Though you could learn a lot about what happened in the past by reading history books, few of them will ever come close to mimicking the feeling of actually living in those times. That’s where historical fiction comes in clutch. These works from some of the brightest literary minds in history not only give you a vivid picture of the struggles that once appraised the strength of the human spirit but also draw a lifeline that connects our collective story in this world....

Living, breathing world Straight up voyeur! This guy is supposed to be a hitman, but sometimes when he’s lurking in the shadows, watching people, I’m thinking he looks more like a creeper perv. Well, whatever works. He gets the job done. This new trailer forHitman: Absolutionshows the living world of the game, which is filled with countless people living their own lives. What I find amazing is that they go beyond your standard NPC, with real characters and voices....

As part of the Lucky Dragon update toDisney Dreamlight Valley, players can now take part in a whole new Star Path event, Majesty and Magnolias. This event is filled with rewards which can be earned through completing in-game objectives. If you’re looking for some new furniture items or outfit pieces, the Majesty and Magnolias Star Path event is absolutely perfect. It’s crammed full with items which reflect the addition of both Mulan and Mushu, and there are even three new hairstyles to be earned....

NeoGAF has found a videoon YouTube this morning from user Skid Kid, which shows him putting a VHS tape into a TV that is sitting on a hay bale while he blasts obnoxious music in the background. You really can’t make this stuff up. The strangest part is that the video appears to be playing footage ofHalo 4, which is appropriately grainy and hard to see for a VHS tape. At the very least, it’s definitely notHalo 3orHalo: Reach, so there’s that....

To be a master! 3v3 real-time RPGPokemon Masterswill be officially launching on iOS and Android next week. While wehad a good assumptionthat the free-to-play mobile title would be coming on August 29, it’s now been officially confirmed outside of the pre-registration period. The original store page had the disclaimer of “subject to change,” but developer DeNA has modified the text ahead of the launch. I know this is kind of a nothing post, but use it as a reminder for the title....

RPGs that are developed with a console audience in mind but still come out on PC always confuse some gamers as to how to best control them. So, forAvowed, you might be asking yourself if it’s better to play with a controller or a keyboard. Let’s find out each one’s advantages and disadvantages. Overall, there is no single answer that works for everyone, as this is mainly about preferences and how you play your other games....

It looks like a page-turner You probably aren’t short on games to play, but here’s another contender for your 2020 Steam wishlist.Black Bookis a 19th-century adventure with a bit of deckbuilding that’s rooted in Slavic folklore. It’s a tale about Vasilisa, a witch-to-be who “decides to throw her fate away and marry her beloved” only for her betrothed to end up dying “under mysterious circumstances.” The solution? “A demonic artifact, said to be powerful enough to grant any wish to the one who uncovers all seven of its seals....

Having not played the originalBorderlandson PC, I have to rely on what Jonathan Ross tells me about it. Without repeating the language he used, let’s just agree thatBorderlands 2‘s adoption of Steamworks for all of its PC versions, including retail copies, is a step up. Gearbox Software has listed a few of the features that will be supported, including: Steam Achievements, downloadable content, auto-updating, multiplayer matchmaking, and Steam Cloud support. You only need to fall back on a cloud save once to realize we’ve been living like savages all these years....

Pursue historical knowledge, but do not pursue not Lu Bu If I haven’t been clear before, I’m Asian. Filipino to be exact. I’m also an absolute dork when it comes to history. Why do you think I write aboutTimelesssomuch? Hand me a book about the Crusades, the Byzantine Empire, the Spanish Inquisition, or the Sengoku Jidai, and I’d probably devour them whilst ignoring the world. It just so happens one particular story heavily influenced me in my youth, pushing me into more historical discoveries....

Replay functionality is only truly worthwhile when A) you can pull off crazy stunts in-game or B) there are loads of laughter-inducing glitches. Anyone who has playedSkateknows what I’m talking about here. The originalCrackdowncertainly falls under that first category, and I’m willing to betCrackdown 2won’t be any different. Video replays “won’t be there at release, but that doesn’t mean we’re not going to work on it. We want to do it properly,” executive producerPeter Connolly told OXM....

That badass trailer worked! Movie get. Lionsgate announced today that it has acquired the film rightsDead Island, and that they’ve begun working on a movie. Sean Daniel (“The Mummy”) will produce the zombie flick, saysLA Times. A statement from Lionsgate says that the movie will be “an innovation of the zombie genre because of its focus on human emotion, family ties and non-linear storytelling.” So what they’re telling me is that it will be as much of a “beautiful mess” as the game was?...

And some minor fixes It’s only a week out fromDestiny’s Dark Belowexpansion, and a small patch is upon us. The biggest change is definitely the buff to Crota raid gear, including the base light stat of +30 to all raid armor and 300 attack to all Crota weapons. That’s huge as they are much more effective out of the gate, and can be equipped immediately as opposed to holding off. As a result, I logged in to find that my Hunter had jumped from 29 to 30....

Through green-colored glasses We’re almost there. With the release of the Xbox One just a few hours away, the torch will finally be passed, and what we’ve referred to as “next-generation” for years will simply become “this generation.” Exciting times to be a gamer. Of course, the release of the Xbox One doesn’t simply make the Xbox 360 vanish into thin air. Games will still be developed for it for a long time to come, and a lot of people will probably just stick to their 360s for quite a while....