This article ran in two parts across PC Gamer issues 324 and 325. For more quality articles about all things PC gaming, you can subscribe now in the UK and the US. The history of computer strategy games begins on tables and boards, crammed inside cupboards alongside that knackered old box of Risk that every home seems to possess. The moment strategy made the leap to consoles and computers, it was already familiar. These weren’t just inspired by the games people were playing, in many cases they were direct copies that had been squeezed, sometimes awkwardly, onto a new platform. In 1972, Invasion was released for the Magnavox Odyssey. It was Risk, essentially, but with Pong-like battles that were fought on top of overlays that had to be slapped on the front of the television. Aside from the battles, Invasion was mostly played on a physical board, so the actual strategy game didn’t really take place on the console at all. The Odyssey’s limited capabilities … [Read more...] about The history of the strategy game
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The next Far Cry picks up after the ending of Far Cry 5, and will be revealed this week
The next Far Cry game will be set in the aftermath of Far Cry 5, Ubisoft announced in a new teaser trailer today. Ubisoft says the sequel will be properly unveiled at The Game Awards on Thursday, December 6. (You can read up on how to watch The Game awards 2018 here.)*Far Cry 5 ending spoilers ahead*Rather than a full-fat sequel, this mystery Far Cry seems to be a continuation of the nuclear reckoning that served as Far Cry 5's 'good' ending. In case you missed it: antagonist Joseph Seed dropped a nuke on Montana just because, which put a bit of a damper on things. The point is, rather than Far Cry 6, it looks like we're getting a Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon-sized spin-off of Far Cry 5. Like Blood Dragon, this also appears to be a standalone game: in a tweet, Ubisoft UK specifically called it "the next Far Cry," so we know it's not just DLC. The setup for this mystery Far Cry is closer to something like Fallout 76 or Mad Max than the series' usual quests for justice. "None of us were … [Read more...] about The next Far Cry picks up after the ending of Far Cry 5, and will be revealed this week
Panzer Dragoon Saga: An oral history
It was Team Andromeda — an internal R&D team at Sega of Japan — that first revealed the potential of the Sega Saturn. Its debut game was the on-rails shooter Panzer Dragoon. Part Space Harrier, part Dune, part Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Panzer Dragoon filled Sega Saturns around the globe with evocative 3D shooting action featuring a blue dragon and its rider. Over the course of three initial games — Panzer Dragoon (1995), Panzer Dragoon 2 Zwei (1996) and Panzer Dragoon Saga (1998) — Team Andromeda continued to mine this simple yet compelling premise: that of a rider and his dragon facing off against a mysterious empire. While 2002’s Panzer Dragoon Orta (developed by ex-Team Andromeda members who later joined another studio, Smilebit) kept the series going later, it was the role-playing game Panzer Dragoon Saga that ended up becoming the standout. Taken at face value, Panzer Dragoon and its much-improved successor, Panzer Dragoon 2 Zwei, … [Read more...] about Panzer Dragoon Saga: An oral history
The 100 greatest female characters in movies
Females on film While film school classes and incensed critics continue to debate the lack of women in film, female actresses are fighting the good fight on the silver screen itself. Alas, not in anywhere near the numbers needed - provided things were a little bit fairer, of course - or that woman over the age of 40 didn't suddenly become a movie exec's idea of nightmare kryptonite.Over the years, these actresses have been asked to play any number of damsels, dames, nagging housewives, ditzy girlfriends and occasionally (just occasionally) an interesting and nuanced character. This list celebrates the latter, looking at the very best female creations in the history of cinema. Enjoy.15 most prolific female screenwriters25 funniest female characters25 best movies on Netflix Prev Page 1 of 101 Next Prev Page 1 of 101 Next 100. Baby (Dirty Dancing) The Character: Dirty Dancings Jewish princess learns to thrust n grind with Swayzes Johnny Castle. Nobodys gonna put her in a corner … [Read more...] about The 100 greatest female characters in movies
Crash Bandicoot: An oral history
The first time Taylor Kurosaki and Bob Rafei saw a running PlayStation, they were in a Las Vegas hotel room. It was the 1995 Consumer Electronics Show. They, along with the company they worked for, Naughty Dog, were being given a behind-closed-doors look at Sony's first foray into the game console industry. When they describe the event now, they use words like "inspiring" and "enthralled" and phrases like "blown away." They didn't know it at the time, but the members of Naughty Dog in that room — Kurosaki, Rafei and co-founders Jason Rubin and Andy Gavin — were looking at the system that would host the team's next game: Crash Bandicoot. They were seeing the console their company would eventually create the unofficial mascot for — the console they would develop Naughty Dog's first smash hit for. It was Kurosaki and Rafei's second day with the company. Naughty Dog released Crash Bandicoot for Sony's original PlayStation in September 1996. In it, the team took an old … [Read more...] about Crash Bandicoot: An oral history