gaming journey Archives

AppWizard

July 20, 2026

PC Gamers Have Limited Time to Claim Cyberpunk Game Completely Free of Charge

PC users can currently access the narrative adventure game Sapphire City for free for a limited time. This game features a cyberpunk universe and offers rich storytelling and an atmospheric setting. There are many free games available for PC gamers, including both permanently free titles and time-sensitive giveaways. Platforms like Epic Games Store and Itch.io often provide exclusive deals and free games, encouraging players to explore beyond Steam.

AppWizard

July 19, 2026

‘The mid-2000s was the golden era of first-person shooters’: David Syzmankski, creator of Dusk and Iron Lung, discusses the games on his PC

David Szymanski is the creator of the game Dusk, which was released in 2018 and is inspired by classic first-person shooters like Doom and Quake. He initially developed short horror games before achieving success with Dusk. Szymanski has also created a submarine horror game called Iron Lung, which gained recognition after being adapted into a film by YouTuber Markiplier. He categorizes the history of first-person shooters into distinct eras, labeling the '90s as the silver age and the late '90s to mid-2000s as the golden age. He enjoys survival crafting games like The Forest and Subnautica but has not finished them. The oldest game installed on his PC is Doom, which he considers nearly the best FPS ever made. His most-played game on Steam is Counter-Strike 2, with 324 hours, and he has spent 186 hours on Elden Ring. Szymanski would never uninstall Infra, which he describes as his comfort game. He uses GIMP as an essential non-gaming software tool and has a relatively tidy desktop with nine icons.

AppWizard

July 17, 2026

The best Mario Kart game gets free PC port, includes 200 tracks

Mario Kart Wiicompiled, an unofficial port of the original Mario Kart Wii, is set to be released next month by YouTuber Patchzy. This adaptation is designed for PC and features both controller and keyboard controls, moving away from the original's motion controls. Players will have access to all 32 classic tracks from Mario Kart Wii and over 200 additional tracks through the Retro Rewind feature. The port aims to maintain the original's graphics while allowing for potential enhancements, supporting uncapped framerate and 4K resolution. Mario Kart Wii was originally released in 2008, received a Metacritic score of 82/100, and sold over 37.38 million copies, making it one of the most successful titles on the Wii.

AppWizard

July 16, 2026

Free Play Days – GTA Online, Crisol: Theater of Idols, Planet Zoo, Looney Tunes: Wacky World of Sports, and Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2

This week, the Free Play Days lineup includes Crisol: Theater of Idols, Planet Zoo, and Looney Tunes: Wacky World of Sports for XBOX Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, and Essential members from July 16 to July 19. Grand Theft Auto Online and Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 are available for all XBOX members from July 14 to July 21 without a Game Pass subscription. After the Free Play Days, players can purchase the games at a limited-time discount while retaining their Gamerscore and achievements. Crisol: Theater of Idols offers a survival horror experience optimized for XBOX Series X|S. Planet Zoo: Console Edition allows players to create and manage their own zoos. Looney Tunes: Wacky World of Sports features classic sports in a chaotic 4-player local co-op format. Grand Theft Auto Online allows up to 30 players to collaborate or compete in a dynamic universe, while Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 lets players train with iconic characters and tackle raid missions online.

AppWizard

July 10, 2026

The next PlayStation looks more and more like a PC, and that’s not a bad thing

Sony has announced it will cease physical disc production by January 2028. A petition to reverse this decision has garnered over 200,000 signatures. A nostalgic video from PlayStation's YouTube channel has resurfaced, reflecting gamers' emotional connection to physical media. Concerns about long-term ownership of digital content have been raised, particularly after reports of purchased titles being removed from users' libraries. The trend towards digital gaming is evident, with some gamers opting for the PS5 Digital Edition for convenience. The shift may impact local retailers and the second-hand market, as well as the experiences of trading or renting games. Limited edition physical disc releases and optional disc drives for future consoles could provide a compromise for both digital and physical media enthusiasts.

AppWizard

July 5, 2026

What was the first videogame song that you ever heard?

The author began their journey into video games with a Mega Drive controller given by their father, which sparked a lifelong passion for gaming and video game music. They highlight the influence of video game music on their identity, recalling their appreciation for the soundtrack of Killer Instinct Gold on the Nintendo 64 and the impact of Final Fantasy 10-2's "Real Emotion" during the mp3 era. The author expresses a desire to hear others' experiences with video game soundtracks.

AppWizard

June 29, 2026

This week in PC games: a new King’s Field-like RPG, an American Revolutionary War sim, and a dreaming megacity full of cool architecture

This week in gaming features a mix of nostalgia and innovation. "The Message from Deep Space" is a narrative set in the 1970s about translating signals from an asteroid, inspired by the Voyager Interstellar Record project. The arcade classic "Ninja Masters" returns on Steam with nine-player lobbies and rollback netcode. "Feed the Pit" invites players to explore cursed forests for sacrifices, while "Forgotten Blood" offers a dark journey through a valley with peculiar creatures. "Telluricene" is a visual novel with romantic choices involving a janitor and a plant creature. "Oblivion Maiden" is a dreamy mystery game, and "Cartesian Battle" teaches math through bullet trajectory challenges. "Cat Squeeze" is a lighthearted maze puzzler, and "Mosaic Garden" focuses on cultivating flower patterns. "Mycofall" is an early access bullet heaven adventure, while "Hollow Ground" offers a 90s-style action experience. "Laballatory" allows players to create Newton's Cradle toys, and "American Revolutionary War" is a turn-based wargame featuring strategic battles against George Washington. The RPS team is preparing for various topics, including insights on the Steam Machine and Tennocon.

AppWizard

June 28, 2026

Sally Beaumont, voice actor in Old Skies and The Séance of Blake Manor, extols the virtues of narrative singleplayer games ‘You can have lots of them in your PC toolbelt’

Sally Beaumont began her gaming journey with Leisure Suit Larry and was inspired to pursue voice acting after playing The Curse of Monkey Island. Her portfolio includes titles like Harold Halibut, The Excavation of Hob's Barrow, Warhammer 40,000 Rogue Trader, and she is the lead voice in the upcoming Old Skies. Currently, she is playing The Séance of Blake Manor and enjoys revisiting Nelly Cootalot. Beaumont has spent the most hours on Old Skies, using it to ground herself in her role, while Two Point Hospital is her most-played game outside of her work. She does not have a game she would never uninstall, as she prefers narrative-driven games with endings. Her essential non-gaming software is GoldWave, an audio editing tool. Beaumont describes her desktop as chaotic, with some organization but overall disarray.

AppWizard

June 13, 2026

Even a fantasy game like Skyrim won’t let me be a trillionaire

Elon Musk has been announced as the world's first trillionaire. In gaming, no title has allowed players to reach trillions in virtual currency, with Balatro being one of the few games where a player can accumulate billions. In Skyrim, using the console command player.additem with the item code for gold (0000000f) to add one trillion gold pieces results in the character going into over 2 billion gold in debt due to the game's coding limitations. Skyrim's gold is represented as a 32-bit signed integer, which has a maximum value of 2,147,483,647. Exceeding this value causes the amount to flip from positive to negative.

AppWizard

June 10, 2026

Final Fantasy Resonance Preview: Final Fantasy Goes HD-2D, and It’s Glorious

Final Fantasy Resonance is a turn-based HD-2D RPG set to launch on October 22 for PlayStation, Xbox, PC, and Nintendo Switch. The game features a new protagonist, Rain, and his companions as they protect magic crystals from the antagonist Veritas of the Dark. It includes familiar elements like airships and chocobos, with a combat system that displays a straightforward turn order and incorporates a stagger mechanic. Players can utilize Visions, which are akin to personas, to enhance combat strategies. The game is projected to offer 30-40 hours of gameplay, or 60-80 hours for completionists.