DOOM: The Dark Ages Archives

AppWizard

April 26, 2026

The Pragmata mods are starting to roll in, and thank the stars they’re largely focused on the dad bod

Capcom's Pragmata has seen a surge in creative video game modifications, particularly focusing on the protagonist, Hugh. Modders have introduced several character skins for Hugh, including a Dead Space outfit by user FokeyT26, a Doom Guy skin from Doom: The Dark Ages, and a Master Chief skin that was previously exclusive to a deluxe edition. Additionally, players have swapped Hugh for characters from various genres, such as the protagonist of Wuthering Waves and Minecraft's Steve, and even replaced a game enemy with Shrek. The modding community continues to explore new possibilities, with characters like CJ from GTA: San Andreas and Optimus Prime also appearing in the game. Pragmata is available for .99 on Steam, and using REFramework is necessary to unlock these modifications.

AppWizard

April 18, 2026

Xbox Game Pass is your key to some of the year’s most nominated games

Award season for Xbox Game Pass highlights six standout games of 2025. 1. Doom: The Dark Ages - Introduces melee-centric combat with a battle axe, praised for its visceral gameplay, and received recognition for Innovation in Accessibility at the Game Awards. 2. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle - Features voice talent Troy Baker, who has received accolades for his portrayal of Indiana Jones, with the game being recognized as "MachineGames' best game to date." 3. No Man's Sky - Transformed through 35 updates, enhancing base building, space combat, and exploration, showcasing fluidity and creativity in gameplay. 4. Rematch - A five-on-five soccer game from the creators of Sifu, noted for its addictive arcade-style gameplay that is easy to learn yet challenging to master. 5. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 - Acclaimed RPG that won PC Gamer's Game of the Year, known for its intricate interactions and challenging difficulty, being hailed as a classic.

AppWizard

March 16, 2026

Fanatical’s Spring Sale Has Kicked Off – Save on Resident Evil Requiem, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and More

Fanatical has launched its Spring Sale, featuring discounts on various PC games. Resident Evil Requiem is discounted by 18%, priced at .39, while the Resident Evil Remake Trilogy is available at a 65% discount for .49. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the 2025 Game of the Year winner, is marked down by 28% to .99. DOOM: The Dark Ages is offered at a 70% discount. Monster Hunter Wilds and Kingdom Come: Deliverance II have price drops exceeding 50%. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered is priced at .74. Discounts are time-sensitive, and the Amazon Big Spring Sale will launch soon.

AppWizard

February 14, 2026

A fraction of the most popular PC games over the past year use hardware-level ray tracing, which is far fewer than I’d predict just 24 months ago

Ray tracing technology has seen a decline in prevalence among popular new game releases as developers prioritize optimized performance due to hardware challenges. In the past year, only a few titles have utilized ray tracing, such as Monster Hunter Wilds for basic reflections and Borderlands 4 using software-based Lumen from Unreal Engine 5. Indie games are increasingly favored for their accessibility and lower development costs, often avoiding high-performance techniques. Unreal Engine 5 has led to a resurgence of software-based ray tracing, though hardware ray tracing can provide better results at the cost of performance. Upcoming titles like Elden Ring: Nightreign and Battlefield 6 have opted out of hardware ray tracing to focus on gameplay performance. Many award-winning games have also chosen not to implement hardware-based ray tracing, emphasizing gameplay experience over graphical fidelity. Despite its reduced prominence, ray tracing remains a valuable tool for enhancing gaming experiences when used thoughtfully. The potential for ray tracing to improve visual storytelling continues as hardware becomes more accessible.

BetaBeacon

January 6, 2026

How To Play PC Games On Your Android Device In 2026

Playing PC games on an Android device using GameHub and GameNative is legal and does not involve questionable workarounds. Game emulation for older systems and retro consoles is different and may have legality issues. GameHub and GameNative are recommended methods for playing games on Android, with GameHub being the best all-rounder. Tweaking settings may be necessary for optimal performance. Android handhelds have advantages over x86 gaming handhelds but may not be a proper replacement yet. The future for PC gaming on Android looks promising as more development is being done in this area.

AppWizard

December 30, 2025

2025’s Top-Selling Steam Games Include Some Terrible PC Ports

Valve has released the list of the best-selling games on Steam for 2025, which includes: 1. Monster Hunter Wilds 2. Elden Ring Nightreign 3. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered 4. EA Sports FC 26 5. Borderlands 4 6. Schedule I 7. Hollow Knight: Silksong 8. Civilization VII 9. Battlefield 6 10. Dune Awakening 11. Arc Raiders 12. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 The games ranked 13-24 are: 13. Assassin’s Creed Shadows 14. Dispatch 15. Dying Light: The Beast 16. Anno 117: Pax Romana 17. Europa Universalis V 18. Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 19. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 20. Split Fiction 21. Inzoi 22. Doom: The Dark Ages 23. Stellar Blade 24. Digimon Story: Time Stranger Monster Hunter Wilds has been criticized as one of the worst PC ports of the year but remains popular among players. Civilization VII also faced criticism over launch issues yet made it into the top 12. Capcom plans to release performance improvements for Monster Hunter Wilds in 2026.

AppWizard

December 29, 2025

Best Optimized PC Games of 2025

In 2025, several well-optimized PC games have gained recognition for their technical performance across various hardware configurations. An optimized PC game efficiently utilizes multiple CPU cores, avoids common pitfalls like limited field of view and poor controls, validates high GPU demands while accommodating older graphics cards, and addresses stuttering issues. Ninja Gaiden 4 is noted for its responsive controls and smooth gameplay across various systems, despite not having cutting-edge visuals. Dynasty Warriors: Origins has shown exceptional performance on PC, overcoming its historical optimization challenges. Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 offers broad compatibility and a stutter-free experience, though its visuals do not meet franchise standards. Stellar Blade runs smoothly on a range of systems with impressive graphics and robust controls, maintaining stable performance even with Denuvo protection. ARC Raiders, an Unreal Engine 5 game, has achieved smooth performance without stuttering issues. Dying Light: The Beast provides an open-world experience that runs well on modest GPU power for 1080p gaming. DOOM: The Dark Ages combines stunning visuals with remarkable performance, even during intense action. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 runs smoothly across a wide range of GPUs without significant stuttering. Battlefield 6 is well-optimized and stable without requiring high-end hardware. Atomfall is highlighted as the most optimized rasterized PC game of 2025, achieving 60 FPS at native 4K on Ultra Settings with older GPUs like the NVIDIA RTX 2080 Ti.

AppWizard

December 27, 2025

Best PC Game Graphics of 2025

In 2025, several PC games were noted for their impressive graphics: - Cronos: The New Dawn: Released in September 2025 by Bloober Team, it features breathtaking environments and detailed 3D character models, utilizing Unreal Engine 5’s Lumen technology. - Hell is Us: An indie title that showcases remarkable graphics with Lumen’s advanced lighting capabilities, despite minor pop-ups. - Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2: Offers high graphical fidelity in an expansive world, using CRYENGINE’s SVOGI for impressive lighting, though it has occasional pop-ins. - Dying Light: The Beast: Improved significantly with a December 2025 Ray Tracing Update, enhancing visuals to rival other major titles. - WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers: Features stunning visuals with Lumen GI and high-resolution textures, despite minor shadow pop-ins. - Doom: The Dark Ages: Utilizes Path Tracing for impressive graphics but suffers from low-quality textures. - Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater: Developed by Virtuos Studios, it is visually impressive on Ultra Settings with exceptional 3D characters and lighting. - Silent Hill f: A graphical powerhouse that showcases Unreal Engine 5 capabilities with "True Epic" settings. - Half-Life 2 RTX Demo: Released in March 2025, it introduces real-time Path Tracing, enhancing visuals significantly. - Assassin’s Creed: Shadows: At Max Ray Tracing and Ultra High settings, it features highly detailed characters, crafted environments, and a sophisticated hair-stranding system.

AppWizard

December 27, 2025

Best PC Games on Steam for 2026

PC gaming offers flexibility and exclusive titles, with Steam as the primary platform. Notable games include: - Role-Playing Games: - Baldur's Gate 3: Over 60 hours of gameplay, based on Dungeons & Dragons. - Disco Elysium - The Final Cut: Political storytelling and RPG mechanics. - Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade: Expanded storylines and refined combat. - Persona 5 Royal: Nearly 100 hours of gameplay with turn-based battles. - The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt: Expansive world and compelling narrative. - Action and Adventure Games: - Diablo IV: Loot-driven combat and high replayability. - Doom: The Dark Ages: Medieval reimagining of the classic series. - Red Dead Redemption 2: Cinematic open-world experience. - Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered: Urban playground with fluid traversal. - Resident Evil 4 Remake: Updated visuals and refined controls. - Returnal and South of Midnight: Unique roguelike and action-adventure experiences. - Trek to Yomi: Cinematic side-scrolling combat inspired by Akira Kurosawa. - Fighting and Competitive Titles: - Street Fighter 6: New mechanics and accessibility options. - Tekken 7: New combat systems and rollback netcode. - Guilty Gear Strive: Simplified systems for newcomers. - The King of Fighters XV: Classic 2D combat with modern graphics. - Strategy, Simulation, and Multiplayer Games: - Dota 2: Competitive MOBA with over 100 heroes. - Gears Tactics: Turn-based combat from the Gears of War franchise. - Super Mega Baseball 3: Strategic depth in baseball gameplay. - Fire Pro Wrestling World: Comprehensive wrestling simulation. - Indie Games: - Hades II: Magic-based combat and multiple replay paths. - Ori and the Will of the Wisps: Family-friendly platforming with stunning visuals. - UFO 50: Anthology of retro-inspired indie games. - Vampire Survivors: Addictive gameplay with minimalistic presentation. Many games are compatible with the Steam Deck, with verified titles running smoothly and others possibly requiring setup. Online connectivity may affect gameplay, especially for titles reliant on it. All mentioned games are available for Windows PCs.

AppWizard

December 24, 2025

Three shining examples of brilliant PC game development in 2025

Battlefield 6 achieves a frame rate of 100 fps at 1440p on an RTX 4070 without upscaling or frame generation. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 runs at 60 fps at 1080p on high settings with RTX 4050 laptops, utilizing voxel-based software ray tracing and hiding shader compilation during loading screens. Doom: The Dark Ages runs at 64 fps at 1080p Ultra quality on a Ryzen 5 5600X and RTX 3060 Ti, but has limited compatibility with older GPUs. Monster Hunter Wilds struggles to achieve 55 fps at 1080p on low settings and has ongoing performance issues. Borderlands 4 runs at 40 fps at 4K Badass quality on high-end hardware, with initial performance woes affecting player experience. Gears of War: Reloaded struggles with consistent frame rates on handheld devices despite being a remaster.