visual feast Archives

AppWizard

December 27, 2025

Best PC Game Graphics of 2025

In 2025, several PC games were noted for their impressive graphics: - Cronos: The New Dawn: Released in September 2025 by Bloober Team, it features breathtaking environments and detailed 3D character models, utilizing Unreal Engine 5’s Lumen technology. - Hell is Us: An indie title that showcases remarkable graphics with Lumen’s advanced lighting capabilities, despite minor pop-ups. - Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2: Offers high graphical fidelity in an expansive world, using CRYENGINE’s SVOGI for impressive lighting, though it has occasional pop-ins. - Dying Light: The Beast: Improved significantly with a December 2025 Ray Tracing Update, enhancing visuals to rival other major titles. - WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers: Features stunning visuals with Lumen GI and high-resolution textures, despite minor shadow pop-ins. - Doom: The Dark Ages: Utilizes Path Tracing for impressive graphics but suffers from low-quality textures. - Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater: Developed by Virtuos Studios, it is visually impressive on Ultra Settings with exceptional 3D characters and lighting. - Silent Hill f: A graphical powerhouse that showcases Unreal Engine 5 capabilities with "True Epic" settings. - Half-Life 2 RTX Demo: Released in March 2025, it introduces real-time Path Tracing, enhancing visuals significantly. - Assassin’s Creed: Shadows: At Max Ray Tracing and Ultra High settings, it features highly detailed characters, crafted environments, and a sophisticated hair-stranding system.

AppWizard

December 23, 2025

Avowed didn’t rewrite the RPG rulebook in 2025, but it still gave me some of my biggest gaming ‘wow’ moments of the year

Avowed is an open-world RPG set in 2025 that emphasizes exploration and features a variety of beautifully crafted environments, including deserts, swamps, mountains, and lava lakes. The game invites players to immerse themselves in its world, despite having a narrative that may lack depth and somewhat dated quest design. One notable quest involves placing an item as a tribute to a lost love, highlighting the game's ability to evoke emotional connections. While it does not innovate the RPG genre, Avowed is praised for its visual appeal and the captivating experience it offers players.

AppWizard

December 9, 2025

Despite censorship woes and the terrifying price of RAM, 2025 was the year I fell back in love with PC gaming

The author began PC gaming over a decade ago, starting with a second-hand desktop and memorable experiences in games like Skyrim and Assassin's Creed: Black Flag. An upgrade to a 1060 GPU significantly enhanced their gaming experience. The landscape of PC gaming has evolved, with major companies like Sony and Xbox releasing titles on Steam and the introduction of handheld devices like Valve's Steam Deck. In 2025, the Steam Machine and Xbox's ROG Xbox Ally X were unveiled, while payment processor censorship affected Steam Deck users. The author upgraded their GPU during Black Friday sales but faced challenges with high DDR5 RAM prices, leaving their full upgrade incomplete. They express concerns about the financial burden of PC gaming and the impact of censorship on adult games, noting that payment providers like Visa have imposed restrictions. The author reflects on their gaming experiences and encourages others to revisit beloved titles as the year ends.

AppWizard

November 23, 2025

This roguelike take on Geometry Wars is the best game I’ve played this month, and the latest to become a permanent fixture on my Steam Deck

November has seen the release of various notable games, including Sektori, developed by Kimmo Lahtinen, a former Housemarque developer. Sektori is a twin-stick shooter reminiscent of Geometry Wars, featuring a three-card upgrade system similar to Vampire Survivors. The gameplay involves controlling a ship shaped like an arrow in a dynamic arena filled with unique rogue polygon enemies. The game features vibrant visuals and an energetic soundtrack, demanding high focus from players due to its challenging mechanics. Players start with a shield that can withstand only three hits, and the arena's boundaries add to the difficulty. Collecting defeated enemies' triangles leads to blue upgrade tokens, which can be used to enhance the ship's abilities. Yellow "Evolve" tokens allow players to choose from three upgrades, adding strategic depth. The game includes eight card decks with unlockable abilities, and players can trigger "Rainbow Mode" by collecting letters to spell "MIRAGE." Boss encounters present significant challenges, with some balancing issues noted in the first boss fight. Overall, Sektori offers a rich and immersive gaming experience, quickly becoming a favorite among players.

AppWizard

November 14, 2025

This Rust ‘Blood Club’ lures an entire server inside before pulling the literal floor out from under the party and exploding

ZChum, a player in the survival crafting game Rust, created a multi-level trap base called the "Blood Club" over nine days, with the help of fellow streamers. He lured players to the club with promises of a dance party featuring performances by BBNO$ and MrWobbles. The Blood Club featured intricate engineering, including synchronized laser beams and complex wiring. During the party, the floor was destroyed by C4 explosives, and surviving players were attacked by turrets. This elaborate setup showcased a unique blend of creativity and strategy in the game.

AppWizard

November 13, 2025

Legendary city-building series arrives in the Roman Empire for a new start, but one roadblock is keeping players out

Anno 117: Pax Romana is a simulation game set in Ancient Rome, featuring detailed representations of iconic monuments and structures. Players can construct cities in various regions, including Latium and the Celtic wetlands of Albion. The game has received a graphics upgrade and expanded building options, with enhanced military systems allowing for ground and naval combat. Players can choose a patron deity to influence their settlements, and monuments like the Colosseum require multiple building stages and culminate in festivals. However, the game requires Denuvo Anti-tamper technology and an Ubisoft Connect account, which has caused frustration among players due to account creation issues and multiplayer connection errors. The game is available on Steam for .99 / £49.99 and has a 72% positive rating based on reviews.

AppWizard

October 18, 2025

Keeper review

Keeper is an adventure game developed by Double Fine and published by Xbox Game Studios, set to release on October 17, 2025, for a price of .99. The game features a sentient lighthouse and a bird navigating a vibrant, post-apocalyptic world, with gameplay lasting approximately six hours. It avoids common gaming trends such as crafting systems and battle passes, focusing instead on a narrative that unfolds in a visually stunning environment. The gameplay includes manipulating time through the lighthouse's searchlight to solve puzzles and interact with hybrid creatures. The game transitions from serene exploration to exhilarating sequences, maintaining a captivating experience throughout.

AppWizard

October 10, 2025

Today’s Android app deals and freebies: Gardens Between, Kingdom Eighties, NARUTO, more

9to5Toys is a platform that curates deals and insights for tech enthusiasts and casual consumers. It offers a homepage with the latest news and updates in technology, highlights current deals, and provides information to aid purchasing decisions. Users can follow 9to5Toys on social media for real-time updates. The site features organized resources, including curated Apple deals, a daily podcast discussing technology trends, and a YouTube channel with product reviews and tutorials.

AppWizard

October 6, 2025

After 14-and-a-half years and over $500k raised for charity, Minecraft YouTuber KurtJMac finally reaches the Far Lands

YouTuber KurtJMac reached the Far Lands in Minecraft after nearly 15 years of exploration, starting his journey in March 2011 with a project called "Far Lands or Bust." He adhered to a no-mods policy and traveled in a straight line to uncover this glitched area. He achieved this milestone during Day 69 of a 2025 sub-a-thon, revealing the floating land masses at 3:43:30 into the stream. The Far Lands are a glitch from earlier Minecraft versions, resulting in surreal landscapes, and while they have been patched in later updates, they remain a significant part of Minecraft lore. Kurt's journey was marked by challenges, including vast expanses of instability, and he was accompanied by his dog, Wolfie. A former co-creator of Path of Exile commented that Minecraft is a hardcore action RPG in disguise, claiming it to be more challenging than Path of Exile.

AppWizard

August 18, 2025

Shenmue III Enhanced Edition Announced, Free PC Upgrade Confirmed

ININ Games has announced an Enhanced Edition for Shenmue 3, which will be a complimentary upgrade for existing PC owners. The Enhanced Edition includes sharper 4K textures, richer details in environments and characters, faster load times, and support for NVIDIA DLSS and AMD FSR. The city village of Niaowu will feature more NPCs. Gameplay enhancements include a new optional camera view, an adjustable stamina system, healing options before battles, and reduced costs for progression. These changes are optional, allowing players to retain the original experience if desired. The release date is currently unannounced.