MUST PLAY

“NOW SEEMS THE BEST TIME EVER TO JUMP INTO WARFRAME”

ROBERT JONES Twitter @rnicholasj This month Threatened the

CASHING IN

A RUNESCAPE player’s approach to grinding saw the game struggling to cope

KGB HOLDS A GRUDGE

Nick Katselapov, chief bizdev officer at World of

ELDEN RING ENDINGS

Almost 26% of Elden Ring players finished the

AI ‘WRITES’ HOMEWORK

Despite teachers cracking down on AI homework help,

Highs & Lows

HIGHS King John As Meta announced the closure

The Spy

BUT WHO WATCHES THE SPY?

This month in… 2013

ISSUE 251, April 2013 ON THE COVER The

LOST IN STEAM

PCG INVESTIGATES

CODE OPEN

THE UNSUNG HEROES OF DEVELOPMENT

Incoming

THE BIGGEST GAMES ON THE WAY

TCHIA

Explore a beautiful tropical island filled with magic

HAVENDOCK

Build a thriving town on the ocean in this cosy colony sim

SHERLOCK HOLMES: THE AWAKENED

The world’s most iconic detective cross-examines an evil doll

INKULINATI

Rabbits, dogs and donkeys take to the turn-based battlefield

KING OF THE CASTLE

Heavy is the head that wears the crown

CROWN DUEL

How THE DUVIRI PARADOX will unite old and new Warframe players

SHADOW GAMBIT

The Desperados 3 team wants you to lead an undead pirate crew

DEAD MAN WALKING

The DEAD SPACE remake is a promising por tent for the series’ future

KEEP IN CONTACT SPORT

ROLLER DRAMA is a narrative game with a few bruises

ON THE CRUISE

ONE PIECE ODYSSEY is an easy-going JRPG romp through the manga’s history

DEEP DOWN

COLOSSAL CAVE is an education in ’70s adventure game design

DON’T SPEAK FORSPOKEN

could have been excellent if it tried a little harder

TIMELESS CRISIS

PERSONA 3 PORTABLE creeps along, but it’s still top-class

SAMURAI SNACK

MAHOKENSHI is a light deckbuilder in strategy-RPG clothes

OUT OF TUNE

POWER CHORD’S lame metalhead aesthetic cheapens a cool card game

SWIMCITY

Create and manage an undersea metropolis in city builder AQUATICO

AW CHEESE

PIZZA TOWER is a non-stop, absurd, and wonder ful slice of speedrunning action

OVERSEASONED

Narration disturbs tranquillity in SEASON: A LETTER TO THE FUTURE

TEL TALE

THE TELWYNIUM: BOOK TWO is another memorable Powerhoof game

HUE AND DRY

HUE FLOWING is a platformer dripping with style

WINDOW DRESSING

BATTLE OF WINDOWS imagines a civil war on your desktop

CLINIC OF TIME

TWO POINT HOSPITAL is a punbelievable way to lose minutes, hours and days

RIB TICKLER

Forgetting the Hippocratic oath in SURGEON SIMULATOR

MASSIVE TRAUMA

Why OUTLAST is the bravest game starring a coward

WAY OF THE SPACE NINJA

Looking back on TEN YEARS OF WARFRAME with Digital Extremes

REVIEW

HOW WE REVIEW We review each game on

Dead or alive

This month we see the return of two

This month’s brain-eating reviewers…

ANDREA SHEARON Specialist in Petting Koromaru Currently playing

COMPACT KEYBOARDS

These mechanical keyboards save space on your desk and look totally adorable.

GOING DEEP

LEARNING AIs are breaking PC gaming and rebuilding it in their own image

CACHE IN THE ATTIC

The dos and don’ts of RESTORING OLD MACHINES back to operational glory

BUYER’S GUIDE

Build the best PC for your budget

BUDGET BUILD

Enjoy 1080p gaming without breaking the bank

MID-RANGE BUILD

Our recommended build for playing the latest games

ADVANCED BUILD

Go above and beyond with a PC powerful enough to end worlds

“I was itching to take the fun we’ve been having at the arcade”

Falling back in love with rhythm games like DJMAX RESPECT V

“I’m going to need a change of trousers”

Out-mimicking mimics in PREY

“A game that wants to be in conversation with Dark Souls”

JEDI: FALLEN ORDER gestures at what’s most compelling about Star Wars

“The daily routine is easily forgotten when there are villagers to befriend”

How STARDEW VALLEY took over one family’s existence

LOST ARK

Witcher crossover offers Geralt selfies, not much else.

CYBERPUNK 2077

Mod the future.

DEAD SPACE SECRET ENDING

Find these fragments in New Game+

PREY BY PROXY

Surviving Talos 1 without (directly) killing any Typhon.

THE VIRTUAL FIRING RANGE

Every shooter worth its salt should come with a practice range

THE WITCHER 2: ASSASSINS OF KINGS

Coming to terms with not liking CDPR’s breakout RPG.

PC GAMER TOWERS IS TARTARUS

Can the PERSONA 3 crew traverse the ultimate Dark Hour dungeon?