Rock Paper Shotgun – PC Game Reviews, Previews, Subjectivity

It wasn't possible to ignore the protesters directly outside Blizzcon's gates this year. They were drawn by Blizzard's ongoing failure to respond appropriately to Hearthstone pro Chung "Blitzchung" Ng Wai calling for the liberation of Hong Kong in an interview. They clustered right outside, handing out shirts, placards, and information.

But inside, it was easy to forget. In a sea of people wearing Blizzard merchandise, the odd shirt with the five-petaled orchid of Hong Kong's flag stood out, but were few and far between. As J. Allen Brack gave his non-apology, one lone voice called "free Hong Kong" from the back of the room, and one panel was disrupted. Mostly, though, it was business as usual.

Don't come any closer, pal. I've got a gun. Oh wait, maybe I don't, because I pawned it when I was extremely drunk, and I didn't do a deal with the corrupt union boss to get it back. Oh dear, now a voice in my head that says it's Electrochemistry is trying to convince me to get drunk. I must be in bleak but lovely RPG Disco Elysium.

I'm just going to come out and say it. The Ducky One 2 is probably one of the best gaming keyboards I've ever used. It's available in a range of sizes and numerous different key cap colours, including a tenkeyless version, a 65% model and the even dinkier Ducky One 2 Mini, but it's the full-sized RGB model I've had on my desk for the last month or so, and it's by far one of the loveliest keyboards I've used in ages. Here's wot I think.

There is nothing worse for a world-leading chartologist (PhD) like me than a Steam sale. All sense is lost, all decorum thrown to the wind, as the same few games come stamping all over everything like an uninvited six year old whose parents let him go to bed whenever he wants. And we're entering Sale Season, people. It's going to get stampy.

I understand that Obsidian fans are sort of using the existence of The Outer Worlds to dunk on Fallout 76 (because OW is the real successor to New Vegas, right?). But before it was ammunition in a weeing contest, the game was a first-person space RPG where you did a shoot at extremely angry lizards. And, much like that one friend we all have, I thought it was a lot of fun, but relied too much on tropey rib-nudges in lieu of having its own personality. So far, so space cowboy.

But one thing about The Outer Wilds that utterly delighted me was when I had to open a door that led to a different area. Because then I got to see a loading screen. And they're the purdiest-lookin' loading screens I ever did done saw.

Celeste has three core moves: Jumping, climbing walls, and dashing. But it's also a game about a lot more than that. It's about overcoming obstacles.

Sundays are for recovering from a Halloween party. Perhaps by reading the best writing about videogames from the past week.

Most writers for (ostensibly) sports website Deadspin quit on Wednesday, after its recently acquired buyers G/O Media insisted they "stick to sports" rather than write the kind of personal and political articles people liked them for. I've never been a reader, but the suppression of both silly and thoughtful articles for reasons that don't even make business sense makes my blood run cold. The Guardian's Jack Moore has a good rundown.

If you’ve played one of Overwatch’s lore PvE events, you probably know what to expect from the bulk of the new stuff that’s unique in Overwatch 2. The mostly-sequel format of its release means that a cleaner UI, new heroes, and a new map type will be added to the first game at the same time that the sequel launches, leaving a new look for some of the characters and this focus on story-based missions as the incentive to hand over your cash.

When Overwatch released three and a half years ago, it was that story that captured the imagination of many fans. A slowly drip fed tale of a ragtag bunch of (at least somewhat) diverse heroes battling over evil left a thousand gaps that dedicated artists and fanfic writers poured themselves into, growing a fandom few other pieces of media could match. But this same fandom was also its most vocal critic, discussing Blizzard’s repeated missteps, particularly over their promised inclusivity. I should know - it’s how I got into games writing.

After all that time, Overwatch 2 should be a blessing for that community, finally pushing the story forward. But from the earliest moments, like Widowmaker’s inexplicably boobs-out design, to their latest hero Sigma’s careless treatment of mental health, to their continued exclusion of black women, the consistent carelessness has more than worn the sheen of the promise off for many. Tied by necessity to that foundation, a story-based sequel feels hobbled from the start. Worse, it doesn't seem interested in improving.

Diablo 4 was revealed yesterday in a swirl of blood and grime and men talking about the lure of the darkness both in the trailer and onstage. I chatted with a couple of the developers about the new world they’ve created, the monsters they filled it up with, and their painterly inspirations. And I played a bit. It was surprisingly well lit.

If you've not been following PC games goings-on across the week, catch up on some of the big stories quick in our noncomprehensive Weekly News Digest. Do also read The Updates Update for some of the week's notable patches and updates.

This week brought a bevvy of Blizzard announcements out BlizzCon, including Diablo IV and Overwatch 2. In welcome anti-exclusive news, EA games are returning to Steam and Death Stranding is coming our way next summer.

In all the hubbub of the week, you might've missed some of the patches and updates rolled out to games. Presenting the Weekly Updates Update, a noncomprehensive roundup of new maps and characters and balance tweaks and fixes and such which caught my eye over the week - including a few we haven't posted about.

This week, Destiny got a new dungeon, Battlefield went to the Pacific, WWE 2K20 got a little less busted, and Halloween continued.

I love food. To me, food isn't just something I have to consume periodically throughout the day in order to survive -- it's a crucial part of my understanding of the world. I'm a food-oriented tourist (burrata in Florence! smoked fish in Copenhagen!) and a food-oriented friend (come over for dinner! let's go out for brunch!). Because of my penchant for produce and fervor for fruits, Thanksgiving is one of my all-time favourite American holidays.

To celebrate the approach of Thanksgiving (and in my dedicated and ongoing journey to teach you, dear reader, how to cook), today's free games are all about food.

Here we are, Halloween is over, and video games are still fun of Halloween events. Bit weird. Feels a bit sad. Get over it, yeah? Okay, I did once keep a Christmas up until April because I missed the council's pick-up days and came to quite like having it around. Maybe this Halloween will regrow on me. Even if the shops are quite loudly insisting I now start celebrating Christmas. I can't maintain these levels of excitement forever, The Man.

What are you playing this weekend? Here's what we're clicking on!

The best shooters endure. While other genres warp beyond recognition, there is something solid about the first-person shooter that makes it as dependable as a nice big AK-47. Maybe it’s the gung-ho simplicity - look down a barrel and pull the trigger. It's as fun to fire a double-barrelled shotgun from an early 90s FPS as the slick shotties of today. For that reason, this list runs the gamut from genre classics to those released in the last year. There's bound to be something for you in this, our list of the best 50 FPS games on PC. Let’s lock and/or load.

Of course Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare has nothing interesting to say about war. Of course its guns feel good, and its explosions are many and impressive. Of course the multiplayer is essentially the same game we've been playing for over a decade, only prettier and in more flavours. Of course a part of me likes it, and of course part of me is jaded by its similarity to CODs prior. Of course, of course, of course.

'Of courses' are for horse critics with nothing interesting to say, however, and I'm not going to write a review filled with them. I just want to make it clear from the outset that Modern Warfare contains no surprises, outside of a few scenes where excess crosses the line into self-parody.

After decades of stasis, the landscape of computer wargaming is beginning to change. Here and there desert hexagons are greening... dry arroyos are becoming rivers again... the accumulated dust and debris of forty years of conservative thinking is being sluiced towards the sea. Tired of threadbare, truth-blurring conventions, imaginative devs are looking at war and warriors in fresh, arresting ways. In today's column, I talk to one of the studios contributing to this nascent revolution, and play a game that demonstrates the vigour, vision, and boldness of New Wave wargaming perfectly.

All Hallows Eve may have slid back into the calendar coffin for another year, but All Hallows DEALS Eve is still going strong, with plenty of spooky games discounts still trick or treating (mostly treating) as hard as they possibly can. There are loads of great savings to be found in this week's best PC gaming deals round-up, so why not grab your candy bag and ring our deals-encrusted door bell?