struggles Archives

AppWizard

June 20, 2025

Balatro creator gets ‘a taste of my own medicine’ as he struggles in vain to score the game’s hardest achievement

Balatro was named PC Gamer's 2024 Game of the Year. The game's creator, LocalThunk, has completed Balatro with every deck across all difficulty levels but is striving for 100% completion. He recently faced a challenge known as The Wall, sharing a meme about his defeat while being at 146/150 for completionist++. LocalThunk has achieved the completionist+ milestone, which requires winning at gold stakes with every deck. A 1.1 update for Balatro is planned, introducing new Jokers and additional content, though the release date is uncertain.

AppWizard

June 18, 2025

Splitgate 2 review

Splitgate 2 is a multiplayer first-person shooter developed and published by 1047 Games, featuring portals in its gameplay. It is free-to-play and offers cosmetic bundles and a battle pass, and is compatible with the Steam Deck. The game includes a class system with three distinct classes, each having unique abilities, but with minimal differences in weaponry. The maps are designed with narrow corridors and expansive plazas but lack depth and character. The monetization strategy includes multiple tiers of season passes and a cosmetic store, which some find excessive. The battle pass system feels uninspired, and the game struggles to differentiate itself in the battle royale genre, leading to a repetitive gameplay experience.

Winsage

June 17, 2025

Microsoft has broken Windows Hello facial recognition — it no longer works in the dark

Windows Hello now requires a color camera in addition to infrared sensors for user sign-ins, which reduces its effectiveness in low-light conditions. This change was made to address a spoofing vulnerability and was implemented after an initial announcement in April. The updated system struggles in dark environments, raising concerns for users with darker skin tones, as low-light conditions can hinder facial recognition. Users can disable the color webcam to revert to using only IR sensors, but this disables video capabilities. Alternatives for sign-in include PIN, password, or fingerprint authentication.

AppWizard

June 17, 2025

FBC: Firebreak doesn’t have the eldritch chaos I had hoped for so I’m going back to one of my favourite games that you’ve never played

FBC: Firebreak is a co-op shooting game that falls short of expectations, despite having amusing enemy designs and quirky objectives. The gameplay quickly becomes mundane, focusing on shooting enemies and grinding for gear. In contrast, SCP: Secret Laboratory offers a chaotic and engaging experience with randomly assigned roles and unpredictable scenarios, fostering memorable moments and camaraderie among players. SCP: Secret Laboratory features a variety of tools and items that enhance gameplay, such as powerful weapons and whimsical gadgets, which contribute to its dynamic atmosphere. Firebreak lacks the wild energy and unpredictability that characterize SCP: Secret Laboratory.

AppWizard

June 14, 2025

The Stellar Blade PC release finally convinced me to try it out, but after its Steam Next Fest demo I’m going straight back to Elden Ring Nightreign

The Stellar Blade PC demo was released during the Steam Next Fest, attracting attention despite not topping the charts. It features an introductory cutscene, a tutorial, and a significant boss encounter, allowing players to explore its upgrade system. The demo showcases a visually appealing aesthetic but raises concerns about gameplay depth and performance issues, even on recommended settings. Design choices, such as surprise enemy ambushes and floaty physics puzzles, detract from the experience. The combat mechanics are criticized for feeling insubstantial, and comparisons to Elden Ring highlight Stellar Blade's lack of polish.

AppWizard

June 12, 2025

I tried Google’s secret, open source, offline AI app to see if it’s better than Gemini

Google has introduced the AI Edge Gallery, an application that allows users to download and run large language models (LLMs) directly on their Android devices for offline processing. The app features four distinct LLMs categorized into three functions: Ask Image, Prompt Lab, and AI Chat. Users can engage in image analysis, chat interactions, and prompt-based tasks. The installation process is cumbersome, requiring users to download the app from GitHub and create a Hugging Face account. Once operational, the app has a sleek interface and smooth functionality. It can provide travel planning advice, explain complex theories, generate recipes, rewrite text, summarize content, and recognize images, although it struggles with less common subjects like landmarks. AI Edge Gallery does not have the same level of control over devices as Google's Gemini and cannot execute commands like turning on the flashlight.

AppWizard

June 10, 2025

The absence of Marvel’s Blade during the Xbox Games Showcase has left me worried about Arkane—after a rough couple of years it needs a win

Last night’s Xbox Games Showcase did not provide any updates on the Blade game, disappointing fans who were eager for news. A cinematic teaser was revealed at The Game Awards in 2023, showcasing a Parisian setting designed for vampire slaying, with aesthetic elements reminiscent of 19th-century European architecture and industrial technology. It has been a year and a half since the initial announcement, and details about the game’s mechanics, narrative, and perspective remain unclear. Arkane has faced challenges under Microsoft's ownership, particularly after the poor performance of Redfall, leading to concerns about the studio's future. The lack of communication regarding Blade raises questions about potential development hurdles and the level of support from Microsoft. The decision to align Arkane with a Marvel property like Blade is seen as a calculated risk to generate revenue.

AppWizard

June 8, 2025

Tormented Souls II demo for PC now available

Publisher PQube and developer Dual Effect have released a demo for Tormented Souls II on PC via Steam. The demo features about 60 minutes of gameplay, starting with Caroline Walker and her sister Anna's journey to Villa Hess, a clinic in southern Chile. Upon arrival, Anna goes missing, leading Caroline to confront captors and a sinister plan involving the Wildberger twins. Caroline's character design has evolved, featuring a blood-red dress and rugged leather jacket, reflecting her growth as a protective older sister. Tormented Souls II is set to launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC in 2025.

AppWizard

June 7, 2025

Forever Skies developer responds to ‘significant’ disappointment with the survival game’s launch: ‘It’s tough to see that the game didn’t meet the expectation of so many players’

Forever Skies is an early access survival game on Steam that allows players to explore a skyward world and build airships. Initially rated 'Very Positive,' it has recently shifted to a 'Mixed' rating due to player concerns about repetitive exploration, lack of narrative depth, and stagnation in gameplay. CEO Andrzej Blumenfeld acknowledged player disappointment and outlined areas of dissatisfaction, including technical performance and uninspired mechanics. The studio, Far From Home, plans to address these issues in upcoming updates, which will include enhancements to animations, aim assist for controllers, new loading screens, and bug fixes.

AppWizard

June 4, 2025

Epic cops to the Epic Games Store sucking for the 2nd time in a month as it proudly announces its money-hose has spaffed over $2 billion

Steve Allison, general manager of the Epic Games Store (EGS), acknowledged ongoing challenges in improving the platform, stating that there is still significant work to be done. Upcoming features aimed at enhancing the EGS include preloading, gifting options, and game-independent voice and text chat. Despite these improvements, the EGS struggles to match basic functionalities offered by Steam, which may not be enough to attract users already invested in Valve's ecosystem. Epic has disbursed over a billion dollars to developers and publishers and offers a revenue-sharing model with a 12% cut, compared to Valve's 30%, along with a 0% fee for games until they reach a million in revenue. However, convincing players to switch to the EGS remains challenging due to the large libraries they have already built on Steam.