Grimdark fantasy has none of the appeal of your average fantasy story– no warm meals, charming friends, or wholesome adventures. So why is the genre so popular? Some say it’s because it’s a heightened version of our own reality– a dim reflection or a black mirror– and it’s this high-action that makes it exciting and addictive. Others say that it sates different urges, the taste for hardship, chaos, and unyielding will that rarely appears in our daily lives. Or maybe it’s just that beating the odds tastes all the sweeter when your obstacles are near insurmountable.  Whatever the case, Dark ..read more

Besides the addictive gunplay and competitive sport, Counter Strike: Global Offensive’s trading market was the biggest reason for the game’s success. Why? People want the bragging rights and prestige of the rarest and most stylish gun skins. Counter-Strike 2 is no different, and now savvy traders can actually make money from their dealings. In fact, the CS trading world is so much like the stock market that many people attribute CS:GO as their introduction to market movements. This guide to trading valuable CS2 skins aims to simplify the­ CS2 skin market, hopefully equipping you with tools and ..read more

Across all the game genres, fast-paced shooters are the games that can give you both a rush of adrenaline and a powerful feeling of satisfaction. Horror games may get your blood pumping, and MMOs may make you feel powerful, but a good shooter? Now that’s a firecracker of a feeling. But not all shooters let you slide in for a quick match, so which are the best fast-paced shooters for short gaming sessions? Let’s find out. Here are the best shooters for short sessions right now:  Destiny 2 – Best For Role Playing Player Unkown’s Battlegrounds – Best Immersion Counter-Strike 2 – Best Compet ..read more

The grim and dying world of Darkest Dungeon 2 has been expanded with a new DLC. The Binding Blade DLC introduces The Warlord mini-boss, two heroes (the new Duelist and the returning Crusader), a handful of new enemies and encounters, a Crusader unlock questline, assorted trinkets, and fully voiced backstories. The Duelist is the more exciting of the two new heroes, with a new “stance” mechanic that allows her to pivot as the sea of battle changes. In her offensive stance, she charges toward the enemy and lays on heavy hits with attack bonuses, but when the competition grows fierce, she ca ..read more

Similar to Starfield‘s NASApunk, cassette futurism asks “What if the design styles of the 1970s to late 1990s were used with the technology we have today?” It’s a question that the instagram project @an_improbable_future aims to answer with their generated art pieces. And looking at these stylish what ifs of yesteryear, it’s hard not to wish that a few designs from this improbable future would make the jump into reality.  To learn more, I asked An Improbable Future about their inspiration, process, and dreams for the project’s future. What did An Improbable Future start with? I’ve been a ..read more

Until now, keycaps have been made in a range of luxe materials, including walnut wood, aluminium, stainless steel, and of course resin. But the engineers and mad scientists of the mechanical keyboard community have never been ones to rest on their laurels, and the envelope has been pushed even further with new glazed-ceramic keycaps. Yes, you can now enjoy the cool, slick feel of artisanal pottery during your hours behind the keyboard. The keycap designers to coin and mint this idea are CeraKey, a small band of chinese designers who have since become quite beloved among the diehard keycap comm ..read more

After the runaway success of the collector’s edition, Larian Studios have put together a new special collection which, for the first time, includes physical editions of Baldur’s Gate 3. So yes, you can finally play Baldur’s Gate 3 on disc, and finally add it to your games library. But for an epic, continent spanning adventure like Baldur’s Gate 3, they’ve had to make some concessions. Specifically, the PS5 versions sports 2 discs, and the Xbox versions come with a juicy 3 discs for your playing pleasure. The PC version on the other hand comes with a DVD and a custom installer, along with a Ste ..read more

According to Jason Schreier of Bloomberg, Rockstar Games will unveil GTA 6 this week for the studio’s 25th-anniversary celebration. And this will be followed by a trailer in December. Schreier reported the following on his twitter, “The company plans to then publish a trailer for Grand Theft Auto VI next month to celebrate Rockstar’s 25th anniversary, said the people, who asked to not be identified because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly. A spokesperson for Rockstar didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment sent after business hours.” GTA5 is often ranked as one of the best ..read more

Artisan keycaps are not your standard keyboard button. They’re not even those slick mechanical caps with cute designs printed in them. Artisan keycaps are more like usable sculptures. And despite being little known, artisan keycaps are an extensive artform. You can dress up your keyboard with almost anything– like dragons, koi ponds, pokemon, and even a smaller computer. It really is a small universe to discover, and for people who spend their day on their keeb, it’s a true treasure trove. ArtKey Universe is a team of designers and sculptors that specialise in creating the higher end of these ..read more

Whether you’re a brave adventurer, or a lowly space rat, you’ll want a pistol at your side and a rifle on your back. But that’s only the beginning of the kinds of weapons that the settled systems have to offer. There are high-tech desert eagles, Colt 1911s, old sawn-offs, and a railgun that can fell a terrormorph. If you can dream it, you can surely buy it, but the question is then, what’s the best artillery to keep in your arsenal? After all, you don’t want the crimson fleet to get the drop on you, do you? The Best Weapons in Starfield are: Best Handgun – The Prime Best Rifle – Revenant Best ..read more