Table of contents for Issue 278 in PC Powerplay

Dota 2 is getting ready for the next ranked season, kicking off tomorrow, which also means getting rid of some of the game’s naughtier players. Valve announced that it would be banning people in various waves, which started yesterday. What it didn’t mention was the length of the bans, and some players are now discovering their account is in jail for up to 19 years. The Steam forum and subreddit are full of people complaining about getting banned for nearly two decades, and even more people revelling in their comeuppance. It’s an oddly specific date, but Valve didn’t choose it. January 19, 2038 is the latest date that can be set using 32-bit time representation, it turns out, so if you’ve received a 19-year ban, you’re probably banned forever.…

GUARD DUTY DEVELOPER SICK CHICKEN STUDIOS • PRICE $14.50 https://www.sickchicken.com/ “As the story unfolds, things go wrong. In fact, I thought the game was going to kill me.” In 2047, the world is sliced in two. How can it be saved? Is it even possible to stick a planet back together? Guard Duty opens a few centuries before this dramatic event. You play (mostly) as Tondbert, the Roger Wilco of city guardsmen. His voice actor is hilarious, especially when Tondbert’s face is swollen with bee stings. After finding his clothes, Tondbert is tasked with saving the princess, who has been mysteriously abducted. It’s clear he thinks she’s awesome. It was also (indirectly) his fault she was kidnapped. The game’s pixel art is reminiscent of a late Sierra-era King’s Quest, with…

DEVELOPER STAR THEORY • PUBLISHER PRIVATE DIVISION • RELEASE SPRING 2020 kerbalspaceprogram2.com When you land on a celestial body in Kerbal Space Program 2, whether it’s the Mun or another planet entirely, your mission doesn’t end with you planting a flag. This sequel to Squad’s science-based space sim, now developed by a team of Kerbal fans called Star Theory, will let you establish a colony on the surface and watch it grow. “We have a colony editor that’s very similar to the vehicle editor,” says creative director Nate Simpson. “But it takes place in situ. You have a parts palette, but you’re also looking at actual physical terrain.” But you won’t suddenly see a space metropolis spring up, you have to start small. “When you build your first colonies you’ll…

‘What’s next?’ For an independent studio riding high after a big hit it’s an exciting question, and a daunting one. After the success of its excellent action roguelike Dead Cells, Motion Twin is in the process of deciding what to do next. In a normal studio the higher-ups would get together, make a decision, and then tell the rest of the studio what to make. Motion Twin is different. Visit their website and you’ll see the message “NO BOSS” proudly displayed on the front page. No-one at Motion Twin has a job title, and everyone has an equal share in the company. That’s great for staff members who get to take home a share of Dead Cells’ success, but it comes with unusual challenges, especially when the studio needs to…

DEVELOPER 505 GAMES • PUBLISHER REMEDY ENTERTAINMENT www.controlgame.com The omnipotent Finnish janitor of the Federal Bureau of Control really wants to go on vacation, but can’t until I’ve vanquished his old nemesis, The Clog. In what we’ll call the ‘bottom’ of The Oldest House, an impossible building in the middle of New York that’s infinitely larger on the inside than the outside, The Clog takes up residence near the coolant pumps, a swirling mass of brown slop that moans like a T-Rex roaring bubbles into a glass of milk. I shoot the wriggling tendrils peeking out of the body and the shit monster disappears down the drain to the tune of a toilet flushing. It’s never explained, but I like it that way. It helps keep the mystery alive. Control…

Rebel Galaxy Outlaw pretty much offers a light Photoshop suite when it comes to designing your own spaceships. 1 LAYERS Divvy up your work, see specific layers in isolation, and delude yourself that you’ve a talent for graphic design. 2 OPACITY Opacity changes the intensity of your paint tool, allowing for more subtle effects than just plain old splodges. 3 3D PRINTING Once your ship is painted you can even print a 3D model of it… if you have a 3D printer knocking around.…

PRICE $3,999 www.acer.com/au Ticking off just about every monitor spec a modern PC gamer could dream of, this 35-inch LED-backlit VA screen from Acer has been a long time coming. First revealed back in August 2017, the X35 has taken nearly two years to come to market, and it’s joined by near-identical competitors from Asus and AOC, with all three employing the same ultrawide panel from AU Optronics (AUO). At an eye-watering $3,999, this Acer model is in another league entirely, putting it out of reach of all but the most well-heeled of gamers. But that said, there’s nothing that even comes when it comes to specs: that curved panel promises a 200Hz refresh rate alongside G-Sync, DisplayHDR 1000 support, full-array local dimming (FALD) backlights and a designer-friendly 90% DCI-P3…

PRICE $315 & $389 www.amd.com AMD Ryzen 5 3600 Socket AM4; 6core/12thread; 3.6GHz base/4.2Ghz boost clock; 32MB L3 cache; Supports DDR4-3200; 65W TDP; Wraith Stealth bundled cooler. AMD Ryzen 5 3600X Socket AM4; 6core/12thread; 3.8GHz base/4.4Ghz boost clock; 32MB L3 Cache; Supports DDR4-3200; 95W TDP; Wraith Spire bundled cooler. We were full of praise for AMDs new 3rd generation Ryzen processors. While the higher-end eight and twelve core CPUs occupy the performance segment, the hex core Ryzen 5 3600 and Ryzen 5 3600X fill the popular $300 to $400 price void nicely. They both have all the 3rd generation tech, features and performance under the hood. Now AMD can add mainstream affordability too. Are these CPUs the new price/ performance champions? The 3600X comes with a 200MHz increase on base…

Despite the impressive new Ryzen chips, and the very tasty RTX 2080 Super, we’re not adding them to our builds just yet. We think the current hardware choices still represent the right gear at the right price. But we have updated a lot of the peripherals this month, thanks to the top performers in our peripherals roundup on page 78. However, I’ve decided to leave the mouse in The Beast unchanged - mainly because that is still the mouse I use at home, and you can pry it out of my cold dead hands!…

From the very first announcement of CDProjekt Red’s next game, Cyberpunk 2077, it was a title that made an impact. From the choice to remake one of tabletop gaming’s most iconic – and iconoclastic – settings, through to employing its original creator, and that stunning first teaser trailer… To put it plainly, CDPR was not messing around. Regular readers will also know that I’ve been a fan of the game since it’s first pen and paper iteration. Like many other roleplayers, this is a setting and a game that I’ve already spent decades immersed in. I’ve met Johnny Silverhand when he was alive; I’ve had shoot-outs on Night City’s mean streets, and even survived a few - Cyberpunk has a pretty brutal combat system! So it’s no surprise that when…

Wargaming is no stranger to tweaking and adding content to its popular military titles. It even knows when something is a bit undercooked, and when to pull back on it or ditch it entirely, so it’s a company that’s proven itself to be pretty agile - but what’s coming to World of Warships is a whole new level of challenge, both to the developers rolling it out, and to a somewhat conservative player-base… Submarines, a wholly new, fourth class of vessel, are coming to World of Warships, and possibly as soon as the end of the year, and the game will never be the same again. OBLIGATORY ‘WHAT LIES BENEATH’ SUBHEAD We got the scoop - and a really fun hands-on session - at a press event at Wargaming’s Tokyo…

DEVELOPER PANACHE DIGITAL GAMES • PUBLISHER PRIVATE DIVISION ancestorsgame.com The aroused moaning of the prehistoric ape I’m trying to bang is getting to be a bit much. She’s really into this backrub I’m giving her, but I’m having trouble feeling the mood myself. We’re squatting in the freezing rain, my leg is broken, I have an orphaned toddler clinging to my back, and another member of my clan is enthusiastically picking his nose in my sightline. It’s not even a tiny bit romantic, but hey – I’m trying to save our species. Listening to an ape get horny as I rub her hairy back isn’t the only thing I’m not keen on in third-person survival game Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey. It begins 10 million years in the past with you…

DEVELOPER SUPERMASSIVE GAMES • PUBLISHER BANDAI NAMCO bandainamcoent.com Man of Medan isn’t particularly scary. If it were a movie, it’d be the kind that releases direct-to-video, one of those schlocky DVDs lining the convenience store displays. The usual character archetypes are there: the nerd, the hunk, the blonde, the stranger, the horny creep that no one should put up with but do because at least one death should be cathartic. Queue up the ghost ship, pirates, and cheap jump scares galore. As a film, it would be fun, but familiar and forgettable. But as co-op adventure game, Man of Medan is unparalleled. Think of it like a movie where you take control of one character at a time, oscillating between quicktime action scenes and dialogue sequences. Occasionally you’ll get time…

DEVELOPER FOAM SWORD • PUBLISHER DOUBLE FINE www.foamswordgames.com If your childhood was anything like mine, you would’ve spent an inordinate amount of time riding a bicycle. I rode my bike into town to trade in games at an indie game store, cycled over to a nearby field to play football with my mates, and generally just rode my bike to ride my bike. I would peddle for miles because… well, what better way to spend time with your friends, away from the prying eyes of parents and other adults? Knights And Bikes taps into this childhood nostalgia with a charming cooperative adventure about a burgeoning friendship that also happens to include knights, bikes, curses, buried treasure, a goose named Honkers, and eating scones with cream on top and jam on…

With a massive proliferation of options flooding the market seemingly every week, finding the best gaming mouse can be a bit of a slog. Fear not, however, we test mice by the dozens to sort the best value propositions out of a crowded field, and to figure out which of the flashy gimmicks are actually valuable to human beings (and don’t just look good in marketing copy). Our top picks don’t just perform well, they’re thoughtfully designed and built, and won’t wear out after a few reckless weeks of late night Apex Legends. Esports mice might look great in the hands of your favorite professional gamer, but many of them are cheaply built en masse to ensure they’re easy and inexpensive to replace after a couple of tournaments. Practical gamers…

It doesn’t matter how incredible a gaming PC you’re rocking if your W key sticks, or the music doesn’t sound right through your aging headphones. Without the latest equipment, your PC is being wasted; you want your gaming to be comfortable and convenient. This month we’re checking out ASUS’ amazing range that’ll bring your game up a notch and give you the best experience possible on your PC. KEYBOARD AND MOUSE - THE PERFECT MATCH The keyboard you’re using can have a huge impact on your performance: you don’t see esports pros playing on the discarded keyboard they smuggled home from the break room at work. The ROG STRIX SCOPE Deluxe Gaming Keyboard is a serious piece of kit, one made with gaming in mind. This is a keyboard designed…

PRICE $145 & $239 www.amd.com AMD Ryzen 5 3400G Socket AM4; 4core/8thread; 3.7GHz base/4.2Ghz boost clock; 4MB L3 cache; Radeon Vega 11 Graphics; Supports DDR4-2933; 65W TDP; Wraith Spire bundled cooler. AMD Ryzen 3 3200G Socket AM4; 4core/4thread; 3.6GHz base/4.0Ghz boost clock; 4MB L3 cache; Radeon Vega 8 Graphics; Supports DDR4-2933; 65W TDP; Wraith Stealth bundled cooler. AMD has had a lot of time in the limelight with the recent release of its Ryzen 3 series processors. It’s easy to forget though that the company made a name for itself with its so called APUs (Accelerated Processing Units) which come with integrated graphics. Here for review we have the latest generation Ryzen 3 3200G and Ryzen 5 3400G processors. These don’t make use of the latest Zen 2 architecture or…

Arcade1Up Cabinets Price: $500-ish Distributor: EB Games or Aldi Maybe? arcade1up.com These mini arcade cabinets are a cheap and easy way to get some classic arcade gaming in your home if you don’t feel up to a full DIY project. There’s a decent range of games too, from Galaga and Space Invaders, to TMNT and Mortal Kombat. POWERED UP: Original style artworks. At least two games on each cab. PLAYED OUT: Uncertain if we’ll see them on our shores – the last round apparently didn’t sell well at EB Games or Aldi and ended up heavily discounted. You’ll definitely want to buy or build a riser for these as well, since they are smaller than standard cab size, and using them for any length of time may be awkward. Lastaly,…

Remember Maelstrom, the last-ship-standing game of naval combat that entered Early Access last year? The one where you can be captain of an orc ship pulled by giant sharks, and the shrinking battle-royale circle is a section of Dead Water hiding a colossal sea monster that will just straight-up eat you? Back when it cost $20, our own Christopher Livingston said, “The toughest part of Maelstrom, from what I’ve played, has been getting a full match.” When you could get a match it was pretty fun swinging around whirlpools launching broadsides at your enemies, and going free-to-play will presumably give player numbers a bump. “All gameplay and progress can be unlocked by playing the game for free”, say developers Gunpowder Games. “No additional purchases are needed to enjoy the game…

SPARE CHANGE 1 “Mutations kind of go hand-in-hand with an apocalypatic setting, I’m always very interested in a player character whose identity is shifting over the course of the game, and mutation seemed a really interesting way to explore that.” BEYOND HUMAN 2 “One of one of the early things we said was, it was really interesting to see that as the world is somehow getting a little bit better the player character, although getting more powerful, is becoming something less than human.” LIVE A LITTLE 3 “You’re sort of adapting to survive in this environment. And we wanted the mutations themselves to kind of be surprising as well, thematically and visually, so that maybe how to get the most out of them wasn’t all on the surface.” MORPH SUIT…

LEMMINGS This puzzle/platformer was developed by DMA Design in Dundee. Since its release in 1991, Lemmingshas sold over 20 million copies worldwide across multiple formats. GRAND THEFT AUTO V One of the best-selling games in history, generating an eye-watering $6 billion in revenue since its release in 2013, was developed by Edinburgh-based Rockstar North. CRACKDOWN This open world shooter was developed by Dundee-based Realtime Worlds and sold over 1.5 million copies, becoming a valuable exclusive for Microsoft and its Xbox brand. MINECRAFT This is, of course, a Swedish game, but Dundee’s 4J Studios was responsible for porting the game to consoles, including the hugely successful Xbox 360 version.…

Total War is delving into mythology. For the last couple of historical games, myths and legends have been creeping into the war-torn sandbox, but in Total War Saga: Troy, Creative Assembly Sofia is taking things one step further, honing in on a conflict where our best source is an epic poem about petty gods and a giant wooden horse. This isn’t Warhammer, though, and history hasn’t been entirely abandoned. So there are gods. And mythical heroes. And even a minotaur. The team’s drawn on ancient yarns like The Iliad and The Odyssey, along with other myths, but then squinted at them through the lens of history. Maps and archeology have been used to give cities and armies an air of authenticity, and the minotaur is really a big bloke wearing…

DEVELOPER FRONTIER DEVELOPMENTS • PUBLISHER IN-HOUSE • RELEASE NOVEMBER 2019 planetzoogame.com Swinging the camera over my zoo, I watch throngs of people wander between enclosures, cooing at the animals and slurping soda. But then there’s a ripple of panic. I see several guests fleeing in terror, and the fear spreads. Something is happening in my perfect zoo. I heave the camera into the air and locate the source of the rumble – an escaped rhinoceros. Rhinos are dangerous animals, but it’s lucky for my guests that Planet Zoo is a family friendly game. In Frontier’s other park builder, Jurassic World Evolution, an escaped animal usually leads to people being eaten alive. But here it just makes them upset, which in terms of running and managing a successful (and profitable) zoo…

On ground level, the street that houses Amplitude Studios is a uniform block of contemporary cafés, flats and office buildings. But stand on the eighth floor balcony and the first thing you’ll notice is the 1930s. The concrete dome of the Église du Saint-Esprit glints under a Parisian sun, and beyond stands a strange urban mountain, the artificial peak of the Parc Zoologique de Paris. Downwind, on a breezy day, you can smell the monkey faeces. These are the monuments of a people who left their mark on the world. Achievements that survived assimilation into the cultures that followed, becoming part of the fabric of a nation. They are emblematic of Humankind, Sega’s new Civ rival from the makers of Endless Legend. “The reason we created Amplitude was to make…

1 This image retains the idea of a humanoid playable character who can hop onto vessels to move between islands. 2 But what if you played as the plane instead? Here we see an obstacle that might appear in the open sky 3 Motion Twin created a playable version of the plane game and found the level design process particularly difficult. 4 In the open air the player expects to be able to fly anywhere, and invisible walls feel too restrictive and unfair.…

DEVELOPER DOUBLE DAMAGE GAMES • PUBLISHER DOUBLE DAMAGE GAMES rebel-galaxy.com The boundless promise of space exploration is a precarious asteroid field for a developer to navigate. It takes the luxuries of time and funding for galaxies like those of Elite Dangerous or No Man’s Sky to reach their potential. But if you’re an indie developer bereft of those resources, then it’s vital to know your limits – to condense the cosmos into something manageable, lest your game get swallowed up by its seductive vastness. Rebel Galaxy Outlaw knows its limits, restricting its galaxy to 40-odd solar systems named after cities in the US. Its guitar-twanging rock soundtrack and vibrant colours give it the tone of a punky western. It’s thrifty where it needs to be, and does a commendable job…

DEVELOPER GUNFIRE GAMES • PUBLISHER PERFECT WORLD www.remnantgame.com/en This odd genre mash-up looks like it was coughed out by a game development algorithm. It’s equal parts a third-person looter-shooter and a Dark Souls-inspired boss rush, with a cooperative emphasis and a dynamically generated campaign. Stylistically it’s inspired by fantasy, science-fiction, Westerns, post-apocalyptic worlds and various kinds of horror fiction. Even the title reads like it was generated by a Twitter bot. While Remnant resembles a cover shooter, in practice it plays much more like Dark Souls from an over-the-shoulder perspective. Basic enemies are aggressive and hit hard, so to stay alive for any length of time you need to evade their attacks. Gradually, you pick your way through the ruins, moving between glowing crystals analogous to Dark Souls’ bonfires and…

DEVELOPER CRYTEK • PUBLISHER CRYTEK www.huntshowdown.com In this multiplayer shooter you don’t win, you survive. After the tutorial, I was already on edge and sweaty. Nearly two-dozen hours later, I’m coming out of every round much the same, only with added exhilaration at my near-deaths, kills, and cleverly executed traps. Crytek’s merging of survival horror and battle royale creates an intense FPS whose years in the making have produced a strong foundation, only let down by a current lack of content. Hunt: Showdown is a swampland shoot-’em-up that blends bleak horror, wild west shootouts, and careful investigation together to produce something that’s remarkably distinct. The basics are familiar – players choose a loadout, spawn on a marshy patch of dirt and vie for supremacy. The twist is you’re not alone,…

There is a bit of a cult of personality surrounding the best gaming keyboards. Ask 10 people what the best gaming keyboard is, and you’re liable to get 10 different answers, and maybe get stabbed depending on how heated the argument gets. This fanatical environment has forced virtually every manufacturer to bring their A-game to get a leg up in the best mechanical keyboard game. Peripheral giants like Steelseries and Razer have been employing everything from magnetic switches to adjust actuation distance to freaking laser beams in an effort to differentiate themselves in this burgeoning market. A gaming keyboard, just like choosing the best gaming mouse, is an incredibly personal decision… Razer Cynosa Chroma The best gaming keyboard for membrane enthusiasts. PRICE: $89 www.razer.com If even mecha-membrane keys don’t suit…