depth Archives

AppWizard

February 21, 2025

Minecraft x Dungeons & Dragons – Official A New Quest DLC Trailer

Minecraft has released a collaboration with Dungeons & Dragons called "A New Quest DLC," featuring characters Katra and Vaer in the Forgotten Realms. Players can explore iconic locations like Icewind Dale and engage in various quests. The combat system allows for spellcasting and strategic encounters. Character customization is available, enabling players to choose their class and upgrade stats. Additionally, players can obtain a free Dragon Mask from the Dressing Room, enhancing character aesthetics.

AppWizard

February 21, 2025

Check out a Trailer for ‘Minecraft: The Manga’

Minecraft: The Manga, Vol. 1, published by VIZ Media, features a young adventurer named Nico who faces challenges in a world filled with zombies, including a unique speaking zombie. A free preview of the manga is available for fans.

AppWizard

February 21, 2025

Survival MMO Dune: Awakening launches in May and I am way more excited about it than I thought I’d be

Funcom has announced that Dune: Awakening will be released on May 20 for PC. The game is a survival MMO set in an alternate timeline of Arrakis, where players take on the role of a minion sent by the Bene Gesserit to find the Fremen and awaken the sleeper. Players will establish a base, fend off scavengers, and explore dungeons for resources. The gameplay includes exploration and combat, as well as building and customizing homes. As players progress, they will engage in the political dynamics of the Dune universe, navigating the Landsraad and aligning with various factions.

AppWizard

February 20, 2025

Xbox announces ‘a generative AI model for gameplay ideation’ called Muse, but don’t get too excited: Machines aren’t about to make games for you just yet

Microsoft announced its latest generative AI model, Muse, developed in collaboration with Microsoft Research and Ninja Theory. Muse is described as a "world and human action model (WHAM)" trained on Ninja Theory's Bleeding Edge. Microsoft aims to enhance the gaming experience by using AI to enrich player engagement and support game developers' creative processes. The company emphasizes that AI is intended to empower human creativity rather than replace it. A report in Nature provides insights into Muse's technical aspects, highlighting the importance of human agency in the creative process and identifying key capabilities for AI development. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella envisions AI's capabilities extending to interactive environments like video games. However, some experts, like Dr. Michael Cook, caution against overhyping Muse, noting that the research focuses more on human interaction with AI tools than on generating gameplay. Despite reservations, Cook acknowledges AI's potential as a design tool. Microsoft has promised further announcements on how AI will enhance experiences for game creators and players. Muse will debut in Copilot Labs, signaling new immersive AI gaming experiences.

AppWizard

February 20, 2025

Batman Arkham Origins fan remaster looks like a whole new game

Rocksteady Studios is working to reclaim its reputation after the disappointing launch of Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League, which marked a shift from its traditional single-player narrative experiences to a live-service model. The game's servers have closed, but its final content update revealed that the heroes were not truly eliminated, as the narrative involved the demise of clones. Rocksteady is reportedly in the early stages of developing a new Batman experience, though it is unclear if it will continue the Arkham Trilogy or explore new directions. Additionally, PC players can enhance Arkham Origins with a fan remaster mod called Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra, created by modder Jb0238177, which improves visual fidelity by disabling motion blur and fog, and enhancing textures and shadows. The mod is available for free on NexusMods.

Winsage

February 20, 2025

5 most useful SysInternals tools for optimizing your Windows PC

SysInternals is a suite of 74 utilities from Microsoft designed to enhance the performance and reliability of Windows PCs. Users can download the entire suite or select individual tools from the Microsoft SysInternals Learn page. 1. AutoRuns: Identifies unnecessary background processes and obsolete registry entries, providing detailed information about each entry. It allows users to review installed drivers and spot potentially harmful entries. Launched via Start menu or by typing Autoruns.exe in the Run dialog. 2. TCPView: Monitors all TCP and UDP connections in real-time, categorizing them by version and displaying ports and connection timestamps. It helps identify bandwidth-hogging processes. Launched via Start menu or by typing tcpview.exe in the Run dialog. 3. RamMap: Provides an in-depth analysis of memory consumption across processes, helping identify memory-hogging applications and diagnose memory leaks. It offers options to clear memory, including emptying working sets, standby lists, and modified lists. Launched via Start menu or by typing rammap.exe in the Run dialog. 4. DiskView: Offers detailed insights into hard drive usage with a color-coded map of disk sectors, helping users identify fragmentation and unused space. Launched via Start menu or by typing diskview.exe in the Run dialog. 5. CacheSet: Optimizes the Windows file system cache by allowing users to adjust cached data management settings and clear the cache with a single click. Launched by typing cacheset.exe in the Run dialog. The SysInternals Suite is cost-free, effective, and compatible with Windows Recovery mode, making it a practical choice for users looking to enhance their PC's performance.

AppWizard

February 20, 2025

Delta Force’s Black Hawk Down campaign is a bizarrely slow, serious complement to the popcorn multiplayer mode

Delta Force's new Black Hawk Down campaign is a remake that emphasizes the intensity of real combat, contrasting with cinematic portrayals. The gameplay features tightly scripted levels that reflect the events of the original film and real-life incidents, focusing on methodical tactics in confined environments rather than expansive freedom. Players engage in slow, deliberate actions, requiring careful communication and coordination with squadmates. Key gameplay elements include crucial ammo management, teamwork for injuries, and strategic positioning against enemies. The game presents a stark portrayal of warfare but has predictable enemy behavior and lacks sophisticated AI, which may detract from immersion. The campaign consists of seven missions, taking approximately 4-5 hours to complete, and offers a brief yet intense experience, with multiplayer potential if monetization challenges are addressed.

AppWizard

February 19, 2025

Visual novel x pachinko game Jump the Track announced for PC

Seed by Seed has announced a new game called Jump the Track, set to launch on PC via Steam in 2025. The game combines elements of a visual novel and pachinko, featuring a character named Sam who navigates the gig economy in an absurd comedy style. Players influence the narrative by rolling a ball, leading to various outcomes. Key features include a solo experience, control options for mouse or gamepad, a game length of two to three hours, moderate to easy difficulty, a pause feature, and mature language content. An announcement trailer is available for viewing.

BetaBeacon

February 19, 2025

Top 8 mobile games like Stardew Valley

- Harvest Moon: Seeds of Memories is a game where players move to Chestnut Town to transform a ruined farm and create new memories with the people in the town. - Graveyard Keeper is a less wholesome alternative to Stardew Valley where players manage a graveyard and help the people of the town. - Harvest Town is a game similar to Stardew Valley where players reconstruct a family farm and produce goods to sell to the town. - Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp is a wholesome game where players can customize a campsite, befriend cute animals, and participate in events similar to Stardew Valley. - The Island Castaway is a game where players must survive on an island by growing food, fishing, and providing for the people of the town, similar to Stardew Valley. - Kingdom: Two Crowns is a strategy game inspired by Japanese culture with features similar to Stardew Valley. - New World: Castaway Paradise allows players to create their own tropical island, grow crops, catch fish, and complete quests similar to Stardew Valley. - Spiritfarer is a game where players build a boat, explore a magnificent world, build relationships with characters, and engage in various activities like cooking and fishing, similar to Stardew Valley.

BetaBeacon

February 19, 2025

15 best free Android games with no in app purchases

- AI Factory Limited offers a variety of simple free Android games with no in-app purchases - Alto's Odyssey and Alto's Adventure are free mobile games with in-app purchases that are purely cosmetic - Antiyoy is a turn-based strategy game with simple graphics and rules, featuring multiplayer and no ads or in-app purchases - Crossy Road is a popular free game with in-app purchases that are purely cosmetic - Papers, Please is a simulation game with no in-app purchases available for .99 - Doom and Destiny Advanced is a free JRPG with ads and some limitations, but contains the entire base game - OpenTTD is an open-source version of Transport Tycoon with no in-app purchases - Pathos is a retro roguelike adventure game with no in-app purchases - Pocket City is a city-building simulation game available for .99 with a premium version - Resonance of the Ocean is a short game with no complexity and no in-app purchases - Stardew Valley is a must-play RPG available for .99 without ads or microtransactions - The Spike is a volleyball game sim with optional in-app purchases - Vampire Survivors is a survival RPG with minimal gameplay and optional in-app purchases - Into the Breach is a challenging puzzle/roguelike game available on Netflix Games with no ads or in-app purchases - Vodobanka is a puzzle game where you command a SWAT team with no microtransactions, but a purchase is required after the demo version