journalist Archives

AppWizard

March 25, 2026

As a Thomas superfan, Thomas and Friends Wonders of Sodor would have blown my four-year-old mind

The author had a childhood fascination with Thomas the Tank Engine, influenced by their grandfather, a train enthusiast. In the late 90s, special Thomas-themed days were held at the railway where the grandfather worked, allowing children to ride in Thomas replicas. The author recalls a cherished experience of riding in the cab of a Thomas engine. The release of "Thomas and Friends: Wonders of Sodor" evokes nostalgia for the author, who, as a video game journalist, critiques the game for its clunky interface and design flaws while acknowledging its charm and alignment with the series' essence. The gameplay includes scenarios like a race involving Thomas and Gordon, with interactive elements that would appeal to young fans. However, the game has accessibility issues, such as a lack of checkpoints, which can frustrate players. The mechanics seem more suited for adult train simulation enthusiasts, raising questions about the game's intended audience.

AppWizard

March 24, 2026

A $5 Wikipedia-like mystery game consumed me for 2 straight hours as I dug for clues about a little town and its big weird tree

Players in Lost Wiki: Kozlovka investigate the history of a small Eastern European town plagued by generational deceit since the late 1800s, centered around the "Draken Oak" tree. The gameplay involves two cases: The Case of the Golden Idol and The Roottrees are Dead, requiring players to fill in reports and construct a family tree and timeline of the town's tragic history. The game critiques the nature of public information and the erasure of context, using a retro computer interface and a haunting soundtrack. As players progress, they uncover hidden secrets through reports and email exchanges with a client, leading to a captivating narrative experience. The game is available on Steam.

AppWizard

March 23, 2026

Consider my 4-step Android refresh routine before switching to a new phone

Consumers can enhance the performance of their aging Android devices by following these steps: 1. Delete unused apps to free up storage and optimize performance by navigating to Settings > Storage > Apps or long-pressing the app icon to uninstall. 2. Clear storage by removing unwanted files and photos, particularly from the Downloads folder, and by transferring photos to external drives or cloud storage. Clear app cache via Settings > Storage > App > Clear Cache. 3. Check for updates to ensure the device runs the latest operating system by going to Settings > General > System Update and updating apps in the Google Play Store. 4. Adjust animation speed for improved responsiveness by enabling Developer options through Settings > About phone > Software information > Build number (tap seven times) and modifying the Window animation scale to 0.5x. These adjustments can improve the device's speed and responsiveness.

AppWizard

March 13, 2026

World Day Against Cyber Censorship: RSF unveils new US room in its Minecraft Uncensored Library

The Uncensored Library has added a new room dedicated to the United States and updated content in sections for Egypt, Belarus, Russia, and Iran. The USA room includes analyses of press freedom and a political cartoon by Ann Telnaes that was rejected by the Washington Post. The library allows access to journalism from countries with censorship, using the Minecraft platform for broader reach. New articles include Elahe Mohammadi's piece on Evin Prison in Iran, two articles from MadaMasr in Egypt, over 20 articles from exiled Russian media, and six articles by exiled journalists in Belarus. The library has been visited by over one million users since its launch in 2020.

Winsage

March 7, 2026

Leanpub Book Launch: De-Enshittify Windows 11 by Paul Thurrott

Paul Thurrott has launched a book titled "De-Enshittify Windows 11: How to make Windows 11 work for you, not against you," which addresses usability concerns of Windows 11. The book offers practical strategies to improve the user experience by providing fixes, workarounds, and configuration adjustments. Paul Thurrott is a technology journalist with over 25 years of experience, has authored around 30 books, and runs Thurrott.com. He hosts three podcasts: Windows Weekly, First Ring Daily, and Hands-On Windows, and has previously worked as a senior technology analyst at Windows IT Pro and founded the SuperSite for Windows.

AppWizard

March 4, 2026

After 6 hours, Crimson Desert is one of the most overwhelming, chaotic, madcap videogames I’ve ever played—and I’m hungry for more

Crimson Desert is a single-player game developed by Pearl Abyss, known for Black Desert Online. It features a dynamic combat system with a skill tree that allows players to explore various combat styles, including archery, unarmed combat, swordplay, and grappling maneuvers. The protagonist, Kliff, can perform a range of moves such as parrying, grappling, and executing special attacks. The game includes multiple playable characters, each with unique abilities, and offers a variety of activities beyond combat, such as cooking, resource gathering, and minigames. The control scheme is complex, leading to a steep learning curve. The game is ambitious in scope, with numerous objectives and side quests, but raises concerns about sustaining its complexity. The narrative features quirky characters and scenarios, contributing to the game's whimsical tone.

AppWizard

March 2, 2026

Bungie share top feedback from Marathon’s playtest, including PC performance, UI issues and ammo shortages

Bungie conducted a "server slam" for the reboot of Marathon to stress-test its online capabilities ahead of the release on March 5th. Players provided feedback on various aspects, including: - UI Feedback: Bungie is collecting user input on the user interface and plans to iterate post-launch. - PC Performance: Issues reported include high CPU usage, low GPU utilization, FPS ceilings around 80-100, and stuttering. - PvP Frequency: Bungie is investigating player density on maps and welcomes feedback on gameplay experiences. - Movement and Heat Generation: Discussions about heat generation and momentum are ongoing, with players encouraged to share thoughts on movement mechanics. - Med and Ammo Economy: Feedback on the economy of medical supplies and ammunition, particularly regarding stack sizes and item effectiveness, is being collected. - Weasel Error Codes: Players have encountered Weasel error codes related to network disruptions, and Bungie is investigating these issues. The author expressed mixed feelings about the gameplay experience, noting issues with extraction-shooting mechanics and ammunition shortages, while appreciating the art direction.

AppWizard

March 1, 2026

Cara Ellison, senior narrative designer on Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 before Paradox switched developers, discusses her love of Troika’s original RPG: ‘Everyone on the team helped really make that maximum goth’

Cara Ellison is a narrative designer whose journey in gaming began with a BBC Micro and the 1987 game Acheton. She has worked as a games journalist for publications like PC Gamer and transitioned into game design, contributing narratives to titles such as Dishonored 2, Void Bastards, God of War: Ragnarok, and Ghost Town. Her latest project is Sleight of Hand, a deckbuilding stealth game inspired by Metal Gear Solid and Vampire: The Masquerade—Bloodlines. She has a fondness for the original Vampire: The Masquerade—Bloodlines, despite its technical challenges, and has logged 103 hours in Kentucky Route Zero. Ellison keeps Sunless Sea installed on both her work and personal computers, appreciating its narrative depth. For her writing, she uses Scrivener, which she utilized for Void Bastards. Her desktop is relatively tidy, featuring a mix of business and leisure icons, with a wallpaper from Vertigo.

AppWizard

March 1, 2026

Insider Confirms Sony Ditching PC Ports: “You’ll Be Seeing Fewer Single Player Games Arrive on PC.”

Sony plans to significantly reduce the number of first-party single-player titles launched on PC, a decision made in 2025. While some single-player games may still be released on PC, they will be considerably fewer in number. This shift does not extend to live-service and multiplayer games, which may continue to receive investment. There are still single-player PC ports in development, but they are no longer prioritized. Despite some successful PC ports, they have not significantly contributed to Sony's overall revenue. For example, Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered peaked at 66,436 players, while its sequel reached 28,189 players. Ghost of Tsushima peaked at 77,154 players, and Horizon Forbidden West and The Last of Us Part II Remastered had peaks of 40,462 and 30,690 players, respectively. The timing of PC releases often lags behind console launches, and Sony is prioritizing hardware sales over a multi-platform strategy. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is set to launch on PC on March 19, following a nine-month exclusivity period on PS5, and currently ranks 10th in Steam's Wishlist Activity with 23,412 followers. Titles developed by external studios with ties to PlayStation may not be affected by Sony's new policy.

AppWizard

February 26, 2026

PlayStation May Be ‘Backing Away From Putting Their Traditional Single-Player Games on PC’

A trend has emerged where many PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 exclusive titles, including The Last of Us, Marvel's Spider-Man, Horizon, and God of War, have been released on PC. Speculation suggests that only PlayStation live service games may be released on PC in the future, while traditional single-player experiences are likely to remain console exclusives. Journalist Jason Schreier indicated that SIE is backing away from putting exclusive console titles on PC. He mentioned that Marvel's Wolverine, set to release on September 15, 2026, is currently planned as a PlayStation 5 exclusive with no PC version announced. Schreier expressed doubt that it would ever come to PC and noted that the impact of a retreat from PC releases might not be significant, as previous PC releases were not very successful. Recent announcements included several titles headed to PC, but these were not developed by internal PlayStation Studios, suggesting that first-party titles will influence the future of console exclusivity.