Rock Paper Shotgun Divinity: Original Sin 2 Feed

enThu, 28 Mar 2024 13:21:56 +0000A wholly subscription-driven games industry would be "savage", says Larian CEOhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/a-wholly-subscription-driven-games-industry-would-be-savage-says-larian-ceoEdwin Evans-ThirlwellWed, 17 Jan 2024 18:14:39 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/a-wholly-subscription-driven-games-industry-would-be-savage-says-larian-ceoFantasyBaldur's Gate 3Multiplayer CooperativeXbox OnePS5PS4Single PlayerStrategy: Turn-Based StrategysubscriptionsXbox Series X/SDivinity: Original Sin 2PCLarian StudiosRPGNintendo SwitchFull productAction AdventureBird view / IsometricMultiplayer CompetitiveStrategy

Larian CEO Swen Vincke has been reading Ubisoft director of subscriptions Philippe Tremblay's thoughts from yesterday about how players need to "get comfortable" with renting their games as a package, rather than "having and owning" an individual copy. His broad takeaway is: that ain't it, chief. In a social media thread today, Vincke wrote that "it's going to be a lot harder to get good content if subscription becomes the dominant model and a select group gets to decide what goes to market and what not". He feels that "direct from developer to players is the way". As such you shouldn't expect Baldur's Gate 3, Divinity: Original Sin 2 or any other Larian RPGs to join the Game Pass bandwagon anytime soon.

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Larian CEO is "frightened" by Baldur's Gate 3's success but it's "very motivating" for "our next big game"https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/larian-ceo-is-frightened-by-baldurs-gate-3s-success-but-its-very-motivating-for-our-next-big-gameEdwin Evans-ThirlwellWed, 15 Nov 2023 11:09:31 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/larian-ceo-is-frightened-by-baldurs-gate-3s-success-but-its-very-motivating-for-our-next-big-gameFantasyBaldur's Gate 3Multiplayer CooperativeXbox OnePS5PS4Single PlayerStrategy: Turn-Based StrategyXbox Series X/SDivinity: Original Sin 2PCLarian StudiosRPGNintendo SwitchFull productAction AdventureBird view / IsometricMultiplayer CompetitiveStrategy

Larian's king wizard (CEO) Swen Vincke is very eager to tell you about the studio's next game after Baldur's Gate 3. And also, a bit terrified, because after all, the response to Larian's D&D adaptation has been rather rhapsodic. How on Earth do you replicate that level of success? The answer may lie in scripture.

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These are your 25 favourite RPGs of all timehttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/these-are-your-25-favourite-rpgs-of-all-timeKatharine CastleWed, 20 Sep 2023 11:00:00 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/these-are-your-25-favourite-rpgs-of-all-timeDisco ElysiumVampire: The Masquerade - BloodlinesPS3Fallout: New VegasPlanescape: TormentThe Elder Scrolls V: SkyrimElectronic ArtsPS5Single PlayerThe Elder Scrolls III: MorrowindXbox Series X/SEidos InteractiveFromSoftwareNamco BandaiPCTroika GamesFinal Fantasy VIEidosMass Effect 2Action AdventureBethesda SoftworksSide viewXbox OnePSPPathfinder: Wrath of the RighteousActivisionNintendo WiiThird personFalloutLarian StudiosAspyrRPGBethesda Game StudiosNamco Bandai PartnersSquare EnixAndroidHack & SlashiOSThe Witcher 3: Wild HuntMultiplayer CompetitiveFantasyArcanum: Of Steamworks And Magick ObscuraDeus ExBaldur's Gate: Dark Alliance IIPS4Pillars of Eternity II: DeadfireBestest Bests: Reader EditionStrategy: Turn-Based StrategyDivinity: Original Sin 2Xbox 360ZeniMax MediaLucasArtsAppleXboxDark SoulsWarner Bros. GamesPrime MatterFull productElden RingInterplayBird view / IsometricNintendo DSShooterIndiePS2CD ProjektActivision BlizzardSimulationBiowareBaldur's Gate 3Multiplayer CooperativeCD Projekt REDStar Wars: Knights of The Old RepublicUbisoftObsidian EntertainmentBandai Namco EntertainmentDragon Age: OriginsAcclaim GamesMass Effect: Legendary EditionNintendo SwitchVersus EvilBlack Isle StudiosSierra EntertainmentChrono TriggerFallout 2ToseFirst personBaldur's GateStrategy

If 2023 is remembered for one thing, it's that it was a 100% critical success year for the RPG. Role-players across the land have been feasting exceedingly well these past few months, what with the stonking success of Baldur's Gate 3 (and to lesser extents, Starfield and Diablo 4), so we thought it was about time to celebrate your favourite RPGs of all time. Your votes have been counted, your comments have been sorted, and the cream of the RPG crop has been assembled. But which of the many excellent RPGs have risen above all others? Come and find out below as we count down your top 25 favourite RPGs of all time.

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Larian will "definitely" return to the Divinity series at some point after Baldur's Gate 3https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/larian-will-definitely-return-to-the-divinity-series-at-some-point-after-baldurs-gate-3Graham SmithThu, 27 Jul 2023 19:24:33 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/larian-will-definitely-return-to-the-divinity-series-at-some-point-after-baldurs-gate-3FantasyBaldur's Gate 3Multiplayer CooperativeXbox OnePS5PS4BlockbusterSingle PlayerStrategy: Turn-Based StrategyXbox Series X/SDivinity: Original Sin 2PCLarian StudiosRPGNintendo SwitchFull productAction AdventureBird view / IsometricMultiplayer CompetitiveStrategy

Baldur's Gate 3 launches next week, but already people are wondering what developers Larian might turn to next. Mainly, they're curious whether the studio will return to their own long-running RPG series, Divinity.

"Definitely," is the answer from CEO Swen Vincke - but not until after the studio has had a break.

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Divinity: Original Sin 2 now has cross-save between Steam and iPadhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/divinity-original-sin-2-now-has-cross-save-between-steam-and-ipadGraham SmithSat, 04 Sep 2021 22:07:34 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/divinity-original-sin-2-now-has-cross-save-between-steam-and-ipadLarian StudiosDivinity: Original Sin 2

Is this iPad news we shouldn't be writing about, or is it PC news fit for a PC games website? I don't care. It's lying-in-my-bed, playing-cool-games news, and such joys cannot be limited by petty platform divides.

Your Divinity: Original Sin 2 saves are another thing which cannot be limited by petty platform divides. The iOS version of the game now has Steam Cross Save functionality, meaning you can move your progress in the RPG back and forth.

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Baldur's Gate 3 developers Larian Studios snatch up a seventh studiohttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/baldurs-gate-3-developers-larian-snatch-up-a-seventh-studioLauren MortonWed, 02 Jun 2021 16:20:21 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/baldurs-gate-3-developers-larian-snatch-up-a-seventh-studioDivinity: Original SinLarian StudiosBaldur's Gate 3Divinity: Original Sin 2RPG

Like their upcoming mind flayer baddies, Baldur's Gate 3 developers Larian Studios have snatched some minds for a new studio. Larian have announced that they've snagged the development team from Spanish studio BlitWorks who they've previously worked with on porting their other big RPG Divinity: Original Sin 2 to the Nintendo Switch. Less sinister than the mind flayers though, I imagine. The two apparently got on so well while working on the Switch version of D:OS2 that Larian have lifted the developers from BlitWorks to create their new Barcelona studio.

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Divinity: Original Sin 2's iPad launch means roping in even more co-op palshttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/divinity-original-sin-2-launches-ipad-verison-with-cross-platform-co-op-with-pcLauren MortonWed, 19 May 2021 19:32:23 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/divinity-original-sin-2-launches-ipad-verison-with-cross-platform-co-op-with-pcLarian StudiosDivinity: Original Sin 2Divinity: Original Sin 2 Definitive Edition

As an enjoyer of co-op campaigns, an enjoyer of RPGs, and specifically an enjoyer of co-op RPG romp Divinity: Original Sin 2, here's a nice bit of news. It may seem like Larian Studios' last big game had gotten a release on just about every platform you could think of, but no. They've now launched it on iPads too. If you too have co-op pals who don't own PCs, here's yet another way to try and rope them into one of the best co-op games around thanks to cross-platform multiplayer between PC, Mac, and iPads.

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The joy of tumbling on your arse in Divinity Original Sin 2https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-joy-of-tumbling-on-your-arse-in-divinity-original-sin-2Ed ThornFri, 19 Mar 2021 14:34:56 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-joy-of-tumbling-on-your-arse-in-divinity-original-sin-2Larian StudiosDivinity: Original Sin 2The Joy OfFeature

I've started a co-op playthrough of Divinity Original Sin 2, an RPG that feels like learning another language. Slowly, I've grown accustomed to the sheer volume of stats and abilities and decisions I have to make. I now approach situations methodically, identifying enemy weaknesses, and scanning rooms ablaze or bloated by gas, before I commit to an act.

But there's one thing that always gets me. No matter how careful I am, icy surfaces totally pass me by. It's as if they're invisible, the way I think I've clocked every variable, before my dwarf rogue moves two paces and tumbles onto his arse. I don't mind, though, as it's comedy gold; an act so funny I'm convinced there's actually nothing funnier.

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Everything goes wrong in this Divinity: Original Sin 2 speedrun, naturallyhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/everything-goes-wrong-in-this-divinity-original-sin-2-speedrun-naturallyLauren MortonWed, 06 Jan 2021 20:45:04 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/everything-goes-wrong-in-this-divinity-original-sin-2-speedrun-naturallyDivinity: Original Sin 2AGDQ 2021RPGGames Done Quick

Everything going terribly wrong is the theme of most of my Divinity: Original Sin 2 experiences. Fire everywhere, right? Speedrunners know this big RPG's ins and outs much better than I do, but it turns out even they aren't impervious to disaster—or fire. This year's D:OS2 speedrun during the Awesome Games Done Quick marathon went totally off the rails but was an even more fun watch because of it.

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Awesome Games Done Quick 2021 has begunhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/awesome-games-done-quick-2021-has-begunImogen BeckhellingMon, 04 Jan 2021 15:26:28 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/awesome-games-done-quick-2021-has-begunCharityYooka-Laylee and the Impossible LairBlockbusterDishonored 2Half-LifeMirror's EdgeHadesAwesome Games Done QuickCelesteDragon Age: OriginsSpeedrunningOri and the Will of the WispsDivinity: Original Sin 2Sonic ManiaStar Wars Jedi: Fallen OrderThe Elder Scrolls V: SkyrimJust Cause 3AGDQ 2021

Get your speedrunning shoes on and prepare your glitches: Awesome Games Done Quick has arrived for its yearly speedrunning extravaganza. As with previous years, the charity event is raising money for the Prevent Cancer Foundation. It's been live since yesterday evening and runs until this Sunday, and there are already some fab runs in the likes of Mirror's Edge and Dragon Age: Origins to catch up on.

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The best RPGs on PC in 2024https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/best-rpgsAlice BellWed, 11 Nov 2020 22:30:14 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/best-rpgsMonster Hunter: WorldWeird WestDisco ElysiumVampire: The Masquerade - BloodlinesUndertalePS3Fallout: New VegasNeverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the BetrayerPlanescape: TormentRed Dead Redemption 2The Elder Scrolls V: SkyrimElectronic ArtsStardew ValleyPS5Single PlayerDevolver DigitalLevel-5Xbox Series X/SEidos InteractiveFromSoftwareDwarf FortressNi No Kuni II: Revenant KingdomPCCapcomTroika GamesAlmost HumanTHQBestest BestsEidosMass Effect 2Assassin's Creed: ValhallaCitizen SleeperPlatinumGamesDarkest DungeonAction AdventureSegaBethesda SoftworksHarebrained SchemesFinal Fantasy XMount & Blade II: BannerlordInfogramesUbisoft EntertainmentHand of Fate 2MMORPGTextSide viewXbox OnePlayStation VitaTitan QuestActivisionJump Over the AgeUltima VII: The Black GateChucklefish GamesNintendo WiiIrrational GamesThird personYakuza: Like a DragonLarian StudiosAspyrRPGBethesda Game StudiosShadowrun: DragonfallLegend of Grimrock 2Square EnixToby FoxAndroidHack & SlashiOSThe Witcher 3: Wild HuntMultiplayer CompetitiveMacCyberpunk 2077Defiant DevelopmentFantasyDragon Age: InquisitionArcanum: Of Steamworks And Magick ObscuraDeus ExFailbetter GamesHorizon's GateTake-Two InteractivePS4Card GamesStrategy: Turn-Based StrategyDivinity: Original Sin 2Spiderweb SoftwareXbox 360Six Ages: Ride Like The WindLucasArtsWolfEye StudiosRed Hook StudiosAppleXboxWarner Bros. GamesPillars of EternityTHQ NordicPath of ExilePrime MatterBrogueFull productElden RingInterplayLooking Glass StudiosBird view / IsometricNintendo DSShooterRockstar GamesIndiePS2CD ProjektActivision BlizzardAtariSimulationBiowareBaldur's Gate 3Multiplayer CooperativeSunless SkiesDragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive AgePuzzleStar Traders: FrontiersParadox InteractiveCD Projekt REDAvernum: Escape From the PitStar Wars: Knights of The Old RepublicUbisoftDiablo III2K BostonAnachronoxNEO ScavengerKenshiFellow TravellerIron Lore EntertainmentGrinding Gear GamesObsidian EntertainmentBandai Namco EntertainmentBlizzard EntertainmentKitfox GamesNintendo SwitchBlack Isle StudiosTaleWorlds EntertainmentBay 12 GamesSierra EntertainmentSystem Shock 2NieR: AutomataChrono TriggerUbisoft MontrealToseFirst personStrategy

Whether you like wizards, sword-and-board warriors, the irradiated wasteland, vampires, or isometric text-heavy stories, the RPG is the genre that will never let you down. Accross the dizzing number of games available where you can play a role, there's something for everyone - and we've tried to reflect that in our list of the best RPGs on PC. The past couple of years have been great for RPGs, so there are some absolute classics as well as brand spanking new games on this list. And there's more to look forwards to, with rumblings of Dragon Age: Dread Wolf finally on the horizon, and space epic Starfield in our rear view mirror. Whatever else may happen, though, this list will provide you with the 50 best RPGs that you can download and play on PC right now.

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The Game Music Festival Vol. 3 reimagines the sounds of Supergiant and Larianhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-game-music-festival-vol-3-reimagines-the-sounds-of-supergiant-and-larianNatalie ClaytonSat, 17 Oct 2020 11:44:39 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-game-music-festival-vol-3-reimagines-the-sounds-of-supergiant-and-larianFantasyBaldur's Gate 3Multiplayer CooperativeSide viewXbox OnePlayStation VitaPS4PS5Single PlayerRoguelikeStrategy: Turn-Based StrategySupergiant GamesXbox Series X/SDivinity: Original Sin 2PCXbox 360game musicHadesLarian StudiosStrategyAppleRPGNintendo SwitchWarner Bros. GamesBastionTransistorVisual Novel & DatingFull productAction AdventureBird view / IsometriciOSFirst personMultiplayer CompetitiveIndiePyre

Comb your hair, spray that perfume and suit up for a night of high culture, readers - the third edition of the Game Music Festival is underway. Starting last night, you can already tune into a full evening of orchestral rearrangement of scores from Bastion, Transistor, Pyre and Hades, with Larian Studios picking up the mic tonight for a more high-fantasy swing at the concert scene.

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The 9 best magic spells in PC gameshttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-9-best-magic-spells-in-pc-gamesBrendan CaldwellFri, 31 Jul 2020 08:00:27 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-9-best-magic-spells-in-pc-gamesMiddle-earth: Shadow of MordorBlockbusterOne Off The ListStory RichDark Souls IIINoitaStrategyAction AdventurePlatformerDivinity: Original Sin 2RPGDishonoredThe Elder Scrolls V: SkyrimShooterFeatureGwent: The Witcher Card GameIndieDragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen

Hubbish bubbish, rhymes are rubbish, eye of newt and blah blah blah. Gosh, magic is a chore. If only we had a catalyst to... Oh, hello reader, what are you doing here? Well, as it happens, yes, you can help me out. Just stand over here while I scratch these runes around you. I’m trying to summon the 9 best magic spells in PC games, you see. Stand still, please. You won’t feel a thing.

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The 12 most useful inventions in PC gameshttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-12-most-useful-inventions-in-pc-gamesBrendan CaldwellFri, 15 May 2020 08:00:19 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-12-most-useful-inventions-in-pc-gamesMetal Gear Solid V: The Phantom PainOpus MagnumPuzzleBlockbusterHitman 2Else Heart BreakControlDivinity: Original Sin 2FeatureStory RichHalf-Life: AlyxReturn of the Obra DinnOne Off The ListDetroit: Become HumanAction AdventureMinecraftShooterIndiePortal

If you plumb the depths of human ingenuity you will resurface with a wet box of penicillin and 100 million bits of different-coloured plastic. We people are very good at making useful things, and then killing ourselves with them. But videogames, my friends. Videogames hold the solution to our self-destructive ways. That tech utopia your pal Start-up Stan is always talking about is in reach, we just need to find a way to make these 12 practical devices from videogames appear in real life.

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Developers of your favourite games share what they're most proud of makinghttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/developers-of-your-favourite-games-share-what-small-thing-theyre-most-proud-of-makingAlex WiltshireMon, 13 Apr 2020 16:00:20 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/developers-of-your-favourite-games-share-what-small-thing-theyre-most-proud-of-makingSkin DeepMinitDerek YuEmily ShortBennett FoddyRimWorldDeus ExDishonoredHeaven's VaultArvi TeikariBlockbusterRobert Yangpetri purhojustin maKineSubset GamesDivinity: Original Sin 2Olivia Woodmatthew davisGwen FreyGetting Over ItFeatureKitty CalisTynan SylvesterTotally Accurate Battle SimulatorHarvey SmithInto the BreachBrendon ChungVVVVVVIndie

Times are strange and frightening. But one point of great solace for me has been hearing people celebrating things in their lives. It feels especially important right now to hold on to what makes us all proud about what we do and who we are. And what I really love is people showing off things they’re proud of making.

So I’ve been asking a bunch of developers to pick out something they’ve created that brings them pleasure to look back on. And here they are, including Harvey Smith remembering his input on Deus Ex and Dishonored, Derek Yu on one of his first-ever games. There’s pride in doing something for someone else’s game, in the power of details and in little inventions, and ah gosh, shut up, let’s just tuck into a big slice of escapist positivity.

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The joy of playing a great game before its superior sequelhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-joy-of-playing-a-great-game-before-its-superior-sequelRobert ZakMon, 16 Mar 2020 18:30:05 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-joy-of-playing-a-great-game-before-its-superior-sequelDivinity: Original SinBlockbusterLarian StudiosThe Joy OfDivinity: Original Sin 2RPGFeature

I’m having a moment in Divinity: Original Sin. I’m lost in the limitless depths of my inventory, its small icons denoting vague categories which make me forget which character was meant to give what to whom, or where I put that unidentified sarong I swear I picked up in the last battle. Meanwhile, the NPCs in the market square around me are repeating their lines on 20-second loops. “Quiet day on the market, it seems”, says the lonely bougee lady, to absolutely no one. Yes, I think. It is. But it’d be just that precious bit quieter if I stuck these blooming daggers between your ribs.

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RPS asks: turn-based or real-time with pause combat?https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/rps-asks-turn-based-or-real-time-with-pause-combatLauren MortonMon, 02 Mar 2020 18:09:09 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/rps-asks-turn-based-or-real-time-with-pause-combatRPS asksWizards of the CoastLarian StudiosBaldur's Gate 3Divinity: Original Sin 2Infinity EngineBaldur's GateBaldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II

Now that we've gotten a proper look at Baldur's Gate 3, the ol' war machines are firing up. Baldur's Gate games from years of yore featured the combat shared by other Infinity Engine games—real time action with the ability to pause and dictate to your party. Baldur's Gate 3, developed by those Larian folks of Divinity: Original Sin 2 fame, will have turn-based combat similar to Larian's last big RPG. So then, which is better? Come hash it out, but please do so in an orderly, turn-based queue.

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The 9 dodgiest religions in gameshttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-9-dodgiest-religions-in-gamesBrendan CaldwellFri, 28 Feb 2020 09:00:54 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-9-dodgiest-religions-in-gamesMetro ExodusFinal Fantasy XBlockbusterDivinity: Original Sin 2FeatureAssassin's Creed IIAssassin's Creed BrotherhoodStory RichDragon Age: OriginsSlay the SpireRPGOne Off The ListSportsFar Cry 5Action AdventureShooterThe Witcher 3: Wild HuntIndiePyre

Ah, religion. I know this is a topic we all have trouble agreeing on. But fear not, humble practitioner of a good pray, I am not here to squint angrily at your favourite book of life advice. I’m only here for the videogame religions. The ones that are very, very, very, very bad. You know, the gun-loving cults and the xenophobic people-burners. The (mostly) fictional religions that involve an uncommon volume of murder. Step this way, sprinkle yourself with some of my 100% genuine oil of the almighty, and peruse the 9 most dodgy religions in games.

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The 25 best co-op games on PC in 2024https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/best-co-op-gamesAlice BellFri, 24 Jan 2020 11:05:36 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/best-co-op-gamesGears 5PS3Electronic ArtsStardew ValleyPS5Single PlayerPlatformerXbox Series X/SRocksteady StudiosArma 3FromSoftwareNamco BandaiPCArcadeFightingPlayer First GamesBohemia Interactive Simulations s.r.o.Bestest BestsTurtle Rock StudiosAction AdventureMinecraftMMORPGSide viewRockstar NorthXbox OnePlayStation VitaMultiVersusLeft 4 Dead 2Fatshark GamesStunlock StudiosChucklefish GamesMossmouthBorderlands 3Third personLarian StudiosValheimRPGNamco Bandai PartnersBohemia InteractiveSquare EnixAndroidHack & SlashiOSMultiplayer CompetitiveMacTom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas 2Coffee Stain PublishingTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's RevengeStealthCoffee Stain StudiosXbox Game StudiosVirtual RealityHazelight StudiosTake-Two InteractivePS4BlockbusterCard GamesStrategy: Turn-Based StrategyDivinity: Original Sin 2DotEmuXbox 360Dark SoulsWarner Bros. GamesConcernedApeSpelunkyBird view / IsometricEA PartnersGrand Theft Auto VShooterRockstar GamesKeep Talking and Nobody ExplodesIndieKinetic GamesSimulationMultiplayer CooperativeWarhammer: Vermintide 2PuzzlePhasmophobiaAuditoryPortal 2BlitWorksValve CorporationUbisoftDiablo IIIMicrosoft StudiosValveBandai Namco EntertainmentIt Takes TwoPartyBlizzard EntertainmentValve SoftwareNintendo SwitchV RisingTribute Games Inc.Ubisoft Montreal2K GamesFirst personGearbox SoftwareStrategy

Playing games with other people is one of the beloved traditions of liking video games at all, and if you're the friendly type like us at RPS, then you'll enjoy games where you work with others, rather than against them. That's why we've put together our list of the best co-op games on PC for you to find common ground with your besties. Whether you want to shoot monsters together, shoot robots together, or get a divorcing couple to work together as they run around their own home as tiny doll versions of themselves, then you can find something to enjoy on this list of co-op games.

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The greatest PC games of the 2010shttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-best-games-of-the-decade-on-pcRPSFri, 06 Dec 2019 16:16:13 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-best-games-of-the-decade-on-pcHotline MiamiKonamiArkane StudiosParadox Development StudioUndertalePS3Fallout: New VegasThe Elder Scrolls V: SkyrimQLOCElectronic ArtsPS5Single PlayerHitman 2Devolver DigitalPlatformerXbox Series X/S2:22AMFromSoftwareNamco BandaiPCDishonored 2Annapurna InteractiveArcadeFightinginkleDaybreak Game CompanyBestest BestsCrusader Kings IIVisual Novel & DatingMass Effect 2Apex LegendsNintendo GBACounter-Strike: Global OffensiveAction AdventureSegaBethesda SoftworksHumble BundleWith Those We Love AliveRimWorldMMORPGTextSide viewRockstar NorthTri SynergyXbox OnePlayStation VitaApe OutWarner Bros.ActivisionFactorioWhat Remains of Edith FinchMossmouthUntitled Goose GameSid Meier's Civilization VSorathDennaton GamesStory RichThird personLarian StudiosSecret HabitatAspyrPanic ButtonDevil DaggersRPGBethesda Game StudiosMobius DigitalNamco Bandai PartnersMarvelous Entertainment Inc.Abstraction GamesGiant SparrowPlanetSide 2Lucas PopeSquare EnixMicrosoftHidden Path EntertainmentCosmo D StudiosCities: SkylinesAndroidDark Souls: RemasteredHack & Slashid SoftwareiOSToby FoxSports InteractiveMultiplayer CompetitiveThe Witcher 3: Wild HuntMacMesshofKlei EntertainmentFTL: Faster Than LightIO InteractiveHarmonixTake-Two InteractiveNidhoggPS4BlockbusterDeadly PremonitionCard GamesStrategy: Turn-Based StrategyColossal OrderPapers PleaseRising Star GamesThe Norwood SuiteDivinity: Original Sin 2Cataclysm: Dark Days AheadDota 2Xbox 360FrogwaresWube SoftwareFootball Manager Touch 2019AppleStrategy: Real-Time StrategyYakuza 0Dark SoulsFeral InteractiveWarner Bros. GamesSpelunkyBird view / IsometricEA PartnersGrand Theft Auto VFiraxis GamesShooterRockstar GamesIndieInvisible Inc.CD ProjektHouse HouseActivision BlizzardAtariMetal Gear Solid V: The Phantom PainSimulationBiowareOverwatchMultiplayer CooperativeRespawn EntertainmentXCOM: Enemy UnknownMastertronicOuter WildsPuzzleParadox InteractiveCD Projekt REDStar Traders: FrontiersPortal 2ElizaBlitWorksValve Corporation80 DaysNEO ScavengerAccess GamesFeatureSony Online EntertainmentValveObsidian EntertainmentBandai Namco EntertainmentDoomSlay the SpireHumble GamesBlizzard EntertainmentValve SoftwareNintendo SwitchBernbandVirtuosReturn of the Obra DinnPoint and ClickSportsMOBA2K GamesInto the BreachFirst personKojima ProductionsStrategy

It's been an eventful decade for PC games, and it would be hard for you to summarise everything that's happened in the medium across the past ten years. Hard for you, but a day's work for us. Below you'll find our picks for the 50 greatest games released on PC across the past decade.

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Stay comfy: games you can play with a hot mug in one handhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/stay-comfy-games-you-can-play-with-a-hot-mug-in-one-handChase CarterSun, 01 Dec 2019 18:12:18 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/stay-comfy-games-you-can-play-with-a-hot-mug-in-one-handPillars of Eternity II: DeadfireTotal War: Three KingdomsTropicoDisco ElysiumSlay the SpireAge of Wonders: PlanetfallHearthstoneTorment: Tides of NumeneraXCOM 2Planet ZooDivinity: Original Sin 2CivilizationRPGPuzzleStrategy

Winter brings out a part of me that immediately seeks a mountain of blankets in which to burrow. Even in my seasonally confused state of Texas, the weather has tended towards the chilly and left me with little excuse not to have a kettle boiling interminably as I layer on socks and pull the biggest comforter from the top of the closet. But this presents a problem likely familiar to other cozy connoisseurs: how does one game while properly bundled?

I will admit it does limit possibilities considerably. That's why I've curated a small selection of games perfectly playable while your other hand keeps coffee or tea always within sipping range.

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Divinity: Original Sin 2's free Order & Magic DLC makes it easier to keep a kitty as a pethttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/divinity-original-sin-2s-free-order-magic-dlc-makes-it-easier-to-keep-a-kitty-as-a-petCraig PearsonFri, 08 Nov 2019 17:33:15 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/divinity-original-sin-2s-free-order-magic-dlc-makes-it-easier-to-keep-a-kitty-as-a-petLarian StudiosDivinity: Original Sin 2RPGDivinity: Original Sin 2 Definitive Edition

Divinity: Original Sin 2 has had a couple of free Gift Bags drop already. Think of them as small mutators that add little features to the base game which you can toggle on or off. The first bag added new customisation options and a respec mirror onboard the Lady Vengeance. Bag two had herb gardens, talent tweaks, and action point increases. But bag three, Order & Magic, is the latest and greatest. It has a toggle called "Nine Lives" that adds a whistle that will summon the black cat.

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What graphics card do I need for HDR and what PC games support it?https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/what-graphics-card-hdr-pc-games-3Katharine CastleWed, 30 Oct 2019 10:20:20 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/what-graphics-card-hdr-pc-games-3Metro ExodusGears 5HitmanSenua's Saga: Hellblade IIMonster Hunter: WorldF1 2017Graphics CardsThe Elder Scrolls OnlineInjustice 2The Dark Pictures Anthology - Man Of MedanDestiny 2Divinity: Original Sin 2 Definitive EditionPlants vs. Zombies: Battle For NeighborvilleObductionMadden NFL 20Red Dead Redemption 2Shadow Warrior 2Forza Horizon 3Shadow of the Tomb RaiderSekiro: Shadows Die TwiceForza Motorsport 7Mortal Kombat 11Jump ForceTom Clancy's Ghost Recon: BreakpointCall of Duty: Black Ops IIIIForza Horizon 4GridHitman 2Assassin's Creed IIIStar Wars: Battlefront IIBattlefield 1Sword Art Online: Fatal BulletMadden NFL 19Divinity: Original Sin 2ParagonResident Evil 7: BiohazardMass Effect AndromedaAMD FreeSync 2Borderlands 3Ni No Kuni II: Revenant KingdomFeatureAgents of MayhemAMDTom Clancy's The Division 2Middle-earth: Shadow of WarAnthemF1 2018Resident Evil 2Call of Duty: WWIIBlair WitchPES 2019Dark and LightF1 2019HardwareTetris EffectBattlefield VNvidiaHalo Wars 2HDRPES 2020Devil May Cry 5Far Cry 5TerraTechCrackdown 3Ark: Survival EvolvedHeroes of HammerwatchMutant Year Zero: Road To EdenStrange BrigadeFar Cry: New DawnNvidia G-Sync HDRSea of ThievesFinal Fantasy XVAssassin's Creed OriginsCall of Duty: Modern Warfare

HDR on PC hasn't improved much in 2019. Despite there being more HDR gaming monitors than ever before, the very best gaming monitors for HDR continue to be quite expensive compared to non-HDR monitors, and the situation around Windows 10 support for it is still a bit of a mess. However, provided you're willing to fight through all that, then the next step on your path to high dynamic range glory is to get an HDR compatible graphics card.

Below, you'll find a complete list of all the Nvidia and AMD graphics cards that have built-in support for HDR, as well as everything you need to know about getting one that also supports Nvidia and AMD's own HDR standards, G-Sync Ultimate and FreeSync 2. I've also put together a list of all the PC games that support HDR as well, so you know exactly which PC games you can start playing in high dynamic range.

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Divinity spin-off Fallen Heroes is on indefinite holdhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/divinity-spin-off-fallen-heroes-is-on-indefinite-holdAlice O'ConnorTue, 15 Oct 2019 13:14:58 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/divinity-spin-off-fallen-heroes-is-on-indefinite-holdDivinity: Fallen HeroesLarian StudiosLogic ArtistsDivinity: Original Sin 2delayStrategy

Larian today announced that Divinity: Fallen Heroes, the combat-focused spin-off from Divinity: Original Sin 2, is on indefinite hold. First announced in March and due to launch this November, it just needs more time and resources than anyone has right now. It sounds like they do plan to return and pick it back up at some point, but don't hold your breath. Or do hold your breath if you want to, I guess, because even if you do manage to make yourself pass out your body will automatically resume breathing so sure, why not, what else do you have to do right now? Not playing Fallen Heroes, that's for sure.

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Steam Charts: The Worst Week Ever Editionhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/steam-charts-the-worst-week-ever-editionJohn WalkerMon, 17 Jun 2019 15:00:44 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/steam-charts-the-worst-week-ever-editionTom Clancy's Rainbow Six SiegePUBG: BattlegroundsTotal War: Three KingdomsCyberpunk 2077SteamAction AdventureDivinity: Original Sin 2Divinity: Original Sin 2 Definitive EditionHell Let LooseGrand Theft Auto VMordhauOctopath TravelerThe Witcher 3: Wild HuntFeature

I'm declaring it: this is the Worst Week Ever for Steam Charts. And let's face it - this is entirely your fault. If you were a better person, you'd buy better games. But instead you buy the same eight bloody games every bloody week, and then buy a game that isn't even out for over a year. A YEAR! You are awful, and you do not deserve me. This is your punishment.

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The pets immortalised in videogames by their developer ownershttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-pets-immortalised-in-videogames-by-their-developer-ownersLauren MortonThu, 02 May 2019 18:00:03 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-pets-immortalised-in-videogames-by-their-developer-ownersShe Dreams ElsewherePurrfect DateBlockbusterStory RichBae TeamLarian StudiosArenaNetDivinity: Original Sin 2Guild Wars 2Bossa StudiosIndieFeature

Matthew Holland never planned to add his dogs to Divinity: Original Sin 2. It happened on a lark, but turned into a wholesome story about his two canine companions. Holland worked as a scripter at Larian, the studio behind the fantasy RPG. While they were designing Fort Joy, an introductory island prison, the team came up with a quest about two separated dogs who wanted to find one another. At the time, their names were just "Dog A" and "Dog B". While brainstorming with lead writer Sarah Baylus, Holland jokingly pitched the names of his two dogs, Buddy and Emily. The names stuck and Buddy became the lonely dog on the beach at Fort Joy who was missing his partner, Emmie. Although they planned a golden retriever modeled after the real Buddy, it turned out that a golden dog on a white beach wasn't so easy to see. Buddy became a black labrador in-game, but his personality stayed golden.

But Divinity: Original Sin 2 is not the only game to immortalise its developers’ pets. It turns out videogames are full of cat cameos and designer’s dogs. Some are sentimental tributes to pets that have died while others are loving takedowns of catty behavior, but they are all lasting memories of some furry best friends.

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Divinity: Fallen Heroes is sort of XCOM for Divinity: Original Sin 2, but doesn't have its guns yethttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/divinity-fallen-heroes-preview-first-lookAlice BellWed, 27 Mar 2019 15:00:09 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/divinity-fallen-heroes-preview-first-lookPreviewsDivinity: Fallen HeroesLarian StudiosStrategyLogic ArtistsDivinity: Original Sin 2RPGGDC 2019Feature

“Hot diggity daffodil,” says I, reading a GDC email two weeks ago. “A ‘new and unannounced Divinity: Original Sin 2 title’, what a day!” Eagle eyed readers will have already spotted that the email did not in fact say ‘hot new in-depth RPG Divinity: Original Sin 3 revealed’, and Divinity: Fallen Heroes is indeed not that. I got a hands on with an early alpha build, and what it is, is sort of XCOM but for Divinity. Or, to put it another way: did you like the combat from Divinity: Original Sin 2?

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Steam Charts: The tail of the Winter Salehttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/steam-charts-first-week-of-january-2019Alice O'ConnorMon, 07 Jan 2019 14:00:44 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/steam-charts-first-week-of-january-2019Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six SiegePUBG: BattlegroundsBlockbusterMonster Hunter: WorldKingdom Come: DeliveranceSteamIndieDivinity: Original Sin 2Insurgency: SandstormAtlasGrand Theft Auto VAssassin's Creed OdysseyFeature

Ho ho ho! John still hasn't returned after Christmas, missing presumed drowned in egg nog, so I'm filling in today. Valve have already blarbed about 2018's best-selling games so we're back on the weekly charts. Last week's top ten was largely familiar, though catching the tail end of the Steam Winter Sale has introduced a few surprises.

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Steam Charts: I Was On Holiday Last Week Editionhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/steam-charts-i-was-on-holiday-last-week-editionAlice BellMon, 03 Dec 2018 12:12:37 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/steam-charts-i-was-on-holiday-last-week-editionPUBG: BattlegroundsEsportsMonster Hunter: WorldDivinity: Original Sin 2 Definitive EditionSteamSCS SoftwareAssassin's Creed OdysseyRockstar NorthBlockbusterUbisoftDivinity: Original Sin 2Focus Home InteractiveFeatureValveCapcomUbisoft QuebecLarian StudiosPUBG CorpGIANTS SoftwareArtifactEuro Truck Simulator 2 - Beyond the Baltic SeaFarming Simulator 19Counter-Strike: Global OffensiveX4: FoundationsAction AdventureUbisoft MontrealEgosoftRacingGrand Theft Auto VShooterRockstar Games

I, Alice Bee, have returned from a week off and everything has changed. Matt is in the office now, and complained about having to get up at 8.15am. This complaint made me furious and I am telling everyone. My desk has been moved. There is no milk in the fridge. I am confused, and I can't remember all the HTML codes to write this very post. It's going to take ages. The new world is terrifying. But we always have the Steam Charts, even when John is away on his holidays.

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Steam Charts: Do U Cyber Editionhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/steam-charts-do-u-cyber-editionJohn WalkerMon, 26 Nov 2018 16:15:15 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/steam-charts-do-u-cyber-editionPUBG: BattlegroundsTotal War: Warhammer IIMonster Hunter: WorldCyber Monday celebrationsCounter-Strike: Global OffensiveFarming Simulator 19Action AdventureDivinity: Original Sin 2Black Friday 2024Grand Theft Auto VSteamThe Witcher 3: Wild HuntAssassin's Creed OdysseyFeature

Beep boop. I am the SteamChartBot, and welcome to the CYBERCHARTS. They're like the regular charts, but they have the word "CYBER" shouted at the start, and that makes them really bloody cool.

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Steam Charts: Aquatic Craniate Editionhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/steam-charts-november-2John WalkerMon, 05 Nov 2018 16:00:30 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/steam-charts-november-2The ForestPUBG: BattlegroundsDark Souls IIIThe Witcher 3: Wild HuntCall of CthulhuDivinity: Original Sin 2RacingDivinity: Original Sin 2 Definitive EditionGrand Theft Auto VSteamRustFootball Manager 2019Assassin's Creed OdysseyFeature

There are weeks when the Steam Charts surprise us! There are weeks when interesting new and old games reappear, pushing out the dreary regulars! And then mostly there are weeks like this one, where it's so depressingly bland that it starts raining outside the moment you glance at it. Not good rain, just bland drizzle.

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Has Divinity: Original Sin 2 been improved by its updates?https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/has-divinity-original-sin-2-been-improved-by-its-updatesRich McCormickWed, 19 Sep 2018 16:00:42 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/has-divinity-original-sin-2-been-improved-by-its-updatesLarian StudiosUpdate NightDivinity: Original Sin 2RPGDivinity: Original Sin 2 Definitive EditionFeature

I’m being stalked by six-legged space demons, I’m on the run from the fantasy police, and my chosen deity is being slowed squeezed to death by a spectral tree, but my biggest problem in Divinity: Original Sin 2 is a talking squirrel.

Not just any talking squirrel. Sir Lora is — he says — a preeminent wizard, in addition to being the target of an order of fluffy animal knights hell-bent on hastening the end of the world with the coming of the “Great Acorn.” Lora certainly stands out, riding a skeletal cat and talking in a plummy accent, commenting occasionally (and derisively) on my quest to save the world. Sadly, for what he’s gained in arcane knowledge, he’s lost in common sense: Sir Lora is an absolute liability in dangerous situations.

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Steam Charts: Fwd: Fwd: Fwd: Editionhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/steam-charts-fwd-fwd-fwd-editionJohn WalkerMon, 10 Sep 2018 15:00:04 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/steam-charts-fwd-fwd-fwd-editionShadow of the Tomb RaiderHorrorPUBG: BattlegroundsScumTwo Point HospitalMonster Hunter: WorldDivinity: Original Sin 2Divinity: Original Sin 2 Definitive EditionGrand Theft Auto VSteamDragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive AgeThe Witcher 3: Wild HuntFeature

Fwd: Fwd: Fwd: steam Charts will PAY $2 for evry time u forwad this Article.#

If you do not fwrard this article to TEN of you're Friens YOU WILL DEFINITELY DIE!!!!!!!11

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Divinity: Original Sin 2 launches Definitive Edition as free update, squirrel friend arrives in DLChttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/divinity-original-sin-2-definitive-edition-releasedAlice O'ConnorFri, 31 Aug 2018 11:56:49 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/divinity-original-sin-2-definitive-edition-releasedLarian StudiosDivinity: Original Sin 2RPGDivinity: Original Sin 2 Definitive Edition

Larian's fantastic fantasy RPG Divinity: Original Sin 2 has become even fancier with the launch of its Definitive Edition, a free update adding and refining loads. It brings a new 'Story Mode' difficulty level, performance improvements, UI improvements from the inventory to dialogue windows, a new tutorial level, new bits of dialogue slipped into all sorts of quests and situations, some new fights, and oh so very many tweaks and balance changes. Also, accompanying it is a DLC pack (free for current owners) adding a new companion: a squirrel who wears a larger rodent's skull as a helmet and rides a skeletal cat. Adorably metal.

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Steam Charts: Perfectly Normal Editionhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/steam-charts-perfectly-normal-editionJohn WalkerMon, 09 Jul 2018 13:00:20 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/steam-charts-perfectly-normal-editionThe ForestPUBG: BattlegroundsCounter-Strike: Global OffensiveThe Witcher 3: Wild HuntJurassic World EvolutionArk: Survival EvolvedDivinity: Original Sin 2Grand Theft Auto VSteamFinal Fantasy XVPuzzleFeature

Welcome to my nightmares. As chronicled last week, all human progress is wiped out by a Steam Sale. Where once we were a species that revelled in new, interesting ideas, pursuing our dreams, we are once more wedged neck-deep in the past, doomed to buy the same £40 five-year-old games until we rot and coagulate into a molten horror. Welcome to the Steam Charts!

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The 100 best-selling games on Steam in 2018 so farhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/biggest-games-on-steam-2018Alec MeerFri, 06 Jul 2018 14:42:07 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/biggest-games-on-steam-2018Borderlands 2PUBG: BattlegroundsKingdom Come: DeliverancePlanet CoasterPaladinsJurassic World EvolutionThe Sims 3The Elder Scrolls V: SkyrimDragon Ball FighterZJust Cause 3NorthgardStardew ValleyHearts of Iron IVArma 3Ni No Kuni II: Revenant KingdomSurviving MarsFootball Manager 2018CupheadstatsFrostpunkCrusader Kings IIFallout 4Hunt: ShowdownTom Clancy's Rainbow Six SiegeDarkest DungeonDeep Rock GalacticAge of Empires 2: Definitive EditionFar Cry 5Counter-Strike: Global OffensiveEuropa Universalis IVAssassin's Creed OriginsThe Elder Scrolls OnlineRimWorldSteamNioh: Complete EditionThe Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VRFactorioXCOM 2Sword Art Online: Fatal BulletSid Meier's Civilization VTotal War: WarhammerEuro Truck Simulator 2Dying LightDead by DaylightArk: Survival EvolvedDark Souls: RemasteredCities: SkylinesPayday 2Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm RebornThe Witcher 3: Wild HuntThey Are BillionsHuman: Fall FlatNBA 2k18RustHouse FlipperWar ThunderBlack Desert OnlineDon't Starve TogetherPillars of Eternity II: DeadfireWatch Dogs 2Garry's ModTeam Fortress 2Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: WildlandsSubnauticaDivinity: Original Sin 2Dota 2EcoTerrariaTom Clancy's The DivisionRocket LeagueDark Souls IIIStellarisGrand Theft Auto VRaftBattleTechFinal Fantasy XVSquadtheHunter: Call of the WildSimulationH1Z1SmiteWarhammer: Vermintide 2Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor - MartyrTotal War: Warhammer IIA Total War Saga: Thrones of BritanniaFor HonorMiddle-earth: Shadow of WarSlay the SpireCall of Duty: WWIISniper Elite 4The ForestElite DangerousWarframeNieR: AutomataSales figuresFinal Fantasy XIIConan ExilesPath of ExileRise of the Tomb RaiderShadowverse CCG

We've just passed the half-way point of 2018, so Ian Gatekeeper and all his fabulously wealthy chums over at Valve have revealed which hundred games have sold best on Steam over the past six months. It's a list dominated by pre-2018 names, to be frank, a great many of which you'll be expected, but there are a few surprises in there.

2018 releases Jurassic World Evolution, Far Cry 5 Kingdom Come: Deliverance and Warhammer: Vermintide II are wearing some spectacular money-hats, for example, while the relatively lesser-known likes of Raft, Eco and Deep Rock Galactic have made themselves heard above the din of triple-A marketing budgets.

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Steam Charts: Stale Of The Century Editionhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/steam-charts-july-2John WalkerMon, 02 Jul 2018 11:00:52 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/steam-charts-july-2HorrorPUBG: BattlegroundsThe ForestDark Souls IIICounter-Strike: Global OffensiveThe Witcher 3: Wild HuntJurassic World EvolutionDivinity: Original Sin 2Grand Theft Auto VSteamFinal Fantasy XVFeature

I have reached a conclusion. Everything that's bad is the fault of Steam sales. Two weeks ago these charts had reached a place of being a fertile ground of interesting new games and discounted classics. Today, they're back to being mostly a miserably predictable list of games that even the undiscovered tribes of Papua New Guinea have on their Steam accounts.

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Steam Summer Sale recommendations: 2018 edition!https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/steam-summer-sale-recommendations-2018-editionAlice BellTue, 26 Jun 2018 18:00:49 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/steam-summer-sale-recommendations-2018-editionHidden FolksSenua's Saga: Hellblade IILittle King's StoryPony IslandMonolithDishonoredPlanescape: TormentCastlevania: Lords Of ShadowSteamCopy KittyHyper Light DrifterNorthgardSpark the Electric JesterSuper CloudbuiltHorrorLEGO Marvel Super HeroesGenital JoustingMidbossDivinity: Original Sin 2Sonic ManiaMad MaxFeatureSteamWorld HeistTekken 7Mount Your FriendsFight'N RageDeus Ex: Mankind DividedFirewatchMetal Gear SolidRPGWhere the Water Tastes Like WineDead CellsSOMAAction AdventureThe Witcher 2: Assassins of KingssaleIndiePyre

The old quote is wrong: neither death nor taxes are, it seems to me, as terrifyingly certain as the Steam Summer Sale. Yes, once more we can add to the heap that is our backlog by buying games for, what, five quid, on average? But there are so many to choose from that it's easy to get flustered, so who better than the staff of RPS to hand-pick the best ones for your consideration (rhetorical question; do not answer)?

Check out the full list below for a mix of games that should suit all pockets and tastes.

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Clear 100 hours in your calendar, 'cos CRPGs are here to stayhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/clear-100-hours-in-your-calendar-cos-crpgs-are-here-to-staySamuel HortiTue, 26 Jun 2018 16:00:49 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/clear-100-hours-in-your-calendar-cos-crpgs-are-here-to-stayinXile EntertainmentLarian StudiosTorment: Tides of NumeneraUnderworld AscendantDivinity: Original Sin 2Neverwinter NightsPlanescape: TormentInterviewRPGWasteland 3Wasteland 2Feature

In the mid-to-late 2000s, publishers abandoned the CRPG genre – an acronym describing the very specific genre of video games adapted from tabletop RPGs to be played on computers – which a decade earlier had been a cornerstone of PC gaming. They were more interested in accessible, console-friendly series like Mass Effect and The Elder Scrolls, and PC-centric RPGs all but died out.

Then, around 2012, RPGs made a comeback, largely thanks to the rise of crowdfunding and an endless well of nostalgia. Since then we’ve been treated to heaps of good ones – Divinity: Original Sin, Pillars of Eternity, Wasteland 2, Torment: Tides of Numenera – and there are plenty more in the works. But there’s no guarantee that CRPGs are back for good. Some, such as Torment, haven’t sold well. The future of crowdfunding remains uncertain. And asking fans to commit 50 hours to a single story is more difficult than ever, given the volume of great games that release every month. So how can developers ensure that the genre stays relevant?

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Divinity: Original Sin 2's Definitive changes are enormoushttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/divinity-original-sin-2-definitiveDominic TarasonThu, 21 Jun 2018 18:09:07 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/divinity-original-sin-2-definitiveBlockbusterStory RichLarian StudiosDivinity: Original Sin 2RPGDivinity: Original Sin 2 Definitive EditionStrategy

Not content with blowing everyone's socks off last year with Divinity: Original Sin 2 (see Adam's rightfully gushing review here), Larian Studios are putting in some serious man-hours on improving it for the upcoming Definitive Edition re-launch. This isn't just a little bit of spit n' polish work, but a major rewrite of large chunks of the game, an across-the-board rebalance, and even some brand new things to see making a return to Rivellon at the end of August all the more tempting. Today they detailed most of the big changes in this Kickstarter update and the video within.

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Podcast: What character do you always end up creating?https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/podcast-what-character-do-you-always-end-up-creatingRPSThu, 17 May 2018 16:54:47 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/podcast-what-character-do-you-always-end-up-creatingTekken 7Mass EffectPillars of Eternity II: DeadfireStory RichGrand Theft Auto OnlinePodcastThe RPS Electronic Wireless showPillars of EternityDivinity: Original Sin 2The Elder Scrolls V: SkyrimGrand Theft Auto VState of Decay 2Feature

You look a little tired, friend. Let me just adjust this slider for you. There, wide awake. Now you’ve got some energy, how about listening to the RPS podcast, the Electronic Wireless Show? This week we’re talking about character creation. Which games spoil us with choice? And why do we always end up creating the same sneaky elf?

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Divinity: Original Sin 2's Definitive encore happens this Augusthttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/divinity-original-sin-2s-definitive-encore-happens-this-augustDominic TarasonTue, 15 May 2018 17:53:51 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/divinity-original-sin-2s-definitive-encore-happens-this-augustBlockbusterStory RichLarian StudiosDivinity: Original Sin 2RPGDivinity: Original Sin 2 Definitive EditionStrategy

If there's one thing experience has taught me about prolific RPG powerhouse Larian Studios, it's that they're perfectionists. Early access really is just a foundational step, and even the 'final' retail release is just a dry run. As with their last several games, they've just announced that their RPG mega-hit Divinity: Original Sin 2 is getting a Definitive Edition re-release this August, presumably in an attempt to scoop up all the Best RPG Of 2018 awards on top of cleaning house last year.

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Steam Charts: In MemoVRium Editionhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/steam-charts-in-memovrium-editionJohn WalkerMon, 23 Apr 2018 10:17:47 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/steam-charts-in-memovrium-editionPUBG: BattlegroundsDying LightBlockbusterDarkest DungeonFar Cry 5Counter-Strike: Global OffensiveTom Clancy's Ghost Recon: WildlandsDivinity: Original Sin 2The Elder Scrolls V: SkyrimSteamFinal Fantasy XVFeature

With Steam's big VR Spring Sale on, obviously the charts are a bit full of... ha ha ha, no of course not. No one wants VR. Same old same old.

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Steam Charts: Oh What's The Point Editionhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/steam-charts-oh-whats-the-point-editionJohn WalkerMon, 16 Apr 2018 14:30:02 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/steam-charts-oh-whats-the-point-editionPUBG: BattlegroundsThe Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VRWarhammer: Vermintide 2Far Cry 5Counter-Strike: Global OffensiveStrategyThe Witcher 3: Wild HuntDivinity: Original Sin 2The Elder Scrolls V: SkyrimSteamFinal Fantasy XVFeature

Join us for our weekly skip through the bountiful fields of fresh gaming joy! Hold our hand as we guide you down the top ten selling games on Steam, to discover which heart-lifting original content has caught the attention of the enthused gaming public! Someone please help me!

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Of grimoires and glyphs: the history behind RPG magichttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/rpg-magic-systemsAndreas InderwildiWed, 31 Jan 2018 21:00:03 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/rpg-magic-systemsCD Projekt REDUltimaLarian StudiosArx FatalisDivinity: Original Sin 2The Witcher 3: Wild HuntFeature

Imagine you’re on a quest for a powerful artefact in Divinity: Original Sin 2. Perhaps you conversed with a ghost who pointed you in the right direction. Now you see demons close by. You cast Chameleon Cloak to try to sneak by, but alas! you are spotted. The fight begins. You draw your weapons, inscribed with runes. You weave protective spells. You summon your cat familiar to enter the fray and confound your enemies. A fireball scroll sets a puddle of oil ablaze, but you misjudged and now you’re on fire as well! But a potion you concocted earlier heals your wounds just in time.

It’s a typical scenario for D:OS2 and similar fantasy RPGs. Magic is everywhere, and you could barely swing your cat familiar by the tail without hitting a fellow Sorcerer (don’t do that though, it’s cruel). But where do these spells, demons and artefacts come from? Games have so inundated us with magic that it’s easy to forget that even the most outlandish, videogamey spectacles have their Source-drenched roots in historical beliefs and practices.

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Steam Charts: There Is Hope Editionhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018-jan-steam-chartsJohn WalkerMon, 22 Jan 2018 11:37:03 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018-jan-steam-chartsPUBG: BattlegroundsThey Are BillionsCounter-Strike: Global OffensiveHuman: Fall FlatMOBASlay the SpireSubnauticaDivinity: Original Sin 2Dragon Ball FighterZGrand Theft Auto VSteamFeature

Well sound the klaxons, unfurl the flags, hoist your main-braces and petards whatever they may be, 2018 is proving far more interesting for charting Steam games. Of course we can't escape the three usual suspects, but beyond those this is quite the collection of interesting, independent, and novel games.

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Steam Charts: Variation Edition!https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/january-2018-steam-chartsJohn WalkerMon, 15 Jan 2018 13:39:32 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/january-2018-steam-chartsTom Clancy's Rainbow Six SiegePUBG: BattlegroundsStory RichThey Are BillionsCounter-Strike: Global OffensiveHuman: Fall FlatSlay the SpireDivinity: Original Sin 2Grand Theft Auto VSteamNorthgardFeature

Sorry to frighten the more sensitive reader, but, goodness me, among the miserably common entries, this week's chart welcomes a fair few newbies and indies! Are customers about to get better at buying? Or will we just see these games in the charts every week for the rest of the year? STAY TUNED!

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Steam Charts: Feedback Editionhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/steam-charts-january-2018John WalkerMon, 08 Jan 2018 14:31:17 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/steam-charts-january-2018PUBG: BattlegroundsThey Are BillionsDark Souls IIICounter-Strike: Global OffensiveHuman: Fall FlatArk: Survival EvolvedAction AdventureDivinity: Original Sin 2Grand Theft Auto VSteamThe Witcher 3: Wild HuntAssassin's Creed OriginsFeature

As the feedback loop of Steam successes reaches an ear-shattering scream, this week we see last year's best sellers dominating the New Year's first week. So I refuse to live in the past. Let's look forward. Let's imagine what we might want from these behemothic developers.

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2017 Steam Award winners include PUBG, Cuphead & Witcherhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/best-steam-games-2017Alec MeerThu, 04 Jan 2018 13:47:55 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/best-steam-games-2017PUBG: BattlegroundsHotline Miami 2: Wrong NumberSenua's Saga: Hellblade IICrypt of the NecroDancerUndertaleLife is Strange Before the StormSouth Park: The Fractured but WholePony IslandGoat SimulatorJust Cause 3SteamRustBayonettaStardew ValleyBlockbusterTotal War: Warhammer IIGarry's ModFactorioTeam Fortress 2I Am BreadTitan Quest Anniversary EditionDivinity: Original Sin 2Sonic ManiaMount & Blade: WarbandResident Evil 7: BiohazardThe Evil Within 2Red Faction GuerrillaDota 2CupheadDishonored 2Middle-earth: Shadow of WarThe Steam AwardsRise of the Tomb RaiderCall of Duty: WWIIAbzuAlien: IsolationDoki Doki Literature ClubGothic II: Gold EditionRocket LeagueCrusader Kings IIHollow KnightTransistorAntichamberOutlast 2Saints Row 4To the MoonSid Meier's Civilization 6WarframeDark Souls IIINieR: AutomataCounter-Strike: Global OffensiveWolfenstein II: The New ColossusCities: SkylinesThe Witcher: Enhanced EditionThe Stanley ParablePath of ExileSlime RancherThe Witcher 3: Wild HuntAssassin's Creed OriginsBroforceIndieThe Walking Dead: A New Frontier

We've already seen which games sold best on Steam last year, but a perhaps more meaningful insight into movin' and a-shakin' in PC-land is the games that people feel warmest and snuggliest about. To that end, Valve have announced the winners of the 2017 Steam Awards, a fully community-voted affair which names the most-loved games across categories including best post-launch support, most player agency, exceeding pre-release expectations and most head-messing-with. Vintage cartoon-themed reflex-tester Cuphead leads the charge with two gongs, but ol' Plunkbat and The Witcher series also do rather well - as do a host of other games from 2017's great and good.

Full winners and runners-up below, with links to our previous coverage of each game if you're so-minded. Plus: I reveal which game I'd have gone for in each category.

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These are the top 100 Steam games of 2017https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/biggest-steam-games-2017Alec MeerTue, 02 Jan 2018 19:00:01 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/biggest-steam-games-2017Borderlands 2HitmanPUBG: BattlegroundsPlanet CoasterPaladinsThe Sims 3The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel UnlimitedThe Elder Scrolls V: SkyrimJust Cause 3NorthgardStardew ValleyKilling Floor 2Hearts of Iron IVGrim DawnArma 3AstroneerFootball Manager 2018CupheadDishonored 2Call of Duty: Black Ops 2Crusader Kings IIFallout 4Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six SiegeDarkest DungeonSid Meier's Civilization 6Age of Empires 2: Definitive EditionWolfenstein II: The New ColossusCounter-Strike: Global OffensiveEuropa Universalis IVOxygen Not IncludedAssassin's Creed OriginsThe Elder Scrolls OnlineRimWorldSouth Park: The Fractured but WholeFootball Manager 2017SteamWarhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IIILeft 4 Dead 2The Binding of Isaac: RebirthFactorioXCOM 2Sid Meier's Civilization VTekken 7Farming Simulator 17Total War: WarhammerEuro Truck Simulator 2Hollow KnightDying LightDead by DaylightArk: Survival EvolvedCities: SkylinesPayday 2Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm RebornThe Witcher 3: Wild HuntMiddle-earth: Shadow of MordorNBA 2k18RustPreyWar ThunderBlack Desert OnlineDon't Starve TogetherWatch Dogs 27 Days To DieGarry's ModWallpaper EngineTeam Fortress 2Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: WildlandsSubnauticaNBA 2K17Divinity: Original Sin 2Rising Storm 2: VietnamDota 2TerrariaTom Clancy's The DivisionRocket LeagueChartsDragon Ball Xenoverse 2Dark Souls IIIStellarisGrand Theft Auto VtheHunter: Call of the WildSenua's Saga: Hellblade IIH1Z1SmiteTotal War: Warhammer IIFor HonorResident Evil 7: BiohazardFriday the 13th: The GameFeatureMiddle-earth: Shadow of WarTales of BerseriaDoomCall of Duty: WWIIEndless Space 2Sniper Elite 4The ForestElite DangerousWarframeNieR: AutomataConan ExilesPath of ExileRise of the Tomb RaiderShadowverse CCG

Another year over, a new one just begun, which means, impossibly, even more games. But what about last year? Which were the games that most people were buying and, more importantly, playing? As is now something of a tradition, Valve have let slip a big ol' breakdown of the most successful titles released on Steam over the past twelve months.

Below is the full, hundred-strong roster, complete with links to our coverage if you want to find out more about any of the games, or simply to marvel at how much seemed to happen in the space of 52 short weeks.

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Fraser Brown's favourite games of 2017https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/fraser-browns-favourite-games-of-2017Fraser BrownThu, 28 Dec 2017 17:00:23 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/fraser-browns-favourite-games-of-2017Total War: Warhammer IITacomaDivinity: Original Sin 2Freelancer's favourite games of 2017Feature

We asked a handful of our contributors to put together a list of their three favourite games from 2017. Their picks are running across the week while the rest of RPS slumbers.

I think I would have lost my mind if it wasn’t for the many incredible digital holidays I’ve taken in 2017. It’s been a bit overwhelming to play so many great but also massive games in a single year, however. New Year’s resolution: squeeze more brief games into my life.

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Our PC games of the year 2017https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/best-pc-games-of-2017RPSMon, 25 Dec 2017 13:00:14 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/best-pc-games-of-2017OneShotPUBG: BattlegroundsTorment: Tides of NumeneraXCOM 2: War of the ChosenHand of Fate 2Freelancer's favourite games of 2017PreyOpus MagnumNorthgardBayonettaWhat Remains of Edith FinchThe Norwood SuiteDivinity: Original Sin 2West of LoathingGetting Over ItFeatureZero Escape: The Nonary GamesTacomaBattleriteSteamWorld Dig 2RakuenDead CellsWolfenstein II: The New ColossusNieR: AutomataSongbringerNight in the Woods

The calendar's doors have been opened and the games inside have been eaten. But fear not, latecomer - we've reconstructed the list in this single post for easy re-consumption. Click on to discover the best games of 2017.

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Steam Charts: Post Sale Fatigue Editionhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/steam-charts-december-2017John WalkerMon, 04 Dec 2017 11:04:30 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/steam-charts-december-2017PUBG: BattlegroundsBlockbusterSid Meier's Civilization 6NieR: AutomataCounter-Strike: Global OffensiveCall of Duty: WWIIDivinity: Original Sin 2Grand Theft Auto VSteamThe Witcher 3: Wild HuntAssassin's Creed OriginsFeature

The tail-end of Steam's Autumnal sale sees a few old favourites lingering with the usual suspects in the charts this week. The discounts that got them here are all gone now, but it's only a couple of weeks now before everything goes completely bonkers for the Winter Sale, and you can expect to see all the same names deeply discounted once more.

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Steam Charts: Clean Underwear Editionhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/november-2017-the-steam-chartsJohn WalkerMon, 20 Nov 2017 11:39:59 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/november-2017-the-steam-chartsEuropa Universalis IV: Cradle of CivilizationFootball Manager 2018Nioh: Complete EditionPUBG: BattlegroundsTom Clancy's Rainbow Six SiegeCounter-Strike: Global OffensiveSimulationCall of Duty: WWIIDivinity: Original Sin 2SteamAssassin's Creed OriginsFeature

Imagine what would happen if Plunkbat weren't to be at number 1? Could anyone even cope any more? Has all of gaming started operating on this as a foundation, forgetting that it could, one day, not sell more copies than everything else? What if I'm writing this as a bluff because it's not at number 1 this week? What if I just wrote that to imply the bluff even though there isn't a bluff?! OH MY GOODNESS EVERYONE QUICKLY READ THIS NOW!

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Divinity: Original Sin 2's voice acting credits include "pile of corpses"https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/divinity-original-sin-2-voice-actingAdam SmithMon, 23 Oct 2017 12:46:58 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/divinity-original-sin-2-voice-actingDivinity: Original Sin 2Larian StudiosDivinity: Original SinRPG

"Hello, do you think you'd be able to perform the voice of a pile of corpses, a bull, a deer and a painting?"

When the decision was made to have Divinity: Original Sin 2's dialogue fully voiced, the sheer quantity of text seemed like the biggest hurdle but I hadn't considered the difficulty that casting some roles would involve. Voice actor Jay Britton, who has worked on TV and radio as well as games, including Elite Dangerous and The Journey Down, revealed the full list of 35 characters that he played in Larian's RPG. It ranges from apparent fantasy staples such as Pilgrim and Lizard Skeleton all the way to Pile of Corpses, Dead Civilian, Bull and Deer. It's as good a brief summary of the weirdness threaded through this wonderful RPG as anything I've seen and I asked Jay which was the most memorable character of the lot.

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Steam Charts: New Entries Edition!https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/october-charts-steamJohn WalkerMon, 23 Oct 2017 11:38:54 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/october-charts-steamPUBG: BattlegroundsCupheadBlockbusterMiddle-earth: Shadow of WarELEXSouth Park: The Fractured but WholeDivinity: Original Sin 2IceySteamThe Witcher 3: Wild HuntSteam LinkFeature

People, people of Earth, for the second week in a row GTA V isn't in the Steam Charts! And for the first time in human history, this week nor is Counter-Strike: Global Offensive! What's happened? I'll tell you what's happened. Everyone's got a copy now. Phew.

So instead, here are eight other games and Plunkbat, and one plastic box, in ascending order of dollar-eyes.

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Steam charts: it's the end of the worldhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/october-2017-steam-charts-2Alice O'ConnorMon, 16 Oct 2017 16:30:54 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/october-2017-steam-charts-2CupheadBlockbusterMiddle-earth: Shadow of WarTotal War: Warhammer IICounter-Strike: Global OffensiveGrim DawnTom Clancy's Ghost Recon: WildlandsChartsDivinity: Original Sin 2SteamThe Evil Within 2IndieFeature

Wotcha gang. Your old chum Alice here for this week's charts, as everyone else has been fired. Out of a cannon. Blown into a jillion little pieces. Hence the Apocalyptic yellow tone to the skies today. Hold your breath when outside, and hold your breath while we count down last week's top ten of the top-selling games on Steam.

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Steam Charts: High Difficulty Editionhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/october-2017-steam-chartsJohn WalkerMon, 09 Oct 2017 12:09:29 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/october-2017-steam-chartsPUBG: BattlegroundsCupheadDying LightMiddle-earth: Shadow of WarTotal War: Warhammer IICounter-Strike: Global OffensivePlatformerDivinity: Original Sin 2Grand Theft Auto VSteamFeatureBattle Chasers: Nightwar

Are you strong enough to read the Steam Charts? Do you have what it takes to read all the way to the end? Can you defeat the Plunkbat final boss? NO! NO YOU ARE TOO WEAK!

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Divinity: Original Sin 2 dev on mod tools, accessibility and favourite modshttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/divinity-original-sin-2-dev-on-modding-tutorials-accessibility-and-his-favourite-modsMatt CoxFri, 06 Oct 2017 17:00:00 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/divinity-original-sin-2-dev-on-modding-tutorials-accessibility-and-his-favourite-modsLarian StudiosDivinity: Original Sin 2InterviewFeature

Divinity: Original Sin 2 [official site] is a fantastic game. But if that's not enough, every copy ships with 'The Divinity Engine 2', which provides everyone with access to the same tools that the xevs used to make the original game.

Kevin Van Nerum, a programmer at Larian Studios recently made a handy tutorial video which showed users how to make their first custom level. I talked to him to find out more about what's coming up next in his tutorial series, what it's possible to do within the editor and what some of his own favourite mods are.

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Divinity: Original Sin 2 summons big patchhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/divinity-original-sin-big-patch-releasedAlice O'ConnorFri, 06 Oct 2017 15:00:44 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/divinity-original-sin-big-patch-releasedLarian StudiosDivinity: Original Sin 2RPG

Larian have launched a honking great update for Divinity: Original Sin 2 [official site], now glurping down datapipes to a game near you. It's a cracking RPG, our Adam's Divinity: Original Sin 2 review will tell you, though the many moving parts that make it so much fun to mess about with have inevitably left a few little glitches. Today's patch brings bug fixes, a few prettied-up UI bits, and some balance changes including making Bone Widow less powerful.

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Could RPGs be more fun if they let you be more flawed?https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/rpgs-flawed-charactersJohn WalkerTue, 03 Oct 2017 20:00:51 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/rpgs-flawed-characterstable top gamesStar Wars: Knights of The Old RepublicDivinity: Original Sin 2RPGFeature

I've recently started playing with a new Dungeons & Dragons group, drafted in after one of their numbers upped and left town. It's my second time playing table-top D&D, after a splendid stint a couple of years back with Jim Rossignol (late of this parish) DMing, and it's a properly good time. And what I've learned is that it becomes a much better time the more flaws you introduce to your character. Which got me thinking: wow, do PC RPGs not follow that rule at all.

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Steam Charts: Your Reason To Go Onhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/steam-charts-your-reason-to-go-onJohn WalkerMon, 02 Oct 2017 10:49:25 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/steam-charts-your-reason-to-go-onDanganronpa V3: Killing HarmonyHorrorPUBG: BattlegroundsCupheadTotal War: Warhammer IICounter-Strike: Global OffensiveCall of Duty: WWIIDivinity: Original Sin 2Assassin's Creed SyndicateThe Guild 3Grand Theft Auto VSteamFeature

Some have doubted the power of the Steam Charts to change people's lives. Those people are dead now. Belief in Steam Charts, RPS's greatest, longest-running, and most industry-revered column, is literally the only thing keeping you alive right now. Don't be a dead one. Love us. LOVE US.

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Podcast: The Electronic Wireless Show talks Divinity: Original Sin 2, Heat Signature and things going wronghttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/podcast-electronic-wireless-show-18-heat-signatureBrendan CaldwellThu, 28 Sep 2017 18:00:18 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/podcast-electronic-wireless-show-18-heat-signatureHitmanInvisible Inc.PHOGS!IO InteractiveTotal War: Warhammer IIThe RPS Electronic Wireless showDivinity: Original Sin 2HobHyperRogueHeat SignatureDishonored 2Larian StudiosNo Truce with the FuriesZA/UMRunic GamesHidden & DangerousTom FrancisTequila WorksSuspicious DevelopmentsPodcastThe Creative AssemblyRime

Oh no, you've tripped the alarm. Now the terrifying RPS podcast, the Electronic Wireless Show, knows you're here. It's going to hunt you down and force you to listen to it. Quick! Think of a way out of this, before you hear all about Adam becoming an accidental mass murderer in Dishonored, or John obsessively re-loading his way out of a bad situation. If you don't escape, I'll have to tell you about the time I threw a gun at someone's head in Heat Signature, to absolutely no effect. This week, you see, we're talking about Things Going Wrong.

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How multiplayer makes Divinity: Original Sin 2's singleplayer greathttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/how-multiplayer-makes-divinity-original-sin-2s-singleplayer-greatAlex WiltshireMon, 25 Sep 2017 18:00:50 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/how-multiplayer-makes-divinity-original-sin-2s-singleplayer-greatThe MechanicnarrativeSwen VinckeDivinity: Original Sin 2designRPGMultiplayer CompetitiveFeature

This is The Mechanic, where Alex Wiltshire invites developers to discuss the inner workings of their games. This time, Divinity: Original Sin 2 [official site].

It’s the holy grail for RPGs, right, that perfect mix of a strong story and freedom to do what you want. But if players can do anything, how do you tell them a story in the right order and without bits missing? What if they kill some plot-important character or sell the magical thing that does the special thing?

Quite a few RPGs do a good job! Planescape: Torment, for one, presents a fantastically dense and interwoven set of characters and scenarios which you can approach in many different ways. But Divinity: Original Sin 2 goes a step beyond, telling a clear story and allowing - even encouraging - you to do all kinds of dumb things, all without completely breaking. How does it succeed? Well, through a feature that you’d never think is related.

THE MECHANIC: Multiplayer

Very mild spoilers follow, but nothing actually spoiling, promise.

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Steam Charts: Stellaris Editionhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/steam-charts-september-2017-2John WalkerMon, 25 Sep 2017 08:57:50 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/steam-charts-september-2017-2PUBG: BattlegroundsStellaris: UtopiaTotal War: Warhammer IICounter-Strike: Global OffensiveDead by DaylightSimulationStellarisDivinity: Original Sin 2Grand Theft Auto VSteamStellaris: Synthetic DawnFeature

A funny old week in the charts, which is to say, H1Z1 and The Witcher 3 have been shoved out by the hatrick of appearances from Stellaris. Also it's worth noting that Dishonored: Death Of The Outsider has disappeared after just one week, which seems a bit of a shame.

Oh, and as correctly predicted last week, absolutely no sign of XCOM 2 making nearly as much money now it's back to £34.99 for both the base game and the War of the Chosen expansion. Shocking!

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Things I want to celebrate about Divinity: Original Sin IIhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/divinity-original-sin-2-best-thingsJohn WalkerFri, 22 Sep 2017 16:00:59 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/divinity-original-sin-2-best-thingsLarian StudiosDivinity: Original Sin 2Feature

While Adam has the definitive word in his Divinity: Original Sin 2 review, I've found myself unable to stop playing in every spare moment, and jotted down some of the very many things that make this game stand out, make it feel so very special. Below I celebrate its extraordinary replayability, the joy of moving furniture, and hideous undulating flesh blobs.

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Wot I Think: Divinity Original Sin 2https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/divinity-original-sin-2-reviewAdam SmithThu, 21 Sep 2017 16:00:58 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/divinity-original-sin-2-reviewDivinity: Original SinRPS RecommendedReviewsWot I ThinkLarian StudiosDivinity: Original Sin 2Bestest BestsFeature

We were supposed to be heroes. As you play through Divinity: Original Sin 2 [official site], your character and companions will be many things to many people: thieves, killers, saviours, fugitives, outcasts, demons, nightmares, lovers, traitors, jackasses, adventurers, pranksters and fools. But heroes? You can play through the entire game, multiple times, and never feel like much of a hero.

There's just so much to do in the world that doing good can feel just a little to obvious.

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Podcast: The Electronic Wireless Show talk roguelikes, Rogue Islands, and Divinity: Original Sin 2https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/podcast-divinity-original-sin-2Brendan CaldwellWed, 20 Sep 2017 16:02:24 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/podcast-divinity-original-sin-2Story RichRoguelikeLarian StudiosBig Fat AlienPodcastThe RPS Electronic Wireless showDivinity: Original Sin 2RPGRogue IslandsFeature

Here, drink this potion. It's called the Electronic Wireless Show and it's a podcast. Yes, you drink it via your ears, unusual I know, but you'll feel much better afterwards. This week, we're talking about roguelikes, roguelites, roguefites and roguelifes. What do words even mean anymore? Also, Pip has been enjoying the blocky spellcasting of Rogue Islands, while Adam is killing innocent young men in the fantasy caves of Divinity: Original Sin 2. Absolutely unnecessary behaviour. To make matters even more unbearable, it's the last podcast with Pip! I shall sum up how I feel about this using the ASCII language of the roguelike.

:(

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Divinity: Original Sin 2 success makes Mac release strong possibilityhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/divinity-original-sin-2-success-makes-mac-release-strong-possibilityAdam SmithTue, 19 Sep 2017 13:25:52 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/divinity-original-sin-2-success-makes-mac-release-strong-possibilityDivinity: Original Sin 2Larian StudiosDivinity: Original SinRPG

Divinity: Original Sin 2 [official site] left Early Access less than a week ago and sales figures have been very good. Those are the kind of figures, Larian CEO Swen Vincke tells me, that he'd been hoping for "by Christmas". The game is only available for Windows at the moment and during the Early Access period, the studio stated that, "A decision on other platforms will not be made until after the full release." With that full release now behind us, I asked if the strong sales made support for new platforms more likely. Short answer: "yes". Longer answers on that and other matters below.

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Steam Charts: Death Under Tunnel Bridgehttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/sept-2017-steam-chartsJohn WalkerMon, 18 Sep 2017 10:23:10 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/sept-2017-steam-chartsPUBG: BattlegroundsDark Souls IIINieR: AutomataCounter-Strike: Global OffensiveDishonored: Death of the OutsiderXCOM 2: War of the ChosenDivinity: Original Sin 2The Elder Scrolls V: SkyrimGrand Theft Auto VSteamFeature

This week we finally learn who the killer is, but will the answer provide more questions than solutions? Read on for this week's hair-raising installment of... The Steam Charts.

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Divinity: Original Sin 2 verdict - face-robbing, limb-chomping, heart-breakinghttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/divinity-original-sin-2-verdictAdam SmithFri, 15 Sep 2017 20:00:07 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/divinity-original-sin-2-verdictverdictLarian StudiosDivinity: Original Sin 2Feature

Divinity: Original Sin 2 [official site] is out of Early Access and fully released. Adam and John have both spent many, many hours with the alpha, and are now beginning to chew their way through the full version. That makes it an ideal time to get together to chat about their thoughts on the game so far, the experience of playing an RPG before it’s finished, and how to break the news of a death to a baby bear.

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Divinity: Original Sin 2 just killed my adopted cat, and I don't know what to do with myselfhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/divinity-original-sin-2-just-killed-my-adopted-cat-and-i-dont-know-what-to-do-with-myselfJohn WalkerTue, 12 Sep 2017 12:11:33 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/divinity-original-sin-2-just-killed-my-adopted-cat-and-i-dont-know-what-to-do-with-myselfLarian StudiosDivinity: Original Sin 2VG247Feature

The random death of a cat might be the most shocking moment I can remember in a game.

I'm playing Divinity: Original Sin 2 [official site], and it's my first experience of the series as a whole. Not knowing what to expect, but knowing the game to offer unexpected moments, I was simply pootling around the island on which magic-laden beings were being held captive. And at a certain point a black cat started following us about. A very welcome black cat, causing no trouble, a little too meowy but nothing offensive beyond that. It seemed to have an odd look in its eyes, and I was intrigued to learn if there might be more to this mog than met the eye.

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Steam Charts: Parabolic Editionhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/september-2017-steam-chartsJohn WalkerMon, 11 Sep 2017 09:22:38 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/september-2017-steam-chartsTom Clancy's Rainbow Six SiegePUBG: BattlegroundsNieR: AutomataCounter-Strike: Global OffensiveSimulationLife is Strange Before the StormXCOM 2: War of the ChosenDivinity: Original Sin 2Arma 3Grand Theft Auto VSteamH1Z1: King of the KillFeature

Come one, come all, but not all at once or you'll break our caching, and see the Steam Charts in all their glory! Which game will have reached the coveted #2 position this week?!

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Steam Charts: Brand New Edition!https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/steam-charts-september-2017John WalkerMon, 04 Sep 2017 17:00:29 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/steam-charts-september-2017Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six SiegePUBG: BattlegroundsCounter-Strike: Global OffensiveAbsolverXCOM 2XCOM 2: War of the ChosenThe Escapists 2Divinity: Original Sin 2Grand Theft Auto VSteamThe Witcher 3: Wild HuntFeature

The Steam Charts aren't, as you may have been led to expect, large sprawling maps depicting the locations of all the world's known steam. They were, but due to government pressure we've altered them to list the top ten selling games on Steam, in reverse order, like a rocket taking off.

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Face-ripping & identity theft: Divinity Original Sin 2's Undeadhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/divinity-original-sin-2-undead-face-ripperAdam SmithThu, 31 Aug 2017 15:03:33 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/divinity-original-sin-2-undead-face-ripperPreviewsDivinity: Original SinLarian StudiosGamescom 2017Divinity: Original Sin 2RPGFeature

“And now we just use the Face Ripper on this elven corpse so we can polymorph into an elven form and learn more about what happened by eating the limbs we found earlier.”

At Gamescom, Swen Vincke, CEO of Larian, was showing the playable undead race in Divinity: Original Sin 2 [official site] for the first time. Faces were ripped, children were startled, feasting on cadavers quickly became routine. I love Divinity but in among all the elves and dwarves, I sometimes forget just how weird it is. When you're playing a skeleton, it's going to be weirder than ever.

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Divinity: Original Sin 2 launching properly in Septemberhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/divinity-original-sin-2-release-dateAlice O'ConnorThu, 25 May 2017 10:25:03 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/divinity-original-sin-2-release-dateLarian StudiosDivinity: Original Sin 2RPG

As Divinity: Original Sin 2 [official site] charges screaming through early access, developers Larian have announced a release date for the full version: September 14th. For early access roleplayers, though, Larian have released a hefty update including the tutorial with a fight against a kraken, the new home base on a captured warship, new areas, improved AI, and plenty more. You can see some of all this in a new dev diary if you aren't distracted by how swish their offices are:

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Divinity: Original Sin 2's GM mode brings pen and paper RPGs to the screenhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/divinity-original-sin-2-gm-mode-previewAdam SmithTue, 09 May 2017 15:00:33 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/divinity-original-sin-2-gm-mode-previewPreviewsDivinity: Original SinLarian StudiosDivinity: Original Sin Enhanced EditionDivinity: Original Sin 2RPGFeature

Last week I spent a day playing with Divinity: Original Sin 2’s [official site] Games Master mode, and now I want to force everyone I know to play pen and paper RPGs with me. If this is what I've been missing in the years since I last went full goth with weekend Vampire: The Masquerade sessions, I've had a wasted adulthood.

The GM mode is separate to the main game, using the Divinity ruleset in campaigns either released by Larian or created by players, who can then share those campaigns online or with friends to recreate a tabletop experience digitally. At the press event, we built a chunk of Ultima VII and then started cannibalising the good guys.

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The RPG Scrollbars: The genius in the inventoryhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-rpg-scrollbars-the-genius-in-the-inventoryRichard CobbettMon, 23 Jan 2017 13:00:05 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-rpg-scrollbars-the-genius-in-the-inventoryDivinity: Original SinFallout 2The RPG ScrollbarsUltima VII: The Black GateDivinity: Original Sin 2RPGFallout 3Two WorldsFeature

I forget which game it was, exactly. If I had to pick one, I'd say probably the text adventure Humbug. It doesn't really matter, as it's not really the game's fault, but I still remember the sadness of being told to go into the inventory and realising that while I was thinking of a big room full of bubbling liquids in interesting flasks and other cool science stuff, the game was actually saying 'look in your pockets'. Especially as if it was Humbug, it's a game about wandering around and exploring your crazy inventor grandfather's house. I must have searched for whole minutes, back in 1990.

There's never been a game that really harnessed that desire, but still, it explains a lot about one of my favourite things in RPGs - particularly those of the early 90s - that the inventory often was a place to experiment rather than simply pluck the correct item at the correct time. Even if then, as now, it's often been more accident than design.

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The PC games of 2017 mega-previewhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/pc-games-of-2017RPSSat, 31 Dec 2016 15:00:21 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/pc-games-of-2017Iron HarvestKingdom Come: DeliveranceEchoAven ColonySonic ForcesOctogeddonMarvel's Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale SeriesNights of AzureGet EvenBirthdays the BeginningKnights and BikesMass Effect AndromedaA Hat in TimeA House of Many DoorsFrozen Synapse 2Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious BookCupheadNine ParchmentsThe Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 3rdFrostpunkStar Trek: Bridge CrewOutlast 2Death's GambitBattalion 1944ChuchelAction AdventureConstructor HDLittle NightmaresOxygen Not IncludedScaleboundPyreBerserk and the Band of the HawkHiveswapTorment: Tides of NumeneraSouth Park: The Fractured but WholeTetherTokyo 42Hand of Fate 2The Bard's Tale IVAgonyFull Throttle RemasteredWarhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IIILoot RascalsCall of CthulhuStar Wars: Battlefront IIWhat Remains of Edith FinchSniper Ghost Warrior 3Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3State of Decay 2Tekken 7Yooka-LayleeELEXTacomaMegaton RainfallGorogoaBulletstorm: Full Clip EditionRPGSudden Strike 4Disgaea 2Nidhogg 2Thimbleweed ParkThe Escapists 2Urban EmpireThe Pillars of the EarthSnake PassPhantom DustThe Wild EIghtPreyStyx: Shards of DarknessSunderedBlockbusterToeJam and Earl: Back in the GrooveTom Clancy's Ghost Recon: WildlandsOutcast - Second ContactDivinity: Original Sin 2DreadnoughtThe Signal From TölvaMetal Gear SurviveAgents of MayhemYonder: The Cloud Catcher ChroniclesBulletstormXenonauts 2Finding ParadiseCrackdown 3VampyrMemorandaShenmue IIIThe Guild 3ShooterLords of the Fallen 2Sea of ThievesImpact WinterRoutineExpeditions: VikingNight in the WoodsSenua's Saga: Hellblade IIDauntlessAbsolverSimulationStar CitizenOverkill's The Walking DeadHorrorShadowhandStrafeHello Neighbor!LEGO WorldsThe Sexy BrutaleFor HonorSonic ManiaResident Evil 7: BiohazardThem's Fighting HerdsMosaicFuture UnfoldingMarvel vs. Capcom InfiniteStar Control: OriginsFeatureTales of BerseriaZero Escape: The Nonary GamesSniper Elite 4Kingdoms and CastlesHalo Wars 2SpellForce 3SportsNieR: AutomataLEGO City UndercoverOverlandConan ExilesOverload

As Old Father Time grabs his sickle and prepares to take ailing 2016 around the back of the barn for a big sleep, we're looking to the future. The mewling pup that goes by the name 2017 will come into the world soon and we must prepare ourselves for its arrival. Here at RPS, our preparations come in the form of this enormous preview feature, which contains details on more than a hundred of the exciting games that are coming our way over the next twelve months. 2016 was a good one - in the world of games at least - but, ever the optimists, we're hoping next year will be even better.

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The RPGs of 2017https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-rpgs-of-2017Richard CobbettMon, 05 Dec 2016 13:00:48 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-rpgs-of-2017A House of Many DoorsHero-U: Rogue To RedemptionShroud of the Avatar: Forsaken VirtuesCall of CthulhuThe RPG ScrollbarsTorment: Tides of NumeneraSouth Park: The Fractured but WholePyreVampyrOutcast - Second ContactDivinity: Original Sin 2Destiny 2RPGMass Effect AndromedaThe Bard's Tale IVStar Control: OriginsThe Long Journey HomeFeature

So... 2016. (FX: 'Urrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh....') It's not been the greatest of years, from just about every celebrity you might have loved deciding to peg it, to America electing the Curious Orange. As far as RPGs go, it's also been fairly quiet, thanks to lots of stuff deciding to stay in the oven for a few more months. That's not to say we've had nothing, not least Early Access versions of many of these games. Awards are coming later this month! But in terms of big, BIG, BIG releases, it's been kinda quiet. Next year though? Whoooo-boy, do we have a lot of awesome stuff on the way. Here are some of my picks for the games I'm most excited to get my hands on in 2017.

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Steam Charts: They Said It Could Never Happenhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/steam-charts-octoberAlec MeerTue, 04 Oct 2016 09:49:05 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/steam-charts-octoberDoomQuantum BreakOsiris: New DawnSid Meier's Civilization 6Counter-Strike: Global OffensiveSteamArk: Survival EvolvedCall of Duty: Black Ops IIIChartsBattleriteAction AdventureCossacks 3Divinity: Original Sin 2Mafia IIGrand Theft Auto VNBA 2K17H1Z1: King of the Kill

I had all the characteristics of a blogger — frayed jeans, opinions, laptop, tea — but my depersonalisation was so intense, had gone so deep, that my normal ability to compile charts had been eradicated, the victim of a slow, purposeful erasure. I was simply imitating top ten articles, a rough resemblance of a best-sellers list, with only a dim corner of my mind functioning.

And yet.

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Steam Charts: Happiness Is Just Around The Cornerhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/steam-game-charts-2Alec MeerTue, 27 Sep 2016 10:13:39 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/steam-game-charts-2Sid Meier's Civilization 6Counter-Strike: Global OffensiveMOBACossacks 3BattleriteChartsArk: Scorched EarthDivinity: Original Sin 2NBA 2K17Grand Theft Auto VSteam

I'm trying to think who it could be. I don't really have enemies any more, or not knowingly so. Some forgotten bully from school who never left our hometown and is still obsessed with tormenting me? A fellow journalist whose article I might have drunkenly tweeted something rude about in 2009? Someone I unfollowed or unfriended because they were tiresome or awful? You Know, Those Guys? Or: all of them, working together. Pooling their life savings to buy as many copies of a certain game as they can. Make no mistake: someone's out to get me. It's the only possible explanation.

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Steam Game Charts: U Mad?https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/bestselling-steam-gamesAlec MeerTue, 20 Sep 2016 11:30:00 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/bestselling-steam-gamesMiddle-earth: Shadow of MordorCounter-Strike: Global OffensiveBatman: Arkham KnightEverspaceArk: Scorched EarthAction AdventureChartsNBA 2K17Divinity: Original Sin 2Rocket LeagueGrand Theft Auto VSteamMad Max

This is some kind of sick joke, isn't it?

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Divinity: Original Sin 2 Now On Steam Early Accesshttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/divinity-original-sin-2-released-steam-early-accessAlice O'ConnorThu, 15 Sep 2016 17:13:28 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/divinity-original-sin-2-released-steam-early-accessDivinity: Original SinLarian StudiosDivinity: Original Sin 2RPGSteam

Divinity: Original Sin 2 [official site] launched into early access today, less than a year after wrapping up its Kickstarter. The fantasy RPG's initial release is quite small, and waiting for the full version before even thinking about touching it is certainly a reasonable idea but, y'know, maybe Adam's raving has got you pumped. Original Sin 2 "improves almost every area" of the original, he said - and it was no slouch.

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Divinity: Original Sin 2 Smartly Reinvents The RPG Partyhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/divinity-original-sin-2-singleplayer-previewAdam SmithMon, 22 Aug 2016 14:00:59 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/divinity-original-sin-2-singleplayer-previewPreviewsDivinity: Original SinLarian StudiosDivinity: Original Sin Enhanced EditionDivinity: Original Sin 2RPGFeature

Divinity: Original Sin is one of my favourite games of recent years. It's a systemic toybox with the skin of a fantasy RPG. I spent an evening playing the sequel [official site] a couple of weeks ago and it improves almost every area. At the foundations, there's a more interesting world, with a stronger set of characters, but there are also improvements to combat, and the smartest twist on cooperative multiplayer that I've seen since Dark Souls.

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Cooperative Competitive Cannibalism: Divinity Original Sin 2's Systemic Designhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/divinity-original-sin-2-designAdam SmithThu, 14 Apr 2016 11:48:32 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/divinity-original-sin-2-designDivinity: Original SinLarian StudiosEGX Rezzed 2016Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced EditionDivinity: Original Sin 2RPG

Divinity: Original Sin [official site] is an incredibly complex game. It's a very silly game, which might lead some people to think it isn't all that clever, but even though it wears a comedy tie to the RPG Christmas party, it's still the smartest game in the room. That's because it's built on intelligent, simulated systems that overlap and feed into one another to make both interesting narrative choices and dynamic situations in both combat and roleplay.

The sequel takes all of the complexities of the first and adds competitive multiplayer for up to four players. At Rezzed, Larian's creative director and founder, Swen Vincke, explained how it all works.

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The RPG Scrollbars: Roles We Take, Roles We Choosehttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/what-hearthstone-gets-right-about-roleplayRichard CobbettMon, 01 Feb 2016 14:00:57 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/what-hearthstone-gets-right-about-roleplayThe RPG ScrollbarsVampire: The Masquerade - BloodlinesHearthstoneDivinity: Original Sin 2Dragon Age IIPlanescape: TormentRPGDragon AgeFeature

Not for the first time, I've spent quite a while recently pondering the nature of roles - more specifically, mechanical role versus narrative role. When we think of RPGs, what we're usually thinking of is the latter. You play the role of the Hero, but in a universe that's typically designed to let you define that however you like. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, but there's a key difference between that and stepping into the shoes of someone more specific. Geralt in The Witcher 3 for instance is - spoiler alert - a Witcher. Every encounter revolves around that, every system involves it, every decision has, whether it's by your choice or Geralt bringing it up, a mercenary element that reinforces that asking for money in exchange for your services is expected and not, as is often the case, the first step towards douchery and getting the Evil ending.

I've also been playing a lot of Hearthstone. The two things are linked.

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Living Worlds: The Joy Of NPC Scheduleshttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-joy-of-npc-schedulesAdam SmithWed, 06 Jan 2016 19:00:43 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-joy-of-npc-schedulesDivinity: Original SinUltima VII: The Black GateDivinity: Original Sin Enhanced EditionDivinity: Original Sin 2RPGAssassin's Creed SyndicateGrand Theft Auto VS.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call Of PripyatFeature

Just before the Christmas break I was trying to catch up on all of the interesting games that I hadn't found time to play earlier in the year. Else Heart.Break() was right near the top of the list, even though I have zero interest in games that expect me to learn how to program in order to have fun. If I learn how to program it'll be so that I can become a megarich superstar game dev, not so that I can solve puzzles in somebody else's game.

So why play a game that is quite clearly about IFs, ELSEs and ANDs? The Store page description contains phrases that should have warned me off the game rather than encouraging me to buy it, and yet something appealed. I wanted to play the game because of a single paragraph in Brendan's review:

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The RPG Scrollbars: The RPGs Of 2016https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/rpg-2016-previewRichard CobbettMon, 04 Jan 2016 13:00:12 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/rpg-2016-previewSteve Jackson's Sorcery!Dark Souls IIIShroud of the Avatar: Forsaken VirtuesThe Witcher 3: Blood and WineThe RPG ScrollbarsCamelot UnchainedTorment: Tides of NumeneraSouth Park: The Fractured but WholeThe TechnomancerUnderworld AscendantWarcraft III: Reign of ChaosDivinity: Original Sin 2Final Fantasy IXGrimoire: Heralds of the Winged ExemplarMass Effect AndromedaRPGFeature

The holidays are now over, and it's time to get back to what matters - saving a million accident-prone fantasy realms from their own past mistakes, evil gods on the rampage, and all that pesky loot that they clearly don't have anything better to do with than stick it in barrels at the bottom of dungeons. This is why so many of them have no choice but to have bandit-driven economies. Shameful. Someone should Do Something There.

Here's some of the most exciting RPGs due in 2016. I suspect a couple may not actually make it to final release this year, but never mind - 'tis the season to be generous. In no particular order, then, some of the ones I'm looking forward to...

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The RPG Scrollbars: The Damned DM Delusionhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/dungeon-master-pc-gamesRichard CobbettMon, 26 Oct 2015 13:00:50 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/dungeon-master-pc-gamesNeverwinterSword Coast LegendsThe RPG ScrollbarsAction AdventureDivinity: Original Sin 2Neverwinter NightsRPGVampire: The Masquerade: RedemptionCard HunterFeature

The most dangerous ideas are the ones so compelling, nobody wants to admit they're bad. Also the atom bomb was pretty nasty, but that's a bit out of a weekly RPG column. Instead, let's pick one of the chocolate teapots that people keep mistaking for the Holy Grail - the idea that RPGs can hope to offer anything close to a classic DM experience. It's a terrible idea. It's not going to work. Stop wasting everybody's time.

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The RPG Scrollbars: Chris Avellone Writes Everythinghttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/chris-avellone-games-he-definitely-wroteRichard CobbettMon, 28 Sep 2015 12:00:51 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/chris-avellone-games-he-definitely-wroteObsidian EntertainmentFalloutThe RPG ScrollbarsDivinity: Original Sin 2RPGChris AvelloneFeature

This week, Larian announced that Chris "Chris Avellone" Avellone would be joining the Divinity: Original Sin 2 writers to help craft what some are already calling "Words". Commenting, Avellone demonstrated his willingness and capability of writing them by writing others, which read as follows: "This is the first time I think the community is responsible for bringing two developers together who might not have crossed paths... and especially for such a great project." There was also a stickman involved.

But of course, this is only one of the many projects that Avellone has signed on for in the next year or so. What more of his magic awaits us in coming months?

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Chris Avellone Divinity: Original Sin 2 As Writerhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/chris-avellone-divinity-original-sin-2Joe DonnellySun, 27 Sep 2015 12:00:13 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/chris-avellone-divinity-original-sin-2Larian StudiosTorment: Tides of NumeneraDivinity: Original Sin 2RPGThe Bard's Tale IVKickstarterChris Avellone

Chris Avellone is going to be a writer on Divinity 2: Original Sin [official site]. His involvement was confirmed at the 11th hour of Larian Studio's already successful Kickstarter project - though not as a stretch goal, for once.

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The RPG Scrollbars: The Lost Magic Of Magichttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-rpg-scrollbars-the-lost-magic-of-magicRichard CobbettMon, 14 Sep 2015 12:00:22 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-rpg-scrollbars-the-lost-magic-of-magicDivinity: Original SinWorld of WarcraftUltimaThe RPG ScrollbarsFeatureVampire: The Masquerade - BloodlinesBaldur's Gate II: Enhanced EditionThe Secret WorldDivinity: Original Sin 2RPGThe Elder Scrolls V: SkyrimDragon AgeThe Witcher 3: Wild HuntDragon Age II

Given a choice, I almost always play as a mage. Swords? Pah. Divine magic? Save it for Sunday School. Give me control over the elements, the power to reshape the very building blocks of the universe according to my every whim, and if at all possible, a cool hat. It's an easy fantasy to indulge in almost any RPG out there.

I just wish it was a more satisfying one.

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Divinity Original Sin 2's Competitive Roleplaying And Diverging Narratives Are Boldly Inventivehttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/divinity-original-sin-2Adam SmithWed, 26 Aug 2015 13:00:31 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/divinity-original-sin-2PreviewsDivinity: Original SinLarian StudiosDivinity: Original Sin Enhanced EditionDivinity: Original Sin 2RPGhands onFeature

Divinity: Original Sin 2 [official site] has just landed on Kickstarter but we've already played an early build. It's an ambitious sequel, supporting up to four players who will now be able to compete as their objectives overlap and diverge. As well as bringing about the life and death of the party, Original Sin 2 brilliantly overhauls its predecessor's turn-based combat and introduces multiple playable races and an origin system that defines each character's evolving place in the world.

Bold and inventive, it adds complex layers of overlapping narrative consequences to Original Sin's world of interlocking systems. This is how it works.

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Divinity: Original Sin II Heading To Kickstarter This Monthhttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/divinity-original-sin-ii-announcement-kickstarterAdam SmithWed, 12 Aug 2015 13:00:37 +0000https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/divinity-original-sin-ii-announcement-kickstarterDivinity: Original SinLarian StudiosDivinity: Original Sin Enhanced EditionDivinity: Original Sin 2RPGKickstarter

At Gamescom, I spent some time with Larian and Divinity: Original Sin's Enhanced Edition [official site]. It's almost completely redesigned, adding controller support for splitscreen local co-op, containing considerable rewrites and additions, and retooling everything from specific quests to the entire loot system. There's also full voice acting and a revamped character development system, which should maintain interesting progression right through the end-game.

Pleasing as it is to see improvements to a great game, it's even more pleasing to hear news of an innovative sequel. Divinity: Original Sin II will be coming to Kickstarter on August 26th and we'll be taking a close look at the plans next week. From previous conversations with the devs, I reckon the intent is to push the simulation of the world and I'm hugely excited to see what that involves.

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