narrative depth Archives

AppWizard

July 8, 2025

Borderlands 4 certainly looks like it’s taking its story more seriously: ‘We wanted to go back to this sense of dread about the villain of our game’

Borderlands 4 is set to release with a promise of improved storytelling, moving away from the "toilet humor" and meme culture of previous titles. Episode two of Beyond the Borderlands has generated optimism about the game's narrative potential, suggesting a more refined approach to storytelling. While the series has faced criticism for execution, it has maintained engaging gameplay. If Borderlands 4 successfully integrates a compelling story, it could enhance the overall experience for both new and returning players.

AppWizard

July 4, 2025

Valve conquered PC gaming. What comes next?

Valve Corporation, founded in 1996 by Gabe Newell and Mike Harrington, is known for its influential role in the gaming industry, particularly with its groundbreaking title Half-Life, released in 1998. The company has a unique corporate structure and impressive revenue-per-employee metrics, reportedly exceeding .9 million. Valve's Steam platform, launched in 2003, dominates the PC gaming market, accounting for approximately 70% of sales in a sector valued at around billion, with over 100,000 titles available. Steam had an estimated 170 million active monthly users by May 2023. Financially, estimates suggest Steam may have handled around .3 billion in game sales in 2021, yielding a profit of approximately .6 billion from commissions. Valve's employee culture emphasizes self-organization and innovation, though it faces scrutiny regarding content moderation and legal challenges related to market competition.

AppWizard

July 2, 2025

The game that would become Deus Ex was originally called Troubleshooter and starred Jake Shooter, supercop

Deus Ex is a classic PC game known for its innovative approach to the first-person shooter genre and as a pioneer of the immersive sim, allowing players to explore a non-linear world with moral complexities. The game's designer, Warren Spector, initially pitched it as "Troubleshooter" to Origin Systems before joining Ion Storm in 1997. He faced skepticism regarding the mix of shooter, stealth, and RPG elements. The protagonist's name, JC Denton, was chosen during development, contributing to the game's legacy. An interview with Spector will be published in PC Gamer on July 15.

AppWizard

June 29, 2025

Xbox Game Pass Just Quietly Added The Most Influential Strategy Series Ever On PC

The divide between console and PC gaming has blurred, with genres crossing platforms. Classic computer games, like those in the Warcraft series, still benefit from mouse and keyboard precision. The Warcraft franchise has significantly influenced the real-time strategy (RTS) genre, with a remastered collection of the trilogy now available for PC players through Game Pass. Warcraft: Orcs & Humans set a new standard for RTS games, introducing intricate missions and online multiplayer. Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness solidified the series' status with enhanced AI and user-friendly controls, while also being ported to PlayStation and Sega Saturn. Warcraft III redefined the series by emphasizing hero units and intertwining narratives, leading to the events of World of Warcraft. The remastered versions, including Warcraft III: Reforged, have improved significantly and are accessible through Game Pass, providing a convenient way to experience these influential titles. The Warcraft trilogy is available on PC and included with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

AppWizard

June 25, 2025

Stalker 2’s 1.5 mega-patch just dropped and GSC says A-Life is back, baby

GSC Game World has released a substantial update for Stalker 2, called the "Guns and Looting update" (version 1.5). This update revives the A-Life system, allowing NPCs to lead their own lives, pursue individual goals, and engage in conflicts. NPCs will no longer respawn directly in front of players, enhancing realism. The update also introduces new features, including a new rifle and pistol, a "Water electric tornado" anomaly, and the ability to loot parts from mutants.

AppWizard

June 24, 2025

Isometric narrative mystery adventure game Pera Coda announced for consoles, PC

Turkish game developer Elyzio and its subsidiary Falan have announced Pera Coda, an isometric narrative mystery adventure set in a surreal reimagining of Istanbul. The game features a protagonist named Deniz, an attorney navigating a subconscious limbo between life and death, focusing on themes of guilt, regret, and the search for peace. Players will engage in impactful dialogue choices and solve layered environmental puzzles, exploring Deniz’s traumatic memories. The game draws inspiration from titles like Disco Elysium and Outer Wilds, and emphasizes a rich psychological narrative with branching dialogue and puzzle integration. Pera Coda utilizes an accessible point-and-click mechanic and is designed with visually striking environments that reflect the emotional depth of the story. Specific console and PC platforms have not yet been disclosed, nor has a release date been confirmed.

AppWizard

June 17, 2025

Fallout Shelter has been downloaded 230m times

Fallout Shelter has achieved over 230 million installations since its launch in June 2016. It was initially released on mobile platforms, then expanded to PC in July 2016, followed by Xbox One in February 2017, and later to PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch in June 2018. Bethesda has added extensive content updates to the game, including characters from the Amazon Prime Fallout series and a new questline with eight quests and various new themes, weapons, and outfits.

AppWizard

June 7, 2025

Forever Skies developer responds to ‘significant’ disappointment with the survival game’s launch: ‘It’s tough to see that the game didn’t meet the expectation of so many players’

Forever Skies is an early access survival game on Steam that allows players to explore a skyward world and build airships. Initially rated 'Very Positive,' it has recently shifted to a 'Mixed' rating due to player concerns about repetitive exploration, lack of narrative depth, and stagnation in gameplay. CEO Andrzej Blumenfeld acknowledged player disappointment and outlined areas of dissatisfaction, including technical performance and uninspired mechanics. The studio, Far From Home, plans to address these issues in upcoming updates, which will include enhancements to animations, aim assist for controllers, new loading screens, and bug fixes.

AppWizard

June 6, 2025

Stray Children, the oddball RPG from the devs behind cult classic Moon, is coming to PC in English later this year

Nintendo's 2023 Direct presentation featured the game Stray Children, directed by Yoshiro Kimura. The game has a unique pixel art style and will make its English debut later this year on PC. Players control a young, dog-like boy transported to a fantastical realm inhabited by children, avoiding "The Olders," monstrous adults. The gameplay involves combat in compact arenas with bullet-hell style attacks. Stray Children was released in Japan last year for the Nintendo Switch, and while an English localization is promised, the exact release date is unconfirmed but anticipated for 2025.

AppWizard

June 3, 2025

Wizards of the Coast inks “exclusive” publishing agreement with Giant Skull

Wizards of the Coast has entered into an exclusive publishing agreement with Giant Skull to produce action titles that emphasize gameplay and narrative depth. Giant Skull, founded in 2024 by Stig Asmussen and other industry veterans, aims to create immersive storytelling experiences and engaging combat scenarios within the Dungeons & Dragons universe. John Hight, president of Wizards of the Coast, expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration, highlighting the team's talent and the strategic evolution it represents for the company. Details about the upcoming titles are currently limited.