The PC Gamer Forum is a place our community kick back and relax, sharing tips, troubleshooting hardware and telling stories. This week was no exception. From choosing your favourite hardware in the PC Gamer Reader Awards, to revealing the deepest, darkest moral choices you’ve made in games, here’s what tough decisions await you on the forums this week.
The PC Gamer Reader Awards
The time to vote is now! We want to know what PC gaming hardware you lovely people love. What gear sparks joy in the heart of the PC Gamer community? We're not necessarily talking about the most powerful technology known to siliconkind, but the PC hardware that real people use every day.
We've been canvassing opinion across the PC Gamer Forum, and have come up with a shortlist for each gaming gear category. And now it's your turn to help us figure out which tech is your top pick in each category. To have your say, head on over to the hardware section on our forums and make sure your voice is heard!
Which game gave you the toughest moral choice?
Our resident riddler Jody asks which game has stopped you in its tracks with a tricky moral choice?
"I was playing Mass Effect as a complete paragon. I don't even remember if this was in the first or second game or even what the context was, but I remember having to choose between sparing someone and killing them and my finger hovered over the renegade button for a while, knowing my time was running out, not being able to make the decision.
"I don't remember what decision I made. I do think I made one before the timer ran out. I think I might've actually chosen the renegade option and reloaded to change it, but I'm not sure. I really only clearly remember that moment of indecision about whether this guy was worth sparing." —Pifanjr
Read more ultimatums, and add your own here.
Have you ever been a gaming mentor?
From making tough decisions to guiding the decisions of others, do you have those moments where you know the game back to front, to the point where you are the go-to person for tips, advice and assistance? Our community had an interesting discussion on how their favourite games have turned them into the gurus that they are today.
"I have a small group of friends (there are 4 of us total) that have been playing games for many years together, and I kind have taken up that role in a sense. I tend to absorb tons of information about games that I play, I am always drawn to complex games with a lot of different interactions and mechanics and love learning how they work. As a result I'm usually the one who helps mentor our group through the beginning of a game. If there are opportunities for me to end up with randoms, I'll often do the same thing. It definitely has its rewarding moments, and I personally just enjoy being part of a group that can complete the goals we set out for ourselves, so doing what I can to help us further that goal (even if I'm just doing it with randoms) is always a good time.
"I also spend a good bit of time in the communities for the games I play, learn what I can and offer the advice and knowledge that I pick up along the way. I enjoy seeing peoples frustrations evaporate when I am able to help them solve a problem or overcome a challenge." —Drunkpunk
"I would say explaining a game to less experienced people is always a must. I have to do this a lot when I’m playing Call of Duty or Halo. I've won some awards at competitions and thus feel I'm usually the most experienced player on the battlefield, and if I can get my troops out of a tight spot, I do it." —Masterchief
"Since I play StarCraft II since 2012 I had a fair share of experiences, including helping players. I kinda "coached" my friend who surpassed me and almost got Grand Master league wit 5400 MMR (GM is the ultra elite top 200 people on server, highest achievement available for non-pro players). I helped some people at random when they asked me to practice something with them after ladder match. To top that I am manager in one of the teams with semi-pro roster, so I also run some clan wars in official team leagues. Hard to put me into "mentor" position there as the 1st team is comprised of people better than me, but with academy players I did fair share of practice games, "coaching" sessions etc.
"On my site I also made bunch of articles, from introductions for new players on how SC2 works etc. to previews of tournaments etc. So I guess I kinda am a mentor? Not feeling like one tho" —Osax Nymloth
Are you the high-ranking final boss in your gaming community? Let us know how you help fellow gamers with their gaming journey here.
Your favourite 2D platformers
Thanks to the variety and creativity of 2D platformers, there's something for everyone to enjoy. Our community recently shared what their favourite 2D platform games were growing up.
"I liked the original Oddworld games, Abe's Oddyssey and Abe's Exoddus." —Krud
"If we're limiting to 'pure' platformers I think N++ is one of my favourites to this day. The need for timing and precision never got particularly frustrating to me, which is impressive considering that I am legendarily platforming impaired. It's multiplayer co-op is great fun too, though I seem to somehow do even worse there. I do enjoy tons of Metroidvania style platformers, and Hollow Knight is one of my favourites. There are certainly many others- the Momodora series and Minoria have been quite fun.
"For multiplayer 2D platformers, I've enjoyed Ultimate Chicken Horse quite a bit too, but it's also one of those games that you can only play a few times with friends without risking them no longer being friends." —SquireZed
Take a trip down memory lane over at the PC Gamer Forum thread here.
RPG recommendations
You can count on our trusty community to suggest some great RPGs to keep you entertained. Whether you’re new to the RPG world or are looking for a new game to get stuck in to, here are a few recommendations worth checking out:
"Rather than rethreading the same old ground with another Skyrim playthrough why not go back to the older games in the Elder Scrolls series? Oblivion is really just Skyrim with potato faces, but the third in the series, Morrowind, is an enormous, open ended and unique game that's still worth playing. There are a few options for making it more playable on current tech and adding a few mod cons. I've heard good things about OpenMW, and Morrowind Rebirth gets a lot of write-ups on PCGamer so there must be something to it, maybe someone who's made more use of them could weigh in?
"The prior game in the series, Daggerfall, is my standout favourite, as everyone on the forum is probably getting sick of hearing. It's absolutely enormous, and has basically every feature of the later games and more. The controls and mechanics feel very contemporary still, and the Unity port is effortless to run. Highly recommended. If you're enjoying Grim Dawn, you can currently get Torchlight 2, my favourite isometric lootfest, for free on the Epic Game Store." —Mazer
Do you have any RPG games that are an absolute must to play right now? Add more to the thread here.
Roundguard Studio Spotlight
Looking ahead, we have an exciting spotlight next week with our friends over at Wonderbelly Games.
Wonderbelly Games is a Seattle-based, three-person studio founded by Andrea Roberts, Bob Roberts, and Kurt Loidl. Roundguard is their first release as Wonderbelly Games. Inspired by the physics-based fun of Peggle, the strategy and surprise of classic roguelikes, and the quirky humor of Adventure Time, Roundguard may be the bounciest dungeon-crawler (dungeon-baller?) you’ve ever played.
Roundguard was chosen for the PAX 10, Indie MegaBOOTH, Day of the Devs, and it has found itself guesting on our forums next week! The devs will be up to some awesome creative stuff and have some amazing prizes for one one lucky community member so be sure to stay tuned for next week's spotlight and check out more spotlights here. If you’re interested in winning prizes, we also have an ongoing giveaway for a Lenovo Legion Monitor, and the chance to win a headset as part of our year long campaign with SpecialEffect. So head on over and get involved, you never know what could happen...
