A certain clever clogs once said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results, and in the grand scheme of things that logic may indeed ring true. However, if you were to apply the same philosophy to gaming, you’d be surprised at how comforting doing the same thing over and over again can be.

Personally, I often like grinding, even in the toughest and most brutal of video games. There’s just something satisfying about consistently improving and upgrading your character in an area you know like the back of your hand. In other words, when it’s done right, grinding can be a good way for players to relax and unwind.

With Bethesda Game Studios’ next big game on the horizon, anticipation for the company’s first new IP in 25 years is reaching a fever pitch. To help shed some light on the many worlds fans will be exploring when Starfield launches on Sept. 6, the studio has released a trio of new animated shorts.

These animated teasers stand in stark contrast with some folks’ concerns leading up to the interstellar space RPG’s launch. Namely: Starfield is going to be an empty, lifeless No Man’s Sky-esque experience.

Few consoles possess the sheer resonance and overwhelming mindshare of the Xbox 360. Not only did it help usher in the huge industry shift to online multiplayer culture we see today, but it was also a fertile hotbed for independently-developed classics like Limbo, Braid, Castle Crashers, Super Meat Boy, and many more.

From 2005 to 2016, Microsoft’s sophomore console was home to a ton of acclaimed games, and even though it’s a reasonably young system in the grand scheme of things, there are still some rare titles that’ll yield some surprisingly decent results money-wise.

You’d be hard-pressed trying to find two TV shows as iconic as Friends and How I Met Your Mother. Indeed, NBC and CBS’s duo of popular sitcoms both focus upon themes of friendship, growing pains and finding love in the modern world by way of a myriad of emotionally poignant and incredibly amusing storylines.

Of the pair of uber-popular sitcoms, two of the most well-liked characters are arguably the awkward-yet-loveable, Chandler Bing, and the brash-yet-charming ladies’ man, Barney Stinson. While both are well-known for being the funniest characters in each of their respective shows, they are different in quite a few nuanced ways.

Exoprimal on PS5

Does familiarity really breed contempt? Because if that old adage rang true, I’d feel nothing but mind-numbing boredom for Exoprimal, which is yet another third-person shooter games-as-a-service title with multiplayer mechanics a ‘la Warframe or World War Z. Instead, I’m kind of smitten with Capcom’s latest dino-vs-mechs co-op shoot ’em up. I know, I know, I’m just surprised as you are. Basically, if I was to condense this review down to one sentence, it’d go something like this: Exoprimal is better than I was expecting it to be, and is a testament to how strangely satisfying shooting tidal waves of walking fossils really is.

Set in a futuristic world where mysterious rifts have randomly materialized spawning legions of prehistoric beasties, Earth as we know it has gone the way of the dodo. Coming to our defense are a bunch of burly exofighters, replete with advanced armor and weaponry, who quickly help to turn the tide of war against the hordes of carnivorous reptiles. These exosuits are designed and built by the Aibius Corporation, which is your typical shady philanthropic organization that may or may not be connected to the dinosaurs’ origins.

Friends is one of — if not the — most iconic television sitcoms of all time. If you’re a fan of the series, which you should be if you’re here to take this quiz, then you probably think that you know everything there is to know about Monica, Rachel, Chandler, Joey, Rachel, and Ross. But do you really?

This 26-question trivia quiz will test the limits of your Friends knowledge. Frankly, we apologize in advance but it’s like really hard… like super hard. It’ll be difficult to answer all of these questions correctly but we have faith that you all can do pretty well!

Like a deep sea diver plunging into the depths to seek a sparkling piece of treasure, we thought that a monthly column dedicated to those overlooked or underappreciated gems that may’ve passed you by would be handy. Yes, as the tide of July sweeps over us, and as August fast approaches, we’ve whittled down the releases of the month into a handful of recommendations. These are titles that we’re either really excited about, or have played ourselves and, as a result, want to sing its praises. So, for your reading pleasure, here are seven fun video games you should try this month. Let’s begin dive in, shall we?

Dave the Diver

• Platforms: PC
• Release Date: Out Now

Here’s Dave the Diver in a nutshell: scuba-dive around a procedurally-generated ocean, catch some fish, swim back up to the surface, head to your sushi restaurant and prepare that delicious sashimi for your hungry patrons in exchange for lots and lots of moolah. And, Bob’s your uncle — you’re now a devotee of one of gaming’s biggest mashups since 2015’s acclaimed Rocket League.

It’s no secret that PC gaming is the most popular way to play video games, and as a result, it’s one of the largest markets in the industry. Indeed, not only is it a veritable goldmine for exciting and experimental new experiences, but it’s also a great place to market your game if you’re an up-and-coming indie developer.

For that reason, on occasion, many companies offer their games for free on PC for marketing reasons and to help get some eyeballs on their latest projects. So, if you’re looking for something new to play that doesn’t break the bank, we’ve got seven free Steam games that you can download right now and keep forever. (H/T, Free Steam Games over on Twitter for helping us find these.)

Even though the smash hit CBS television show ended back in 2019, The Big Bang Theory still remains one of the biggest sitcoms ever created.

From the loveable camaraderie of the ragtag bunch of pals at the heart of the series to the geek-speak gags that helped bring nerd culture slap bang into the mainstream zeitgeist, The Big Bang Theory was a thoroughly enjoyable turn-off-your-brain comedy with some surprisingly relatable characters. Plus, it also helped to scratch that Friends-shaped itch in our souls, which is another massive boon.

Right, I’ll make no bones about it: the PS3 is my favorite Sony system of all-time. Why? Because, personally, I believe it remains the golden age of the Japanese company’s most creative and inventive era to date. The embryonic beginnings of downloadable games was beginning to take shape with the advent of PSN, an industry in flux was on the cusp of its big shift to online gaming, and once the cutting-edge tech of the cell architecture finally started hitting its stride, we were blessed with some bonafide classics in the form of Heavy Rain, Uncharted 2, The Last of Us, and many more.

During the PS3’s tenure, plenty of huge games launched, but the interesting thing is, many of the system’s rarer titles are largely not amazing games. Sure, there are one or two exceptions to that rule (I’m looking at you Ni No Kuni!), but many of the more desirable and valuable games in the PS3’s library are usually rare for a reason.

Amazingly, Valve has deployed a brand-new update for one of its most beloved multiplayer titles, giving it a mighty boost in concurrent players. More specifically, the video game in question is Team Fortress 2, which is undoubtedly one of the most iconic games in the publisher’s portfolio.

Dubbed the Summer 2023 update, the new patch isn’t just a bog standard list of bug fixes. Instead, it adds a bunch of new content 16 years after its original release. That’s right, the new update includes 14 new community maps, 25 community-contributed items, six new taunts, 20 community-created Unusual effects, 10 new war paints, and much more. Pretty impressive, eh?

Announced back in May of this year, Enshrouded is the latest title from Keen Games, the team behind 2017’s Portal Knights. Currently scheduled to launch into Early Access later this year, the highly anticipated third-person action-RPG is shaping up to be a promising fantasy adventure. Luckily, we had an opportunity to sit down virtually with the game’s Creative Director, Antony Christoulakis, who showcased a chunk of hands-off gameplay with some additional commentary as well.

While Enshrouded shares a lot in common with the aforementioned Portal Knights — it’s another co-op survival RPG, after all — it appears to be a departure from the cutesy, cartoonish aesthetic found in its predecessor. Instead, it features a more realistic art-style and is set in a post-apocalyptic fantasy world that has been plagued by a mysterious fog.

It’s safe to say that both Friends and The Big Bang Theory are two of some of the most iconic TV shows of all time. No small feat, right?

Blending endearing characters with poignant and touching storylines, while peppering in a healthy dose of laugh-out-loud hijinks, both CBS and NBC’s stellar duo of sitcoms are full to the brim with laughs, romance, friendship, and nerdy gags.

Like godrays emanating from the heavens, we’ve often placed a video game we really, really want atop a pedestal and waited patiently for it to release… only to be kicked in the crown jewels like the foolish suckers we truly are. Yes, there’s nothing worse than having your hopes dashed by promise and potential. I mean, we’ve all been there, right?

So, as we cross over into the latter half of 2023, we thought that now would be an ideal time to round up the top ten most disappointing titles of the year so far. In some ways, these are worse than straight-up terrible games as they at least had a shot at being great…

If you’ve ever fancied yourself as a bit of a platinum trophy hunter, then you’re probably familiar with spending an unfathomable amount of time tapping mayonnaise jars, running over chickens, or collecting pointless knick-knacks. (Don’t worry, no judgement here!) 

But did you know, there are plenty of fun, easy-to-unlock and respectable platinums out there that don’t require you to take a cold shower afterward? In fact, if you’re looking to boost your trophy cabinet but would prefer to keep some semblance of street cred at the same time, we’ve got a handy list of suggestions that may help. 

As technology exponentially advances, it only makes sense for classic titles from yesteryear to receive the remake treatment. While some are totally remade from-the-ground-up, other offerings net a more rudimentary “spit shine” finish to help bring the experience up to modern standards. With the recent cavalcade of remakes releasing this year, we thought that now would be an ideal time to update our list of best remakes of all time. So, without further ado, let’s shake a leg and get right into it!

20. Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes

Metal Gear Solid is one of the most prolific games of all time, even creating the brand new genre of Stealth-Action. Recreating such a classic experience is no small task, but it’s one that developer Silicon Knights took to with gusto.

Welcome, Friends and The Big Bang Theory fans to another round of quote-based TV trivia. In the words of our favorite pizza-munching New Yorker: How you doin’?

You’d think that these two hunky rapscallions wouldn’t have all that much in common with one another, but think again. That’s right, out of all the awesome characters on both respective shows, we have a big ol’ soft spot for both Joey Tribbiani and Howard Wolowitz. Funny, charismatic, with a penchant for wooing the gals, both Joey and Howard are loveable rogues who always manage to put a smile on our faces, right?

Out of the legion of things to be excited for, it appears that Starfield’s fans are veritably fizzing at the bunghole to behold and experience the game’s… rocks. Yep, you read that right.

Indeed, over on Reddit right now, there’s an entire thread dedicated to celebrating how magnificent the space RPG’s rock formations are. I mean, whatever floats your interstellar boat, right?

Even though the long-running television show came to a close back in 2019, The Big Bang Theory is still an incredibly resonant and popular sitcom that really scratches that Friends-shaped itch in our hearts and souls.

With its awkward nerd culture gags, its loveable ragtag bunch of friendships, and its occasionally touching emotional poignancy, there’s a lot to love about Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady’s smash hit sitcom. But we can all agree that Sheldon Cooper is arguably one of the most iconic characters in the entire series, right?

Out of all the buttoned-up, ties-done-up-to-eleven execs that take to the stage and reel off factoids like popping multiple headshots in VATS, Todd Howard has to be up there as one of the most arrestingly charming and absurdly charismatic of the entire bunch. That’s right, move over Phil and skedaddle Jim!

Sure, he may not exactly be a new kid on the block — I mean, the 53-year-old has been doing his thing for many years now — but, I don’t know how he does it, he legit looks like he hasn’t aged a day. Good genes, maybe? Or good jeans, perhaps? (I’m here all night, folks…)