Christopher Coke

The Division has been compared to Destiny since long before it launched. Now that both games are in the wild, our RPG columnist has gotten his hands on both and has rendered his initial verdict. It might change once, but for now, find out why he think The Division is clearly better than Destiny.

Emblazoned, white on black, on the left monitor of Roccat’s new Renga headset are these words: “studio grade sound.” It also appears on the box, but words in a feature list pack less of a punch than bold stenciling on the product itself. A feature list might be forgotten, but you’ll never forget a promise so bold as one you’re reminded of every single day. It takes confidence to make a move like that, and with a $50 price point, more than a little daring.

GDC used to be an event for purely for game makers. Today, it’s an event that game lovers around the world pay attention to. The once-insular event has become one of the go-to sources for insights into the world of game-making, but also more than a few unexpected announcements and big news breaks. The week has been good to us and we’re devoting our whole column to the biggest news, from the inside the event and out.

Roccat is putting the PC peripheral market on notice: they’re here and won’t stop until they’re on top. Over the last year, the studio has made more of a name for itself than any year before it, releasing new hardware at a breakneck pace, often pushing the boundaries of already soaring hardware expectations. I had the opportunity to go hands-on with their new flagship keyboard, the Ryos MK FX.

More than two years since its first announcement, The Division is finally upon us. While Rob is working on the review, we’re going to look at things from a different angle. Even though The Division falls firmly in the “hybrid” camp of the RPG genre, we think it has some important lessons that the rest of the RPG genre needs to take note of. Here’s what other RPGs need to learn.

Obsidian Entertainment has staked a claim on the CRPG genre in the last year. With Pillars of Eternity, the studio returned to their roots, abandoning the sprawling 3D open worlds of Fallout: New Vegas and the pop culture satire of South Park: The Stick of Truth for isometric cameras, dice rolls, and one of the best interactive stories this side of the open world.

Pillars of Eternity’s White March expansion has concluded (read the review) and Part Two has cemented the game as one of the best isometric RPGs of the decade. Still, players tell tales about its difficulty and many, maybe even you, have decided it’s not for you. Well, we’re here to tell you you’re wrong and that the time has come for you to enter Eora at last. Read on to find out just how Obsidian has heard, and answered, your concerns.

We already knew that Fallout 4 was big, but it’s about to get a lot bigger. Over the next three months, Bethesda plans to release what they call their “first series” of add-ons in an “expanded DLC plan.” They promise more than $60 worth of additional content throughout the year, but the news isn’t all good: that alluring $25 season pass is going up to a full $50. Is it worth it? Read on for what we think and our thoughts on the first three DLC packs.

It’s almost Valentine’s Day and love is in the air! This week, Chris talks about sweet, sweet love, erm… workin’ it, and how modern RPGs really seem to hate monogamy.

Hot on the heels of The Force Awakens, Chris jumped back into Star Wars: The Old Republic to see how it holds up. It’s half the MMO it used to be and a much better RPG because of it! Read on to find out why. Plus, in the Quick Hits, we have impressions of The Division, Darkest Dungeon’s roadmap from launch, a new character and the possibility of a new demo for Final Fantasy XV, free content for Shadowrun: Hong Kong, and more!

Divinity: Original Sin was one of the most exciting RPGs of the year when it released. This year, Larian will unleash its sequel, Divinity: Original Sin 2. It promises to improve the original in nearly every way and other RPG developers need to take notice. Here’s what RPGs need to learn from Divinity: Original Sin 2.

Oculus made a splash by opening up pre-orders this week and unveiling their retail price at $599, substantially more than Palmer Luckey’s September “in the ballpark” of $350 quote. While many gamers are gleeful that virtual reality will soon be arriving in their very own living rooms, our RPG columnist is concerned. Is $600 just too much?

It’s a new year and that means it’s time to return again to a question we first posed last year: What exactly makes an RPG? As different genres appropriate more staples of the roleplaying genre, the waters continue to get muddier and muddier. Is Fallout 4 an RPG, for example? How about Destiny? Let’s break down exactly what makes an RPG in 2016.

As the year draws to a close, gamers and critics around the world are figuring what their best games of the year were. In the RPG category there are two clear contenders: Fallout 4 and The Witcher 3. Fallout is a phenomenon years in the making. On the other hand, The Witcher 3 is a grassroots success that has taken the gaming world by storm. Despite a long, beloved history and mighty publishing power of Bethesda, The Witcher 3 is by far the better roleplaying game. Here's why.

We recently went hands-on with Steelseries’ Apex Gaming Keyboard. Featuring five zones of active RGB backlighting and 22 macro buttons, the APEX should be the stylish MMO player’s dream. But does it live up to its promise? We tell you what we think in our official review!