character Archives

AppWizard

August 13, 2025

Elden Ring Nightreign’s next Everdark Sovereign is the GOAT. No, literally.

Players in Elden Ring Nightreign are preparing for a new boss encounter with Libra, Creature of Night, set to debut on August 14. Libra is described as a horned, magic-wielding creature that presents a significant challenge, with attacks causing madness buildup. Players can use Clarifying Boluses and talismans to mitigate this effect. Libra features a unique mechanic where he offers players a Faustian bargain at the start of each battle, allowing them to gain a boon in exchange for a bane. This mechanic also appears during random invasions, adding strategic depth to the gameplay.

AppWizard

August 13, 2025

Party action game LAPPY GAMES launches August 20 for Switch, August 27 for PC

Publisher TBS Games and developer WILL Co. Ltd. will release LAPPY GAMES, a party action game inspired by the TV series LOVE it!, on August 20 for Nintendo Switch and August 27 for PC via Steam, priced at 800 yen. The game supports multiple languages: English, Japanese, Korean, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese. It features up to four players in an online multiplayer setting, where the goal is to collect hearts alongside the character Lappy. Players can exchange collected hearts for items in a gacha system and expand their in-game encyclopedia. The game is designed to be accessible for players of all ages.

AppWizard

August 12, 2025

After all these years, Heretic plays better than it ever has—and thanks to Nightdive, even Hexen sucks far less

Last week, remastered versions of Heretic and Hexen were released, developed by Raven Software. Heretic, released in 1994, featured unique weaponry like the ethereal crossbow and allowed for strategic item use, but its gameplay was similar to Doom and its aesthetic less appealing than Hexen's darker tones. Hexen, released in 1995, attempted to blend RPG elements into the first-person shooter genre but often frustrated players with its complexity and hub-based level structure. Nightdive Studios made gameplay adjustments in both remasters, including tweaks to level design and weapon mechanics, such as reducing the ethereal crossbow's ammo capacity. Players can toggle these changes on or off. Heretic's level design has been appreciated for its sophistication, surpassing Doom 2, while Hexen's remaster includes a more user-friendly map and the ability to change character classes mid-game, enhancing accessibility.

AppWizard

August 11, 2025

Nancy Drew Series Still #1 in PC Games

Nancy Drew debuted in 1930 during the Great Depression, providing an escape for families and inspiring readers with her ingenuity and bravery. She transitioned into video games in the late 1990s, with HeR Interactive launching over 30 titles starting in 1998, allowing players to embody her character without seeing her physical form. However, after 2015, the franchise faced challenges, including layoffs and a decline in game quality, as the company shifted focus to attract younger mobile audiences. Despite these changes, the games are now appealing to a broader audience, including adults. Nancy Drew symbolizes the potential for female protagonists to inspire through intelligence and determination rather than violence.

AppWizard

August 11, 2025

Mafia: The Old Country PC Performance Analysis

2K Games unveiled Mafia: The Old Country, utilizing Unreal Engine 5. A performance analysis was conducted on PC with an AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D processor and 32GB of DDR5 RAM. Various GPUs were tested, including AMD Radeon RX 6900XT, RX 7900XTX, RX 9070XT, and NVIDIA RTX 2080Ti, RTX 3080, RTX 4090, and RTX 5080, on Windows 10 64-bit. The game features adjustable graphics settings for PC gamers and supports technologies like NVIDIA DLSS 4, Intel XeSS 2.0, and AMD FSR 4.0. Global Illumination has only High and Epic settings. Mafia: The Old Country lacks a built-in benchmark tool, so testing was done in a demanding area. At 1080p with Epic Settings, only the NVIDIA RTX 4090 exceeded 60FPS. No GPU achieved consistent 60FPS at Native 1440p and 4K on Epic Settings. The RTX 4090 had a minimum of 42FPS and an average of 51FPS at 4K. Adjusting settings to High improved performance by 28-48% at 4K on the RTX 4090. AMD FSR 4.0 performed well, with the RX 9070XT exceeding 60FPS at 4K on High Settings. The game features dynamic shadows and minor pop-in issues. It performs comparably to other Unreal Engine 5 titles on High Settings, requiring a powerful PC for optimal 4K gaming.

AppWizard

August 11, 2025

4 PC-exclusive classics that deserve a modern remake

Vampire: The Masquerade — Bloodlines (2004) is a flawed masterpiece that struggled with bugs and unfinished elements at release but features sharp writing and memorable characters. A modern remake could refine its dialogue and enhance gameplay. The first Witcher game, while adhering to the source material and featuring strong character development, suffers from clunky mechanics and performance issues. Rumors suggest a remake is in the works to update controls and accessibility. Half-Life 2 (2004) set a new standard for first-person shooters but has aged, particularly in visual fidelity. A modern remake could enhance graphics and AI, and address unresolved plot points. Thief: The Dark Project (1998) introduced stealth mechanics focused on subtlety and patience. A modern remake could improve its mechanics with advanced AI and ray-traced lighting, redefining the stealth genre.

AppWizard

August 11, 2025

This asynchronous autobattler is like Backpack Battles meets FTL

Down with the Ship is a recently launched demo on Steam that features asynchronous autobattling PvP, allowing players to assemble unique spaceships from spare parts. The demo includes three factions: The Imperial Faction, which focuses on critical hits; The Renegades, known for overwhelming firepower; and The Rust Cult, which uses degenerative rust effects to weaken opponents. The game is set to officially launch in the first quarter of 2026.

AppWizard

August 10, 2025

How to craft Copper Lantern in Minecraft | Esports News

The Copper Lantern will be introduced in Minecraft's Fall Drop update of 2025. It serves as a decorative light source with a copper frame and a green-tinted glow. To craft the Copper Lantern, players need 8 Copper Nuggets and 1 Torch. The Copper Nuggets are made by converting a Copper Ingot, which is obtained by smelting Raw Copper. The crafting arrangement requires the Torch in the center and the Copper Nuggets surrounding it. The Copper Lantern emits a light level of 15, can be used for decoration, prevents hostile mob spawning, and develops a weathered texture over time. It can be placed on blocks or hung from structures.

Winsage

August 10, 2025

Windows UAC Bypassed via Character Editor, Allowing Local Privilege Escalation

A cybersecurity researcher, Matan Bahar, has developed a method to bypass User Account Control (UAC) in Windows using the Private Character Editor (eudcedit.exe), which is located in C:WindowsSystem32. This utility, intended for creating user-defined characters, can be manipulated to grant attackers elevated privileges without user consent. The exploit takes advantage of the application manifest configuration of eudcedit.exe, which includes directives that allow the program to run with full administrative rights and enables an elevated PowerShell session. This method poses a significant security risk as it exploits a trusted Windows utility, highlighting vulnerabilities in Windows security architecture. Security professionals are advised to monitor unusual execution patterns related to eudcedit.exe and reconsider UAC configuration policies to mitigate such risks.

AppWizard

August 9, 2025

I finally played Duke Nukem Forever’s unfinished 2001 build, and while it probably would have been better than Gearbox’s fiasco, it still wouldn’t hold up today

Duke Nukem Forever was released in 2011 with outdated graphics and gameplay compared to its ambitious 2001 E3 trailer. A playable prototype of the 2001 version surfaced, revealing various levels and features, including the Ladykiller Casino and Hoover Dam, but it was unfinished and plagued by glitches. The prototype included navigational puzzles, scripted events, and innovative mechanics like vending machines for healing items. Combat mechanics showed potential, with satisfying weapon dynamics, but the overall experience felt disjointed and less cohesive as it progressed. The prototype demonstrated ambitious ideas but likely would not have stood the test of time alongside classics like Quake or Half-Life.