melodies Archives

AppWizard

March 24, 2026

Death Stranding 2 was my Game of the Year in 2025, and now on PC, it’s my GOTY for 2026

Death Stranding 2 has been released on PC after its initial launch as a PS5 exclusive. The game continues the story of Sam Porter Bridges, who is now raising his adopted daughter Lou while attempting to connect Australia to the chiral network. Players can unlock new gear and contribute to shared constructions, enhancing gameplay and fostering a sense of community. The game blends various genres and features a narrative with elements reminiscent of Metal Gear Solid. It includes a soundtrack by Woodkid, replacing Low Roar, and is available for .99 / £62.99 on Fanatical, providing a Steam key.

AppWizard

March 23, 2026

This week in PC games: a new Hooded Horse city-builder, some PS2-style horror, a school-day RPG and an absolutely tremendous catfish

The atmosphere in gaming is currently lacking excitement due to a lull with no major releases. Notable upcoming games include: - Journey of the Garden Rose: An adventure game featuring a princess battling insects in a low-poly palace. - Frog Holm: A bar-running game that combines cocktail mixing with Tetris mechanics. - No Vacation for an Executioner: An action-horror game with a PS2 style and intricately designed monsters. - Come Again, Chachii?: A game where players help quirky aliens find jobs by deciphering their speech. - Roombattle: A top-down multiplayer game featuring competing vacuums. - Mado Monogatari: Fia and the Wondrous Academy: A dungeon-crawling RPG with cheerful characters and perilous elements. - Beast Breaker: A tactical pinball game where players launch a mouse at kaiju. - Nova Roma: An early access city-builder focusing on water management. - Damon and Baby: An action-adventure game featuring a baby and a demon king. - Screamer: A cyberpunk racing game known for its colorful mechanics. - Project Songbird: A game about overcoming writer's block while battling tree monsters. - EverSiege: Untold Ages: An action-strategy game from the creators of Aliens: Dark Descent. Additional activities include capturing images of mushrooms in Rova, constructing a mycelial web in ChloroLink, battling vintage supervillains in Marvel Maximum Collection, searching for a sister in Too Well Hidden, harvesting fuel in Venus in Transit, and transforming clouds into sea creatures in The Wide Open Sky is Running out of Catfish. The Treehouse is working on guides for Crimson Desert, evaluating Slay The Spire 2, assessing hardware, and participating in a preview event.

AppWizard

March 14, 2026

Starfield’s composer says the game will become ‘legendary’, Todd Howard’s a ‘visionary’, and maybe you ‘were just not ready for it’

Composer Inon Zur has worked in the gaming industry for nearly three decades, contributing to numerous titles, including Bethesda's Fallout series and Starfield. In an interview, he praised Todd Howard for his creativity and vision, despite mixed reviews for Starfield, which received a 75% score from PC Gamer. Zur described the score for Starfield as a standout feature, emphasizing the duality of vastness and motion in space. He used unconventional orchestration techniques, with woodwinds creating rapid patterns and brass and strings providing a stable backdrop. Zur aimed to capture the relationship between individuals and the enormity of space, which influenced his compositional process.

AppWizard

March 13, 2026

I’m celebrating Spring by helping a little frog wake up from hibernation in the cosy puzzle game Walk the Frog

Walk the Frog is a puzzle game where players guide a frog named Froggo, who awakens from hibernation, through various challenges to reach his pond in time for the Froggapalooza spring festival. Players help Froggo navigate by solving puzzles and assisting other characters, such as a lost rat and a father stork searching for his storklings. The game features vibrant colors, cheerful melodies, and charming interactions. A demo is available, and the full release is anticipated later this year.

AppWizard

March 5, 2026

Pokemon Pokopia features a riff on Minecraft’s iconic Redstone system, and fans are already dreaming up the possibilities: “This is like super advanced”

Pokopia features innovative gameplay mechanics that allow for complex building tasks similar to Minecraft's Redstone system. The game's director, Takuto Edagawa, demonstrated a mechanism that activates lights, waterfalls, and neon LEDs through a motion-sensing system. This has led to comparisons with Minecraft among fans, who note the advanced level of customization in Pokopia. Additionally, a developer tour showcased a moving minecart that activated note blocks to create melodies, further emphasizing the game's Minecraft-inspired elements. Pokopia is highly anticipated, tying for the highest-rated title in the Pokémon series on Metacritic.

AppWizard

February 24, 2026

I’ve already played the demo of this co-op pirate survival game for 7 hours, but the boisterous sea shanties my crew sings keep me coming back for more

The pandemic led to a collective fatigue regarding sea shanties, but the author has re-embraced them with the release of the Next Fest demo for the pirate survival game, Windrose, available on Steam. In Windrose, players embark on adventures as shipwrecked pirates, gathering resources, crafting tools, and facing challenges like formidable Dodo birds and undead pirates called Drowned. Players can repair shipwrecks, rescue crew members, and engage in ship-to-ship combat. The demo offers around seven hours of gameplay, with no announced release date yet.

AppWizard

February 1, 2026

One of BioShock Infinite’s best narrative devices is its music

BioShock Infinite's soundtrack has had a lasting impact since its launch thirteen years ago, particularly through its innovative use of music that blends different time periods. A significant moment features the Bee Sharps, a barbershop quartet performing the Bee Gees' "God Only Knows," juxtaposing a 1912 setting with a song from over fifty years later. Another poignant scene includes Booker and Elizabeth discovering an acoustic guitar, where Elizabeth sings lines from the hymn "Will the Circle Be Unbroken." The music enhances the game's emotional depth and storytelling, making it a crucial part of its legacy and gameplay experience.

AppWizard

January 5, 2026

Ex-CDPR devs’ blood-soaked new RPG teases two possible companions and a stunning theme playing on its Witcher 3 heritage

The Blood of Dawnwalker is set to launch in 2026, developed by Rebel Wolves, which includes former CD Projekt Red veterans. The development team, led by game director Konrad Tomaszkiewicz and community lead Dominika Burza, is committed to transparency and community engagement, sharing insights and progress on the game. An orchestral performance of the game’s main theme was presented, composed by Nikola Kołodziejczyk. A cinematic trailer introduced two characters: a human with magical abilities and a vampire, who will accompany the protagonist, Coen. Fans can wishlist the game on Steam for updates.

AppWizard

December 28, 2025

Steam has quietly become the best place to buy videogame soundtracks—even for games that were never released on PC

The text discusses the evolution of video game music and highlights various soundtracks available for gamers. It mentions that accessing game soundtracks has become easier with platforms like Steam, where Capcom offers over 100 albums, including titles like Monster Hunter Wilds and Street Fighter 6. The release of Overture included an updated soundtrack with 51 new tracks at no extra cost. Virtua Fighter 5's soundtrack features 531 tracks for £30, providing a comprehensive history of 3D fighting games. A modern reimagining of the Chinese RPG You Cheng Huan Jian Lu has made its soundtrack available at a low price, while Clair Obscur’s award-winning soundtrack is set to release on CD next February as an eight-disc set, with a DRM-free Steam version available at half the price, including new remixes and tracks.

AppWizard

December 19, 2025

We’re hitting peak saturation for first person dungeon crawlers, but Queen’s Domain stands apart from the crowd

Queen's Domain is an indie first-person dungeon crawler that features a lo-fi visual style reminiscent of the early PlayStation era, with intentionally crunchy graphics and beautifully crafted art assets. The soundtrack combines euphoric melodies with primal percussion, creating a nostalgic yet fresh atmosphere. The gameplay includes a demo showcasing exceptional exploration and immersive atmosphere, with combat mechanics that offer depth and fluidity. Notable features include a unique throwing weapon system based on cooldowns, allowing for dynamic combat strategies, and a melee dash attack that enhances offense and mobility. The game aims to provide a rich experience of exploration, combat, and atmospheric storytelling.