now.

I heard a fellow gamer joke a few weeks ago they had been training for this lockdown their entire life, often the funniest jokes have a hint of truth to them. It turns out maybe gamers will be the last survivors in a world-changing apocalypse; stay in for months on end playing games and eating pizza? Yeah gamers everywhere are doing their bit to save the human race. With new releases starting to get bumped, will there be a shortage of games to play? Of course not. One of the best aspects of PC gaming is that with each new upgrade not only do your old games come with you; they look and play better than ever before. Now is the time folks to take a tour back through our game libraries and replay all those old gems. Maybe get that better ending in The Witcher 3? Have a cheeky run through the Dishonored games or perhaps a few weeks buried in XCOM 2.

As some of you will have noticed, the amount of games I cover has slowed down considerably. With my son and wife now at home for the next few months, this leaves me with significantly less time for game reviews and content. However, I have decided this is the perfect time to get my gaming basement refitted and ready for when the madness finally subsides. I’m also going to be working on my editing skills and will be publishing my first YouTube content soon. I am still debating whether to get the new rig now or wait until the 3080 cards become available from NVidia. This would be cutting it a little close to the release of Cyberpunk 2077 (which hopefully won’t be delayed!) so right now I’m tempted to just get the new rig and look at a GPU upgrade next year. 

I am very happy to have been able to review two of the biggest games on my radar this year, Ori and the Will of The Wisps and DOOM Eternal. Ori is just an utter joy to behold and a game I can highly recommend you take a look at. However, just be aware that Bethesda in their wisdom was not happy with Eternal receiving widespread acclaim and so have been working to change this situation. With the game now having Denuvo (a program that makes your computer vulnerable to hacks) retroactively added, gamers are quite rightly up in arms. 

Wherever you are in the world I hope you can stay home and stay safe. If you are one of the brave and selfless people looking after the sick or helping to keep our society ticking over, thank you.

When the Gods Bleed

Many have predicted that in the not too distant future, the games industry will see a crash in which giants would topple and a new status quo would be established. I do agree that in the last few years the main players in the industry have been pushing monetisation very hard, too hard it would seem and maybe now we are seeing the start of this culling. Like a forest fire, there will be casualties and painful changes as long-established systems start to break. The diminishing influence of mainstream media outlets is evidence of this shift in power. However, from the ashes of this inferno and the void left by these corporate behemoths, new life would flourish. All sounds a bit dramatic, right? Well based on how many major gaming companies have started to implode; it might be time to buckle up.

A few years ago Bethesda was seen as a marque studio, even the rough edges of the Fallout games were considered to be part of the charm. Skip to current day, Bethesda has become a cautionary tale and it is hard to see them ever getting back to the studio we once loved. Fallout 76 was released in such a shambolic state that the subsequent backlash was devastating for the series. However, what followed was a rapid-fire cluster fuck which included flawed merchandise, doxing customers and outright lies from the people who run Bethesda. Just when the embers were starting to cool, they decided to pour some more gasoline on their reputation by asking the remaining players to pay a yearly subscription for the most requested features. This is the equivalent of a burglar knocking on the door and offering to sell you your belonging back. It is difficult to understand just how a company could be so utterly tone-deaf.

Bethesda has not been alone in the season of self-sabotage, because this year also been witness to Anthem. EA (and Bioware) have been on thin ice for years now and it seems this was the straw to break the camels back. It turned out that the ‘gameplay’ trailer for Anthem at E3 2018 was a complete mock-up and the actual game didn't even exist at that point. The game we got, while a great concept, was under-baked and a pitiful shadow of the experience people were promised (and sold for a premium). While Ubisoft has been making amazing games for years, in recent times I have noticed their projects increasingly bleed into each other. Ghost Recon Breakpoint (ironically named) seems to have been the game where this asset and game system sharing ideology sadly came crashing down. Breakpoint was a disaster both critically and also from a reputation standpoint: Ubisoft has since pushed all their projects back which I hope will precipitate a more idiosyncratic development model. Even the almighty Google has been getting in on the action this month with the unmitigated disaster that is Stadia, a cloud gaming service that is literally not fit for purpose. I am thinking of writing an article on the evolution of gaming, but for now, just consider that we should be wary of any system that takes even more ownership away from the gamer.

We could discuss why these gaming giants have been going through such a rough few years and why so many are despised by the very people they want to sell games to. However, the answer is very simple; money. Whether it be a beautiful unspoilt beach in Thailand or a beloved gaming series, there will always be those who are willing to diminish its splendour in the name of a profit margin. I get it, many gamers don’t care for the politics of how the industry works and after a hard day in the office; they just wanna get home and play. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that gamers are going to have to be the guardians and the gatekeepers if we don’t want gaming to become saturated by monetisation. We can affect change in the wider gaming world by standing together and letting our wallets do the talking.

In contrast, there have been some fantastic success stories this year, like the procession of excellent games from the land of indie development. The indie scene is still a refuge from the greed that has plagued mainstream development and is a place where games made out of a passion for great design. My game of the year awards will be finished soon and I can tell you, a good portion of the candidates are from the indie stable. Even in the last few months, we have seen some absolute corkers like Disco Elysium, Children of Morta and Knights & Bikes. These games (and their respective developers) give me hope that when the gaming apocalypse arrives there will be a hotbed of new talent to carry us forward.

There is a game that while initially became famous for being outstanding in its own right, then went on to become a legend because of the conclusion it never reached. Half-life was a revolutionary first-person shooter that thrust the unlikely hero, Gordon Freeman, into an epic fight for survival. Then came the sequel of sequels, Half-life 2 was what every fan of the series dreamed off. Powered by the brand new source engine, the series was invigorated by superb physics and sublime world-building. As the story was pushed forward with two smaller episodes, this was the cliff hanger that infamously never achieved closure. I will never understand why Valve chose to stop here and leave fans in perpetual limbo. Well, this month we finally saw an announcement many thought would never come: a new Half-Life game. Within seconds the gaming world was buzzing with the news but fans were also sent reeling by the twist; this new Half-Life game would be exclusively built for VR.

I have not yet owned a VR headset but have been fortunate to have a friend nearby who has both VR and the space to enjoy it. The evolution of VR has been in an interesting ride for sure, early attempts were made over two decades ago (plus one bad movie) but the tech finally became realistic in 2012 thanks to efforts made by John Carmack. Mainstream VR headsets have been a thing for a few years but with companies holding back through fear of the platform collapsing (see Minidisc, 3D TV’s etc), adoption has been slow. It’s not that there haven’t been any good games, the likes of Beat Sabre and Budget Cuts really show off the potential for VR: but gamers have been waiting for that killer game to arrive. The Half-Life: Alyx trailer shows some truly mind-blowing gameplay and if nothing else, it is wonderful to see this universe running on a modern engine. As anyone who has tried VR will attest, it can give the most simple situation an unbelievable feeling of presence and scale. The idea of playing a Half-Life game in VR is beyond exciting and now I have had chance to adjust to the idea; it makes total sense. In the meantime, I’m going to be playing the fan reforging of Half-Life (Black Mesa) as well as the Half-life 2 games. Just goes to show, in gaming you can never say never.

It has been a long break since my last blog post which has been due to the heavy number of games to review but also my medical condition has been getting in the way. However, I am fighting back and once Christmas has passed I have some very exciting plans for the new year. My last few reviews include the epic western Red Dead Redemption 2 and an interesting (if very short) indie game called Mosaic. Red Dead 2 has not landed in the best state on PC, which I cover in my review and this is travesty considering what an utterly groundbreaking game it is. Even now, as the game has just landed on Steam, many are still having problems with the obligatory Rockstar launcher. Let’s hope these issues and a good amount of optimisation can make this game shine bright on PC.

As is tradition my last piece of work for the year will be game of the year awards. I will have the usual ‘five of the best’ and a final winner. I am also going to try a few other categories this year which will give some recognition to some of the less publicised games. So please check back nearer the big day and also watch out for the announcement on Twitter @riggedforepic

Epic Fail

Sometimes things just don’t shake out the way you expect them to. For example, if you would have asked me in January what the chances were of me not reviewing the new Metro Exodus this year, the answer would have been no chance. I have been a huge Metro fan ever since it was launched and have championed the series whenever possible. I would still invite you to read my none spoiler review of Metro 2033 and Last Light; as current events should not diminish their excellence. However, little did we know that the game's publisher was on the cusp of what I can only describe as a monumentally idiotic and short-sighted decision: to make an exclusivity deal with the Epic Games Store. So I guess it’s time to set out what I think of this new kid on the PC gaming block.

I have been saying, for years now, that Valve needed a kick up the arse. This gaming behemoth seems to have lost all of their passion for PC gaming and these days only occasionally stirs from its slumber. Remember the electrifying days of Half-Life 2? When Valve was showing off the Source Engine and its revolutionary material based physics. When Steam was a beacon in a gaming space that was mostly fragmented. Love them or hate them, Valve created a single banner under which PC gamers could purchase their games and this helped PC gaming escape the dusty corner of a thousand bricks and mortar game shops. Today Valve seems content to rake in hundreds of millions while putting in the bare minimum amount of effort. The Steam store has become an endless sea of shovel-ware and asset flips; considering how I regarded Valve ten years ago, this is a sad state of affairs. So who can blame some young upstart jumping into the fold and putting their thing down.

When the Epic store first appeared it was received well, with free monthly games, a good developer revenue split and some welcome competition for Steam. Unfortunately instead of using their almost endless resources to build a better store and earn customers with choice and value: Epic went for the cheap and dirty approach. By paying the developers and publishers for the exclusivity of prominent games, they are effectively strong-arming customers onto the Epic store. I want you to think about that for a second; Epic is paying to take away your choice and this now shows exactly how Epic (and Tim Sweeney) wish to do business. We do see companies like EA and Ubisoft putting games on their own platform, but that is because they have had a hand in creating the scattering of games that occupy their digital shelves. I recently asked Tim Sweeney on Twitter what it would take for them to cease their current strategy of exclusives and his answer was interesting. Tim stated that if Valve met them with an 88% revenue split they would immediately withdraw from signing exclusivity deals and even sell games on Steam. Needless to say, this conversation has gained a lot of attention with PC gamers and the associated press. I do think Tim is playing a dangerous game here which could backfire. If nothing else the negative response to his Tweets will leave nobody at Epic under any illusions what PC gamers think of the Epic Store and their aggressive strategy for expansion.

Epic has not only brought exclusivity into a platform where there was virtually none, but they have also sowed division and conflict in their wake. Developers have found themselves under fire from their own fans because of going with Epic and in cases like Phoenix Point you can see why. Funding a project on the back of money from gamers and then switching to an Epic exclusive at the last minute was a perfidious thing to do. Yet, if we are all really honest, you can understand the temptation for a small developer that is barely able to pay the bills. Some have argued that they can’t see the problem with adding another launcher to their desktop but this statement shows that so many people just don’t understand the core problem with what Epic is doing. Yes, the Epic Store right now is lacking in many key features, but that doesn’t actually bother me all that much. However, I do worry about Epic being able to keep my data safe because to date they have done a pitiful job of keeping customer information secure. Only this week I had to spend hours changing all my passwords and calling the bank because someone has managed to successfully change the password on my Epic account. Regardless of issues around security and worries of customer data being sold, I see the real problem being in the long game.

If Epic makes their current strategy a success, you can bet your back teeth that other large companies will be watching. What happens if next month Apple, Amazon or any mega-corporation (not even necessarily a gaming company) with plenty of poke decides to start locking down third-party games into their own PC launcher? We’ve already seen how quickly developers are willing to forgo their fans and reputation, for a large cash injection and larger profits. Obsidian Entertainment had announced their new game The Outer Worlds on the back of the failure of Fallout 76 and had a guaranteed hit on their hands: then in one move, they undid all that goodwill by selling out to Epic. The PC gaming platform could once again become a fragmented patchwork quilt which would ultimately damage it. You might not think that sounds all that catastrophic but consider this. As Google is currently exploring, at some point in the not too distant future gaming sites will start to push Netflix style subscription models; EA has already gotten the ball rolling on this one. One monthly payment for access to all your games: except that it won’t be will it. Let’s say by the time this change occurs and one company really starts to push this method of games access, will the other nine will just shake hands and walk away? Of course not and very quickly we could end up paying several monthly subscriptions, just to play the games we could have at one time just downloaded and played. You might think this is a long way off, but this year in a scramble to get their fingers into the PC gaming space, Epic has given us a big push in that direction.

It has been rumoured that Red Dead Redemption 2 might be a permanent Epic exclusive (although the date mentioned in the rumour has passed) and this news has had me evaluating my position on the issue. My initial reaction was to boycott the Epic store entirely, but I’ve been surprised how many people have reached out with an argument against this move. In short, most people think I should still cover the games on the Epic store, even if I do raise my objections in those reviews. I’m torn on this issue but I will say one thing for certain, Epic is no friend of PC gamers. If a game is a timed exclusive then I will endeavour to wait the six or twelve months, instead reviewing it when it does finally land on Steam or any other store that doesn’t employ anti-consumer practices. Sure, I miss the week one hype for that game, but Rigged for Epic really isn’t about fighting for clicks and is all about celebrating PC gaming. If however, we see a massive game like Red Dead Redemption 2 go to the Epic store permanently, only then will I review a game that is on the Epic Store. I will also say this, the lack of fight Valve are putting up is not inspiring and the more they just sit in their ivory tower watching Epic take over PC gaming, the fewer gamers will support them. Valve, you need to wake up and meet Epic head on.

This February was unusually busy, due in part to developers and publishers scrabbling to avoid the shadow of Red Dead Redemption 2. I was fortunate enough to meet some of the developers of Sunless Skies at EGX Birmingham last year and after seeing what the game was about I knew I had to cover it. As I set out in my review, I love how some games can spark an interest in other creative works. Sunless Skies is a narrative driven title from Failbetter Games, set in a fictional world where you must navigate the heavens in a fantastical flying steam engine. I can thoroughly recommend you play this game or at the very least read my review (and then play this game). Another indie game that I managed to review last month was Ape Out, a Jazz infused top-down smash-em-up that allows you burst your would be captors like they are over-ripe melons. The satisfaction levels are off the chain and it’s well worth a look, especially for blowing off some steam after a hard days work. You can check out my review here.

Astroneer has been a game I’ve been keeping an eye on since it entered early access. Even back in its first public build, it was so visually appealing and is one of those games that just begs to be played. The 1.0 release has now landed and it came with a wealth of new features and gameplay challenges. I adore this game and have so much respect for the team that made it a reality. Around launch week NoClip released a documentary that went behind the scenes and spoke to the developers about the development of the game. I will say, I didn't know that one of the founding members had died unexpectedly in 2016 and this had obviously had a profound effect on the remaining staff. I would like to offer my condolences to the developers and also my immense admiration for managing to carry on through this awful loss. It was also mentioned in the documentary that the team have some big plans for Astroneer and so I cannot wait to see where this epic space odyssey goes next. My review can be found here.

Another release of note last month was Anthem, the troubled looter-shooter from the once-esteemed developer Bioware. Anthem has turned out to be a huge disappointment, both in regard to its technical chops and also the content on offer day one. Even the basic design choices taken have left many wondering, are Bioware even the same company these days? The final nail in the coffin came a few weeks ago when Jason Schreier, of Kotaku fame, released an exposé in which he spoke to many internal sources at Bioware. It turns out that the ‘gameplay demo’ we saw at E3 2017 was of a game that didn't actually exists at that time. There are many other shocking revelations in this excellent article by Jason and it is well worth a read. It is such a tragedy to see a studio we all hold with such high regard go in this direction and many are now concerned for future titles such as Dragon Age 4. You can read my Anthem review here.

The game I have been playing for the last three weeks is The Division 2. As I have set out in my review, I felt bitten by the many issues that plagued the original game but mostly deceived by a bullshit ‘gameplay demo’ (bit of a theme here) and lashings of followup hype. The actual game suffered from a substantial visual downgrade and lacked any meaningful end game, despite the stellar setting. As such, it took a lot of convincing to get me to download the open beta but what I saw won me over enough to take a punt on a review. I am glad I did because the game is fantastic and moreover, actually delivers on the hype this time around. You can read my review here. Finally, my review for Katana Zero is up on the site this week and this is one game I can thoroughly recommend. You step into the shoes of a deadly assassin who can manipulate time with the help of a drug called Chronos. This is an adult game for sure with some pretty graphic concepts, proof that not all pixel art games gave to be cute and cuddly. You can check out my review here.

This blog post was well overdue, hence it’s a bit more chunky than usual. I might spend some time in the next few weeks looking at a dedicated article on the Epic Store and its related issues. My next blog post will be coming far sooner as we are now full steam ahead with the site once more. I hope you all enjoy the reviews we put out and I’ll catch you all next time.



Femme Fatale

Do you ever wake up and just marvel at how bloody amazing this world is? Take something as simple as the smartphone, most of us own one and as we wander around bumping into street furniture, many of us take for granted the power we wield in our hand. Even something like making a video call to someone on the other side of the planet is now just a common thing. This ability that is just commonplace would have seemed like alien technology or some secret government project a few decades ago, imagine where we will be fifty years from now.

So why am I wittering about mobile phones and first world privilege? Because I often get this same sense of unfettered awe for the games we play these days and their increasingly complex nature. The first games were merely blocks of colour with some simple collision code. We now have access to vast open worlds, rich in content, dripping realism that would have blown my 16-year-old self away. With games like Cyberpunk and Red Dead Redemption 2 now impelling other developers to cast routine aside and embrace true innovation, it is exciting to think what games will look like in the distant future.

As I mentioned in my last blog post, I was part of the press pack for the latest EGX in Birmingham this year. It was also my first time at the event, despite trying to make it as a punter for the last few years. I was booked into the Premier Inn for two nights and so had a chance to have a really good noisy around all of the shows many hidden corners. There were some big studios on site, showing off their hard work, but the indie section was by far the highlight of the show for me. You can check out my EGX article here. I would especially encourage you to have a look at the indie games that show we are not our of cool gaming ideas just yet.

Two of my most recent reviews both hold some striking similarities, in that I’ve been gadding around murdering rum folk with my highly capable female protagonists. Of course, Shadow of the Tomb Raider is the last in the rebooted series and overall it has really impressed critics. For me, however, this final chapter (which I don’t believe for a second) unfortunately finishes on a bit of an underwhelming thud. There are some redeeming features that will certainly make it worth picking up in a sale or if you are a hardened fan of the series so far. You can check out my thoughts here.

Then we have the gargantuan Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, the next game in this newly invigorated series from Ubisoft. Odyssey has scored very well in the mainstream media sites but has still received some criticism for the inclusion of microtransactions and paid experience boosters. This is an unfortunate blemish on what otherwise could be considered the best Assassin’s Creed game so far. Even with my review topped and tailed, I am still running around this truly stunning game, mostly agog at the visuals and still finding interesting things to do. There is also a lot of post-launch content to come, you can check out the video below to get a summary of this as well as my review here.

My latest review is for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, the annual offering from developers Treyarch and publishers Activision. While there is no single player campaign this time around, the three components that we do get are substantial and well refined. I think most people know roughly what to expect from the standard multiplayer maps but don’t write them off as a rehash: this is some of best competitive shooting available. The Zombie mode is both fantastic fun and packed with customisation that gives it surprising longevity. It is, however, the new Battle Royale mode that is the star of the show, offering what is by far the best game in this genre to date. Blackout runs so well it is hard to believe there are a hundred players running around the same map. Overall this a competent and refined Call of Duty that should keep you busy for months. You can find my full review here.

There is a reason that this month is becoming known as ‘Broke-vember’, on top of the already massive amount of games that have been releasing in the last few months; the flow now turns into a deluge. While not a PC game (yet) Red Dead Redemption 2 released on the 26th of October, to say this game has done well critically is an understatement. From what I’ve played so far the sheer amount of insane details and craftsmanship is beyond anything we’ve ever seen. Details like your horse's nutsack shrinking in cold water give you a hint at this. As you guys know, while I champion PC gaming here at Rigged for Epic, I also celebrate all gaming platforms. Red Dead Redemption 2 made me break my rule on day one purchases for the second time this year, (Spider-man was the first), I expect the world GDP dropped by a significant percentage on the 26th of October.

On the 13th of November Agent 47 will be setting out on his next murderous outing. Considering we very nearly didn't get this sequel to the 2016 reboot, Hitman 2 is looking extremely good. I got a chance to play it at EGX and it has certainly kept the insanely high calibre of level design we loved in the last title. This time around the game won’t be arriving in episodic form but will still be getting supported after launch with features like the elusive targets. These are missions in which you must use your intimate knowledge of a level to track and kill a specific mark. The best part is that these hits are a one-shot deal, if you fail they are gone forever. In a killer move by IO Interactive, Sean Bean has been advertised as the first potential victim in what I assume will be a long line of interesting targets.

Following in the wings of Hitman we have the highly anticipated (and increasingly controversial) Fallout 76. I think it is fair to say that Bethesda foray into the multiplayer scene has not gone down very well with some fans. Thanks to a friend who preordered the game I managed to get hold of a beta Code for Fallout 76, the last beta session that ran Thursday night. I will admit that on the back of all the reported problems, I booted up the beta with a healthy dose of scepticism. However, after playing numerous beta sessions with a few friends now I am becoming increasingly hooked on the game. That still doesn’t change the huge number of issues that still face the Bethesda’s flagship MMO-lite. Just this week, a gamer on Reddit laid out some pretty incredible claims about the way Fallout 76 runs. The post is here but basically, this game is wide open to hacks and exploits: there has already been a lockpicking mod created to prove this is a real thing. There are also some huge problems to overcome in both design and narrative implementation. I myself have seen a litany of visual bugs and gameplay issues, such as settings being reset every time I log out or enemies literally appearing out of thin air. All that said, I do love the look and feel of this Fallout map. There are just so many places to explore and each area has an air of mystery. Bethesda has also just addressed many of these issues saying they will add support for wide monitors, increase stash space and add push to talk options (maybe). I know, I know, these should all be in there as standard but it does feel like Bethesda are now coming around to the idea this game might need a lot more work than they’ve been letting on. If that translated to a price decrease I think it would help matters tremendously, but being realistic we all know that won’t happen. Please, for the love of Jobe, do not Pre-order Fallout 76. Wait until either myself or another reviewer has had a good look at how the game stands up on launch day, then you can make an informed purchase decision. You can check out some of my screenshots from the beta below.

Ok folks, I think that is about all for this month. Going forward I’ll be continuing to wander around in Red Dead Redemption 2 unwashed and sporting a beard that would put Brian Blessed to shame. Coming up I may see if I can shake the coffers and pick up Battlefield V, but my focus now will be Fallout 76 (if a code is forthcoming), Hitman 2 and then Just Cause 4 in December. How did Christmas sneak up on us so far again?! I hope you are all well and your gaming is awesome, whatever you are playing.

Monster Munch

Our gaming lives can often mirror our life in the wider sense. As most of us age, we (usually) gather responsibilities, like spawning our replacements or increased demand from a chosen career path. This can, unfortunately, leave less time for gaming. It’s an incredible realisation for me that young and sprightly gamers who were setting out in the first MMO’s are now knocking on the door of middle age. Hey, we all know how gaming works, no sooner has one 'must play' blockbuster come along, than the next is waiting in the wings. Yet, when an MMO we spent many years playing finally shuts its doors, there is a certain doelfulness that comes with it.

This week we saw the sad news that Carbine Studios are being closed and with it, we will also finally say goodbye to Wildstar. This bold MMO was first announced in 2011 and was a front-runner for the game that would finally take on the ageing World of Warcraft. Its checklist of features had many MMO fans chomping at the bit: exciting combat, a new take on PVP, ultra customisable housing and hardcore raiding that would worry the hardest of tanks. It really did seem like Wildstar had everything and I remember attending the VIP Wildstar launch party at Gamescom feeling like this was the start of something big.

After a few months player numbers were tanking, servers were being merged and for reasons, I still don’t fully understand; Wildstar was on the ropes. Maybe those old raiding guilds really had been smothered by kids and careers? Was it possible that the MMO scene had moved on? Or could it be that gaming itself was now a changed beast and gamers were getting their fixes in other ways? It wasn’t long after player numbers bombed that the man in the chair, Jeremy Gaffney, jumped ship and soon after so did the face of Wildstar; Stephan Frost. Since those early days, the game went through something of a relaunch, this time adopting a free-to-play model: for a few months players numbers spiked but ultimately the numbers dwindled again. One guy who did stick around was the games creative writer, Chad Moore (Pappy), who now, it looks like, will be the one to take Wildstar through its final days. If I can find the time I will write a longer article regarding the rise and fall of Wildstar. As for now, I would like to thank the team at Carbine (both past and present) for Wildstar and I hope all the staff members affected find work as soon as possible.

So the big news this month is that Rigged for Epic will be attending the EGX gaming conference in Birmingham (UK) from Thursday the 20th of September until Sunday the 23rd. I have been given a full press pass and so will be able to (hopefully) get some great coverage and hands-on with games you guys want to know more about. As an Assassins Creed addict, you could say I'm a little bit excited about getting hands-on with Odyssey and seeing how its more beefy RPG elements work. I am also ridiculously excited to try Metro Exodus and Hitman 2. There are also literally hundreds of indie games at the show and I intend to try them all. I do have a fairly bad ingrown toenail which is being operated on next week, so if you see a big dude with a beard hobbling past you, that’s probably me.

In terms of gaming, I have just finished my review of Monster Hunter World, which took a few weeks due to the sheer size of this game. Even now with sixty plus hours I still feel like I have only scratched the surface. There is also plenty of post-launch content in the pipeline for PC gamers, you can check out my thoughts here.

While away with the family this weekend I was sent my Shadow of the Tomb Raider review code. This is obviously a little later than I had planned but I’m going to focus on getting this beat before Thursday and then work on the PC review in between demos and interviews at EGX. I should have my final review up on the site no later than Sunday so if you have been holding off for a second opinion on the PC version, maybe check that out. Last on my gaming rota has been the amazing (it really is) Spider-Man, which I am still chipping away at. There has been a lot of praise for the games traversal systems and combat (which are all top-notch) but the part I have enjoyed the most so far is the story. They have given us some genuinely three-dimensional characters, sure some of the villains over-egg the cliche factor but Aunt May and Peter really stand out. They have also worked very hard to give the games main villain (who I shall not name) a compelling backstory. It’s times like this I wish I reviewed console games.

So that’s all for now folks. I will, of course, be reporting on what I find at EGX and if you want daily updates please follow my Twitter feed @riggedforepic This is where you can also catch all my content updates and reviews. If you do happen to see my ramblings on social media, a like and re-tweet are always appreciated.

Passing of a Titan

So as promised I am back on topic after my self-indulgent warble regaling you all about my knackered body. This year has been skipping along at a jolly pace which has caught me a little off guard if I’m honest. I had visions of me sinking into many open world games as the last efforts of winter kept us all huddling indoors. Alas, the bastard sun has been out for some fairly substantial periods this year, which has forced me (blinking like a mole) out into the sunshine. 

While rooting (apparently this means sex in Australia) around my games library I clocked that all the planned DLC is now out for both Wolfenstein 2 and Assassins Creed Origins. It feels like it could be time to revisit at least one of these games before things get crazy next month but we will see what games I get sent in the next week. Another thought that also factors into this decision is that come August the plan is to be in full upgrade mode, with a new GPU at the centre of whatever nuclear-powered rig we bolt together. So any game that will look a bit special on a new system, is one I might want to hold off playing until then. Indeed upgrading is by far one of the best times for PC gamers because pretty much every game in your library runs and looks ten times better. It is also with some cautious relief that PC gamers have been watching GPU prices fall back down to relatively normal price brackets after the fuckery that has been the GPU drought.

We’re now just entering the parabola of E3 and the hype is growing with each day. As is always the case, some games are gathering speed towards their official unveiling and others have already dropped out of the race, by confirming they will be getting delayed and/or not showing up at all. Like Jerry Maguire once said, it’s like popcorn in the pan, some pop... some don't. In fact, rumours and leaks are flying out of the machine so fast I've had to put off publishing this blog post twice.

I was actually considering doing a ‘my most anticipated games’ article for E3 but if I’m honest, it will be a better use of my time to focus on the event as it unfolds. Two games I was very much looking forward to seeing was Borderlands 3 and Metro Exodus, both have now been confirmed to be delayed until next year which is a disappointment. However, I would always rather see a delay than a game pulled out of the oven too early. 

Out of all the other rumours floating around, there are some that have me really excited. The prospect of a new Splinter Cell game is a welcome one, not least because Micheal Ironside is now back playing Sam Fisher in other games and it would be a complete own goal not to use him in the next full Splinter Cell outing. I did enjoy the newer games for sure, however, I get the feeling we will be seeing a return to where the series performs best, skulking around in the shadows with the latest Razor peripherals strapped to our back. Other rumours and leaks have all but guaranteed a new Just Cause game, which is fine by me as long as the PC version gets some love this time around. I was halfway through Just Cause 3 earlier this year and after a blue screen my entire save was nuked, a common problem apparently. It also was notorious for running like a crippled sloth so I really hope Avalanche Studios pull their finger out this time and do some real testing.

Watchdogs 3 has also been whispered about and this could be bittersweet for me. If there is one thing Ubisoft has done right recently it is taking the Assassins Creed series back to the drawing board and giving the development team an extra year to make it sing. I worry that if we really do have a new Watchdogs set to be unveiled, it would not have been given the same treatment and would indicate that Ubisoft has still not learned their lesson. I will say that I loved Watchdogs 2 and so I hold off on judgement until we know more. One rumour I think we can all annotate as fact is that we will be getting some DLC for Prey and that it will involve the old cheese ball in the sky. Prey is currently sitting at a respectable 82% on Metacritic and yet I personally see this title as being woefully underrated: regardless, a new chapter in this tangled story would be fantastic. One last rumour for the pot is my hopes that we see whatever it is that Rocksteady has been working on since Arkaham Knight landed at our feet. I certainly have a love-hate relationship with this game because I could be one of the Arkham series biggest fans; so to see the way PC gamers were treated with the Arkham Knight port was galling. In case you don’t recall, it was one of the worst PC ports we have seen in recent years, so bad they had to take it off Steam and Warner Bros had to do a lot of grovelling. A shame really because once I got it running it was by far my favourite title out of the series and one that I thought brought the Arkham formula to its ultimate conclusion. With speculation that Superman might be involved with this new game, I am chomping at the bit to see how this might play out.

Over the next two weeks, I am planning on reviewing Vampyr which should keep me busy until E3 week. Vampyr is a stylish take on (shocker) the story of a newly turned vampire, who also happens to be a talented doctor. Set in 1918, I love the idea of this conflict between a vampires need to kill and a doctors oath to heal: it could be a corker. Despite having a quiet few months I have still been working and my most recent was on a game called FAR: Lone Sails. I highly recommend you take a look at this beautiful adventure game, of course, the review is spoiler free. Last but by no means least I’d like to mention a little game I’ve been meaning to dig into for months, Oxygen not Included from the amazing team over at Klei studios. You can expect to see my thoughts on this in ‘The Oven’ very soon.

Just as I was editing this post I saw the heartbreaking news that John Blain aka Total Biscuit aka the Cynical Brit has passed away. After a brave fight with cancer, he eventually lost that battle and sadly left us. John didn’t change my life directly but he was a beacon of moral fibre in an industry that often needs someone to stand up and tell it how it is. There are also many content creators out there who did start reviewing games after being inspired by his work so for that I am also grateful. As is always the case, when you stick to a strong set of morals there will always be those you rub the wrong way but that is, in fact, one of the things I loved about him the most; he gave his opinion and you could take it or leave it. I will sorely miss hearing his voice, listening to him thunder away at many of the bad elements in the games industry and seeing him standing up for the little guy/gal. I wish all of his close friends and family my deepest sympathy for their loss. Rest in Peace John and thank you for everything you did for us.

Origin Story

Everything has a start and an end, maybe. So far my blog posts have covered my personal thoughts and feelings, but I’ve been keeping it strictly business. Gaming is my main passion but when my rig powers down where do I go? Well in this blog post I’d like to share what is effectively the origin Story for Rigged for Epic. 

Have you ever been in conversation with someone who you want to get away from? I’ll give you a guaranteed way out: start talking about your illness. ‘How are you?’ is a common conversation opener the world over and one which most people use without thinking about it. This question is easy enough to answer when everything is peaches and cream. However, if you start telling people all your ills and woes, you will most likely see a look I’ve grown to know all too well. Hey, I get it, everyone has their own problems and often only a limited capacity for other peoples suffering. So I’m just giving you a heads up, in this blog post I’m talking a little about my personal story and how it has landed me where I am today. This is a one-shot deal and you should expect a new blog post very soon in which I will be back on topic, talking about the games industry.

Nine years ago I was found to have massive malformations within my circulation system, veins in the wrong place, valves missing and all this on the back of three deep vein thrombosis. I remember researching these and feeling quite proud of surviving so many. I have also been in constant pain for the last eight years, everything I have done, every place I’ve been, the sensation of intense pain has been pushing against my concentration. I often liken it to being in a storm that only I can see and feel. People you converse with can’t understand why you seem distracted, why you didn’t retain everything they said or why you don’t seem fully engaged with what they are saying. I don’t blame people for not understanding, it is a hard thing to imagine unless you have been there. 

Seven years ago I was retired from a career I loved and was put out to pasture, this felt strange considering I was only just in my thirties. Ironically my son was born on the official first day of my retirement, so my world tour would have to wait. In truth being a full-time dad is an incredible privilege, one which not enough men have a chance to experience in our culture and there isn’t a day that goes by when I don’t feel blessed in this way. 

After some very dark days, I now try and see the positive in any given situation but this isn't always so easy. When in recovery, time can really draw out which leaves you to dwell on things. It was at or around this time that I started writing reviews for the games I loved the most. Initially on a community website, just as a distraction and something to occupy my mind. After some good feedback, it was suggested that I set up my own website. It was after stumbling across Squarespace that I finally took the plunge and picked up the domain name for Rigged for Epic. Using a web platform like Squarespace allowed me to dive right in without hiring a web designer or having any previous knowledge. Starting your own website is a strange experience; it was for me at least because right at the moment you flip the switch and nobody knows you are there. For the longest time, this didn’t matter because the site was in effect a therapy tool, keeping my mind active and focused. However, today I will admit when I see how many people read my reviews I feel a little jolt of pride. I know that written content isn’t top of the pops in this YouTube-driven era and that none-scored reviews are the minority. However, that is ok because Rigged for Epic has already done the job it was designed to do, it saved me when I need something to get out of bed for. Now moving forward it will hopefully grow beyond its original designs and become a reliable tool for PC gamers everywhere.

I now know that going through chronic illness on your own is possibly the worst thing you can do. Last year I actually attended a course on meditation, designed for people with chronic pain. Just sitting in a room with other people who instantly understood where I was coming from was very therapeutic and I am thankful to them for that. If anyone out there is suffering from long-term illness and chronic pain, meditation is the first thing I would recommend they try. There’s actually a nifty app called Headspace which will get you started and the course I attended is called Breathworks. If anyone would like to ask me questions about my illness, coping  strategies I’ve found or just to talk: you can always email me at Riggedforepic@gmail.com

This is a gaming website and so if you have stuck with me so far thank you for indulging me this personal story. My current fight with my condition has been ongoing for the last three months, hence me being relatively quiet. I’m happy to report that I am now kicking its arse and should be fully healed soon... so the preparation for E3 begins!

Take care of yourselves and each other.

Nickle and Dime

There was once a small village set in the stunningly beautiful Lake District that was idyllic if you wanted that small town vibe where everyone knows each other. There were a few family run B&B’s, a couple of local pubs and two modest but friendly restaurants. Over the last twenty years, it has grown from a sleepy little village where you could escape for a few days, to a commercial hotspot. Coaches of tourists now flood into the village daily, which is peppered with chain coffee shops and boutique hotels. Investors saw that this village was popular and sought to capitalise on its popularity, but in doing so they killed the very thing that made the village so special. My point is that in the scramble to make money, large corporations and investors often neither see nor care about the bigger picture, only the immediate gains.

There’s something quite satisfying when an organisation that sees itself as untouchable gets a swift kick to the proverbial bollocks. These last weeks EA has been taken to task by the gaming community over the controversial inclusion of lootboxes and microtransactions in their latest game. More specifically, a pay to win system that so far had only ever been found in free mobile games. Considering Battlefront two was already asking for a premium price, the additional monetisation was seen as EA stepping well over the line. This was always going to happen but nobody could have predicted it would unfold in such a spectacular fashion. Many websites and popular YouTubers have stepped up in their condemnation of EA’s wanton greed. Seeing their marquee IP being dragged through the news has even led to Disney contacting EA and having a word. Indeed, when you have a company that only does things for a profit, you better believe having three billion wiped off their stock value has gotten their attention.

You can analysis and conjugate until the cows come home but all this really comes down to is simple greed. Electronic Arts make tens of billions from publishing games and they use this river of money to further cement their power by buying up more developers and intellectual properties. I will fully concede that making revenue is what a company should be doing and investors wouldn’t expect anything less. However, like the village in the Lakes this kind of aggressive monetisation is going change the face of gaming forever and might I add this will be a change for the worst. All the major players in publishing and marketing games have realised that microtransactions are a big deal: last year 42% of Take Two’s profits were from microtransactions alone. Jim Sterling has exhaustively covered this topic and is fighting the good fight, so instead of me trawling through it all in my blog, I would far rather defer to his fine work. The bottom line is that if we let them, these publishers and developers will turn gaming into a very expensive proposition where you no longer purchase a game outright but pay for it continuously, ‘games as a service’. Well EA, I don’t want a fucking service thank you very much, I just want to pay a fair price for a game and play it.

Onto something more positive, I addended a rather fantastic gaming event last month: the PLAY Expo in sunny Manchester. Held at the EventCity Exhibition Centre I was able to attend as press for the Saturday but unfortunately had to miss the Sunday due to family commitments. While not on the same scale as Gamescom this show had a brilliant retro vibe. The arcade section, in particular, was great, with so many games I’d played in my younger days. The best part is that they are all free to play, you just have to prod the start button! Operation Wolf, The Simpsons and the original Battle Zone (yes with the twin sticks!) were standouts for me. I also had a chance to check out some interesting new indie games currently in the pot, one in particular that stood out was Hyper Sentinal. This old-school shooter is being developed by a chap whose father worked on many of the Sinclair Spectrum games of old. If you get a chance you can check out his game here with a cool backer bonus of getting the game on an actual cassette.

It’s been a few months since I published a blog post and this is mainly because the review work has gone through the roof. I will always try and post a blog every two weeks but of course, I cobble them together from interesting things I see and do. In the last two months, I have reviewed quite a few excellent games but the two I would most recommend are Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus and Assassin’s Creed Origins. In actual fact, I am still playing Origins well after I have finished the main campaign, which is a testament to how much more of an interesting this game world it is compared to many other open world games of late. You can check out these two reviews here and here respectively.

This week I shall be taking a look back at the games I have played this year and deciding on which will receive the much coveted (maybe) Rigged for Epic Game of the Year award. I can honestly never remember a year with so much controversy and drama, from the wonky faces in Mass Effect Andromeda to the removal of mod support from GTA Online. However, in between all these ripples of outrage, we have had some utterly astounding games. So many in fact that I know I have actually had to miss a few with the full intention of reviewing them at a later date. There are no notable PC releases that I will be covering now before Christmas so once my GOTY is topped and tailed it's on with my next big project. This holiday I will be setting out my goals for next year and there are some big changed coming to Rigged for Epic, so watch this space!

This is my last blog post before the Christmas holidays so please let me thank all you folks who take the time to read my reviews. In a world where video is increasingly becoming the defacto way to consume gaming media, it is heartening that I get so much positive feedback from gamers who love to read a good review. I hope your Christmas is everything you want it to be and I shall see you all in the new year.

Eye of the Storm

The stages have been pulled down, the queues are finally gone and the dust has settled from Gamescom 2017. This is the first year I attended the yearly games show as an official member of the press and so I thought I’d share some of my thoughts. Living in Manchester it is neither cheap nor easy for me to get to the event and being partly disabled makes this a particularly grueling journey. All considered though, I still wouldn’t have missed this years Gamescom for the world. One major advantage of being allowed in a day early is that there is more space to breathe, look around and take in the spectacle of Gamescom. If you have never been before the Koelnmesse Centre is a gargantuan structure on the banks of the river Rhine, comprised of eleven aircraft hanger sized halls, connected with corridors and small open spaces. Considering the sheer scale of the event it is ridiculously well organised and I take my hat off to all those hard working folks that make it happen. 

Even though I had a list of priority games I wanted to see, walking in with my press pass made me feel like a dog that hadn't been for a walk for twelve months: I wanted to piss on every metaphorical tree! First stop, Destiny 2 for a hands on with the PC version running in glorious 4K. The open/close PC beta has since happened so, for now, I’ll just say I was impressed how well it was running. A t-shirt and can of Monster was also much appreciated.

My next stop was the Microsoft stand which took some effort to get into due to it being cordoned off and guarded by some quite rude security. However being part ninja I was able to sneak my way in (via the free pastries) and finally got to play Cuphead. This little gem is a stylised action platformer with a 1930’s theme. What is also great is that under this unique aesthetic there is a very competent game that reminded me of the classic Gunstar Heroes. I’ll run the trailer below and let you soak up all that old school goodness: I’ll be reviewing Cuphead on release this autumn.

There are always game stands where you know what you’re going to get and so unless you have a queuing fetish your time will be better spent elsewhere. One gaming series that I have always followed is Assassins Creed, even the bad ones like Unity and AC3 have been a guilty pleasure of mine. There is no denying that things needed to evolve; despite Syndicate being amazingly well made. Assassins Creed Origins is Ubisoft answering their critics and according to them, changing a few fundamental aspects of the gameplay. The setting this time around is Ancient Egypt and initially, I had worries about the desert being too flat: however this is not the case with verticality everywhere. As always the art team has outdone themselves with sumptuous historical details and this is one of the main reasons I love AC games (even the bad ones). As for a jump forward in gameplay, while there are certainly some refined systems, like combat and navigation, I didn't see the revolution we've been told about. However, for now, I'm happy to report Origins looks stunning and if you are a fan of the series then you’ve got something to look forward to.

I’ve always loved the Farcry games, towers and all. I guess like Assassins Creed; folks are hoping the series would evolve a little. Unfortunately, we are currently going through a period in gaming where not many big studios/publishers are willing to take chances. At the end of the day, you know what you are getting with a Farcry game and I love the rural America setting this time around. I suspect it might be a bit close to home given what is going on in Murcia right now, but if art can imitate life then I’m all for gaming to be part of that.

I also got a chance to try out Shadow of War from within the impressive stand at Gamescom. I thought the first game was fabulous as it surprised a lot of people with its fast combat and unique Nemesis system. The sequel is also looking just as good, with slick visuals and a more refined combat system. When the first game was released it came to light that Warner Bros had been paying popular YouTubers to give Shadow of Mordor biased praise, which is ridiculously stupid considering it didn't need this help. Now once again Warner Bros seem intent on shooting their own toes off by infusing micro transactions in this single player game: something they’ve been heavily criticised for. I won't sugar coat my opinion, this is a greedy move and it’s clear these micro transactions have been baked into the gameplay loop. Now you can lose orcs lieutenants permanently but oh look; you can also buy new ones with real cash as well as other consumables. Not happy to stop with the self-sabotage there, they have also been accused of profiting from the death of one of their own developers. While working on the game Michael Forgey sadly died of cancer and as a result, Monolith decided to offer a piece of DLC in his memory. Not free (of course) but stating that profits would go to support his surviving family. It was this week that Total Biscuit exposed something troubling with a look at the small print, indicating that many of these game sales won't go to the family of this deceased developer. Warner Bros has since come out and stated that both they and Monolith won’t profit from these sales. So the question begs, where is the money going? You can check out Total Biscuits video here.

In the last few years, it’s like all the big game companies got together and decided to have a ‘who’s the biggest dickhead’ competition: even YouTube got invited. Although EA and Activision were always favourites in this race, Bethesda seems to be now racing ahead of the pack. All these shenanigans deserve their own article but for now, I just wanted to touch on Bethesda latest scheme to make money. After their last ham fisted attempt at milking money from game mods, you would think they would have stayed clear and stuck to making good games. Unfortunately, the chance to nickel and dime their loyal fans was too tempting to pass up and so we have now been given the Creation Club. 

Modding is one of the most interesting parts PC gaming, creative folks who love to keep their favorite games going well beyond their vanilla borders by pouring their talent into creating free updates for us. This love of creating game content is night and day from the bean counters within the massive companies that have now set their sights on modding for another source of revenue. According to Bethesda, this was a new idea that would make sure talented mod makers would see some money for their toils. You’d think such a generous gesture would be based on the creators getting a cut of every mod sold from the store, funnily enough, it’s based on thresholds passed. If the Creation Club had launched with high-quality items, unique to the platform that would be something: but it seems not. Pretty much everything you can buy so far is available for free elsewhere and to make matters worse; reports now say there are tight limits on the size of mods. Bethesda, will you please stop trying to squeeze money out of gamers and get back to, you know, making games.

Last week I and my happy band of PC gaming chums got to try Destiny 2 in the closed/open beta. It was a short beta to be sure but from previous experience, this isn't a bad thing. I was looking at two main factors: how did it run and how did the multiplayer hold up. There is no denying that Destiny 2 looks amazing on PC, runs like greased-lightning and has a tonne of options you would expect on a good PC port. Playing with a mouse and keyboard is also a joy and allows for razor shaper controls. The multiplayer also felt surprisingly fast and responsive, the predicted problems related to no dedicated servers didn't appear for us but of course, a live game might change that. Out of the group of players who tried the beta from my gaming community, most loved it, some thought it was ok and a few didn't like it at all. Destiny was an MMO styled shooter for casual players with some degree of challenge but the hard work came in the form of repetitive grinding. I like many was hoping we would see a massive leap forward with the new game, alas we have not. That doesn't mean we can't enjoy what is here, as long as we go in with realistic expectations. Destiny 2 is now out on console and is getting mixed but overall good reactions, with some outcry over the micro transactions. I’m not really going to think about it now until we get near to October 24th. If you are planning on playing Destiny 2 on PC and you are short of a group to play in my gaming community Exterminatus still has places. 

It really does seem like our beloved games industry is going through something of phase, where the larger developers and publishers are making some very silly decisions. I must apologise for what is quite a negative blog post, I hope we see a shift soon where decent developers like CD Projekt Red take the lead and it once again becomes about making a great game (not a great profit). If you haven't already please check out my latest reviews of Darkwood and XCOM 2: War of the Chosen, both amazing games. You can also expect reviews for Life is Strange - Before the Storm and Divinity: Original Sin 2 this week. Thank you for reading my latest blog post and I will check back with you guys very soon, take care for now.

Calm before the Storm

Like the calm before the storm, we are now in a vacuum before the autumn onslaught commences. In a very short space of time, we will have an insane amount of games landing on us. This lull in releases is common around the time of E3 because most sensible publishers don't want to go up against the drums of the popular LA convention.

E3 was an interesting show for sure and while most conferences came off without many problems there was also a sense of disappointment in the air. I have covered E3 in three articles: each one covering two of the shows. Out of all the company's vying for our attention, I would say Ubisoft came out the strongest, with some excellent games on show and real emotions (not that fake crap we saw from EA). If you would like to read about my thoughts (complete with trailers) on E3 you can find all three pieces in the article section starting here.

Of course, there's never a month where no worthy games arrive at our shores and June was no different. Dead Cells was an early access game I’d played that the PC Gamer ‘Weekender’ event and it's been great to dive in this week. As I sat down to play I pondered whether or not to do a full review or preview piece; then I had an idea. With so many developers going down the early access route these days, why not have a special section on the website I thought. So I’m very happy to unveil ‘In the Oven’ this month, which will be all about games that are in the making. As these games leave early access they will then get a final review and head off to the review section. As updates happen and new features land, I will update my impression accordingly. Obviously, there are hundreds of new games on PC every day, so I’ll be cherry picking those titles that I think you need to know about: such as Subnautica or Astroneer.

The Summer Steam Sale has just come to an end and with it, I would hope we all have squirrelled away some juicy morsels for the winter ahead. As always, when you’ve survived a few Steam Sales finding those hidden gems becomes more like gold digging. It is a shame that so many games get released on Steam these days because it has become just impossible for even the biggest sites to consider them all: most being shovelware at best. In actual fact this onslaught of ‘nothing’ games does give sites like mine a new purpose, in guiding gamers through the darkness to those hidden gems; yeah I’ve been playing too many RPGs recently.

With Gamescom less than two months away I’m now getting myself geared up with all the kit I need. I’ll be flying solo this time so it is going to be a busy few days, but I’m hoping next year I can afford to take an extra pair of hands. I am also going to be attending the EGX event in Birmingham but will not be attending as Press because I’m not sure how knackered my legs will be after Gamescom. However, I’m really excited to see EGX as I’ve not been to this particular show before and it's only a two-hour drive from Manchester.

Last of all, I’d like to point you in the direction of my latest retro-review: Crashlands. A heart warming and inspirational story lies in the foundations of this quirky indie title. Even if you never play the game, Crashlands has a story all gamers should hear. Ok, that’s all for now folks, sorry for the delay since my last Blog post; I should be back on track for the foreseeable future. Don't forget to keep an eye on the Shooting Gallery this week as I’ll be updating this section with the latest games I’ve played. If you spot a PC game I should be covering please let me know at riggedforepic@gmail.com or on Twitter @riggedforepic where you can get all my updates.

Bye for now.

Journalism 101

It has been a busy few months for the games industry with some absolutely stonking games landing at our feet. Since my last blog post I have reviewed quite a few titles but the stand-outs for me are Nier: Automata, Rain World and the just released Prey. If you are looking for a new game to sink your time into I can recommend all three of these games for different reasons: check the reviews section for more details.

Prey has actually arrived amidst some fairly controversial goings-on. The most notable of these was IGN giving the game a score of 4/10 (since changed to 8/10) due to a progression halting bug they encountered. As always with the internet, opinions will vary, but my own take on this 'review' is that it was not a review at all but a journalistic tantrum by a guy who should know better. I have never used game scores in my critiques and never will. I believe they devalue the review, become impossible to balance (due to endless comparisons) and, to be frank, are not worth the trouble. Obviously, other sites can do as they wish because that is their prerogative. However, when you are the biggest games media site on the planet you would be foolish not to at least understand that an unfair score will have far-reaching consequences for that games developer. People could (and will likely) lose their jobs, that particular series could be discontinued but the most annoying for me: a person could be put off playing a game they would have loved. All these things should not influence a critic's verdict but these potential consequences do mean that every critic has a duty to review each game fully and fairly. Six days after release and the bug has been completely fixed, yet that crushing score will now remain on the internet across various sites forever. I personally think this is a tragedy for a game that is this good, has taken some risks and has clearly been a labour of love for the team at Arkane.

If I'm being fair, I also have to lay some blame for this situation at the feet of Bethesda due to their ridiculous policy regarding review copies. When the big B announced they would no longer be furnishing media sites with advanced copies for the purpose of review journalists were collectively flabbergasted. The problem now is that all sites get a game on launch day and must then scramble to get a review out before it loses its relevance. This means that gamers who want to play on release day must go into a purchase blind, not only in terms of game quality but also regarding bugs and performance issues (this is especially critical for PC Gamers). Now to be frank, I don't care about being first out as my reviews are a work of passion and I'm not in this for the clicks. In contrast, most big media sites live and die by the Internet traffic they generate. I believe it is this pressure that has already led to many reviews by mainstream sites being rushed out of the door. In the case of Prey, rather than wait for a fix (which we knew was coming) IGN slapped a big 'do not buy' on Prey and moved on. This is a very shitty thing to do considering how much weight IGN have in the world of gaming. The bottom line for me is this: if you haven't played the game you can't publish a review. Interestingly, Dan Stapleton (who reviewed Prey for IGN) suggested on Twitter that my very existence makes him angry and I make 'the rest of us' (I assume proper reviewers) look bad. I must admit I am surprised that IGN are happy for their editors to throw abuse around on social media unchecked: maybe Dan should watch Kingsmen for a lesson in manners.

Moving on, the future of two game series have sailed into murky water this week. With the mixed reception of Mass Effect Andromeda, it seems EA have been doing a bit of soul-searching. They have now confirmed the Mass Effect journey will be going on a 'hiatus'. I personally enjoyed elements of Andromeda but also recognise it was loaded with problems and repetitive gameplay loops. Let us hope they wipe the board clean (again) and this time focus on innovation, as well as what made the series great in the first place. Some Q&A would also be champion. Also this week Square Enix have announced a split with Hitman's creators IO Interactive. This decision comes in the wake of some massive financial losses for the publisher. All is not lost, however, as there seems to be plenty of interest from third parties in picking up the Danish developer. There are good indications that the game's second season is actually well into development, so hopefully Agent 47 will be back with us soon. Regardless, we wish the people over at IO Interactive the very best of luck during this uncertain period.

So what's next for gaming in 2017? Well, dare I say it, there are a quiet few weeks coming up as we start the final approach to E3. Obviously, there will be leaks and rumours galore, as always I'll be scanning the airwaves for all PC related game news. I am going to be spending the next few weeks working on the website and getting my recording studio finished off. I might also have a jaunt through all them early access games I keep buying and see what the current state of play is. 

Lastly, I am thrilled to announce that I have been granted a press pass for Gamescom 2017, which means I'll be covering the event from Cologne this year. Rigged for Epic started out as a small project but now seems to be growing bigger than I'd ever hoped and these last few months I've hit some important milestones. I think the question of whether to start producing video content is now a matter of when and not if. Thank you to everyone who reads my work and especially my friends in the Exterminatus Gaming community: if you are looking for a solid group to game with you could do a lot worse.