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Giant Squid Dev BlogSep 23, 2024 - Community Announcements{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44189631/0e53c7a38b64b0ec5f94c1c9b4eb49a460769575.jpg One of the many ingredients in a Giant Squid game is fluid movement. Join our very own Joel Finney, the Lead Animator at Giant Squid, as he goes behind the scenes on how we made the animation of The Wraith so smooth and buttery. Read the full post here: Giant Squid Dev Blog - Animating The Wraith {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44189631/128955a975197a35e3d7f43d046f031de452924d.png Sword of the Sea's release date is still to be announced but will be launched simultaneously on Steam and PS5. Get ready to experience an adventure like no other - add it to your wishlist today! Learn more at SwordOfTheSeaGame.comSword of the Sea in DevelopmentAug 24, 2023 - Community AnnouncementsSurf across the surreal undulating landscapes of the Necropolis on a quest to unveil a lost ocean teeming with life in Sword of the Sea. Featuring a beautiful score by Austin Wintory. https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/2453160/ss_d7cb0733e376480ec30504e429bd32adcd19133d.600x338.jpg?t=1688062535 In a world where the terrain flows in waves, ride the Hoversword to speed over shifting seas of sand. It controls like a snowboard, skateboard, and hoverboard all in one. Build momentum to achieve great speeds and catch big air as you explore skatepark-like ruins, lost in the tides of the Necropolis of the Gods. The Hoversword embodies the feel of snowboarding and skating games, but in an entirely new context of adventure. https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/2453160/ss_32dca95bbecce5a4d9620d42a291684bda832586.600x338.jpg?t=1688062535 You are the Wraith – resurrected in a desolate world and tasked with restoring life to it as you explore submerged ruins and the vibrant, varied cultures within. Surf through sinking tombs, mysterious shipwrecks, and petrified battlefields - and bring giant shoals of fish and creatures back in the process. But beware- this land is also home to massive leviathans that will stand in your way. https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/2453160/ss_83dc3690d345610a0ed9d269ac876918cbde2992.600x338.jpg?t=1688062535 Learn more and join the discussion on our Official Giant Squid Discord Server https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/2453160/extras/discord_element_dots.gif?t=1688062535WDC World Oceans Day Charity SaleJun 8, 2022 - Community AnnouncementsWe are excited to announce that we are supporting WDC, Whale and Dolphin Conservation for World Oceans Day! The WDC World Oceans Day Sale starts today at 10am PDT and runs until 13th June, 10am PDT 2022, and you can save a fin-tastic 50% off ABZU. We will also donate a portion of our net profits to WDC to support their conservation work.* WDC is the leading global charity dedicated to the protection and conservation of whales and dolphins. WDC defends these remarkable creatures against the many threats they face by fighting to stop whaling, end captivity, prevent accidental entanglement and deaths in nets and create healthy seas. They also advocate for the vital role that whales and dolphins play in fighting climate change and keeping our planet healthy. Their vision is a world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free. If you want to read more about WDC, you can do so here: https://uk.whales.org/ You can find many other amazing games in the sale here: https://bit.ly/OceansDaySteamSale Thank you for joining us and for supporting WDC! *A portion of our net developer revenue from this sale will support Whale and Dolphin Conservation. Whale and Dolphin Conservation is a UK registered charity (no. 1014705)The 35 best ultrawide games on PCNov 18, 2020 - Rock, Paper, ShotgunUltrawide gaming monitors are the kind of hardware that might seem too excessive, maybe even a bit too gamer to bother with for playing games on PC, especially when their demanding resolutions often require powerful graphics cards to make the most of them. Once you try one, though, there’s no going back. I’ve been a big fan of ultrawide gaming monitors for years now, mostly because supported PC games just look fantastic on them. And that’s why I’ve put together this list of the best ultrawide games on PC – to show you exactly what they look like in the flesh, complete with GIFs and photos of them running on an ultrawide monitor so you can see them in motion with your own peepers. (more…) Abzû's delightful ocean is free on the Epic Games StoreOct 8, 2020 - Rock, Paper, Shotgun Come on in, readers. The water’s free. Giant Squid’s chill dive ’em up Abzû is once again opening its waters for free on the Epic Games Store. Someone must’ve thought it pairs well with the horrors of war, mind, because it’s joined this week by Rising Storm 2: Vietnam. Both will be free to download and keep for the next week, at which point they’ll be replaced by pigs and monarchs. (more…) The 32 best PC games that demand to be played in ultrawideDec 19, 2019 - Rock, Paper, Shotgun There’s an old saying in gaming monitor circles that once you’ve gone ultrawide, there’s no going back. Indeed, having had the vast Samsung CRG9 hogging my desk for a bit last month, I’m inclined to agree. But what do games actually look like on a screen this wide? It’s one thing looking at lovely wallpapers, but another thing entirely to have a game occupy your entire field of vision. To find out, and more importantly show you, I’ve rounded up all the very best ultrawide PC games, complete with pictures of what they actually look like in the flesh, plus oodles of lovely GIFs so you can see how it works in action. If you thought playing Red Dead Redemption 2 in 5120×1440 was impressive, you ain’t seen nothing yet. (more…) Feeling low? It s okay. Join us in our gaming happy placesDec 16, 2019 - Rock, Paper, Shotgun It’s been a tough weekend for a lot of people. And there’s a tough season coming up, too. Despite Saint Nick’s PRs working over time to make us all cheerful, Christmas can actually be a sad and stressful time, can’t it? Listen: it s ok to be sad. It’s fine. You feel what you feel. So, I asked the RPS hivemind what their gaming happy places were, so we could all share them together. They might turn out to be places you’d like to visit too. (more…) Abz and The End Is Nigh are free on the Epic Games Store nowSep 5, 2019 - Rock, Paper, Shotgun Occupying two very different spots on the spectrum of digital emotions, Abz and The End Is Nigh are the latest games being given away free on the Epic Games Store. Abz is a calm and colourful undersea adventure with lots of pretty sealife to gawp at. The End Is Nigh is a platformer with hundreds upon hundreds of deaths awaiting you. (more…) Daily Deal - ABZU, 70% OffApr 8, 2019 - AnnouncementToday's Deal: Save 70% on ABZU!* Look for the deals each day on the front page of Steam. Or follow us on twitter or Facebook for instant notifications wherever you are! *Offer ends Wednesday at 10AM Pacific Time Video: Great adventures for the time poorJul 5, 2018 - Rock, Paper, ShotgunI ve been playing the endless Assassin’s Creed Origins, a game so gargantuan that the time on my save file lasts longer than Ancient Egyptian civilization did. This is a revenge mission stripped of all urgency by the simple fact of being five million hours long. Whatever big bad awaits at the end can rest easy knowing there are 800 fortresses to clear out before I reach him. Fearing a loss of sanity, I needed to remind myself of what progress actually felt like, so here are ten games you can see from start to finish in a more reasonable three hours. (more…) Podcast: What do we play with our kids?May 10, 2018 - Rock, Paper, ShotgunThe dadification of games continues. So we re going full Dad this week on the RPS podcast, the Electronic Wireless Show, as we ve been asked to talk about the games we play with our children. Alec s daughter is excited by the unlockable characters in Rayman Legends (and she s also strangely fascinated by Battletech). John s son is a bit younger and likes to watch his dad diving in Abzu and Subnautica (but also manages to sneak glimpses of God of War s quiet moments on the TV naughty!). Brendan doesn t have children, only a cat. She can t stand games and thinks they are a waste of time. (more…) The 20 best non-violent games on PCJan 26, 2018 - Rock, Paper, ShotgunMy nerves have been sufficiently jangled and my trigger-finger sufficiently itched by the glut of action games which landed in the closing months of last year. I crave an altogether more sedate beginning to 2018, and so my mind turns to games in which violence, reflex or any other kind of unblinking attentiveness takes a back seat. Primarily we’re talking violence-free games here, but I wanted to drill a little deeper than that – so nothing that generally requires a competitive streak. I’m chasing a certain feel rather than a certain category. Flying, walking, puzzling, driving, building, dreaming, climbing, stretching, swinging (not like that), swimming, wondering: these are just a few of the ways in which flashing pixels can make you feel a very different sort of accomplishment. And, of course, these are not even slightly the be-all and end-all of non-violent games on PC – please do nominate more in comments below. (more…) Dreamy flying game InnerSpace is Abzu s awkward cousinJan 19, 2018 - Rock, Paper, ShotgunThere are two games in recent memory which left me with an immediate thirst for more. Not in terms of story answers or glitzier sequels – it was simply that I wanted more of the same experience. I’d play a second Inside in a heartbeat – just more strings of strange and blackly comic scenes with well-judged, lethal puzzling. And I’d leap at the chance to swim in more of Abzu‘s gorgeous oceans, fish-watching anew. In lieu of that, InnerSpace looked like the next best thing – flying a spectral plane over land and undersea, gawping at fantasy fishies, revelling in glorious freedom of movement and a wash of colours, enduring no pressure other than that which I imposed upon myself. InnerSpace isn’t that, despite appearances and more than a few similarities. InnerSpace is far too scared that I might get bored. And so there is smashing, and strafing, and chatty demi-gods aplenty. (more…) 2017 Steam Award winners include PUBG, Cuphead & WitcherJan 4, 2018 - Rock, Paper, ShotgunWe’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. (more…) Black Friday 2017: The best deals on graphics cards, monitors, SSDs and moreNov 24, 2017 - Rock, Paper, ShotgunThe sale event to end all sale events is here. That’s right, folks, Black Friday 2017 is here, and this year’s sales frenzy is set to be bigger than ever as we head into the Christmas shopping period. In all honesty, they should just rename it Black November, as there have been deals going on throughout the month in preparation for the big day. To save you trawling through the web in search of a good bargain, we’ve created this handy guide containing everything you need to know about Black Friday 2017. If you’re on the hunt for a new graphics card, a bigger and better monitor, want to splash out on a fast SSD or upgrade your gaming headset and get a more reliable mouse and keyboard, this is the place to be. We’ll be updating this hub page on a regular basis as new deals get announced, too, so make sure to keep it in your bookmarks if you fancy grabbing yourself a bit of a bargain before Christmas. We’ve also got tips on the best places to browse, and how to find out if those hot discounts are really as good as they seem. (more…) Black Friday 2017: The best deals on graphics cards, monitors, SSDs and moreNov 23, 2017 - Rock, Paper, ShotgunThe sale event to end all sale events is here. That’s right, folks, Black Friday 2017 is here, and this year’s sales frenzy is set to be bigger than ever as we head into the Christmas shopping period. In all honesty, they should just rename it Black November, as there have been deals going on throughout the month in preparation for the big day. To save you trawling through the web in search of a good bargain, we’ve created this handy guide containing everything you need to know about Black Friday 2017. If you’re on the hunt for a new graphics card, a bigger and better monitor, want to splash out on a fast SSD or upgrade your gaming headset and get a more reliable mouse and keyboard, this is the place to be. We’ll be updating this hub page on a regular basis as new deals get announced, too, so make sure to keep it in your bookmarks if you fancy grabbing yourself a bit of a bargain before Christmas. We’ve also got tips on the best places to browse, and how to find out if those hot discounts are really as good as they seem. (more…) Black Friday 2017: The best deals on graphics cards, monitors, SSDs and moreNov 22, 2017 - Rock, Paper, ShotgunThe sale event to end all sale events is here. That’s right, folks, Black Friday 2017 is upon us, and this year’s sales frenzy is set to be bigger than ever as we head into the Christmas shopping period. In all honesty, they should just rename it Black November, as you’ll find deals happening literally RIGHT NOW in the run-up to Black Friday proper. To save you trawling through the web in search of a good bargain, we’ve created this handy guide containing everything you need to know about Black Friday 2017. If you’re on the hunt for a new graphics card, a bigger and better monitor, splash out on a fast SSD or upgrade your gaming headset, this is the place to be. We’ll be updating this hub page on a regular basis as new deals get announced, too, so make sure to keep it in your bookmarks if you fancy grabbing yourself a bit of a bargain before Christmas. We’ve also got tips on the best places to browse, and how to find out if those hot discounts are really as good as they seem. (more…) The Joy of belonging in ABZNov 7, 2017 - Rock, Paper, ShotgunIn ABZ , you play as a diver who is exploring the sublime and vibrant depths of the ocean. As you dive further down you heal and restore areas that have mysteriously decayed and help bring back their natural beauty. It s a wonderful and emotional game that can turn even the clunkiest of players into a graceful aqua-dancer. Yet while moving through ABZ s world makes you familiar with it, it is when you stop and absorb the surroundings that you start to get a sense of belonging. (more…) Music to my ears: live improvised soundtracksSep 26, 2017 - Rock, Paper, ShotgunGame music that responds to your actions can be a magical thing. I’m talking about sneaking through enemy lines accompanied by an eerie string quartet, or cresting a hill while the scenery and music swell around you. Joost van Dongen, the man behind Proun and Cello Fortress, recently did an experiment with live soundtrack improvisation that makes for interesting reading. Dongen and his fellow improviser Rene Derks set up shop at the Abunai convention in the Netherlands and invited people to come in and play any of 40 games. After turning in-game soundtracks off, Dongen with his cello and Derks on a djembe drum improvised their own music in response to whatever was happening on-screen. (more…) The best underwater gamesJul 26, 2017 - PC GamerUnderwater levels in platformers, token diving sections in open-world games—they're usually not great. Swimming controls usually fill us with dread because they don't get the same care or finesse as everything that surrounds them. If we're going to get wet, it's better when games dedicate themselves entirely to representing the experience of being underwater. That's what these games do. They're not first-person shooters set at the bottom of the sea or games about fish who are also secret agents. The best underwater games draw inspiration from the life cycles of marine creatures, from what it's like to move through water, from all the dangers and wonders of the ocean. And fish tanks. Flow The bit in Spore where you're a single-celled creature working up the food chain was essentially an interactive screensaver, but still one of its best parts. Flow is basically that on its own. You're a microscopic wormy creature gobbling up plankton-like blobs: eat a blue one and travel to an ocean plane one shade lighter, eat a red one and travel to a deeper blue. Creatures one level over are always visible and as you shift, the outline of a ray three times your size might suddenly stop being a blur and become an orange threat ready to eat you. Then Flow stops being a peaceful interactive screensaver, abruptly becoming a game about the circle of life. Insaniquarium Drop a pellet and one of your guppies either eats it and grows, or doesn't and turns belly-up. At the basic level Insaniquarium is just about owning fish: decorative wet idiots who can't be trusted not to starve. Then you get a snail who helps you collect the coins your fish drop, and a swordfish who helps you fight off alien invaders who teleport inside your tank and will eat your fish unless you laser that alien to death. Insaniquarium takes the inane pleasantness of owning a fish tank and video gamifies the hell out of it. Silent Hunter 3 As far as submarine simulators go, Silent Hunter 3, especially with mods, is as in-depth as they get. This is the game where people go for the full U-boat fantasy, playing without time compression so missions take literal days and they have to alter their sleeping patterns around it. If you yearn to fiddle with dials that let you adjust speeds down to the individual knot, then Silent Hunter 3 is for you. Grab some graphics mods to spruce up the 2005-era looks and dive into the simmiest sub sim that's ever simmed. Sub Commander If Silent Hunter III is for pretending you're in Das Boot, Sub Commander is The Hunt For Red October. But where the Silent Hunter series are all studio projects, Sub Commander is the creation of one indie designer and closer to FTL. Your nuclear sub will catch fire at some point, spring leaks, suddenly become radioactive. As much as any patrol or encounter, your mission is to keep the sub running, equipping crew and assigning them to emergency repairs and h...
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