dragons Archives

AppWizard

April 8, 2026

Trippy, psychedelic alien shooter ChainStaff shows there are still new ways for games to be ‘retro’

Bumpy Grumpy features a vibrant palette with stark black outlines and flat colors reminiscent of early '80s games, incorporating elements like "SOUND!" and "SCROLLING!" with a modern twist. Shoot 1UP DX captures the essence of a '90s cult classic with colorful lasers and pixel art. ChainStaff, from Mommy's Best Games, transports players to a whimsical world with oversized laser-firing insects and crustaceans, featuring vibrant landscapes and surreal architecture reminiscent of the Commodore Amiga era. Players encounter bizarre creatures such as angry alien pigs with neon hairstyles and colossal butterfly-gun-dragons, creating a psychedelic experience filled with hyper-saturated colors and imaginative designs.

AppWizard

April 5, 2026

In 2007, two game music GOATs collaborated on the criminally underrated soundtrack to a similarly underrated D&D RPG

Critical Hit, formerly Soundtrack Sunday, explores video game music and audio design, highlighting titles like Neverwinter Nights, which has a dedicated fanbase. The first expansion of Neverwinter Nights 2, Mask of the Betrayer, is noted for its mature narrative and impactful music, which plays a significant role in the game's atmosphere. Brandon, the audio director at Obsidian during the late 2000s, discussed the development of Mask of the Betrayer and its soundtrack, which he collaborated on with Womb Music's Rik Schaffer and Margaret Tang. The main theme of Mask of the Betrayer is described as mysterious and epic, with a darker reinterpretation for the DLC. The theme for Mulsantir captures the city's duality, blending inviting and sinister elements. Brandon aimed to encapsulate the medieval sound of Dungeons & Dragons, resulting in a soundtrack that enhances gameplay and leaves a lasting impression on players.

AppWizard

March 31, 2026

PUBG introduces a classic game mode for April Fools’ Day

PUBG is introducing a new game mode called Prop Hunt, available in the Arcade section until April 7th. In this mode, some players act as hunters while others become hiders, transforming into inanimate objects. Hunters face penalties for missed shots, losing health points, while hiders can use tools like decoys and stun grenades. The mode can be played on maps including Rondo, Vikendi, and Miramar.

AppWizard

March 30, 2026

Solasta 2 has an impossible act to follow, but I’m hooked on its D&D roadtrip vibes

Solasta 2 is an Early Access sequel developed by Tactical Adventures, designed to be faithful to the tabletop D&D experience. The game emphasizes mechanics over narrative, featuring a hex-grid map and a party of four adopted siblings. Players engage in exploration and combat, with a variety of environmental factors influencing decisions. The combat system allows for both ranged and melee attacks, and events often require ability checks or dice rolls. Character creation is limited to four ancestries and six classes, with some animation issues present. The early hours of the game feel somewhat linear, with limited choices, but a roadmap for future updates is in place. Estimated playtime for Act One is 10-15 hours, though players may exceed this as they explore.

AppWizard

March 25, 2026

Ranking the 13 Best PC Games Of All Time

Baldur’s Gate 3 is a popular CRPG known for deep character development and engaging narrative, best experienced on PC due to its intricate menus and modding potential. Planescape: Torment is a CRPG set in a unique Dungeons & Dragons universe, recognized for its gripping narrative and unconventional themes. Theme Hospital is a simulation game that humorously parodies the American healthcare system, combining humor with business management challenges. Unreal Tournament 2004 is regarded as the pinnacle of the series, featuring fluid gameplay and intricate maps, although it has become abandonware. Thief: The Dark Project is praised for its dark atmosphere and innovative level design, particularly the iconic Sword level. World of Warcraft captivated the MMO community in the mid-2000s with polished gameplay and continuous content updates, maintaining a robust player base. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is known for its expansive open world and RPG mechanics, with a wealth of mods available on PC to enhance gameplay. Deus Ex is a pioneer of the immersive sim genre, emphasizing player choice and strategic gameplay with intricate level design. The Sims 2 is considered the crowning achievement of The Sims franchise, introducing fully 3D environments and refined gameplay mechanics. Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings is a highly regarded real-time strategy game that has maintained its appeal for nearly three decades, revitalized by the 2019 Definitive Edition. Minecraft is a leading sandbox game known for its limitless creativity and exploration, with applications extending into education and various professional fields. Doom, released in 1993, revolutionized the first-person shooter genre and remains relevant due to its expertly designed levels and engaging gameplay. Half-Life 2 is celebrated for its innovative game design, including physics-based puzzles and a compelling narrative, offering a satisfying experience with additional episodes.

AppWizard

March 19, 2026

Crimson Desert review – a beautiful, shallow world

Crimson Desert features a vast and visually stunning world but struggles with a conventional narrative framework. The combat system can feel cumbersome, especially during challenging boss encounters, leading to a sense of unfulfilled potential in exploration. The game follows a protagonist named Kliff Greymane, who seeks revenge against an antagonist, but after 50 hours, the main adversary remains elusive, and players engage in mundane tasks. Exploration is initially enticing, but it becomes constrained, with limited interactions and repetitive tasks. Combat mechanics blend elements from various genres, but boss battles introduce a significant difficulty spike that can frustrate players. Promotional materials promise thrilling gameplay elements, but the actual experience often falls short. While moments of joy can be found in exploring the Abyss network, the connection to the character Kliff is lacking, and the narrative becomes convoluted over time. Despite its vibrant world and visual splendor, the game may leave players wanting more due to restricted exploration and busywork.

AppWizard

March 13, 2026

Minecraft 26.1 Pre-Release 2

The pre-release for version 26.1 has been shipped, featuring technical adjustments and fixes related to the Tiny Takeover game. Key changes include: - Adjusted dismount speed thresholds for Spears. - Fixed animation issues for the Baby Axolotl's hind leg. - Scaled the Baby Cat to match the Baby Ocelot's size. - Corrected the scaling of the Baby Horse model. New UI enhancements include an "Exclusive Fullscreen" display option, which requires a game restart to take effect and may limit certain input methods. Trade adjustments now ensure the Master Librarian offers three trades, including an enchanted book trade during the Rebalance experiment. Technical changes include the discarding of text components nested more than 16 times in server status messages. Fixed bugs in this pre-release include issues with despawning trader llamas, skeletons, cats, hoglins, zoglins, dolphins, squids, and various other gameplay and UI bugs. Players can access the pre-release through the Minecraft Launcher by enabling snapshots, but should back up their data as testing versions may corrupt worlds.

AppWizard

March 4, 2026

Esoteric Ebb Review

Esoteric Ebb is a role-playing game inspired by Disco Elysium, focusing on exploration rather than combat, and features a narrative rich in literary and political themes. The game blends narrative depth with mechanics similar to Dungeons & Dragons. - Price: £21 - Release Date: March 3, 2026 - Developer: Christoffer Bodegård - Publisher: Raw Fury - Reviewed on: Steam Deck, Windows 11 (Core i5 12600K, RX 9070 XT, 32GB RAM) - Steam Deck: Verified - Official site link available Gameplay includes strategic challenges, such as an early ambush by an assassin where players can use spells creatively. Some minor complaints include a cluttered user interface on the Steam Deck, cumbersome inventory management, typographic errors, and occasional UI glitches. There are also reports of bugged feats affecting gameplay. Despite these issues, the game is considered compelling for RPG enthusiasts and offers good value for its price.

AppWizard

February 23, 2026

Steam Next Fest has the perfect game demo for Disco Elysium fans, but it’s not ZA/UM’s successor

The author reflects on their gaming journey, noting a significant shift after experiencing Disco Elysium. They find that Citizen Sleeper is the closest game to evoke similar engagement, despite its different gameplay. The upcoming February 2026 Steam Next Fest will showcase two games of interest: Zero Parades, a successor to Disco Elysium, and Esoteric Ebb, which combines Disco Elysium-like mechanics with a Dungeons and Dragons aesthetic. Zero Parades promises a narrative of espionage, while Esoteric Ebb features a reimagined Thought Cabinet using D&D attributes. The author expresses excitement for both titles and encourages fans of Disco Elysium to explore these upcoming games.

AppWizard

February 23, 2026

The upcoming Disco Elysium for D&D nerds just dropped a 90-minute supercut of its weirdly beautiful soundtrack

Publisher Raw Fury has released "90 Minutes of Esoteric Ebb Music | A Lazy Day in Norvik" on YouTube as a preview of the soundtrack for the upcoming fantasy RPG, Esoteric Ebb. The soundtrack features elements typical of fantasy games, including wistful strings and memorable synths, distinguishing it from its inspiration, Disco Elysium. Esoteric Ebb combines narrative depth and urban exploration similar to Disco Elysium while incorporating classic Dungeons & Dragons elements, including spellcasting and combat. The demo includes a dialogue-based combat scenario where players can engage in ability checks against a zombie. The game is available for wishlisting on Steam.