The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), where game companies would show off their upcoming titles, is a thing of the past, but taking its place are different shows, with the big event being Summer Game Fest.

Friday's showcase featured some of the big and small games coming later this year and next year, across consoles, gaming laptops, and PCs—but one game stole the show: Resident Evil Requiem, or as it can also be referred to, Resident Evil 9.

The newest addition to Capcom's franchise, which will celebrate its 30th anniversary next March, takes the franchise back to Raccoon City and brings back a lesser-known name from the game's history, as seen in the first trailer that was shown at Summer Game Fest.

Who is Grace Ashcroft?

Featured prominently in the trailer is a character named Grace Ashcroft. Grace works at the FBI and is being ordered to investigate a crime scene at the Wrenwood Hotel, which was also the place where her mom, Alyssa, was murdered.

The name Alyssa Ashcroft was one that only the most dedicated Resident Evil fans would recognize. She was one of the survivors in Resident Evil: Outbreak, which was an online-only game released in 2004 for the PS2 that had players take control of eight survivors who had to escape Raccoon City before it was destroyed. Alyssa was a newspaper reporter who canonically survived the zombie outbreak and went on to write a story about the events that happened in the city, as well as a story years later about missing people in Dulvey Parish, Louisiana, which was referenced in Resident Evil 7.

It doesn't say where the Wrenwood Hotel is located, but in the trailer, scenes of a destroyed Raccoon City were shown. This could mean that players will head back to the place where the outbreak started. The Resident Evil franchise's first three games dealt with the zombie outbreak in Raccoon City, but none of the main entries in the series have ever gone back to where it all started.

Will any other popular Resident Evil characters show up?

The last two mainline Resident Evil games—Resident Evil 7 and Resident Evil Village—starred a brand-new protagonist, Ethan Winters. He had little ties with the events of the earlier games, but those two games did bring back one of the primary characters of the franchise, Chris Redfield.

There are rumors that another major character from the series will return in Resident Evil Requiem: Leon Kennedy. Leon made his debut in Resident Evil 2 as a rookie cop whose first day on the job was dealing with a zombie outbreak. In Resident Evil 4, Leon was sent on a mission to save the President's daughter from a religious cult located in Spain. He then showed up again in Resident Evil 6, which brought back a whole cast of characters from the franchise who worked together to take down bioterrorists.

While Leon didn't make an appearance in the trailer, he still could show up. And as is the case with any adventure featuring Leon, his romantic interest and rival, Ada Wong, could also make an appearance.

Resident Evil Requiem will be released on Feb. 27, 2026, for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. There is currently no info on whether the new Resident Evil game will come to the Switch 2.

Elden Ring: Nightreign is the newest game from developer FromSoftware, the studio behind the Dark Souls series and 2022's Elden Ring. Nightreign takes a multiplayer spin on the Elden Ring formula, and it's causing a rift among fans of the original game.

Nightreign is a multiplayer roguelike game that takes place on an island in the Lands Between, the setting for Elden Ring. Instead of exploring a big world full of monsters, giant bosses, and deep lore, players need to survive three in-game days in a rush to defeat the Nightlord in order to have a successful run.

Gamers have been buying the game in huge numbers so far. The official Elden Ring X account posted that as of May 30, the game's official launch day, two million copies of Nightreign had already been sold.

However, not everyone who buys the game is happy with it. While critics have been positive about it, giving it an aggregate score of 78% on OpenCritic, those who bought it are saying otherwise.

On Steam, players have shown their dissatisfaction with the game, resulting in a "Mixed" rating based on more than 31,000 reviews. Players have had issues with the incredible difficulty of solo runs, the inability to find teammates through matchmaking, and the lack of an option for teams of two.

Fortunately, those are issues being addressed by FromSoftware and the community.

FromSoftware sent out a couple of tweets regarding two of the issues players are having. For those who want to play solo but find it too tough, the developer says patch 1.02, coming out next week, will allow players to revive automatically during gameplay, and more runs will be rewarded per match.

Runs are used to level up a character. As for matchmaking, FromSoftware also gave some tips on adjusting the network settings in case players can't find others to team with.

One game modder already worked on adding a duos option to the game, at least for PC players. The Seamless Co-Op (Nightreign) mod is available for download so players can team up with one person and begin a match instead of trying to find a third.

What is Elden Ring Nightreign?

Nightreign takes the combat from Elden Ring and makes it a fast-paced multiplayer title.

Players pick from one of eight Nightfarers, who each have their own strengths and weaknesses. The Recluse is a powerful magic user who can do huge damage, but won't be able to survive many hits during battle. On the other hand, the Raider is a character who can take the punishment from enemies, but he's very slow when attacking.

Whether it's solo or with a team, the goal is to defeat a Nightlord, a special boss that is very difficult to beat. To reach the Nightlord, players will have to survive three in-game days. They'll be dropped onto the island of Limvel where they will have to gather equipment and level up their characters. Both of these can be done by taking on bosses found all across the map. Each run will have a slightly different map and bosses.

As the day progresses, this takes around 14 real-time minutes, a storm circle will close in, forcing players to move to avoid the storm or else take on continuous damage. When night comes, the players will have to defeat a night boss, which can be difficult if they don't have the right equipment or a high enough level.

Once that boss is defeated, the storm circle resets, and players can explore the island again until the next storm begins and they face the second night boss. If they survive the second boss, players will be transported to an arena to fight the third boss.

As players defeat more bosses, they'll be able to unlock other characters, better relics to equip before a run, and learn more about each Nightfarer.

Elden Ring: Nightreign costs $40 and is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series consoles.

More from Laptop Mag

• Elden Ring: Nightreign actually runs on your old GPU, and more AAA games need to follow its lead
• I played Elden Ring: Nightreign on the RTX 5090, Intel Arc 140V, and AMD Radeon 8060S — here’s what happened
• I ditched my rig for GeForce Now: Here's what the experience is really like.

The Sims 4 from EA is more than a decade old, but it's still going strong. The game's large fan base continues to spend their days living virtual lives, thanks in part to how easily the game can run on modern hardware.

As it's still popular, there is still new content released for Sims 4. In March, EA released the Businesses & Hobbies Expansion Pack, which included, as the title suggests, the option for you to make your own small business within the game. There is also a wealth of fan-made mods for the game that make a variety of changes, such as revamping certain in-game systems, allowing online multiplayer, and even creating a more realistic childbirth.

There is a mod, however, that has caused a bit of controversy. DEI Remover 1.0.0 is a mod that changes the diverse character options found in the game into "straight" and "white" characters. EA is reportedly trying to have the mod removed from various websites, but it keeps on being re-uploaded, according to a report from Wired.

Sims 4 content creator DanielleBuilds posted about the mod on her Facebook account at the end of April.

"Just came across a Sims 4 mod that 'removes DEI' by forcing all pre-made Sims to be white, straight, thin, and even changing LGBTQ+ couples into siblings," she wrote. "This isn’t just a mod. It’s intentionally erasing representation and pushing a harmful & disgusting agenda. The Sims has always been about creativity, diversity, and making space for everyone to tell their story. This completely goes against that."

The controversial mod was available on one forum, and EA reportedly contacted the admin of that site to remove the mod. The admin took issue with EA's request, calling it an act of targeted censorship, the report says.

EA didn't immediately respond to a request for comment about the mod.

The fight over diversity in video games.

There has been a growing war over diversity in video games. It took a turn last year when consulting company Sweet Baby Inc. was at the center of the controversy.

Sweet Baby Inc. is brought in by video game developers to help with the game narrative. This includes scriptwriting, narrative design, and cultural consultations to make sure characters in the game have some authenticity.

However, a few vocal gamers viewed the company as the source of unpopular narrative choices for games such as Alan Wake 2, God of War Ragnarok, and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. In turn, those gamers created groups on Steam and Discord channels intended to discourage people from buying any game that Sweet Baby Inc. supposedly worked on. This built up conspiracy theories about the company, making it the scapegoat for seemingly anything negative about the video game industry.

Moon Studios may not be a household name among video game developers, but the indie studio has produced two award-winning games: Ori and the Blind Forest and Ori and the Will of the Wisps. Both games were heavily promoted for the Xbox One and eventually made their way to the Nintendo Switch.

Last year, Moon Studios did an early access release for its third game, No Rest for the Wicked. The new game was a departure from the platformer gameplay found in Ori, with its action-roleplaying gameplay that was a mix of FromSoftware's Souls franchise and Blizzard's Diablo. Being a game in early access, those interested in playing the game can pay full price to gain access to the early build of the game as the developer works on it.

The goal of releasing a game for early access is to have gamers help fund the development before the title launches fully. However, Moon Studios appears to be having some issues that could prove detrimental to the studio's future.

The issues began with the release of "The Breach" content update for No Rest for the Wicked on May 1. This update was going to be a large one for the game, including new content, quality of life (QoL) changes, additional quests, and more.

This new update, however, didn't win over the current user base of gamers who paid for early access. In fact, it led to a series of negative reviews on Steam.

The negative reviews since the update offer a wide range of issues with the game from players who say they've played it for an extensive amount of time. Some of the problems include an increase in difficulty, QoL changes that didn't help, and many complaints about the game simply not being fun anymore.

Over the course of a year since the game was released for early access, the largest number of negative reviews have stemmed from the May 1 patch, with the second time period being right after the game's initial release into early access.

On May 10, Moon Studios' CEO and creative director, Thomas Mahler, posted on the game's Discord and left an ominous message about the studio's future, as first reported by Windows Central.

"Folks, if you're writing here and are enjoying Wicked and are excited for future updates, but haven't left a positive review, it's entirely possible that we won't be around in a couple of months to do anything anymore simply because we got review bombed which leads to people not buying the game. Which means we're not making any money and will have to shut down," he wrote.

"Review bombing" is typically an organized, malicious campaign to harm a video game, movie, or even a place of business by leaving negative reviews. Usually, it's a reaction to a company's decision that could be directly related to whatever is being reviewed or related.

Review bombing is common in video games, with some instances involving how a game ended, like with Mass Effect 3, or simply for a game being available in the Epic Game Store, such as in the case with Borderlands 3.

Mahler's Discord comments spread across the internet as the developer is still thought of fondly by many gamers. However, Mahler himself disputed that his company actually had financial issues.

"And no, we’re not in immediate financial danger — but from time to time, I think I’m allowed to speak up about issues within our industry I personally find unbecoming," he wrote on X.

He went on to say he has no issue telling active players who loved the game to leave a positive review. He claimed some negative reviews for No Rest for the Wicked were made by people who bought the game, didn't play it, left the review, and then requested a refund from Steam.

Mahler says that if that is allowed, a developer should also be allowed to ask players to share their real experiences about the game.

According to the game's Steam page, there has been a spike in positive reviews since he made his plea on Discord.

Mahler did say not all negative reviews of the game were part of a review bombing campaign, and that some offered important feedback that the studio is looking to address.

However, he did state that some bad actors are using some of his past statements as a reason to conduct a review bombing campaign.

When Laptop Mag contacted Mahler about his comments, he pointed to his post on X, which you can read below:

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• The Switch 2 might not stay at its launch price. Nintendo explains why.
• Rockstar finally gives a release date for GTA 6, but it’s not what fans expected

Days after Rockstar Games announced Grand Theft Auto 6 would be pushed to May 26, 2026, the publisher gave fans a bit of a consolation prize.

GTA 6 was set to be the biggest game release of 2025, which is already a big year for video games with the release of the Nintendo Switch 2 in June. However, the game is simply not ready, according to last week's announcement. Even though it's not ready, Rockstar dropped a new trailer and more details about the game on Tuesday.

The new trailer, titled simply "Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2," featured more of the characters and story of the game, unlike the first trailer, which was a simple introduction to the new title.

The trailer was published at 9 a.m. ET, and in less than two hours, it already received more than 1.5 million likes. Rockstar's page dedicated to the new game featuring more details about the locale and character shortly crashed after the release of the trailer.

What is GTA 6 about?

The new trailer introduces Jason, who appears to be the boyfriend of Lucia and was previously unknown until this new trailer. Lucia is getting out of prison, and Jason is the one to pick her up.

As is the case with any GTA game, the heroes of the game will find themselves getting into some criminal activity.

"Jason and Lucia have always known the deck is stacked against them. But when an easy score goes wrong, they find themselves on the darkest side of the sunniest place in America, in the middle of a criminal conspiracy stretching across the state of Leonida — forced to rely on each other more than ever if they want to make it out alive," the description fo the trailer says.

Leonida is the parody version of Florida, home to Vice City, which is the fictional version of Miami. There will be other locales to explore in the game as well, including Leonida Keys, a version of the Florida Keys; Grassivers, a likely parody of the Everglades; Port Gellhorn, based on Panama City; and two other cities that don't have a clear real-world counterpart: Mount Kalaga and Ambrosia.

While the second trailer is longer than the first, it's still only showing cinematics for the game, not actual gameplay.

When will GTA 6 come to PC?

PC gamers, unfortunately, will have to do some waiting before they will be able to play GTA 6.

So far, Rockstar has only confirmed that GTA 6 will come to the PS5 and Xbox Series consoles. There was some hope that the year-long delay would provide more time to make a PC version of the game, however, there is no word, as of yet, on when GTA 6 will make its way to PC.

If Rockstar repeats the release strategy it used for GTA 5, which launched on consoles in 2013 and on PC in 2015, then PC gamers could face a two-year wait before they can play the new GTA game.

It does appear that Rockstar might even have a special arrangement with Sony for GTA 6. The trailer footage was captured on a PS5, and there is one shot in the trailer showing what looks like a slim PS5.

GTA 6 will come out on May 26, 2026, but the price has not yet been confirmed. If there is a game that could command a price higher than the traditional $70 for a new title, it would be GTA 6. The game is speculated to have a budget close to $1 billion, and to make up for that money, Rockstar could give the game an $80 price tag, similar to the price of Mario Kart World.

This year is already shaping up to be one of the best years for video games. Clair Obscur Expedition 33, Split Fiction, Assassin's Creed Shadows, Monster Hunter Wilds, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance II came out in the first half of 2025 and wowed gamers. There's also the upcoming release of the Nintendo Switch 2.

The biggest game of the year, however, will not come out this year.

Grand Theft Auto VI was set to come out this fall. Developer Rockstar Games and parent company Take-Two Interactive insisted again and again that it would come out, even though neither gave a specific release date. All that changed on Friday.

Rockstar announced that GTA 6 will not come out this year, and instead, will come out on May 26, 2026.

"We are very sorry that this is later than you expected," Rockstar said in the announcement of the delay. "The interest and excitement surrounding a new Grand Theft Auto has been truly humbling for our entire team. With every game we have released, the goal has always been to try and exceed your expectations, and Grand Theft Auto VI is no exception. We hope you understand that we need this extra time to deliver at the level of quality you expect and deserve."

It's been almost 12 years since the release of GTA V, which was the largest game of the franchise. GTA 6 is looking to be one of the biggest games of all time, but there is still a lot about the game we don't know.

The GTA 6 trailer, released back in 2023, gives the only real glimpse of what's coming with the game. Taking place in a parody version of Florida named Leonida, the game would have players step into the role of Lucia and an unnamed male accomplice. The two criminals would do the standard fare for GTA protagonists of stealing cars, taking out targets, and getting the attention of a lot of police.

Leonida would encompass Vice City, the fictional Miami that was the setting for 2002's GTA: Vice City. It would also take place in more modern times featuring modern tech like social media apps similar to TikTok.

While gamers were disappointed with the news, it didn't surprise some industry experts. Bloomberg's Jason Schreier wrote on Blue Sky that the people he spoke with at Rockstar didn't expect the game to come out this year. Schreier suspects that the delay is a way to avoid long work days to try and make the release date deadline, referred to as "crunch."

There is a concern that the delay would provide Rockstar with an opportunity to go with a higher price tag.

GTA 5's budget was $265 million when it came out in 2013, and it's likely that the budget for GTA 6 will be even higher. There was always some speculation that if there was a game that could have a higher price than the standard $70 for new games, it would be GTA 6.

That changed last month with the announcement of the Nintendo Switch 2. Mario Kart World is the only Nintendo-developed launch title made solely for the Switch 2, and it will cost $80. Nintendo didn't provide a reason why the new game in the franchise would be higher, but this opens the door for more companies to release their games at a higher price point. This could mean next year, GTA 6 could launch with an $80 price point, and it wouldn't receive much pushback, which would be a big positive for Rockstar and Take-Two Interactive.

The Nintendo Switch 2 is just weeks away from its big reval. The Mario maker plans to show off its newest console on April 2 in a Nintendo Direct.

There are still a lot of questions about the Switch 2 such as how much will it cost and when will it launch. One major feature that has been confirmed is backward compatibility with the original Switch games, and it appears there could be some enhancements with these older games.

Nintendo recently patented new technology using AI to upscale an image, according to a report from Forbes. The patent, first spotted by a user on X, is for a "computer system converting images through use of a trained neural network." This tech would take a 540p image, which is the same resolution as the Switch, and use a neural network to convert the image to 1080p.

Nintendo didn't hint at there being an improvement with Switch games playing on the Switch 2, but the recently released Xenoblade Chronicles X might also confirm improvements coming to Switch games. Released last week, the game has a strange bit code that one modder discovered, as reported by Polygon. The unused code is for a 60fps setting for the game. It's unclear whether this setting could be implemented as a graphics upgrade when playing the game on the Switch 2 or maybe a leftover code for a setting used by developers.

Nintendo didn't immediately respond to a request for comment confirming the AI upscaling technology for the Switch 2.

What do we know about the Switch 2?

Nintendo teased the Switch 2 back in January in a short video. Only a few features were shown at the time.

Of the features, the most notable is that the Switch 2 will have an 8-inch LCD display. There will be an improvement in the graphics, but how much is still a mystery. Third-party developers are reportedly preparing to bring their AAA games over to the Switch 2 as the original Switch didn't have the power to run these games.

Another interesting change with the Switch 2 is with its controls. The Joy-Cons will connect to the console with magnets instead of rails, and it appears that each Joy-Con will work similarly to a mouse. How this will be used and for which games remains unknown.

There is speculation on the price of the Switch 2, but analysts suspect the new console will be higher than the original's $299 price tag. The most likely starting price is $349 although it could go up to $399. A reason for this increase in price is due to the higher costs of hardware. It's still unknown whether tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump will have any effect on the price.

As for when the Switch 2 will come out, Nintendo is planning a world tour for the new console called the "Switch 2 Experience." It starts on April 4 in New York City and continues on in April and May with dates in cities across the globe. The last scheduled date, as of now, is on June 1 in Seoul, South Korea. This would make for the most likely release date to happen sometime this summer, probably in June. There have been reports of Nintendo already shipping Switch 2 units to the U.S. earlier this month.

When it comes to new Switch 2 games, the only one confirmed so far is a new Mario Kart game. Industry analysts told Bloomberg they speculate a new 3D Mario game, the long-awaited Metroid Prime 4, and Pokémon Legends: Z-A will also be released.

PC gamers, from casual to core, know that gaming can be an expensive hobby. Luckily, CDKeys has a legit sale that slashes up to 95% off sitewide, with PC games starting from just $0.59. Not all discounts are on latter-day titles either.

While browsing through the deals, I gasped in shock at seeing new release titles already discounted.

For example, launched yesterday, February 28, Monster Hunter Wilds is on sale for $59.99 ($15 off) at CDKeys. That's wild, alright. That's $10 cheaper than Steam's price and one of the best gaming deals happening at the moment.

I played the 2021 release, Monster Hunter Rise, and I liked the in-game battles, unique mythical creatures, and storyline.

I found a $22 preorder discount on WWE 2K25 in another standout PC game deal. Now $48, the standard edition of WWE 2K25 is set to release on March 14, 2025. CDKeys is also selling WWE 2K25 Deadman Edition for $80 ($20 off) and WWE 2K25 The Bloodline Edition for $107 ($22 off).

Preorders for these special edition titles launch a week earlier, on March 7, 2025. It's not often that I see PC games discounted outright ahead of release.

And those are just a few of the game deals I'd grab today. See more of my hand-selected discounts below.

CDKeys PC game deals — Quick links

• Browse: PC game deals from $0.59
• WWE 2K25 (Preorder): was $70 now $48 at CDKeys
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II: was $63 now $48 at CDKeys
• Monster Hunter Wilds: wass $76 now $59 at CDKeys
• Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii: was $82 now $44 at CDKeys
• Sid Meier's Civilization VII: was $77 now $53 at CDKeys
• Helldivers 2: was $39 now $26 at CDKeys
• Grand Theft Auto V: GTA 5 Premium Online Edition: was $63 now $10 at CDKeys
• The Pale Beyond: was $21 now $0.99 at CDKeys
• PGA Tour 2k25: was $77 now $60 at CDKeys

CDKeys PC game deals I'd buy

Microsoft already set the date of October 14, 2025, for the end of Windows 10 support, and it's serious. The company has spent the past three years telling Windows 10 users to upgrade to Windows 11, and so far, it's been a slow process to get people to make the jump.

Only in January did the gap between the number of Windows 10 and 11 users tighten, with the older operating system still in the lead with 60.7% of the market share while the new OS was sitting at 36.6%, according to StatCounter.

That gap between the two operating systems is almost flipped when it comes to Steam users.

Valve released its "Steam Hardware & Software Survey" for January 2025, and it appears that PC gamers have been quicker to adopt the new version of Windows.

PCs using Windows 11 accounted for just over 53% of Windows users while 10 made up almost 43%. Coming in at a very, very distant third place were Windows 7 users at 0.15%.

What are Steam gamers waiting for?

While the number of Windows 10 users is fewer than 11, at 40% that is a lot of gamers who are still riding an older version of the operating system, which will stop being supported in less than a year.

After the October 14 date, Microsoft will stop supporting Windows 10 after a decade since its release. That means no more updates, security fixes, or technical support. Anyone still on Windows 10 after that October is going to be on their own. This could be incredibly risky for those who keep using the old operating system as gaming on PC can be a bit risky.

One of the latest hacks to show up is in the popular hero shooter, Marvel Rivals. There appears to be a new vulnerability uncovered that could be exploited to let some hacker take over another player's PC, according to a report from PC Gamer. Just upgrading to Windows 11 won't solve this hack, but having an operating system with continued support will likely help stop these kinds of vulnerabilities in the future.

For those who insist on keeping Windows 10, Microsoft will offer a year of extra support, but there's a price for this service. Extended Security Updates (ESU) will cost users an extra $30 for the year. After that, they will truly be on their own.

How do I upgrade my gaming PC to Windows 11?

Fortunately, Microsoft is making it very easy to upgrade a PC from Windows 11.

If you're on the old operating system, you're likely already seeing messages about the upgrade. Microsoft is giving away the upgrade to Windows 11 for free, although a blog post from the company went up back in January claiming that this would be a "limited-time deal." Microsoft has since deleted that post, confirming with Windows Latest that the upgrade to Windows 11 from Windows 10 will remain free.

Microsoft claims Windows 11 is safer, has better performance, more functionality, and better features such as the controversial Microsoft Recall, which takes snapshots of the computer allowing users to do a search for actions they've done in the past.

While upgrading to Windows 11 from 10 is easy as it's just a click of the upgrade option, the PC still has to meet the requirements to run it. Most Windows 10 PCs should be able to upgrade without issue, but there are lesser-known hardware requirements that could cause an error requiring users to stay with Windows 10.

I made a $700 bet on the PS5 Pro being a worthwhile investment, and given the title above, you can see how well it went.

Listen, I understand that the PS5 Pro has a slew of disadvantages compared to the best gaming laptops, but you shouldn’t count it out because of its price or its limitations. Believe it or not, the PS5 Pro’s price is actually one of the reasons why you should buy it. That’s not all; there are plenty of other features that the PS5 Pro offers that you won’t get out of a PC.

Here are 5 reasons you should buy a PS5 Pro instead of a gaming laptop.

5. It’s actually cheaper

Yes, $700 is expensive as hell for a console, but when you’re up against gaming laptops, the PS5 Pro starts to look downright affordable. On average, you can get a gaming laptop with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 GPU for around $700. You can peruse our best gaming laptop deals to see what’s available right now, but let’s take a look at why the PS5 is going to blow away any laptops in this price range.

The PS5 Pro’s AMD 16.7-TFLOP GPU is on par with an RTX 4070 mobile GPU, which features 15.6 TFLOPS. For those who don’t know, TFLOPS is a measurement used to track theoretical performance. It wouldn’t be accurate to compare performance one to one.

Now, outside of the theoretical performance, it’s still tough to compare the PS5 Pro’s GPU to a laptop GPU because there are no simple benchmarks. Despite that, the RTX 4070 mobile GPU clocked an average of 53 frames per second on Ultra, 4K DLSS settings in God of War Ragnarök. Meanwhile, on PS5 Pro Enhanced mode, Digital Foundry clocked anywhere between 64 to 120 fps. Digital Foundry discovered that PS5 Enhanced mode upscales to 4K from 1440p. With that in mind, I looked at the RTX 4070’s 1440p test, and it averaged 74 fps.

Dragon’s Dogma 2 also received the PS5 Pro Enhanced upgrade. The RTX 4070 GPU scored 38 fps on 4K DLSS and 55 fps on 1440p. Meanwhile, the PS5 Pro, upscaled from 1440p to 4K, averaged around 40 to 55 fps.

Of course, not all games will experience a similar ratio in performance. And I cannot guarantee that the PS5 versions of those games feature all of the graphical upgrades found in the PC version when at max settings. But in terms of price-to-performance ratio, the PS5 Pro beats gaming laptops at their asking price.

4. Get the best first

If you don’t care for PlayStation-exclusive titles, you might as well move on to the next section. However, if you love a good grind in Valhalla, you should be the first to experience it. Right now, I am anxiously awaiting the release of Ghost of Yōtei.

We haven’t heard about the PS5 Pro graphical capabilities that Ghost of Yōtei will take advantage of yet. However, considering its reveal soon after the PS5 Pro, it’s more likely to be “PS5 Pro Enhanced” than not.

It’s not just that, though. You will likely need to wait at least a year before PlayStation exclusives launch on PC. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 launched in October 2023 and it’s still not available for PC. You will get it soon, though, on January 30, 2025.

3. That controller, though

This is the part where I’d harp on the DualSense controller, but technically, PC does have access to the controller’s haptic feedback capabilities… But I’m still going to harp on the DualSense. Sorry, but you can’t access all those sweet features unless you’re wired in. Which, as a PC user, is incredibly frustrating.

You might be thinking, “Well, my keyboard and mouse are superior anyway.” To that, I say, well-well, the PS5 Pro can be operated with a keyboard and mouse. Granted, not every game features this functionality, but there are quite a few big titles, like Death Stranding and Final Fantasy XIV.

2. PSSR changes the game

What is truly exclusive to the PS5 Pro is PSSR, PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution. Again, PCs offer plenty of access to AI-upscaling technology. However, the processes by which they function are different.

The PS5 Pro will always have an advantage over PC when we’re talking about exclusives, and that’s because those titles were designed with PSSR in mind. Any other game is up for debate, however.

1. A fresh game catalog

PlayStation Plus is another unique feature. You have access to a wide range of games, including Ubisoft+ Classics and legacy PlayStation titles. Sure, it’s for the high-high price of $160 per year (for Premium), but this is unavailable for PC.

There are other subscription-based services for PC, like Xbox Game Pass, but none of them will feature PlayStation exclusives in their library.

Bottom line

A lot of these reasons bank on your investment in PlayStation exclusives. But even if you don’t care, the price of the PS5 Pro alone is a better investment than a budget gaming laptop.

However, one of the biggest disadvantages of the PS5 Pro over a gaming laptop is what I learned by playing Middle-earth: Shadow of War. Developers have severely starved console gamers of graphical settings for years, so experiencing the full power of the PS5 Pro will be difficult on older titles with 30-fps frame caps.

But if you’re in it for newer titles, PS5 Pro is 100% the way to go.

I understand if you've got serious remorse about not getting your hands on Sony's PS1-inspired 30th Anniversary PS5 — it's retro, it's rare, and it's... well, did I mention retro?

But I've got some good news for anyone left out of the retro fun: there are quite a few major PS5 deals that (while they may not scratch the nostalgia itch) might take some of the sting of missing out away.

If you're still in the market for some PS5 goodness, there are a few Black Friday deals you're not going to want to miss.

Black Friday is right around the corner but the deals are here right now, and we're all about Team Green when it comes to these early Xbox Black Friday deals.

Black Friday has always been a great time to pick up a new game console or stock up on games, with retailers and publishers offering huge discounts in the run-up to the holidays. It's also when most of the year's biggest and best games come out, like the recently released and critically acclaimed Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, which seems to be a real return to form for the series.

So, whether you're considering becoming an Xbox gamer or you're already in the fold and want to improve your experience, we've got some fantastic Xbox deals for you.

The star of the show for newcomers is the $50 discount on the Xbox Series X at Best Buy, which brings its price down to just $449. Unlike the cheaper Xbox Series S, also available for $50 off at Best Buy, the X is capable of full 4K gaming and comes with a larger SSD to store more games.

Beyond that, there are deals on Xbox games, controllers, headsets, and other accessories. We've highlighted some of the best offers below. We've also got a PS5 Black Friday deals page if you want to check out the opposition's offerings, and be sure to check out our Black Friday deals hub for even more tech deals.

If you're anything like me, you're sitting pretty on an enormous stash of Steam games like a dragon's hoard of gold and treasure — likely procured through years of epic Steam Sale discounts that are just too good to turn down.

I own more games than I'm ever likely to play. Between Humble Bundle subscriptions and seasonal Steam sales, my library is a gamer's paradise. Given the price I paid to amass such a collection, it's too good to be true. And that's because it isn't.

While I gawp in wonder at a library of games that I'd need to pass down through my lineage to complete fully, Valve is here to rain on my parade by reminding me I actually don't own anything — and neither do you.

As it turns out, you weren't buying games in those incredible Steam sales, just licenses. Licenses with an unknown lifespan.

Steam digital purchases: The prices are small, and so is the fine print

The news, while not news to many, comes by way of a change to the Steam checkout screen as spotted on Reddit, which now reads: "A purchase of a digital product grants a license for the product on Steam."

Translated from legalese, you're not buying these games, you're renting them — a statement that platform owner Valve is likely to want to make crystal clear ahead of California's looming AB 2426 law.

The bill focuses on digital product transparency within the digital storefront industry, and ensuring consumers know whether they're buying a product or licensing it, forcing companies to come clean about what's really included with each digital purchase.

It's a sharp wake-up call for anyone who was under the delusion that their Steam digital library was theirs eternal. The truth is, it's been an open secret for the entirety of the digital market age.

This is exactly why counter storefronts that oppose these kinds of digital rights management (DRM) issues exist, with one of the most well-known being Good Old Games (GOG).

On catching wind of Valve's checkout tweak, GOG quickly took to X to get one over on Steam by posting: "Since checkout banners are trending, we're thinking of putting one up ourselves. Thoughts on this one?"

Attached is an image of the GOG checkout page, with the words "A purchase of a digital product on GOG grants you its Offline Installers, which cannot be taken away from you."

Quite the zinger. Buying from a storefront like GOG allows the user to download an offline installer that can be saved to a hard drive, burnt to a disk, or uploaded to online storage and used as many times by as many people as that buyer chooses (within reason).

But let's tap the breaks on the social media dunking competition, because should you delete that file and want to redownload it, then you're only able to do so as long as GOG remains operational.

If GOG were ever to go the way of Blockbuster, well, you can kiss goodbye to that expansive collection of digital titles you own also.

Outlook

Physical media is practically dead. At least when it comes to most software. Valve's disclaimer isn't anything new or revelatory, but it is a bitter pill to swallow for many to be reminded that the years they've spent cultivating their precious Steam library exist only while Steam does.

While it seems like Steam's presence is a pretty safe bet today, who knows what the future holds?

Next time you're stacking your cart sky high with discounted digital goods, pause for thought and know that no platform will live forever (though, not all will go out of business as fast as Google Stadia did), and when it dies, every purchase you made will amount to naught.

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I've been playing MMORPGs for more of my life than I'd like to admit, though I will fully own the decade spent on Final Fantasy XIV. However, I can get bored of playing the same games, which is why new MMOs tend to grab my attention. So when Amazon Games published Throne and Liberty, I jumped to get my hands on it.

For the uninitiated, Throne and Liberty is a free-to-play MMORPG by veteran developers NCSoft and published by Amazon Games (available on Steam, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S). I played the pre-launch test build and the post-launch version on Steam.

My time in Throne and Liberty has been rather pleasant. The game is gorgeous, and while the animal transformations gimmick gets a little unwieldy at times, the gameplay is enjoyable despite the story leaving a lot to be desired. I've walked away from each game session wondering just where Amazon Games can go from here. Four games into its' publishing catalog, Amazon has had only one lasting success, and even that has been marred by an aggressive pay structure.

So, can Throne and Liberty finally make Amazon Games happen? Let's get into it.

Throne and Liberty: Gameplay

Like many MMORPGs, Throne and Liberty uses an auto-attack system where players manage specific skill cooldowns (there's no real-time action). While some might find this format archaic in 2024, there's a reason it's one of the most common combat forms for MMOs. It's a tried and true formula that allows players to focus more on intricate combat mechanics rather than mouse clicks. And for MMOs, which typically require an intense time commitment, saving gamers' fingers some extra strain is always a good choice.

The unique bit of Throne and Liberty is the traversal mechanics. Dressed up as animal transformation abilities, players get access to teleportation, sprinting, gliding, and a grappling hook. None of these traversal abilities are breaking new ground, but some fit into an MMO better than others. Gliding and grappling hook skills offer the most difficult learning curves, and function better using classic camera controls as opposed to more modern "action" camera controls. These are also easier to handle using a controller on consoles. The Steam version does feature some mapped gamepad controls, but the input sensors are inconsistent, making keyboard and mouse the only viable option for PC gamers. Because the grappling hook and gliding are both necessary traversal mechanics to progress in the game, they are a barrier to entry.

For those worried about the end-game, the grind is rather easy if players stick to a single weapon. However, if you change weapons or want to multi-class, you'll suffer a punishing grind (with spreadsheets) to get all the items needed to level up the right skills and abilities. For free players, it is less of a time commitment to level multiple characters than to multiclass on a single character, which is a rather old-school approach to RPG design. Particularly because there is very little roleplaying involved in Throne and Liberty, so the replay value is minimal.

As for endgame gameplay, much of the content is focused around guild PvP (player vs. player) interactions. This is fine, but it does mean that the PvE (player vs. environment) fan may want to give this game a pass.

Since the endgame is very PvP-focused, Throne and Liberty is in a prime position for that "pay to win" freemium model. In-game microtransactions can get you in-game currency used to buy the best items in the auction house. While you can earn that in-game currency for free, it does take some grinding. Throne and Liberty is not currently "pay to win," but considering its PvP-focused endgame structure, there's cause for concern.

Throne and Liberty: Graphics

If nothing else, Throne and Liberty is a beautiful game. Especially so on its higher graphics settings like the High or Epic presets.

I used the Razer Blade 14 (2024) with its AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS processor and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU to get a smooth, stunning experience in pre-rendered and in-engine cutscenes. Throne and Liberty's high graphics quality continues into the active gameplay, making great use of light, shadow, and rich texture for a realistic fantasy world. Honestly, it may be the best-looking MMORPG I've seen in quite some time.

The game features a nice, granular character creator which allows for a deep sense of customization, though there are plenty of preset faces and hairstyles if you'd rather not get too deep in the weeds. You can also opt to randomize your appearance and get straight into the game, but the character creation and early tutorial process doesn't take too long.

There's even a photo mode if you want to take glamour shots. However, the problem there is that the endgame content doesn't offer much equipment variety right now. And as any veteran player can tell you, curating your character's appearance is the true endgame of all MMORPGs.

Throne and Liberty: Story

The story is where Throne and Liberty falls flat. Considering the endgame content is guild-based PvP, it isn't a surprise. It is, however, disappointing.

The plot is a pretty basic "chosen one" storyline where the player character, called the Star Born, must face the evil Kazar and his pet witch Calanthia. As part of the Resistance, the player's story involves taking the fight to Kazar and his minions to determine the world of Solisium's fate.

If you're looking for memorable characters, a story that will rip your heart out, or even an interesting take on the classic MMO hero tale, don't bother with Throne and Liberty. The story is serviceable to get you to the end-game content, but there isn't any meat to it. This is a shame because the world is beautiful and there is some interesting lore for the world of Solisium that you can find if you delve deep enough.

But as it stands, the story is forgettable enough that you may as well skip all the cutscenes and click through dialogue as fast as you can.

Throne and Liberty: Should you play?

If you need a grindy, guild-based PvP game because you're sick of Guild Wars 2, NCSoft and Amazon Games' Throne and Liberty will happily fill that niche.

If you want your new MMORPG obsession, then you're probably better off looking elsewhere for smoother traversal mechanics, a better story, and a more satisfying endgame. Throne and Liberty is not a bad game, but I don't see it holding onto its player count when there are better MMOs and online Co-Op games out there.

If you want to glide and grapple, Genshin Impact offers smoother controls for both features. If you want a good story, Final Fantasy XIV is happy to rip your heart to pieces. And if you want a satisfying endgame, more games than I can count offer a convenient way to upgrade your weapons and skills, and pick up new classes without making you resort to playing Spreadsheet Simulator.

So, what does that mean for Amazon Games as a whole?

Amazon Games: A troubled history

Amazon launched its fledgling game publishing arm back in 2011 when the Amazon Appstore opened, though those early titles were primarily social mobile games. In 2014, the company announced it would create flagship PC games.

In September 2021, New World launched on PC after a year's delay, with a console release expected in October 2024. Amazon Games' Orange County studio developed New World initially as a free-to-play MMORPG but shifted to a buy-to-play structure before its release. While the game initially did well in terms of player numbers, with an all-time high of over 913,000 players on Steam (via Steamcharts), the game saw a significant falloff after the first few weeks. Reviews were mostly positive, but New World's pro-colonization themes didn't sit well with audiences. The console launch later this month could turn that around, but as it stands, New World is far from a success.

Amazon Games' second published game is the worldwide release of Smilegate RPG's Lost Ark. The free-to-play MMO was originally published by KOR: Smilegate in December 2019 in the South Korean market. Lost Ark had an all-time peak player count of over 1.3 million. While the player base has declined, Lost Ark consistently maintains a respectable base of 30,000 concurrent players (via Steamcharts). And this is despite the game's rather brutal pay structure which saw streamers like Shroud spending over $25,000 to build out equipment.

Following the success of Lost Ark, Amazon Games published Bandai Namco's Blue Protocol, an online action RPG. Blue Protocol debuted in June 2023 in Japan, but service for the game in its home market will end on January 18, 2025. While Amazon Games was responsible for the worldwide version of the game, Blue Protocol made it only as far as technical tests in the Western markets in November 2023.

Amazon Games published NCSoft's Throne and Liberty in the worldwide market on October 1, 2024. The free-to-play MMORPG hit an all-time peak of over 333,000 players and maintains a high average even over a week after launch (via Steamcharts). The game is currently within the top 50 games in its home market in South Korea (via Gamemeca), but it had dropped off the ranks before the worldwide launch.

Amazon Games currently has six games in the works, including an untitled Tomb Raider game by veteran developers Crystal Dynamics and an untitled The Lord of the Rings MMORPG in development by Amazon Games Orange County.

Where does Amazon Games go from here?

At this point, Amazon released only four flagship PC games, including Throne and Liberty. While New World hasn't seen lasting success, it could be revived by its console launch later this month. Blue Period was dead before it arrived. However, Lost Ark is an absolute success.

While Throne and Liberty may be successful, the free-to-play MMO space is notoriously difficult. Lost Ark maintained a shocking amount of success, but the crowded MMORPG space is mostly filled with empty free-to-play titles. Freemium models do offer better commercial success when the games are well-received, but it isn't often the best choice for an MMO. There's a reason why World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy XIV both still hold onto the classic monthly subscription model.

Working with outside developers like Smilegate RPG and NCSoft seems to be going well for Amazon so far, despite the failure of Bandai Namco's Blue Period. I'll be interested in seeing how Amazon and Crystal Dynamics fare with the untitled Tomb Raider project, as those games have historically been single-player RPGs. While not as lucrative a market, releasing a polished single-player game with an established property may be the correct way forward for Amazon Games. But of course, all of this is just speculation for now.

If nothing else, Amazon's deep pockets could make its gaming arm a real force in the game publishing industry. Amazon can certainly afford to keep publishing games and see what sticks. And for now, it seems Throne and Liberty is doing well even if it hasn't quite hit the heights of Lost Ark.

Laptop Mag's hardware recommendations

The hardware requirements for Throne and Liberty are relatively low-key, which is surprising when you consider just how good the MMO looks.

The game can run on its lowest settings on a system with an Intel Core i5-7700, Nvidia GeForce GTX960, 16GB of RAM, and at least 63GB of available storage space. Amazon recommends players opt for a slightly newer rig with an Intel Core i5-11600K, Nvidia GeForce GTX1660, 16GB of RAM, and at least 63GB of available storage space. Interestingly, console gamers need less storage space, requiring only 40GB of available storage to run Throne and Liberty.

If your gaming machine doesn't meet those minimum specs, or you'd like to upgrade to see Throne and Liberty at its best, any one of our best gaming laptops will give you the performance power you need.

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Amazon's October Prime Big Deals Day sale gives an opportunity to save money across a wide range of categories. In Logitech's case, a full array of gaming peripherals are on sale, with the biggest discounts on the company's premium gear. 

For example, the Logitech G29 Driving Force racing wheel and pedals is down to $199, a savings of $100 over the usual $299 price. The Logitech G735 gaming headset is on sale for $159, a savings of $70 over the regular $229 price. And the Logitech PRO X 60 wireless gaming keyboard is on sale for $139 -- $40 less than the usual $179 price.

Even the venerable Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920 gets a deep discount, dropping to $49 from its usual $99.

Read on for our picks of the top 5 Logitech deals during Amazon Prime Big Deals Day, on sale October 8 and 9.

Top 5 deals on Logitech gaming gear during October Prime Day

Amazon's October Prime Day sale is coming up soon, but you don't need to wait to score some new gaming gear at huge discounts. 

Woot is offering a slew of deals on games, controllers, and accessories right now and you don't want to miss out. I'm always looking for new games for my Nintendo Switch, so I have my eye on several hit titles that are up to 37% off this weekend. For example, Luigi's Mansion 3 is down to just $40 right now! You can also get discounts on Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Super Mario Bros Wonder, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and more. 

Woot has deals on console games for Xbox and Playstation, too, like South Park: Snow Day for just $10 or Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown for only $15! 

Now is the perfect time to pick up a new controller, too, but don't pay full price. You can snag the 8BitDo Ultimate controller for just $40 right now! That's a 43% discount on a controller that's normally $70. If you're a fan of mobile gaming, you can also pick up the Razer Kishi V2 Pro controller at an unbelievable 63% discount! 

Here's a look at the top 5 gaming deals I uncovered at Woot that you won't want to miss out on this weekend!

Top 5 deals on gaming gear ahead of October Prime Day

I'm a sucker for nostalgia, and apparently Sony knows that.

Yes, I already have a PlayStation 5, and yes I still want Sony's surprise-announced 30th anniversary edition PlayStation 5 that looks just like a PlayStation 1. I mean, just look at it.

Sony's 30th anniversary PlayStation 5: Price, release, date, design

Alright, I know you probably want to own this thing too, so let's get right to the nitty-gritty. You can throw multiple levels of money at Sony to own a slice of '90s PlayStation nostalgia, one of which is a pro bundle. With that, you get:

• A limited edition PS5 Pro console with 2TB SSD, Wi-Fi 7, and matching limited edition accessories
• DualSense wireless controller, DualSense Edge wireless controller, DualSense charging station, and a console cover for a disc drive
• A vertical stand
• A PS1-inspired cable connector housing
• 4 PlayStation-shaped cable ties
• A PlayStation sticker
• A limited edition PlayStation Poster — there are 30 designs in total
• And finally, a PlayStation paperclip

If you're not that hardcore, you can go with the digital bundle, which includes:

• A PS5 digital edition console with 1TD SSD and matching limited edition accessories
• DualSense wireless controller and a console cover for a disc drive
• A Vertical Stand
• Original PlayStation controller-style cable connector housing
• 4 PlayStation cable ties
• A PlayStation sticker
• A limited edition PlayStation poster
• A PlayStation Paperclip

Basically, you get to choose your flavor between Pro and non-Pro PlayStation 5, depending on your preference — the main differences being drive size and WiFi 7 compatibility.

And if a PS1-inspired console wasn't enough for you, there's also a PS1-inspired PlayStation Portal. Here it is in all of its grey glory. 

You’ll have to wait until November 21 to get your hands on any of this, and when Sony says “limited edition,” they mean “limited edition.” Only 12,300 of the consoles will be made and sold — a number that Sony says is an homage to the date and month of the iconic console’s release.

Sony says that — in regions where direct.playstation.com is available — you’ll be able to pre-order the digital edition console, the Portal, and the DualSense controller from Sony starting  September 26.  If direct.playstation.com isn’t available near you, pre-orders start September 26, but at participating retailers. 

Laptop Mag contacted Sony to verify the price of each bundle and will update this post with information as it arrives.

Amazon Prime Day is here, which normally means huge discounts on some of the biggest games and tech. Unfortunately, Nintendo Switch titles can be notorious for their lack of actual discounts while a deals season is underway. If you're like me, it's immensely frustrating to see some of the company's biggest titles remain near full price years upon years into their existence.

Just look at titles like Super Marios Bros Wonder for $56.99 at Amazon, Super Smash Bros Ultimate for $54.99, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons for $54.99, all of which are discounted by $5 or less. Considering some of these games are many years old, it's sometimes shocking how little Nintendo cares to discount its game titles.

As a result, this list is exclusively focused on titles that actually give you great discounts on Nintendo Switch titles. We're not going to allow anything in here that's only discounted by $10 or less, and excluding one exception, everything here is at least discounted by $20.

Best Nintendo Switch game deals today

I need to take a break from getting bodied by those evil fire golems and talk to you about what's going on with the ray tracing in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree.

How does ray tracing look in FromSoftware's latest critically acclaimed DLC? Well, that's complicated. Below, you'll find a series of photos comparing the ray tracing, on and off, at three different locations at three different times of day, both on PC and PS5. Yeah, it's a lot.

Now, let me preface this by saying that this was hard. Elden Ring's dynamic weather system made capturing one-to-one screenshots incredibly challenging. However, we took some pretty good shots, and I think I have an answer to the question.

The question is: Which ray tracing is better for the Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree PC vs. PS5? And should you even use ray tracing?

Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree PC vs. PS5: Gravesite Plain

Of course, our first location is the first Grace you'll find in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree. Below, I'll explain the difference between the PC and PS5's ray tracing disabled and enabled.

As you can see above, Elden Ring's dynamic weather system creates wildly different visual landscapes. However, looking at the Morning shots gives us an idea of what's happening.

The ray tracing is so subtle that I need to squint to see it. But I can see it. The grass to the left of the Grace presents a faint glow when ray tracing is off. That glow isn't present when ray tracing is enabled. The grass to the right of the character's feet is also brighter when ray tracing is off. That difference in brightness continues in parts of the armor.

Ray tracing attempts to capture an accurate depiction of lighting, but some detail is lost as a result. I prefer ray tracing disabled.

The best ones to compare here are the Night shots. Ignoring the wildly different colorful skies, the answer is again in the grass. It's similar to the PS5, where the PC's ray tracing provides more light to objects when it's disabled and more accurate light when it's enabled.

However, the most exciting difference is in the white armor. When ray tracing is disabled, the cloth looks flat. When enabled, it's more detailed, the shadows highlighting the curves and threads. Even the bottom layer is much more pronounced when ray tracing is enabled due to the high contrast.

Oddly enough, I prefer ray tracing enabled.

Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree PC vs. PS5: Scorched Ruins

Our second location is, again, arguably the second Grace you'll find on your journey. See? I'm keeping it spoiler-free. Let's go over the difference between the PC and PS5's ray tracing disabled and enabled.

Mind in rain in the Night shots. But overall, you can once again see that with ray tracing off, the grass around the Grace features a subtle glow. Weirdly, we do not see that when ray tracing is on. It's like the light emitted from the Graces isn't programmed strong enough to provide that same level of warmth.

The armor here is interesting as well. When ray tracing is off, you get a bright character model, but it does look out of place. However, when on, the character blends into the environment more. You see the shadows in the tails of the cloth and even a more pronounced shine in the helmet.

This is a mixed bag. Ray tracing looks more realistic, but I wouldn't say I like how some of the light is presented. However, the character model looks so much more immersive in ray tracing. So, I prefer ray tracing enabled.

Here we go. The Morning shots were so close that I struggled to tell which was which, but the armor was a dead giveaway.

It's the same situation as before. The grass and armor offer conflicting perspectives. I like the grass more when ray tracing is off, but the armor looks better when it's on. But let's turn our attention to the weapon for a moment.

When ray tracing is off, the sword's glow is more consistent across the blade. However, when on, the base of the blade is darker and grows brighter the closer it is to the tip. Which looks better?

The ray tracing makes the weapon look duller. Overall, I prefer that ray tracing is disabled in this instance.

Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree PC vs. PS5: Three Path Cross

Ride down the road from the Scorched Ruins, past the fire golem of death, and you'll find yourself at Three Path Cross. Here's the difference between the PC and PS5's ray tracing disabled and enabled.

Once again, the Noon shots are so tight that I struggled to tell the difference. Thankfully, one of them had a message at my feet so that I could verify.

You see most of the same differences in the grass and armor areas, but there are some stark differences in the columns ahead. If you look at braziers, you'll see that the surrounding area is brighter when ray tracing is on. However, as a result, the ray tracing image loses a lot of detail and contrast in the brickwork.

It's much more evident when looking at the collection of stones near the right column. When ray tracing is off, a deep shadow is above that section, highlighting the smaller three pillars. When it's on, it's just bright and flat.

Ray tracing might be more realistic in this instance, but I prefer ray tracing disabled.

We'll use the Noon shots for this one, too, because they're incredibly close. The armor and grass differences are present, but the results when looking at the stonework were a bit different.

The contrast is still higher when ray tracing is off (as far as the stonework is concerned), but the difference isn't as stark. It's so subtle that I had a double-take. But the contrast is still highly prevalent in the stonework at the bottom right.

However, another significant difference not present on PS5 is the collection of rocks on the left. With ray tracing, they have a certain glean to them, reflecting the braziers near them. That luster isn't present when ray tracing is off, as the rocks are defined by their specifically designed lights and shadows.

This test has been the biggest difference I've seen in the environment between PCs and PS5. So, this time around, I prefer ray tracing enabled.

Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree PC vs. PS5: Which ray tracing is better?

So which is better? If you want to experience ray tracing, should you play Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree on PC or PS5? This is a loaded question.

PC is superior because you can operate at a higher frame rate (depending on your GPU) than on PS5, which hovers at 30 fps. Despite the performance aspect, I preferred ray tracing on PC more than PS5 when looking at all the images we took.

As stated above, the differences at Three Path Cross were the most obvious. But at Scorched Ruins, you could see more foliage on PC because of the graphics settings, which created more objects for light to be scattered across. Gravesite Plain is more mixed, as the armors were different.

Overall, turn off ray tracing on PS5, turn on ray tracing on PC, and if you have the choice between them, play on PC.

On Sunday, Xbox Head Phil Spencer hinted in an interview with IGN that the rumored Xbox gaming handheld console might play games locally.

While the handheld isn't officially confirmed, Spencer claims that the company "Should have a handheld, too," and went on about how Xbox's future in hardware is "Pretty awesome." Spencer goes on to say he's "Incredibly excited" for the team's work around "Different form factors and different ways to play." 

Spencer isn't explicitly confirming the existence of the Xbox handheld, but it's hard to imagine what "Different ways to play" could mean outside of that, especially considering all of the other hints he has been dropping about it. 

This includes a survey in April from Microsoft that asked questions about handheld purchases of a Lenovo Legion Go or Asus ROG Ally, alongside Spencer claiming in March that he wants his "Lenovo Legion Go to feel like an Xbox."

But when IGN "hypothetically" asked if the Microsoft handheld gaming console would have dedicated hardware like Steam Deck, or "Need a WiFi connection," Spencer lists the Asus ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go, and Steam Deck as things he likes, all of which play games locally.

This only adds fuel to the fire on what his plans might look like, as he then says "I think being able to play games locally is really important." Shortly after, the crowd attending the IGN Live event cheers loudly.

If a cheering crowd of fans isn't a clear enough signal of what gaming handheld enthusiasts want, Xbox's focus on dedicated hardware to play games on-the-go could be a winning blow against the PlayStation Portal, which can only use Remote Play to stream games from a connected PS5 onto the console itself.

Xbox's gaming handheld can crush PlayStation Portal

Sony's PlayStation Portal received mix reviews at launch, with critics like The Verge scoring it a five out of 10 and asking "why spend $200 on a dedicated piece of hardware for only this one feature?" GamesRadar and Tom's Guide gave it a three out of five stars and two out of five stars respectively.

Many criticisms are consistent, focusing on its limited features and high price for what can easily be accomplished on any phone, laptop, tablet, or other device with a WiFi connection. And if your internet is poor, you'll have latency issues.

However, not all the reviews were negative, with IGN giving it an eight out of 10 and claiming that "the PlayStation Portal is the best PlayStation 5 Remote Play solution available."

In truth, the device has a limited purpose and fulfills it for those who need it. While the end result for any gaming handheld is to play games, the conditions required for the PlayStation Portal to be useful are specific: You need a PS5 console that is turned on and a good enough internet connection to stream to the Portal.

This is where Xbox's handheld could come in and take over. Dedicated hardware will allow enthusiasts to enjoy Xbox games without needing a console. Plus, those with poor internet will be able to experience those titles without worrying about the quality dropping.

The end result will be a device that acts as an Xbox in your hands. The only downside will be that it's going to cost far more than the $199 PlayStation Portal. While that isn't confirmed, there's no world where Xbox could match that price point. 

Other gaming handhelds start far higher, with the Steam Deck ($399), Asus ROG Ally ($499), Lenovo Legion Go ($629), and MSI Claw ($699) asking for a few hundred dollars extra. The only exception is the Nintendo Switch Lite, which strips many of the Switch's iconic features for a simple handheld at $199. Considering how light the Switch's specs are, Xbox won't manage anything for this cheap.

However, Xbox must be competitive in its pricing. A dedicated Xbox handheld is at an inherent disadvantage compared to Windows gaming handhelds, as the latter has more functionality. Similar to how gaming laptops and PCs are more costly than consoles, Xbox needs to find a compelling price point to give players a reason to avoid purchasing a Windows handheld instead.

This is especially challenging since Xbox's catalog of games is already available on PC. For the company to compete in this space, it must be more affordable.

Handheld gaming is taking over

Spencer's hinting towards development of a dedicated Xbox handheld only adds more fuel to the fire on the booming popularity of gaming handhelds. Last week, Computex 2024 delivered us four new gaming handheld announcements from Asus, Adata, MSI, and ZOTAC.

Many companies are investing in the future of gaming as something that will be available in a convenient mobile device, and we cannot wait to see how the technology develops over the next few years.

More from Laptop Mag

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• Every Windows gaming handheld announced at Computex 2024
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Call of Duty fans were given reason to celebrate, and maybe a bit wary, all at once on Tuesday.

The upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will be available on Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass, its computer counterpart, from day one. It's a first for the franchise.

This news was first reported by The Wall Street Journal earlier this month, and it was officially confirmed via a post on Microsoft's Xbox Wire blog. 

According to the post, "Game Pass members will be able to jump into Call of Duty®: Black Ops 6 on day one." 

Here's what that means for you: Whether you're a Game Pass Ultimate subscriber or you only subscribe to the PC- or console-specific versions of Game Pass, you'll have access to COD: Black Ops 6 as soon as it comes out.

Microsoft on Tuesday also revealed the game's first live-action trailer called "The Truth Lies" In the trailer, multiple leaders from history — including Bill Clinton, Margaret Thatcher, George H.W. Bush, Colin Powell, and Saddam Hussein — deliver puzzling speeches over an eerie soundtrack. It's red meat for COD diehards. And even if it's not, you can guarantee it won't stop them from playing. 

For more details on the new game and a "first in-depth look at gameplay," you'll want to tune into the Xbox Games Showcase event followed directly by a Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Direct event on June 9 at 10 a.m. Pacific. You can watch live via the Xbox YouTube channel.

Until then, all that's left for COD fans is to wonder whether Microsoft will raise the price of its Xbox Game Pass service.

How much more could Microsoft make off COD on Game Pass from Day 1? How much more could you pay on Day 100?

When the WSJ first announced Microsoft's plans to bring Call of Duty to Xbox Game Pass, that was the big question: Will this make Game Pass more expensive per month?

As we've seen from other subscription-based streaming models, it's more a question of "when" rather than "if," especially considering the franchise's incredibly popular status. In addition to price increases, recurring revenue from annual subscriptions automatically renewing could mean more COD-based revenue for Microsoft.

A Call of Duty game has been the top-selling video game of the year for more than a decade. According to the gaming site IGN, the only two titles that briefly usurped a COD game during that time were Red Dead Redemption 2 in 2018 and Grand Theft Auto in 2013.

As anyone with too many subscriptions can tell you, recurring subscription revenue is rapidly expanding year over year. With online play the overwhelming way to experience COD over the long term, a subscription model makes brilliant business sense for Microsoft. Research firm Gartner projects growth of 20 percent in the software-as-a-service category in 2024, continuing a years-long trend.

The WSJ also reports that gamers need not worry that Microsoft would delay the new COD game's launch on PlayStation, PC, or even Xbox outside of Game Pass in an effort to drum up new Game Pass subscribers as possible, noting that Microsoft has pledged not to withhold the Call of Duty series. (The company hasn't said anything official about whether it'll delay the release, though.)

Launching Black Ops 6 is money-saving news for those who already pay for Game Pass or plan to pay about $10 for one month instead of $70 for an entire game. It's also good news for Microsoft, as data shows that "customers prefer and are often committed to ongoing payments, which helps reduce churn rates compared to businesses that rely on one-time transactions." 

If you plan to play the game for months (and with the game's popular multiplayer component, that's likely the case for a lot of people), the cost of Game Pass quickly adds up. With potential price hikes in the future, you might find yourself paying more than $70 in just a few short months.

In preparation for the game's release later this year, check out the best gaming laptops available now and refresh yourself by playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, a game that earned 4 out of 5 stars in our review.

If you're a Call of Duty (COD) fan and you already have Xbox Game Pass, you may love this exclusive news from The Wall Street Journal. According to the WSJ, Microsoft plans to launch the new COD game directly to Xbox Game Pass, the same successful approach it took with Starfield's launch last September.

Following the Starfield launch, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella revealed during the company's FY24 Q1 earnings call that it "set a record for the most Game Pass subscriptions added on a single day ever." With how wildly popular the COD franchise is, it's virtually guaranteed that another record will be set when the newest title debuts this fall.

The WSJ reports that Microsoft will announce this news at the annual Xbox showcase in June. Consumers will still supposedly have the option to purchase the upcoming COD game outright for PC or console, even on PlayStation, but launching such a major game franchise on a streaming service instead of only as a purchasable title paints a unique picture for the future of the gaming industry.

A 'COD' launch on Game Pass could raise prices and negatively impact creativity

First and foremost, launching the new Call of Duty game on Xbox Game Pass will result in less overall game sales. The WSJ writes that the COD franchise has "ranked No. 1 in overall franchise sales each year from 2009 through 2023," and that won't happen if it launches on Xbox Game Pass. Sure they can move the goalpost with "most downloaded" or something similar, but it's not that same top sales figure.

In his final report on Activision, TD Cowen analyst Doug Creutz (via WSJ) said, "We strongly believe that an overall shift to a subscription model for the industry would negatively impact value creation at the publishers." The team working on a game will see less overall sales flowing back into their pockets, but Microsoft will still be raking in the dough through new Xbox Game Pass subscribers. 

To a consumer, it seems like the smarter decision to pay $9.99 to $16.99 a month for a streaming service that gives them access to a plethora of games rather than pay $70 for a single COD title. However, that appeal is likely all part of Microsoft's plan.

Just like Disney Plus launched at $6.99 a month in 2019, only to raise it to $13.99 a month in 2023, Xbox Game Pass probably won't stay at its low $9.99/$16.99 price forever. The plan for many streaming services is to first get people interested, and then increase prices.

Although Microsoft hasn't said anything yet about increasing Xbox Game Pass subscription costs, it's hard to believe they wouldn't — and many people on X share that sentiment.

Even with a price increase, Xbox Game Pass will likely still be a great value for those who have a lot of games on their to-play list. But it's worth noting the cannibalization effect launching a major IP on Game Pass will have on a-la-carte sales.

The WSJ says that Microsoft has pledged to not withhold the Call of Duty series from its rivals, but that doesn't mean the company won't delay the launch of new COD games on PlayStation, PC, or even Xbox consoles outside of Game Pass.

Bobby Kotick, former CEO of Activision prior to the Microsoft acquisition, said, "I have a general aversion to the idea of multigame subscription services" during a court hearing for the FTC lawsuit filed against Microsoft to block the Activision takeover. And honestly, I'm inclined to agree. 

Of course, we won't know anything officially until Microsoft announces the news at its Xbox showcase in June. Perhaps Microsoft will surprise us and launch the new COD on Game Pass and other platforms simultaneously.

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We've all caught a little Uranium Fever from the warm after-glow of the Fallout TV show's excellent first season. With no new episodes left to sink our teeth into, we've returned to Bethesda's back catalog for our Fallout fix.

The success of Amazon's live-action Fallout TV show has brought gamers back to Bethesda's post-apocalyptic wastelands in their masses. Fallout 76 and Fallout 4 have both witnessed an enormous homecoming of sorts as players dust off Commonwealth save games or awaken from their Appalachian slumbers to reorient with Boston's stomping grounds or the evolving rural landscape of West Virginia.

To paraphrase fellow Laptop Mag writer Stevie Bonifield, do you need to play Fallout before watching the show? No! But you should. To that end, I couldn't agree more (though I do disagree with my Gen Z oppo about skipping the first two titles).

However, while I have any of this franchise's games to choose from, I've recently found myself wandering the wastes of a Fallout game many of you will never have heard of. An MMO that brings you to classic locales that will be very familiar to fans of the original pre-Bethesda Fallout titles, like Junktown, Vault City, San Francisco, and even Shady Sands (before it was reduced to a giant crater).

FOnline: The Fallout MMO you never knew you needed

If you know your stuff when it comes to Fallout, then my mention of a true MMO will likely have led you to think of Project V13, or Fallout Online—a now long-abandoned effort by Masthead Studios and Interplay to create a true MMORPG within the Fallout universe.

However, Bethesda made sure that Interplay's Fallout Online dreams were crushed into a fine powder on its way to completely ransacking the license from its original owners in 2012.

Unofficially, the Fallout Online dream is very much alive, though not exactly thriving. Tucked away within the couch cushions of the internet (and far from Bethesda's prying eyes) is the FOnline Engine—a fan-made recreation of the original Fallout game engine designed to be used as a backbone for cross-platform MMORPGs.

The engine began development in 2004 by a team led by Anton “Cvet” Cvetinsky and remains under development to this day with several key releases already under their belts, and an engine overhaul well on its way.

Wildly, the engine already powers several fan-made Fallout MMOs. Some return to the original two titles' versions of New California, and some take vault dwellers and wastelanders to all-new locations. Better still, they're all free to play. Even the engine is free for people to make their own Fallout or non-Fallout games.

To many, myself included, free-to-play and fan-made generally mean "low quality," but I won't lie, some of what's on offer is very impressive — and if you want to experience the original Fallout universe in a whole new light then this is a great way to do so.

(New) California dreamin'

There are several titles that let you explore New California, but after a series of coin tosses I settled on FOnline2, an MMO set four years before the events of Black Isle Studios' Fallout 2.

I eagerly dove in and got to work registering my character, all while reveling in the nostalgia of Interplay's early Fallout titles revived in front of me. I planned out my character—an eagle-eyed pistoleer who's as quick on the dodge as he is on the draw. Perfect. Now to christen my character with my go-to namesake, Jimbo Wilikins.

Don't laugh, that's been my fantasy name of choice for years now. If you see a Jimbo Wilikins in any game, that's probably me! Unless they're doing something weird, then it's probably one of you rotters committing digital identify theft and sullying poor Jimbo's good name.

Before you know it, Jimbo was awakening in a strange man's tent with no memory of how he got there. I had to pause for a moment to shake off a sudden spring of panic accompanying the sensation of long-repressed memories resurfacing before reaching once more for the mouse and keyboard once more.

I pan the mouse around the screen to adjust to some of Fallout's controls, peering around the wasteland. "You see: Trash," "You see: Scrub" reads my Pip-Boy. Ah, to be home again.

This wasteland stranger is Kenny, and he has the misfortune of acting as my guide to the game—taking time out of his busy day of counting tumbleweeds and baking in the desert sun like an old leather couch to teach me how to forage and craft.

Before you know it, I'm a regular wasteland lumberjack, crafting axes out of flint and sticks and hacking away at anything that even remotely looks like a tree. Oh, and Kenny's pet dog. To thank Kenny for his kindness, I agree to venture into a nearby cave and return with the cut-short lives of a family of Radscorpions staining my soul.

Surprisingly, even though I'm only equipped with a pickax, everything goes pretty well. So well, in fact, that my confidence got the best of me after scavenging a leather jacket off of the body of the largest Radscorpion (It suited me better, anyway).

I remembered Fallout being a far more difficult game, I have to say. I collected my reward from Kenny on the way out, and chose to abandon him and his stupid dog. I'm a wastelander now, nothing can stop me.

Then, after taking ten steps across the New California desert, I had my first random encounter—and instantly died, losing everything in the process.

Let's take that from the top

Knowing I'd royally screwed up, I decided a re-roll was in order. Thankfully, this wasn't my first rodeo, and I had an ace up my sleeve. Meet Bobby Wilikins, Jimbo's older and less impulsive brother.

Now practically a veteran of this title, I speed-ran the starting area. Panic attack, repress those memories, sticks and stones, chop some trees, attack Kenny's dog, bludgeon some Radscorpions, take the last few possessions of a man living in a tent in the wilderness, and I'm once again ready to step out into the wastes.

This time, the RNG gods smiled favorably upon me, letting Bobby Wilikins march his way over to one of Fallout's iconic locations, The Hub—a major New Californian trading post.

It was here I stumbled across my first actual player, someone who seemed eager to interact with me. Given the fact they were wearing much better armor than my poor man's Mad Max cosplay and clutching a shotgun, I thought it would be rude (and fatal) to ignore them.

Thankfully, whoever МольКа was, they seemed friendly, they even offered me a gun and a sense of direction. However, before I could return to Kenny's dog and really up the ante this time, МольКа insisted that we go escort a local caravan for some quick caps.

Now armed to the teeth and with a formidable ally as backup, me and МольКа signed ourselves up to keep some lowly caravanners safe on the road to Shady Sands. It didn't take long for an ambush to strike, and we were thrown into a gun-slinging showdown with a group of raiders.

It was around this time that I realized I hadn't remembered how to load my gun with all those bullets МольКа had given me. So I spent much of the ensuing battle flailing and panicking. After being caught by a stray bullet, I turned yellow and high-tailed it back to the hub. He who fights and runs away doesn't have to re-roll his character and expand Jimbo's family tree, after all.

Winning friends and irradiating people

It wasn't long before МольКа found me sheepishly loitering in the hub. "In my defense, I never claimed to be good at this game" I informed them. Clearly sensing my untapped potential, or maybe just feeling sorry for me, МольКа decided to give me a second chance at playing guard for the local merchants.

We would eventually make it to Shady Sands, I'd even manage to shoot a few people along the way. It's on this journey with МольКа that we met other players too, one even offering me a robe, "Thanks, my mother always said I'd grow up to be a druid. Weird family." I'm going to blame the lack of laughter on the language barrier there, because just about everybody in FOnline2 seems to be Russian.

МольКа and their friends then spent a considerable amount of time raising funds and tracking down something from the ramshackle traders in the hub. A leaflet. One that would allow me to claim a base of my own and put down roots in New California.

It should have been a heartwarming gesture, but honestly, after having draped myself in combat armor and looting a gun with the bullets already on the inside, I was mildly preoccupied thinking about the look on Kenny's face as I went full-auto on man's best friend.

After МольКа and company did their thing, I was handed a leaflet and accompanied out to the wilds to put down the foundations of my desert abode. And then I accidentally dropped it. And it was gone.

"You see: Trash," "You see: Scrub," I eventually took the cursor off of poor Bobby Wilikins and used it to awkwardly scan the environment around me instead, but little changed.

It was probably around this time that whoever МольКа was, they decided Bobby Wilikins was somewhat of a lost cause. Thankfully, the faces I'd encountered in our journeys took me in and let me use their base as a rest stop. They also gave me free access to a ton of goodies.

It was a little like cheating, a considerable leg-up on the game's challenging open world. But Bobby Wilikins wasn't going to complain, Bobby Wilikins was lucky if he could get bullets into his gun. He needed all the help he could get. And Bobby Wilikins needed all the friends he could get, too. Something that the wastelands of FOnline2 seemed to have in no short supply.

Wasting time in the wastelands

The world of Fallout is barren and lifeless, save a few small pockets of humanity left over, congregating in the ruins of old and clinging to the remnants of civilization. My time in the game had seen me bump into only a handful of human players. In fact, seeing another player was almost an event in and of itself.

Yet somehow I was now shepherded into a group of these human-controlled survivors. Welcomed to the pack, even though I had nothing to my name except a trail of failures and the stubbornness to not Google the answer of how to keep my guns loaded.

Gathered around a campfire, I said goodbye to my new acquaintances. I was now locked and loaded, finally ready to bring my adventure full circle. Buckle up, Kenny. The wasteland is about to get a whole lot lonelier for you, friendo.

With one last adios, Bobby doths his combat helmet to these New Californian cohorts of his and steps out into the open world once more. Ten steps later, Bobby Wilikins was dead.

Outlook

Having lost everything all over again, I laughed and retired for the evening. I'd had a blast making an idiot of myself across the New Californian wastes, and I'd met some interesting folk along the way.

Even with their low player counts, many of these fan-made MMOs have dedicated communities, some welcoming and some not so much. While FOnline2 was just one of the games I tested, it was one of the more fun and social experiences I came across.

If you're interested in diving into some of these hidden Fallout worlds yourself, then here are a few more established options to pick from:

• FOnline2
• FOnline 3
• FOnline: Reloaded
• FOnline: Ashes of Phoenix 

Don't let the late-90s sprite-based graphics dissuade you, the original duo of Fallout games are some of the best RPGs of all time for their mechanics, not visuals. While these fan-made titles have some way to go to measure up to that, each has its own quirks and community that make things interesting.

Who knows, maybe I'll see some of you out there sometime. Just look for the name Wilikins—and if there's two, I'll be the one pointing an empty gun at Kenny's dog.

More from Laptop Mag

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WWE 2K24 enhances everything we love about its predecessor and upgrades it with new fan-requested features and interactive gameplay. 

Visual Concepts and 2K’s latest WWE 2K24 pro wrestling game gives the WWE Universe a historic look at the grandest stage of them all and a chance to mold their own destiny. WWE 2K24 is available in three editions, Standard, Deluxe, and Forty Years of Wrestlemania. All of which feature amazing cover art. WWE Superstar Cody Rhodes is on the standard version, whereas WWE Superstars Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley represent the dynamic women’s division on the Deluxe Edition. Bianca Belair makes history as the first black woman to be featured on the cover of a WWE 2K game. This is also the first WWE 2K game to feature two women on the cover. On the cover of WWE 2K24 Forty Years of WrestleMania is a collage of past and present WWE Superstars and Legends.

After watching the trailer and seeing a first look at the new match types, I was thrilled to dive into WWE 2K24. I played the game on an HP Pavilion Gaming PC. My computer has an AMD Ryzen 5 5600G 6-core CPU, 16GB of RAM, Radeon RX 5500 GPU with 4GB of dedicated memory. 2K’s recommended system requirements are an Intel i7-4790 / AMD Ryzen 5 3600 CPU, 16GB of RAM, and GeForce RTX 2060 / Radeon RX 570 graphics. I ran into glitches where the game would run in slow motion at times. To fix this, I updated my AMD graphics card drivers then uninstalled and reinstalled Steam. I also turned off V-Sync in the game's graphics settings and adjusted my monitor's refresh rate to 120Hz. 

WWE 2K24 features the biggest roster yet, with more than 200+ WWE Legends and Superstars — many of which have alternate attire. New to the game’s franchise are “Ravishing” Rick Rude, Ken Shamrock, George “The Animal'' Steele and others. Five optional DLC packs are expected later this year, beginning in May. Some of the playable characters I’m looking forward to are CM Punk, Pat McAfee, Jade Cargill, Nia Jax, Dragon Lee, Iron Sheik, and Great Muta. 

2K Showcase: Iconic Wrestlemania moments

This year’s Showcase revisits the most profound moments in Wrestlemania’s year history and features 21 iconic matches. This is the most nostalgic Showcase by far since I got to replay matches I watched on TV as a kid in the late 80s. For my review, I played five showcase matches, two of which starred one of my all-time favorite wrestlers, the late, great Macho Man Randy Savage. I like how this year’s 2K Showcase dives into the history of the matches with fun facts like title reign lengths and recaps of storylines which led to that particular Wrestlemania clash. Thankfully, you don’t have to complete a long list of objectives to advance to the next match on the timeline. It’s up to you when and if you want to challenge yourself and unlock more rewards. Whether you’re new to the game or played before, once you get confident with the game controls, it’s easier to complete the objectives. 

MyRise: Finish your story

MyRise is WWE 2K24’s story mode and it offers two gameplay options — The Men’s Undisputed and Womens’ Unleashed. It features expanded rewards, 80 unlockables that carry-over into MyGM and MyFaction game modes. WWE 2K24 MyRise is particularly interesting this year as it’s parallel to the storyline that’s currently playing out in the Road to Wrestlemania’s Roman Reigns’ Bloodline storyline. It poses the same questions: Will Roman keep his title or not? Will Cody Rhodes Finish the Story? This year I’m playing as The Dark Horse, a rising Superstar who has to prove that he’s worthy of holding the WWE Championship title and belongs on the grandest stage of them all. MyRise lets you step into what pro wrestling calls, the “kayfabe” personas, and what it’s like to live as a WWE Superstar in those personas. As you navigate through the game and create your own story, you’ll gain rewards, unlock new entrances and take into any other character across the game.

Graphics

WWE 2K24’s graphics are on par with the hyper-realistic character likenesses we’ve come to expect from the franchise. The facial features, mannerisms, signature moves, and ring gear of WWE Legends and Superstars are spot on. Environments are colorful and well lit, faces in the crowd are sharper and I love that most of the attendees now wear the same t-shirts found in the WWE Shop. My only gripe is that backstage interviewer Kayla Braxton doesn’t look as true-to-life as other game characters. 

Gameplay

Although buttons and controls are similar to last year’s release, WWE 2K24 has some fresh new button-mashing combos, signature finishers, and match types. You can also have your character dive from the top rope to knock down multiple players at once. Visual Concepts and 2K listened to the fans and added the Special Guest Referee Match which was the most requested, the Ambulance Match, Casket Match, and Gauntlet Match. I got every bit of my WWE-loving life playing my Wrestlemania 40 dream match — Bianca Belair vs. Rhea Ripley with The Rock as the guest referee. Just like on TV, the referee may have some bias toward one wrestler and either slow count or not call out dirty moves or cheating. I especially like the Ambulance and Casket Matches in which the only way to win is to toss them into the ambulance or casket and close the door as they try to stop you. This feat of strength requires you to mash several buttons in succession at the right time which seems nearly impossible. I tried and failed many times and wish it were more like the game’s submission move which only prompts you to tap two buttons. On PC, it’s the A and Buttons on the Xbox Controller.

Choose your weapon

Another welcome addition I was hoping for, you can now throw weapons at your opponent. The gallery now includes a microphone, a giant Slim Jim, and Zelina’s Vega’s signature Chancla! I tested the new weapon throw in a Casket Match, playing as Roman Reigns against Rey Mysterio. During the match, I tossed a baseball bat at his head from afar while he was outside of the ring. Backstage Brawl also has interactive elements like a soda machine with cans you can throw. This match type now supports up to 4 players whereas Royal Rumble now accommodates eight players in 30 superstar online matches

Universe Mode & My Faction Upgrades

If you’re curious about the behind-the-scenes and creative side of sports entertainment, you can become a general manager in WWE 2K24’s Universe Mode. It’s now enhanced with new general managers like WWE Hall of Famer Teddy Long, brands like NXT 2.0 and ECW, match types, talent scouts, and Superstar trading between brands. There’s also contract management, new promos, tag team callouts, and more. 

MyFACTION is 2K Games' WWE SuperCard mobile card game for PC and console. There’s now a new direct purchase card market and Persona Cards for alternate attire that can be used across MyFaction and the rest of the WWE 2K24. Plus, you get an updated multiplayer experience, more real-world factions, more 4v4 match types, and rogue-lite elements: persistent damage, armor, and a Faction Wars-specific reward shop.

Bottom line

Much like pro wrestling, WWE 2K24 is not for the weak at heart and tests your perseverance. It’s a great job of paying homage to WWE history from WWE Legends to future Hall of Famers to the WWE Performance Center rookie class. 

If you’re a fan of the franchise or like button-mashing fighting games with multiplayer support, WWE 2K24 doesn’t disappoint.

A month on from release, Helldivers 2 continues to impress with its evolving galactic war. This week, players can expect to get their hands on the game's first post-launch content drop, the "Cutting Edge" warbond — featuring new weapons, armor, and capes.

In the meantime, the Terminid and Automaton threat continues to press at Super Earth's defenses, and players are putting their newly acquired EXO-45 Patriot Exosuits to work as they seek to activate the Terminid Control Systems (TCS) on various planets throughout the galaxy to halt the spread of the arthropod aliens.

But before the major order to activate the TCS ever made its way to the front-lines of Helldivers 2, I've been making use of another piece of technology in my efforts to spread Managed Democracy throughout the galaxy, and it's turned this humble 'Diver into a true Stratagem Hero.

Introducing, the CH-3353 Stratagem Macro Repeater — or, as you might already know it, the Elgato Stream Deck MK.2.

Better managed, managed democracy

That's right, Elgato's broadcast buddy has far more uses than firing off transitions and sound clips in OBS for your next Twitch stream.

While it might make for a fantastic desk accessory when it comes to fulfilling your big-Twitch-money ambitions, the Stream Deck, as it turns out, is also pretty darn handy at turning your 'Diver into a walking force of democratic justice, with the power to summon stratagems so fast it could make your eyes melt. Even through that rather fetching FS-11 Executioner helmet.

It's secret? The ability to hotbar up to 15 different macros at once across its LCD switches, granting you the kind of stratagem summoning speed that would make you the stuff of comic book legends back on Super Earth and turning you into one of the quickest draws in the galaxy when it comes to delivering swift payloads of mayhem across the game's many war fronts.

The Stream Deck's buttons can be programmed to replicate the keystrokes needed to call in any stratagem in the game, reducing your mid-battle Dance Dance Revolution routines to a single stab at its brightly-lit keys.

Is this cheating?

Not at all! Steam actively supports macro use within its own hardware, as it not only helps players to rapidly accomplish routine tasks, but it also serves as a fantastic accessibility option for differently-abled gamers too. The Helldivers developers don't seem to mind, either, as plenty of players are making use of similar methods without issue to call in weapons, equipment, and Super Ship support.

Personally, I think this kind of macro use is ideal if you're making use of a controller, especially if it's one with a similar layout to the PS5's DualSense, which doesn't make it easy to adjust your hand positioning to input stratagem combos while still dodging your way through streams of alien bile or laser fire.

However, whether or not it flies in the face of the spirit of the Helldivers experience is another thing entirely. Is this the most ideal way of playing the game? Maybe not. A good portion of the game's drama can spin out from failing its stratagem combos in stressful moments, which could see you cutting yourself off from a wide range of emergent gameplay moments.

That being said, how you want to enjoy the game is up to you, and as long as you're not actively impeding another Helldiver's explosive spreading of democracy, then more power to you. As a PvE title, nobody gets hurt by the use of macro shortcuts, well, except for the bugs and those commie robots, anyway.

I don't own a Stream Deck, can I still use macros?

No Stream Deck? No problem! You may own other pieces of hardware that allow you to record macros onto them, including your gaming mouse or keyboard. Due to the simple input nature of stratagems, you can also make use of free to use software like AutoHotkey and assign any number of macros to spare keys or single combo presses while in-game.

The trick to setting things up is to switch your Helldivers 2 mappings to allow the stratagem list to be opened with a tap instead of a hold, and then setting the directional prompts to your keyboard's arrow keys.

This will give you a much easier way of priming the game to receive a rapid string of inputs from a recorded macro, all without impeding your 'Diver's movement along the way.

So if your stratagem game needs a little uplifting, or you're struggling for support of your favorite controller, feel free to get a helping hand on your pathway to galactic (managed) democracy with a few macro crutches along the way.

Remember 'Divers, "Work smarter, dive harder."

More from Laptop Mag

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• Helldivers 2: Here's what's inside the new Cutting Edge 'warbond' battle pass

Helldivers 2 has been an incredible success since its launch a month ago, and the game is gearing up for its first official content drop. Launching on May 14, Helldivers will be treated to an all-new warbond (the Helldivers equivalent of a battle pass) titled "Cutting Edge."

As the name might imply, this warbond will be treating 'Divers to the latest cutting-edge tech in the ever-evolving galactic war currently playing out between Super Earth's finest and the Terminid and Automaton threat. Once players get their hands on the battle pass, they'll be able to trade in their hard-earned medals for new armors sets, primary weapons, side arms, grenades, and yes, of course, capes.

From what we've seen so far, this focuses on energy-based weaponry with a trio of armors all of which are likely to aid in the fight against one of Super Earth's toughest enemy factions. You can check out the trailer below, or read on for an overview of what to expect.

Helldivers 2 Cutting Edge warbond: What to expect

The Cutting Edge warbond seeks to outfit divers with the latest weaponry and armor available to Super Earth's elite Helldivers, featuring energy-based weaponry to help pin back the ever-present foes of (managed) democracy throughout the galaxy.

While these weapons will do their fair share of damage to the Terminid horde, they'll no doubt come in even handier against the game's mechanical menaces, the Automatons.

This is exactly the kind of arsenal that 'Divers have been longing for after struggling to tackle the Automaton armies across the eastern flank of the galactic map. "Robot Vietnam" was no joke, and these armored assassins have had more than their fair share of victories over the combined forces of Super Earth since the game launched in February.

Let's take a look at some of the key additions we can expect from the first post-launch content drop for "Helldivers 2."

• EX Series Prototype Armors: This trio of armors don't just sport a cool futuristic look, but some may even include vital status effects. One armor includes a "rubber underlayer for insulation" which may help defend 'Divers whose squadmates get a little carried away with the ARC-3 Arc Thrower's electric bolts. Another generates a "strong magnetic field" which could be ideal for deflecting grenades or ballistic fire.
   
• LAS-16 Sickle: A burst-fire laser rifle that doesn't consume traditional ammo, but can overheat if the handler isn't careful about managing their shots.
   
• SG-8P Punisher Plasma: The game's first plasma weapon is a shotgun that could potentially rival the all-powerful SG-225 Breaker favored by the community and seen as the current "meta."
   
• ARC-12 Blitzer: A primary weapon that delivers lightning bolts similar to the ARC-3 Arc Thrower, but limited in range and likely touting less damage than its support weapon Strategem sibling.
   
• LAS-7 Dagger: An energy-based sidearm that fires a continuous laser to damage enemies over time. Like other energy weapons, the Dagger is likely to sidestep the need for ammunition, giving players a strong backup weapon to rely on in the event of their primary weapon running dry.
   
• G23 Stun: A new grenade to stun groups of close-knit enemies, giving 'Divers a brief window of opportunity to call in Strategems, revive team mates, or make a tactical retreat in order to regroup.

Other news from the frontlines of Helldivers 2's galactic war

At present, 'Divers have just liberated the planet of Tien Kwan, unlocking one of the game's first pilotable vehicles, the EXO-45 Patriot Exosuit (an evolution of the EXO-44 Walker Exosuit of the original "Helldivers" title). However, in order for 'Divers to call this incredibly powerful mech into battle, they'll need to be at least level 25.

With the majority of Super Earth's mightiest still on the path to higher levels, this leaves many 'Divers in dire need of other ways to level the playing field when it comes to the Automaton onslaught. The contents of the Cutting Edge warbond might be just that.

More from Laptop Mag

• Helldivers 2 review: The most fun galactic war (Would you like to know more?)
• There's only one game better than Helldivers 2 (for now)
• Helldivers 2 is Steam's top-selling game and it's $10 off right now

Talk of the town, "Helldivers 2" might be capturing hearts and minds on the battlefield of alien worlds, but regardless of its widespread appeal, it's not the best game around. , it's not even the best Helldivers game... For now, anyway.

One of the best aspects of "Helldivers 2" is its madcap chaotic fun, and to that end the game is well worth all of its praise. However, if you want the most chaotic coop experience, then you owe it to yourself to look at the game that came before it: the original "Helldivers."

If for no other reason than to catch a glimpse of what's to come in the near future of Arrowhead Game Studio's recent breakout hit.

• Update: 'Divers have now liberated the planet of Tien Kwan, unlocking the EXO-45 Patriot Exosuit for all! For a limited time, all 'Divers can call in this powerful mech within missions (it doesn't even take up a Stratagem slot). Though you'll need to be level 25 to call it in, in the future. For more Helldivers news, check out a preview of the game's first post-release warbond "Cutting Edge."

To Helldivers and back

The success of "Helldivers 2" took many by surprise. Not least the developers of the game itself who were caught completely off-guard by the staggeringly large amount of players seeking to dive into its galactic war from day one.

However, as I mentioned in our "Helldivers 2" review, the popularity of the game is no shock to franchise veterans. The real surprise is how the original title didn't attract the same audience.

Especially when you realize that, perspective aside, the two have so much in common, that "Helldivers 2" feels more like a next-gen remake of the 2015 twin-stick coop cult classic as opposed to a true sequel—and I'm not complaining.

The original "Helldivers" was one of my favorite games to play on PS4, and it was a game that got progressively more fun with each update and downloadable support pack that was released.

And, in my opinion, will remain the better of the duology because of it. But I doubt that'll be the case for long, and I can't wait for Arrowhead Game Studios to unleash the full chaos of the original game onto its player base.

Guns, gear, and Gundams!

If you thought surviving the onslaught of Automaton and Terminid hordes was as chaotic as things get in the Helldivers universe, then think again. If the original game is anything to go by then Arrowhead Game Studios have plenty of gasoline to throw onto the fire when it comes to frantic coop gameplay.

While "Helldivers 2" already contains a decent arsenal of weapons and Stratagems to pick from, the original took things to an all-new level with some of its additions. Most notable of which are the array of vehicles your Helldiver could request for faster traversal and maximum carnage.

From surprisingly agile (for their size) armored mechs to slow and lumbering traversal of tanks that turn the tide of battle, "Helldivers" had several vehicular options available for 'Divers to even the odds in their favor. Something that anybody who might have ventured into Automaton space at higher difficulties will no doubt feel the need for right now.

Thankfully, these additions are confirmed to be on the way, with the game teasing the inclusion of taking tires and treads to Termanid thoraxes from launch by clearly labeling one of the doors in the background of your Super Ship bridge with the words "Vehicle Bay."

It was later confirmed that the EXO-45 Patriot mech suit, an advancement over the EXO-44 Walker of the first game would be arriving soon, and a host of mechs and light armor buggies have been spawning into player sessions recently, too — likely as a result of unofficial God Emperor of Super Earth's war machine "Joel," a single Arrowhead Game Studios employee who serves as an omnipresent "Dungeon Master" for the dynamic galactic war in play.

Also missing from the original are a much broader range of weapons and support items, from the awesome "Commado" rocket launcher to the AD-289 Angel that let players take on more of a healing role within groups.

"Helldivers 2" has a much stronger focus on direct coop with several weapons requiring two 'Divers to operate to their fullest, so seeing players able to tune their loadouts to suit a specific role on the battlefield like healer could take things to a whole new level in future.

An empty seat at the table

Maybe the final missing piece to the "Helldivers 2" puzzle is the absence of the first game's third enemy faction: the Illuminates. In the original title, the galactic war was spread across three fronts: the "Starship Trooper"-like Termanid invasion; the traitorous onslaught of the Cyborgs, who are now the Terminator-esque Automatons; and the Protoss-like Illuminate, an advanced race to the south of the galactic map that offer some of the most challenging encounters in the game.

There are already several clues to the Illuminate eventually appearing in the game, along with data-mined information revealing references to them in the current build. We could be in for a treat when Arrowhead Game Studios eventually unleash our toughest foes yet onto the galactic scene. If you think the Automaton threat is the hardest front to fight on, you ain't seen nothing yet.

Outlook

"Helldivers" was a fantastic game. It still is. I recently hopped online to see how it holds up, and I can safely say that it does so alarmingly well. Not only is the chaotic coop gameplay still one of the most fun drop-in-drop-out gaming experiences I've had the pleasure to enjoy, but it's like looking into a near-future build of "Helldivers 2" that gets me all the more hyped about 2024's smash-hit success story.

I'm having a blast with "Helldivers 2," and I couldn't recommend it more to veterans or newcomers alike. However, while I share the sentiment of many about it being a genuine GOTY contender and one of the coop games of recent memory, "Helldivers 2" isn't even the best Helldivers game. Not yet, anyway.

More from Laptop Mag

• Helldivers 2 review: The most fun galactic war (Would you like to know more?)
• Helldivers 2: How to kill chargers
• Helldivers 2 is Steam's top-selling game and it's $10 off right now

These last few weeks I’ve been knee-deep in Terminid entrails in my very own bid to spread managed democracy to the furthest reaches of the galaxy. What have you been doing with your life, citizen?

The release of “Helldivers 2” might have resulted in a shock success to some. However, as a veteran of the series, I can tell you that I’m not at all surprised to see Arrowhead Games Studios’ democracy simulator enthrall the masses with its excessive gun-toting, starship-trooping, and low-orbit-nuking gameplay.

This satirical slice of spacefaring American exceptionalism is no one-note joke, however. Underneath its irreverence is one of the most chaotically fun co-op games released in years, paired with a live service experience that isn’t designed to nickel and dime you for cosmetics and pay-to-win assets, but instead to keep you invested in an unfolding galactic war exploding in conflict from both (and potentially more in future) flanks.

I’ve been doing my part for Super Earth. Would you like to know more? 

Gameplay

“Helldivers 2” is a squad-based, four-player co-op PvE shoot ‘em up that sees you playing a small but vital role in the ever-churning meat grinder that is the galactic war against Super Earth’s alien enemies. It’s a “Starship Troopers” game in all but name, and while that franchise has its own titles, the Helldivers developers seem to ‘get’ Paul Veerhoeven’s cult classic movie (and to some extent the novel that inspired it) in a way few others have been able to showcase.

Helldivers takes an over-the-top, in-your-face, action blockbuster approach to its world, gameplay, and atmosphere resulting in a highly engaging game that can eat away at hours of your evening in what feels like the blink of an eye.

The typical gameplay loop resembles hanging out in your Super Ship, with other liberty-minded Super Citizens as you unlock and outfit yourselves with a super arsenal of weaponry before customizing your Helldiver to look super-cool, and climbing into a super-sized bullet and being fired into the surface of a nearby occupied planet at super-sonic speeds to dish out ever-increasing levels of excessive and wanton destruction.

The biggest change-up in gameplay with “Helldivers 2” is the shift in perspective. No, Super Earth hasn’t decided to give Super Communism a try, but the game has made the leap from isometric twin-stick shooter to full-on third-person blast 'em-up.

Coming off of the back of the original “Helldivers,” this wasn’t something I was entirely sold on from the trailers, as I loved the thrill of roleplaying as an elite, yet expendable, short-sighted Terminid exterminator of intergalactic freedom.

In the original game, your vision cone was so shallow that I was amazed by how the competent and legitimate stratocratic government of Super Earth ever allowed my little avatar of liberty to climb into the cockpit of a Mk3 TD-110 Bastion mobile tank destroyer, let alone proceed to use it to indiscriminately pulverize anything and everything heading my way — friend and foe alike.

But my Helldiver’s myopia only added to the excitement, as it was incredibly easy to become swarmed from all directions by foes of the federation, leading to all kinds of bug-and-bot hijinx and the type of emergent gameplay that EA would attempt to market and monetize as a “Battlefield Moment.”

Thankfully, having now played “Helldivers 2” my fears have been put to rest. Yes, you can see the Terminid and Automaton scourge from much further away now, and yes, once you’ve hell-dove your way down to the surface of a planet you can plan your movements to avoid conflict.

But as I quickly realized, taking two steps in the opposite direction of a Terminid swarm after spotting them from a ridge in my first mission, why on Super Earth would you want to? There’s a word for that, citizen: Cowardice.

“Helldivers 2” isn’t a tactical shooter where stealth is rewarded, it’s a four-player co-op blitz on the senses that wants you to spread as much democracy via the business end of the glowing white hot barrel of an AR-23 Liberator as humanly possible.

Absolute carnage is seemingly the true name of the game, as you’ll be intermixing your run-and-gun-gameplay with brief interludes of “Dance Dance Revolution” as you quickly input button prompts to register support requests from your Super Ship by way of Stratagems — summonable equipment including player revives, weapons, supplies, turrets, drones, mines, or everybody’s favorite: laughably high-powered orbital ordinance designed to raze the ground where you throw your targeting beacon, and just about everything stood on top of it.

There’s something deeply satisfying about dropping enough explosives to level a small village onto a five-story tall bug, something that’s honestly hard to put into words. The same can be said about the reaction you’ll have when realizing you should’ve been standing at least 50 meters further back from that explosion, as your Helldiving existence flashes before your eyes while you’re Fus Roh Dah’d halfway across the map.

Luckily, death isn’t the end for your Helldiver. Kick the bucket on a mission and your squad mates can use a Stratagem to call you back into the fight, summoning you from your Super Ship, raining onto the battlefield in your bullet-shaped “Hell” pod — shaped as such for more than simple aerodynamics as you can pilot your pod straight through enemies below, pulverizing them before you even spawn back into the action.

The mission isn’t ever truly over until every last bug or bot has been eradicated from the randomly generated sandbox areas found at the end of each orbital drop. Well, for me, anyway. For most, exploring for resources and completing the various objectives and side-missions you’re dished out is enough, with each mission ending in a tense fight for survival as you wait for pickup — though, you’ll be handsomely rewarded for your efforts with XP, Requisition Slips, Medals, Samples, and Super Credits.

XP levels up your Helldiver’s rank, with more powerful support Stratagems available the more said rank increases; Requisition Slips are used to unlock Stratagems, making them available to take with you on missions; Medals unlock content from the game’s battle passes (known as War Bonds) and are rewarded to Helldivers at the end of missions with the amount determined by mission difficulty; Samples are easily found in most missions and can be used to upgrade your Super Ship between missions; and Super Credits are a premium currency used to buy cosmetics and weapons from the game's store.

Live service games have a bit of a bad rap due to some bad actors, and their fondness for stretching out thin strands of content to their monetarily profitable maximum while raking you over the coals for every last red cent you own. Helldivers is a live service game, too. Though, it’s a live service game done right.

It makes sense for this game to routinely be updated, drip-fed content, and include additional progression pathways like battle passes. The liberation of a planet can take days to complete with thousands of ‘Divers all zipping down to the surface to work towards a collective goal. It’s only reasonable to assume that over time the galaxy adjusts to compensate for this mass effort, countering the player base’s moves with new scenarios, mission types, and threats.

Where “Helldivers 2” differs from other live service games, is that everything here can be earned or found in missions, including the premium Super Credits currency. Resulting in a game where a character's rank likely dictates their overall potential for absolute carnage, all of it well-earned through numerous incursions. You can purchase premium currency, and therefore give yourself a leg-up on certain battle passes, but you’ll earn your fair share of that currency through gameplay alone, resulting in a title that feels far more play-to-win, than pay-to-win.

Story

“Helldivers 2” takes place a century after the victory over the Terminid, Cyborg, and Illuminate factions of the original game. Since then Super Earth has enjoyed an era of peace, prosperity, and galactic colonization. But galactic democratization takes a lot of resources, and Super Earth has become reliant on the E-710 energy source produced by decomposing Terminid bodies. So, naturally, they’ve resorted to farming the bugs on an industrial scale.

Showing their opposition to liberty, the Terminids have since overthrown their hard-working, oil farmers and begun spreading throughout the east of the known galaxy. While Super Earth’s Armed Forces are busy holding the bug plague back, a strange new threat moves in from the west — the Automatons, an eerie Cyborg-like faction threatening the safety of our democracy.

That’s where you come in, citizen. The Helldivers have been mobilized once more, and it’s your turn to do your part by saving Super Earth colonies and securing her way of life. Your story starts with a simple training course, where you’re indoctrinated introduced to the core gameplay mechanics of traversal, combat, calling in Stratagems, and dealing with the Terminid threat.

This is your initiation into becoming a Helldiver, at the end of which you’re graced with the crowning jewel of any self-respecting, spacefaring, savior of Super Earth, your Helldiving cape: An iconic status symbol depicting you as a true citizen to the federation, a sign that you’re doing your part, and a symbol of your heroism.

Only heroes wear capes, after all. Everyone knows that. Magneto, Dr. Doom, M. Bison… Hmm.. Only heroes wear capes and fly around the galaxy in their Super Ship bombarding alien planets from above with incredibly high-powered weaponry. Everyone knows that. Just like… Darth Vader…

Hans, are we the baddies?

The real story is the carnage you leave in your wake, the hero of democracy you’re willing to risk your life to be, and the moments of sheer brilliance to be found in the wider cooperative experiences as thousands of players work together to liberate planets and push the evolving story forwards. Yes, I said it, maybe the real magic was the Helldivers we team-killed with nukes along the way.

As a live service game, the Helldivers universe promises to bring more to the table over time, including new global events; new biomes, and planets to fight through; new Stratagems featuring powerful weapons and equipment to help tackle evolving threats; and maybe most importantly, the chance to witness how this galactic war unfolds.

Players mainly witness the progress of the war through live-tracked liberation of planets on the galactic map, each mission victory results in a small increase in the percentage of a location being liberated, with 100% liberation allowing players to move forward, pushing further into the enemy territory where the entire process kick starts on new worlds, with new threats, and new tasks.

With the Automatons to the east, and the Terminids to the west, the galactic map has plenty of room for further threats to emerge, with the Illuminates of the first game still mysteriously absent from the current conflict. While they could spring from the south, the north of the galaxy remains eerily quiet and could host an all-new faction for Helldivers to concern themselves with.

Most interestingly, hovering over Super Earth reveals a “Liberated” percentage also, potentially indicating that Helldivers may at some point in the galactic war have to defend their homeworld.

Where any of this goes, nobody but Arrowhead Games Studios knows, but all of the ingredients are there for a pretty compelling skirmish that keeps the game fresh and exciting for some time.

Performance & requirements

Running on an MSI Stealth 17 Studio A13V laptop with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile GPU, 16GB of RAM, and an Intel Core i7 13700H CPU, Helldivers 2 was a treat across multiple graphics configurations and easily met the title’s minimum specs. 

If you want peak graphical fidelity, my system managed to squeeze out between 30 and 40 frames per second on Ultra settings, 50 to 70 frames per second on high, 80 to 100 frames per second on medium, and 110-120 frames per second on low.

Bear in mind, that these results are from using the default optimization levels while running at 1440p, fine-tweaking preset values and dropping the resolution to 1080p can result in some impressive performance boosts across the board.

The only good bug is a dead bug. Thankfully, the majority of my time with “Helldivers 2” was relatively and ironically bug-free, save for the Terminid horde and an animation glitch that plays when re-boarding Super Ships. There were one or two crashes during release week that I had to contend with, but for much of the last fortnight things have been pretty smooth — when I’ve been able to get online, that is.

While the original “Helldivers” was a fantastic title, it couldn’t claim to have had a gargantuan player base. As such, when indie game developer Arrowhead Games Studios released “Helldivers 2,” they were expecting a similar level of interest, potentially hoping, as any developer would with a sequel, for a little more.

At the time of writing, “Helldivers 2” is currently on an incredible win streak, after having become publisher Sony’s best PC launch to date and overtaking immensely popular titles like “GTA 5,” “Starfield,” and “Rust” to enter the top 20 most-played (by concurrent player count) Steam games of all time as per SteamDB’s rankings.

For this level of interest in its game, Arrowhead Games Studios were simply not ready.

I’ve been holding off on this review until Arrowhead Games Studios managed to get a handle on the issues with server capacity. Not to give them any preferential treatment, but because I knew from the first few hours that I could do nothing but wholeheartedly recommend this game to just about anyone and everyone.

In the event people took that recommendation and ran with it, I’d only have been adding more fuel to the fire that was, at the time, tearing through the impossibly stressed data center housing the “Helldivers 2” servers.

Thankfully, as of 02/28/24, it would appear that Arrowhead Games Studios are making solid progress in expanding server capacity for “Helldivers 2”, allowing more players to join in on the fun and spread of managed democracy throughout the galaxy. Measures have been taken to reduce queue times and increase player limits, and the game is generally running excellently. Though frustratingly, some connection bugs still exist.

Bottom line

For me, “Helldivers 2” is one of the most fun co-op experiences since Valve’s “Left 4 Dead” duology, pairing frantic, fast-paced, and utterly destructive battles alongside a slow and compelling combined push towards community-focused goals.

While missions can last anywhere up to 40 minutes, planets can take days to liberate, but that crawl towards liberation feels somehow rewarding, even if your personal efforts only contribute to a fraction of an overall percentage. The game has scale. Scale worthy of the vast numbers in its community, and with plenty more on tap for future expansion.

Whether you’re looking for a drop-in co-op title to pass the time here and there or your next time sink to play at large, “Helldivers 2” is worth a spot in anyone’s Steam library. It’s fun, frantic, and oftentimes hilarious. While its core gameplay loop can feel slightly repetitive at times, there is a world (many worlds in fact) of variety to be found in its constantly evolving galactic war.

If you have a great time when playing with others, it’s time to enlist. But, if you’re more of a lone wolf on the battlefield, you’ll struggle to enjoy this game to its fullest. Find a friend, or make new ones in-game and do your part to protect Super Earth today.

Well? What are you waiting for? Come on, you apes! You wanta live forever?

Today is Pokémon Day and fans of the iconic franchise can take advantage of Pokémon Day deals. Now is an opportune time to snag discounts on Pokémon games and accessories for Nintendo Switch, collectible Pokémon Funko Pops!, Pokémon trading cards, and more. 

Retailers are celebrating Pokémon Day with discounts on Pokémon games as well as Pokémon-themed carrying cases, and controllers for the Nintendo Switch. We're also seeing significant markdowns on Pokémon collectibles like Funko Pop! vinyl figures and Pokémon TCG Trainer boxes.

This year's Pokémon Day marks the 28th anniversary of the release of the first Pokémon game in Japan back in 1996. My introduction to Pokémon was in the late 90s at college when a friend of mine loaned me Pokémon Red. From the moment I launched it on my Atomic Game Boy Color, I was hooked! Luckily, my friend was kind enough to let me hold onto the game for as long as I wanted.  

From games to trading cards, shop today's best Pokémon Day deals below. 

Pokémon Day deals — Quick links

• Detective Pikachu Returns: $49 $29 @ QVC via code, "HELLO20" (new shoppers)
• Pokémon Legends Arceus: $59 $39 @ Walmart
• Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX: $59 $55 @ Amazon
• PowerA Nintendo Switch Enhanced Wired Controller (Pokémon: Pikachu Moods): $27 $19 @ Amazon
• PowerA Nintendo Switch Game Card Case (Pikachu): $14 $12 @ Amazon
• Pokémon Day 2024 Card: free w/ $15 TCG purchase @ Best Buy
• Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet Paldean Fates Elite Trainer Box: $49 $39 @ Amazon 
• Pokémon Ash and Squirtle Enamel Pin Set: $14 $5 @ BoxLunch
• Funko Pop! Pokémon Vinyl Figures: from $8 @ Amazon
• Funko POP! Pokemon Ponyta: $13 $3 @ GameStop
• GameStop Pokémon Day deals: save up to 77%
• Box Lunch Pokémon day deals: save up to 60%

Pokémon Day deals

Pokémon Day deals

Pokémon Day deals — Accessories

Pokémon Day deals — Collectibles

The best PC games come in all shapes and sizes, from massive open-world AAA titles, like Elden Ring, to small but immersive indie games, like Disco Elysium. But, given the 500-plus games you're likely to have between your Steam and Epic Games Store library, how do you know which to play first? That's where we come in with a list of the best PC games we're playing right now.

Laptop Mag kicked off its best PC games race nearly three years ago now with our gaming reviews program, in which we test how games perform on PC. You can read about my romantic journey in Stray Gods.

Don't count out our Xbox Series X and PS5 coverage either, as we were able to review both consoles and the accompanying games when they launched. If you're looking to get into streaming, check out the best and worst of Elgato's streaming tech.

See our recent Diablo 4 piece. And if you're interested in hearing me rant about how random encounters in RPGs are actually good — click away.

If you're into pen and paper games, check out our best virtual tabletop software page. (And our DND tips if you need help). In our System of the Stars piece, we meet the therapist using videos games to teach mental health.

We know that the best PC games out there rank in the thousands, including games like Divinity: Original Sin 2, Doom and Minecraft, but we can't list all of them. So, these are the best PC games we're loving right now (this list isn't ranked from best to worst).

The best PC games you can play today

1. Baldur's Gate 3

I did complain about Baldur's Gate 3 quite a bit in my opinion piece about it, but that was purely out of love. I cannot describe how wild Baldur's Gate 3 is when it comes to player agency. It'll never be like a D&D session, but hot damn does it come close.

The number of paths you can tread down in Baldur's Gate 3 is so diverse that I'm still learning new things about the game every single day when I hop on Twitter or TikTok.

Besides the excellent roleplay mechanics, we also have the intense combat. Even on the easiest difficulty, Baldur's Gate 3 forces you to think about each decision you make, because sometimes it's life or death in there (and not just for your character). NPC deaths can heavily impact the narrative going forward. Baldur's Gate 3 is a monumental feat in video game storytelling and easily one of the best PC games of all time.

See our full piece on Baldur's Gate 3.

2. Hi-Fi RUSH

It’s commonplace to experience periods where we feel detached from something we love for one reason or another. I haven’t been in a gaming mood since October, 2022. Even after starting beloved titles like God of War: Ragnarok, Ghost of Tsushima, and Dead Space 2, nothing was sticking and I hadn’t beaten a single game since. Then Hi-Fi RUSH dropped.

Hi-Fi RUSH had me fall in love with the medium all over again, but its ability to reinvigorate my perception of gaming doesn’t just boil down to it being great; it’s because I have never played anything quite like it. From its phenomenally expressive cel-shaded aesthetic and adorable animations to an exhilarating sense of rhythm complimented by awesome hack-n-slash combat, this is an experience few will never forget. Best of all, it’s wrapped up in a shell that brings me back to cartoons of the early 2000s while fundamentally reminding us of the best 3D games from the earliest iterations of the medium.

Hi-Fi RUSH is one of those rare gems that ignites a thought, making us realize that video games can be so much more than what they are now. Tango Gameworks knocked it out of the park, and I cannot recommend it enough. It easily sits among the best PC games and best Xbox Series X games.

- Momo Tabari

See our full Hi-Fi RUSH review.

3. Elden Ring

Elden Ring isn't as groundbreaking as Demon’s Souls was, nor is its world as imaginative as Bloodborne's Yharnam. Instead, this is an amalgamation of the many things we love and expect out of FromSoftware, tossed into an open world packed with breathtaking sights and exciting encounters. It’s also the team’s most intricate RPG yet, offering immense build diversity and a slew of captivating quest lines.

If you were hypnotized by the wondrous curiosity Breath of the Wild evoked in 2017, The Lands Between will similarly bind you. It’s a shame the experience is weighed down by bland mini-dungeons, rehashed boss fights and passable enemy diversity, but these faults are redeemed by the grandest moments this series has to offer.

Elden Ring is FromSoftware’s latest flawed masterpiece. While far from perfection, it’s the best open world game I’ve played and a substantial contender for game of the year.

- Momo Tabari

See our full Elden Ring review.

4. Marvel’s Midnight Suns

After the Metallica-laden announcement trailer, I was insanely hyped for Marvel’s Midnight Suns, and in my first 15 hours of playing this game, developer Firaxis has mostly matched my level of excitement.

The XCOM and Civilization developers jumped into the Marvel ring with a strategy game that adds an interesting RPG twist into the recipe for extra flavor. Now, hype aside, I was curious how superhero battles would translate into a card-based tactical world — turns out it does so really well.

Marvel’s big blockbuster characters enter a unique game that busts the usual action adventure formula, to scratch a particularly niche itch that will make many strategy gamers happy.

— Jason England

See our full Marvel’s Midnight Suns review.

5. Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands

Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands feels like the work of a think tank specifically tasked with getting Rami Tabari to fall in love with this Borderlands spin-off. I’ve played Borderlands before and I’ve never been a fan — it just didn’t click with me, but Wonderlands absolutely works for this D&D addict.

From the detailed character customization and creative classes to the mish-mash of Dungeons & Dragons inside jokes and the addition of spellcasting, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is practically everything I wanted from Gearbox. It’s not perfect; there are some glaring issues with the inventory and item systems. I also would have preferred a true open world, but when I’m not playing Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, I’m thinking about Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands.

— Rami Tabari

See our full Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands review.

6. Kena: Bridge of Spirits

Kena: Bridge of Spirits is Ember Lab’s first video game release, recently launching on PS5 as a console exclusive. Its excellent Pixar-esque animation took the PlayStation community by surprise when it was revealed at Sony’s Future of Gaming conference. But with any studio’s first big title, skepticism was brewing regarding the state of the gameplay itself.

While the experience is admittedly rough around the edges, Kena: Bridge of Spirit’s greatest asset is its heart. The warm smile that washes over Kena’s face as she gently greets the adorable creatures of the forest carries the weight of a mountain. Corruption robs the world of its tender hue, and as the player watches its color slowly return, a powerful fulfillment washes over them. The world’s dwindling state tells a story; the history of the people who lived here, how their lives were taken from them, and the ways in which there’s still beauty to be found in the destruction.

Amidst Kena’s palpable spirit is a phenomenal, authentic Balinese soundtrack, a tight combat system, incentive to explore its lurid forests, and a warm, gorgeous world. Kena: Bridge of Spirits is a familiar experience, but its soul is far stronger than many of the titles it takes inspiration from. It’s easily one of the best PC games of the year.

— Momo Tabari

See our full Kena: Bridge of Spirits review.

7. Deathloop

Deathloop is like a chaotic, violent melange of Groundhog Day, a dash of My Super Ex-Girlfriend, and favorite game of all time, Dishonored. In fact, Arkane Studios is the talented team that brought us the latter and they’re the same folks who worked on Deathloop — and the similarities are striking. Deathloop delivers all the beloved aspects of Dishonored: supernatural abilities, dual-wielding fighting styles, gritty, explorable worlds, and merciless, annoying enemies who call the whole damn town for backup.

However, Deathloop offers a more modern twist, ditching stuffy ol’ 19th century royal protector Corvo for au courant Colt who’s got a colorful, snide personality à la Samuel L. Jackson and hilarious quips that make you chuckle. With Colt’s on-edge temperament and affinity for cursing, he’s one step away from yelling, “Enough is enough! I’ve had it with these [expletive] time loops on this [expletive] island!”

As you step into Colt’s shoes for the first time, you’re just as clueless as he is. You, too, are trying to collect all pieces of the puzzle to create the big picture of what the hell is going on here and how you’re going to put a stop to this maddening time loop.

— Kimberly Gedeon

See our full Deathloop review.

8. Life is Strange: True Colors

I never played a Life is Strange game, so my interest wasn’t piqued when True Colors was announced, that is, until I saw the trailer. I did a double take when I saw that the protagonist, Alex Chen, had the singing voice of mxmtoon, a pop artist who I happen to be a fan of. Then I was introduced to Haven Springs, an adorable small town in Colorado, and boy, am I a sucker for small towns. But I took the plunge only after meeting Alex.

I can say now that Alex is a beautifully written character. I connected with her on a level I couldn’t come close to with most real people. What initially drew me in was her power as an empath. Recently, I have begun regarding myself as an “empath,” someone who strongly feels the emotions of those around them. In other words, I consider myself emotionally intuitive. I’ve spent a long time walking on the eggshells of those around me, so I can tell when they crack -- I know when people are hurt inside. When I first saw Alex’s power visualized on screen, and how another person’s emotions affected her, a thread was immediately formed between her and me.

Life is Strange: True Colors feels as if it was made for me. I love the characters, the story, the choices and everything in between. I fully immersed myself in this world, and became Alex Chen when I made each of those choices. I was ruthless when I had to be, kind when I could be, and badass 100% of the time. Life is Strange: True Colors is hands down one of the best PC games.

— Rami Tabari

See our full Life is Strange: True Colors review.

9. Resident Evil Village

When a new Resident Evil game rolls around, there are certain expectations the critically-acclaimed action-horror series meets, and while Resident Evil Village hits some of them, it breaks others.

From a gameplay perspective, Resident Evil Village is essentially the love child of Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 7. Narratively, however, Capcom managed to flip the isolated plot of Resident Evil 7 and spin it into the fairy tale-esque story that we get from Resident Evil Village. It’s like watching a fantastical gothic horror film unfold.

The deeper the story goes, the more invested I became in the journey, and that’s sort of rare for a Resident Evil game, as most are cheesy and revolve around a convoluted plot, but Resident Evil Village is rather simple in its objective. And thus, it’s easy to connect with, and while the protagonist, Ethan Winters, can be as bland as a bag of bricks, he’s arguably one of the most relatable characters in the Resident Evil universe.

As a result, Resident Evil Village is easily one of the best PC games available right now.

— Rami Tabari

See our full Resident Evil Village review.

10. It Takes Two

It Takes Two is the essential co-op experience, presenting an amalgamation of mechanics and designs originating from the most revered multiplayer genres. It refuses to let the player rest, barraging them with plenty of excellent ideas. Although not every one of these ideas stick, they always feel different enough to justify their existence.

Both narratively and mechanically, the game expects the player to travel a mile a minute as they explore new worlds, gain new abilities and decipher clever puzzles. As a cherry on top, all of this is set to an adorable backdrop featuring a bickering couple pushed along on their journey by an irksome book of love.

— Momo Tabari

See our full It Takes Two review.

11. Yakuza 6: The Song of Life

Yakuza 6: The Song of Life is Kazuma Kiryu's swan song, so it was hard not to scrutinize it more than previous entries in the series. It also had the honor of being the first title in the series designed solely around the PS4 hardware when it first debuted. With so many new fans meeting Kiryu for the first time at the beginning of his adventure with the smash hit release of Yakuza 0, it seemed almost too soon for Yakuza 6 to arrive when it did. After all, we were just getting to know him.

Yakuza has been a cult hit for years now, but it wasn't until Yakuza 0 that the series started to resonate in the west. Because of its blossoming popularity, much of the Western audience has a vastly different perspective on the franchise. New fans love Kiryu and Yakuza because, well, they're excellent games. However, many don't have the years of history with the franchise as longtime fans do.

As a result, Yakuza 6 ran the risk of alienating one of the two crowds especially since those who started the series with Yakuza 0 likely haven't had the time to play through each game yet. Thankfully, Yakuza 6 manages to strike a fantastic balance. It fills new players with the information they need from past titles without being so referential as to alienate those who have already played through previous Yakuza games. And now that the game is on PC, it opens the floor to more fans around the globe.

— Brittany Vincent

See our full Yakuza 6: The Song of Life PC review.

12. Little Nightmares 2

Not only does Little Nightmares 2 elicit explosive emotions with its challenging levels (nothing is more frustrating than failing to escape a monster by a razor-thin margin), but it will knock you off your seat with scream-inducing jump scares and exhilarating chases that require parkour expertise.

From heart-tugging “oh, no!” moments to repeating levels a zillion times, the Bandai Namco-published IP had me on the verge of tears more than I’d like to admit. Little Nightmares 2 is an infuriating game, but once you finally escape that relentless enemy without dying for the umpteenth time, a euphoric rush of fulfillment takes over and neutralizes the frustration-filled fury that made you want to flip a table. Little Nightmares 2 is like a toxic relationship; it drags you through a turbulent rollercoaster of emotions, but you’re not ready to hop off because it’s far too thrilling.

— Kimberly Gedeon

See our full Little Nightmares 2 review.

13. MultiVersus

MultiVersus is a free-to-play brawler mashing together Warner Bros’ cartoons, movies, TV shows, and comic books. Whether you’re a fan of Looney Tunes, Game of Thrones, DC Comics, Steven Universe, Adventure Time, Scooby Doo, Tom & Jerry, The Iron Giant, and mostly recently, LeBron James, there’s so much to love in this ridiculous cluster of beloved characters.

There’s no denying that MultiVersus has opened with an awesome roster, but the most important question is whether or not the game is fun. And although it’s far from perfect, the greatest compliment I can give MultiVersus is that it is more than capable of filling in the shoes of Super Smash Bros. This is the most excited I’ve been for the future of a brawler in a long time, and it is easily the best Smash-inspired game I’ve played.

- Momo Tabari

See our full MultiVersus review.

14. Bugsnax

Bugsnax is the game we need going into 2021; a reminder that creativity can cure. While the concept borrows from other materials, the execution is wildly original. But that's no surprise; Bugsnax is the latest creation from Young Horses, the studio behind the hilarious and bizarre adventure game Octodad.

This latest release is larger in scale than the studio's previous games, and I'd argue it's more successful, if not quite as memorable. Bugsnax is an easy game to enjoy, but difficult to describe. It takes you on a whimsical adventure in which your goal is to capture Bugsnax, half-snack, half-bug creatures, using various tools and techniques. Doing so helps you uncover the mysteries of Snaktooth Island where the game takes place. Along the way, you'll encounter a cast of characters brilliantly brought to life by excellent voice acting.

Bugsnax is an easy game to recommend for players of all ages. It blends a Pixar-worthy narrative with challenging puzzles, a compelling mystery and interesting characters — but it is the unconditionally innocent whimsy that will put a helpless smile on your face.

— Phillip Tracy

See our full Bugsnax review.

15. Doom Eternal

Exploring Doom Eternal's wicked hellscape is far more delightful than one would expect in a game that boasts brutality and violence. Players travel through futuristic alien worlds, metropolitan cities torn asunder by demonic corruption, and gigantic buildings taking inspiration from Renaissance-era architecture. Further heightened by its extensive color palette, Doom Eternal's environments are so staggeringly beautiful that every moment requires time to reflect and appreciate the sights.

Doom Eternal understands the franchise too well, getting so wrapped up in its own memes that it's often difficult to engage with its more serious moments. As muddled as the story is, it quickly takes a backseat, wasting no time throwing the player into the demon-slaying action. Thankfully, the narrative builds toward the latter half and wraps things up in an epic fashion.

— Momo Tabari

See our full Doom Eternal review.

16. Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator — a visually striking, breathtaking virtual experience that launches you into Earth’s vast skies — will have you singing Nelly Furtado’s “I’m Like a Bird.” You’ll be captivated by Bora Bora’s stunning paradise of aquamarine lagoons. You’ll be enthralled to spot the vegetation-covered, limestone cliffs of Thailand. You’ll be wowed by the colorful and bulbous cathedrals of Moscow.

“I don’t know where my soul is! I don’t know where my home is!”

As skydiver Felix Baumgartner once said, “Sometimes you have to go up really high to understand how small you really are.” Planet Earth seems boundless in Microsoft Flight Simulator, from the deep coastal fjords of Norway to the majestic baobab trees of Madagascar. Despite Earth’s vast expanses, Microsoft has managed to stuff Bing’s massive satellite data of Earth — all two petabytes of it — inside this hypnotizing game, leaving simmers feeling awestruck by the sheer number of cities (over two million) that one can visit.

With what seems like an infinite number of locales to explore, you’ll never get tired of Microsoft Flight Simulator.

— Kimberly Gedeon

See our full Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 review.

17. Assassin's Creed Valhalla

Assassin's Creed Valhalla is my first AC game since Unity, so I didn't get to experience the RPG transformation that took place in Origins. I've only dabbled in Odyssey, so I really didn't know what to expect with Valhalla. The pessimist in me thought I would find a bloated, aimless open-world action RPG, but what I actually found was something more carefully crafted.

Don’t get me wrong, Valhalla has its fair share of issues, and it doesn’t really keep up with other big action-adventure RPGs currently out there now or launching soon. However, the moment that Assassin's Creed Valhalla clicked with me was when I roamed the lively snowy peaks tops of Norway and randomly encountered the Elk of Bloody Peaks only to go axe-to-antler with it at the edge of a glowing pool of water on a mountaintop. It was immersive and magical.

Between its fun combat and stealth mechanics, immersive exploration and gorgeous world design, Assassin's Creed Valhalla is a great game if you find it on sale. At a lower price, I could see Valhalla being one of the best PC games to play.

See our full Assassin’s Creed Valhalla review.

18. Gears Tactics

Gears Tactics looked kind of silly when the trailer first dropped at E3, but it should have been apparent then that a Gears of War-meets-XCOM game is a match made in blood, guts and glory. The turn-based strategy combat works well for Gears because it’s a cover-based shooter, so technically the format is the same, except you can plan out your moves more tactically.

What Gears Tactics brings to the table apart from thoughtful turn-based mechanics is how well the developers Splash Damage and The Coalition approached cosmetics and character creation -- everything is free from both currency and gender. Even diving into the settings proved to be fruitful, as I discovered a wealth of performance and accessibility settings.

While I enjoyed the gameplay, the story failed to immerse me into its pre-Gears universe. I played 8 hours before reaching an interesting plot point. Despite that, for the gameplay alone, Gears Tactics is one of the best PC games you can play right now.

— Rami Tabari

See our full Gears Tactics review.

19. Horizon Zero Dawn

Horizon Zero Dawn is a phenomenal game. If you missed Guerilla’s critically acclaimed RPG back in 2017 and have strong enough hardware to handle the poorly optimized mess that is this PC port, I would recommend picking it up on a very deep sale.

Horizon Zero Dawn drops the player in a large open world to scavenge materials, hunt beasts both robotic and organic, and craft an arsenal of elemental weapons and armor. The game’s already dangerous lands became even more threatening as I played on Ultra Hard, which often forced me to sneak through environments to avoid its lengthy catalog of fierce machines. Because many enemies had the potential to devastate me in a single hit and set me back by up to 10 minutes of progress, I found most encounters to be deeply horrifying.

This design philosophy emphasizes how unexpectedly gorgeous the end of the world can be. Stories revolving around a planet void of life are plenty compelling for sure, but Horizon Zero Dawn perfectly understands how to best illustrate what will actually happen once nature reclaims the Earth.

— Momo Tabari

See our full Horizon Zero Dawn review.

20. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Coasting off the popularity of the Netflix show "The Witcher," CD Projekt Red's trilogy of Witcher games is enjoying a resurgence. And The Witcher III: Wild Hunt is not only by far the best in the series but it's also one of the best PC games to date. The final chapter in Geralt of Rivia's video game adventure offers all the sword wielding and spell casting you'd expect, with plenty of dialogue and morality trees, along with a massive bestiary of mythical creatures to fight.

In the final entry, you're on the trail of a grown up Cirilla, on the run from the titular Wild Hunt. Along the way, you'll meet series favorites, including Triss, Dandelion (Jaskier) and, of course, Yennefer of Vengerberg. So, toss your coin (and several hundred hours of your life) to your Witcher and play through a fun, engaging story.

— Sherri L. Smith

See our full The Witcher 3 retrospective.

How to choose the best PC games for you 

Choosing the best PC games you’ll enjoy most comes down to what you’re looking to get out of the game. Are you looking for a well-written story? The Witcher III: Wild Hunt is a safe bet. Or maybe just a fun multiplayer experience? Try Fortnite. If you want something that focuses on gameplay, you could always try out the VR rhythm game Beat Saber.

There’s also genres and gameplay styles to consider. Do you like first-person shooters? Apex Legends might be for you. Or are you into third-person action games? If you can take challenging difficulty, then Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is a good choice. For a third-person cover-based shooter, none master the form more than Gears 5. If you’re looking for a hyper-realistic third-person western to play, then Red Dead Redemption 2 has your name written all over it. A fighting game fan? Look no further than Mortal Kombat 11. There are thousands upon thousands of games out there, you’re bound to find something for you.

We also have a list of game hubs that are keeping track of the most anticipated games coming down the road, including:

• Grand Theft Auto VI
• Senua's Saga: Hellblade II
• The Elder Scrolls 6
• Fable

How we test the best PC games 

While we haven’t reviewed or tested every single game on this list, we have played them and recognize which ones belong here. However, for the ones we have reviewed, we test how they perform on a PC.

First, we benchmark the game on a laptop to see how it runs, and then we dive into any bugs or glitches we experienced during gameplay. We also rate what kind of graphical settings the game has. For example, some games give you one option for overall graphical quality, while others will go all out and offer twenty different settings for each graphical component that makes up the game. For each game we also dive into the minimum and recommended requirements, so you know exactly what kind of laptop you need to run it. As an added bonus, we also detail what launcher the game is on, since that is a contributing factor for someone buying a game (although, it really shouldn’t be).

Ray tracing is the most hyped up technological advancement throughout the last few years in gaming. Players are desperate to see their favorite titles updated with RTX capabilities, and it’s the key selling point for Nvidia’s 20, 30 and 40-series graphics cards. When utilized correctly, ray tracing can offer an unmatched quality in realistic lighting, shadows cast in real time, and accurate reflections.

As of this writing, Nvidia has over 400 games that have gotten Nvidia's ray tracing technology with nearly 200 titles for AMD. The list continues to grow for both companies as more popular titles are getting that ray tracing treatment at a faster rate. 

So, which games utilize ray tracing best? If you’re someone who’s looking to be convinced by the power of this technology, there are plenty of great games out there that utilize it well. However, the hardware performance cost is extreme. After all, this technology can present something close to photorealism, so this list of recommendations comes with the assumption that you harbor the power to handle it.

Here’s a list of the best games to play with ray tracing on, along with a couple of dishonorable mentions for the sake of it.

1. Control 

Control is the best ray tracing game you can play thanks to how the game’s setting lends itself perfectly to what the technology does best. Ray tracing isn’t easily noticeable when exploring most environments; the difference between “off” and “on” is often intangible when riding a horse through fields of grass or surrounded by stone castle walls. 

But when playing something as eerie as control, in an endless facility overwhelmed by concrete walls, shiny marble floors, an abundance of windows and surreal lighting techniques, it all meshes perfectly together to make a great coincidental showpiece of what ray tracing can accomplish. 

This is obvious as soon as you launch the game. I haven’t even left the starting area in the image above, and you can immediately see how the organic reflections on the floor make for a far more gripping scene. Control presents a world that looks creepily sanitary, and that is best shown through ray tracing. These floors are freshly shined, allowing you to perfectly see the reflection of the light coming from the staircase ahead. 

It’s more than just reflections though; Control’s shading is completely different with ray tracing on. Most games I’ve done ray tracing testing with offer minimal improvements, and in some cases, it’s so minor that it’s often a subjective preference rather than a clear enhancement. But Control completely shifts this; the way the game handles its lighting is superb with ray-tracing on. 

The image above showcases how everything in the room is casting shadows with far more depth than it was with ray tracing off. The canisters, the American flag, the wall behind the shelf, and the array of binders at the top pop out in a more convincing way than they do without it Many non-ray tracing games suffer from certain objects being far more luminescent than appears natural, and that is very clearly visible in the comparison images above. Additionally, the glass looks strange, as if it’s not even there when looking into the room. But as soon as you turn ray-tracing on, the subtle reflection of everything on the opposite side makes it clear what you’re looking at, alongside the character herself. 

2. Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077 is graphically demanding in ways few other games could dream of, and that is turned up to its limit with ray tracing on. If you have the hardware capable of playing the game with ray tracing, it is absolutely worth it. The game looks far more tangible, features realistic lighting, meaty shadows, and most importantly, Night City looks like it's properly glowing when the sun comes down. 

These differences are most blatant when areas are basked in sunlight. Without ray tracing on, there’s little to no depth in shadows that hit the concrete streets. In the screenshot above, the alleyway is almost entirely submerged in darkness without ray tracing, but afterwards, you can see major differences between where the light is shining from above compared to how the shadows are developing in the corners. You can also see how two dimensional the vent and garbage bags appear without ray tracing on. I mean, just look at those chairs to the right; the difference is staggering. 

The shadows being cast in this dimly lit underpass are homogenous without ray tracing. It all blends together, and certain textures appear far too vibrant for the light setting (look at the top of the stall on the left). With ray tracing on, the atmosphere is kept intact yet enhanced with more realistic shading; the neon sign genuinely appears to be glowing, the tables and chair seamlessly appear as though they’re part of the scene, and the shadows behind the counter offer far more depth.  

The image above is one of the more convincing visualizations for what ray tracing is capable of in Cyberpunk 2077. It’s currently 6pm in-game, and as it hits that time, the sun is beginning to set, giving the world a subtle orange glow. Beyond how beautifully ray tracing handles reflections and shadows, the color of this scene is vastly shifted. Without ray tracing, it’s not remotely obvious that the sun is setting; this area is as coolly lit as it would be during a bright day, yet as soon as you turn ray tracing on, the entire area is basked in the glow of dusk. 

The case for Cyberpunk 2077’s raytracing is a bit harder to notice during nighttime. At most, you’ll see that glowing signs offer a more potent brightness. In the image above, you can see how the “Free City Beauty” neon light is so powerful that it makes the graffiti spray painted onto the store visible. With ray tracing off, it’s dark and neutered, making the specifics difficult to catch. 

In general, ray tracing makes everything look tangible. It’s harder to see at night, but the way the shadows are cast onto this building makes it pop out more. With ray tracing off, there’s a weird disparity between the building itself and the objects that are lined across its surface. The air conditioning units, the power lines, and even the windows seem like they’re not actually a part of the building. Them being “assets” is made more clear due to how the shadows cast. But with ray tracing, that is undone and looks far more realistic. 

The brightness of city lights is most evident in the image above. This Nicola sign is luminescent with ray tracing off, but it’s only offering a reflection in the floor and the chairs. With ray tracing on, the entire area lights up; the source is far more potent and even though it’s nighttime, it’s clear that this light is unnatural. It’s a harsh, bright white, providing a really potent atmosphere to represent the freakishness of Night City. 

When stepping up close to objects, it’s apparent just how important these improved shadows can be. This vending machine is improperly lit, the vent at the bottom left seems strangely out of place, the rust harboring its edges are barely visible, the disparity between its lighter front and its darker side is barely noticeable, and the shadows behind the machines lack depth. With ray tracing on, all of this is fixed. The differences in color between the chipped paint and the blue bit protruding outwards is evident. Not only that, the vending machines themselves offer a stark difference in the light at the front compared to the darkness occupying the space in between it and the wall. It’s genuinely staggering how much better Night City looks with ray tracing on.  

3. Doom Eternal

Doom Eternal is one of my favorite examples of ray tracing, as id Software turned that setting up to the extreme and it results in a drastically different experience. Rather than just having “improved reflections,” Doom Eternal’s approach to ray tracing is the difference between metal platforms being completely matte versus them being as reflective as a mirror. 

To be blunt, not everyone will enjoy how this looks. I recommend jumping in and swapping between either setting to get a taste of both before you commit to it. Everything being overly shiny and reflective will not appeal to some, and especially in the case of Doom Eternal, it might seem like overkill. 

But in case you’re still unsure, let me try to convince you: The images above show this quite well, as during moments where there’s tons of metal in a complex scene, ray tracing helps give the environments more depth. While it may seem like a small detail, the lighting inside of that vending machine is far more jarring without ray tracing. Why are those metal bits sticking out so bright? This is no longer an issue with ray tracing on. 

In this image, it also makes clear the massive difference in how archways behave. With ray tracing on, it looks completely natural and blends in well with the scenery. Part of it is reflecting the spots of sunlight coming in from the chasm it’s parallel to, but most of it is shrouded by the darkness of the hallway. Yet with ray tracing off, it becomes completely flat. Where is that light coming from? 

However, you won’t notice much of a difference between either setting throughout most areas in the game. After all, Doom Eternal’s world isn’t entirely made of metal. There’s plenty of flesh, concrete, wood, and stone strewn across its environments, but when you’re trapped in a hellish tunnel with metal walls on every side, having your rockets reflected perfectly within each surface as they blow demons to bits is a sight to behold. 

It also benefits from Doom Slayer’s reflection appearing with ray tracing on. It’s normally not present at all, but if you’re close enough to any reflective surface, you’ll quickly catch a glimpse of the man himself. 

4. Marvel’s Spider-Man: Remastered 

Marvel’s Spider-Man: Remastered needed a little time to iron out its performance issues, but after a series of updates, it’s a game that solidly utilizes RTX to its advantage. New York City springs to life in a way that just wasn’t possible on the PS4, and even if you’re playing on PS5, the experience is brought down by lesser framerate or lower graphical fidelity. 

When I first launched Spider-Man: Remastered on PC, I was perplexed by New York City’s indescribable flatness. I had trouble putting my finger on what the issue was, as something about it struck me as “fabricated,” which is the opposite of what I remember when playing it on PS4. Toggling ray tracing completely changed this; beforehand, I noticed the lack of depth in every tree’s shadow, skyscraper window, and street puddle. And then, it was like the world went from unshaded to properly so. 

In the above image we see Spider-Man swinging through the city, and with ray tracing on, every window takes on a different hue that changes depending on what’s around it (the power of reflections, duh). But with ray tracing off, it’s often homogenous. You can see this clearly at the right-most section of the image: With ray tracing off, every window and door is black, but with it on, you can see parts of it inhabit the golden hue of the sun and the light blue color of the sky. 

Cars are no different, although the change won’t be as noticeable. The image above shows how the reflections on the hood, top and front-window of this glossy white car are more defined with ray tracing on. With ray tracing off, the reflections are still there, but they clearly look a little less organic. 

Spider-Man swinging by a large series of skyscraper windows also makes this massive difference clear. Without ray tracing on, the reflections on this building seem like a flat image pasted along its surface. Ray tracing gives it far more personality, showing that every building being reflected in it is meant to be a three-dimensional object. 

Honorable Mention: Portal

Portal with RTX is not here yet, so we can’t offer our own tests to showcase how cool of an idea it is. We’ll finally be able to experience it ourselves sometime in November. For now, its short trailer showcases why you should be excited. You might dislike how the game looks with ray tracing on, but disregard aesthetics for a second and let's inspect how impressive this technology can be when applied to a game like Portal. 

In the image above, the blue portal has been placed in a spot of the player's choice. The other portal is across from something emitting an intense orange glow, causing that light to appear through the blue portal itself, reflecting on the wall to its left. Essentially, Portal with RTX will make a brilliant playground for players to experiment with the power of ray tracing and how it casts shadows and renders reflections in real time. 

The trailer also showcases a floating light source traveling through these portals while casting shadows across every object it comes across. It keeps its light properties even while its beaming through the Portal itself, which makes for an excellent showpiece on what RTX can do. Not so dissimilar from what Portal did when it initially launched, which showed us how far someone could go with physics experimentation, the RTX version displays how powerful ray tracing can be in real-time.

Portal with RTX is made possible through the power of RTX Remix, a new system supported by Nvidia itself that allows modders to apply ray tracing, AI-texture enhancement and DLSS 3 to modify in-game environments. It’s mostly targeted towards old games, but it seems like it could push the modding industry forward in some exciting ways.

Honorable mention: Resident Evil Village 

Resident Evil Village looks fantastic without ray tracing, so it’s not a must play with the setting on. But what ray tracing adds is absolutely worth it if you have the hardware capabilities. If you want the game to feature slightly warmer, more natural lighting, you should definitely turn it on. 

The image above showcases this beautifully. There’s no denying that both images look fantastic, but if you look close at the ceiling and the little nooks and crannies of Rose’s room, the ray tracing keeps this space consistently well-lit. Without ray tracing, the corners are far too dark, and even the crib itself feels like it's absorbing light rather than reflecting it. 

You can also see this in the kitchen. Without ray tracing, the stove is barely visible: It’s completely shrouded in darkness, and the fridge looks far too polished to be a real object. The toaster and bag of flour are also difficult to see, while the kitchen island at the bottom has a jarring glow surrounding it. Ray tracing fixes all of this, and although the differences aren’t huge, it’s still worth playing this way.

Dishonorable mentions

Not every game that is “enhanced” with ray tracing comes out of the other side looking better than it did before. Sometimes, realistic lighting can cause a game, especially if it’s an older one, to turn into a jarring monstrosity. Additionally, remaking a game with RTX can often result in the new version taking artistic liberties, ones that sacrifice key design elements that made the original stand out. 

Another common issue has to do with overturning RTX settings to make them appear more blatant for the sake of a tech demonstration. For example, the more reflective a piece of metal is, the easier it is to see the differences with RTX. The brighter a light source is, shadows will appear more clearly in a scene. If you keep these settings at mild levels, it’ll be difficult for users to see the difference between turning RTX on or off. 

But that’s not what we want: We don’t want games artificially boosting the reflectiveness of materials, the brightness of light sources, or the intensity of shadows just to show us that RTX is working. Ray tracing should compliment the intentions of the environment, not overpower it. Here are some games that poorly handle this and end up looking worse as a result. 

1. Quake II RTX 

Quake II RTX is a mixed bag: After testing its RTX version for an hour, I found certain scenes looked significantly worse and wholly destroyed the atmosphere, disregarded key elements of the original’s aesthetic, or just looked like an entirely different game. On the other hand, some scenes were beautifully lit, and others even boasted a unique atmosphere that wasn’t present in the original.

The image above showcases a moment where Quake II RTX is at its best. The overpowering red lights give this area a harsh atmosphere, and the perfect reflection on the water is almost surreal to look at. The way each shadow winds around the metal plated pillars is straight out of a horror game and it looks absolutely awesome. 

But at its worst, there are plenty of questionable design choices here. Quake II RTX, for some reason, ignores a significant set piece present in the original: The dreary, nightmarish, crimson sky. Instead, the RTX version has a generic sandy skybox and a set of brown rocky mountains in its place. This is probably to ensure that the lighting of the level isn’t overwhelmingly red, but frankly, these are the type of issues that come up when dealing with realistic lighting: the artistic choice to keep that sky hellish would conjure up an entirely different scene with different lighting when using ray tracing. If your light source is a dark but bright red, then the environment would have probably been overwhelmed with that crimson glow. This probably wasn’t worth the trade-off for the developers (even though I would’ve loved to see how that looks) so it resulted in the far more neutered iteration. 

In the image above, every wall looks like hyperreflective chrome. Why are these walls so shiny? They’re meant to be rusted and dingy in the original, yet for some reason, they’re beautified and look freshly polished with RTX on. It’s clear that design choices like this are made as a push to show off the reflectiveness of ray tracing. While it certainly does that just fine, it still looks like utter crap. 

2. Minecraft

Minecraft is a tough one to push against. On one hand, the reception for its ray tracing implementation has been widely positive, and it's hard to deny the technology can look cool in certain moments. However, I strongly believe the way ray tracing is utilized here severely clashes with Minecraft’s aesthetic and results in a world that looks overexposed, awkward and artificial. It boasts one of my least favorite examples of ray tracing. 

Certain textures suffer the most with ray tracing on, as the tiniest nooks and crannies within the textures mapped to that block are given “realistic” shadows. It looks absolutely ungodly, as it attempts to give them a bizarre 3D effect. It’s hard to imagine how applying such advanced lighting technology to a blocky world with tons of flat textures would end up looking good. 

Overexposure is Minecraft RTX’s other biggest problem. In direct sunlight, blocks boast blinding luminescence. Light sources in general are significantly stronger than they appear normally. Shadows are rarely cast due to how flat Minecraft is (unless you’ve built a beautiful, complex city), and even when they are, they don’t feel right.  

It’s rather uncanny staring at a flat staircase, completely brightened by sunlight. It doesn’t appear real. Even the stairs in the above image come across as flat more than anything else. Sure, perhaps the shading in regular Minecraft is unrealistic, but its style is appealing. It’s not overwhelming to look at. 

Minecraft has always been a game that has boasted this inexplicable loneliness. You can create a gorgeous city, yet the lack of people, the quiet wilderness, and the relaxing soundtrack contribute to the sense that you’re the world’s sole occupant. I’m not necessarily saying it’s wrong for Minecraft RTX to strive for a different vibe; it’s more that what it sacrifices to gain ray tracing isn’t remotely worth it. Applying realistic lighting to every game isn’t going to work.  

The above image showcases the stylistic differences quite well. The RTX version showcases a small room lit solely by a small streak of sunlight in the corner. Yet, the exact same image shows how these two lanterns are acting as a light source. The one spot which was previously lit by the sun is now engulfed in shadow, but it looks far warmer. Minecraft’s reliance on soft lighting is really important for its atmosphere, and that’s something the RTX version gets completely wrong. 

I didn’t fully hate Minecraft RTX throughout my testing, though. While exploring the streets of a cyberpunk city, I found myself looking out at a collection of buildings reflecting a unique set of hues that weren’t there previously. The image above still looks like Minecraft, just with more atmospheric lighting winding between each building’s side. Turning ray tracing off made it duller. Moments like these showcase when Minecraft RTX is useful: If you’re planning on building a futuristic city, you’ll probably enjoy the brighter lights. 

Black Friday brings many surprising things, but one we never would have guessed is the latest Zelda game, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom having its price cut already! As Link would say, Hah! Hwaahh?

Journey into the unknown with Tears of the Kingdom for $58 at Walmart. Join Link, Zelda probably, and some Rauru guy on a journey that includes picking mushrooms, trying not to freeze to death, and probably other things. I'm not really sure. I haven't made it through the tutorial because I'm too stubborn to cook things. Don't be like me, kids. While we're continually seeing restocks on the physical copy, the digital copy is on the same deal.

If you aren't up to date with the Zelda franchise, fear not! The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is just $39 at Best Buy for Black Friday.

This is simply one of the best Black Friday Nintendo Switch deals you can get. 

Released on May 12, 2023, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is one of  the best Switch games for Zelda and action-adventure fans and a worthy sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. 

Although we didn't review it, we got a first look at the game in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom gameplay showcase. It was satisfying to watch the game's hero, "Link" soar through the clouds and paraglide onto one of the many Sky Islands. And how could you not appreciate the colorful, stylized graphics this game has to offer?

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom reviews at Amazon rate it 4.9 out of 5-stars. Happy gamers like the more expansive world, revamped weapon durability system, and how the game tests your creativity. Others praise the game's story and focus on character development over previous Zelda titles.

In this latest release, the game's hero, Link, has a new set of abilities allowing you to experience Zelda gameplay like never before. Forge weapons, reverse time, and transport yourself through solid objects above your head. The new Ultrahand ability lets you pick up and move just about any object and glue them to other objects (or weapons) to build useful navigation tools like vehicles.

Now $11 off, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is at its best price yet. It's worth considering if you're looking for a new action-adventure game to get into.

GameStop Black Friday deals are now live with massive discounts on gaming gear. For Black Friday, the game retailer is slashing up to 75% off select video games and gaming accessories. 

For example, you can get The Callisto Protocol Day One Edition for PS5 for just $5 — lowest price ever. Previously priced at $20, that's $15 in savings and one of the best Black Friday gaming deals you can get. The Xbox Series X and Xbox One versions are $9.99 each. If you're looking for Nintendo Switch games, you can get Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes on sale for just $15 ($45 off) or Pokemon Shining Pearl for just $29 ($30 off). 

Black Friday is almost here we’re seeing early deep discounts on today’s most coveted tech. Visit our Black Friday 2023 hub for the best deals happening right now.

Browse today's best Black Friday-worthy GameStop deals below. 

GameStop Black Friday deals 2023 — Quick links

• Shop: Today's best GameStop deals
• The Callisto Protocol PS5: $19 $5 @ GameStop
• Pokémon Shining Pearl Switch: $59 $29 @ GameStop
• Marvel's Midnight Suns Xbox Series X: $39 $10 @ GameStop
• Minecraft Legends Deluxe Xbox Series X: $49 $12 @ GameStop
• Astral Chain (Pre-owned): $59 $44 @ GameStop

GameStop Black Friday deals 2023

Just in time for Halloween, Newegg is offering some fantastic deals on scary PC games. Spend this spooky holiday on the edge of your seat with some of these horror classics.

You can save a little over 75% on The Quarry, or spend a little bit more to snag The Quarry: Definitive Edition at 75% off as well. Games like Bioshock: The Collection and How to Survive 2 are currently 80% off, so it's the perfect time to snatch these games up if they've been on your wishlist.

• Browse: Best gaming deals in October

The Mortal Kombat 1 is out now for PC. For a limited time, save $10 when you Mortal Kombat 1 MK1 for PC via coupon "LCHXPSEP" at Newegg. Normally, this game would set you back $69 so this discount drops it to $59. Preorder MK1 today and get the play character, Shang Tsung.

You can also get Mortal Kombat 1 Premium Edition for $99 ($10 off) via coupon "LCHXPSEP". MK1 Premium includes: 6 new playable characters, 5 new Kameo characters, 1 week early access to DLC characters, and Johnny Cage's Jean-Claude Van Damme skin.

In terms of gaming deals, it's not often you see an outright discount on a highly anticipated game like this. Whether you're a fan of the Mortal Kombat franchise or enjoy kick-ass fighting games, MK1 is a must for your library.

FromSoftware has solidified itself as my favorite game studio in the industry. Launching banger after banger, its consistency in quality from Demon’s Souls in 2009 all the way up through Elden Ring in 2022 has been a rarity that few could achieve. And during the latest The Game Awards showcase, we got our first look at Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon.

The boldness of placing a “VI” in the title of a game that hadn’t seen an entry in nearly a decade was admirable, but it’s all the more clear why that’s the case now: FromSoftware may have gotten into its stride with Demon’s Souls, all three Dark Souls, Bloodborne, Sekiro and Elden Ring, but this new game is nothing like those.

Yet one of the few things they share in common is the audience’s perception of its difficulty. Yes, many believe Armored Core VI is the hardest FromSoftware game yet, but I could not disagree more. I’ve never had such an easy time with a title from this studio, and I would wager people’s belief in its difficulty comes from not fully understanding how to engage with it.

Embrace a shift in perspective 

It’s been so long since FromSoftware has changed its formula that it’s easy to forget Sekiro had a prominent reputation as being the hardest game from this studio. But in reality, the rest of FromSoftware’s catalog was no different. Do you remember the first time you played Dark Souls, Bloodborne, Demon’s Souls or whatever might have been your initial dive into this franchise?

That first playthrough, before you fully understood what these games expected of you, was full of strife and struggle. But now that we understand how Soulsborne operates and can easily conquer the older titles upon replays, we no longer see those experiences as difficult. As a result, the company continuously raises the bar in difficulty.

Elden Ring featured the hardest boss FromSoftware has created by far, and the most difficult fight I’ve ever had in a video game. In fact, I put Malenia at the top of my 8 hardest bosses I’ve beaten throughout my video game career. I didn’t count, but it probably took 100 tries over the course of four hours for me to defeat her.

Since we’re so used to how the traditional Soulsborne formula plays, many are seemingly bashing their head against Balteus, the notorious boss of Chapter 1 in Armored Core VI. Players are assuming that, just like Souls, they can simply keep trying over and over, learn dodge patterns, figure out how to move through the arena, and win through simply “getting good.”

But here’s the truth: I wouldn’t put a single boss in Armored Core VI in the top 100 hardest I’ve battled and I don’t think any of them come close to the top 10 hardest in FromSoftware history. This is not because I’m somehow incredible at this game. My mech piloting skills are subpar at best, but I (thankfully) understood that this game demanded something far different: Creativity.

This game’s version of “getting good” is having the willingness to spend hours inside AC Assembly, testing how each of the stats impact your machine, and optimizing your build based on every part of your mech. Yes, that’s the key to overcoming the difficulty of Armored Core VI—it’s as simple as engaging with the mech building and expressing some creativity. 

Armored Core VI is easy when you engage with mech assembly 

I built seven vastly different mechs throughout my first playthrough of Armored Core VI and I took each one through major portions of the game. The initial machine I built utilized two MA-J-200 RANSETSU-RF burst rifles in its arms and two VP-60LCS laser cannons on its back. Using this on my first try against Balteus, I got the boss down to the slightest sliver of health. I then beat it on my third try.

Rushing to my friends to boast about my success, I realized they were struggling. One in particular spent two hours before they could defeat it, but decided they just weren’t having fun and dropped the game afterwards. Was this a result of our difference in skill levels? Absolutely not, as this person is far better at Soulsborne games than I can ever dream of being. Truthfully, it was just lucky that I happened to be sporting a build that perfectly exploited Balteus’ weaknesses.

I showed that same friend a video of my playstyle with that particular build and they were able to defeat Balteus on their first try with it. They were in shock and it made them realize that the crux of this game is reliant on adapting and optimizing your build and style of play until they synergize. They thought they were just bad at the game, but learning it’s just about the machine itself gave them the courage to continue.

To further prove this wasn’t a difference in skill, that same friend defeated the Chapter 2 boss on their first try while I went up against it eight times and failed to defeat it. It wasn’t until I reconfigured my build with double shotguns and two grenade launchers in a machine I called “DOOM SLAYER” that I bested them on my second attempt. 

Optimizing your machine requires more than just randomly assigning parts and hoping something works. You need to take the time to test it in combat, and if you feel like it’s lacking in some avenues, go back to assembly and consider what could improve it. Several times have I excitedly built an Armored Core, thrown it into the battlefield, and realized it was a mess.

Instead of sticking with it mindlessly or just abandoning the concept entirely, I kept pushing until I found a combination of parts that made it unstoppable. One example is a machine I titled “CTNCNDY” due to its pastel pink and baby blue color scheme that made it look like a delicious carnival confectionery. I realized its collection of slow moving lasers and explosives meant machines would constantly outrun my attacks when I was far away.

So I made it lightweight and replaced its aiming module with one that performs far better at close range. This allowed me to go up close to enemies and bombard them with tons of lasers at once, but I still noticed a weakness: It lacked a certain springiness that could quickly allow it to close the distance, especially if enemies started flying upwards. 

So I installed reverse-joint legs so it could quickly leap up into the air like a grasshopper if anyone tried to run away. Combine this with the powerful booster on its back that allowed it to dodge over great distances, and I turned a useless mess into a personal favorite.

Bottom line 

Any “skill issues” you might have while playing Armored Core VI aren’t actually that. They’re just a reminder that you need to reconsider each individual part of your mech, whether it be its weapons, aiming module, booster, armor or generator. Different configurations will change how much health you have, how long you can fly, how fast you can dodge, whether you can hover in the air or spring into the sky suddenly, and the different damage types that can make a major difference in a bossfight.

Players will get stuck on a boss and feel like they’re too frustrated to continue. But I implore you to remember your first time playing a Soulsborne game. You had to learn patience, when to strike, when to dodge, what each stat meant, and how every mechanic worked fundamentally. 

FromSoftware has once again changed the playing field and is trying to teach us a new method of engaging with its latest game, and if you don’t adapt, you won’t get far. People on the internet will say cruel things like “you’ve been filtered” or “skill issue,” but they’re wrong. It’s not hard, you just need to believe in yourself and embrace a change in perspective. 

Good luck out there, 621.

I love Baldur’s Gate 3. Don’t get it twisted. I LOVE Baldur’s Gate 3! It completely consumed my entire weekend as I dumped 30+ hours into Act I. Of course, I’m not very far in the grand scheme of things, but despite everything I adore about it, there are some things that frustrated me throughout my experience.

Some of these issues I have are likely deliberate choices by Larian Studios, while others seem like complete oversights. I hope some if not all of these could be resolved in future updates, as Larian Studios is still releasing an impressive amount of updates post-launch.

Here are 5 things in Baldur’s Gate 3 that make me want to scream.

Overlapping features

This one put me into a stupor while creating my character. Abilities, spells and skill proficiencies can overlap between your race, class, and background with no added bonus. The game doesn’t detect any overlap and thus does not give you the option to adjust any features.

For example, if you play a Wood Half-Elf Criminal, you’re losing out on another potential skill because both the Half-Elf race and Criminal background provide a proficiency in Stealth. Another common overlap is when you multi-class and you double-up on a spell. The game is nice enough to tell you which is better and will default to that version, but that doesn’t solve the issue of waste. 

Like in actual D&D 5e, there should be a choice to swap out the redundant feature.

Any face for any race for any body

Ugh, this also put me out while creating my character. I wanted to recreate a D&D character that I’ve held near and dear to my heart over the long years I’ve played the tabletop game, but I was sorely disappointed when I got to the character creator. All the masc faces are ugly (sorry not sorry). But all the fem faces are gorgeous. So why can’t I use them on a masc body?

Baldur’s Gate 3 lets you choose your pronouns and body types while remaining as sensitive as it can, but it needs to go a step further and open up the diversity in character creation. I want to be able to use the fem faces on masc bodies. 

The faces shouldn’t be limited by race, either. I know lore-junkies will scream their head off about that request, but this is a fantasy game. It shouldn’t matter if someone wants to put an Orc head on a Gnome body! And that’s another thing, too — the Orc faces are also ugly. I would love to play an Orc, but that option is completely thrown out because of the limited and, honestly, disrespectful selection.

Rogue problems

I invite you to imagine a scaffolding, and beneath that scaffolding is a boss that needs killing, and sitting atop that scaffolding is a Rogue Assassin ready to one-shot this boss with a special arrow, no problem. Well, yes problem. Lots of problems.

First issue I discovered: You cannot Sneak Attack with special arrows. Why is this an issue? Well, mechanically, Sneak Attack is something you have to manually trigger as a separate attack, so you can’t stack a special arrow and Sneak Attack. This should be a prompt when any attack meets the appropriate conditions, like how Barbarians get a prompt for Reckless Attack if they miss. But it’s not, so damn your special arrows.

Another issue is the Rogue Assassin’s Assassinate ability, which prompts a critical hit if the enemy is surprised and you successfully hit the target. However, this ability doesn’t trigger unless you’re in combat. So even if you attack an enemy that’s completely unaware of your presence, and you, I don’t know, surprise them, the Assassinate ability still won’t trigger. What’s the point of my assassin if they can’t be assassinating? I get that you can boost initiative bonuses and still have this be effective in combat, but the state of combat should not impact one’s abilities.

I just want to do a hundred points of damage to a boss in one strike, is that really so bad? {Insert cat pleading face}

Cantrips? More like CanYouTakeAShortRestPlease

Mage Hand — one of the most useful spells in D&D. It’s quick, versatile, doesn’t take concentration, and lasts a whole minute. But in Baldur’s Gate 3 it can act as a combatant as well. Great, right? No.

In a trade for its usefulness in combat, Mage Hand has now been reduced to a Short Rest cooldown. That is such a bad deal. There are only two Short Rests per day before you have to take a Long Rest. That means you can cast Mage Hand only three times a day. That’s not how a Cantrip is supposed to work at all. 

Get rid of Mage Hand as a combatant — I don’t need it as that, and let me use it as intended. Or even better, limit its use in combat to once per Short Rest and let me use it outside of combat as much as I want. 

This isn’t the only feature that comes with a new Short Rest stipulation. Find Familiar suffers a similar issue.

Goblin Camp aggression

Okay, this one ruined me for hours (light spoilers ahead). One of the overarching narratives of Act I is the Grove vs. Goblins. I am siding with the Grove on this playthrough, but I managed to talk my way into the Goblin camp without issue.

Once you save a certain important NPC, they task you with killing the three Goblin leaders and state that it could be done stealthily. Fair enough. So, I go on my merry way to seek out the Goblin leaders. I managed to get one of them alone; they got one-shot killed with a level two Divine Smite and then tossed into a pit. Easy. No one noticed, and everyone was friendly with me.

The second one was tougher. I couldn’t get them alone and they were sitting on a throne in front of everyone. Imagine a scaffolding — yes, this is the same exact scenario I mentioned earlier. Well, regardless of my Rogue issues, I managed to murder them without triggering combat and without being discovered (it still took a couple of out-of-combat rounds). Awesome, right? Nope. Goblins were pissed at me.

What did I do wrong? Should I not directly kill them? Alright, let’s try another method. So then I cast Minor Illusion over a rickety bridge and lead the boss over there. I shot the support beam with a crossbow and down went the boss into oblivion. A workplace accident! It could have happened to anybody. But that was the problem, it didn’t happen to anybody, it happened to the boss, and the Goblins didn’t care if I was undiscovered. The moment that this boss dies, the Goblin camp turns hostile. 

I spent hours trying to perfect this kill. Eventually I took some deep dives on Reddit and FextraLife to find out that everyone has experienced the same thing. It is designed this way. As soon as the leader dies, the Goblins turn on you. This is such a spit in the face to the player’s agency and ability to handle situations covertly. 

I haven’t touched Baldur’s Gate 3 after learning the truth. However, when I get back, I’m going to murder that whole Goblin camp. What’s the point of being a sneaky little devil if it’s going to land me in the same place? Open murder it is.

{Insert frustrated face}

Dishonorable mentions

There are many little things in Baldur’s Gate 3 that send me reeling. That doesn’t stop me from loving the heck out of it. But here are some honorable mentions.

Every time I accidentally Dash instead of Hide or Hide instead of Dash I want to scream — why is there no undo button?

Why do I have to switch back and forth between Explorer and Balanced mode to mess with the multiclassing? It’s just an unnecessary step. I want a story-focused experience, not a bat to my knee caps.

This is probably the PS5’s fault, but why the hell is there a save file limit? I literally hit the cap in hour two of my journey (YES I SAVE A LOT OKAY).

Shared inventory in camp! Please, if I go to camp, I should not have to bring every member in and out of my party like a mad game of musical chairs to manage their inventory and gear.

Spellbooks — why can’t I see what my wizard has available when I’m shopping without him? Even when I’m shopping with him I have no idea what he has or doesn’t have unless I screenshot his spellbook. I can see which items Gale can eat, but not which spells he’s learned? Come on.

Like I said, some of my issues here can totally be resolved via an update, but others are just criticisms of deliberate choices that likely won’t change. I love Baldur’s Gate 3, but sometimes it makes me want to tear my hair out.

NBA 2K24 celebrating Kobe Bryant, is out now as of Sept. 8, 2023. While it's too soon for a price drop, one of the best gaming deals so far includes a freebie.  

For a limited time, get a free $5 Domino's gift card when you buy NBA 2K24: Kobe Bryant Edition (Steam Game Code) for $59 from Newegg. Or, get a $10 Domino's gift card when you buy the $99 NBA 2K24 Black Mamba Edition for PC. For you Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One owners out there, get up to $35,000 VC for free with your purchase of an NBA 2K24 digital code at Newegg. 

The latest release of the fan-favorite NBA 2K franchise improves upon the series with responsive gameplay and enhanced graphics. NBA 2K24 aims to deliver the most realistic NBA 2K gaming experience to date complete with new defense and dribble combo controls. 

In celebration of the late, great Kobe Bryant, Mamba Moments mode lets players replicate Bryant's signature skills. During gameplay, you'll execute his most legendary performances on the court. Rise from his days as a young, up and coming phenom to one of the greatest NBA players of all time.

New to NBA 2K24 is ProPLAY, an innovative imaging technology that converts actual NBA footage into NBA 2K24 gameplay right on your screen. 

Newegg's NBA 2K24 offers end Sept. 17 whereas the NBA 2K24: 25th Anniversary Edition promo ends Sept. 10.

Today's best NBA 2K24 deals

NBA 2K24 for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One

• NBA 2K24 Xbox One w/ 15,000 VC: $59.99 @ Newegg
• NBA 2K24 Xbox Series X|S w/ 15,000 VC: $69.99 @ Newegg
• NBA 2K24: Black Mamba Edition w/ 35,000 VC: $99 @ Newegg
• NBA 2K24: 25th Anniversary Edition: w/ 35,000 VC: $149 @ Newegg  (ends Sept. 10)

Starfield is the latest RPG craze of the month, at least before Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty launches at the end of September. But with any new game, you might be struggling to figure out a certain mechanic, maybe like a flashlight?

You think it would be obvious, but it's easy to miss how the flashlight works in Starfield, so don't feel so bad.

Here's how to turn on the flashlight in Starfield.

How to turn on flashlight in Starfield

Step 1. Equip your Space Helmet (yes, that's where your flashlight is).

Step 2. Hold down the LB button or F key on the controller or keyboard, respectively, to switch it on or off.

It's as simple as that. Keep in mind that if you just press the button without holding it down that it'll bring up your Scanner instead.

There are plenty of dark spaces in the opening of Starfield and throughout the game, so try not to find yourself without a source of light.

Happy spelunking!

A Saturday afternoon back in 2019 found me with a Blue Moon in one hand and a controller in the other, jumping into Remnant: From the Ashes, a co-op romp that occasionally left a bitter taste in my mouth (it wasn’t the beer, I promise). 

Fast forward to 2023 to find me with a full human baby in one hand and yet another controller in the other, jumping into Remnant 2, expecting another fun, but shallow take on the soulslike genre, but I was greeted by an unexpectedly sweet flavor.

Remnant 2 is without a doubt the biggest glow up I’ve seen in a modern gaming sequel, and has quickly cemented itself as one of my favorite co-op experiences.

Did that just happen?

There are so many things that make Remnant 2 work, but my favorite moments were when my sister and I were exploring separate sections of one area and individually experienced something that couldn’t be recreated, so much so that one of us was questioning the other’s sanity.

In Losomn, there are these large sewer grates all around town, and my sister approached one to grab an item, only to be grabbed by a giant rat man and murdered instantly. I was in shock when she screamed, and then we ran around town to see if we could find the creature — no dice. We completed Losomn multiple times without ever recreating that sequence, so I naturally teased her about it. 

We didn’t think about it again until we got to Yaesha and stumbled upon a new Archetype (class). “We couldn’t have missed an archetype in Losomn, could we?” At this point, we had thoroughly cleared Losomn, or so we thought. “You’re going to be so mad,” my sister said. She then explained that the sewer grate rat man needed to grab us and take us to a bone pit, which is where we unlock the Alchemist, the hidden archetype of Losomn. 

She was right, I was pissed, but it made for a hilarious adventure and story that we got to share together.

A helping hand

There are plenty of Archetypes in Remnant 2, but my favorite have to be the Handler and the Medic because those are the classes my sister and I pursued separately, with her going for the latter. You can play with two classes at a time, but those were our primary Archetypes (that matters — the primary gets a special perk).

Our duo was quite the dream team. My sister was a focused melee medic, so she took all the hits and healed them back up very quickly while sharing those heals via rings and amulets. I never had to worry about healing myself, so I focused on ranged DPS. But when one of us went down, my lovely puppy (perk of the Handler) would revive us. That synergy kept us alive through the most ridiculous battles, including the one against Legion.

There’s comfortable room to play with Archetypes and abilities that work well with your team. For example, I had the Summoner Archetype active throughout the fight against the Corruptor (one of the toughest fights we’ve experienced), and my summons were effectively useless as damage dealers. However, they were taking constant damage from the boss. That may not seem like a great thing, but my sister’s abilities let her heal constantly, and she would regain a Relic (health potion-ish) every time she healed a certain amount of damage. That means she continued to get Relics throughout the fight without a risk to either of us. This is a clutch ability that saved us through countless bosses.

Every new item, ability, and class were on the table for us to experiment and optimize our cooperative play.

This game will never end

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve advocated more for shorter games with better paced narratives. However, there’s something about going through the shit with your best friend and laughing hysterically because the hits keep coming and they don’t stop coming (thanks, Smash Mouth).

We had completed Losomn twice in a row because we wanted to explore different choices and get some of the randomly generated rooms we missed, but we thought we were missing something more. There were events in the Oracle’s quilt that hadn’t shown up yet, so did we just need to reroll adventure mode again? 

Well, we did, and that’s when we lost it. Losomn had always started in the Palace Courtyard and the campaign revolved around the One True King. Not this time. We started in Morrow Parish and the campaign completely changed — now we had to navigate The Asylum to defeat the mysterious Nightweaver. We screamed, “What do you mean there’s another campaign?!”

We were in awe by the absolute size and diversity of what one player could experience across the multitude of worlds in Remnant 2. There are four worlds outside of The Labyrinth (primary narrative), and for those keeping track at home, that means there are eight potential mini-campaigns you can experience outside of the overarching narrative. Wild.

This is all to say that Remnant 2 embodies mechanical and natural circumstances to create a cooperative adventure of choice, daring, and chaos.

Rip my soul out and throw it in the deepest dark of the underworld. I played and finished Stray Gods in one sitting and I felt immensely unsatisfied. 

Was it me? Did I make the wrong choices? Or does the game just end a little too shallowly? I went for the romances too late in the game, but that can’t be it, can it? No. It was just the one failure.

I went down a rabbit hole to see what other people thought about the game, and I fortunately stumbled upon this Gayming Mag story, describing the writer’s “favorite love story” of the year. I was heartbroken — I made a series of mistakes, but one mistake in particular ruined my playthrough: I overlooked Freddie.

It’s sadly poetic because I had no idea how she felt, and that’s the tragic reality of unrequited love. But my advice to you is to make it requited. If you don’t want to be spoiled, just leave with that advice. Otherwise, let’s get into my journey of love.

“I am drifting, cold waters”

I adore romance in video games — I always go for one, and enjoy selecting what’s right for the character and my own personal tastes. However, I didn’t know the romance candidates ahead of time, and so when presented with the very quick option to pull at a romance thread with Freddie, your best friend, I shut it down. My tragic mistake started at the beginning.

So Freddie was out, then came the gods — yes, the Greek gods. You’re on the clock to solve the murder of the last Muse, and you are surrounded by gods that you can’t trust. It was hard to pursue a romance with Apollo, Persephone, or Pan because they were all suspects. Also, the only romantic interaction I had with any of them that felt natural was Apollo when I teased him in his trashy house.

I realized that time was running out on the romantic bit, so I just went for one with Persephone. Who doesn’t love a butch mommy of hell? Well, I didn’t, not after the underworld. You see, at the end of Act II, Grace and Freddie go back to the Reliquary to investigate Calliope’s footsteps. We get caught off guard by the killer’s underlings, and Freddie sacrifices herself for us. Persephone convinces us that we can bring her back if we take Hades’ throne for her. That was a lie, and I immediately broke things off with Persephone when I found out.

However, the worst of my mistakes came soon after. We did find Freddie in the underworld. Grace couldn’t let go, but Freddie told us “It’s Time.” I was given a choice, one that was followed by a heartbreaking desperate plea from Grace that called on Freddie’s given name (ugh, my heart). Either give up my godhood and save Freddie, or let her go. This was a complex moral quandary. I was selfish in that I not only wanted to keep my godhood, but wanted to respect her wishes because I didn’t want her to hate me. 

So I let her go. I ended up alone and unsatisfied.

“If Only”

“That can’t be it, can it?” I hated how shallow everything felt at the end. What am I missing? That’s when I found out about Freddie. It’s funny, the trophy actually came before the blog. It read “Returned Freddie’s feelings.” I was completely blindsided. It wasn’t that Freddie was a simple romance choice — she was already in love with Grace. Not only that, but pursuing Freddie radically changes the entire story.

So I took a shower, thought about it, and quickly decided to rush back onto Stray Gods (it was 11 p.m. at this point). I was going to have my ending no matter what it cost. I needed to know how things end. (Also, I wanted to hear new musical numbers, duh.)

I dove back in and I chased Freddie to the ends of the underworld. It was then I noticed, in choosing the romantic dialogue options, that the deep-seeded love in Freddie for Grace was rather obvious. I got to enjoy new paths that the story offered along the way, but then we came all the way back around to the underworld.

Freddie once again told me that “It’s Time.” But this time, with effort, I told her that “Who knows what comes next… but I will face it beside you.” Then I quite literally ripped the soul of a god out of my chest and gave it to Farishta. Giving up godhood was a selfless act, but the selfishness kicks back in when you realize you’ve given all the woes of that godhood to someone who didn’t want it.

So what does happen next? Well, Grace is no longer the Muse. Freddie is upset. Grace and Freddie talk, they argue, then the bomb drops. “Grace, I sacrificed myself because I love you.” Then we have the choice — “I feel the same way. I always have.” It’s then that I realized it was never unrequited love from Freddie. They both loved each other for years. This cemented Grace and Freddie as the only canon romance in my mind. 

However, love did not blossom — we got an emotionally chaotic musical number called “If Only.” It captured the regret of never revealing one’s true feelings until it was too late. Freddie was traumatized by resurrection and Grace lost her gift. It was a recipe for resentment. Despite loving one another, it might’ve been too late for them.

I was scared at this point. Did I make the wrong turn in the musical number? Did I not say the right things? I didn’t know what to think. If I messed up this ending again, I was going to lose it. Then Grace left for the auditorium to sing a reprise of “Adrift.” This was tough to listen to because Grace was no longer a Muse. The first time I listened to this, the spirits of Calliope sang along with Grace and I got to see the history of the Muse. But no, Grace was alone. It crushed me. I doubted if reviving Freddie was even the right choice anymore.

Then came “The Trial” — the finale of Stray Gods. I didn’t know what to expect. Grace was no longer a Muse, so how would she challenge the killer? That’s when Freddie showed up. Her appearance changed how the journey of the trial went. Freddie once again stood at my side in the face of her killer, singing, “I’m okay dying again, if it’s with you.” Ugh, my heart melted, but does that mean I made the right choice?

“If Only (Reprise)”

I didn’t get the trophy for pursuing the Freddie love story, so I patiently waited until the aftermath of Act III, nervously bouncing my leg. I got some lovely recaps about all of the gods and what they’ve been up to since the trial. Then I finally asked about Freddie; she’s making the best out of a wild situation. We wrapped up our little chat and Apollo and Persephone invited us out for drinks, but Freddie said we’d catch up. “HERE IT COMES” I shouted with my whole chest.

That’s when we got the final and solo musical number, “If Only (Reprise).” Freddie reveals that the underworld has forever changed her, but her love never faded, and she sings, “I’m tethered to you, I’m free.” Both souls were adrift, searching in cold waters, in their hearts they remained, and did not sail in vain.

Farishta closes out our story with one final line: “It wasn’t too late. It was fate.” They kissed and I smiled until it hurt before I realized it was 3 a.m. and that I desperately needed to go to sleep. Stray Gods is about being lost and finding your way. In my first playthrough, I didn’t feel like I found anything. However, with Freddie, I felt the most lost and the most found.

Over 35 hours in and each moment of Sea of Stars tantalizes me, pulling me in only to break my ankles and have me crawl back to my desk to write this piece. All I want to do is play Sea of Stars.

I started watching the promotions for Sea of Stars shortly after it got funded on Kickstarter and was enamored by the dynamic combat and traversal. It almost looked too good to be true.

Well, it is — true, and good, stupidly good, so good that I can’t go back to traditional turn-based RPGs. Sea of Stars has ruined me.

Hit me, baby, one more time

Screaming exclamatives at the top of my lungs every time I miss a crucial bonus attack or block is my daily routine with Sea of Stars.

You see, every attack and skill can get a little boost if you hit the action button in sync with the animations. This could increase damage or even add an additional attack. The latter is the most crucial when you’re dealing with enemies that charge up special attacks. In order to break a special attack, you have to match your attacks to the locks that are presented above the enemy’s character model. Sometimes, you have to think outside the box to fulfill the requirements and that’s because of your low MP.

MP fuels all of your skills, and there’s not a lot to go around, so you have to be very judicious with how you spend your skills, especially in the beginning. Regular attacks will net you some MP back, but every time you take a move, the enemy gets closer to striking, bringing me to my next point.

You are the turn order. Typically, a turn-based game bounces around randomly between enemy and ally, or even goes from ally team to enemy team, but Sea of Stars does neither. In one round, you have to take three turns with different characters before previously used characters can act again. And the enemy acts based on how many turns you’ve taken. Their turn timers are clearly displayed (usually from 1 to 4), so you have to strategize around taking the least amount of damage from the least number of enemies while doing the most damage to the most enemies.

But sometimes you just have to take the hit — and that’s where you have to remain vigilant because you have an opportunity to block the attack, reducing the overall damage. Sometimes, enemies attack twice in one turn, or even attack your whole party, so it can be tricky to get off a perfect block.

Sea of Stars suggests that these bonuses aren’t crucial to the gameplay and you should be fine without them — poppycock! I’ve gotten my ass kicked so many times by this game and that’s all while trying my best to get the bonus strikes and blocks. Despite how strategic I play in battle, I’ve never felt underleveled or desired to grind, which I have a love/hate relationship with.

That’s not all for combat — there are even combos, ultimates, and a mechanic called Live Mana, which are obtained when you attack regularly, and you can use them to charge attacks and skills for more damage and an elemental charge. You can even cook meals, which act like potions or items in other RPGs. (Meal prep is the key to victory in real life and Sea of Stars).

This is all to say that I’ve never felt more engaged in a turn-based game before. Sea of Stars nails it.

Across the Sea of Stars

Trying to interpret a squawking bird that sends me around the globe on the hunt for goodies that may or may not be out of date has become a part of my nightly routine in Sea of Stars.

The core combat is amazing, but the presentation and traversal are what suck me into this world that Sabotage Studios crafted with such care. Key components include no random encounters and no transitions to separate battlefields. What you see is what you get — well, sometimes.

While limited to a top-down view, Sea of Stars takes full advantage of its multi-directional space and makes traversal as active as it can given the limitations. You can swim, climb, vault, jump, and use a number of special abilities to manipulate the world around you. And in true RPG-tradition, you can sail a ship.

Despite its linear narrative (which I love), there’s so much to explore in the areas that you traverse, whether it’s finding the right angle to see that Rainbow Conch chest or when you must return to use a new traversal ability to open a path toward untold rewards.

Naturally, there’s a mini-game that I terribly sucked at called Wheels — in line with the game’s combat, it involves a dash of luck and resource management.

Did I mention you could fish? Yeah, and it's not a terrible nightmare like a certain other game (cough-Stardew Valley-cough)

What wraps everything so neatly together is the hypnotic tunes and the bold art style. Jumping into this world feels like a fresh new experience each time.

The difference between Sea of Stars and the classics it's inspired by is a combination between the authenticity of a familiar vibe and quality of life changes that round out into a phenomenal experience.

Bottom line

Sea of Stars is inspired by beloved RPGs, but every work of art was once inspired by a classic before it became a classic itself. Sea of Stars is a gem of this era, and in a decade’s time, you’ll see it make “best games” lists across the world. You can call that my own prophecy — all because I want to share one of my favorite quotes from this game.

“Prophecies are not swayed by the attention we give them.”

It’s rare that a highly anticipated game of mine meets and exceeds my expectations. But Sabotage Studios created my favorite RPG. It did the work, and, like Thanos, it can finally rest (just kidding, make more games, please). Now that I’m done writing this, I’m going to put a few more hours into Sea of Stars. 

It’s been one year since I got my Steam Deck, and it was fun for a while, but it now collects dust as a system that just can’t hang anymore. My friend once said a very generic quote: a romance that burns twice as bright burns half as long. I never knew she would be referring to a handheld gaming PC.

I remember it like it was yesterday — hurriedly trying to buy my Steam Deck in the middle of a field with poor signal, back when we were given a limited window to secure one. It was an amazing feeling to finally get the confirmation email, and the first few months of use were spectacular!

But as the months carried on, newer games came out that either stressed the system too much or required the graphics be turned down to full-on potato mode (hello, The Last of Us Part I). My love for the Steam Deck was short-lived.

What’s the problem?

It comes down to a paradox between the way Valve is treating the Steam Deck, and the constantly evolving state of the games on Steam. Put simply, it’s being treated as a console while the visual fidelity of PC games continues to move forward.

You see, following this kind of method works for gaming laptops because there is enough room to stuff it full with power. Laptop GPUs are able to play AAA games for a few years. The rather limited power of the APU in the Steam Deck has already seen its limits exceeded by a lot of games.

Developers have thought preemptively about this, and there are lower graphics options across some current games. But while some games do manage to look fantastic (Spider-Man for example), most titles end up not looking so hot. Cyberpunk 2077’s visual artifacting paired with a lack of detail is a huge distraction from the storytelling.

However, this won’t be the only victim. Given how locked down other systems are, it’ll happen to the likes of the Asus ROG Ally, too.

What can Valve do to fix this?

The answer is simple on paper: make its power futureproof. However, it’s rather complicated. Valve has already talked openly about a Steam Deck 2 — focussing on providing a bigger screen and better battery life, but with no set release anytime soon.

One interesting thing that came out of these comments is the fact that game developers prefer developing to “one spec” rather than having a ton of different configurations to adapt to. While this is true for console gaming, Steam Deck doesn’t play console games. It plays PC titles, and developers are already creating all the graphical variabilities for different levels of power.

So since this argument doesn’t hold much water, allow me to propose two scenarios for the second generation Steam Deck that could keep its prime position in the handheld gaming PC fight:

• Going OP on power: The AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme is working wonders in the Asus ROG Ally (as you saw from the comparison tables from above), so Valve will need to double down on its performance capabilities for Steam Deck 2. My dream would be to see some form of Nvidia-based APU (or even a smaller dedicated GPU) that is able to support DLSS 3.0.
• Modularity: This one is probably going to be next-to impossible to pull off, but hear me out. We’re playing PC games on the Steam Deck, so why not treat the hardware like a PC? Valve already celebrates how easily repairable the Deck is. To give users the option to switch out the APU module when a new one is released, upgrade the RAM, and make the battery replaceable would be huge for future proofing the system.

Time is running out

Unlike console gaming, playing on PC is ever-evolving. Because of that, after a year of owning a Steam Deck, it already feels tired when it comes to trying to play new releases.

Don’t get me wrong. If you are conscious about your use case for a Steam Deck (indie titles, older games, and emulation), you’ll have a fantastic time with it. Not only that, but select developers are working hard on making their AAA games work well on the handheld.

However, this admirable effort can’t make up for the fact that the power potential of this device has been far exceeded. I am holding on to my love for my Steam Deck, but Valve has a lot of catching up to do with its next generation hardware.

F1 Manager 2023 is here, and in short, this feels like the game that should have launched last year. 

Not to say that F1 Manager 2022 was bad per se — it introduced us to the fascinating world of managing an F1 team in style with a great menu structure that broke down the detail nicely, and the racing action was a lot of fun.

But with a rather limited AI, any sort of competition quickly slipped away once you figured out the quick hacks to outsmart it. Not only that, but with a long-form career as the only mode, there wasn’t any way to jump into a quick game to brush up your skills.

So let the racing nerd of Laptop Mag, with reviews of both F1 23 and Gran Turismo 7 alongside the Thrustmaster T248 under his belt, tell you why F1 Manager 2023 is a huge step in the right direction for the series. Not perfect, but pretty damn great.

PC Performance

Just like last year, F1 Manager 2023 performs admirably across all the systems I tested. This includes my Asus TUF Gaming F15 with 12th Gen Intel Core i7 and RTX 3060, which hit an average of 55 frames per second (FPS) on ultra settings. 

Bumping up to the best gaming laptop I have, the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 8 (Intel Core i9-13900HX, RTX 4070), and you’re easily maxing out the frame rate without breaking a sweat. Going back to my old ass Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 with a GTX 1650 and 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen 5, I could get 50 FPS (with some occasional stuttering) on medium settings.

But what about my Steam Deck crew? I see you! On medium settings, you’re still hitting a 39 FPS average. But on a far smaller screen, you can get away with low and still get a pretty game, bumping it back up to 48 FPS.

What’s new?

I’ve seen a lot of reviews racing off the line for launch day. Given we just got the codes towards the end of last week, I wanted to spend a little more time getting to know the new features, really grasp what has changed about the AI, and spot any bugs that others have missed. Let’s break it all down:

• Race Replays and Exclusive Scenarios provide easier drop-in gameplay: Instead of relying on the longer campaign mode, you can either replay challenges from past races this year or dip into one of 14 wild scenarios Frontier has created (such as rain in Bahrain), getting you to the action faster than playing out a race weekend.
• Driver progression is not points based anymore: Adding a little element of strategic realism, you grow a driver’s confidence in his machinery over the course of the season, and develop them through a training program. Essentially, you play the role of a Sports Director in the team, too. This extends to training the pit crew (pay very close attention to this, as slow pit stops can ruin a race strategy).
• AI has been upgraded dramatically: The difference is night and day between this and F1 Manager 2022. No longer do all the drivers and teams follow an identical strategy and drive in a long DRS procession without any real overtaking. There is wheel-to-wheel racing, and a variety of strategies and decisions on race pace being made, alongside a greater impact of driver rating on performance, and longer term upgrade plans to each car. You can’t just build an OP car with two updates and win the whole thing anymore!
• Driver skill will now begin to deteriorate with age: The level of how these degrade differ based on driver rating, but finally, no more super Hamilton racing late into his 40s because of zero age degradation.
• F1 Sprints are now in the game: It’s the old structure (one qualifying session, and a sprint race to go some way to deciding the final grid), and I would have preferred the secondary Sprint Qualifying session we see in this year’s season. But it’s an interesting curveball.

Do these changes matter?

In one word: yes. But let me explain further.

You’re still welcomed into the world of a Team Principal with an impressively authentic experience with close attention paid to the visuals and audio. Some of the car movements are a little janky, and there are some visual glitches, but I’m sure these will be cleared up in the next few months of updates. Overall, it’s a pretty experience (especially with the new helmet cam).

This extends to all the things you have control over, as the UI remains largely the same great, easily accessible structure that breaks down its most detailed elements in a digestible way with simple explainers.

But three things hampered the experience: accessibility, AI, and longevity. First of all, you couldn’t just drop into a quick race to manage, and the Race Replays fix that. Instead of needing to manage an entire weekend, you’re given a challenge with a team and driver to complete. It cuts down the amount of time you need to dedicate dramatically, and makes for great pick up and play action.

Second, with the huge improvements to the AI, every team presents its own unique set of challenges to your drivers. You are now forced to make important strategic decisions on the fly during the race — each with their own set of positive and negative implications for your race performance. Plan all you want before the race, but it’s these in-the-moment decisions that drive the most fun of this game.

Is the AI perfect? No. The competing cars were suspiciously overpowered for the first three laps, and we had a rather hilarious moment of being overtaken on the track under the safety car with no penalties applied to anyone. But it’s a helluva lot smarter than last year.

As for longevity, that comes with additional elements you’ve got to manage. There is no more points-based progression system where you can choose which individual driver traits to spend them on. You have to put them through a training program to focus on particular elements. Not only that, but you’re training the pit crew, too. These, alongside the pre-existing features of designing upgrades for the car and updating your HQ, makes for a pretty comprehensive set of elements to look after and maintain over a longer term.

What’s missing?

With the addition of age degradation, there is a renewed focus on scouting F2 and F3 drivers to bring to your team. In doing so, it’s made me realize two final pieces to the puzzle that would make this game an excellent addition to any management nerd’s library.

Think about Football Manager. My favorite element is taking a low league team like Notts County and getting them up to win the Premier League, performing a football miracle like Ryan Reynolds with Wrexham FC (but with the bank account equivalent of a sad face). F1 Manager could give people this thrill too by adding F3 and F2 racing to the equation, but it’s not present yet.

Not only that, but I’d love to make a team, design the car decals, logo, and take my own creation from zero to racing hero. This would be a fascinating twist and add a real sense of personality to the game, beyond my own desire to annihilate Red Bull and rub it in Christian Horner’s face.

Bottom Line

Unlike Ferrari’s strategy calls, F1 Manager 2023 is well thought out. The AI improvements really introduce that drama of on-the-fly race day strategy calls like last year’s iteration never did, and the variety of game modes provide the option to drop into some quick challenges or go long.

There are still some elements that need some work, including some visual oddities, a use of old Sprint race rules over this year’s layout, and some UI annoyances (e.g.,not seeing track weather predictions before a race begins). I’d also love to see this go the way of Football Manager, which gives you the opportunity to manage your own team up from F3 through to the big leagues.

But this is a damn good starting point to build on — an impressive upgrade over 2022 that isn’t just scarily addictive, but keeps your attention for a lot longer, too.

Prime Day is here and we're seeing great deals on some of the best laptops, but there are also truck loads of gaming deals out there. But we found some of the CHEAPEST deals.

If you're looking for quantity on Prime Day, here are games you can get for $5 or less.

Listen, if your budget for video games is $5, there's not a lot of options in the way of Prime Day. You're probably better off deep diving on Steam or Epic for some games.

At least half of these titles are good, and I'll leave it up to your imagination as to which ones I think are and are not. But a common thread between most of these games is EA -- they're obviously taking advantage of Prime Day.

If you're looking to expand your budget, there are tons of games on sale for Prime Day, you just need to know where to look (aka our site).

Right now, you can get The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom for just $51 @ Amazon.

We're hours away from Prime Day 2023 and I just found the Nintendo Switch Prime Day deal I was looking for at Best Buy instead of Amazon. This is precisely why I advise my fellow bargain shoppers to compare prices across retailers. This week's Best Buy Black Friday in July sale Prime Day rivaling Nintendo Switch deals to take on Amazon's big summer sale. 

Best Buy currently offers Ring Fit Adventure for just $49. It normally retails for $79, so that's $30 off and the lowest price we've seen it drop to. By comparison it's $24 cheaper than Amazon's current price. Ring Adventure rarely goes on sale so I recommend you grab it while you can. 

This is one of the best Nintendo Switch deals of the summer so far. 

Ring Fit Adventure is a fast and exciting workout RPG that beats going to the gym. It's ideal for anyone looking for a fun and creative way to sweat. 

Ring Fit Adventure comes with a Leg Strap to slide your Switch Joy-Cons into and a flexible Ring-Con flexible hoop. During the game's obstacle course-like adventure, you'll push and pull the ring's dual padded grips to gather coins, blast obstacles, and float into the air. While all that sounds fun, it's genuinely a fast way to break a sweat. 

As an alternative to the obstacle course, Ring Fit Adventure has custom, performance-tracking exercise routines and mini-games. Crate Crasher, for example, makes you squeeze the Ring-Con rapidly, generating wind gusts to blow down stacked wooden boxes.

Although Ring Fit Adventure can't fully replace traditional workouts, it's a great way to burn calories at home. 

Looking for something else? Best sure visit our Amazon Prime Day deals 2023 hub for fantastic summer discounts on gaming, mobile tech and more. 

I love Final Fantasy 16 — everything from its combat to its brutal storytelling makes me excited to be a gamer in the Year of the Realm 2023. It’s one of my favorite Final Fantasy games, and an RPG that’ll be near and dear to my heart forever. Not every Final Fantasy or RPG needs to be like this one, but there’s one feature that Final Fantasy 16 has that every game needs to jump on: Active Time Lore.

Active Time Lore is a feature that lets you pause in the middle of a cutscene or gameplay and display encyclopedic entries pertaining to relevant events in-game, such as persons, land and histories, mysteries of the realm, and bestiaries.

The Active Time Lore feature along with its in-narrative historian and library, Harpocrates and The Thousand Tomes, are what made me so invested in the world of Final Fantasy 16. Role-playing games are huge and, more often than not, have a ton of lore than is tough to digest at the beginning of the narrative, but I always knew where I was and what was going on in Final Fantasy 16.

Why Active Time Lore works

Active Time Lore is tricky. “Show don’t tell” is the best way to introduce your worldbuilding in any type of narrative, and exposition is the death of narrative. However, Active Time Lore is kind of cheating because you get the best of both worlds. You give all your fun “show don’t tell” story beats without diving too much into the background all while providing this neat glossary for your exposition dumping. Is it the perfect way to deliver worldbuilding? No. Is it effective? Hell yes.

In a long-winded RPG with hundreds of moving parts, you’ll bore the players by having your characters, who should already know everything, explain which country they’re in and why that’s significant. Instead, Final Fantasy 16 drops just enough information in the game to make the narrative work, but if you really want to understand where you are and what’s going on in the world itself, Active Time Lore serves that need.

I say it’s a bit like cheating because Final Fantasy 16 doesn’t do enough “show don’t tell” to immerse the viewer into the world. It operates under the assumption that we are just a spectator in a completely different world. We get the big narrative beats, but Active Time Lore plays an essential part to understanding context.

However, out of all of the RPGs I’ve played, I’ve loved this method the most. I cannot tell you how many times I practically doze off during long winded expositions, or am forced to dig up in-game books that explain the lore of the world. Active Time Lore brings all of that right to me in bits and pieces, making it more than digestible.

The best part is that if you don’t want to activate Active Time Lore to interrupt the narrative flow, anything you’ve missed will be available in The Thousand Tomes, which is the encyclopedia that Harpocrates curates in the Hideaway. After every big mission, I grab a snack and hit up Harpocrates to catch up on all the lore I missed. On top of that, when you deliver information to Harpocrates, you’re able to level up your Wisdom — with each level up you’ll gain access to new esoteric lore about Valisthea.

Adopting Active Time Lore

Every RPG that has fiefdoms, alliances and long-winded histories needs a feature like Active Time Lore. The fact that RPGs have gone so long without it is mind-boggling. No, I don’t need to know what happened in the Year of the Realm 859 in order to understand the story, but knowing that information immerses me further into the world. And that’s the goal, right? Immersion.

I can tell you all of the major story beats in the Mass Effect trilogy, but I cannot for the life of me remember half of the species or why they’re significant. Sure, RPGs like Mass Effect have glossaries you can look through to get this information, but looking at a wall of text is discouraging. Active Time Lore piecemeals that information to you in each cutscene when new relevant information comes up.

Don’t even get me started with FromSoftware games like Elden Ring — that is one of the most “show don’t tell” your players anything type-of-games in recent memory. I would desperately love an Active Time Lore feature for a Soulsborne game. I don’t want to crawl to the depths of the underworld to fight a mega super boss to talk to one NPC that’ll have two words of vague dialogue implying something wild happened there like 200 years ago.

Even The Witcher 3, which is ironically many people’s first introduction to Geralt despite being the last entry in its mega series spanning from books to the two previous games, needed an Active Time Lore system. There is so much political intrigue that it can be hard to track who’s aligned with who and who killed who’s baby. That goes double for The Witcher because of its dynamic choice-based gameplay.

Bottom line

Final Fantasy 16 is revolutionary thanks to its Active Time Lore system. It has the potential to completely change how we tell stories in RPGs. It provides developers the opportunity to let players experience their world as a citizen and not a spectator putting together their own murder board.

I hope to see the Active Time Lore system in more Final Fantasy games as well as more RPGs in the future. It can even benefit longer games that aren’t technically RPGs like Red Dead Redemption 2 or God of War Ragnarök.

Active Time Lore is the sauce that makes the Chancer’s Stew.

Yes, Diablo 4 — the monster-crawling, dungeon-filled, explosive-multiplayer mosh pit — has too many damn monsters. Weird thing to complain about, right? Wrong. I’m just a lil guy trying to explore all of Sanctuary, but I can’t get anywhere because I keep tripping on a stupid spiked wall that my horse can’t jump over for some reason.

Listen, all of mommy Lilith’s thralls are going to burst in ice and flame when I’m done with them, so why rush headlong into the inevitability of death? Lilith, please, give me like 10 good minutes to search for your altars without having to body some gross-looking monstrosity.

All I want to do is explore and discover cool stuff, but Diablo 4 is littered with monsters — I can’t even fast travel without clearing a damn area.

Exploring with a monster and chain

Diablo 4 is the first truly open-world game in the series, but it feels more like a massive mosh pit of monsters than it does an inviting world to explore. Sure, there’s not a lot to do (which I’ll get more into later), but the stuff that I want to be doing is a challenge because some jamoke that thinks they're better than me wants to fight.

All I want to do is run around and nab those Altars of Lilith, fill out my exploration map, and grab any loose side quests. This takes way longer than it has to because of how many enemies there are on the map. Outside of Elites and Champions, there’s not a lot of real reasons to fight them. Regardless of whether or not I’m exploring, I’m usually running past them anyway to do something else. All of the real fighting happens in Events, Strongholds, and Dungeons.

Narratively, it makes sense that the world is overrun by monsters. The world of Sanctuary is dark as hell, both literally and figuratively. But I don’t need to be stopped every two seconds by a group of enemies that’ll just disappear at the click of a button anyway. 

Diablo 4 is about killing a crap-ton of monsters, I get that, but I want to see the world that those artists spent years making. Throw me into the picturesque desert wastes of the Dry Steppes, or the detailed mountains of the Fractured Peaks. I can stare at those beautiful landscapes and structures for hours — that is if I didn’t have to deal with Bob from Lilith’s accounting department trying to hustle me out of my gold.

Let me explore, damn it!

Isolate your monsters

Let’s be honest — we don’t need mobs running around Sanctuary to the extent that it does. Lilith has terrified the citizens of this world plenty, they get the idea — don’t mess with mommy. Get some of your baddies to take some vacation time. Leave the Elites and Champions where they are, then throw all of the monsters in isolated key areas, like camps, Events, and Strongholds. 

There are a lot of places where it makes sense to have monsters, and if you leave them in those areas, we won’t be lacking in baddies to kill. But you know what will happen? We can EXPLORE. Frolic in the swampy fields of Scosglen without fear of being mauled by an angry druid, or ride your horse in the rainforest of Kehjistan without being solicited by a demon!

However, if you take the monsters on a vacation to the Poconos, it starts to become very evident that there’s not a lot around in Sanctuary. Granted, Diablo 4 was never going to be the kind of game where exploration was a key feature — monster-killing is. Despite that, a wonderful example of world-building were the tablets in Act 1 strewn throughout Kasama. They gave you a wider understanding about Sanctuary and how Lilith fits into it.

Diablo has more lore than I even know what to do with. A great idea would be to take advantage of that — throw some fun lore dumping oddities around Sanctuary. Give me more stuff to do, and I’ll be a happy gamer.

Bottom line

Running into an army of demons while I’m exploring Sanctuary is kind of like stubbing a toe — screaming expletives at the top of my lungs. Diablo 4 is already pretty long, so I don't need to be delayed by Mephisto’s second cousin who wants to talk about “family.”

I'm not seriously peeved about the number of monsters in Diablo 4, except when I’m trying to fast travel and I get stopped by a stray magic orb, but I do think Sanctuary should’ve been more than just a monster sandbox.

I don’t want a thousand miscellaneous activities, but any world that wants to be immersive can do with more environmental storytelling that isn’t from the inside of a demon’s stomach.

The Steam Summer Sale is here, and rolling out new PC games deals every day through July 13. If you're gaming on a budget, it's the best time of year to save big on thousands of PC games.

As part of the Steam Summer sale, you can save big on Hogwarts Legacy, Dead Space, Star Wars Jedi Survivor, and more. Not only that, but you can get 20% off the Steam Deck!

So if you want to liven up your library with new and latter day classics without spending a fortune, now is the time. Steam's Summer Sale is rolling out new PC game deals daily so that's a week's worth of savings. 

The Steam Summer Sale ends July 13. Oh, and to compound the sales mania, Prime Day 2023 is coming up real soon, so make sure you bookmark our site as we will be busy highlighting the best deals.

• Browse: All the Steam Summer Sale deals

Best Steam Summer Sale deals

Zelda fans rejoice! The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom price drop you were waiting for is now here. This season's best gaming deals are just rolling out ahead of Amazon's Prime Day sale which is on July 11-12 this year. 

In what appears to be a Prime Day preview, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is down to $59 at Amazon. That's $10 off and the game's lowest price to date. 

This is one of the best early Prime Day Nintendo Switch deals you can get today. 

Released on May 12, 2023, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is one of  the best Switch games for Zelda and action-adventure fans. It's Amazon's #1 new release video game and a worthy sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. 

Although we didn't review it, we got a first look at the game in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom gameplay showcase. It was satisfying to watch the game's hero, "Link" soar through the clouds and paraglide onto one of the many Sky Islands.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom reviews at Amazon rate it 4.9 out of 5-stars. Happy gamers like the more expansive world, weapon durability, and how the game tests your creativity. Others praise the game's story and focus on character development over previous Zelda titles.

In this latest release, the game's hero, "Link" has a new set of abilities for you to experience Zelda gameplay like never before. Forge weapons, reverse time, and go through solid objects above your head. The new Ultrahand ability lets you pick up and move just about any object and attach them together to build useful navigation tools like vehicles.

Now $10 off, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is at its best price yet. It's worth considering if you're looking for a new action-adventure game to get into.