July is for lazy mornings in the sunshine, lounging around beer gardens with family in the afternoon, and tackling gaming challenges with friends in the evening. Despite the height of summer, the RPS community has continued to soar, with action in Arma 3 [official site], Europa Universalis [official site], Guild Wars 2 [official site] and Terraria [official site].

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A leak last week made pretty clear that a new tropical landscape was coming to Arma III [official site], and now it’s really, formally, officially happening.

The South Pacific archipelago of Tanoa (pronounce that last part like in ‘quinoa’ or everyone will think you’re a right mug) will arrive in Bohemia’s military sim with an expansion in the first half of 2016. I don’t believe they’ve named the expansion yet. Of course, given that this announcement already leaked, all we really have to show you that’s new is the trailer we couldn’t see before:

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Sometimes you need a hand to hold, so we ve compiled a list of the 25 best co-op games to play on PC with a headset-wearing friend or a muted stranger.

Whether solving puzzles, sneaking, shooting zombies or stabbing mythical creatures in the face, the existence of another player adds an element of unpredictability. The reality of your co-op partner constantly alerting the guards is drowned out by the experience in your head – the synchronised stealth takedowns, the perfectly executed plan – but both success and failure are more compelling when you can take credit for the former and blame someone else for the latter.

There is a co-op game for every duo and our selection includes a variety of the most bestest. Don t worry if your favourite co-op game doesn t feature – it just means you re wrong. All mortals are, on occasion. … [visit site to read more]

I remember my second kill in Battle Royale. The first one, like many first things in life, was somewhat sloppy and forgettable. The second one was different. It was at night and I was hiding in a ruined building in Agios Dionysios. The blue circle had just popped up and I was looking at the map when I heard the footsteps. A man ran past my building and stopped under a tree some 15 metres away, most likely to do the same thing I was doing – look at his map. All I had was a revolver. I peaked over the crumbled wall, aimed at his back and fired three times. Razmon – that was his name – flopped to the ground.

On a surface level Battle Royale is simply free-for-all deathmatch, but unlike most public multiplayer mods available for Arma 3 today, it’s based on skill and a tiny bit of luck. You can’t buy anything or grind to unlock anything. How well you do is down to your map reading skills, planning, situational awareness and gun handling. In this way, it’s the cleanest deliver of what makes Arma multiplayer great – and it’s playable against strangers, without the need to clear hurdles and join a community.

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Ready to discover once-and-for-all whether X-Plane is better than FSX? Whether Falcon 4.0 is better than Milk Float Simulator 2012? Ready to read the word ‘realism’ 46 times in a single hour, and spit feathers on discovering that the sim that caused got you through your divorce has been cruelly cold-shouldered by an idiot with a bus fetish and a sci-fi blindspot the size of the Crab Nebula? You are? Splendid. You’re in the right place.

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Gathering together the best shooters is no easy task, but if you’re looking for a new PC FPS to play, look no further.

Your favourite game is at number 51.

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Me, I like my video game wars unrealistic enough that I can cross an entire battlefield in five carefully-placed strafejumps but you, you may fancy them more simmy. If you like your shooty-shoots militaristic and damned demanding, yet you haven’t hopped into the Arma 3 [official site] APC yet, hey: give it a go, as the whole game’s free to try in a free trial weekend on Steam.

Arma 3 is also on sale this weekend, half-price, if you decide you want to keep it. Developers Bohemia are discounting their other games too, including a wee 15% off DayZ.

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Last year Arma 3 [official site] was in the process of getting AT-ATs, thanks to a Star Wars-themed mod. The mod was eventually abandoned by its creator, McRuppertle, but he’s uploaded footage from the first in-game test for people to peer at:

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Arma 3 [official site] has a nice approach to paid DLC. When makers Bohemia Interactive sell new odds and ends for cash money, they’ve also released free updates adding related extras for all.

This week they released the shooty Marksmen DLC, which adds more guns, scopes, ghillie suits, firing drills, and other things that go ‘bang!’ They also rolled out a hearty patch which improves the fundamentals of how guns work, and adds new bits and pieces including a scenario focused on feeling cool rolling around firing guns from moving vehicles. Heaven help me, I do enjoy shooty vehicle sections in games.

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Although winners have yet to be announced in the recent Make Arma Not War competition, the judges have published the shortlisted finalists. As a result a series of levels inspired by Hitman: Blood Money – far and away the best game in the Hitman series – have been brought to our attention. You can download ‘em over here.

There are eight Arma III [official site] levels in all, each inspired by one of Blood Money’s intricate scenarios. … [visit site to read more]