In the Dragon’s Dogma franchise, the Arisen is the one destined to fight the Dragon, ending the lizard’s rampage through the land and assuring a time of peace for the people. While your player character acts as the current Arisen, there have been plenty more before their time. In fact, there are quite a few active Arisen inDragon’s Dogma 2, even if you didn’t notice at first. While they can all hold their own in a fight, most of them haven’t even conquered their main foe, which begs the question: who among all these Arisen is the most powerful one?...

Summary As a man rapidly approaching 30, I think about the Roman Empire a lot. I’ve been pondering the Romans even more than usual recently, as I plan a week-long hike along Hadrian’s Wall this summer. I’ve bought books (both fiction and non-fiction), I’ve watched films (both historical drama and documentary), and then I looked at the video games. I immediately noticed that there’s a dearth of Roman video games, other than in one specific genre that I’ll come onto a little later....

Ubisoft’s popular new free-to-play shooterXDefiantis a whole lot likeCall of Dutywith a very light coat of Ubisoft paint. At launch, the game only features factions and maps from modern, realistic, and shooty Ubisoft series likeThe DivisionandFar Cry, which largely makes it look like any other shooter. I am fundamentally in agreement withthe folks over at MinnMaxwho argued that the game should draw on more cartoony Ubi franchises likeRaymanif it wants to stand out....

Fallout 3is filled with moral quandaries. Like a lot of games of this era, you are often asked to be either an angel descended from heaven or the devil himself, as the middle ground isn’t worth pursuing when the rewards are so underwhelming. Go big or go home, or in the case of Megaton, nuke it to smithereens or disarm the bomb and get a free house. While there is a path of neutral karma to walk down and achievements to go alongside it, it’s just not nearly as fun to roam the Capital Wasteland as a mercenary with neither a heart ripe with gold nor one burnt to cinders....

You’ve got a ton of resources you’ll need to gather as you play throughStardew Valley, but it’s a bit confusing to note that only five of the items that drop when you slay monsters in the mines, Skull Cavern, Volcano Dungeon, or even on your farm count toward the “Monster Loot” category of items. Even outside those central five items, the monsters you slay in Stardew Valley drop dozens of different types of loot, some of it vastly more valuable than others....

Summary Last month,Larian Studios announced that it was working on two new RPGsfollowing the gargantuan success ofBaldur’s Gate 3which still endures today, nearly a year later. To help with these upcoming projects, it has opened a new studio in Warsaw, Poland. “With two new very ambitious RPGs now starting development, what better way to see our visions realised than by growing the team and opening a seventh studio in the heart of Poland’s lively gaming scene!...

Summary One of the best things you’re able to do inBaldur’s Gate 3is brutally murder an owlbear in front of its cub and then steal said cub from goblins,forcing it to become your subservient pet. But what if you could become the owlbear yourself? You can thanks toHornbird’s new mod, kind of. It adds the Owlin species fromDungeons & Dragons 5E, which is basically just a tall humanoid owlbear (the head is even the same)....

Building a budget computer is often a necessity for those of us who aren’t able to run out and buy the most expensive new components. For others, it’s a great challenge to attempt to build the best machine you can without spending top-of-the-line money. And for still others,building a budget PCis a great way to get a PC that gives you the performance you need instead of overpaying for components that give higher performance values than you require....

Summary The term ‘indie game’ has evolved over the years but still represents the passion for a project that is near and dear to the developer’s heart. While many are still made by individuals or small teams, we have seen bigger budgets for indie games that take them to the next level. Many indie games have found a dedicated fanbase, while others have become household names, such as Stardew Valley, Cuphead, and Undertale to name a few....

Summary TheStar Warsuniverse continues to grow across film, animation, books, video games, and now also live-action television series on Disney+. It all began with the success of The Mandalorian, at the time hailed as one of the best new live-action installments in Star Wars canon since the original trilogy. The Mandalorian then spawned many new TV series exploring various characters across different timelines in the galaxy that can also be considered more like spin-offs....

Summary Fighters, or whatever name the game gives them, are the bread and butter of every tabletop RPG, andDungeons & Dragonsis no exception. They’re essentially the guy who is just good at fighting, capable of using many weapons and focused on non-magical combat — though your subclass affects that last part. Yet, fighters offer a balanced choice, dealing consistent damage while maintaining a sturdy presence unlike spellcasting classes. Their straightforward nature makes it relatively easier for the Dungeon Master to manage their abilities, but a well-optimized fighter can still present a challenge....

The world is waiting for Nintendo to officially reveal something about the Switch 2, but there’s some other business to take care of before that. The original Switch is still the focus for now, and the third best-selling console of all time’s first big game of the year is another remaster following a year of successful revivals throughout 2024. First on the docket for Nintendo in 2025 is Donkey Kong Country Returns HD....

Summary It may be “Goku Day” all across the world, but the son of Vegeta - Trunks - is here to steal the spotlight.Fortnite, which is known for its massive collaborations across pop culture, will reportedly be adding Trunks to the fold. In the past, Fortnite has had crossovers with many anime, including series likeNaruto,My Hero Academia, Jujutsu Kaisen,Attack on Titanand, of course,Dragon Ball, which have all been the subject of various waves of downloadable content....