The essential core of the democratic process is voting. A free, fair vote is not just essential, it is sacrosanct: Without it, everything else collapses like a house of cards. And that's why it's so disheartening to know that there are those among us who would prey upon our delicate democracy and twist it to serve their own selfish purposes. That's right, I'm talking about Digimon fans.Luckily, just as there...

I still remember the very first time I tried Team Fortress Classic's VIP mode, which was also called The Hunted. I spawned into my first match and saw that instead of a gun I was holding an umbrella. I was the VIP! Hell, yes! But also: Oh, no!In TFC VIP, one player was the 10th class, the Civilian (because VIP and The Hunted weren't enough names for him, I guess),...

2K revealed the Mafia: The Old Country system requirements back in May, leading PC Gamer hardwaremeister James Bentley to suggest that it might be time for an upgrade if you're coming at it with a lower-end rig. Today we got a detailed breakdown of what the game will offer in the way of eye candy and what you'll need to enjoy it, including a new "Epic" specification that is, well,...

You might not think it from its cutesy miniaturised setting and charming characters, but Grounded 2 can be a hard game, especially at the start when you've got bugger all to fend off the park's most fearsome critters. And to start getting better equipment and materials, you need to somehow overcome those threats, like poisonous scorpions, hordes of spiders, gigantic cockroach queens, wolf spiders—the (horrifying) list goes on.To have any...

If you've braved the intense chill of the Ice Cream Cart in Grounded 2, then you might have stumbled upon either the Frostbitten Key or the locked chest itself that requires it. No matter which one you find first, it's not immediately obvious what you actually need to do with them.It doesn't help that the ice cream truck is freezing cold, causing you to be slowed and occasionally seize up...

The time of Baldur's Gate 3 patches is ended; now is the time of Baldur's Gate 3 hotfixes. God bless 'em, I don't think Larian will ever manage to stop tinkering with its masterpiece—today it returned to Faerûn with BG3's hotfix 33, bringing a smattering of fixes for bugs as diverse as crashes, broken game invites, the Dark Urge accidentally spoiling their whole deal, and weird character portraits. Maybe. That...

There's a lot to be said for the simple things in life. For a start, they're often cheap—and hardware doesn't come much cheaper than this Amazon Basics USB condenser microphone. You can pick up one of these teeny-tiny little units for a mere $26/£23 at Amazon, although it must be said, that's the sort of price that makes me eye any piece of audio gear with suspicion.Opening the packaging, however,...

If you know your noise rock from your industrial, your ambient noise from harsh noise wall, there's a good chance you'll enjoy the chaotic screeches of an ethernet cable plugged into a Eurorack module. If not, you might find it a little cool anyway, like I do.As spotted by Hackaday, creator Wenzellabs recently showed off their NSA Selector, a Eurorack module with two Ethernet ports and an audio output. Effectively,...

When it comes to streaming and conferencing gear, Elgato is a company I've come to really appreciate. They make some of my favourite streaming gear like great keylights, and are also behind some of the best webcams around. The brand's Facecam line has impressed us since its inception back in 2021 with Elgato's first ever webcam and continues today with the Facecam MK.2 sitting atop our list of beloved cameras....

When Distance released in 2018 it felt like a big deal. It's a grimy sci-fi arcade racer blending the nightmarish vibes of Thumper with the cheerful time-attack moreishness of Trackmania. It's both zen-like and quietly disturbing. It's blisteringly fast, but it has a strange tranquilizing effect. I adore it, and I don't know why people don't talk about it more often.In addition to a long campaign that manages to blend...