Rock Paper ShotgunFrom shooters to sports, social deduction to strategy, the PC has long been the home of online multiplayer gaming. With very little in the way of barriers, there are few places better to challenge both friends and strangers to your game of choice. But with so much on offer, it can be hard to pick your next online multiplayer game of choice. Never fear, as I’m here to walk you through what we consider to be the 12 best multiplayer games available to play on PC right now.
There are so many games to choose from! Are you trying to decide what the best multiplayer game is on Steam? You've come to the right place.
Top 12 Best Multiplayer Games to Play on PCRock Paper Shotgun2023-05-05 | From shooters to sports, social deduction to strategy, the PC has long been the home of online multiplayer gaming. With very little in the way of barriers, there are few places better to challenge both friends and strangers to your game of choice. But with so much on offer, it can be hard to pick your next online multiplayer game of choice. Never fear, as I’m here to walk you through what we consider to be the 12 best multiplayer games available to play on PC right now.
There are so many games to choose from! Are you trying to decide what the best multiplayer game is on Steam? You've come to the right place.
Chapters: 00:00 -Intro 01:16 - 12 02:02 - 11 02:46 - 10 03:39 - 9 04:34 - 8 05:29 - 7 06:10 - 6 06:54 - 5 07:44 - 4 08:23 - 3 09:11 - 2 10:44 - 1 11:56 - OutroClassic Assassins Creed Returns With Assassins Creed MirageRock Paper Shotgun2023-09-12 | We were recently invited to play a preview build of Assassin’s Creed Mirage, the upcoming thirteenth mainline Assassin's Creed game that is set to replace the RPG mechanics first introduced in 2017’s Assassin’s Creed Origins with more traditional features such as a more contained open-world, a greater emphasis on stealth and a far shorter run-time.
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#assassinscreed #RockPaperShotgunBest Starfield Skills To Get FirstRock Paper Shotgun2023-09-05 | How does Starfield's skill system work, and what are the best skills to get early on? It's well-known that Bethesda RPGs tend to have massive and versatile skill trees that allow you to build your character however you like. But Starfield takes this to a whole new level. Not only are there 82 skills in total broken into 5 skill trees, but there are also 4 ranks per skill, giving you a huge amount of scope for customising your character's abilities and playstyle.
To put it simply, trying to decide which skills to choose when you first start the game can be quite a daunting task. If you are feeling overwhelmed, don’t worry. We’re here to help you decide which of Starfield’s 82 skills are the very best to get in your first playthrough, along with explanations on how skill ranks work as well as how to unlock new skills and ranks. Not only that, but we’ll also be providing you with some additional skills to prioritise a few hours into your intergalactic adventure.
This guide was originally written for the Rock Paper Shotgun website by Ollie Toms. For more Starfield guides, make sure to check out our dedicated game hub - rockpapershotgun.com/games/starfield
🎥: Want more juicy video content? We discuss whether Starfield was worth the wait: youtu.be/3VQwOor34RQ
#starfield #RockPaperShotgunWas Starfield Worth The Wait?Rock Paper Shotgun2023-09-01 | Originally announced all the way back at E3 2018, it’s fair to say that Starfield has been a long time coming. Described as the first new universe from Skyrim developers Bethesda Game Studios in over 25 years, Starfield is an action RPG that allows players to inhabit a huge galaxy as an interstellar explorer.
Despite being the biggest release of the year, many questions about Starfield remain. Is it too big? What do you actually do in the game? And was it worth the five year wait. To help me answer these questions I’m joined by deputy editor Alice Bell who has been playing the game on Xbox for review.
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#starfield #RockPaperShotgun20 Essential Armored Core 6: Fires Of Rubicon Tips & Tricks For BeginnersRock Paper Shotgun2023-08-23 | Hello and welcome back to Rock Paper Shotgun. Now, as we've all learnt to expect from FromSoftware games, chaotic mech shooter Armored Core 6: Fires Of Rubicon is devilishly difficult at times. The HUD, the intricate ballet of bullets and explosions, the strange movement of your mech... Let's just say it's not a terribly beginner-friendly game. But with the right tips and a focused mind, you'll soon be able to tear apart the competition and complete missions at S-Tier rank in minutes.
In this video, we've put together our list of 20 essential Armored Core 6 tips and tricks for beginners. If you're struggling against a particular mission or enemy, this guide will furnish you with all the practical advice you’ll need to turn the tables and become a top-tier mechanised hunter. Before you know it, you’ll be able to get all of the Rubicon you desire without having to ask your Dad to buy you a can from a big Sainsbury’s or a random fish and chip shop. That’s a UK-specific joke for you all there.
This guide was originally written by Ollie Toms for the Rock Paper Shotgun website. For more of his guides check out the site: rockpapershotgun.com/guides
🎥: Want more juicy video content? These are the best games to play on Steam Deck: youtu.be/yUoQLb4TPmQ
0:00 Intro 01:17 Focus on 3D movement and verticality 02:02 Increase your camera speed on controller 02:26 If you can’t dodge, then block 02:57 Learn what the targeting HUD is telling you 03:58 Unlock the Weapon Bay OS upgrade early on 04:41 Melee options are often the most powerful 05:07 Focus on staggering enemies 05:53 Don’t underestimate the power of surprise attacks 06:21 How to manually reload in Armored Core 6: Fires Of Rubicon 06:55 Change your mech design if you’re having trouble 07:54 Use a combination of damage types 08:33 Learn each boss’s attacks and weak spots 09:11 Assault Boost while in combat 09:35 Scan liberally to reveal hidden areas 10:05 Don’t neglect body parts 10:36 Try out different leg types 11:12 Check the ideal ranges of kinetic weapons 11:49 Sell your parts 12:19 Save your loadouts 12:33 Learn from others in multiplayer
#armoredcore6 #RockPaperShotgunIs Baldurs Gate 3 The Ultimate D&D Video Game?Rock Paper Shotgun2023-08-16 | Now, I think it’s fair to say that people really like Baldur’s Gate 3. 800,000 people are currently playing it via Steam at the time of recording. It’s the highest rated game of all time, according to aggregate site Opencritic. My 62 year old Dad asked me about it over the weekend, which honestly is the most impressive accolade a game can receive. The last game he cared about was The Great Escape. Remember that? Of course you don’t. Stop lying.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is exceptional, then, a flexible and dynamic RPG that provides players with a vast fantasy sandbox that reacts to their every decision, not unlike Dungeons and Dragons, the table top RPG it’s built upon. Based on the game’s fifth edition ruleset, Baldur’s Gate 3 aims to replicate the joy of Dungeons and Dragons in video game form, but how successful is it at that monumental task?
To discuss this question, I’m joined by deputy editor Alice B, who has spent many hours with both Baldur’s Gate and Dungeons and Dragons proper. So, is Baldur's Gate 3 the ultimate D&D video game? Watch to find out, and let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
🎥: Want more juicy video content? Check out our review of Baldur's Gate 3: youtu.be/EFn2m3Wo6vQ
#baldursgate3 #RockPaperShotgunBaldurs Gate 3 Was Worth The WaitRock Paper Shotgun2023-08-03 | I’m not a seasoned Dungeons and Dragons player, but from the little I’ve experienced gathered around my friend’s dining room table, I feel like the true joy of DnD lies within the people you travel with rather than the adventure itself.
Don’t get me wrong, the adventure itself is really cool and probably involves stealing some kind of rune from a cave filled with horrible goblins, but it’s the moments of connection you share with your band of misfits that linger in the mind long after the maps are folded away and the dice are returned safely to their weirdly ornate pouches.
Dungeons and Dragons is a game powered by imagination, after all, where rules are there to encourage creative decision-making and entertaining roleplay rather than constrain it. But how do you adapt that into a video game, with their rigid structures and finite possibilities? How do you bottle that organic sense of play and improvisation into something digital and ultimately finite?
The solution is nebulous and complex, and yet Baldur’s Gate 3 has managed to pull it off.
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#baldursgate3 #pcgaming #RockPaperShotgunThe 12 Best Steam Deck GamesRock Paper Shotgun2023-07-28 | I’ve had my Steam Deck for just over a year now and it’s fair to say that this comically large handheld has quickly cemented itself as my favourite console of all time. Not a small statement to make when the PS2 is also a console that exists.
I mean, come on, look at this thing. Can you blame me? Not only does it let you access the majority of your Steam library on the go, but its flexible OS also allows you to play games from multiple other platforms too. It even feels more comfortable to hold compared to other modern handhelds such as the Nintendo Switch.
But with over 10,000 officially verified games available to play on the Gabe Gear, it can be tough to decide what to start next. Vampire Survivors? Elden Ring? Painkiller? Dead Rising? Katamari? Katamari is probably the right answer, actually. Go play Katamari.
So, whether you’ve just unboxed your brand Steam Deck or are a longtime owner looking for something new to play, you’re in the right place.
Just a quick disclaimer before we start, there are an incomprehensible amount of games classed as playable on the Steam Deck. So many. A lifetime’s worth of games. That means that this list is not definitive. Consider it instead to be a curated list of 12 essential titles that demonstrate the Steam Decks' portable capabilities. None of these games are in any particular order, and I would personally love to know your favourite Steam Deck games, so make sure to let me know in the comments below.
With all that out of the way, let’s get started.
🎥: Want more juicy video content? These are the 12 best multiplayer games on PC: youtu.be/dV6NhY1Ckb8
0:00 Intro 01:38 Aperture Desk Job 02:15 Vampire Survivors 02:51 Hades 03:19 Hi-Fi Rush 04:05 Elden Ring 04:48 Death's Door 05:22 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim 06:02 Diablo IV 07:12 Monster Hunter Rise 08:06 Half-Life 2 08:58 RimWorld 09:54 Persona 5 10:28 Outro
#steamdeck #RockPaperShotgunOur Favourite Games From Not-E3 2023Rock Paper Shotgun2023-06-16 | When Geoff Keighley announced in 2020 that he would be filling the space left by the recently cancelled E3 with his own summer of gaming festival, I didn't realise that we would be doomed to a constant stream of seemingly endless livestreams from now until the end of time. Did 2020's summer of gaming ever end? It did not. It is a constant. Like the stars in the sky or the ocean deep. Geoff is here. He has a game to show you. It's probably a horror game set in space.
Yep, that's right. Not-E3 2023 is over (I think?) and once again I've commanded team RPS to dig their microphones out of storage before forcing them to tell me about their favourite game from the cavalcade of directs, showcases and presentations that have replaced my once beloved E3 weekend.
As always, the team balked at the idea of talking about the most obvious games from the show, choosing instead to focus on smaller titles that may have passed you by. Yeah, that's right. We're the cool games website. Don't you forget it.
In the video above, I chat to pretty much everyone on the team about the game (or games, because as much as I love this group of people they struggle to stick to a brief) that excited them the most. Rachel chats about the enigmatic South Of Midnight and the delightfully camp En Garde!. Ollie speaks in hushes whispers about Dread Pilots. True to form, Rebecca enthuses about the Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy. Alice B is feeling nostalgic as she discusses The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria.
Katharine is excited for a duo of cool indies, and is in the rare position of having discussed both Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector and Saltsea Chronicles with their creators. Hayden reckons Phantom Liberty will transform Cyberpunk 2077 into the game it was always meant to be, but is also keen for a little adventure on an oil rig in Still Wakes The Deep. James is craving blood in Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 while Ed is attempting to wrap his head around the mind-boggling Cocoon. I also remembered to talk about my favourite game for a change, the brilliant looking Prince of Persia: The Lost crown.
🎥: Want more juicy video content? These are the 14 biggest games coming to PC in 2023: youtu.be/rR-BqaTwToE
00:00 - Intro 00:42 - South of Midnight & En Garde! 05:42 - Dread Pilots 11:30 - The Lord Of The Rings: Return To Moria 17:46 - Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 23:41 - Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy 29:34 - Prince Of Persia: The Lost Crown 30:55 - Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty & Still Wakes The Deep 36:45 - Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector & Saltsea Chronicles 40:50 - Cocoon 47:49 - Outro12 Exciting New Things We Learned From The Starfield DirectRock Paper Shotgun2023-06-12 | As promised, Bethesda gave us an extended look at Starfield yesterday evening as part of a dedicated presentation attached to Microsoft's larger not-E3 showcase. We were given a fresh look at the game's 1000 planets, its sci-fi combat, huge skill trees and much much more. But if you don't have the time to watch Bethesda's 45 minute long showcase, don't worry. Here are the 12 most exciting things we learned from the Starfield direct.
🎥: Want more juicy video content? These are the 14 biggest games coming to PC in 2023: youtu.be/rR-BqaTwToE
#rockpapershotgun #starfieldHow To Level Up Fast In Diablo 4Rock Paper Shotgun2023-06-06 | If you're desperate to reach endgame content in order to start grinding the toughest dungeons for Legendaries in Diablo 4, then you'll want to level up fast. Some might see levelling up as the fun part of Blizzard’s brand new demon-slaying adventure, but like any ARPG, there is a wealth of content waiting at the end that holds the most exciting challenges and - most importantly - the best loot.
In this guide, we'll break down 5 tips on how to level up fast in Diablo 4, so that you can blaze a path to level 100 and get on with the grind. Of course, it's important to note that this guide is intended for those desperate to get past the levelling process, so if you're completely new to the Diablo franchise or ARPGs in general, we’d recommend you play through the game casually first in order to enjoy the world of sanctuary the way it was intended to be experienced. If you’ve already played through the campaign multiple times and are just looking to boost a character to its max level, then you’ve come to the right place.
🎥: Want more juicy video content? These are the 14 biggest games coming to PC in 2023: youtu.be/rR-BqaTwToE
00:00 - Intro 01:50 - Tip 1 - Play on higher difficulties 04:05 - Tip 2 - Team up with friends in a party 05:16 - Tip 3 - Make XP-boosting Elixirs at the Alchemist 06:17 - Tip 4 - Complete additional activities 07:02 - Tip 5 - Earn Renown for bonus XP 08:20 - OutroOur favourite indie games of 2023 so far | Indiescovery Podcast - Episode 11Rock Paper Shotgun2023-06-06 | Somehow it's June already, which means it's time for the Indiescovery crew to suppress our existential dread at the fleetingness of existence and take a look at our favourite indie games from the first (almost) half of 2023! Don't worry, we very quickly realise that June has such a slammed line-up we can probably give it a best-games episode all of its own to make up for the fact that we tackled this topic a bit early.
Rebecca kicks things off by talking about Birth, a lovely chill puzzle game about natural decay and the bonds between people, and then revisits pixel-art life sim Tiny Life now that it's out in early access. Rachel submits the emotionally-charged open-world cycling mystery Season: A Letter To The Future, and Liam can't get enough of retro shooter Slayers X: Terminal Aftermath: Vengance Of The Slayer which is (a) excitingly being released today and (b) deserves to win some kind of award for the most subtitles in a video game name, seriously, Kingdom Hearts can only dream. We also all still love Dredge but decide we've gushed about it enough on the podcast already, and that you should go back and listen to Episode 8 if you want to hear our opinions on why that's a very likely GOTY contender.
In the episode's second half we summon the Ghost of Games Yet-To-Come and list off some of the indies we still hope to see by the end of 2023. Liam can't wait to get his hands on El Paso Elsewhere, the From Dusk Till Dawn-esque action-shooter we never knew we needed this badly; and Knuckle Sandwich, a colourful turn-based RPG where the combat plays out through WarioWare-style minigames. Rebecca opts to chant a list of upcoming games with a TBC release date as a kind of protective spell for all the hard-working indie devs out there, before naming the recently delayed Goodbye Volcano High as one she's still hopeful of seeing before the year's out. Rachel, meanwhile, is sending good vibes to the developers working on dimension-bending storybook platformer The Plucky Squire and nostalgically radical skate/bike/parkour adventure Bomb Rush Cyberfunk, both of which aim to release later in 2023.
Finally, and as ever, we delve into our current hyperfixations. Following his secondment to cover The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom for some of our console-acknowledging sister sites, Liam has discovered that this hidden gem from Nintendo is a really good game, actually. Rebecca has been playing visual novels again (surprise, surprise), and is enjoying the contrast that comes from following up the very-not-indie Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries Of Honjo with the extremely-indie fangame Love Is Strange. And while Rachel never expected to be talking about Kylie Minogue on an indie gaming podcast in 2023, she simply can't get the new single Padam Padam out of her head!
The gang are also pleased to announce that we're jury members at Indie Cup UK '23, an online festival celebrating indie devs, so be sure to check out our pals at IndieCup.net to see what we're up to!
Indiescovery is a podcast from RockPaperShotgun.com. All music is by Dylan Sitts; the songs are Tahoe Trip, Pool Sticker, and Express Check-in. Thanks for listening!
#Podcast #indiegames #RockPaperShotgunDiablo 4 - Which Class Is Best?Rock Paper Shotgun2023-06-02 | Looking for the best class in Diablo 4? There are five classes available at launch in Diablo 4, and let's make one thing clear: they all feel incredibly powerful. Diablo 4 is a demon-slaying power fantasy, after all, so no matter what class you pick, you’ll face no difficulties facing off against the hordes of hell. If you’re new to Diablo and are stressing about what class to pick, you can rest easy knowing that picking the class that looks the most fun to you is absolutely the right choice.
However, if you want to dive into the toughest endgame content, push to level 100 in Hardcore mode, rise up the ranks when leader boards eventually arrive in future seasons or are just wanting to know how each class is different to the others, then you’ve come to the right place.
In this video, we’ll tell you what the best class in Diablo 4 is, alongside a full ranked list covering the strengths and weaknesses of each class. Before we start, it’s worth bearing in mind that this information is based on the current launch build, so things may change with future updates to Diablo 4's class balancing.
🎥: Want more juicy video content? These are the 14 biggest games coming to PC in 2023: youtu.be/rR-BqaTwToE
00:00 - Intro 01:31 - The best class in Diablo 4: Barbarian 02:32 - 1 - Barbarian 03:53 - 2 - Druid 05:00 - 3 - Sorcerer 06:15 - 4 - Rogue 07:45 - 5 - Necromancer 09:18 - OutroSlayers X: Terminal Aftermath: Vengance of the Slayer ReviewRock Paper Shotgun2023-06-01 | I put olives in my bolognese. Olives, objectively, do not belong in a bolognese. But without fail, I’ll dunk half a jar of those salty little bad boys into my bubbling wok without hesitation. Peppers? Why not. Carrot? Absolutely. Spinach? Don’t mind if I do. My bolognese is about as authentically Italian as Super Mario, but it doesn’t matter. I’m not trying to make Massimo Bottura cry by reminding him of his nonna’s cooking. It’s a dreary Tuesday night and I’m craving my olive-laden concoction. I’m making this bolognese just for me.
Slayers X: Terminal Aftermath: Vengance of the Slayer reminded me a lot of my bolognese. It’s a game created for particular tastes, a unique proposition that sort of defies conventional thinking. A big, bold swing that - if you have the palette for it - is absolutely brilliant.The Indievision Song Contest | Indiescovery Podcast - Episode 10Rock Paper Shotgun2023-05-19 | Whoooo we’re officially in the double-digits gang! We’ve somehow managed to make it to episode 10 of Indiescovery without going completely feral and wrecking the joint. I say that, but this week’s episode is a little, shall we say, unhinged? Rebecca, Liam, and Rachel hadn’t really had a proper chat all week so there’s a lot of Friday energy and catching up, and the energy levels only increase when we start to talk about our main topic of this episode: Eurovision! And indie games, of course.
Yes, it’s a Eurovision-themed episode, and more specifically, which indie game characters we think would make the best Eurovision entries. We’re looking for kooky, campy, gimmicky, vibrant, and super queer showstoppers. Oh and a good song would also help, too.
But first, we kick off the pod with a chat about Disney World, as Rachel has just come back from a very fun but very tiring 10-day trip to Disney World Orlando. Then there’s some very cursed Goofy chat, which we’ll leave for you to listen to without spoilers.
So which indie game characters do we think would make great Eurovision entries? Rebecca’s first up with Monster Prom’s Liam de Lioncourt, a hipster vampire with a love for eccentric music. Chuck a keytar in his hands and we think this topknot, suspender-wearing weirdo would go down a treat. Rachel and Rebecca then both agree on Junebug’s performance from Kentucky Route Zero, is a mesmerising ballad that would knock the party hat off anyone in the audience. Liam's choice is the Chowder Man from Hypnospace Outlaw, a synth-rock entry whose major sweaty dad vibes would win the hearts of Europe.
We also chuck some others into the mix including Lady Love Dies from Paradise Killer with her absolute banger of a track ‘Paradise (Stay Forever)’, the Hades cast giving a super bi-sexual rock song in the same vein as Måneskin, any of Red's songs from Transistor, a drag queen pop anthem from Undertale’s Mettaton, and (Liam’s exact words) a yassified Harry Du Bois from Disco Elysium, which would be immense.
There’s a quick chat about what a Eurovision game adaptation world look like, be it a party game, visual novel, something like Just Sing, or a new Danganronpa game where each act gets a brutal execution. We also get back onto Disney again and look up the internet’s top 10 hottest Disney characters, so enjoy that!
We end the pod with our current hyperfixations. Rachel’s is Eurovision (surprise surprise) and she's going all in this year with scorecards, Reddit threads, Twitter discourse and more. Rebecca’s first pick is the Murder, She Wrote series from PushingUpRoses, a YouTube series she gave a shout-out to last episode, and the very good Ace Attorney podcast Turnabout Breakdown by Jay Castello and Diego Nicolás Argüello. Liam’s first is murder mystery Grave Expectations by RPS’ very own Alice Bell (whooo!) and his second is sci-fi novel Frontier by Grace Curtis.
Indiescovery is a podcast by Rock Paper Shotgun. Our theme music is by Dylan Sitts, specifically the songs Tahoe Trip, Pool Sticker, and Express Check-in. You can contact the podcast by chucking an email to podcast@rockpapershotgun.com, or by chatting to like-minded individuals about PC gaming over in our Discord.
#Podcast #indiegames #RockPaperShotgunRytmos - A Puzzle Game That Will Make You Fall In Love With Music All Over AgainRock Paper Shotgun2023-05-19 | Hello! Come on in. Please, take a seat. Welcome to the inaugural episode of our brand new (and currently untitled) supporter-first indie video show! Every month*, I'm going to be spending some time highlighting a cool indie game that deserves your attention. Think of this series as a supplement to Sin's Scout Report or our Indiescovery podcast. A brand new method for delivering piping hot recs from my desktop to yours.
My aim is to use this series as a springboard to dive deep into specific elements of a game I find particularly fascinating, sharing my discoveries with you lot behind the paywall first (and don't worry, regular readers, I'll also be making each of these videos public for all to see after a month, which should roughly coincide with the the next one going live for supporters). In it, I'll be discussing some common themes between multiple games, digging into underappreciated gems from years gone by... The remit is broad and nebulous, to the point where it's clearly obvious why I haven't been able to come up with a name for it yet.
*I will endeavour to release one of these every month, big games depending. I am but one solitary video boy, and sometimes other things will take priority.
(If you end up thinking of something, please do let me know in the comments. More than anything it'll stop me messaging Katharine a list of awful possibilites every other week, which I can only imagine is negatively effecting her feelings about me, the site and the endeavour of games journalism in general. They really have been that bad, folks. Proper rancid stuff).
In this first episode, I'd like to introduce you to Rytmos, a game by Danish developers Floppy Club. At first glance, Rytmos appears to be a gorgeous puzzle game about completing mazes by drawing lines across the sides of cubes. But once you start playing, you realise it's so much more than that.
Rytmos is a game about music, with each completed puzzle adding an additional layer on top of a steadily growing soundscape. Featuring levels inspired by various genres from around the world such as Ethiopian Jazz, German Techno and Indonesian Gamelan, Rytmos is determined to teach you about the constituent parts of music that make it whole. It's brilliant stuff.
To say anymore would see me repeating the points I make in the video, so I'll leave it there. Please do give it a watch and let me know what you think.
🎥: Want more juicy video content? These are the 14 biggest indie games coming to PC in 2023: youtu.be/EB9Zgavrq50
#rockpapershotgun #indie #indiegameMeet BioShop Infinite, The Barbershop Quartet Thats Been A PAX Fixture For Nearly A DecadeRock Paper Shotgun2023-05-15 | emerge onto the floating city of Columbia, the game takes you on a guided tour of the sights and sounds of this airborne civilization. As you saunter through the streets, you learn about its citizens and its creator, just sort of taking it all in. The sun is shining. You're surrounded by smiles. Before you know it, an airship rises above the clouds and perches next to a hugging couple, gently swaying in the summer breeze. Aboard the ship is a barbershop quartet, cheerfully harmonising the iconic Beach Boys tune God Only Knows. It's a memorable scene, and has become an integral part of the game's lasting iconography.
But for Tyler, Nick, Derek and Greg, this section was more than just a fun tease for the secret behind Columbia's unusual success. Self-confessed music school kids, the quartet inspired them to create their own musical group styled after Infinite's singing hairdressers. In 2023, BioShop Infinite celebrated their ninth year at PAX East, where they performed a wonderful collection of harmonised tunes to an absolutely packed community room - and we were there to film it.
After the show we caught up with them to discuss forming a barbershop quartet, PAX and their love for the game that started it all. By sheer coincidence, as I was recording the group perform one last song, I accidentally captured a marriage proposal that was occurring just to the edge of the frame. After we'd all dried our eyes (turns out that public displays of affection can be quite emotional when you're not expecting them) we discussed that too.
🎥: Want more juicy video content? These are the 14 biggest games coming to PC in 2023: youtu.be/rR-BqaTwToE
#rockpapershotgun #paxeast #interviewThe Voice Cast Of Team Fortress 2 Reveal The Origins - And The Future - Of The Sandvich SagaRock Paper Shotgun2023-05-12 | At PAX West in Seattle last year, I had the pleasure of interviewing the voice cast of Team Fortress 2. I chatted to John Patrick Lowrie (The Sniper), Gary Schwartz (The Heavy, The Demoman), Robin Atkin Downes (The Medic) and Ellen McLain (The Administrator) about the game's fifteen year long legacy, the process of finding their character's voices as well as their favourite quotes. It was a riot of an interview and, to be honest, a bit of a career highlight. It also did really well on TikTok, which I have mixed feelings about.
Fifteen minutes after the gang left the grimy conference room in which the interview took place (I had immediately crawled onto the floor in an attempt to ease the anxiety from having conducted said interview), I got a Twitter notification. Robin had posted a video. Following our chat, the group had attempted to order a sandwich from a cafe in-character, leaving the staff completely bemused as a result. Understandably the video did numbers, and over the last six months, the gang have been releasing new episodes in what is now known as "The Sandvich Saga" on a regular basis.
After spotting that the actors would be returning to Boston for a panel at PAX East, I was keen to chat to them about this incredible series of bonkers videos. Although Robin was sadly unavailable at the time, I was delighted that John, Gary and Ellen had brought along Dennis Bateman (The Spy) and Liz McCarthy (a recurring character known only as "The Mysterious Woman") this time around.
In the video above we chat about the origins of the Sandvich Saga, what it's like to work together on-camera for the first time and how THAT Abba parody came to be. Honestly, I could interview this lot forever. I doubt this is the last time I find an excuse to chat to them for half an hour at PAX, believe me.
🎥: Want more juicy video content? These are the 14 biggest games coming to PC in 2023: youtu.be/rR-BqaTwToE
#rockpapershotgun #TeamFortress2 #interviewDemonschool Interview - RPS@PAX EastRock Paper Shotgun2023-05-11 | We first came across Demonschool back at PAX West last year and have loved it ever since. It's a slick, tactical Persona-like where you play as a band of university students navigating school life by day and beating up ghosties and ghoulies by night.
I had a chat with Demonschool's Jenna Stoeber who talked me through what Demonschool is about, the game's many horror inspirations, and what spooky shenanigans players can expect. If the giant skeleton lad in the game's trailer and demo is anything to go by, we're in for a treat. You can watch the full interview by watching the video above.
🎥: Want more juicy video content? These are the 14 biggest games coming to PC in 2023: youtu.be/rR-BqaTwToE
#rockpapershotgun #demonschool #interviewWhat Four PAX Rising Developers Learned After Demoing Their Game For Four Days StraightRock Paper Shotgun2023-05-10 | At last year's PAX East, we spent a lot of our time poking around the PAX Rising Showcase booth, which is a collection of indie games curated by PAX itself. Not only did we find a bunch of cool games to play, but we were also able to chat to the games' creators, as all Rising finalists are invited to attend in person to show their work to the public.
This year, though, Rachel and I decided to go one step further. We interviewed the teams behind four of the eleven 2023 finalists, asking the developers behind Go-Go Town!, Paper Trail, Slay the Princess and Xenotilt: Hostile Pinball Action about their experience of bringing their games to PAX, what they learned along the way, and what it’s like to spend four days standing on your feet talking to thousands of attendees (spoilers: it’s really bloody tiring).
You can find out their answers to these questions and more in the video above. For some, PAX East marked the first time they were able to show their game in public. For others, it was a tried and tested method for gathering valuable player feedback. In all cases, though, they offered a fascinating glimpse into what it's like to exhibit a game at PAX and other big events like it.
This video was originally available exclusively to our supporters.
🎥: Want more juicy video content? These are the 12 scariest games on PC: youtu.be/rR-BqaTwToE
#rockpapershotgun #pax #paxeastMeet The PAX Facebook Group That Takes A Community Photo Every Single YearRock Paper Shotgun2023-05-09 | PAX East is a great place to play the latest games, sure, but as anyone who's attended the event will tell you the games are just a small part of a wider medley of things to see and do. Last year we highlighted the show's thriving pin collecting scene, for instance, interviewing a bunch of Pinny Arcade enthusiasts about the hobby and discovering that physical badges are just a minor part of the appeal.
Encouraged by the lovely warm feeling making that video left in my belly, we set out to shine a light on other lesser-known parts of PAX East during our time at this year's show. This led us to discover the PAX East Facebook group, a community of over 8,000 members brought together through their shared love of video games, pop culture and PAX itself. The page is dominated by a striking banner image, a photograph that shows a large group of people crowded around the PAX logo that's a permanent fixture in the main hall of the Boston convention centre.
Rachel and I found this photograph fascinating. Who were these people? Do they take this picture every single year? How did something like this start, and who was responsible for organising it in the first place?
In the video above we interview both Green and Daniel, the founders of the group, as well as four other members to understand what this community means to them. We discuss the origins of the photograph, cosplay, Pinny Arcade and their feelings towards PAX in general.
This video was originally available exclusively to our supporters.
🎥: Want more juicy video content? These are the 12 scariest games on PC: youtu.be/rR-BqaTwToE
#rockpapershotgun #pax #paxeastOur Steam-y Confessions | Indiescovery Podcast - Episode 9Rock Paper Shotgun2023-05-04 | We’re one episode away from being in the double digits, folks! Whoop! But for now, let’s dive into episode nine of Indiescovery.
Kicking off the episode we actually have a special guest (and definitely not one of Liam’s many personas), it’s Father Dringus Godliman! The Father guides the Indiescovery gang to a totally real and not metaphysical confession booth where we can safely reveal our Steam sins. After a quick chat about how many games each of us has on our Steam accounts, and how many of them we’ve actually played, we get into our most-played indies.
Rebecca is up first with Max Gentlemen: Sexy Business!, a fun NSFW dating sim with business sim elements, which also acted as the perfect springboard for a quick chat about NSFW indies in general. Rachel’s top game is the farming timesink Stardew Valley which surprised absolutely no one, and Liam’s is the action roguelike dopamine hitter Vampire Survivors.
The next topic of our sinful purge are indie games we own with shocking low playtime. You know what we mean, those games that we all longingly look at in our Steam libraries and swear that one day we will return to them. Liam admits to the cutesy city builder Outlanders and vibrant dark fantasy FPS Amid Evil. Rebecca’s games are the beasty RPG Disco Elysium (totally understandable, that one) and The Infectious Madness Of Doctor Dekker, a Lovecraftian FMV game. Rachel’s picks were tear-jerker Ori and The Blind Forest and tough-as-nails survival platformer Rain World.
And last, but not least, our most shocking confessions: shameful unplayed indie games that we really should play but have not - the greatest of all sins! We’re surprised the whole booth didn’t burst into flames of retribution. Liam’s are story-rich RPG turned full-blown cult Undertale, cosy management sim Spiritfarer, and Disco Elysium - a game which you've really gotta be in the right mood to play. Undertale makes a second appearance in Rebecca’s picks, alongside the adorable exploration game Haven Park, and her aforementioned match-made-in-heaven game Paradise Killer (which she WILL play one-day folks, promise). Rachel’s pile of shame includes the gothic visual novel The House In Fata Morgana and the turn-based death march Darkest Dungeon.
And thus, the purge is complete. After a fond farewell to Father Dringus Godliman, the squad chats about the games we’ve been playing recently. Rebecca’s been rolling dice in the off-beat RPG Betrayal At Club Low (this month’s RPS Game Club pick), Rachel’s been reading folks’ fortunes in The Cosmic Wheel Of Sisterhood, and Liam has been feeding beavers countless jars of pickled goods in gorgeous city-builder Against The Storm.
It’s hyperfixation time! Rebecca has been playing lots and lots and lots of Honkai: Star Rail, at first for work but now for fun, making her question if it's actually a hyperfixation or a hostage situation. Rachel lists way too many YouTubers who have the best video essays including Mike’s Mic, Sarah Z, NakeyJakey, Jacob Geller, Jenny Nicholson, Super Eye Patch Wolf, and Quinton Reviews (she also missed out ContraPoints, Defunctland, and hbomberguy so here they are retroactively). Rebecca chimes in with the Murder She Wrote videos of PushingUpRoses and Liam suggests Lady Emily’s video on the almost downfall of the band Gorillaz. Liam ends with another devastating book recommendation (one that was recommended to him by fellow RPS Treehouser Ed) called Stoner by John Williams. Liam is really out here trying to make us all cry with sobering, life-changing book choices, huh.
Indiescovery is a podcast by Rock Paper Shotgun. Our theme music is by Dylan Sitts, specifically the songs Tahoe Trip, Pool Sticker, and Express Check-in. You can contact the podcast by chucking an email to podcast@rockpapershotgun.com, or by chatting to like-minded individuals about PC gaming over in our Discord.
#Podcast #gaming #RockPaperShotgunRedfall Is UnderwhelmingRock Paper Shotgun2023-05-02 | Redfall is here, and Arkane’s co-op looter shooter about reclaiming a town from the clutches of a bunch of gangly vampires is… underwhelming, to say the least. Review code came in very late so we haven’t had a chance to play as much of it as we would have liked, but after a few hours it’s clear that Redfall is largely underbaked. Joining me and staff writer Ed Thorn as we discuss this troubled new release in detail.
🎥: Want more juicy video content? These are the 14 biggest games coming to PC in 2023: youtu.be/rR-BqaTwToE
00:00 - Intro 00:41 - General impressions 02:24 - Combat and enemies 08:09 - Characters and abilities 11:01 - World design and performance 15:03 - Final thoughtsBest Lightsaber Stances In Star Wars Jedi: SurvivorRock Paper Shotgun2023-04-28 | One of the biggest changes in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is the addition of extra combat stances that brooding protagonist Cal Kestis can wield against the dark forces that rule the galaxy far far away. While in Jedi: Fallen Order Cal Kestis had access to just two lightsaber stances (with a third not-really-stance for special moves), in Survivor you can learn five unique lightsaber stances, each of which completely changes Cal's move set, combos, strengths, and weaknesses in battle.
If you're wondering what differentiates the five lightsaber stances on offer or you want to know which stance or pair of stances will turn you into the strongest possible Jedi, you've come to the right place. In this video, I’ll talk you through each of the five available stances as well as provide you with our recommended pick of the best stance in the game. A big thanks to guides editor Ollie for both writing this guide and providing footage.
🎥: Want more juicy video content? These are the 14 biggest games coming to PC in 2023: youtu.be/rR-BqaTwToE
#rockpapershotgun #starwars #guideStar Wars Jedi: Survivor Has Big Prequel Memes Energy (PC Review)Rock Paper Shotgun2023-04-26 | Hello and welcome to My Fave Thing, a show we do here at Rock Paper Shotgun where I chat to one of my lovely colleagues about a brand new video game they’ve been playing to find out their favourite thing about it.
Today I’m chatting to deputy editor Alice Bee about Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, the sequel to 2019s Jedi Fallen Order that sees brooding Jedi Cal Kestis embark on another journey across the galaxy. We chat about the upcoming PC game's combat barks, enemies and more. Enjoy.
🎥: Want more juicy video content? These are the 14 biggest games coming to PC in 2023: youtu.be/rR-BqaTwToE
#rockpapershotgun #starwars #reviewHonkai: Star Rail - How Does It Compare To Genshin Impact?Rock Paper Shotgun2023-04-26 | Honkai: Star Rail is the latest anime offering from Genshin Impact creators miHoYo, a turn-based RPG set aboard an interstellar train. Guides writer Rebecca has been playing it for a few weeks now, and she's here today to help us answer an all-important question: how does it compare to Genshin Impact?
#rockpapershotgun #honkaistarrail #genshinimpact
🎥: Want more juicy video content? These are the 14 biggest games coming to PC in 2023: youtu.be/rR-BqaTwToE
🐦: Follow Liam on Twitter: twitter.com/meevilThe gang plays Dredge, Terra Nil, Storyteller & Romancelvania | Indiescovery Podcast - Episode 8Rock Paper Shotgun2023-04-19 | This week on Indiescovery it's a game review bonanza! Rachel has been playing Storyteller, and despite feeling like she already experienced everything its inventive puzzle mechanics had to offer during its Steam Next Fest demo last year, she still had a great time seeing it through. Liam had similarly thoughts about Terra Nil, feeling that its early Itch incarnation provided a slightly rougher experience that hammered home its themes surrounding environmentalism and saving the planet from the effects of climate change. In a coincidence that proves we all have the same brain, Rebecca felt like the demo for monster kissing metroidvania Romancelvania altered her thoughts about the final version of the game, but has still been enjoying her time deciding which fictional creature is the hottest of them all.
The gang have also been playing Dredge, which they discuss at length in section two. The trio agree that this eldritch fishing adventure by Black Salt Games is one of the best things they've played all year (so far, anyway).
For our hyperfixations this week, Rebecca has finished high-school murder mystery Danganronpa 2 and has been completing a cross stitch from Etsy seller GriffinwingWorkshop to celebrate. Liam has just finished You Exist Too Much, a novel by Zaina Arafat about a young woman's struggle with love addiction. Meanwhile, Rachel has been invested in the recent disappearance of the Lofi Girl, and the subsequent appearance of the Synthwave Boy.
Indiescovery is a podcast by Rock Paper Shotgun. Our theme music is by Dylan Sitts, specifically the songs Tahoe Trip, Pool Sticker, and Express Check-in. You can contact the podcast by chucking an email to podcast@rockpapershotgun.com, or by chatting to like-minded individuals about PC gaming over in our Discord.
Chapters:
00:00:00 - Intro 00:06:47 - Storyteller Review 00:20:37 - Terra Nil Review 00:36:03 - Romancelvania Review 00:56:28 - Dredge Review 01:21:25 - HyperfixationsWas Dead Island 2 Worth The Wait?Rock Paper Shotgun2023-04-18 | It’s been nine years since Dead Island 2 was announced at E3 2014. Since then, the game has been stuck in a sort of development apocalypse that rivals the one that features within its own fiction. Over the last decade, four separate development studios have attempted to ship Dead Island 2. Four! Series creator Techland, Spec Ops: The Line developers Yager Development, British outfit Sumo Digital and finally, publisher Deep Silver’s own internal studio Dambuster. Four developers. Four completely separate developers, each with their own unique vision and approach to this single project.
This isn’t, traditionally, a good sign. It’s usually a very bad sign. You only need to look at something like Duke Nukem Forever as an example of the kind of game you end up with following a protracted development that bounces between multiple studios.
So after 9 years in the oven and with a conveyer belt of chefs constantly fiddling with the temperature, was Dead Island 2 worth the wait?
Find out more by watching our PC review.The best indies we played at PAX East 2023 | Indiescovery Podcast - Episode 7Rock Paper Shotgun2023-04-05 | It's episode seven of Indiescovery and this week, wow, the gang is tired. With a busy four days in Boston for PAX East, Rachel and Liam's brains are basically mush, so Rebecca - an absolute angel - graciously said she could host a special PAX East episode where she chats with Liam and Rachel about the indies they saw on the show floor as they desperately try to string together a coherent sentence. She also made bullet points of our entire chat so writing up the show notes would be easier. We do not deserve her.
Saying that, it doesn't stop us from kicking up a riot over the BAFTA Game Awards at the start of the episode. We then delve into our PAX East indie round up and, as always, we end with our current hyperfixations.
It was the BAFTA Game Show the night before we recorded this episode, so we start off chatting about what we thought of the winners as well as a general natter about the nominations. The three of us were very happy that Vampire Survivors won big, snatching both Best Game Design and Best Game, but we also thought that some other games were particularly snubbed. Rebecca's particular beef was that cat sim Stray didn't take home any awards (a sentiment that Liam had some spicy words about), and I felt particularly attacked over the fact that Citizen Sleeper missed out on Game Beyond Entertainment. We all agreed with Tunic and Rollerdrome winning an award or two - we love to see it.
Onto the PAX chat! Rebecca was keen to know more about Demonschool and Goodbye Volcano High, so Rachel jumped into why both games are pretty great. In one, you fisticuff with a slew of demons that have entered our world from an open gate to the depths of hell, and the other is a sweet coming-of-age tale about teen dinosaurs who want to make it big as an indie band. We'll let you figure out which is which.
Liam then chats about Pacific Drive a survival roguelite roadtrip where you need to navigate through a an area in the Pacific Norwest called the Olympic Exclusion Zone, scavenging for resources to keep your station wagon running while dealing with the zone's strange anomalies. It sounds SO GOOD and Rachel cannot not hide how gutted she is that she missed out on this demo. Deceived. Bamboozled. Swindled.
The next game is Cobalt Core, a cool-looking sci-fi roguelike with cute animals and fun deckbuilding that Liam played. Continuing on with the themes of animals and roguelikes, Rachel brings up the chaotic junk food-swiping sim Pizza Possum, an arcade-style hide-and-seek game about being a ravenous possum. We then jump into Wrestle Story (and, by association, WrestleQuest and Wrestling With Emotions) and finish with both Liam and I saying how much we enjoyed Animal Well, our bestest best indie pick of the entire show.
For our hyperfixations, Liam chats about how PowerWash Simulator has taken up his evenings which leads to us all chatting about the game's DLC and then onto some incredibly feral conversation about the potential for Life Is Strange content which I'll leave for you to listen to without spoiling. Rebecca's hyperfixation is Life Is Strange: Steph's Story, a LiS novel written by Rosiee Thor (if you're an RPS supporter you can Rebecca's good words about Steph's Story in last week's supporter post). Rachel wraps up the pod by banging on about how much she loves pins. She blame PAX's pinny arcade and Fangamer for making such nice pins. You can check out Liam's documentary about Pinny Arcade here.
Indiescovery is a podcast by Rock Paper Shotgun. Our theme music is by Dylan Sitts, specifically the songs Tahoe Trip, Pool Sticker, and Express Check-in. You can contact the podcast by chucking an email to podcast@rockpapershotgun.com, or by chatting to like-minded individuals about PC gaming over in our Discord.
#Podcast #gaming #RockPaperShotgunWhat the heck is an indie game anyway? | Indiescovery Podcast - Episode 6Rock Paper Shotgun2023-03-22 | In our sixth episode, we belatedly turn our attention to the question of just what the heck we're doing here anyway. The issue of "what makes an indie game an indie game?" is full of twists and turns, and nobody has ever really come up with an answer that covers all the bases. Lucky for us, that's not really what we're talking about here, although we do use that as a jumping-off point for our chat. Instead, we try to come up with an Indiescovery Manifesto, one that will guide us in the future when we're thinking about what games we ought to cover on the pod. We achieve this through a lively discussion that mainly involves Rebecca playing devil's advocate by throwing out ridiculous edge cases until Rachel and Liam want to break down and weep. (What can we say, Rachel never saw a fence she didn't want to touch just to see if it's electrified.)
To help us calm down after that, the second part of today's episode is a more laid-back catch-up on some new indie game releases we've been playing over the past few weeks. Liam immediately walks back some of the good work he did in the first half by admitting he really wants to talk about Resident Evil 4, but he's also been enjoying Rhythm Sprout lately, so all is forgiven. Rebecca and Rachel have both been playing Anemoiapolis: Chapter 1 and spend some time comparing notes. Rachel has also been playing Paranormasight — a horror visual novel from Square Enix and therefore not technically indie but with some vibes an indie-loving audience will no doubt appreciate — and The Pale Beyond, a Frostpunk-esque narrative survival game set on a boat. We love boat horror here at Indiescovery!
As always, we close things out with our latest batch of hyperfixations. Liam still wants to talk about Resident Evil 4, and truly, who can blame him when his favourite game of all time just got a remake that lives up to the original? He's also been binge-listening to Let's Make A Rom-Com, a new podcast from the team behind last year's Let's Make A Sci-Fi, in which a trio of comedians bring in expert advice to help them write a Hollywood-grade movie script. Since the surprise announcement of a new Professor Layton title at last month's Nintendo Direct, Rachel has been reliving happy memories of adolescence by revisiting every previous game in the series she can get her hands on ahead of the impending closure of the 3DS eShop (RIP). Rebecca has been non-stop crying with joy ever since Everything Everywhere All At Once cleaned up at the Oscars, and elects to shout out some of her favourite video game fan art Twitter accounts to browse for a quick emotional pick-me-up, including Paula Peroff, Kiana Mai, Johnson Blazkowicz, Nastia Croft, and Angie M.
Indiescovery is a podcast by Rock Paper Shotgun. Our theme music is by Dylan Sitts, specifically the songs Tahoe Trip, Pool Sticker, and Express Check-in. You can contact the podcast by chucking an email to podcast@rockpapershotgun.com, or by chatting to like-minded individuals about PC gaming over in our Discord.
#Podcast #gaming #RockPaperShotgunOur favourite indie games of all time | Indiescovery Podcast - Episode 5Rock Paper Shotgun2023-03-21 | It’s episode five of Indiescovery and we'd like our listeners to get to know us a little better, so this week we've picked our ultimate favourite indie games and then had a big old natter about them. Talking about all our favourite games would take us into 3023, so we’ve kept it to two games per person, which actually wasn’t as hard as we thought it would be.
To kick off the episode, we introduce the ✨Indiescovery Vault✨ a magical place locked behind a huge, golden door. It's a wonderful place where only the most prestigious indie games may go as selected by the Indiescovery team. The six games we’ve chosen for this episode will have a coveted place in the vault, but more will be added as the podcast goes on. This is the first of many episodes where we chat about our favourite indie games, so the vault will be opened again in future episodes.
The first of our picks is Paradise Killer. Liam chose this murder mystery about gods and demons set on a tropical island dripping in vaporwave aesthetics. Even though she's not played it, Paradise Killer is very much a Rebecca game (it's basically a match made in indie game heaven) so Liam and Rebecca will keep poking her until she plays it.
The second game is Rebecca’s pick, Monster Prom, a game that introduced her to both the indie gaming scene and visual novels. This one is an Indiescovery contender for a standalone episode, one were we all jump into multiplayer for a few rounds then talk about it. If that format is something you’d be interested in for future episodes then tell us by leaving a comment!
A game that sits snuggly in its number one spot on the RPS top 100, Return Of The Obra Dinn sails gracefully into our picks, nominated by Rachel. Turns out the RPS treehouse really like mystery games, so this detective game about a lost ghost ship from the 1800s was destined to be in the vault at some point. Let's put it this way: any game that forces you to learn the difference between a gunner, purser, helmsman, and bosun (and we're not even mad about it) is worth playing.
We’ve time travelled back in time with Liam’s second pick, Hypnospace Outlaw. This is a game we’ve chatted about on the podcast before, but it bears repeating: Hypnospace Outlaw is awesome. Set during the wild heyday of the online world, this ‘90s internet simulator is a gem of a game, so into the pit it goes (Yes, we have a pit in our vault. It was requested by Liam. It’s basically Liam’s pit. Blame Liam.).
Rebecca’s next pick is Firewatch, and wow did she almost have Liam and Rachel in tears talking about it. The feels were out when we were chatting about this one, as we get into the game’s brilliant characters, lovely visuals, and heart warming themes. We're not crying, you are.
The last of our six games is Kentucky Route Zero, which was Rachel's pick. She really loves this game, and when choosing her two games for this episode she didn’t hesitate in choosing KRZ. A magical realist adventure, this American road trip follows a group of drifters as they search for an ethereal highway that runs through an underground cave system beneath Kentucky. It’s a little weird, but also perfect (in our humble opinion).
The squad then quickly list off other indies that crossed our minds when choosing our six (some of which we’ll definitely get into in future eps) and then we dive into our hyperfixations. Rachel's been watching hours and hours of the RPG show Dimension 20, Liam has been watching Brutalmoose’s calming mall and microwave meal reviews, and Rebecca introduced us to mushroom ketchup, which sounds amazing?? Did you know that mushroom ketchup existed? Every day is a school day, apparently.
Indiescovery is a podcast by Rock Paper Shotgun. Our theme music is by Dylan Sitts, specifically the songs Tahoe Trip, Pool Sticker, and Express Check-in. You can contact the podcast by chucking an email to podcast@rockpapershotgun.com, or by chatting to like-minded individuals about PC gaming over in our Discord.
#Podcast #RockPaperShotgunWhats It Like To Start Destiny 2 From Scratch?Rock Paper Shotgun2023-03-20 | Having spent several weeks with space orbs and triangles, Ed and I have returned from our intergalactic escapades with a spot of news: Inventory Space episode two is a go! It's a video series in which we spend our precious free time with live service games to see how much they demand from our schedules, and whether we're truly able to experience the best of them without crumbling to dust.
So, please join us, as we tackle Bungie's FPS behemoth Destiny 2. Was it worth our time? And crucially, is it worth yours?
Our second episode zeroes in on Destiny 2, an FPS whose looting and shooting has popularised similar level grinds in other video games. Just take a look at Suicide Squad's recent gameplay reveal and take note of all the air that'll leave your lungs as the dev team outlines the live service model. Guns encased in coloured borders. Armour showered with numbers. An arbitrary level tied to your Shark Man that you want to up. That's thanks to Destiny, that is.
Unlike our first episode on World Of Warcraft, where Ed had history with it and I had none, episode two sees both of us returning to Destiny 2 as lads who'd logged serious hours with it back in the day. We were excited to return to an FPS we'd left behind, hopeful the passage of time might have given it the spruce needed to win us back. Over a few weeks, we'd re-join the game midway through a season, then experience what it would be to transition into a brand new expansion with Lightfall and see if it made any difference to the new player experience.
#rockpapershotgun #pcgaming #destiny2How To Build A Gaming PC: The Complete Step-By-Step GuideRock Paper Shotgun2023-03-09 | Constructing your own gaming PC from scratch is cheaper than buying prebuilt, and teaches you helpful rig-wrangling skills you can use for future upgrades. But how does one build a PC? Allow James and the disembodied voice of Liam guide you through it, step by step and in basic – sometimes even downright regional – English.
To build a PC you will need the following components:
- PC case - Motherboard - CPU - CPU cooler - RAM - Graphics card - SSD (and/or HDD) - PSU (i.e. the power supply) - Windows 10/11 installation media, ideally a USB stick - Windows 10/11 license or activation key - Medium crosshead screwdriver - Small crosshead screwdriver - Thermal paste
00:00 - Intro 00:36 - Component list 01:16 - Step One: How to install a CPU into a motherboard 02:20 - Step Two: How to install a CPU cooler 03:03 - Step Two (Part One): How to install a CPU air cooler 09:26 - Step Two (Part Two): How to install a CPU water cooler 12:33 - Step Three: How to install RAM into a motherboard 13:25 - Step Four: How to install a PSU into a PC case 14:58 - Step Five: How to install a motherboard into a PC case 20:38 - Step Six: How to connect a CPU cooler to a PC case 22:22 - Step Seven: How to install a graphics card 24:26 - Step Eight: How to install storage 25:00 - Step Eight (Part One): How to install an M.2 SSD into a motherboard 25:27 - Step Eight (Part Two): How to install a mechanical hard drive into a motherboard 26:26 - Step Nine: How to tidy up loose cables 29:43 - Step Ten: How to install Windows 35:31 - OutroResident Evil 4 Remake: 17 Exciting New DetailsRock Paper Shotgun2023-03-02 | We're three weeks away from the release of the Resident Evil 4 remake, and in preparation of its imminent launch Capcom chucked over a fresh batch of in-game footage for us to talk about. The 17 minute long video showcased various sections from the game, including a late-game boss fight and a greatly expanded early area that sees Leon exploring a series of creepy caves.
As Rock Paper Shotgun's Resident Resident Evil Liker, I took it upon myself to obsessively study each individual frame of this video file to uncover its hidden secrets. Surprising even myself, I was able to extract 17 new details about Leon's refreshed holiday to rural Spain. That's one new thing for each minute of the footage! That wasn't intentional! What a pleasing coincidence!
Anyway, you can find out what I discovered by watching the video above. Be warned though: In my pursuit of being thorough, I reference the original game's mechanics and events a lot, so if you're looking to experience this remake with fresh eyes it might be a good idea to give this one a miss.
However, if you do decide to click, you'll be treated to 10 minutes of facts and informed speculation. For instance: the game features unlockable ammo types, charms that provide gameplay benefits, new weapons, new enemy types and greatly expanded areas. Neat!
🎥: Want more juicy video content? Check out our hands-on preview of Resident Evil 4 remake: youtu.be/_Rr8R57RMt8
#rockpapershotgun #residentevil4Sons of the Forest: How To Survive The First Few Days | Ultimate Beginners GuideRock Paper Shotgun2023-02-28 | Sons of the Forest is the biggest game on Steam right now, and it’s easy to see why. This survival-horror-sim features everything you could want from a game in this genre. A beautiful, dense forest full of secrets. A tactile build system that gives you the freedom to construct bases of your own design. Cannibals. Whatever the hell this thing is. And - most importantly - my perfect son, Kelvin.
But like most survival games, Sons of the Forest isn’t exactly the easiest game to understand, especially if you’ve never played anything like this before. If you’re struggling to survive on this unforgiving island then don’t worry, we here at Rock Paper Shotgun have got your back. This video will give you all the information you need to survive for those first few all-important days in Sons of the Forest. I’ll cover everything from the best place to set up a camp, how to avoid starving to death, how to befriend the mysterious Virginia and the best way to keep my boy Kelvin safe from the horrors of the unknown.
🎥: Want more juicy video content? These are the 14 biggest games coming to PC in 2023: youtu.be/rR-BqaTwToE
00:00 Intro 01:18 What’s your goal in Sons of the Forest? 03:24 Loot every container at the crash site 04:08 Kelvin 05:43 Use your backpack to access items quickly 06:10 Set up your first base near a river 06:49 Steer clear of enemies unless they attack 07:23 Make a Tent to save your game 07:59 Start a fire and find some food 08:44 Chop trees efficiently with your axe 09:05 Scroll through the Guide Book to see what you can build 09:23 Use a template to build safe shelter quickly 09:59 Be nice to Virginia 10:34 Prioritise nearby caves over the main story 11:14 Combine items to create better equipment 11:30 What to do next? 12:38 OutroTop 12 Best Horror Games to Play on PCRock Paper Shotgun2023-02-02 | If you ask us, it's never not the season for spooks and creep 'em ups, and that's why there's no time like the present to give you our list of the best horror games you can play on PC right now. From old classics to fresh new favourites, we've got everything that the discerning player in search of a scare could possibly be looking for.
Whether you like gore, survival horror, text-based chills, a bit of action, or even a deck builder, this list has something for fans of all kinds of horror - including those who don’t like a jump scare. We take a bit of a broad view, but in general if a game scares us then it counts as horror and could turn up on this list. Best of all, all the games on the list are available to buy and play right now, so you don't have to buy something at inflated-rarity prices from an online bidding platform, or anything like that.
These are the 12 best horror games you can play on PC right now.
00:00 Intro 01:08 12 - Inscryption 02:12 11 - Resident Evil Village 03:14 10 - The Excavation Of Hob's Barrow 04:38 9 - Condemned: Criminal Origins 05:58 8 - Darkwood 06:52 7 - Stories Untold 07:54 6 - Alien: Isolation 09:29 5 - SOMA 10:41 4 - Anatomy 11:08 3 - Pathologic 12:08 2 - System Shock 2 13:34 1 - S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call Of Pripyat 15:18 OutroDead Space PC Review - An Excellent Remake Of A Horror ClassicRock Paper Shotgun2023-01-26 | Well. They certainly remade Dead Space. With some small but welcome exceptions, Dead Space is a one-to-one remake of the 2008 original.
Your opinion on whether that is a good thing or not will depend on how you feel about the endeavour of remaking games from fifteen years ago in the first place. As far as I’m concerned, this remake allowed me to replay one of my all-time favourite games in a lavish new form, and in that sense, Dead Space is extraordinary.
🎥: Want more juicy video content? These are the 14 biggest games coming to PC in 2023: youtu.be/rR-BqaTwToE
#rockpapershotgun #deadspace #reviewSteamWorld Build Is A Low-Stakes City Builder With Literal DepthRock Paper Shotgun2023-01-23 | Sometimes a game comes along that aligns so precisely with my specific interests that I fear certain developers gain inspiration for upcoming titles by hiding in the bushes outside of my kitchen window in order to listen to me bark game ideas at the kettle. Case in point - SteamWorld Build, an upcoming city builder that combines the mayoral duties of Sim City with the subterranean busywork of Dungeon Keeper. I’ve been lucky enough to spend around four hours with an early version of the game, and I think it’s fair to say that I’m already smitten with what developers The Station have cooked up so far.
These are five reasons I can’t wait to play more of SteamWorld Build.
🎥: Want more juicy video content? These are the 14 biggest games coming to PC in 2023: youtu.be/rR-BqaTwToE
#SteamworldBuild #rockpapershotgunCan you name these eight classic PC games from just one screenshot?Rock Paper Shotgun2023-01-12 | Can you name these eight classic PC games from just one screenshot? You only have three seconds to guess, and highest score gets a prize. The prize is a lie! Let’s go!
🎥: Want more juicy video content? These are the 14 biggest games coming to PC in 2023: youtu.be/rR-BqaTwToE
#shorts #RockPaperShotgun #pcgames14 Indie Games We Cant Wait To Play In 2023Rock Paper Shotgun2023-01-11 | 2023 is gearing up to be an absolutely enormous year for video games, especially on PC. In fact, this year’s release schedule is so crammed full of exciting things to play that it can be hard to keep track of everything that’s set to launch over the next 12 months. With the likes of Starfield and Diablo VI threatening to overshadow smaller, yet no less interesting titles, I’ve decided to make a video highlighting a selection of games you may not have heard of, alongside some big hitters you won’t want to miss.
These are 14 indie games we can’t wait to play in 2023, including Hollow Knight: Silksong, Anger Foot, The Plucky Squire, Hades 2 and much much more. Cor, there's a lot of new indie games coming to PC this year isn't there? Lovely stuff.
🎥: Want more juicy video content? These are the 14 biggest games coming to PC in 2023: youtu.be/rR-BqaTwToE
#indiegames #newgames #RockPaperShotgunThe 14 Biggest Games Coming To PC In 2023Rock Paper Shotgun2023-01-05 | Happy new year! 2022 is finally over, and as is custom we’ve now replaced it with a new year we’re all tentatively calling 2023. We’ve grown it within a big vat of possibility goo, and we’re all hoping this one is better and is full of cool things like I dunno, a new type of tiger or a sequel to Chocolate called Chocolate 2.
A new year also means new video games, and we here at Rock Paper Shotgun can’t wait to see what 2023 has to offer. Whereas 2022 was a relatively quiet year when it came to huge releases, 2023 is primed to be massive in comparison. From Starfield to Redfall, Resident Evil 4 to Baldur’s Gate 3, these are the 14 biggest games coming to PC in 2023.
🎥: Want more juicy video content? These are the 10 best PC games of 2022: youtu.be/0zD51YArfyI
00:00 - Intro 00:55 - Starfield 01:31 - Dead Space 02:27 - Resident Evil 4 03:07 - System Shock 03:34 - Company Of Heroes 04:05 - Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League 04:40 - Street Fighter 6 05:14 - Diablo IV 05:37 - Wild Hearts 06:11 - Homeworld 3 06:41 - Baldur's Gate 3 07:11 - Assassin's Creed: Mirage 07:57 - Redfall 08:21 - S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl 08:59 - STAR WARS Jedi: Survivor 09:18 - Dead Island 2 09:55 - Outro
#pc #newgames #RockPaperShotgunThe 10 Best PC Games Of 2022Rock Paper Shotgun2022-12-24 | Merry Christmas and welcome to Rock Paper Shotgun. As 2022 draws to a close, it’s time once again to bring you our list of the 10 best PC games from the year that was.
Now, 2022 was a bit of a funny one, wasn’t it? With multiple AAA titles pushed back into 2023, there was a distinct lack of huge games to occupy our time this year, especially on PC.
However! We here at RPS baulk at the idea that a lack of AAA releases makes for a quieter year! Anyone on twitter dot com who tells you otherwise, well, that’s their opinion and more power to them but we thought there was loads of good stuff to play in 2022 even though Starfield got delayed so. Yeah. Agree to disagree, I guess. Merry Christmas.
Our ten picks highlight the best and brightest that PC gaming had to offer this year, so grab yourself a steaming mug of hot chocolate, pop one of those videos of a wood fire onto your Steam Deck because who can afford to actually heat their homes these days and settle in for our list of the ten best PC games of 2022. Enjoy.
🎥: Want more juicy video content? Our first episode of Inventory Space investigates what it's like to start World of Warcraft as a new player: youtu.be/RL05WItuMOI
00:00 - Intro 01:40 - 10: The Case Of The Golden Idol 02:40 - 9: Norco 03:40 - 8: Neon White 04:27 - 7: Ghostwire Tokyo 05:19 - 6: Tunic 06:17 - 5: Hardspace Shipbreaker 07:45 - 4: Stray 08:41 - 3rd Place 09:40 - 2nd Place 11:27 - 1st place 13:26 - Outro
#goty #pc #gameoftheyear #RockPaperShotgunWhere should you start with Final Fantasy 7?Rock Paper Shotgun2022-12-16 | Final Fantasy 7 is becoming increasingly complicated. As a new player, where is the best place to start with this iconic series of games? The original Final Fantasy 7? Its lavish 2020 remake? The recently released prequel, Crisis Core - Final Fantasy VII - Reunion? We attempt to find an answer.
🎥: Want more juicy video content? Our first episode of Inventory Space investigates what it's like to start World of Warcraft as a new player: youtu.be/RL05WItuMOI
#finalfantasy7 #crisiscore #RockPaperShotgunThe Witcher 3’s next-gen PC update is disappointingRock Paper Shotgun2022-12-14 | The Witcher 3’s long awaited next-gen update has arrived for PC and its effect on the game is pretty disappointing. Not only does the addition of ray tracing cause substantial performance issues, it appears to us that the update has decreased general performance across the board regardless of whether you’re using these new features or not.
All footage for this video was captured on my PC at 1080p. I have a RTX 3080, an i9 processor and 32gb of RAM. I captured footage of the game running with various settings applied but unless stated otherwise the game was running on RT Ultra mode, which sets everything to its upper limit, with DLSS on quality mode and the frame rate capped at 60fps.
🎥: Want more juicy video content? Our first episode of Inventory Space investigates what it's like to start World of Warcraft as a new player: youtu.be/RL05WItuMOI
#witcher3 #performance #RockPaperShotgunCard based battles make Marvels Midnight Suns an essential tactical RPG | ReviewRock Paper Shotgun2022-11-30 | Hello and welcome to My Fave Thing, a show we do here at Rock Paper Shotgun where I chat to one of my lovely colleagues about a brand new video game they’ve been playing to find out their favourite thing about it.
Today I’m chatting to Katharine about Marvel’s Midnight Suns, a superhero strategy tactics game by Firaxis, the developers behind the wonderful XCOM. Enjoy.Whats It Like To Start World Of Warcraft From Scratch?Rock Paper Shotgun2022-11-28 | I'm extremely excited to announce Inventory Space! A new video series in which Ed and I spend our precious free time with massive live-service games to see how much they demand from our schedules. Are we able to truly experience everything these games have to offer without sacrificing the bits of our daily routines that keep us from withering away at our monitors? How many hours do you really need to invest in order to fully experience a game? And is it even worth it, in the end?
Inventory Space will – hopefully – give you a better idea of whether mammoth games will slot into your life neatly, or not at all.
Our first episode focuses on World Of Warcraft (not Classic), an absolute juggernaut in the "Big Game" category and an MMO that we both had very different histories with. Ed was the one with great nostalgia for past WoW and someone who used to spend countless hours in Azeroth, while I hadn't played it at all before. We set some loose goals, like reaching the endgame and doing our first Raid, because we were naive boys who believed that, yes, we'd be enamoured with WoW. In the end, our experiences with the game aligned in a way we hadn't expected. And, in a strange meeting of many complex thoughts, we came to quite a beautiful conclusion.
So before you dive in the game's Dragonflight expansion, why not see if your inventory has the capacity for a game as hefty as World of Warcraft.
🎥: Want more juicy video content? Check out our review of Sonic Frontiers: youtu.be/GcHoK2BniPE
#rockpapershotgun #worldofwarcraft #dragonflightValheims Developers Show Us Everything Mistlands Has To OfferRock Paper Shotgun2022-11-22 | Valheim’s enigmatic next update, Mistlands, is set to deliver a brand new biome for curious Vikings to explore and conquer. Ahead of its launch, developer Irongate Studios offered us a unique and unusual opportunity. They asked if we wanted to interview them about Mistlands within the Mistlands themselves. Obviously we said yes.
In this video, Iron Gate’s Robin and Jonathan showcase some of the cool new features that Mistlands will bring to Valheim, answering our questions about the update’s development and the thought process behind some of its exciting new mechanics.
#Valheim #Mistlands #RockPaperShotgunWarzone 2 - Ultimate Beginners Guide | Everything You Need To Know About Warzone & DMZRock Paper Shotgun2022-11-18 | Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 has finally arrived, offering players a next-generation battle royale experience as well as an experimental extraction mode in the form of DMZ. We here at Rock Paper Shotgun have spent the last few days leaping out of planes and scooping rifles off dusty floors in order to bring you this: our ultimate beginner's guide, a video that details everything you need to know to increase your chances of survival within the warzone.
Now, a bit of an admission right up top, I actually never played the original Warzone. As a big fan of PUBG, Apex Legends and Fortnite, I never found the time to try out Infinity Ward's hugely popular first attempt at a winner takes all multiplayer experience. So when Warzone 2.0 came along, I was jumping into the game as an absolute newbie. I had no idea what I was doing, and spent my first few games cold and afraid, sprinting across the mountains of Al Mazrah sobbing and begging opponents not to kill me over proximity chat.
Dozens of rounds later, I’ve figured out the basics required to avoid such a humiliating situation. Not only that, but I’ve also spent a fair chunk of time chewing over the game’s brand-new mode DMZ. Both can be quite daunting at first, so I’m here to help guide you through the basics of Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0.
If you’re looking for something specific feel free to use the timestamps below.
🎥: Want more juicy video content? Check out our review of this year's Call Of Duty campaign mode: youtu.be/OrOwS-8uD8c
00:00 Introduction 01:28 What is Warzone 2? 03:30 Beginner tips and tricks to help you survive your first game of Warzone 2 06:22 How to earn cash in Warzone 2 07:09 How to get your loadouts in Warzone 2 08:26 What happens when you die in Warzone 2? 09:35 What does XP do in Warzone 2? 11:05 Beginner tips and tricks for DMZ 14:37 Outro
#warzone2 #callofduty #RockPaperShotgunSonic Frontiers Is The Best 3D Sonic Has Been In A DecadeRock Paper Shotgun2022-11-11 | Sonic Frontiers is not perfect. Honestly, I'm not even sure if I could describe it as good. But it is fun! And interesting! It’s janky and rough in a very specific way that appeals to my tastes. It won't be for everyone, but Ed and I think it's worth giving a try.5 Best Modern Warfare 2 Weapon LoadoutsRock Paper Shotgun2022-11-04 | What is the best loadout in Modern Warfare 2? In true COD fashion, the moment the playerbase first got their hands on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, it became a race to find and share the very best loadouts in the game. Every day sees dozens of articles and videos released claiming to have found the most overpowered guns or builds available. So we decided to cut through the noise with our own list.
In this video you'll find eight contenders for the best loadout in Modern Warfare 2 right now. We'll explain the ins and outs of each gun we're suggesting you pick up, and which other primary weapons they work best with.
🎥: Want more juicy video content? Check out our review of Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's campaign mode: youtu.be/OrOwS-8uD8c
00:00 Intro 01:58 M4 and Lachmann Sub - Best mid-to-close-range loadout 02:54 FSS Hurricane and Lockwood 300 - Best close-range loadout 04:03 SP-X 80 and FSS Hurricane
- Best long-range loadout
05:10 FTAC Recon and Kastov-74U
- Best mid-to-long-range loadout
06:09 Kastov 762 and Fennec 45
- Best mid-range loadout
07:05 Outro