Everything You Need To Know About Insurgency Sandstorm

Insurgency: Sandstorm is due to be released on PC on 12th December. If you are looking to try out a nail-biting and highly realistic FPS game, then read on to find out more. Even if not, it’s interesting and you might be persuaded to give it a go by the end!

Insurgency: Improved, expanded, and bigger in every way

Following the success of Insurgency in 2014, the Insurgency: Sandstorm sequel developed by New World Interactive and published by Focus Home Interactive brings a refined and expanded new take on Insurgency. For the first time in an Insurgency game, you will be able to customize your character with diverse sets of clothing, uniforms, accessories, and character voices. A selection of new weapons can also be customised to show off your battle-hardiness when outmaneuvering, outflanking, and outsmarting the
enemy.

Competitive Multiplayer Features

5 million units of the original indie breakout Insurgency game have already been sold. Much of the attraction of this game lies in the team-based, tactical, and often lethal close quarter combat aspects of the objective-oriented missions. Teams can get involved in skirmishes and ambushes, infiltrate enemy bases, and hunt down enemy insurgents. Insurgency: Sandstorm develops these exciting multiplayer features further with matchmaking, broadcasting UI and replay capabilities. Additionally, players can coordinate fire support with their teams, engage enemies with impressive vehicle mounted machine guns, and go head to head in small-scale high-speed competitive matches.

Intense modern combat

Insurgency: Sandstorm brings an exciting, realistic battle experience as players move with speed and caution through war-town environments of a fictional contemporary conflict in the Middle East. The environment must be tactically navigated at every step, with expansive in-game maps featuring up to 16-versus-16 player game modes. Players can peak around corners, tactically breach doorways, use smoke to cover their team’s advance and call in air support. In this modern-combat inspired battle, skill will be rewarded, and teamwork wins the fight, but death comes fast, and ammunition use must be carefully managed. Pretty exciting stuff.

System Requirements

Additional notes to be announced, however minimum & recommended requirements so far are as follows:

Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system.

We are really excited to give this exciting new take on a popular competitive multiplayer game. The game is now available for pre-purchase on our store, so get yourself a copy now!

Green Man Gaming does Movember – The Results

It’s been a long cold month of November. And it’s been an extra cold month for many here at the Green Man Gaming offices as we’ve been doing Movember. Glorious thick beards have been trimmed back and bare faces have been seen around the office for the first time in years. It’s been freezing.

You might have forgotten what Movember is, so here’s a quick reminder. If you want to know why we’re trying to help raise awareness of men’s health, you can read more here and here.

Alas, it’s finally over, so we can look back at the month and give you the results of what we did!

Mo’ money

The Green Man Gaming team has been working hard all month to grow the most luxurious moustaches possible.

But it’s not just about the moustaches, we’ve been raising money too. At the time of writing, we have raised a whopping £9,262 to support men’s health.

To put that into context:

  • It places us at #16 in the UK Top Movember Team
  • That’s an average of £308.73 per day
  • It means we earned almost 10 thousand pounds!

Overall we are so grateful to everyone who donated to us. It genuinely means the world that people have given their hard earned money to help support men’s health. Thank you. Thank you.

Mo’ moving

We didn’t just grow moustaches, some of us also walked to raise money. How far did we go? We managed a whopping 77km!

For your stats pleasure:

  • That’s equivalent to 85 football pitches in length
  • An average of 2.5km a day
  • Setting out from the Green Man Gaming offices, we could’ve walked to Cambridge

Our feet are tired, but that’s fine! It’s for a good cause.

Mo’ moustaches

Before we get onto what we look like now…look back at our baby faces. If ye dare.

Now you’ve seen what team Green Man Gaming looked like before it’s time to face the moustachioed beauty that is us today.

BEHOLD

[masterslider id=”9″]

Again, thank you so much to everyone who took part, grew moustaches, walked, or donated money. But remember; this isn’t over. Men’s health needs your help. Men are dying far too young and this can and will change, but only if everyone helps out.

You can read more on the Movember website.

This Month in Indie Games – December

Winter is here, the world becomes colder, and it has probably dawned on you that Christmas is just around the corner, yet you have no money for presents. That’s right, it is nearly December, the best and worst of all the months. While the big games may well be slowing down – apart from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – the indie games don’t take time off, there are plenty of options about to hit the digital store fronts, and we have a few that could be your new favourite to talk about.

Mutant Year Zero: Road To Eden

For fans of the XCOM series there are actually a few different options on the horizon; not only do we have Phoenix Point coming at some point, but December sees Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden coming out. Set in a world filled with mutants; this is an interesting mix of real-time stealth and tactical combat. Aside from looking good and having some truly interesting character designs, the game looks like it’ll be an absolute blast to play. Best of all it is out on PC, PS4, and Xbox One December 4th

Earth Defence Force 5

For fans of B-movie horror films and alien invasions, we have the Earth Defence Force series. This is a series that absolutely revels in its absurdity and builds on it continuously. Starting off with boring weapons like assault rifles and taking down giant ants, the games usually ascend to dizzying heights with you calling in towering mechs, cataclysmic air-strikes, and fighting world eating enemies. This entry has a brand-new human like enemy type, and as always feature full co-op to boot. You can start fighting the good fight on PS4 December 11th.

Book of Demons

If you’ve ever wanted to play a roguelike hack-and-slash deckbuilding game then Book of Demons is for you. It has been in early access for some time but is emerging into the world of finished games this month. With visuals that make it look almost like a board game, and a highly addictive gameplay loop, this is sure to satiate fans of games like Diablo and Path of Exile, but with an interesting new twist. The full version is going to be released on PC December 13th.

Gris

Gris has been a long time coming, this frankly bewitching looking game has always been just over the horizon ever since it was announced. This game follows the titular Gris, a young girl lost in her own world, as she journeys through and manifests new abilities in her dress. The visuals are legitimately stunning, the whole thing looks like an art book in motion and if it plays half as well as it looks then this is sure to be one of the best games of the year. It is coming to PC and Switch December 13th.

Nippon Marathon

If you’ve ever watched Takeshi’s Castle then you will feel strangely nostalgic for Nippon Marathon. A party game clearly designed with utter carnage and nonsense in mind, here is a game that looks to be a great addition to any gaming parties you might throw. The goal is simple enough, make it to the end of the level, it’s the process that’ll get you. With random events in each match, a cast of strangely dressed racers, and the occasional Shiba Inu, Nippon Marathon could well be the next multiplayer hit. You can try it for yourself on PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Switch December 17th

Well, that’s that for the moment, it’s hard to believe that we are at the end of the year, but all it really means is more games next month. Next year is already shaping up to have some huge hits, but we will be keeping an eye on the little ones that might pass you by. Enjoy your holidays, and may your days be hangover free.

Just Cause 4 – What next for Rico?

Rico’s back and this time he’s brought weather. Just Cause 4 is out very soon and Rico’ll be off to the expansive climes of Solis. As always, he’s there to right wrongs, save everyone from evil regimes, and blow up a lot of stuff.

So far he’s been to San Esperito, Panau, Medici, and finally Solis. All places with their basis in reality, but very obviously not real places.

Maybe it’s time for that to change. Maybe Rico Rodriguez needs to take on real life issues. Maybe it’s time to put away the grappling hook and get real.

Here’s my ideas about what important issues Rico can tackle next.

Just Cause 5: Books Bring Brains

Rico brings his trademark scorpion action to the classroom as he grapples with the problems of childhood illiteracy. Instead of bringing chaos to the streets, play as Rico as he stops chaos in the school. Will the forces of illiteracy prevail, or will he parachute smarts into young brains? Find out in Just Cause 5: Books Bring Brains.

Just Cause 6: Rico Rocks Racism

Real life has a bit of a racism problem. Thankfully Rico Rodriguez is going to fix it for us. He takes to the streets in the 6th Just Cause game to tackle white power groups and the resurgence of (who would’ve believed it) nazis. Press X to debate in this thrilling Just Cause sequel.

Just Cause 7: It’s Income Inequality!

Whilst the rich are getting richer, the poor aren’t. The gap between rich and poor is getting wider each day, but that’s until Rico turns up on the scene. Armed with the gun of unionising and the grappling hook of making the rich pay taxes, he’s going to fix it for all of us.

Just Cause 8: Surviving Stress

The world is getting faster. People are working harder. Stress is just a part of life. Even Rico Rodriguez suffers from this, after many adventures in many places he’s in dire need of a rest. He’s not sleeping. He’s not eating right. He’s irritable. This slower adventure sees him take some ‘me’ time, something he’s desperately in need of. That’ll recharge his batteries. You do you, Rico.

Wow, we can’t wait to see these hard hitting, relatable, adventures. But you don’t have to wait, Just Cause 4 is out on the 4th of December and you can pre-purchase it today.

Why Sunset Overdrive Will Never Receive The Sequel It Deserves

Warning: minor spoilers for Sunset Overdrive

Spider-Man has been in the wild for a few months now and it’s clear to see that the game is brilliant for a number of reasons. Swinging through the streets of New York as everyone’s favourite web-slinger has never felt more compelling. Throw this together with a rich story-line, fleshed-out characters, and a diverse combat system, not only makes one of the best titles of 2018 but one of the greatest superhero video games of all time. What you need to remember though, is that without Insomniac’s predecessor, Sunset Overdrive, none of this could be possible.

Released exclusively for the Xbox One back in 2014, this action-adventure, third-person shooter brought chaotic fun, while taking heavy inspiration from classics like Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater and Jet Set Radio Future. The concrete jungle created is a haven for exploration, with constant momentum being one of the main mechanics that Insomniac nailed. Wall-running, grind rails, and zip-lines all combine to make traversal a breeze. Of course, this whole setup would be adapted by Spidey later down the line but come Sunset’s end, there was a clear indication that a sequel was planned. The difference now however is, with Spider-Man selling like hot cakes (3.3 million copies in its first three days alone), will we ever see a true sequel from the studio?

Arriving in a busy autumn alongside juggernauts like Call of Duty, Sunset Overdrive couldn’t amass the sales numbers reviews claimed it deserved. Being locked on the Xbox One at a time where Microsoft were at its lowest and Sony were on the rise, Sunset had too many obstacles to overcome. Though no official numbers have been released, VGChartz estimate the game has only sold around 1.16 million. Compared to the success of Spider-Man, as a business its hard for Insomniac to commit so many resources to a follow-up.

At the time, Sunset had Insomniac’s A-team behind this project, with people like Marcus Smith directing and Bryan Intihar producing (who later would both go on to direct Spider-Man). Insomniac will want to put their best team on the inevitable Spider-Man sequels, followed by any other Marvel property the company and Sony are interested in. A Spider-Man trilogy (similar to Rocksteady’s Batman)? Venom? A Sinister Six spin-off? These are all realistic properties for the company to work towards, therefore Sunset will sadly be left out in the cold.

Sunset Overdrive is a wonderful game, brimming with creative ideas that received critical acclaim across the board. Insomniac know that. Microsoft know that. Even Sony know that. The sales numbers regrettably say otherwise. Trying to salvage what’s left of the game, the pair agreed to release Sunset on Windows, from 16 November, 2018. Whether or not it will find more of an audience is still inconclusive.

Insomniac is a big studio and occasionally do work on multiple projects at once – nothing to this scale though. Developing a sequel to both Spider-Man and Sunset Overdrive in-tandem is simply unfeasible. Looking at the company’s history reveals that the firm has never built two triple AAA console experiences of this magnitude alongside one another.

As much as I adore Sunset, since it created the framework for Spider-Man anyone looking in could be mistaken for thinking these properties are too alike. Spider-Man is the most bankable superhero in the world, where as Sunset’s protagonist has one underperforming critical hit to his/her name. There’s no competition. Without Insomniac farming the IP out to another developer (unlikely to say the least) or committing a small team to develop a continuation, Sunset Overdrive will never receive the time and love it originally received, and that in itself is a real shame.

Everything You Need To Know About Just Cause 4

The eagerly anticipated 4th game in the Just Cause series is due to be released on PC, PS4 and Xbox on Tuesday 4th December. This action-adventure game developed by Avalanche Studios and published by Square Enix is set to be the biggest and best of the series so far. Avalanche have taken everything players love about the Just Cause series and improved on everything for Just Cause 4. Let’s take a look at what’s in store:

Setting

Set in 1,024 square kilometres of exotic South American inspired landscape, the Just Cause 4 open-world boasts many unique environments such as lush rainforests, hidden temples, mysterious caves and dense cities. The plethora of wonders are all inspired by countries such as Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina and are packed with people to meet, amazing vehicles to experiment with, iconic landmarks, a variety of animals and incredible vistas. Yet despite this expansive beauty, Solis is home to conflict and oppression, as well as suffering frequent extreme weather events, from tornados and torrential lightning, to blizzards and sandstorms.

Storyline

Step into the fictional country of Solis as the series protagonist and rogue agent, Rico Rodriguez, who must pursue the source of the destructive weather forces. In this fourth Just Cause, Rico faces his most dangerous and personal mission yet as he seeks to find the truth behind his father’s past at any cost. At the same time, Rico must spearhead the rebellion and defeat the Black Hand, a hi-tech private military organisation led by Gabriela Morales. In Gabriela, Rico will come up against his most fierce, capable, and unpredictable adversary yet. To confront her, you will need to build an army and fight alongside both familiar faces from previous games as well as some new faces.

Gameplay

Just Cause 4 features bold new gameplay systems that promise to be as fun as they are visually stunning. On top of a fully customisable tool-set, a variety of unique weapons, construction vehicles and agile micro jets, the added complexity of dramatic weather events offers the chance to experience never seen before gameplay-physics. There is also the option to opt for more action and excitement on the frontline, where rebels have gone to war against the Black Hand.

System Requirements

Minimum:

  • OS: Windows 7.1
  • Processor: Intel Core i5-2400 @ 3.1 GHz | AMD FX-6300 @ 3.5 GHz or better
  • Memory: 8 GB RAM
  • Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 (2GB VRAM or better) | AMD R9 270 (2GB VRAM or better)
  • Disk Space: 59 GB available space
  • API: DirectX Version 11.1
  • Architecture: Requires a 64-bit processor and OS

Recommended:

  • OS: Windows 10
  • Processor: Intel Core i7-4770 @ 3.4 GHz | AMD Ryzen 5 1600 @ 3.2 GHz or equivalent
  • Memory: 16 GB RAM
  • Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 (6GB VRAM or better) | AMD Vega 56 (6GB VRAM or better)
  • Disk Space: 59 GB available space
  • API: DirectX Version 12
  • Architecture: Requires a 64-bit processor and OS

We loved the previous games in the Just Cause series and can’t wait to get our hands on this one. Strap into your wingsuit, equip your fully customisable grappling hook, and get ready to bring the thunder.

Hitman 2’s web of anxiety

I don’t go to Subway very often.

I go through the door and queue up.  Eventually I reach the counter and the staff ask me what sandwich I want. I indicate my choice, and asked what size sandwich. Then I’m asked what bread I want. How about cheese.  Do I want it toasted? Now salad. Lettuce? Olives? Cucumber? Jalapenos? Gherkins? Tomatoes? Peppers?

By the time they’re asking what sauce I want (it turns out I can combine sauces, it’s not just a binary choice) I’m sweating and shaking with the anxiety of choice.

And, most critically, I don’t have my damn sandwich yet.

Hitman is a series that follows Subway’s design philosophy. It’s a smorgasbord of choice, and at times I find it utterly overwhelming.

Choice and consequence

A lot of games bill themselves as sandboxes. The problem with a lot of them is that whilst the space you can play in is often huge, the actions you can actually do in them are quite limited. Think about your favourite open world game. Chances are the actions you perform in that game will be limited to ‘fight’, ‘talk’, and ‘pick up item’.

Which is not to say they’re bad options for a game, just that open world games are often wider rather than they are deep.

Enter the immersive sim. These games provide a smaller space but many opportunities for emergent gameplay within them. Think Deus Ex, Thief, Dishonored. All provide the player with levels instead of wide open worlds, but levels which are designed to be replayed with multiple routes and opportunities within them.

The Hitman series has pushed this to extremes.

Every Hitman level, at least since Blood Money, is filled with emergent gameplay opportunities. It is down to the player to watch, wait, then set up chain reactions that result in the desired outcome. You plan what you want to do by observing patterns in the game, then execute your plan and watch as the controlled chaos unfolds.

To add another torturous metaphor, Hitman levels are like an elaborate game of Mouse Trap. And I’m a player with a shaky hand trying to balance the diver on the diving board.

We all want more choice?

Every Hitman 2 level starts much the same way. You know where your targets are, and you’re usually a long way away from them. It’s up to you to figure out now only how to get close to them, but how you’ll end them too.

Will you knock out a janitor and dress up? Will you blend in with a crowd? Sneak in the basement and shimmy up a pipe? Take out a general and infiltrate a high ranking meeting? Waltz in the front door and shoot all the guards? Blow something up and use the distraction as cover? Work at a tangent and lure your target outside?

All these choices, and you’re not even near the target yet.

I’ve been playing a lot of Hitman 2 since its release, and it’s an absolute masterpiece of design. But I often find myself with utter choice paralysis.

Not only do you have a million ways to get near the target, you have a million ways to dispose of them too. And then you’ve got to do it in a way that expedites your egress. I walk around the level and I can feel the choices showing themselves to me. Which do I take? What if I take the wrong one? What if I mess up?

It’s a huge interconnected web of choice, but it’s also a web of anxiety.

Managing choice

Thankfully Hitman 2 knows this, at least I think it does. The controversial opportunities system is back from Hitman (2016). Upon promenading around a level, Agent 47 hears snippets of opportunities he can follow on his way to do a bit of murder. He might hear that a photographer is in town and has a meeting with the target. That a member of the kitchen staff is late. That a flower delivery truck has broken down.

These all provide guided entries into a place and can provide guided steps to assassinate your target.

They’re invaluable for someone like me. They help cut through the noise of the game, the overwhelming choices in front of me, and give me clear routes.

However, they are at strange odds with the purpose of the game. You’re meant to explore the space. Make your own opportunities.

The way I think of them is as training wheels. They inform me of the kinds of opportunities that are available to me. I’ll do one, get an idea of the layout and the way the level operates, then go off piste for my next attempt.

They can be disabled and for the veteran Hitman player (or the more Hitman-inclined brain) that’s probably a wise choice. But for me, and my brain, I’ll have the handholding please.

My problem with Hitman 2, and the previous Hitman games, isn’t that they’re good games – they are. It’s that maybe I’m not good enough for them. So I’m glad IO Interactive recognise that sometimes people need a little help, and have provided a way for me to get into Hitman.

Until I get the hang of Hitman 2. Then the brakes are off, and it’s murder time.

Hitman 2 is out now for PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.

Darksiders III – the story so far

Darksiders III arrives tomorrow the 27th of November. It’s been quite a while since the last Darksiders game came out, barring definitive editions and remasters, it’s been a whopping six years.

So it’s entirely understandable that you may have forgotten just what’s going on. Have no fear, it’s time to get your lore hats on and let us guide you through the previous two games in the Darksiders series and let you know just what the hell is going on.

Darksiders

In news that will surprise precisely no-one, Heaven and Hell don’t get along.

To stop them from fighting so much the Charred Council was created. To maintain order and balance they formed a group of warriors, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The first game in the series focuses on War, who turns up in the present day where the fight between Hell and Heaven has kicked off on Earth, killing quite a few humans (aka all of them).

But oh no! War isn’t supposed to be there, the Seven Seals are unbroken and the horsemen aren’t supposed to have ridden yet. As a result of War’s arrival, Abaddon the general of Heaven’s army is struck down and the Charred Council nab War to give him a grilling. War protests his innocence and asks to be sent back to find out what the hell is going on. They allow this, on the condition that he takes along a Watcher (called The Watcher) and that he’s also depowered, because reasons.

Off War goes and finds that a hundred years have passed since the apocalypse. Demons have pretty much taken over, led by a colossal demon called The Destroyer. Meanwhile Heaven’s soldiers are running a guerilla war against Hell, to little avail.

A lot of fighting goes on, War kills a load of demons and finds Azrael, the Angel of Death. Azrael tells War that there was a conspiracy to start the apocalypse early. A group of Heaven’s angels, including Azrael, Abaddon, and Ulthane, wanted to get the apocalypse out of the way so that Heaven could win and everyone could relax and have a nice time. War turning up threw a spanner in the works though, and well, now look at the mess.

After freeing Azrael from imprisonment, War goes off to talk to a tree. The Tree of Knowledge in fact.

The ol’ smart tree lets War know that there’s worse news. Not only did Heaven conspire to start the apocalypse early, they collaborated with the Charred Council who knew that War would descend to Earth and kill all their enemies in the pursuit of the truth.

Shocking news, I know. It’s also revealed that The Destroyer is Abaddon, War’s old friend from the start of the game. Learning how to defeat The Destroyer from Uriel, an angel voiced by the improbably named Moon Bloodgood, War sets off to give it a damn good thrashing.

The Charred Council and The Watcher betray War but not before Uriel and War kill The Destroyer. All’s happy, the end.

Well, not quite. Heaven and Hell both decide to go have a scrap with War, but not before Fury, Strife, and Death all turn up.

Darksiders II

The sequel to Darksiders runs along the first game, as Death tries to erase War’s ‘crime’ and resurrect humanity. He travels to the Icy Veil looking for the Keeper of Secrets so Death can prove War’s innocence. Alas things go awry because it’d be a short videogame otherwise, and Death gets his soul-filled amulet embedded in his chest and plonked on a realm called the Forge Lands.

The Forge Lands is a place of plenty, where a race called the Makers who made Creation live. Again though, things have gone a bit wrong. The Corruption has overrun the realm and things have gone pretty wrong for everyone involved. But that’s OK, Death’s here, and Death is good at kicking arse.

Corruption attacks Death, Death kills a load of Corruption, finds a massive Guardian that is meant to protect the Makers, finds out it’s Corrupted, kills it. So far so Death.

But oh no, the nephilim are angry with Death. See for the Horsemen and the Charred Council to get their power, Death killed all their race and imprisoned their souls in his amulet. So understandably, they’re peeved and they’re letting Death know. They also caused the Corruption, so they’re bad news for everyone.

Death travels to the Land of the Dead where he finds that in order to resurrect humanity, he needs to find the Well of Souls. This well has the power over life and death, and within it souls are cleansed and sent out to be reborn. To access it, Death requires two keys: one in the hands of the angels, the other in demons’ hands.

Off he pops, time to kill some angels who have been corrupted by, well, The Corruption, and get his first key after a brief trip back to Earth. Next up he heads to the demon lands where the Corruption is causing trouble again and here he meets, fanfare please, Lilith. His mother.

More fighting ensues and now Death has two keys. Entering the Well of Souls he meets the nephilim who was taunting him earlier who proceeds to taunt him. Death has enough of this taunting, so gives the smackdown to the nephilim, sacrifices the souls in his chest, and resurrects humanity.

The end of the game recreates the ending scene from the first with Death, Fury, Strife, and War all about to face off against both Heaven and Hell. The End.

EPILOGUE

Lucifer isn’t happy that humanity’s back. The Actual End.

So there you go, everything that’s happened in the last two games. Are you ready for Darksiders III now? Let us know in the comments below.

10 gaming things to be thankful for on Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving has risen its turkine head and beaked us into a food coma. But before you pob that last piece of turkey into your gaping maw and fall asleep for a decade, let’s hold hands and give thanks for our top 10 gaming things to be thankful for on Thanksgiving.

The games industry is still trying new things

Despite the announcements of new things often getting a, shall we say, mixed reaction, the gaming industry is still trying new stuff. And not all of it is successful! But that doesn’t mean we can’t be thankful that they’re trying. For every failure, there’s something utterly amazing that redefines gaming or a gaming genre. Innovation is great, even if there’s some stumbling along the way.

Games have never been better

Now I am prepared to be yelled at for the rest of my life by saying this but it’s just true. Games are better now. That’s not to say games haven’t been wonderful, but please, go back, play those old games again. Not all of them will hold up, and I guarantee you put up with a lot of crap just because you were young, didn’t know better, or only had one game to play for half the year. The average standard of game has shot up, games are amazing now.

More people are playing games than ever

Again this might not be popular with everyone, because for some reason some segments of the gaming community view popularity as a bad thing. But it’s not! It’s great! More people are playing games, more people are buying games, more people are making games. It means that we’ll see some diversity in our games – something we’re already seeing. More diversity means more choice, and that’s just something we can all be thankful for.

PCs kinda just…work now

I’m not saying that PCs are perfect, but compared to how they used to be, they work remarkably well now. You may still have to shuffle things about for space, run in a selective startup, check for drivers and so on but gone are the days of wrangling with a VIA Unichrome to get something to work. There’s a remarkably even plateau for gaming PCs these days, and most games just start up and off they go. Ah, delightful.

Patching exists (and yes, it’s a good thing)

There’s a lot of grumbling about having to patch these days, but that’s probably because people can’t remember the Bad Old Days. Back in the day if your game had a bug, that was it. Tough luck. Deal with it. If you were very, very lucky, a cover disc from a magazine might have a patch (and that’s if someone hasn’t already stolen the disc) but otherwise, that’s your lot. Thankfully, patches can cure almost anything now. Even if sometimes they’re a little unwieldy in size.

It’s never been easier to be part of a gaming community

We’re all probably nostalgic for the days of LAN parties and forums, but now with social media, Discord, Twitch, our Green Man Gaming forum, gaming communities are just part of life now. Most of us probably fire up Discord as soon as we’re sitting in front of our computers. Talking with other like-minded people has never been easier, so getting involved in a gaming community is something we can all do with minimum effort now.

The internet’s made multiplayer a huge thing

I mean you can play games with people on the other side of the planet just by clicking a button and having an internet connection. That’s wild. That’s amazing. Something to definitely be thankful for.

PC gaming-focused genres are resolutely not dying

‘The point and click is dying’ reads the headline, ‘adventure games are dying’ it says. Every year. Every year it’s proven wrong. Adventure games, point and clicks, strategy games, simulation games are not only refusing to die on pc, they’re thriving. Be thankful that we play on a medium which has such breadth of games available on it.

Games have never been more accessible

We’re not there yet, but games have been making huge strides in making sure that anyone can play them. Celeste for example is a rock hard platformer with a wonderful series of options that let you tailor the difficulty and the experience the way you want it. We’re seeing subtitles be present for most games – something that doesn’t seem big, but can make the difference between being able to enjoy a game or not. Games are for everyone, and we’re thankful that this is finally becoming a reality.

Games are just great, aren’t they

I mean they are, they’re brilliant. Have you played a game? Yeah it was good wasn’t it. Games eh, bloody great.