GamesRadar - PC Features

Painkiller (Painkiller)

Jan 8, 2004

Believe it or not, there are PC shooters out this year that aren't called Half-Life 2 or Doom III. And leading the way in non-sequel action-based FPSers is the intriguingly-titled Painkiller, currently nearing the end of development by Polish coders People Can Fly. We visited them in the somewhat chilly climes of Warsaw to see how the game is progressing and to play through the first few levels.The game marks a return to the roots of FPSing: pure, arcade-style blasting, with nary a whiff of ...

Pariah (Pariah)

Jan 20, 2005

After the huge success of the Unreal series, Digital Extremes have a lot to live up to with their latest first-person shooter Pariah. Especially when claims of an immersive storyline penned by Hollywood writers, compelling first-person action and the ultimate multiplayer experience are bandied about. We talked to James Schmalz, founder and creative director of Digital Extremes, to get the full, gory details: upgradeable weapons, multiplayer map editing... and just what's happening with that PS2 ...

Why games fail at storytelling (PC)

Oct 10, 2008

It's not just about bad acting and Jill sandwiches ...

The Top 7... Game expos better than E3 (PC)

Oct 6, 2008

Imagine the room you’re in spiraling inward as soothing celesta music transports you to another time and place. You’re in LA; it’s 2006 and you’ve just walked onto the E3 show floor. Everyone is buzzing about the Wii and the DS Lite. Jokes about the PS3’s $600 pricetag are circulating, but anticipation of Sony’s powerhouse is hardly damaged. Flashing lights and beautiful women accompany lavish displays of ...

Who fights a Bill of Rights? (PC)

Oct 3, 2008

Stardock and Gas Powered Games’ recently suggested Gamer’s Bill of Rights seems to have motivated all sorts of people to action. Within days of its unveiling, I received e-mails alerting me to the Casual Gamer’s Bill of Rights, the Comcast Peer-to-Peer Bill of Rights, and some sort of U.S. Bill of Rights demanding, among other bizarre ideas, the freedoms of speech, assembly, and protection from the quartering of ...

Primetime to real-time (PC)

Oct 3, 2008

While games based on movies and TV shows have a long and proud tradition of sucking really, really hard, there are a few out there I’d love to see make the jump to real-time strategy. Picking them out ended up being harder than I thought, since most movies and shows have small groups of central characters, which doesn’t really work well in a game where you need disposable units. After much deliberation, here are my top four ...

Games vs Movies: 20 cutscenes compared (PC)

Oct 3, 2008

If you’ve played a movie-based game in your lifetime, we’re sorry. We’re sure you know that most games strive to stick as close to the film as possible. Even when taking “creative license” with the source material - in cases like Superman Returns, Hulk or any other boring action film - you’re bound to see some semblance of the movie’s story acted out in glorious 3D. ...

Epic game plots made simple (PC)

Oct 3, 2008

Evolution of the tree (PC)

Oct 2, 2008

You don’t know how good you’ve got it. With the latest generation, you’ve got one of the most sophisticated pieces of technology in the world sitting under your television (or sitting on your desk), obediently pumping out hundreds of thousands of polygons a second and making trillions of calculations, all so you can sit there grunting about how the draw distance isn’t that great, or how the characters’ faces aren't that well animated. ...

What's your gaming pet hate? (PC)

Oct 1, 2008

You remember your first set-piece. They’re exciting to begin with. You’re playing a level, you turn the corner, and – OH MY GOD! – a spaceship has just nuked that building! But... but... but Alpha Team was in there. Commander Jenkins! Michael. He saved my life in the Martian Wars. Good god. We’ve got to get in there, and now. ...

The Top 7... Stupidest Puzzles (PC)

Sep 29, 2008

Puzzles aren’t meant to be simple - they’re meant to sell hint books and strategy guides. Obstacles aren’t meant to be obvious - they’re meant to artificially lengthen the adventure! Here are the seven most bizarre, irrational and frustratingly convoluted examples we’ve ever encountered. They don’t just spit in the face of logic... they kick logic right in the balls. ...

The coming digital tidal wave (PC)

Sep 29, 2008

A huge change underway in how videogames are made and sold is poised to transform the entire industry. Digital distribution will not only affect how you get games, but also the types of games you experience. Buying boxes from brick-and-mortar stores will wane significantly over the coming years, while downloading titles over the Internet will continue to grow.Consider how much things have changed in the way music is sold. ...

See GTA IV with 8-bit graphics... (PC)

Sep 25, 2008

We’ve seen some great remakes this year. The success of Bionic Commando Rearmed on Xbox LIVE and Final Fantasy IV on the DS shows that playing old games on new hardware is still fun. But the good folks at The Independent Gaming Source have turned the idea of remaking classic titles on its head with their recent Bootleg Demake competition. ...

Can you really rocket jump? (PC)

Sep 24, 2008

We take a lot of things for granted in games. Such as guns that leave nothing but skeletons when they hit the enemy, or that you can hack a computer by playing a simple puzzle game. But no more. PC Gamer wanted to find out how far science was being abused for the sake of our entertainment. ...

Game moments you don't want a loved one walking in on (PC)

Sep 24, 2008

There’s ‘do you think anyone smelt me dropping that beef biscuit?’ embarrassment. And then there’s ‘accidentally relieving your bowels in public after one too many beers and a chicken vindaloo’ embarrassment. Guess which category the following gaming shames fall into? ...

Intelligent AI design (PC)

Sep 23, 2008

As game makers can probably attest, one of the biggest challenges of creating a good first-person shooter is the artificial intelligence development. Programming an AI-controlled bot to perform with enough skill and unpredictability to convince you it’s a real opponent is a tremendous feat. In fact, I don’t believe any modern shooter has produced artificial intelligence that would pass the Turing Test (a thought experiment where a ...

The 2008 PC Builder's Bible (PC)

Sep 22, 2008

Getting your hands dirty and building your own system is what separates PC gamers from their console brethren, and it just so happens to be one of the most exciting parts of our hobby. Unfortunately, it’s also a pretty daunting process for anyone who hasn’t assembled his own rig from scratch. Thankfully, this guide not only gives you all you need to know about every component that goes in your gaming PC ...

The Guide to our favorite Guides (PC)

Sep 19, 2008

Congratulations on finding your way to our Guide to Guides! If you’re on the wrong console page, use our helpful links to figure out what game you would like to become excellent at first. ...

Sim racing grows up (PC)

Sep 16, 2008

While waiting for my maiden online iRacing.com event at South Boston Speedway to commence, I took a cursory glance at the drivers I’d be competing against. There, at the top of the qualifying list, was Dale Earnhardt Jr. Yes…that Dale Earnhardt Jr.It was one of those defining moments where you realize you aren’t playing games anymore.For those who haven’t heard, David Kaemmer (of NASCAR Racing, IndyCar Racing, and GPL ...

Top 10 TalkRadar moments of all time (PC)

Sep 16, 2008

O HAI! I didn’t see you click in. I’m one of the co-hosts of GamesRadar’s super-ific, fantastical podcast, TalkRadar. What started out as an excuse for us to bite back at the internet and industry that feeds us quickly gained a following we weren’t quite expecting. That other podcast you like? This one’s funnier, better even. ...