open world

AppWizard
August 11, 2025
Edwin is on a brief hiatus and prefers to be addressed as "Dr. Edwin" during meetings. He expects others to turn off their cameras and mute themselves if they forget. This week’s overview of new PC game releases includes: - Nebelmer: A compact open-world explorer that won Best Student Game at the Belgian Game Awards. - Echoes of the End: A narrative-rich fantasy hack-and-slash game inspired by Iceland's landscapes. - Abyssus: A 4-player roguelike co-op shooter set in sunken temples. - Dungeon Stalkers: An early access "extraction PvPvE dungeon crawler" with puzzling elements. - Alchemy of the Earth: A game where players mix potions to fend off skeletons. - Stomach: A survival horror cooking game set on an abandoned cruise ship. This week is quiet due to Edwin and Nic being on leave, while Mark plays Mafia: The Old Country. Gamescom is approaching.
AppWizard
August 10, 2025
Developer SlugGlove and publisher Yogscast Games announced their upcoming semi-open world puzzle adventure game, Rhell: Warped Worlds & Troubled Times, set to launch on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation in early 2026. Players will craft spells by combining magical runes to solve environmental puzzles across 14 main areas, with over 102 million possible spell combinations. The game features a narrative-driven experience where players guide Rhell, a mage, and her companion Beesle, as they uncover clues and interact with various characters. Rhell will be showcased at the Tiny Teams festival from August 7-14, and a demo is available on Steam.
AppWizard
August 10, 2025
A team from Wrexham University has created a block-by-block replica of the 2025 National Eisteddfod in Minecraft to provide an immersive experience for those unable to attend the festival. The project, which took about three weeks to develop, has attracted 50 to 60 participants from Wales, England, and Ireland since its launch. Players can explore a virtual village featuring performance stages and craft stalls, and contribute their own designs. The National Eisteddfod is Europe's largest cultural festival, and the developers aim to promote the Welsh language in a playful environment. The server will remain active for another month, encouraging creativity from players of all ages. Minecraft, the best-selling computer game of all time, has been utilized for this project due to its accessibility and popularity.
AppWizard
August 8, 2025
The demo of Nox Mortalis initially disappointed the player due to its cryptic nature and frustrating melee combat mechanics, including a reliance on a parry system and the absence of a compass. However, after reviewing the in-game manual, the player discovered that crafting a compass was part of the gameplay experience. The game incorporates resource management, requiring players to gather materials like wood, coal, and metals to craft weapons and unlock treasure chests. The crafting system is intuitive, with recipes unlocking automatically as players collect materials. The demo allows for approximately four hours of gameplay, including exploration of side dungeons and the initial levels of a central megadungeon. The player experienced a satisfying progression, starting with basic crafting and advancing to more powerful weapons. There is concern about whether the developer can maintain the engaging gameplay loop in the full release, which currently has no set date, as feedback from the demo is being gathered. Players can wishlist the game and access the demo on Steam.
AppWizard
August 7, 2025
A free demo for Hell is Us will be released on August 12, 2025, for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S, ahead of the game's official launch on September 4. The demo will feature 4K resolution and 60 frames per second, an improvement from the previous demo released in June. Hell is Us, announced in 2022, is a third-person action-adventure game focusing on melee combat in a semi-open world filled with supernatural entities, where players navigate without traditional navigation tools. The game is set in a nation affected by civil war and a mysterious calamity that has unleashed supernatural creatures. Players will use a drone and a sword to combat these foes. The game's theme explores the cycle of human violence fueled by emotions. Hell is Us is available for pre-purchase, with the Deluxe Edition offering early access to the full game.
AppWizard
August 7, 2025
Mafia: The Old Country is set to launch on August 8. The minimum PC requirements include an AMD Ryzen 7 2700X or Intel Core I7-9700K CPU, 16GB RAM, AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT or Nvidia RTX 2070 GPU, 8GB video memory, HD resolution at 1920x1080, and 55GB SSD storage. Recommended requirements are an AMD Ryzen 7 5800X or Intel Core I7-12700K CPU, 32GB RAM, AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT or Nvidia RTX 3070 TI GPU, 12GB video memory, 2K resolution at 2560x1440, and 55GB SSD storage. Epic preset requirements include an AMD Ryzen 7 9700X or Intel Core I7-14700K CPU, 32GB RAM, AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT or Nvidia RTX 4070 TI GPU, 12GB video memory, 4K resolution at 2880x1620, and 55GB SSD storage. Features for the PC version include uncapped gameplay frame rate, anti-aliasing, remappable keyboard inputs, frame generation, HDR support, accessibility options, ultrawide monitor support, and V-sync. The game is a prequel to the original Mafia and will not feature an open world, with a price point lower than current trends for new titles.
AppWizard
July 22, 2025
Descenders Next, the sequel to the 2019 downhill racing game, is now available for Xbox and PC through the Xbox PC app and Steam. Developed by RageSquid and published by No More Robots, the game shifts focus from biking to boarding sports, featuring snowboarding and mountainboarding in a procedurally generated open-world environment with four distinct biomes. Future updates will include new biomes, multiplayer modes, and mod support, with potential plans to add skiing. The game is priced at .99 and aims to refine gameplay based on player feedback. Descenders has over 30 million players and saw a surge in popularity after being added to Xbox Game Pass in 2020. Players can access Descenders Next through PC Game Pass or purchase it outright on Xbox and Steam.
AppWizard
July 21, 2025
- Wildgate: A game in the "Sea of Thieves in space" genre, rated six warps out of Picard, focusing on exploration and camaraderie. - Cipher Zero: A puzzle game where players solve glyph puzzles that reflect evolving pixel landscapes, with an atmosphere of impending historical cataclysm. - Hell Clock: A dark fantasy action roguelite inspired by the "War of Canudos" in 19th century Brazil, offering a unique narrative and intense gameplay. - Wheel World: An open-world biking simulation from Messhof, where players save spirits and craft a Penny Farthing.
AppWizard
July 15, 2025
Handheld gaming devices have gained popularity, allowing players to enjoy games comfortably. However, not all games are suitable for these platforms. Notable games that perform well on handhelds include: - Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom: A Metroidvania game where players control Jin, who must reverse a spell that transformed people into animals. It features charming animations and engaging combat with low graphical demands. - Blue Prince: A 3D puzzle adventure where players inherit an estate and must solve puzzles in various rooms using a roguelike mechanic involving card drawing. - Immortals Fenyx Rising: An open-world RPG set in Greek mythology, where players save the gods from Typhon. It combines exploration, combat, and puzzle-solving, though it can drain battery life. - Stardew Valley: A farming and life simulation game where players inherit a farm and engage in farming, raising animals, and building relationships. Its pixelated graphics ensure smooth performance on handhelds. - Baldur's Gate 3: A turn-based RPG set in the Dungeons & Dragons universe, known for its immersive storytelling and character interactions. It performs well on handhelds but may drain the battery. - Fallout 4: Game of the Year Edition: An open-world RPG set in a post-apocalyptic world, manageable for handheld devices due to its age. - Age of Empires: A real-time strategy game with a 4K Definitive Edition, suitable for handheld play with optimized controls for solo and multiplayer experiences. Handheld gaming PCs support a variety of genres, particularly those with simpler 2D graphics, which enhance battery life and gameplay smoothness.
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