player agency Archives

AppWizard

February 17, 2025

The new game from The Witcher 3’s director revives the best tradition of Morrowind by letting you kill off ‘really important NPCs’

The Blood of Dawnwalker allows players to kill important NPCs, significantly diverging from the narrative restrictions of The Witcher 3. The game emphasizes player choice and a sandbox nature, aiming to create options while maintaining good storytelling and lore. The ability to eliminate characters can lead to alternate outcomes and cut-off questlines, introducing consequences that players must navigate. The protagonist's blood hunger at night can result in unintended fatalities, enhancing the game's exploration of darker decision-making.

AppWizard

February 13, 2025

‘Avowed’ Review (PC): An Excellent ‘Elder Scrolls’ Intermission

Avowed is a role-playing game set in the Pillars of Eternity universe, allowing players to engage without prior lore knowledge. Players assume the role of a "Godlike" character on a quest in the "Living Lands" to confront the Dreamscourge, a blight affecting the landscape and its creatures. The game features a small party of companions with unique abilities, including a fish man, a rabbit girl, and a human healer. Avowed consists of interconnected zones with distinct environments, encouraging exploration and discovery. The main story and side quests take approximately 30 hours to complete, offering a fulfilling experience without the lengthy commitment typical of other RPGs. Combat is engaging, with various build options available, and meaningful choices impact the narrative, enhancing player agency. The game simplifies some RPG mechanics, which can be both a strength and a weakness. The writing quality compensates for less complex character interactions. The game received a score of 9/10.

AppWizard

February 5, 2025

That was fast: a modder already added an ‘unlimited save game’ feature to Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2

Modder EddieShoe has released a modification called Unlimited Saving 2 for Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, allowing players to save their game by pressing the F5 key, bypassing the need for the Saviour Schnapps potion. Traditionally, saving requires sleeping in a bed or using the potion, which was designed to prevent save-scumming and maintain the game's challenge. The mod enables saving at any moment typically allowed for potion use, enhancing convenience and sparking discussions about game design and player experience.

AppWizard

December 16, 2024

‘I’ve spent my entire career trying to recreate the feeling I had when I played D&D for the first time,’ says immersive sim godfather Warren Spector, with new game Thick as Thieves going multiplayer because ‘you don’t play D&D alone’

Warren Spector, co-founder of OtherSide Entertainment, discussed the studio's upcoming multiplayer title, Thick as Thieves, which shifts from traditional single-player immersive sims to a live service PvPvE multiplayer format. Spector has long envisioned multiplayer as the next logical step for immersive sims, aiming to capture collaborative storytelling akin to Dungeons & Dragons. He emphasized the importance of player agency and creativity in creating surprising narratives. Project lead Greg LoPiccolo noted the dynamic interactions that can occur in multiplayer settings. The game's success will depend on ongoing support and community engagement, distinguishing it from other titles like Anthem and Redfall. Players can wishlist Thick as Thieves on Steam or Epic, although a release date has not been announced.

AppWizard

December 6, 2024

20 best PC games to play right now

Neva is an adventure game exploring themes of survival, nature, and loss, where players navigate life and death challenges through emotional narratives and puzzles. Alan Wake 2 is a psychological survival horror sequel featuring protagonists Alan Wake and FBI agent Saga Anderson, focusing on complex puzzles and survival mechanics. Balatro reimagines poker with special decks and magical cards, altering traditional gameplay dynamics. Lorelei and the Laser Eyes combines puzzle-solving with visual storytelling in a mysterious world. Cult of the Lamb is a rogue-like game where players build a cult as a lamb saved from death, blending action and resource management. Hades II follows Melinoë on a quest against Kronos, introducing new gods and mechanics in a roguelike format. Elden Ring is an open-world action RPG with vast exploration and dynamic combat in a dark fantasy setting. Still Wakes the Deep is a narrative-driven horror game set on an oil rig, exploring psychological and supernatural horror. Rollerdrome combines third-person shooting with roller-skating in a dystopian future. Tunic features a small fox exploring a mysterious world filled with puzzles and secrets. The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood allows players to craft tarot cards that shape destinies in a narrative-driven experience. Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is an adventure game inspired by Japanese mythology, focusing on fast-paced combat and strategic elements. The Walking Dead: The Telltale Definitive Series compiles all seasons of the series, emphasizing choice-driven gameplay and character evolution. Baldur's Gate 3 is a role-playing game set in the Dungeons & Dragons universe, featuring deep RPG mechanics and impactful decisions. League of Legends is a free-to-play MOBA game known for its strategy and team coordination. Cocoon is a puzzle-adventure game where players navigate between realms and solve intricate puzzles. Kentucky Route Zero is an adventure game exploring American culture through surreal storytelling. Valorant is a tactical first-person shooter that combines traditional mechanics with hero abilities. Final Fantasy XIV is an MMORPG set in Eorzea, known for its rich story and extensive content updates. Half-Life 2 features protagonist Gordon Freeman in a dystopian world, celebrated for its innovative gameplay and narrative.

AppWizard

November 21, 2024

Avowed is a jack-of-all-trades action RPG with a rare attention for the little details

Obsidian Entertainment is developing the fantasy RPG Avowed, which is not an expansive open-world game like Skyrim. The game features firearms, diverging from traditional fantasy tropes. Director Carrie Patel highlights the series' blend of political intrigue with philosophical and metaphysical elements. The game aims for a scope similar to The Outer Worlds while focusing on expansive role-playing and action-heavy combat. Players can purchase firearms and use a classless system to combine melee and magic, which is uncommon in RPGs. Combat includes a responsive dodge mechanic and a stun meter for special attacks, with a balance between agility and weight. The game encourages exploration with climbable surfaces and hidden rewards, and player agency is emphasized. Avowed includes tutorials and customizable user interface controls. While the gameplay is engaging, some elements feel artificial, and the writing may not resonate as deeply as other titles.

AppWizard

October 21, 2024

Five new Steam games you probably missed (October 21, 2024)

On an average day, Steam unveils a dozen new games. Killing Time: Resurrected - Release Date: October 18 - Developer: Nightdive Studios, 3DO - Premise: Players act as Detective Combardy to unravel a mystery involving a sniper targeting innocent civilians, featuring a visual style reminiscent of Nintendo 64 first-person shooters. Drova - Release Date: October 16 - Developer: Just2 - Genre: Top-down pixel art action RPG inspired by Celtic mythology, emphasizing exploration and player agency with branching narratives and dueling factions. Eden Crafters - Release Date: October 17 - Developer: Osaris Games - Genre: Survival game in Early Access where players transform inhospitable planets into thriving ecosystems through climate alteration and terraforming mechanics. Yugo: the non-game - Release Date: October 16 - Developer: In Two Minds Studio - Concept: A "non-game" focused on virtual road trips in the Balkans, emphasizing the journey and interactions rather than traditional gaming objectives.

AppWizard

September 19, 2024

God Of War: Ragnarok’s PC port is out and it fixes one of the game’s most annoying quirks

The PC port of God of War: Ragnarok has been released nearly two years after its launch on PS4 and PS5. A notable feature in the PC version is the option to mute Kratos' son, Atreus, which was not available in the original console versions. The PC port also includes audio descriptions for cinematic sequences, streaming gifs for platforms like Twitch and YouTube, and compatibility with NVIDIA and AMD’s upscaling technologies for ultrawide monitors with a 32:9 aspect ratio. The game requires between 175GB to 190GB of hard drive space and is available on Steam and the Epic Games Store. The recommended PC specifications are demanding, and users have reported that performance on the Steam Deck is limited to 30FPS on the lowest settings.