Some of those currencies have colourful world-building attached; others plug into pleasingly volatile market simulations. But they feel pretty interchangeable to me in hindsight, because the process of earning dosh in most games is so bland and inconsequential, making little overall impact on the world even in games that give you a choice of economic backgrounds. Many single-player RPGs, especially, are just consolatory fantasies of steady, even passive self-enrichment, where the player’s wealth floats alongside everything else, pacing progress in an abstract way....

When people think of classical music, their first instinct is usually to associate it with the snobby upper classes - not toots and turds. My mind goes to people in suits and evening gowns sat down to watch a recital, performed effortlessly by a lone musician, themselves clad in black, on the stage. The music is played note-for-note, dictated by the manuscript. It’s hard to get away from those connotations, even though I know they’re not true, because of the history of and attitudes towards classical music....

It’s not entirely clear what the occasion is - although a quick Google tells me Gears of War is currently celebrating its 15 year, one month, and two day anniversary, so perhaps that’s a thing - but Fenix and Diaz will both be available as paid skins in the Fortnite store from 7pm ET this evening, which equates to 12am, 10th December in the UK. Those that choose to buy Fenix will receive the Sonic Resonator Back Bling, while Diaz comes with the Reyna’s Pendant Back Bling, and it’s possible to buy both characters in a bundle which also includes the Emergence Hole Spray....

While exploring the maps, looking for chests, challenges or simply heading to a point in the area to complete a commission can make you stumble into a fishing spot. Not only that but there’s a considerable variety of fish to discover and catch. Within this guide on fishing in Genshin Impact, there’s everything you need to know to prepare yourself: how to unlock fishing, how to fish, what fish you can find, the types of rods and baits, as well as what fish are used for....

Below, we’ve explained how the Star-Seeker’s Sojourn event works, and Future Star locations locations in Genshin Impact during version 3.1. Be sure to also check out our Genshin Impact codes page to get more free Primogems, and other rewards. On this page: Genshin Impact Star-Seeker Sojourn event explained To take part in the Star-Seeker’s Sojourn event, you’ll have to be at least Adventure Rank 30. Apart from this, you’re free to start the event anytime after Friday, 21st October until it ends on Monday, 31st October....

Although debuting at the same time as new Electro 5-Star Cyno, it’s not his best weapon, but can be used as a free-to-play option. Cyno isn’t the only character in Genshin Impact who can use the Missive Windspear, so we’ll go over which characters can benefit from the polearm’s stats, and all the Missive Windspear Ascension Materials you need to upgrade it below. On this page: Genshin Impact Missive Windspear ability, stats, and attack damage The Missive Windspear is a 4-Star polearm that raises the attack stat of any character who equips it....

More screen space, higher resolutions, and faster refresh rates are all things you benefit from when playing on an ultrawide gaming monitor, which can produce some breathtaking experiences when gaming. However, these bigger benefits also come with a bigger price tag. What that bigger price can mean is that you’re likely to get a bigger deal when there’s a sale on. That’s definitely the case with this Dell S3422DWG ultrawide gaming monitor, which you can get with a £100 discount when you use the code “Vouchercodes8” at checkout....

Crucial’s X-line of portable SSDs have been revered as some of the most solid ones on the market in terms of performance and value for money, and this X8 is arguably the top of the line model. It provides read speeds of up to 1050MB/s, meaning it offers usable speeds for playing PC (and last-gen console) games off of it, with faster load speeds than the older mechanical hard drive you might have in your PC at the moment....

The Pokémon has been teased all week with a series of images taken by a Paldean photographer featuring brightly coloured markings in a forest. Now, in a new documentary format video, we finally got a look at the little painter. Grafaiai makes its mark! | Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet Fans had been speculating if this Pokémon would be an evolution of an existing monster, though it seems this is an all new ‘mon....

It’s a move that has caused considerable consternation amongst the Gran Turismo community, and understandably so given the ability to buy in-game currency on the PlayStation Store, with the game’s miserly in-game economy seemingly pushing players towards microtransactions. It’s feedback that hasn’t gone unnoticed, with the update accompanied by a note from series creator Kazunori Yamauchi. “In GT7 I would like to have users enjoy lots of cars and races even without microtransactions,” Yamauchi wrote....

Boxed versions of GTA5 are retailing at £24.99 from outlets such as GAME in the UK (click here for the PS5 version and here for the Xbox Series X version). Unless you particularly want to have a boxed version of the game to add to your collection, however, it is worth noting that digital copies of GTA5 are considerably cheaper. For Xbox Series X/S owners, a bundle with both Grand Theft Auto 5’s Story Mode and GTA Online costs £17....

Block, who appeared in 2015’s Need for Speed reboot and the Dirt series of games, sadly passed away earlier this week following a snowmobile accident on his ranch in Utah. Following the news of his passing, fans gathered together to pay tribute to Block in one of the most fitting ways - by recreating some of the famous stunts from his hugely successful series of Gymkhana videos (thanks, PCGamesN). The video, which you can see in the Reddit post below, shows a collection of GTA players sliding under a car bonnet as it bounces up on its hydraulics or pulling off donut after donut within the game....

Since Grounded’s stellar launch last year - it attracted a million players within two days and 5 million within four months - the team, still relatively small at only 20 people, has continued to expand on its appealingly diminutive premise. Grounded’s sandbox tale of 80s kids shrunk to the size of ants and forced to brave the perils of their now jungle-like backyard - exploring, battling bugs, and scavenging resources to fashion handy items along the way - has received a host of new additions since launch, including flying and aquatic bugs, a majestic koi pond, boss fights, new building items, pets, and more....

As explained in a new developer video, the idea behind Grounded’s Bugs Strike Back update is to introduce - in “true Obsidian fashion” - Faction Reactivity. Essentially, the more players bother specific bug types in their quest for new materials - whether that be by killing them outright or merely invading their territory - the more likely those creatures will be to storm player bases to try and exact revenge....

On 12th August, online features for Killzone: Mercenary, Killzone Shadow Fall (including Intercept Mode) and RIGS: Mechanised Combat League will be shut down. Single player modes will still be available. Watch on YouTube DF Retro: Killzone 2 Ten Years On - An Iconic PS3 Tech Showcase Killzone Shadow Fall was a PS4 launch title that followed the success of Killzone 2 and Killzone 3 on PS3. It launched in 2013, as did the PS Vita title Killzone: Mercenary....

Heardle is a music game inspired by Wordle - where instead of guessing a word, you hear the opening of a song, with each failed guess extending the preview to help you solve the title and artist in question. If you fail to guess once you have heard the complete preview, then you’ll break your streak - which is why discovering today’s Heardle answer is so important for players, especially as some song intros are more elusive than others....

Heardle is a music game inspired by Wordle - where instead of guessing a word, you hear the opening of a song, with each failed guess extending the preview to help you solve the title and artist in question. If you fail to guess once you have heard the complete preview, then you’ll break your streak - which is why discovering today’s Heardle answer is so important for players, especially as some song intros are more elusive than others....

On the topic of things that probably don’t belong in Valheim, spaceships are almost certainly one of them. The sci-fi building trend has been going strong, with a Millenium Falcon build earning itself the top spot on the Valheim subreddit, and an equally-impressive “USS Valheim” representing Star Trek. I’ll be honest, I’m not sure these would manage to exit Valheim’s atmosphere, so it’s probably just as well they’re staying grounded....

The Awakened, if you’re unfamiliar, was the third instalment in a series of Frogwares-developed Sherlock Holmes investigatory adventures that has so far spanned nine games, pitting the Baker Street detective against Cthulhu cults and eldritch abominations across Victorian London, Switzerland, New Orleans, and the Scottish Highlands. Frogwares’ remake will see the studio reimagining the title for modern audiences, drawing on its learning from the more recent Sherlock games, and retooling its story to be a continuation of the young Sherlock arc, which started in last year’s Chapter One....

Due to launch on 1st July via various box sets and booster packs, this “first wave” of products marks an unusual collaboration between the long-running Pokémon TCG and a Pokémon game not made by main series developer GameFreak. Pleasingly, many of the designs feature nods to the game - such as stalwart Pokémon Go gym defender Blissey pictured sat atop a Valor gym. Pokémon Go team leaders Blanche, Candela and Spark all get their own cards, while other designs include AR-like images of Pokémon in real-world settings, plus items such as gifts and lure modules....