companions Archives

AppWizard

September 3, 2026

The bizarre spirit of classic Elder Scrolls games is alive and well in little lo-fi RPG A Short Quest

A tree instructs the narrator to deliver a note to the King, despite the absence of a monarch in the current playtest of A Short Quest. The playtest reveals various mysteries, including a pond that offers blueberries for jumping, a hidden note about a glyph cipher, and an encounter with a ghost wizard. Players engage with the environment to discover item functions without a quest log or map, leading to potential unintended consequences. The narrator finds a broken sword that allows parrying and hints at undiscovered uses, while even a simple rock can serve as a defensive tool. The Steam page mentions upcoming tools and companions, such as axes, daggers, and a pet dog. Skill trees for weapons and spells suggest diverse combat strategies, and a bandit advises targeting enemy knees. The developer, Silent Moon, describes the experience as a brief adventure, serving as a precursor to the anticipated The Elder Scrolls 6.

AppWizard

August 31, 2026

‘Sidequests are almost my reason for doing videogames in the first place:’ The dev behind one of the coolest upcoming RPGs says its word count is ballooning because they just love side stories so much

Entropy is an early access role-playing game featuring experimental, JRPG-style combat in a bizarre, fallen world. It is developed by Lovely Hellplace, the team behind the acclaimed Dread Delusion. Dread Delusion was praised for its first-person gameplay and engaging side quests, including themes of ethical dilemmas and memory. The writer Harry Tuffs contributed significantly to the game's narrative, while Io Brindle returns to help with Entropy. Initially intended to have a shorter narrative, the game's writing expanded due to rich character development. Entropy features a diverse party system with permadeath for all characters and is available on Steam for £8.99, along with a demo.

AppWizard

August 25, 2026

My FOMO over The Duskbloods not coming to PC evaporated once I actually played it

The Duskbloods is a multiplayer game exclusive to the Switch 2, which was tested in a closed network event. Players had access to only one map and six characters, with no build customization and significant input lag issues. The tutorial was incomplete, leaving many gameplay aspects unclear. The game features mechanics similar to MOBAs, where players collect Virtue points while battling AI-controlled enemies and other players. Players can recruit enemies as allies, adding a strategic element. The game has a nostalgic charm reminiscent of older titles, but it currently lacks the depth and cohesion seen in previous FromSoftware games. Director Hidetaka Miyazaki's comments suggest that the game may remain a Nintendo exclusive, similar to Bloodborne's situation.

AppWizard

August 24, 2026

Ray Chase, the voice of Cyclops in X-Men ’97, has ‘1,000 freaking hours’ in Slay the Spire and is running a ‘smell build’ in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2: ‘ I wear perfumes and walk into battle with my fancy boy outfit’

Ray Chase began his gaming journey on a DOS computer and was influenced by shareware games from his grandfather, including Duke Nukem 1 and 2, Ken's Labyrinth, and Wolfenstein 3D. He is a voice actor known for roles in hundreds of games, including Noctis in Final Fantasy 15 and Cyclops in X-Men '97. He is currently involved in the dating simulator Date Everything and is working on its next chapter. Chase enjoys playing Deltarune Chapter 5, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, and Mina the Hollower, praising their unique features. He has logged 600 hours in Slay the Spire, which he played from early access to release, and considers it one of his favorite games alongside Brotato. He uses Reaper and Audacity for voice recording and maintains a tidy desktop with minimal items.

AppWizard

August 23, 2026

If you’re desperate for more Baldur’s Gate 3, here’s a 6-hour mini-campaign all about Astarion with 4 different endings and 6 new companions

Larian Studios has stated they will not expand Baldur's Gate 3 further, but the modding community continues to create new content. A notable mod is a six-hour campaign titled A Dream of Silence ReVamped, inspired by an earlier text-based game by Abigail Corfman, structured into three acts, with the final act recently released. The mod can be downloaded from Nexus Mods. Additionally, Owlcat Games has shown interest in developing Baldur's Gate 4, while Larian is working on their next title in the Divinity series.

AppWizard

August 22, 2026

Russia Seeks New Charges Against Teenager Accused of Blowing Up FSB Building in Minecraft

Russia is intensifying its legal pursuit of Nikita Uvarov, a teenager arrested in June 2020 in Kansk for distributing political leaflets targeting the FSB. Uvarov, then 14, was apprehended alongside two peers and has since been referred to as part of the Kansk affair. The Investigative Committee is seeking to impose additional charges based on audio recordings obtained during his incarceration, alleging Uvarov's involvement in an extremist organization, which could extend his sentence by 12 years. He was originally sentenced to five years in prison on terrorism charges, with the FSB using his gameplay in Minecraft as evidence. Uvarov maintained his innocence, stating he was just a kid wanting to socialize. He is expected to be released in March 2026, but the new charges complicate his situation. His two companions were released without facing charges.

AppWizard

August 21, 2026

Don’t tell Nintendo, but I turned GTA 5 into Pokémon Go using a mod

In the modding community, there is an ongoing effort to transform Grand Theft Auto 5 into a version similar to GTA 6. Players have noted that vehicles traveling at supersonic speeds can severely impact anything in their path. The game's protagonists—Franklin, Michael, and Trevor—often appear to navigate Los Santos in solitude, prompting the desire to introduce companions into their adventures. A creative concept called Pokémon Go GTA Edition reimagines Los Santos as a hunting ground for Pokémon, featuring characters like Geodudes, Charmanders, and Pikachu. In this mod, only Trevor seems capable of hunting Pokémon, leading to encounters where he captures a Geodude and a Squirtle, while a Charmander escapes after a brief skirmish.

AppWizard

August 19, 2026

Subnautica 2’s latest 1.2 update is friend focused—finally adding the key mechanic to any great multiplayer game

Proximity chat will be introduced in Subnautica 2, allowing players to engage in local voice chats with audio quality that degrades as they move apart, enhancing communication and adding tension during exploration. The update will also include new player emotes for expressing emotions, improved inventory sharing that notifies players when their backpack is accessed, and a player revive feature that allows teammates to restore incapacitated players. These enhancements aim to enrich player interactions and provide a more immersive multiplayer experience.

AppWizard

August 15, 2026

RPG companions need to be hateable, otherwise nobody’s going to love them

Harvey Randall advocates for the inclusion of flawed, obstructive companions in RPGs to enhance storytelling. He reflects on his experience with Baldur's Gate 3, highlighting a romantic encounter with Gale that showcases the impact of character imperfections. In contrast, he critiques Dragon Age: The Veilguard for its lack of compelling character dynamics, resulting in bland archetypes. Randall discusses the "Halo effect," suggesting that flawed characters resonate more with players due to their reflection of real-life complexities. Research indicates that engaging narratives activate neurochemical responses associated with social bonding, fostering emotional connections. He argues that RPGs should embrace character imperfections to create richer interactions and encourage emotional investment from players.

AppWizard

August 15, 2026

WoW’s haunted: Players report that their disconnected friends’ characters are starting to play the game on their own

Players of World of Warcraft (WoW) have reported that since the release of the Midnight's 12.1 patch, disconnected characters are exhibiting unexpected behavior by moving and engaging in combat autonomously. A YouTube video shared on the WoW subreddit shows an Evoker character continuing to fight after the player disconnected. Longtime players have expressed discomfort at seeing characters perform actions that contradict typical disconnection cues. Other players have shared similar experiences, leading to speculation that this may be an early version of a disconnect protection feature. WoW has previously used NPC dungeon follower technology, suggesting that Blizzard might have adapted this technology to allow disconnected characters to continue participating in combat. As of now, Blizzard has not commented on this phenomenon.