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Gaming Without Steam: What Are the Advantages?

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If you’re also never willing to ditch Steam when you want to run your favorite games, you will probably reconsider your decision after reading this article. We are not here to say that the Steam platform is useless, however, but we just want to pinpoint a few possible advantages.

Running a game like Counter-Strike 2 isn’t possible without having Steam installed on your computer, so if you’re a fan of the game, we’re clearly not saying that you should get rid of it and your Steam app from your PC! However, let’s check out a few potential benefits of running video games without Steam:

Privacy and data control

Running games without Steam may offer you greater privacy and control over your personal data. It’s understandable why you may be willing to prefer avoiding digital platforms that require account registration or collecting too much user data, as it doesn’t necessarily mean that you are a conspiracy theorist.

If, instead, you choose to buy games from alternative platforms or even purchase physical copies, you can have greater control over your gaming experience and personal information. Too bad it becomes harder and harder to find games for PC on DVDs nowadays!

Offline play and ownership

Steam is known for offering features such as remote installation and cloud saves. On the other hand, playing games without having Steam installed and running can assure you a more traditional approach to both game ownership and offline play. Some players prefer physical copies of games or digital copies free of DRM that can be installed without having to rely on an internet connection or third-party platform.

For instance, a game such as Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 is very beloved among Dragon Ball fans, and you can play it without having to install Steam or other third-party app. You don’t even have to wait for any updates, as the game is 17 years old.

No more annoying updates

Running games without Steam, especially some very old ones, will get you rid of those very frustrating moments when you first need to wait for a bulky update to install before the game itself launches. Such updates can even take half an hour, and they will most likely also take away your desire to play the game anymore.

A lot of modern games nowadays are frequently updated by their developers, which is why you will have to frequently run into big updates that take forever to install.

More diversity regarding platforms and online stores

If you finally make the big step of ditching your Steam app from your laptop/desktop PC, you need to know that you will thus have the freedom to explore a wider variety of platforms and even digital distribution stores. In other words, you will have the chance to explore Epic Games Store, Origin, GOG, Uplay, and more. Each of these platforms may have its own list of unique features that can help you out.

Competition and pricing

Competition among digital distribution platforms can cause competitive pricing and better deals in the case of consumers. Gaming without Steam can allow you to take advantage of discounts and promotions offered by various stores. And who on Earth doesn’t like to save some dough, right?

There’s much greater flexibility when it comes to gaming without Steam, not to mention the fact that, thus, a gamer can have control over his gaming experience. He can even explore alternative platforms.

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Games

GTA Trilogy or the Original Games: Which Ones Are the Best?

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As we are all waiting for news regarding the highly-anticipated game GTA 6, we need to keep in mind that Rockstar keeps giving attention to older titles of the beloved Grand Theft Auto series as well. Probably all hardcore gamers who are now in their ’30s or even ’40s have played GTA Vice City, GTA III, or GTA San Andreas decades ago. That’s because those games have been insanely successful and influential for the video game industry.

There’s no wonder why the guys from Rockstar Games decided to remaster the famous trilogy: GTA III, GTA Vice City, and GTA San Andreas. They did so and released the remastered trilogy in 2021, but guess what? The fans weren’t nearly as impressed as expected and for good reasons. The three remastered games indeed have much more modern graphics, but you know what they say that looks aren’t everything. Therefore, the million-dollar-question is this: are the remastered games worth playing or not? Let’s find out!

Tons of bugs in the GTA Trilogy

All three of the remastered GTA games, meaning GTA III, GTA Vice City, and GTA San Andreas, are teeming with bugs and errors. The internet is loaded with complaints and videos exposing the numerous errors that the remastered versions of the legendary GTA games have. This can only mean that people will stick with the original ones if they want to relive the nostalgia of playing old GTA games.

Nobody should care enough about the graphics to be willing to neglect the sheer quality of the game, and boy, oh boy, does the remastered GTA trilogy lack quality!

Simplified missions

Here’s one thing we like about the old GTA games a lot: the missions were a lot harder compared to the newest GTA games, such as GTA 5. While we spent numerous hours trying to untangle the mystery at a specific mission and pulled our hair out, guess what? That was part of those games’ charm! On the other hand, Rockstar has reckoned that it would be a good idea to simplify a lot of the missions of the old GTA games as they create the remastered versions. While such a move may be comforting to some gamers, most of the old-school fans of the iconic Grand Theft Auto franchise cannot appreciate such a decision.

The legendary “All we had to do is follow the damn train, CJ!” line has its charm because that specific mission in GTA San Andreas was extremely hard. In fact, a lot of the missions from GTA SA were hard, which is one of the reasons we love that game so much. It would have been a lot better if Rockstar never simplified that mission.

Conclusion

Usually in life, nothing beats the original, and that simple principle applies here as well. This means that in our book, the original GTA games are far better than GTA Trilogy: The Definitive Edition, which came out in 2021. GTA III, GTA Vice City, and GTA San Andreas have the merit of being the first GTA games to make the transition from a 2D to a 3D environment, not to mention the extremely fun and addicting gameplay.

What’s your take on the subject? Feel free to tell us in a comment below if you think it is worth it to play GTA Trilogy: The Definitive Edition or not!

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EA FC and FIFA: What EA Needs to Fix for Its Football Simulation Series

Photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash

EA Sports The FIFA football simulation game series has gathered an impressive amount of fans across the world in the last decades. However, you know what they say that there’s no such thing as perfection in life and that even applies to the FIFA series. Those games are available for a wide range of platforms, from desktop PCs to consoles. But even so, a lot of the fans are disappointed by the latest installments of the series, claiming that the dies from EA Sports have a lot of problems to fix.

 When it comes to football simulation video games, it’s almost impossible to choose between FIFA and PES. That’s because you cannot possibly be objective in such a comparison. A lot of people have their own views on the subject as well as their own preferences. Probably only a nonfootball fan could make a better comparison between those two series.

Even so, what’s for sure is that the FIFA series has a lot of problems, and if we can realistically hope for EA Sports to solve any of those problems, we need to lend them a hand by pointing them out for them. Surely, there are a lot of guys from that company who take a look at what people speak online and at what the fans think about FIFA video games. Without further ado, let’s get into detail:

The gameplay needs improvements

A lot of FIFA players have been complaining about the gameplay of the games from the series that came out in the latest years. The difficulty levels are not accurate enough, and the campaign mode has a lot of flaws. The game crashes when you’re expecting it the least, the transfers are a mess, and the examples could continue forever. In short, the gameplay aspect of the FIFA series needs a lot of attention and fixes. The only ones who can do so are the guys from EA Sports. 

 If we take a look at Metacritic, we can rapidly conclude that each one of the FIFA games released in the latest years, including EA FC 24, has been receiving disastrous ratings from the fans. This is one of the best arguments that the FIFA game series has been through a lot of trouble in recent years, meaning that the gameplay needs a lot of fixes. 

 Of course, in the end, it’s okay to be a fan of FIFA, considering that the series still has a lot of fun stuff to offer to defend. The series has licenses for all the teams and players from the major football leagues in the world as well as from countries that are not so great when it comes to football, such as the USA, Romania, the Czech Republic, Ireland, Australia, and so on. If we take a look at PES, for instance,  that football simulation games series doesn’t have all the licenses for its teams and players. That’s one of the biggest complaints the vans have when it comes to the Pro Evolution Soccer series.

 Since 2024, the guys from EA Sports have decided to change the name of their football simulation video game series to just EA Sports FC by giving up the FIFA Mark. That’s because there have been some misunderstandings between them and FIFA.  While some people have trouble understanding that EA FC 24 is still the continuation of the original FIFA series, most of the fans have complied with the change. However, the real question is this:  when will esports bring us a good FIFA game again? Please make FIFA great again!

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PES or FIFA? The Eternal Rivalry in the World of Football-Simulation Gaming

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Some people prefer FIFA games; others go for the PES series. There’s no such thing as a definitive answer to which one of these two iconic series is better, but we’ll try to emphasize the most important aspects in this article.

For decades, football fans who are also into gaming have been engaged in a spirited debate over which franchise is better: FIFA or PES. Each of these series has its dedicated fanbase, pros, and cons.

The legacy of PES

The PES series, which stands for Pro Evolution Soccer, is a series developed by the Japanese firm Konami, and it has a long story in the world of football gaming. The series is known for fluid gameplay, realistic physics for the ball, as well as tactical depth. Those who are fans of PES games often praise the intuitive controls and animations for players and emphasize strategic gameplay. Many of those who are purists and prioritize gameplay over flashy graphics are great fans of the PES series of football games.

The dominance of FIFA

As for FIFA, the football game series that was developed by Electronic Arts (EA), it is known as the most popular title when it comes to the industry of football simulation video games. FIFA offers official licenses, impressive visuals, and somewhat comprehensive game modes. There’s even a brand new FIFA game every year that updates the team rosters, leagues, and players.

The Ultimate Team mode is one of the best modes of the FIFA series, as it grants players the chance to build their own dream squads.

Gameplay

One of the most important distinctions between PES and FIFA has to do with the gameplay dynamics of these two series. PES is often praised for its realistic player movements, dynamic control of the ball, as well as for nuanced tactical controls.

As for FIFA, the series created by EA prioritizes accessibility, offering a gameplay experience that caters to a broader audience. Therefore, there are plenty of gamers who criticize FIFA for prioritizing appearances over substance.

In other words, it seems safe to say that PES is better than FIFA when it comes to gameplay.

Licensing and authenticity

FIFA is known for boasting official licenses from top leagues, teams, and players, which means that authenticity will be at its peak. As for PES, it faces challenges when it comes to securing similar agreements. As a result, PES often relies on fictional names when it comes to players and teams. For some players, this approach can be seen as a major downside, as they wish to see the real names of the teams and players.

It’s also important to know that PES has made strides in recent years to improve the licensing for its games, securing partnerships with important clubs and leagues.

It’s obvious that regardless of how much we might like to analyze the dilemma, the choice between PES and FIFA ultimately comes down to the personal preference of each player. One thing’s for sure: the rivalry between these two titans of football gaming will continue to fuel the debates among gamers.

 

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GTA VI: Top Things We Need to See in the Highly-Anticipated Game

Credit: Rockstar Games

Last year in December, the world finally got the chance to see the first official trailer of the long-awaited game GTA 6, and the internet went wild with reactions. People have been piling up on forums, social platforms, and YouTube to share their opinions about what we know so far about the game from its trailer, although a lot more information will be revealed soon enough.

Apart from GTA 6 having the first female protagonist in the series, a girl named Lucia, and the open-world environment looks incredibly diverse, there’s still a lot more to uncover. While we will all get to find out a lot more information about the highly-anticipated game soon enough, it’s time to speak about what we actually need to see in it as fans of the iconic Grand Theft Auto franchise.

More interiors for the buildings

GTA 5, the latest game of the Grand Theft Auto series, was an incredibly fun game to play, but still, it had its shortcomings. One of them is that it had quite a few interiors to explore. This came in contrast with a much older title in the series, GTA San Andreas, which had a lot more enterable buildings.

We surely hope for GTA VI to bring a lot more enterable buildings than its predecessor, and that is surely feasible considering that the map will be huge. We can expect an even larger map than GTA 5, and perhaps the game will demand more storage space than any other game. Either way, for GTA 6, we surely need to see an enterable airport and enterable hospitals where you get to shoot the doctors and patients (such as in GTA IV), the possibility to buy houses and mansions, and more.

More customization options

Let’s face it: although all three protagonist characters in GTA 5, Michael, Trevor, and Franklin, had their charm, we couldn’t really customize them as much as we would have liked to. More ways to dress them up or even add personality traits would have represented some good ideas. How about some sort of mode in which Trevor acts in accordance with a recent experience that he had? That would be fun to see in a future GTA game!

How about more ways of tuning up your cars than we had in GTA 5? That would certainly be nice indeed!

A more diversified map

The map in GTA 5 was huge and pretty diverse, as we could see countryside, mountains, lakes, islands, and more. But still, it was behind what GTA San Andreas, a game that came out almost a decade earlier, had to offer. GTA SA had three major cities, countryside, airports, military bases, and a lot more. We would definitely like to see the same level of diversity in the upcoming GTA 6 as well.

Improved gameplay

There’s no limit to what AI can do these days, so why not hope for even better gameplay than what previous GTA games had to offer? It would be nice to see even more intelligent AI patterns in GTA 6, more creative ways of taking down opponents, and more.

GTA VI will have two protagonist characters, Lucia and her boyfriend, whose name we don’t know yet. However, the rumors indicated the presence of three protagonist characters, but we will have only two.

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