Pandora Archives

AppWizard

July 26, 2025

After a forgettable launch, Ubisoft’s Avatar game is getting a huge new update later this year, introducing new game plus and a third-person mode

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora launched on Steam in late 2023, featuring a visually stunning rainforest environment and allowing players to navigate as Na'vi characters. The game had simplified combat mechanics and faced a decline in player engagement due to minimal marketing support from Ubisoft. Developer Massive Entertainment released paid DLC patches, including a New Game Plus mode that retains gear and introduces stronger equipment and a new skill tree. A significant update will add a third-person perspective, allowing seamless switching between first and third-person views. The game received mixed reviews, with some praising its world while others criticized its performance and narrative. A third-person update is set to launch on December 5, coinciding with the release of the film Avatar: Fire & Ash on December 19.

AppWizard

June 28, 2025

I’ve spent six hours exploring the Steam Summer Sale with our Games Editor, and these are the 10 best games on discount I’d recommend so far

The Steam Summer Sale is currently ongoing, offering discounts for a limited 14-day period. Notable titles include: - Grounded: Developed by Obsidian Entertainment, priced at .99 / £17.49, currently at a 50% discount. - Cult of the Lamb: Developed by Massive Monster, priced at .49 / £9.74, currently at its lowest price. - Disco Elysium - The Final Cut: Developed by ZA/UM, priced at .99 / £3.49, currently at a 90% discount. - Cyberpunk 2077: Developed by CD Projekt Red, priced at .99 / £17.49, now at a historical low. - Little Nightmares 2: Developed by Tarsier Studios, priced at .99 / £2.49, now at a historically low price. - Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy: Developed by Vicarious Visions, priced at .99 / £3.49. - Thank Goodness You're Here!: Developed by Coal Supper, priced at .99 / £10.39, with the largest reduction yet. - Borderlands 3: Developed by Gearbox Software, priced at .99 / £2.49. - Guardians of the Galaxy: Developed by Eidos-Montreal, priced at .99 / £5.04, now at a new low price. - Dead Space: Developed by EA Motive, priced at .99 / £9.99, now at a historic low. Honorable mentions include Control Ultimate Edition, Forza Horizon 5, Elden Ring, Blasphemous, REPO, Undertale, Resident Evil 4, Stardew Valley, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Helldivers 2.

AppWizard

June 19, 2025

Enhanced Splinter Cell is the best way to play this classic in 2025

Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell, released in 2002, has an unofficial mod called Enhanced Splinter Cell that revitalizes the game with quality-of-life improvements and restored content. The mod enhances lighting effects, allows customization of Sam Fisher's outfit, and incorporates dgVoodoo2 for modern compatibility. It introduces gameplay tweaks such as easier inventory access, HUD toggling, adjustable movement speed, and a new crouch mechanic. Additionally, it includes two previously cut missions, Nuclear Power Plant and Severonickel, along with updated cutscenes for the Kalinatek mission and the new missions. Enhanced Splinter Cell is recommended for players wanting to experience the classic on modern hardware.

AppWizard

June 6, 2025

The Borderlands cup overfloweth with a huge sale—1-3, The Pre-Sequel, all their DLCs, and one very good Telltale game are available for $36

The Borderlands series is currently on sale, with Borderlands 2 available for free until June 8. The Pandora's Box bundle, which includes all three main Borderlands games, The Pre-Sequel, and Tales from the Borderlands, is discounted by 45%. Borderlands 3 is priced at £2.50, and the Handsome Collection is available for £11. Tiny Tina's Wonderlands is not included in the sale.

AppWizard

May 31, 2025

Ubisoft marks 10 years of trolling Splinter Cell fans with a new tease and I can’t believe I’m saying this but they used the wrong picture of Sam Fisher

Fans of the Splinter Cell series have been waiting for a remake announced nearly four years ago, but June 2024 passed without significant updates. Instead, an animated series on Netflix was announced, which will not feature Michael Ironside's voice, and a Splinter Cell movie starring Tom Hardy received a formal nod after being announced in 2012. The remake was unveiled in December 2021, but updates have indicated it is being rewritten for a modern audience, and the director has stepped down, leading to fan disillusionment. Speculation exists that Ubisoft may reveal news at the Summer Game Fest or an upcoming Ubisoft Forward event, but concerns about disappointment are growing. Ubisoft shared an image of Sam Fisher that confused fans, as it was from Pandora Tomorrow instead of Chaos Theory, raising doubts about the company's commitment to the franchise. The ongoing situation has led to speculation that it may be an elaborate prank, while fans continue to hope for the remake's eventual release.

Winsage

April 11, 2025

Windows 11 Update Issues and What To Do About Them

Windows 11 version 24H2 has introduced significant issues, including blue screens of death (BSOD) and device bricking associated with update KB5043145. Users have reported problems such as black screens, corrupted boot sectors, and non-functional system restore points. Businesses are facing complications like failed domain join operations, group policy errors, and stalled WSUS updates. Specific issues include Remote Desktop disconnections after update KB5050094, the removal of the Windows Copilot app in March 2025, blocked BIOS updates for Lenovo ThinkPad users, and gaming performance problems for titles like Star Wars Outlaws and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. Microsoft is aware of these issues but is slow to provide solutions. Users are advised to use built-in troubleshooters, roll back problematic updates, pause updates, manually update drivers, and back up their systems before major updates.

AppWizard

March 18, 2025

Assassin’s Creed: Shadows PC Performance Analysis

Ubisoft has removed the review embargo for Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, which is powered by the AnvilNext Engine. Performance benchmarks were conducted using an AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D processor and 32GB of DDR5 RAM, testing various graphics cards including AMD Radeon RX 6900XT, RX 7900XTX, RX 9070XT, and NVIDIA RTX 2080Ti, RTX 3080, RTX 4090, RTX 5080, and RTX 5090. The game includes a built-in benchmark tool and offers a range of graphics settings, supporting technologies like NVIDIA DLSS 3 and 4, AMD FSR 3, and Intel XeSS, as well as Ray Tracing without requiring an RT GPU. To achieve 60FPS at 1080p with Ultra High Settings and no RT, players need an AMD Radeon RX 7900XTX, NVIDIA RTX 4090, or RTX 5090. At 1440p with Ultra High Settings and no RT, both the RX 7900XTX and RTX 4090 provide smooth performance, while the RTX 5090 is necessary for 60FPS. No GPU managed satisfactory performance at Native 4K with Ultra High Settings and no RT, with the RTX 5090 struggling to maintain frame rates above 50FPS. Lowering graphics settings did not yield significant performance improvements, raising questions about potential CPU bottlenecks. The game is visually appealing but lacks RTGI effects, making it appear flat at times compared to Unreal Engine 5 titles.

AppWizard

March 13, 2025

Steam Spring Sale start time confirmed: Here’s when you can save on latest PC games today

Steam has launched its Spring Sale 2025, starting on March 13 at 6 PM GMT and lasting for one week. The sale features discounts on a variety of games, including AAA titles and indie games. Notable past discounts included games like Baldur's Gate 3, Starfield, Diablo 4, and Resident Evil 4 Remake. The sale may include titles such as The Long Dark, Sifu, Witchfire, and many others, with discounts potentially reaching up to 95%. Steam Deck owners will also find compatible games on sale.

Winsage

March 3, 2025

A Windows 11 update has tanked performance on some Intel CPUs — Here’s what it means for you

Windows 11 version 24H2 has performance and compatibility issues, particularly affecting Intel 11th Gen processors due to a flaw in the Intel Smart Sound Technology driver, causing blue screen errors. Gaming performance concerns have also been noted but appear to have been addressed. Ubisoft titles like Star Wars Outlaws, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, and Assassin's Creed: Valhalla experienced unresponsiveness, which has been resolved. A new bug affects users with the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K CPU, causing startup errors linked to a recent CPU or microcode update. Affected users report performance throttling when applications are minimized or out of focus, with significant drops in performance during benchmark tests. This issue seems limited to certain Intel CPUs, as other models like the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X and Intel Core i9 12900K are not affected. Users with Intel's Lunar or Arrow Lake CPUs may be vulnerable, and it is recommended to report issues via the Microsoft Feedback Hub.

AppWizard

March 2, 2025

This week’s hot PC gaming Steam deals Feb.23-Mar.1

The Steam Next Fest is currently ongoing, offering significant sales and free game demos. Ubisoft is holding a Big Publisher Sale with discounts on various titles, including: - Star Wars: Outlaws - 50% off - Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown - 50% off - Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag - 70% off - The Rogue Prince of Persia - 25% off - Riders Republic - 80% off - Anno 1800 - 90% off - Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege - 80% off - Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora - 67% off - Rayman Legends - 80% off Sales from indie publishers Annapurna Interactive and New Blood Interactive include: - Neon White - 50% off - Ultrakill - 33% off - What Remains of Edith Finch - 75% off - Blood West - 55% off - Flock - 20% off Notable cultural games on sale are: - Lies of P - 40% off - Cocoon - 40% off - Black Mesa - 75% off - Dredge - 50% off - Unpacking - 50% off Ubisoft's sale ends on March 13, while the indie sales conclude on March 3, 2025.