protagonist Archives

AppWizard

March 23, 2026

Masters of Albion is a ‘Best of Peter Molyneux’ greatest hits collection in one game, but I fear it might not measure up to the games that inspired it

Peter Molyneux's latest project, Masters of Albion, is set to enter early access on Steam on April 22. The game features a click and drag interface with an iconic anonymous sky hand, allowing players to manipulate the game world. Players start in the village of Oakridge, focusing on building towns, defending against enemies, and controlling a hero villager. The gameplay includes city-building and combat, with players generating income and fulfilling orders from villagers. A design mini-game involves assembling dishes for characters like Sylvia Plinth. Players can summon a hero to explore new territories, engage in combat, solve puzzles, and discover collectibles. The game also includes a city-defense mechanic where players prepare for nighttime sieges, construct defenses, and adapt strategies in real-time. Players can load defenses with unconventional projectiles, including crafted food. Masters of Albion encourages players to engage at their own pace across city-building, combat, or exploration.

AppWizard

March 22, 2026

The Last Caretaker’s latest update embraces its inner Dr Evil by adding sharks with frickin’ laser beams attached to their heads

The Last Caretaker is an oceanic survival simulation game that blends themes of desolation, hope, and crafting. The latest update, Curiosity Wakes, introduces laser sharks with cranial laser cannons, ram sharks, and mysterious archangels. Players can now deploy NPC companions, including a mobile gun turret called the Sweetheart and craft spiderbot-like creatures. The update also adds customization options for the player's robot, new quests, and locations, as well as a connection to vat-grown humans via the Council of Humanity. Since its alpha launch in November, the game has received three significant updates, including the addition of a jetski, new biomes, a forklift truck, and a compost system for biofuel production. An upgraded demo is available on Steam, enhancing the starting area and exploration opportunities.

AppWizard

March 19, 2026

Crimson Desert review – a beautiful, shallow world

Crimson Desert features a vast and visually stunning world but struggles with a conventional narrative framework. The combat system can feel cumbersome, especially during challenging boss encounters, leading to a sense of unfulfilled potential in exploration. The game follows a protagonist named Kliff Greymane, who seeks revenge against an antagonist, but after 50 hours, the main adversary remains elusive, and players engage in mundane tasks. Exploration is initially enticing, but it becomes constrained, with limited interactions and repetitive tasks. Combat mechanics blend elements from various genres, but boss battles introduce a significant difficulty spike that can frustrate players. Promotional materials promise thrilling gameplay elements, but the actual experience often falls short. While moments of joy can be found in exploring the Abyss network, the connection to the character Kliff is lacking, and the narrative becomes convoluted over time. Despite its vibrant world and visual splendor, the game may leave players wanting more due to restricted exploration and busywork.

TrendTechie

March 18, 2026

Death Stranding 2 слили на торренты за день до релиза на ПК

Users on Reddit reported the leak of a PC version of Death Stranding 2 one day before its official release on March 19. The game, developed by Kojima Productions, is available on torrent trackers and lacks the anti-piracy measures typically associated with Denuvo. The narrative follows protagonist Sam, who cares for Lou and seeks to reconnect communities across Mexico and Australia. The PC version features unlimited frame rates, support for ultra-wide monitors, DualSense controller haptic feedback, NVIDIA DLSS and AMD FSR upscaling technologies, and multi-frame generation.

AppWizard

March 18, 2026

Death Stranding 2 PC and PS5 major update details revealed including new difficulty mode, live-action cutscenes and more

Hideo Kojima has announced new features for the upcoming PC port of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, which will also launch on PlayStation 5 on March 19. The PC version will support unlocked frame rates, ultra widescreen formats, and full compatibility with the DualSense controller, along with advanced upscaling and frame generation technologies. A new difficulty mode called To the Wilder will be introduced, alongside new live-action cutscenes, additional scenes with new nightmares for the protagonist Sam, new items, replayable boss fights, a 21:9 ultrawide mode for PS5, a Chiral Cat in Sam’s room, and various gameplay adjustments based on player data. Critics have praised Death Stranding 2, with VGC naming it their Game of the Year for 2025, highlighting its stronger narrative and refined mechanics compared to its predecessor.

AppWizard

March 14, 2026

I desperately want the Just Cause creator’s new open-city game to be great, but I’m not convinced by its latest trailer

The gaming community has been seeking an engaging open-world experience similar to those from the Xbox 360 era, particularly with the upcoming release of Grand Theft Auto 6. Samson, an open-world game developed by Liquid Swords and created by Cristofer Sundberg, features a protagonist named Samson who returns to his hometown of Tyndalston to settle a significant debt using various methods. The gameplay requires players to meet a daily cash quota to manage debt interest, incorporating an "action points" mechanic that limits mission availability. The game showcases a gritty aesthetic with muscle cars but has received mixed reactions due to concerns about repetitive combat mechanics and sparsely populated environments. A notable moment in the gameplay trailer features Samson throwing a wrench at an enemy with a humorous quip. Samson is set to launch on April 8, and there is hope for its success despite the current work-in-progress feel of the trailer.

AppWizard

March 14, 2026

Little Nightmares VR: Altered Echoes

Little Nightmares VR: Altered Echoes is a standalone entry in the Little Nightmares franchise, featuring a new cast of characters, immersive environments, and distinct chapters. The game has an independent narrative that enhances the overarching lore with references to previous installments. Developed by Iconik, a French studio specializing in virtual reality, the game is designed to be accessible for new players while still appealing to long-time fans. It includes innovative VR gameplay mechanics tailored for virtual reality, with puzzles and interactions that involve climbing, crouching, and object manipulation. The game will be available on PS5 with PSVR2, Meta Quest 2, Meta Quest 3, and SteamVR for PC VR, optimized for various headsets. It aims for a minimum target of 72 FPS on PC via SteamVR. Dark Six returns as the main protagonist, and the game is set to launch on April 24, 2026. Recommended PC system requirements include Windows 11, Intel Core i7-10700K or AMD Ryzen 5 3600, 16 GB RAM, and NVIDIA GeForce 2060 SUPER or AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT. The game takes place in The Pale City, featuring dark and mysterious locations.

AppWizard

March 13, 2026

I’m celebrating Spring by helping a little frog wake up from hibernation in the cosy puzzle game Walk the Frog

Walk the Frog is a puzzle game where players guide a frog named Froggo, who awakens from hibernation, through various challenges to reach his pond in time for the Froggapalooza spring festival. Players help Froggo navigate by solving puzzles and assisting other characters, such as a lost rat and a father stork searching for his storklings. The game features vibrant colors, cheerful melodies, and charming interactions. A demo is available, and the full release is anticipated later this year.

AppWizard

March 12, 2026

This horror game where you’re a conscious nuclear missile boasts ‘one handed mouse only controls’, leaving me with assumptions that proved incorrect when I had to saw my own limbs off

The game Brainshell is set in an alternate reality in 1963 where human intellect has replaced computers amidst an out-of-control nuclear arms race. Governments use propaganda, brainwashing, and body modifications to create a sentient nuclear missile. Developed by a Finnish team, the game features gameplay that involves manipulating archaic levers and navigating a grotesque maze of flesh. Players experience a tense atmosphere with low survival odds, and the protagonist has a psychological aversion to clean water. The soundtrack is described as capturing a voice of madness, featuring warped brass instruments. Players face graphic scenarios, including the need to sever their own limbs with a rusty hacksaw, highlighting the game's dark themes.

AppWizard

March 11, 2026

‘We are definitely not doing QTEs’, said Dispatch’s creative director before doing QTEs: ‘We just needed it to not suck’

Nick Herman and Dennis Lenart from AdHoc Studio discussed the development of the game Dispatch at GDC, focusing on its innovative gameplay mechanics. The team initially aimed to create engaging gameplay beyond traditional narrative-driven experiences, starting with light puzzle elements related to the protagonist's role. They moved away from a dispatching minigame concept and drew inspiration from the game This is the Police, leading to the creation of the Z Team, a group of ex-villains managed by players. The team considered incorporating quick time events (QTEs) but aimed to improve their execution. They established guiding principles to enhance player experience, such as avoiding jumpscares with prompts, not imposing unfair penalties for missed prompts, and limiting QTEs to two types: a timed prompt and a directional swipe. They found that players felt good about the experience if they hit 80% or more of the prompts and allowed button mashing without penalties for premature presses. To accommodate players who dislike QTEs, they made them optional. Ultimately, the team discovered that well-designed QTEs could be enjoyable, and the overall balance of Dispatch has been positively received by players.