Crusader Kings III - contact@rockpapershotgun.com (Lauren Morton)

Medieval conquer ’em up Crusader Kings 3 will be pushing out a huge patch to fix all sorts of bugs and AI oddities. Really though, it almost feels like some of these bugs deserve to stay. They’re hard-working bugs, folks. The strategy simulation is adding fixes for overzealous spymasters, children with poor role models, and Popes with a taste for the flesh of the faithful.

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Rock, Paper, Shotgun - contact@rockpapershotgun.com (Lauren Morton)

Call Of Duty: Black Ops Cold War

is steadily spooling out information leading up to its November launch date. We’ve seen a bit of the story campaign, new maps and modes coming to multiplayer, and heard about those upcoming betas. Next up is the returning zombies mode for those of you who want to ditch the ugly real life warfare for some good ol’ fashioned undead gore.

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Rock, Paper, Shotgun - contact@rockpapershotgun.com (Lauren Morton)

The next Yakuza game is coming this November on a date that was first leaked, then confirmed, and now changed. Yakuza: Like A Dragon is now launching on November 10th to match the Xbox Series X launch date. That’s three days earlier than planned that you’ll get to suit up and hit the streets of Yokohama as a criminal with a heart of gold.

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Rock, Paper, Shotgun - contact@rockpapershotgun.com (Katharine Castle)

A photo showing the Asus TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 3080 OC edition next to the Nvidia Founders Edition of the RTX 2080 Ti.

The new Nvidia [cms-block] may still be almost impossible to get hold of, but as an indicator of what the next generation of 4K graphics cards have in store for us, it’s definitely one to watch for anyone looking to upgrade their PC in the coming months. Indeed, we’ve already seen what kind of a leap it offers over the existing RTX 2080 and its Super-fied sibling in my Nvidia RTX 3080 vs 2080 showdown, but today I thought I’d take a closer look at how it fares against Nvidia’s previous top-end flagship, the RTX 2080 Ti, a card that has always cost at least £1000 / $1000 ever since it came out at the end of 2018. Can the £649 / $699 RTX 3080 pose any kind of threat to Nvidia’s best 4K best graphics card? Let’s find out via the medium of some lovely graphs.

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Rock, Paper, Shotgun - contact@rockpapershotgun.com (Lauren Morton)

Summer’s well over now and it’s time to reap what’s been sown. Adobe’s decision to cease support for Flash will soon be bearing fruit, including FarmVille’s demise. You know, the farm simulation game that touched PC users’ hearts before Stardew Valley came along. Zynga’s later farming simulation games will continue on but the original will be going dark at the end of 2020. (more…)

Among Us - contact@rockpapershotgun.com (James Law)

Among Us Skeld map guide header image

The Skeld is the first map most people will get their hands on in Among Us, mostly because it’s the default one selected at the beginning. It’s important to know your surroundings when playing Among Us, both so you can avoid death as a crewmate and avoid detection as the impostor. Here’s a map of The Skeld and some tips on how to play it.



The Skeld map

If, like me, you struggle to remember the specific location names in The Skeld while barking out orders and accusations, you’ll want a version of the map open in a separate window. Thankfully, we’ve put together a nice basic map for you to refer to, with annotations of the most important aspects. The red boxes and lines represent the vents that only the impostor can crawl through and the routes they can take through them, whilst the yellow triangles and boxes show the security camera locations and the areas they can cover when you examine the computer at Security.

The Skeld Among Us annotated map


The Skeld tips and tricks

Now you know all about The Skeld’s layout, we’ve got a few handy tips for playing this map. It’s the smallest map available, which may seem easier for the crewmates than the impostor, but there are all kinds of nooks and crannies to keep track of, so don’t get too overconfident.

  • As well as keeping everything shipshape, it might be a good idea, as a crewmate, to keep an eye on the rest of the ship. It’s easy to get tunnel-vision and only focus on doing your mundane tasks rather than carrying out more important surveillance efforts. Head to Admin, just below the Cafeteria, and use the computer on the left hand side of the desk. Here, you’ll be able to see how many people are in which room at the time and use that knowledge to your advantage at the next group meeting. Of course, the impostor can also use this to deflect, as well as plan murders, so always be ready to have to argue your case.
  • The same can be said for the camera feed, found in Security. The areas you can see with the feed are the yellow boxes on the map above, so if you’re passing through and have a minute, feel free to check the feed and catch anything suspicious. Yellow following cyan a bit too closely for your liking? Maybe this will be vital for the next meeting after cyan is reported dead by yellow.
  • Always be sure you remember the locations of the vents too – an impostor can hide away and zip around the map in the routes illustrated above, so who you see exiting a murder room might not be as red-handed as you think if an escape route exists in that same room.
  • As the impostor, I’ve found sabotaging communications very helpful in The Skeld, because of the blindness and panic it leaves with the rest of the crew. Dragging many players towards the bottom-right of the map, you can pick off stragglers and guarantee no one will be sitting in Security waiting for you.

Of course, the only real way you’ll win in The Skeld is by misleading your enemies or sleuthing the impostor, but keep our tips in mind – and watch out for foes also using them.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion® Game of the Year Edition (2009) - contact@rockpapershotgun.com (Ed Thorn)

A screenshot from Skyblivion which shows a grand vista of the capital city. A glistening river runs around it, the sun sets in the distance, and a cliff juts out to the left of the screen.

Yes, Skyblivion is still going folks. A team of volunteers are still plugging away at remaking The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion in Skyrim as a mod. Will it ever come to a close? Well, in a new developer diary, we got an insight into how it’s looking and where it’s headed. In among all the details surrounding UI and clothes and objects, I found one thing really stood out to me. They’ve nearly completed the ‘first pass’ of the overworld, and they’re injecting some extra flavour into many of the original’s dull, empty spaces.

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Among Us - contact@rockpapershotgun.com (James Law)

You can murder friends on mobile and PC with Among Us' crossplay.

Among Us, the overnight sensation from Innersloth, forces you to deceive your friends and tests the bonds of trust in such a way that I’m excited to see over-the-top think pieces about what the game’s popularity says about society. It’s also available on both PC and Mobile. Does Among Us have crossplay though?

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Rock, Paper, Shotgun - contact@rockpapershotgun.com (Katharine Castle)

A photo of the Fnatic Streak and miniStreak gaming keyboards

The Fnatic Streak is one of the best gaming keyboards I’ve ever tested at RPS, so it’s always pleasing when you can grab one for a bit less than usual. Today, there are two versions of its tenkeyless sibling, the equally brilliant Fnatic miniStreak, that are enjoying a rather nice £15 discount right now (the Cherry MX Red model and new Kailh Speed Silver edition), bringing this normally £100 mechanical keyboard down to a much more enticing £85.

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Rock, Paper, Shotgun - contact@rockpapershotgun.com (Jake Green)

Season 5 operators in Call of Duty WarzoneCall of Duty Warzone

is still going strong, having just wrapped up its fifth season. With each new season that launches, there’s a bunch of new content, including new Operators, weapons and more. You can enjoy much of what Warzone has to offer without spending a single penny, however if you’d like access to the full offering of a season’s cosmetic items you’ll need to pick up the Battle Pass. Call of Duty has its own currency in COD Points, which can be purchased with real money. With that in mind, let’s take a look at how much the Battle Pass costs.

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