non-playable characters Archives

AppWizard

January 6, 2026

Kingdom Come 2 Studio Cut This Feature Because It Was “Too Bizarre And Too Much Work”

Warhorse Studios revealed that an ambitious eating system for Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, which would allow the protagonist Henry to gain or lose weight based on food consumption, did not make the final cut. This feature would have influenced Henry's wardrobe choices and the sizes of non-playable characters (NPCs) in the game. Players could alter Henry's physique through his eating habits, affecting which clothing items fit him. However, the feature was deemed too complex and not enjoyable, leading to its exclusion. The game is currently available for purchase and has received a 9/10 rating from GameSpot, being praised for its complexity and player choice.

AppWizard

November 17, 2025

21 Years Ago Today, One of the Best Games Ever Came to PC

Half-Life 2 was released on November 16, 2004, as a sequel to the original Half-Life from 1998, developed by Valve using the Source engine. The game introduced a broader narrative and memorable characters, including Gordon Freeman, Alyx Vance, and Father Grigori, while featuring a sophisticated physics engine and the Gravity Gun. It received widespread acclaim, achieving a perfect score from Edge magazine and selling over 12 million copies within seven years across multiple platforms. Half-Life 2 was instrumental in establishing Steam as a dominant digital distribution platform and set new standards for storytelling in action games. Despite its success, there has been no formal sequel, although episodic content and a prequel, Half-Life: Alyx, have been released.

AppWizard

November 16, 2025

Wuxia MMO Where Winds Meet is full of AI chatbot NPCs, and people are doing all the standard obscene stuff to them: ‘I made him think that my character was pregnant with his child’

Where Winds Meet, a multiplayer ARPG, has achieved 190,000 concurrent players on Steam, partly due to its use of large language model chatbots for non-playable characters (NPCs). Players can interact with these NPCs through text or voice, leading to creative and humorous exchanges. For example, one player humorously claimed their character was pregnant with an NPC's child, while another asked about recipes involving ketchup and potatoes, prompting the NPC to reference the historical context of the Song dynasty. Reactions to the AI NPCs are mixed; some players enjoy the interactions, while others express dissatisfaction, with one user stating they reconsidered downloading the game because of the AI integration.

AppWizard

November 16, 2025

Almost 20 years since it hit Steam, Garry’s Mod finally addresses ‘lackluster support for weapons used by NPCs’ and gives Dr Kleiner his gun license

Garry's Mod, a sandbox game from Facepunch Studios, continues to be popular with over 22,000 players in the last 24 hours, ranking as the 62nd most popular game on Steam. Recent updates include a November patch that improves water visuals using advanced fluid rendering techniques, a March update adding new NPCs and a new game mode called Treason, and a July update integrating assets from Counter-Strike: Source and Half-Life 2 into community maps. The game is approaching its 20th anniversary on Steam next year.

AppWizard

November 5, 2025

‘In a true RPG, you need to think about what is happening’: RPGs have been coddling us, says Outer Worlds 2 director, who’s glad to see games like Baldur’s Gate 3 let players make mistakes

Brandon Adler, game director, reflected on his early struggles with Dungeons & Dragons and the complexities of Baldur's Gate when it launched in 1998. He noted the evolution of RPGs towards more accessible experiences, particularly through the Mass Effect series. In an interview, he expressed appreciation for the resurgence of RPGs that require deeper player engagement, highlighting Baldur's Gate 3 for its intricate choices that significantly influence gameplay. Adler observed trends in The Outer Worlds 2, where players experiment with unconventional character builds, emphasizing that such experimentation is part of the learning curve. He noted a decline in reliance on objective markers, which has reduced engagement with NPCs and their narratives, and expressed a desire for players to reconnect with storytelling in RPGs. He also mentioned the rising popularity of tabletop RPGs and how mainstream understanding has evolved since the 1990s, as seen in the success of Baldur's Gate 3, which appeals to both long-time fans and new players.

AppWizard

October 30, 2025

Bloodlines 2’s first patch prioritizes fashion over features, and I’m not sure how I feel about it

The first patch for Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2, referred to as the 'Halloween update', has been released, addressing various bugs and introducing new customization options. Players can now access eight new hairstyles, diverse makeup styles, and additional eye colors, including features like golden tears and skull-inspired face paint. The patch also fixes several title crashes and issues with non-playable characters and missing voiceovers. However, it does not include requested features such as a field of view (FOV) slider or the ability to skip Fabien's storyline in subsequent playthroughs.

AppWizard

October 24, 2025

How to get double jump in The Outer Worlds 2

In The Outer Worlds 2, players can acquire the double jump ability by obtaining a unique pair of boots called P.A.L.E. These boots are hidden within the side quest "For Whom The Bridge Tolls," which requires players to seek out Ida Rutledge in the Spire Grove on the first planet. Players must reach the top of a hill to witness a body falling from above, which introduces new NPCs and leads to another side quest titled "A Final Death For Gravity." By looting the body, players can obtain the P.A.L.E. boots, allowing them to double jump without needing to equip the boots; they simply press the jump button a second time to access higher areas.

AppWizard

September 26, 2025

Remember that great Friday the 13th game that got shuttered? The same studio is doing it all again, except this time it’s Halloween

Developer Illfonic is creating a new game inspired by the 1978 horror film Halloween, set in the small town of Haddonfield. The game features asymmetrical multiplayer gameplay where four residents must evade the killer, Michael Myers. Survivors can alert neighbors, contact the police, or guide others to escape points, while Myers is invincible but can be detained by the police. The game will also include single-player vignettes that allow players to experience key moments from the film from Michael Myers' perspective. The game is set to be released on September 8, 2026. Concerns have been raised about the long hype cycle and the game's potential longevity due to past issues with Illfonic's Friday the 13th game.

AppWizard

September 6, 2025

Can you identify these videogame factions from just one screenshot? Grind some rep with our latest quiz

PC Gamer offers a variety of quizzes related to gaming knowledge, covering topics such as health bars, unusual currencies, and patch notes. In video games, non-playable characters (NPCs) form factions that significantly influence the player's experience through quests, alliances, and rivalries. Examples include guild leadership in Skyrim, alien factions in Destiny, and the global coalition in XCOM. Players are challenged to identify factions from screenshots of NPCs, requiring precise recognition beyond general terms.

AppWizard

August 18, 2025

How well do you know videogame NPCs? Put your know-how to the test with our latest quiz

PC Gamer offers a variety of gaming trivia quizzes, including one that focuses on non-playable characters (NPCs) in video games. This quiz challenges players to recall the names and first appearances of 15 notable NPCs, highlighting their essential roles in gaming. Success in the quiz reflects a player's appreciation for these characters, while poor performance may prompt reflection on their contributions.