PC Gamer UK 01.2021

HARDWARE
Tech Report

Supplementary Primary motor
motor area cortex

Image credit: Myndplay

Premotor cortex

L E A R N I N G Videogames don’t need a physical connection to affect our minds TOP LEFT: The
position of the motor
1 MEMORY 2 SMARTS 3 COMMONSENSE 4 NEW SKILLS cortex within the
On the Windows Store, Mind: Luminosity aims to help you On Steam, Power Brain Dr. Kawashima’s Brain human brain.
Brain Training is a series of improve memory, increase focus Trainer aims to train your Training: How Old Is Your Brain? ABOVE: The
number and memory puzzles. and feel sharper. memory and more. for the DS was released in 2005. Myndplay headset
connects to a PC
via Bluetooth and
is rechargeable
over USB.

and Musk can take comfort in the 73 percent of respondents Actual PC software seems a little sparse, however, with a

who claimed to be excited by the technology. mind-controlled media player, a rugby ball-kicking app and

His firm, Neuralink, states its initial goals are similar to the various quizzes the main events. There are also apps to train

Melbourne trial: to help people with paralysis to regain your brain, making yourself calmer, treating self-doubt,

independence through the control of computers and mobile dealing with feelings of anger or guilt, and ones to help you

devices. Neuralink hopes to connect directly to thousands of meditate, rewarding you for entering a relaxed mental state.

neurons in the brain, sending the information to a computer It seems neural interfaces are here, and in the case of

where it’s processed and initially used to control a mouse. MyndPlay actually functional, but we’re not quite sure what to

This will be expanded, as the recipient becomes more skilled do with them. The UK Government report mentions their use

and the algorithms more tightly focused, to a keyboard, in therapy, as well as applications for marketing – gaining

speech synthesis and – yes – a game controller. insights into consumer decision-making direct from the brain

Just because you’re controlling a controller with your mind – and defence. There are also ethical considerations to be

doesn’t mean you’ll be playing taken into account when

Doom Eternal all day, of fishing data directly from the

course, they have other NEURALINK SAYS IT HOPES living surface of our brains,
applications, perhaps tied TO ‘DISCOVER’ NON-MEDICAL and an ethical framework was
USES FOR THE TECHNOLOGY
into the control system of a published by the Nuffield
motorised wheelchair. But Council on Bioethics in 2013,
it does open the door to which deal with the effects

brain-controlled gaming. the withdrawal of beneficial

Neuralink says it hopes to products may have on their

‘discover’ non-medical uses for the technology. former user, among other things, and that non-therapeutic

MIND CONTROL devices must be regulated because they are likely to be used
in private and without medical supervision. It recommended

Controlling games with your brain isn’t new. In 2010 a man the European Commission regulate BCIs as medical devices

was able to use an EEG (electroencephalogram) brain- no matter what their intended use.

scanning helmet known as the Berlin Brain-Computer When they break through to the mainstream, however,

Interface to play pinball (an Addams Family-themed table, for it remains to be seen if BCIs will be treated like Wi-Fi kettles

fans of spooky disembodied movement) at the CeBIT – an amusing but largely unnecessary product with its roots

technology fair in Hannover, Germany. British company in helping the disabled – or like VR, a more serious product

MyndPlay will sell you its MyndBand EEG headband, with that will continue to gain traction as the initial high prices

three sensors that fit over your forehead, for £200, and come down. We wouldn’t bet against the latter.
Ian Evenden
there’s an SDK for you to create something to use it with.

JANUARY 2021 101

YOUR NEXT PC

BUYER’S GUIDE
Build the best PC for your budget

ADVANCED

MID-RANGE

BUDGET

KEY

Budget build Mid-range build Advanced build

PC gaming is for everyone. Pick the parts you want to You want to run every new game at 1080p 60fps. This You’re looking for the best PC on the market and
build a new, well-rounded PC for a good price. recommended build will see you through. superior components. But you still want to spend smart.

102 JANUARY 2021

HARDWARE
Buyer’s Guide

BUDGET MOTHERBOARD B450-A Pro Max
BUILD
PROCESSOR MSI £95
Enjoy 1080p gaming without A healthy dose of ports and PCIe SSD
breaking the bank COOLER GRAPHICS CARD support has this B450 at the heart of our
budget build.
TOTAL MEMORY
£849 Ryzen 3 3300X
POWER SUPPLY
AMD £115
SSD AMD has packed its Zen 2 architecture into
a speedy four-core package, and that’s great 
HDD for gaming.

CASE GeForce GTX 1650 Super

DISPLAY Gigabyte £165
The GTX 1650 Super is much more than a
KEYBOARD rebrand of the GTX 1650, securing it the
budget crown.
MOUSE
Wraith Stealth
HEADSET
AMD Free with the CPU
Gone are the days when a stock cooler was
little more than a bonus paperweight. AMD’s
Wraith Stealth delivers.

Vengeance 8GB DDR4 (2x4GB)

Corsair £40
The new norm for gaming is 16GB, but
dual-channel 8GB memory is enough to get
by for most.

CX Series CX550

Corsair £74
Corsair’s reputation for quality PSUs
precedes them. You know you’re in safe
hands here.

WD Blue SN550 500GB

Western Digital £67
Just because it’s a budget SSD, doesn’t
mean it has to be slow, as the WD SN550
proves with its speedy NVMe connectivity.

WD Blue 1TB 7200rpm

Western Digital £37
You don’t necessarily need a HDD in 2020,
but if you’re a virtual hoarder, this’ll give you
loads of useful extra space.

Neos

BitFenix £36
You’ll want to minimise how often you rebuild
your PC, so make sure to give it a good home.
This case’ll do nicely.

GW2280

BenQ £105
A 1080p60 VA monitor will see you through
in style and, once you upgrade, will make a
superb second monitor.

G213

Logitech £40
It may be a membrane switch board, but it’s
stylish, and well-built. Sometimes that’s
worth more than cheap clicky switches.

G102

Logitech £35
A classic shape delivered in a sleek shell, this
mouse fits all hand sizes and grips. A solid
option for the money.

HS35

Corsair £40
This headset delivers in-game with its
punchy drivers and clear microphone –
perfect for video calls and multiplayer alike.

JANUARY 2021 103

HARDWARE MOTHERBOARD B450 Tomahawk Max
Buyer’s Guide
PROCESSOR MSI £120
MID-RANGE A reliable platform for your build, the
BUILD COOLER GRAPHICS CARD Tomahawk Max also comes in black to
complement any style.
Our recommended build for playing MEMORY
the latest games Ryzen 5 3600X
POWER SUPPLY
TOTAL AMD £198
£1,455 SSD This CPU is one of the greats, and uses the
Zen 2 architecture to dominate in gaming
104 JANUARY 2021 HDD and productivity.

CASE GeForce RTX 2060 KO GAMING

DISPLAY EVGA £320
The RTX 2060 is a taste of the good life,
KEYBOARD where frame rates are high and real-time ray
tracing is possible.
MOUSE
Wraith Spire
HEADSET
AMD Free with the CPU
We love a freebie, especially one as capable
as the cooler included with the 3600X. This’ll
keep your machine running smoothly.

Ballistix 16GB DDR4 (2x8GB)

Crucial £75
With plenty of capacity at 16GB, this
unembellished memory has everything you
need for gaming and more.

CX650M

Corsair £93
The heart of your gaming PC is your PSU,
and this 650W Corsair promises to keep your
rig ticking nicely.

S70 1TB

Addlink £150
Building on a budget doesn’t mean
sacrificing speed—the Addlink S70 proves
you can indeed have both.

WD Blue 1TB 7200rpm

Western Digital £37
Just like in the budget build, this HDD isn’t
strictly necessary, but for a pretty low price
it’s nice to have plenty of extra space.

Eclipse P400S TG

Phanteks £70
An ATX case is all you need for this build. We
like this one because it’s simple, functional,
and really nice to look at.

AOC G2590FX

AOC £173
Everything a PC gamer could want: 144Hz
refresh rate, 1ms response time, and it’s AMD
FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync compatible.

Alloy FPS

HyperX £80
As the name suggests, this keyboard is built
like an absolute tank, with a steel frame and
Cherry MX switches.

Model O-

Glorious £59
Lightweight and responsive, the Model O-
has made a name for itself among streamers
and pros thanks to its clever design.

Cloud Alpha

HyperX £80
Does it get any better than the HyperX Cloud
Alpha? Well, yes, but not anywhere close to
this sort of price point.

HARDWARE
Buyer’s Guide

ADVANCED MOTHERBOARD MPG Z490 Gaming Carbon WiFi
BUILD
PROCESSOR MSI £260
Go above and beyond with a PC A heady mix of enthusiast motherboard
powerful enough to end worlds COOLER GRAPHICS CARD functionality and build quality that stops
short of god-tier motherboard pricing.
TOTAL MEMORY
£3,666 Core i9
POWER SUPPLY 10900K

SSD Intel £529
If you want the fastest gaming CPU, look no
HDD further than Intel’s flagship Core i9.

CASE GeForce RTX 3080 Founders
Edition
DISPLAY
Nvidia £649
KEYBOARD The RTX 3080 is the flagship graphics card
of an entire new GPU generation.
MOUSE
Kraken X63
HEADSET
NZXT £123
One of the most stunning AIO coolers rebuilt
with an updated pump and, of course, RGB
lighting for more pizzazz.

Vengeance RGB Pro 32GB DDR4
(2x16GB) @ 3,200

Corsair £176
If you truly want to show off, even your
system memory should be aglow in RGB.

SuperNOVA 1000 G5 Gold

EVGA £200
This calibre of gaming PC draws a lot of
power. Thankfully, this PSU can handle it
with high efficiency

WD Black SN750 1TB

Western Digital £169
Western Digital is back on Samsung’s heels
with this brilliantly fast, yet affordable, 1TB
M.2 NVMe SSD.

860 QVO 2TB

Samsung £195
Built on QLC flash memory, it’s not the
quickest storage around, but it’s a speedy
alternative to a HDD.

600C

Corsair £135
If you’re going big on parts, you should grab
a case that has plenty of room for upgrades
down the line. This one will do just fine.

Nitro XV273K

Acer £780
This one’s an easy choice – 4K and 144Hz for
under a grand is an offer we can’t refuse, and
neither should you.

G915 Lightspeed

Logitech £210
Low-profile mechanical switches are just the
icing on the cake that is the superb, wireless
Logitech G915.

G502 Lightspeed

Logitech £110
With a lengthy battery life and a phenomenal
sensor to keep you gaming at your best, the
G502 is undoubtedly one of the finest.

Arctis 7 Wireless

SteelSeries £130
If you’ve settled on a wireless keyboard and
mouse, the last thing you want is a pesky
cable to your headset.

JANUARY 2021 105

EXTRA LIFE
CONTINUED ADVENTURES IN GAMING

It’s easy to lose track of time
just wandering around.

“If you love exploring vibrant worlds,
this is the game for you”

GENSHIN IMPACT is near-perfect JRPG comfort food, even if it’s a little shady

I f you told me that STEVEN MESSNER pleasure to explore as you detour
one of my favourite from one puzzle to the next, kicking
games in 2020 THIS MONTH over stones and stopping to fight
would be a free-to- Poured over every nook and monsters along the way. It’s the kind
play RPG with ‘gacha’ cranny in Teyvat. of game that has mastered a short
microtransactions, I’d never have ALSO PLAYED and sweet reward loop that makes
believed you. Yet here I am, League of Legends, World of hours melt away, which is the perfect
approaching what is close to my Warcraft remedy after a year that’s forced most
60th hour in Genshin Impact. It’s a of us to spend our free time indoors.
brilliant game – so long as you power up your party of four If you love exploring vibrant worlds,
aren’t overly offended by some characters. I’m constantly skeptical this is the game for you.
sketchy in-game purchases. of the environment around me
It’s easy to forgive that stuff, though, – suspiciously unlit torches might Since it launched, I’ve been
because Genshin Impact is genuinely be a little puzzle in disguise, or a obsessed with exploring every inch of
a joy to play. It ditches the modern peculiar arrangement of rocks might Teyvat, which currently comprises
trend of big open worlds littered actually be a subtle sign that there’s a
with icons and instead takes a more hidden treasure chest nearby. SINCE IT LAUNCHED, I’VE BEEN
intuitive approach, forcing you to LOST AND FOUND OBSESSED WITH EXPLORING
use your faculties to find hidden It’s a simple idea elegantly executed, EVERY INCH OF TEYVAT
treasures, collectibles and loot that’ll making the world of Teyvat a

106 JANUARY 2021

NOW PLAYING

THE GAMES WE LOVE RIGHT NOW

Genshin looks like Zelda, but Some of the metal balls are plants, some are rocks and
plays like Ni No Kuni II. some seem to just be decoration. I’m sick of balls.

Story quests are a nice “I don’t want to live
break from adventuring. on Robot World”

two massive regions with more on Trying to find the fun in NO MAN’S SKY
the way. While packs of monsters
dot the landscape, the real fun is in ROBIN VALENTINE universe. But perhaps too much. My
discovering all the little mysteries. I starting planet is a bizarre mech
might find elemental totems that THIS MONTH world that I can’t make head nor tail
require a certain kind of magic to Boldly went where no one of. There are floating metal balls
activate, revealing a hidden chest, or wanted to go before. everywhere – my scanner says
I’ll find little spirits called Seelies they’re plants, which is difficult to
that’ll lead me on a wild goose chase ALSO PLAYED believe – and instead of rocks and
to some treasure. From a distance, I Darkest Dungeon, Legends minerals, there’s just loads of scrap.
can often spot floating oculi that can of Runeterra Even the ‘animals’ – actually abstract
be offered to special statues to balls of light – are inscrutable. It’s
increase my stamina – letting me H ello Games’ epic novel, sure, but it’s not a welcoming
climb or swim for a bit longer. always looks so place to get stuck.
amazingly magical BALLS TO THIS
It’s a world I can’t stop spending from afar. I see my And stuck I seem to be, because the
time in, partly because it’s so densely friends’ screenshots of game wants me to stay here until I’ve
layered with fun surprises but also glorious alien vistas, and I want to learned the secrets of crafting,
because it’s just so beautiful. The find some of my own. I see the upgrading, building a base, and who
region of Liyue is one of my favourite latest updates, introducing all sorts knows what else. I spend hours
areas I’ve seen in a game in years of new wonders to discover, and I wandering its lifeless surface, hunting
because it’s styled like ancient China, long to see it all for myself. But down grey hunks of metal. It feels
complete with rice farms, mountains every time I try, the game seems like I’ve been banished here as some
and a bustling trading port. ever more unwelcome to me. kind of punishment.

I just wish the microtransactions I’m not sure I’ve ever gotten out of I reach my breaking point when
weren’t so pointless. While the game what amounts to the extended I’m asked to find alien artefacts
throws free characters at you that can tutorial. It seems to get longer and beneath the surface of the planet.
be swapped into your party, most are more convoluted with each update The problem is, this world doesn’t
earned from lootboxes with – and, somehow, the exciting new seem to have any. I trek for miles in
ridiculous drop rates. The currency features always ruin my fun, rather search of them before eventually
needed to buy them can be earned than enhancing it. deciding to give up for the night. It’s
just by playing, so I haven’t needed to at this point I realise I can only save
spend any money on them directly, The last time I tried was shortly by returning to my ship – which
but it’s frustrating how impossible it after the full multiplayer update was takes 20 minutes of real-time walking
feels to earn a specific hero that I’m introduced, and while I was grinding back through the same barren plains
gunning for. Still, Genshin Impact is through the opening stages, trying to I’ve just hiked across.
an astounding free-to-play game that scrape together enough resources to
feels uncommonly generous. I’ve move on, a bunch of other players Listen, Hello Games: I just want to
played it for dozens of hours and turned up, jacked all my stuff and left see all these lovely things you’ve
don’t plan on stopping – even though me destitute. made. I don’t want to live on Robot
I resent its lootboxes. World any more. When do I get to do
This time I’m at the mercy of the all of the fun stuff?
new Origins update, which has added
more weirdness and variety to the

JANUARY 2021 107

NOW PLAYING

THE GAMES WE LOVE RIGHT NOW

Killing a minion with the Mage hero power
summons a Mana Wyrm – excellent value.

Wax Rager is absolutely disgusting in
any good Deathrattle-themed decks.

“It feels like a wacky spin on the usual
format rather than a fresh new entity”

Digging for treasure in HEARTHSTONE’S bonkers new Duels mode

H earthstone’s new TIM CLARK duplicates) starter deck, Duels feels
Duels mode feels a bit like it has its own distinct flavour.
like playing the results THIS MONTH PICK A CARD
of a teleporter Found out the true treasure The use of old cards has led to some
accident. Blizzard has was inside him all along. backlash from players who’ve been
spliced something I love with ALSO PLAYED dusting the Wild cards in their
something I very much do not. The Destiny 2, collection. I have some sympathy, but
result feels like an amped up Hades honestly the exact design of your
starter deck is much less important
version of the already fairly than the treasures you discover along
deranged main game. Poisonous, which means Pen Flinger the way. Just build any sort of
can kill anything. half-decent tempo deck that can deal
The unevenness comes as no surprise with early aggro and you’ll do OK. As
given that, as I write this, Duels is in And then there’s Wax Rager. This with Arena, my interest dwindles
Early Access. Borrowing from Arena, is a 5/1 Minion which resummons when you get a poor selection of
your aim is to build a deck capable or itself upon Death. So the only way to starting Heroes, or trash treasures,
racking up 12 wins against human actually remove the bastard is with a and the run turns into a slog.
opponents – but lose three times and Silence effect. I was agog when one
you’re out. Where the Dungeon Run opponent played this into a passive Duels will likely also be helped by
element comes in is that you add to Treasure that meant the first the changes to the way Hearthstone’s
the deck after each game, picking Deathrattle of each turn triggered incentive systems work, which
bundles of cards from themed automatically, giving him two Wax should mean that playing any mode
‘buckets’ which will nudge your Ragers and effectively ending the is almost equally rewarding in terms
playstyle in a particular direction. game on the spot. of XP gained on the Tavern Pass. I
don’t think it’s likely to find quite the
So far, so Hearthstone. The real What I like best about the mode is same rapt audience that
spice comes from the inclusion of that because the ten classes have Battlegrounds has, because it feels
Treasure cards, some of which are unique hero powers, and because you like a wacky spin on the usual format
blatantly overpowered. These include can use select expansions from the rather than an entirely fresh new
spells, minions and passive buffs. past when building your 15 card (no entity. Honestly, I’m just glad
Again, you’re given a choice of three, Hearthstone has shaken off its
and what’s offered tends to define THE USE OF OLD CARDS HAS lethargy and is becoming the kind of
both how long your deck lasts and LED TO SOME BACKLASH game for which launching new
how much fun you have playing it. FROM PLAYERS modes is the norm.
For example: Band of Bees makes all
your minions which cost two or less

108 JANUARY 2021

EXTRA LIFE
I I I I I I IN O W P L A Y I N G U P D A T E M O D S P O T L I G H T D I A R Y H O W T O W H Y I L O V E R E I N S T A L L M U S T P L A Y

“Alt-tabbing out between runs to take
notes, I find my fingers are rattling”

POST VOID is an assault on the senses – in a good way

T his is the kind of game ALEX SPENCER Maze. You need to keep pushing
you don’t describe so forward, killing enemies to top
much as circle around, THIS MONTH yourself up, all the while praying
making occasional Gave himself an adrenaline you’ll find the white light of the exit
stabs with the ol’ shot to the heart. around the next corner.
metaphor-knife in the hope of ALSO PLAYED
hitting something solid. I could tell Spelunky 2, Add to that the whirling
you that it’s a retro-shooter- Hades soundtrack, and the strobe effects,
adjacent roguelike, where you and the cacophony that greets you on
sprint around randomly-generated The idol is a brilliant mechanic, death, and the way the floor
hallways blasting baddies and one lifted straight from the (sadly undulates so that just running ahead
desperately seeking the exit… but non-existent) videogame adaptation is a ride on a rollercoaster, and you’ve
that wouldn’t capture the way it of Crank. You know Crank, right? got a game that goes for all of your
feels to play. And it certainly The Jason Statham movie wherein senses simultaneously.
doesn’t explain why, when alt- they inject him with a poison that SCREAMAGER
tabbing out between runs to take turns his heart into the bus from But it works because Post Void is a
notes, I so often find my fingers are Speed, meaning if he slows down for short, sharp shock. At the end of a
rattling against the keyboard. a second, stops doing action-movie decent run, seeing less than three
shit like shooting people or crashing minutes on the clock just feels
It’s easy to reach for the substances, cars, he’ll die? Yeah, that. instinctively wrong. This is, I think,
comparatively speaking. Not least because it cuts straight to the feeling
because of the way Post Void looks: See, the liquid inside is your that, in most games – the dying
all woozy edges and bright colours health – getting hit will send some moments of a hard-fought
and men in suits who have something spilling to the ground – but also the deathmatch or narrowly dodging
wrong with their faces. But, the best idol’s a bit leaky, meaning it doubles through a new world of traps in
parallel I can draw from personal as a countdown timer, like one of the Spelunky – would take 20 minutes or
experience is: have you ever had water clocks they use in the Crystal so to tap into. Post Void gets my heart
three espressos within half an hour? racing almost immediately. And for as
Post Void is the can’t-sit-still jitters, THE IDOL’S A BIT LEAKY, long as I can stand it before jumping
crystallised into a 4.68MB executable. MEANING IT DOUBLES AS out to the safety of a Word document
A COUNTDOWN TIMER for a breather, I feel alive. Which, let’s
And that’s all down to the glass be honest, is a rare enough sensation
idol held in my left in-game hand, a here in 2020.
glowing liquid sloshing around inside.

Between levels you pick one
of three upgrades. Like an Uzi!

The décor is Ashtray Maze by
way of Wolfenstein 3D.

JANUARY 2021 109

UPDATE

WHAT’S NEW IN THE BIGGEST GAMES

RAINBOW SIX SIEGE feeling some trepidation about
tossing a DMR into a defender’s
Hands-on with the final season, Operation Neon Dawn. By Morgan Park hands, it makes sense that it’s testing
the waters with the weakest one in
I f you haven’t checked NEED TO KNOW the game. That said, at 60 damage
in with Rainbow Six per shot it outclasses Goyo/Kaid’s
Siege in a while, you RELEASE DEVELOPER TCSG shotgun, and has extremely
might have missed December, 2020 Ubisoft Montreal low recoil.
that its technology OLD MAP, NEW FEEL
has become pretty wild. In 2020, PUBLISHER LINK The final map rework of 2020 is
Rainbow Six’s operational budget Ubisoft bit.ly/2Ul0Ude Skyscraper, a map that I’ve hated
includes laser cameras, moving with a passion for years. Defence or
holograms, smart glasses and now important to note, because they attack, I’ve never jived with its
laser gates. That’s right, Operation represent a shift in gadget denial. claustrophobic hallways, exterior
Neon Dawn adds Aruni to the With Jäger’s ADS now working on balconies, and lack of fun bomb sites.
roster – a Thai detective who a similar cooldown and Wamai The rework still feels a lot like the
deploys laser gates and pulverises losing one MAG-NET, coordinated original for better and worse, but it’s
walls with her Big Boss-like attackers can capitalise on this new safe to say that it’s an improvement.
prosthetic limbs. She is radiating window to push the site undeterred.
coolness from every direction. Gone are most of those terrible
It seems like Ubisoft had a lot of Like a more nuanced Castle, Aruni balconies, replaced by scalable walls
fun with her design, and I love any can dramatically slow down a push and windows. Upstairs, Dragon
chance to naturally incorporate and occasionally stop attackers Terrace now has a roof over its head.
aspects of an operator’s identity with completely (if I’m below 30 health This small change completely
their functionality. This is no repeat and have nothing to burn on the gate, rewrites how Tea Room is defended,
of Oryx, whose wall-smashing ability it’ll simply kill me). As someone who
is satisfying yet mostly useless in almost always anchors on defence, HARD DETAILS
practice. Aruni’s Surya laser gates are it’s also nice to see a gadget that OF ARUNI’S
complex, potentially meta-shifting compliments that play style even SURYA GATE ARE
defensive tools. better than Year 4’s Wamai. A LOT TO TAKE IN
GATED COMMUNITY
The hard details of Aruni’s Surya Aruni is the first operator with a as there’s a new indoor rotation that
gate are a lot to take in. She can DMR on defence – she borrows doesn’t force you to take the stairs.
deploy her three laser gate projectors Dokkaebi’s Mk14 EBR. If Ubi is The best improvement is the
on any door, hatch, or wall near-extermination of the exterior
(reinforced or soft). On walls, one 1BATHROOM SKY SCRAPED balconies. I really hated them.
gadget will project spy movie-style Newly expanded
laser wires across the length of one to feel less Delve into the reworked map I’ve had a really great time with
reinforcement. If a wall takes three claustrophobic. One Siege’s first full year of map reworks.
reinforcements to completely cover, window has now FIRST FLOOR Reworking maps can be tricky
that’s how many Suryas it requires. been closed. business when you risk changing
Laser gates won’t stop bullets, but it 2 the identity of a map that players
will intercept any thrown gadget – 2BBQ have loved for years. This year, each
Trax Stingers, grenades, Capitão BBQ’s deadly 1 rework has, in my mind, maintained
bolts, everything. After zapping a window has been the map’s personality and unique
gadget (or enemy) the gate will shut closed to give SECOND FLOOR features while remodelling areas that
down for 30 seconds to recharge. anchors a fighting really needed it. With plenty more
The real kicker? The projector chance. 4 maps in the hopper that could be
itself is completely indestructible. improved (looking at you Outback,
No amount of explosions, bullets, 3BALCONIES 3 Fortress and Coastline), I’m perfectly
or swings from Sledge’s hammer Most of happy with reworks now. After all,
can destroy it (I tried). Even the Skyscraper’s every good rework is also one fewer
most durable Siege gadgets can be exterior balconies bad map.
destroyed by grenades or hard breach have been
charges, but Aruni must’ve found demolished to As Year 5 comes to a close, it’s
some Vibranium. The Surya’s mitigate runouts. been interesting to watch Ubisoft’s
strengths and weaknesses are priorities with the game evolve over
4DRAGON time to prioritise quality over
The dragon quantity. Year 6 will add only four
terrace is now inside, new operators to the game. I like new
giving players more stuff, so it’s bittersweet, but I’m
rotation across the excited by the game’s maturing meta
second floor. and how the operator design will
adapt to it. Bring it on.

110 JANUARY 2021

EXTRA LIFE

Dragon room will be a Any thrown gadget will disable the
hotly contested room. Surya gate, even Trax Stingers.

Shoot to kill. That’s some top
advice right there.

Neon Dawn will also bring the 111
long-awaited Tachanka rework.

JANUARY 2021

MOD SPOTLIGHT

MAJOR MODS, ANALYSED

The Ultra Luxe has never been
so flush with fresh meat.

A fresh coat of paint for
the strip after a decade.

112 JANUARY 2021

EXTRA LIFE
I I I I I I IN O W P L A Y I N G U P D A T E M O D S P O T L I G H T D I A R Y H O W T O W H Y I L O V E R E I N S T A L L M U S T P L A Y

FALLOUT:
NEW VEGAS

Mods to remaster the Mojave in 2021. By Lauren Morton

E ver since Microsoft New Vegas intact as much as possible
announced its while making it crash less, look
Bethesda acquisition, better, and take advantage of the
Fallout: New Vegas has modern tech we’re running it on.
been on my mind. FOUNDATION FIRST
With Obsidian and Bethesda now As other Creation Engine games do,
sharing the Microsoft umbrella, New Vegas has a reputation for being
speculation about a sequel or somewhat less than stable. Crashing
remaster to the western apocalypse is a common occurrence even in an
are both rampant. I highly doubt un-modded playthrough. Fortunately,
we’ll see either of those two things there are some foundational mods
happen. Not soon, in any case. that help reduce crashes rather than
exacerbate them.
You might actually want to hug the Although an official remaster would
trees in the Wasteland Flora Overhaul. be nice, Fallout: New Vegas has The first thing you’ll need is a
recently passed its tenth anniversary, mod whose equivalent you’ve likely
meaning it has a decade of mods used if you’ve ever dipped into
accumulated for making your own modding Fallout or Elder Scrolls
remastered version. Ten years of games previously. New Vegas Script
mods is quite a pile to sift through Extender is the foundation that many
though. Some have been abandoned
and others are redundant. Some are I’VE STUCK TO
shiny and new but less developed MODS THAT
than other old faithful options. KEEP THE ORIGINAL
EXPERIENCE OF NEW
In honour of its big birthday, I’m VEGAS INTACT
setting out to find the most faithful
and reliable collection of mods for other mods build on. You can find it
a homebrew Fallout: New Vegas at nvse.silverlock.org where you’ll
remaster. Although there are a ton download the latest stable version
of great quest mods and gameplay which supports both the Steam and
changes out there, I’ve stuck to mods GOG releases. Your second manual
that keep the original experience of installation is going to be the FNV
4GB Patcher, a utility that patches
M A N A G E M E N T E X P E R I E N C E The resumes for your mod managers and replaces your FalloutNV.exe with
a version that’s capable of using 4GB
VORTEX MOD ORGANIZER 2 FALLOUT MOD MANAGER of RAM. In 2021, you almost certainly
have at least double that. You’re
Nexus Mod Manager has been MO2 is a no-frills approach and FOMM is getting long in the tooth. looking for the 4GB patcher version
replaced with Vortex. It does a lot doesn’t have as difficult a learning You’ll see its name mentioned in on Nexus mods created by Roy Batty
to hold your hand and warn you of curve that it’s sometimes alleged install instructions for older mods and LuthienAnarion. Follow the
conflicts between mods that you to. It also gives more precise but you’re better off choosing installation instructions and voila, a
may have overlooked. control over mod load order. between MO2 or Vortex in 2021. new FalloutNV.exe. Not to worry, the
original is preserved as FalloutNV_
backup.exe should you ever need to
manually revert.

That’s it for manual installation, so
feel free to boot up your mod

JANUARY 2021 113

MOD SPOTLIGHT

MAJOR MODS, ANALYSED

manager of choice at this point. To BEAUTIFICATION For retexturing other objects,
finish out the steady base that the That brings us to the biggest matters you’ll want to grab MG’s Neat Clutter
rest of our beautification mods will of taste: beautifying New Vegas with Retextures which handles smaller
rest on, you’ll want to grab a few bigger, newer textures and lighting. objects that NMC and OJB pass over.
more essentials. The JIP LN NVSE Once again, it’s easiest to start with a The Wasteland Flora Overhaul gives a
Plugin is another utility that adds foundational layer and build from very nice spit-shine to all the
even more functions to the main there. When we’re talking textures, wasteland’s plant life. The Weapon
NVSE. NVTF, the New Vegas Tick that means roads, walls, concrete, and Retexture project may not update
Fix, is one of the latest mods for other environment pieces. Ten years every weapon in the game, but it does
increasing the game’s stability. Lastly, on, New Vegas’ default textures are a hit popular staples. It requires the
The Mod Configuration Menu isn’t an little muddy and a new texture pack Weapon Mesh Improvements mod as
absolute necessity, but it adds a menu can add grittier grit, holier holes and a prerequisite. For lighting and
that allows you to change the settings more. Two big texture overhauls have effects, the Interior Lighting Project
of certain mods while you’re playing can spruce up indoor areas.
as you would any other game setting. TEN YEARS ON, A
Not every mod here utilises it, but it’s NEW TEXTURE Most important to Fallout, though,
a nice time-saver while you’re PACK CAN ADD are the people. It’s time to slap a lot
tinkering, especially with your UI. GRITTIER GRIT, HOLIER more pores on these poor desert
USABLE INTERFACE HOLES AND MORE dwellers because we all know that
On that note, let’s get to another more pores means more pixels,
important factor in any true remaster: become staples for Fallout: New Vegas right? At present, Fallout Character
an improved UI. Fallout: New Vegas, modding. NMC’s Texture Pack and Overhaul 3.0 is the vanilla-friendly
like Fallout 3 before it, has an Ojo Bueno. Both are great, so a choice overhaul for NPCs that requires the
interface that would look more at between the two comes down to least amount of fuss. On the other
home on an ancient CRT TV. As a preference and how much storage end you have New Vegas Redesigned,
modern PC player with way more space you’re willing to throw at it. which is another very thoughtful
screen space to make use of than the reimagining of NPCs that’s faithful to
ones Fallout’s menus were designed NMC’s largest set of textures the original game, but requires an
for, you can get a much handier comes as a set of three downloads older version of Character Overhaul
interface with just a handful of mods. totalling just over 3GB of new files to be installed first along with other
for those new 2048x2048 textures. updates of its own, making it a bit
Start off with the User Interface OJB, on the other hand, is a single more of a chore to try out.
Organizer, a plugin that helps all mod file with textures the creator
other interface mods play nicely says go up to (but not always) There’s also the new Brave New
together. Vanilla HUD Remastered 4096x4096 for the ‘Ultra’ version. World mod, a huge mod that recasts
cleans up and sharpens the elements That will set you back about 1.5GB. the voices of 140 NPCs, led by the
of your heads up display for higher Both NMC and OJB have versions same creator as NV Redesign. It’s not
resolutions. It’s a small change, even with smaller textures and therefore exactly New Vegas Redesigned 4, but
when I compared screenshots side by smaller file sizes. NMC is the more does also update the faces of every
side, but contributes to an overall comprehensive option with more NPC who’s scored a new voice. For
sharper look for our unofficial textures replaced, but OJB has a now, I opted to install the voices only
remaster. oHUD is a collection of distinct flair. If you’re feeling frisky, version of Brave New World while
several other mods under one name you can install both, determining sticking with the visuals from
that, thanks to the Mod Configuration which should be dominant in Character Overhaul 3.0.
Menu above, you can use to move situations where both have
HUD elements around on the screen retextured an object by swapping As a last shout, two mods that do
or remove entirely. their load order in your mods list. add more content to the Wasteland
without being obtrusive are
My own must-have is Just Loot TEXTURE EQUITY Populated Casinos and the NV
Menu – not to be confused with Interiors Project. The former adds
plain Loot Menu which is also nice More pixels for non-human people more humans milling about in the
but is my second favourite of the gambling rooms of the strip, a breath
two. It’s a mod that adds a Fallout GHOULS HIRES IMPROVED IMPROVED of fresh air that made more of a
4-style menu for looting containers RETEXTURE TREOXBTOUTRSE S MS UUPTEARN T S difference to me than I’d have
that allows you to take items TEXTURES expected it to. The latter adds
without loading a separate menu. Default ghouls New Vegas’ robots interior areas to formerly inaccessible
Compared with Loot Menu, Just look terrible. deserve a texture Super mutants buildings all over the map that
Loot Menu has more configurable They’re supposed tune-up and this don’t need to be as occasionally hide more secrets than
options in the Mod Configuration to. Make them look texture mod washed up or just some extra Wonderglue to stuff
Menu and comes out of the tin with even worse, in a makes sure you washed out as in your pockets. New Vegas Interiors
a smaller font and better spacing. good way, with a can see every their original may cross the line between remaster
high resolution scratch and dent. textures. and remake just a bit, but the
Last up on the UI list is MTUI, a retexture. lore-friendly additions are worth the
mod that improves and resizes the weight, in my opinion.
PipBoy menus, shop menus and
dialogue. It does add a new texture in Fallout: New Vegas is getting on in
the background of dialogue selection years, but it’s not yet immune to a
that may or may not be to your taste. good refresh via mods. After all was
The mod’s page gives a quick said and done, I ended up with a
explanation on how to revert back to mods list of about 20 choices, which
the original black background for is many fewer than I feared going in.
dialogue if it’s not your style. Let’s just hope we have another
Fallout game to play before Fallout 4
hits the ten-year mark, shall we?

114 JANUARY 2021

EXTRA LIFE
I I I I I I IN O W P L A Y I N G U P D A T E M O D S P O T L I G H T D I A R Y H O W T O W H Y I L O V E R E I N S T A L L M U S T P L A Y

In NMC’s texture pack even
lockpicking gets new textures.

The Interior Lighting Overhaul
makes some locations warmer.

Dialogue requires less
scrolling with MTUI.

JANUARY 2021 115

HOW TO

GET MORE FROM YOUR GAMES

Explore Teyvat in

GENSHIN IMPACT

Master the elements and assemble your dream team. By Harry Shepherd

NEED TO KNOW STAY FOCUSED TAKE IT SLOW CHATTERBOX

DIFFICULTY 1 While you’ll be tempted to discover 2 There is an option to activate Teleport 3 Talk to as many NPCs as possible.
Easy every inch of miHoYo’s Breath of the Waypoints to fast travel between, but I Rather than spouting useless

TIME Wild-style world, mix your exploration with recommend against it. Only do so if you’re dialogue, many peripheral characters are
30 Hours

VITAL LINKS
Anemoculus map:
bit.ly/3mtTWhT
Tier list:
bit.ly/2TtfVcv
Best builds:
bit.ly/2TwvDUc

questing. That’ll ensure you don’t miss out absolutely certain you’ve covered the area worth speaking to. Some may secretly have

on crucial tools like the wind glider to help you’re skipping: useful materials, hidden quests to offer you, or they may offer you

you find more secrets and resources. chests and collectibles are everywhere. the chance to buy rare items.

RESIN UP

5 Resin is a
currency that

limits the rewards

you get from certain

SCAVENGER HUNT activities, and it

fully recharges once

4 See any floating blue orbs? These are a day. However, it
Anemoculus, and you should trade as
does cap out, so you

many as you can with the Statue of the should spend it

Seven in exchange for handy boons. Find straight away, at

them all with our Anemoculus map guide in least in the early

the ‘Vital Links’ section. stages.

TOP MARKS

6 If you get
stuck on a

puzzle, use one of

your 99 map

markers so you can LEVEL PLAYING FIELD

easily return later.

You may find 7 Even if you quickly develop favourites,
make sure you level your whole party
completing a few

more main missions evenly. That’s because dungeons have

gives you an ability restrictions based on your party’s average

you need to get that level, so some of your weaker companions

elusive treasure. may be a liability in late-stage dungeons.

116 JANUARY 2021

EXTRA LIFE
I I I I I I IN O W P L A Y I N G U P D A T E M O D S P O T L I G H T D I A R Y H O W T O W H Y I L O V E R E I N S T A L L M U S T P L A Y

I N Y O U R E L E M E N T Combine elemental traits for devastating combos

ELEMENTAL SWAP
CHARACTERS
There are seven
different elements that When you have
multiple party
have various bonus members, swap them
effects, such as regularly with the
reducing enemy assigned number
movement.
key.

ULTIMATE
POWER

Finish enemies off
with your character’s
ultimate, the Elemental

Burst. You can
Unleash it
with Q.

WISHFUL THINKING DINNER TIME STOCK UP

8 Wishes are Genshin Impact’s loot 9 While you don’t necessarily need to 10 There are various ways to accumulate
boxes, but you’ll earn enough to buy eat to survive, chowing down is well a lot of precious resources. Make sure

them just by playing that you don’t need to worthwhile. Not only will some foods restore you’re ticking off tasks for loot in the

spend real money. Make sure to spend your HP, others will also temporarily reduce the Achievements menu and claiming

Wishes in groups of ten to get at least the stamina costs of climbing, gliding, or Adventurer’s Guild rewards from the daily

second-rarest tier of rewards. running, which is useful for exploring. quest vendor in Mondstadt.

START OVER?

12 Unhappy
with your

characters and

weapons? Since

Genshin Impact is

ASCENSION a gacha game, it’s

possible to create

11 You can raise your characters’ level a new account
cap through Ascension, but you’ll
and reroll. But

need to reach at least Adventure Rank 15, remember the

first. You’ll also need various upgrade rarest returns have

materials found by beating bosses in the a 0.6 percent

world. For rarer materials, you’ll need Resin. chance of dropping.

JANUARY 2021 117

DIARY

TRYING TO
BE JUST AND
PIOUS IN

CRUSADER
KINGS III

PART II

Nicety and piety are leading
to calamity. By Luke Kemp

118 JANUARY 2021

EXTRA LIFE
I I I I I I IN O W P L A Y I N G U P D A T E M O D S P O T L I G H T H O W T O D I A R Y W H Y I L O V E R E I N S T A L L M U S T P L A Y

THE RULES Q uick recap: I’m trying to ignore the urges Caisséne further brightens my mood by announcing that
this game inspires in me and everybody she is pregnant! Again! That’ll be child number three
1 Strive to be noble else, and be lovely, kind and noble at within a few short years. The more the merrier, I say.
and just in all every possible opportunity; unless I After all, the good book doth say go forth and multiply,
decisions. catch anybody being in any way and at this rate I’ll be a multiplication pro.
immoral, then they shall feel my pious wrath. After Once the standard nine-month cooking time has
2 Treat everybody I losing every square inch of the kingdom of England passed, my daughter is born. I name her after Caisséne, so
come across with with a speed that I almost feel I should be proud of, I that she may serve as a living reminder to my wife not to
civility and respect. moved on to Jarl Isleifur of medieval Iceland. My jolly remarry after my death. I took a similar approach with
nature has won me a friend named Yosi… and bandits the naming of my other two children, and I’m really
3 Punish any and running rampant throughout my realm thanks to my starting to run out of ideas.
all un-chivalric lack of ruthlessness. After going on a pilgrimage
behaviour with
appropriate zeal.

hoping for a bit of deus ex machina, I am now THE ICONOCLAST
returned, holier than a wagon full of Swiss cheese I’ve barely had time to think of my first excuse to avoid
but in debt thanks to the costs of my travel. changing the nappies when I’m visited by my spies. Ah
yes; several years ago, I started a scheme to abduct Duke
The money situation is Halfdan of Mercia because
swiftly and easily dealt he converted to
with when I reluctantly Iconoclasm, and I’m
ask the pope for some THERE’S A 95% desperate to save his soul.
gold. We’re on very good CHANCE OF FAILURE, The trap is ready to be
terms, me and Alex, so he sprung! There’s a 95
totally understands and BUT THE LORD GOD percent chance of failure,
retains a very positive IS ON MY SIDE but the lord God is on my
view of me. It’s not all side, so I order my agents
good news, though, as to bring him to me.
Count Sigfus – a vassal I’ve My plot is exposed, and
been trying to win round Halfdan remains a heretic.
for a few years now – still doesn’t think much of me. I’m having a particularly bad day, because I then receive
Then I remember that he thought I was planning to word that my good friend Yosi – who I assigned to the
nick his gold when I warned him it wasn’t very well position of marshal – has yet again let bandits run wild
guarded, and I messed up his library when I tried to for another five years. Hmm, perhaps I should consider
help him organise it. I was only trying to help! No good giving this position to somebody qualified instead of
deed goes unpunished, etc. trying to keep my mate happy.
But wait! The perfect opportunity to ingratiate myself With impeccable timing, noted expert in marshalling,
to Sigfus arises when I loudly, if unsubtly, praise his Gausberto (he just has one name, like Madonna), visits.
forgiving nature at court. It works. Huzzah! I’ll get I recruit him to my court, and swap him out for Yosi.
everybody to recognise me as the kind and pious ruler I’m sorry, Yosi! I’ll find you something else to do, my
that I am if it’s the last thing I do. And, considering the friend. But first, I must start a murder plot against
fact that I’m now 70 years old and it’s the 11th century, Halfdan. This is fine to do because a) he’s a heretic,
maybe it will be the last thing I do. I return home, chuffed and b) as I’m such a good Catholic in God’s good graces
that I’ve added Sigfus to my list of friends. My wife now, I’ll just pray for him and save his soul that way.

This is my council… for now.

JANUARY 2021 119

DIARY

PERSONAL ADVENTURES IN GAMES

T H E P L E B S An average Crusader Kings III crowd 1 Wise, pious, almost chancellor. He’s greedy, but calm and
certainly cheating honest, which is a good combination
on his wife. for the position, maybe…?

22 Kind, shy, generous, DAGNABBIT
destined to be My son Dag is only six years old, but
brutally murdered. he’s already a gambler, so I officially
make him my ward in order to bring
31 Selfish, greedy, him up right. I’ll make dad proud.
quick to anger,
3 destined to prosper. Significantly, underage gambling isn’t
the biggest family revelation, though.
4 Money. Cash. I learn (remember?) that I have no
Moolah. mother. I don’t mean that she’s dead;
4 Worshipped by I mean that, according to the family
people of all faiths.
tree, I have no mother. It all comes
back to me now, that day I tried to
have The Talk with my father. “Dad,
That, at least, was the plan. On October 6 1078, Jarl where do babies come from?”, I asked. “I don’t know,” he
Isleifur dies of old age at 72, and the murder plot dies replied, before bursting into tears. I think my step-mother
with him. It seems that he was such a good Catholic, God Caisséne must have taught him eventually though.
simply couldn’t wait any longer to meet him. I now play To my dismay, I find that Caisséne has a very low
as his son Teitur, who has lurked in the background opinion of me. Come on, Caiss! You know dad would
without doing very much (the lazy sod) but is keen to want us to get along! I give her a job as spymaster, and
follow his father’s example. start a scheme to sway her. Fortunately, this doesn’t take
After (presumably) mourning the death of my father, long to work, and I like to think that she lets me call her
I sit back and consider the land that I’ve inherited. Dad ‘mother’. I imagine dad looking down on us and smiling,
was a good man, but is prioritising courtesy, friendliness as he shares another flagon of mead with his best mate
and piousness above all else really the best way to go? God. I am in fact constantly aware of dear old dad
We lost no land during his reign, nor did we gain any. looking down on everything that I do, and vow to
It was nice to see him make a friend in his twilight impress him from here on out.
years, but putting that friend in the council to keep I’m minding my own business, praying in between
him close led to bandits running all over the place. saying kind words to people that pass by, when little Dag
Repeatedly. And now, I find that Yosi has a low comes up to have a word. He’s heard of a thief that’s
opinion of me! It was probably my fault for doubting been sentenced to death, and doubts that God would
my father. I promise myself I will continue to walk in his approve. Naturally, I set him right, and inform him that
well-meaning footsteps. God would very much approve. Thou shalt not steal, my
Yosi meant a lot to my dad, so I put him back on the boy, it’s right there in The Ten Commandments! And if
council as steward. I don’t want to undo all that hard you think God wouldn’t approve of the death sentence,
work to get Sigfus on-side, either, so I make him you wait until I teach you about what he did to Job just
to win a bet with Satan.
Uneventful weeks pass by, with the people poor but
content, and me complimenting people on their shoes and
whatnot, when suddenly, alas! A peasant rabble gathers,
and I receive word that they are targeting me. I give Yosi
some side-eye – all those years of bandits running amok
can’t have helped – but I keep my counsel on the matter.
See, dad? I am temperate and respectful of your friend.
In the midst of my preparations for a potential civil
war, there is scandal at the court. Sigfus has been caught
cheating on his wife! Cad! Villain! Unchivalrous rogue!
This will not stand. I immediately place him under
arrest. That’ll teach him for putting his soldier in
another woman’s regiment. I look up at the sky, and give
my dad a hearty thumbs up.
I’ve only just finished patting myself on my chivalrous
back when things take a rather unexpected turn. You
would think, perhaps, that Sigfus’ wife would call me
many unkind names for placing her husband under
arrest. Instead, she takes the first available opportunity
to flirt heavily with me, making it clear that she wishes
me to… ah… enter her court. Shameless strumpet! I
would never cheat on my wife, least of all with the
unprincipled likes of her!
I make sure to shame her as publicly as possible. I
don’t imprison her, as this reaction to her husband’s arrest
suggests that she has a thing for handcuffs, and I don’t
want to give her the satisfaction. I see a long line of
middle-aged men asking for this woman of loose morals’
name and address so that they can be sure to avoid her.

120 CHRISTMAS 2020

EXTRA LIFE
I I I I I I IN O W P L A Y I N G U P D A T E M O D S P O T L I G H T H O W T O D I A R Y W H Y I L O V E R E I N S T A L L M U S T P L A Y

Daddy – NOOOOO!!!

Then, as if I didn’t have enough to deal with, Yosi It’s not long before my mum, nanny Caisséne, and one of
challenges my authority in front of the court. I’m sorry my brothers are all killed. So I do the only reasonable
dad, but I’ve put up with enough from this guy! I shout thing and retreat to a corner to weep in peace.
him down, which is stressful, but I don’t get any more When the peasants directly threaten me, I cave in to
trouble from him. I feel guilty for treating him unkindly, their demands – I saw how not doing so worked out for
but did not Jesus Christ himself show anger against the dad – and, thankfully, they disband. My land stagnates
money changers? And anyway, he started it. somewhat through following the family tradition of
unambitious chivalry until,
RABBLE, RABBLE at the age of 18, I die at the
The peasant rabble are still paws and jaw of a wolf.
unhappy, and deliver an I REFUSE THEIR Although my spymaster
ultimatum: the oiks aren’t was with me at the time,
happy about taxes. I’m in a DEMANDS AND and could have dealt with
bad mood thanks to Yosi, ALMOST IMMEDIATELY the situation better, she is
so quickly refuse their but a woman. My medieval
demands. As a result, I DIE IN A SIEGE chivalry proved to be my
almost immediately die undoing. It’s probably for
in a siege. A sudden and the best, to be honest, as I’d
undignified death for a grown some facial hair that
man who was just trying to make the world a better place. looked absolutely ridiculous.
So now I’m Dag, and my world is a dark place. At just So, what did I learn? Strict adherence to a moral code
13, I shouldn’t have much more to worry about than my is great for making friends, and meting out righteous
bed hovering a few feet above the floor thanks to all the justice is fun; but it turns out you have to be a bit of a
issues of Uncannily Fair Maidens Weekly shoved bastard sometimes if you want to… well… continue being
underneath it. Instead, I’m in charge of a land under siege. alive. Heaven better be good after all I’ve been through.

“Friendless”? Bit harsh.

Ah, Yosi, my angel
and my devil.

JANUARY 2021 121

WHY I LOVE

WHAT MAKES GAMES SPECIAL

PRESSING X TO COMFORT
MY UNBORN CHILD IN

AMNESIA: REBIRTH

We’ve come a long way from pressing
F to pay respects. By James Davenport

LEFT: There’s no
smile key, sadly.
RIGHT: Talking to
the babe acts like a
hint system
sometimes, too.

122 JANUARY 2021

EXTRA LIFE
I I I I I IN O W P L A Y I N G U P D A T E M O D S P O T L I G H T H O W T O W H Y I L O V E R E I N S T A L L M U S T P L A Y

A mnesia: Rebirth casts P R E S S T O U R A recent history of weird button prompts
you as Tasi Trianon, a
young explorer with a
rough case of amnesia.
Big surprise. Besides
bobbing and weaving around
cosmic horrors, getting your
memories back is the top goal
here. Early on, you’ll recall the To incessantly To hide in a To shut up To kiss To pay respect To time travel,
tragic fate of some loved ones and scream mass grave, Starscream, your wife, Call of Duty: Titanfall 2
chip away at the extra tragic local “Jason!”, Homefront Transformers: Middle-earth: Advanced (2016)
Heavy Rain (2011) Fall of Cybertron Shadow of Warfare
(2010) (2012) Mordor (2014) (2014)
colonial history. But soon enough
Tasi will gather enough memory
scraps to piece together a
particularly big one: she’s four whenever the screen flashes blue a sprint into safety or a tumble down
months pregnant. to signify a kick, an interesting some rocks in the pitch darkness of a
alternative to finding or making light deep subterranean cave, I
Tasi’s pregnancy isn’t marginalised, or solving a puzzle. It might seem instinctively hold X to see how the
stowed away for certain cutscenes odd to give the player a free, super baby is doing, not because my sanity
and story beats. As the player you will accessible sanity pump, but if you’re is slipping. But even as I’m walking
need to literally babysit, pressing a put into a position where finding around a safe outdoor area I’ll listen
button to make Tasi hold her belly to light or fleeing aren’t an option, in purely out of curiosity.
feel and listen for her unborn child. standing still to clutch your unborn
I’m not very far into Rebirth, but the child just so you don’t go insane The unreliable perspective has me
simple existence of a ‘Press X to means you’re close to done for a bit scared of the baby too, though.
check fetus’ system already gives already. It’s a desperation button, and Given Tali’s amnesia, I can’t fully
the horror new dimensions. one that’s elegantly integrated into trust what she’s seeing and hearing. It
the story and character. Now you could very well burst out of my chest
Sure, it sounds goofy without have a legitimate systems-driven in the third act Alien-style, a mangled
context, and immediately brings to directive to roleplay a mother in a monster-demon from another
mind Call of Duty: Advanced horrifying situation. dimension. Maybe it’s not actually
Warfare’s infamous ‘Press F to pay MOTHER SPACE there at all. Is it just a coping
respects’ scene. But that moment is It’s nicely positioned next to
an empty gesture – you don’t spend Amnesia’s fear system, too, in which GIVEN TALI’S AMNESIA, I CAN’T
the next ten hours pressing F to the character’s grip on reality is FULLY TRUST WHAT SHE’S
salute soldiers to maintain your expressed through camera control SEEING AND HEARING
Respect stat. It’s a button prompt that and visual fidelity. Those are both
effectively turns the page. Amnesia hindered and obscured by ambient mechanism imagined by Tali or, far
makes its baby button prompt a lever threats like standing in darkness, or worse, the directed hallucination of
you can pull at any time, and for looking at horrific scenes and some cosmic force steering me
good, spooky reasons. monsters. The way you manoeuvre a towards its incomprehensible goal?
space, where you’re looking, and how
I would tell you exactly how the dark it is affect your fear, while more While it might sound needlessly
baby button works, but the key here traditional physical threats affect complicated when you’re already
is that the explicit function of the your person. And in Rebirth your worried about running out of lantern
baby button isn’t really explained. I person is a person within a person, a oil and matches or the monster
only put together how it works health bar you feel and care about. scraping at the door, checking in on
through play. Rebirth is leading with the baby doesn’t feel like a chore. It’s
action and theme: you’re pregnant, I know I care because I catch the prime directive. It’s what I care
protect the baby. It’s mum roleplay. myself checking on the little one all most about and somehow my greatest
the time, even if I’m not succumbing fear. That’s just good game design:
All I know is that checking in on to fear. Controlling a pregnant thematic camouflage for the numbers
your baby restores a bit of sanity character makes me feel more fragile and stats and resources directing the
and makes me pay more attention to game systems that I trust without
NEED TO KNOW her presence in a space, even if Tali question. Now all I have to do is find
moves and controls like most other the courage to see it all through.
RELEASED EXPECT TO PAY first-person horror protagonists. After
October, 2020 £24

OUR REVIEW LINK
91% bit.ly/35ZxJl0

LEFT: Time for a
check-in!
RIGHT: This isn’t
Tali’s first child.

JANUARY 2021 123

REINSTALL

OLD GAMES, NEW PERSPECTIVES

I defeated this boss by clicking on it once running around RuneScape as
and then eating rabbit sandwiches. German literary figure WG Sebald? I
don’t know, but the game’s been
RUNESCAPE around for nearly 20 years now, so I
should’ve figured that no niche
Nearly two decades old, it has never stopped growing. By Tyler Wilde would be untouched. I type in Burrp
Bram and the name is accepted. I am
I n 2001 RuneScape split off from our own years ago, now Burrp Bram.
launched as a browser perhaps accessed by passing
game and never through the infinite loop of a In the tutorial area, I learn there’s
stopped moving GeoCities webring. a skill called Prayer and that burying
forward, depositing Like any other MMO, RuneScape the bones of my slaughtered enemies
old versions along the way for begins with character creation, and I will increase my Prayer skill. Later,
players who wanted to stay in the design a bearded man with a those enemies include innocent
past: RuneScape Classic, which no bald-on-top monk cut. I have no tutorial bunnies that I stab to death
longer exists, and then Old School name in mind for him, so I opt to let with a dagger and make sandwiches
RuneScape in 2013. For everyone RuneScape generate a random one. out of, innocent tutorial cows that I
else, the modern version is just I’m expecting it to hit me with pierce with arrows while they
called RuneScape, and was recently something fantasy-ish, like Illhard helplessly bustle about a pen, trolls
added to Steam. I’ve always had the Earling or Haglbar or Revvyn. It who live in caves directly beneath
sense that RuneScape is a bit suggests Deathlum1934. I hit the the town, gelatinous abominations,
esoteric (I’m sure I tried it back randomise button again. 59Bork2396. and some skeletons, who were
when it launched, when I was into Again. Dingo2429. 44slender392. presumably buried at one time, and
MUDs and other relics of online now need to be reburied. I bury all
gaming), but I didn’t realise just Clearly, randomised names are not their bones, even the bones of the
how weird the free-to-play MMO is RuneScape’s strength. No problem: I gelatinous abominations, which
until I gave it a try. Nearly two type in the name of German author
decades after it first released, WG Sebald. It tells me that someone NEED TO KNOW
visiting RuneScape is like entering a has already taken the name WG
PC gaming pocket dimension that Sebald. Who could possibly be RELEASED DEVELOPER
2001 Jagex

PUBLISHER LINK
In-house runescape.com

124 JANUARY 2021

EXTRA LIFE
I I I I I I IN O W P L A Y I N G U P D A T E M O D S P O T L I G H T D I A R Y H O W T O W H Y I L O V E R E I N S T A L L M U S T P L A Y

My new friends: Yeti dad and
his daughter Violet.

Learning how to bury bones,
as everyone does in church.

R E C U R S I O N S Two decades of betas, renamings, and rereleases He turns out to be a nice guy
– clearly hanging out as part of a
January 2001 March 2004 April 2013 July 2013 October 2020 Halloween event – and he informs
RuneScape RuneScape 2 The RuneScape RuneScape 3 RuneScape me that at the beginning of every
launches. becomes 3 beta goes live. becomes releases on hour there’s a chance it’ll become a
RuneScape. The old RuneScape. Steam. ‘spooky hour’, which increases XP
version becomes earned. I think that could be true of
RuneScape Classic. life, too. Maybe you’re in a spooky
hour right now. Feels like it.
December February 2013 April 2016 August 2018 Early 2021
2003 Old School A new game RuneScape Classic The Steam Death also gives me my first real
The RuneScape RuneScape client is closes. Jagex release window quest, handing me a crystal that he
2 beta begins. launches, released. delays the for Old School says will guide me to lost souls that
bringing back a shutdown to let one RuneScape. need to be defragmented. That’s the
version of the player finish the word he uses: ‘defragment’. Like
game from 2007. Legends’ Quest. they’re hard drives. I think that souls
these days really ought to be stored
somehow have bones. I level up my happy to discover that RuneScape on SSDs, but I run off to the
Prayer skill in the process, although I offers the same freedom. I quickly Barbarian Village to the north to
don’t bother to learn what Prayer brush aside all of the tutorial work I defragment my first one. I’m kind of
actually does. I’ve never been very was supposed to do, despite barely worried the identical blonde
patient with tutorial text. understanding the arcane, semi- barbarians will attack me, but they
MEETING DEATH automated combat system and spell just mill around with spears while I
When EverQuest launched, my rune economy (in those respects, chase down a glowing soul dot and
favourite thing to do was explore the RuneScape feels very much like a click on it to heal it. As I do, my mind
world with low-level characters, game that’s been under construction is “flooded with images of axes,
danger be damned. It was about the for 20 years), and just start walking. blood, and fists”. And then, when I’ve
adventure, not the grinding, and I’m nearly finished defragmenting the
Almost immediately, I run into soul, my mind is “filled with pictures
Death himself, skeletal and floating. of a burial, fires and a trial”.
Ostensibly, this is a game for kids.

After saving the soul – but not
through Prayer, interestingly – I

JANUARY 2021 125

REINSTALL

OLD GAMES, NEW PERSPECTIVES

In some places it’s illegal to use
such an intense lava glow effect.

At some point, every MMO character
finds himself mining some tin.

decide to move on from Death’s task the slope while avoiding the die near instantly at the hands of a
(clicking on a glowing dot is not all enormous snowballs, which is Yeti or some other monster.
that fun, actually) and go further difficult because movement is done
north. I arrive at the ruins of a wall, by clicking on a destination, and my It turns out there are two Yetis in
and when I try to cross it, RuneScape character likes to complete the snow world, but they don’t want
warns me that I’m entering the movement one axis at a time rather to kill me. A minute later, I’m
Wilderness, where other players can than taking diagonal paths. After standing in their house talking with
attack me. I have nothing to lose, so I several attempts, I make it to the top them about their adopted human
hop in. I admire a river of lava, and and Violet runs away. I’m curious, daughter, who’s sulking about a Yeti
then run further north and get killed now. I’d assumed that only high-level festival she’s not allowed to attend.
by ranged attacks from a beast I players could survive a mysterious Violet’s parents are worried the other
hardly get a look at. I nearly survive portal adventure, so I’d expected to Yeti kids at the festival will make fun
by eating all of my rabbit sandwiches of her because she’s a human. For
as I run away, but not quite.
YETI TROUBLE BURRP’S 4 3 BARBARIAN
After I respawn, I figure I’m wasting TRAVELS VILLAGE
my time and I ought to just go back 3
to the first town and play the game A little jaunt 2 Three identical
properly, focusing on levelling. But through a blonde women with
the big unexplored map calls to me, big world spears marched
so I start travelling east and around me in a circle.
eventually I do discover something: a 1 LUMBRIDGE Defragmented a soul.
little girl sitting outside of a portal. Full of peaceful
When I talk to her, she bolts through goblins and spiders. 5 4 WILDLANDS
the magic gateway. Some humans. Should have
turned around when
The ground on the other side of 2 DRAYNOR I saw the rivers of
the portal is covered with untouched MANOR lava. Died.
snow. A forest of evergreens goes on
forever. Violet, the kid, starts rolling Met Death here. 5 LAND OF
Indiana Jones-style balls of snow Learned about SNOW PORTAL
down a hill at me. I have to run up ‘spooky hours’. There’s probably
1 some kind of bizarre

Yeti-related quest on
the other side of this.

126 JANUARY 2021

EXTRA LIFE
I I I I I I IN O W P L A Y I N G U P D A T E M O D S P O T L I G H T D I A R Y H O W T O W H Y I L O V E R E I N S T A L L M U S T P L A Y

Death explains the
concept of spooky hours.

IT KIND OF FEELS LIKE I’M spread the syrup on trees along the Warcraft and other games, which are
UNDERGOING SOME KIND OF path, ask Violet’s dad for an empty culled and streamlined. My chance
PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION bottle (this took me forever to figure meeting with Death? It turns out his
out, but I wonder if a kid would full name is Harold Death, Esq, and
some reason, Yeti dad will only let instinctively ask the adult for help?), he doesn’t just show up for the week
her attend if I go with them. From fill the bottle with fireflies, and then of Halloween. He lives in a big
here on, it kind of feels like I’m give the bottle to Violet so that she mansion where he frequently kills
undergoing some kind of can let the fireflies out as we walk. servants accidentally, due to his touch
psychological evaluation. The theory is that the fireflies will of death. I said that Runescape’s
not be eaten by Violet because they combat systems feel like they’ve
Our first obstacle is a dark stretch are in a bottle, but they will be been under construction for 20 years
of trees that Violet refuses to traverse attracted to the maple syrup on the – well, so does the rest of Runescape.
due to the possibility it contains trees rather than flying away, (Except maybe the graphics, though
monsters. We can’t move forward providing a steady source of light. they have been.)
until I find a way to create some light
for her. I shake a bush and a firefly After that, we encounter a group In some ways, Runescape feels like
emerges. I click on the firefly to catch of ice elementals, and I think, here a precursor to Fortnite – they’ve both
it in my hands, and then I give it to we go, a combat encounter that’ll built up a patchwork of lore over
Violet. She immediately eats it. surely kill me because I haven’t time, and theoretically being ‘for kids’
levelled at all, but no, that’s not the hasn’t stopped them from being
According to Violet, fireflies taste case. I have to build snowman heads weird, complex, and sometimes
like “popping candy” and provide a that match Violet’s facial expressions unsettling (that poor barbarian soul).
“warm feeling” in her tummy, and and then help her throw them onto But Fortnite will be carefully
I’m assured that any further fireflies I the elementals, because they have no manicured in the way live service
hand to her will be instantly eaten. heads of their own, and she refuses to games are these days, and I doubt it’ll
She is simply unable to square her leave them headless. ever be allowed to grow gnarled,
desire for light with her desire to eat STRANGE OLD WORLD tangled fingernails quite like
fireflies, so I have to come up with a It turns out that Violet’s quest was Runescape, which you’ll recall
new solution. It’s pretty simple: just added as part of the 2018 Christmas involves performing religious burials.
make a spigot, stick it into a maple event. These things are just left The idea of holding funerals for fallen
tree, collect maple syrup in a bucket, behind for new players to discover enemies in Fortnite was a ClickHole
– not like Destiny 2 and World of joke. Two decades after it launched,
RuneScape is still ahead of its time.

JANUARY 2021 127

EXTRA LIFE
I I I I I I IN O W P L A Y I N G U P D A T E M O D S P O T L I G H T D I A R Y H O W T O W H Y I L O V E R E I N S T A L L M U S T P L A Y

ROBIN WHAT’S YOURS IS MINE TRAVELLING LIGHT BATTLE ROYAL
VALENTINE

Fitting gaming into DEEP ROCK GALACTIC DARKEST DUNGEON CRUSADER KINGS III
my schedule looks
tough in 2021. Where deeprockgalactic.com darkestdungeon.com crusaderkings.com/en
are you supposed to
find the time around I think this is one of the most Five years on from its original After hundreds of hours in the
all the staring at the engrossing and layered co-op launch, I still love going back to second game, I was actually
walls and internal games to come out in years this bleak dungeon crawler. I just worried this sequel wouldn’t feel
panicking you have to – basically Left 4 Dead meets never get tired of its atmosphere different and fresh enough to draw
get done these days? No Man’s Sky. The procedurally – the grim narrator’s endless me in. I couldn’t have been more
generated levels are a constant test pessimistic commentary on your wrong – it’s full of subtle changes
of your ability to adapt and improvise, doomed excursions makes me that rejuvenate the formula. I’m
and they never seem to stop finding smile every time. Lovecraftian horror hooked on the medieval Jerry
ways to surprise me. done right, for once. Springer simulator all over again.

FROM HELL MUST BITS AND PIECES

HADES PLAY REMNANT: FROM THE ASHES

supergiantgames.com/games/hades A PERSONAL LIST gunfiregames.com
OF THE BEST This is a great example of a
For years I’d been evangelising the
Early Access version of this to not GAMES YOU CAN game that’s much more than
much success, so it was surreal PLAY RIGHT NOW just the sum of its parts. Almost
seeing it blow up so much once it hit everything in it is essentially cribbed
1.0. I’m just glad it finally got its by Robin Valentine from other games – Dark Souls and
proper time in the spotlight. A Destiny especially – but it all comes
Roguelike this clever, beautiful, and together into a thrilling, ambitious
compelling sets a new high bar for co-op experience across a bizarre
the entire genre. world I loved puzzling over.

BOARD AND ALONE ROLL WITH IT GHOST HOST

TABLETOP SIMULATOR D&D BEYOND SPIRITFARER

tabletopsimulator.com dndbeyond.com thunderlotusgames.com/spiritfarer

I’ve relatively recently gotten into Alright, so it’s not strictly a PC This indie adventure takes such a
board games in a big way, but my game, but this website’s virtual sweet and beautiful approach to its
timing couldn’t be worse – suddenly I character sheets have been a remarkably heavy topics, complete
can’t meet up to play with people. godsend for lockdown-era remote with big hugs and emotional
Tabletop Simulator’s been a fantastic Dungeons & Dragons. It handles heart-to-hearts. It’s a bit overlong
solution. I especially recommend the rolls, works out all your modifiers to be sure, but at the same time I
official (and free) Unmatched module and effects for you, provides rules love that it feels more substantial
for exciting duels between the likes of references, and lets you track and involved than you’d ever expect
Bigfoot and King Arthur. things like XP and HP with ease. from this style of game.

128 JANUARY 2021

Future Publishing Ltd Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA

Tel: 01225 442244 | Email: [email protected]

www.pcgamer.com

Brand Director Tim Clark
Global Editor-in-Chief Evan Lahti

PC GAMER UK PC GAMER US

Editor-in-Chief, UK Phil Savage Executive Editor Tyler Wilde
Print Editor Robin Valentine Senior Editor Wes Fenlon
Fraser Brown Steven Messner
Online Editor, UK Andy Kelly Senior Reporter James Davenport
Features Producer Rich Stanton Features Producer Chris Livingston
Harry Shepherd Features Producer Jody Macgregor
News Editor Rachel Watts Andy Chalk
Guides Editor Emma Matthews Weekend Editor Jorge Jimenez
John Strike News Lead
Staff Writer Tim Empey
Guides Writer Graeme Meredith Hardware Writer
Dave James
Art Editor Alan Dexter
Production Editor Jacob Ridley
Katie Wickens
Video Producer
Hardware Lead
Senior Hardware Editor
Senior Hardware Editor
Hardware Editor

CONTRIBUTORS

Matt Elliott, Ian Evenden, Phil Iwaniuk, Sarah James,
Luke Kemp, Lauren Morton, Jeremy Peel, Alex Spencer, Tom Sykes

PHOTOGRAPHY & ILLUSTRATION

Photographer Olly Curtis
Spy Illustrations David Lyttleton

DIGITAL PRODUCTION

Group Production Editor Steve Wright
Editorial Operations Assistant Nick Lee

PRODUCTION ADVERTISING

Head of Production US & UK Mark Constance Commercial Director Clare Dove
Production Project Manager Clare Scott Advertising Director Tom Parkinson
Advertising Production Manager Joanne Crosby Jeff Jones
Jason Hudson Account Director Kevin Stoddart
Digital Editions Controller Fran Twentyman Account Manager
Production Manager

INTERNATIONAL LICENSING SUBSCRIPTIONS & CIRCULATION

Head of Print Licensing Rachel Shaw Head of subscriptions Sharon Todd
Head of Newstrade Tim Mathers

SENIOR MANAGEMENT

Group Managing Director Andrea Davies
Commercial Finance Director Dan Jotcham
Rodney Dive
Head of Art & Design

SUBSCRIPTIONS Email: [email protected] | UK orderline: 0344 848 2852 | International orderline: +44 (0)344 848 2852 | www.magazinesdirect.com
DISTRIBUTED BY Marketforce, 5 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5HU | Tel: 0203 787 9001 | www.marketforce.co.uk

LICENSING Email: [email protected]
ISSN: 1351-3540

All contents © 2021 Future Publishing Limited or published under licence. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be used, stored, transmitted or reproduced in any way without the prior written permission of the publisher. Future Publishing Limited (company number
2008885) is registered in England and Wales. Registered office: Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All information contained in this publication is for information only and is, as far as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press. Future cannot accept any responsibility for
errors or inaccuracies in such information. You are advised to contact manufacturers and retailers directly with regard to the price of products/services referred to in this publication. Apps and websites mentioned in this publication are not under our control. We are not responsible

for their contents or any other changes or updates to them. This magazine is fully independent and not affiliated in any way with the companies mentioned herein.

IT’S ALL OVER... A galactic pandemic
forces us to join the armies
A global pandemic forces us
all to stay inside and listen to of Nurgle and listen to
burbling daemons.
burbling politicians. Fascism rose 25,000

Fascism and authoritarian years ago, but at least it has
thought rises inexorably cool spaceships.

across the globe.

You can rebel against the You can rebel against the
status quo by retweeting an status quo by summoning

article you didn’t read. dark forces you cannot
comprehend.

2020 VS 40K

What’s more bleak – the world outside your window, or the grim darkness of the far future?

Become numbed to fear Become numbed to fear
through overexposure to a 24 because you’ve been turned
into a genetically-enhanced
hours news cycle.
super soldier.

You have to wear a mask You have to wear
over your face just to go to a rebreather over your
face just to go outside
the shops.
your hive-city.

Living with the existential Eh, we’ll probably all
dread of knowing that things get eaten by Tyranids

are probably just going to tomorrow anyway.
keep getting worse in 2021.
...UN TIL JAN 07
130 JANUARY 2021

.

9000 9027