Bobfoc

I'll be interested to see how Fiji get on against Australia. Beating them will be unlikely, but Australia, like Wales, haven't looked good in the last couple of years.

Those trivial errands are a video game absurdity I can't help but like. "I know you're trying to save the world/universe, but would you mind picking up my copy of War and Peace that I left on another planet?" is such ridiculous, but lovable mission design.

I wonder how Saka feels about Pitt the Elder.

Italy slipped up against North Macedonia again.

The robot butler in Fallout 4 had a long list of rude names as well. I did wonder if this game had the same feature when it called me Captain Bob.

I must say that the person who thought floating to the sparkly bits in the ring temple thingies was in any way enjoyable needs a talking to.

I'm finding this game to be best described as Bethesda comfort food. I can't argue with any of the big complaints people have about it, but there's a familiarity about it that I like. I've always preferred the side content in these games, and this is no exception. Pottering around and doing minor errands is a simple, yet appealing use of my time. The ship building is something I enjoy as well. While I'll never be creatively minded enough to make the sort of things some other people can, adding a few bits and bobs here and there satisfies that part of my brain.

England's biggest problem over the last four years has been poor discipline, but they were very solid in that department following the red card. It was a surprisingly 2003-esque approach.

For a team that recently managed to beat both Australia and New Zealand, as well as only losing to South Africa by a point, Argentina have been really poor.

To think that Ford probably wouldn't be playing if Owen Farrell hadn't got himself suspended.

Bit of a rough start here.

After reaching the final last time, you wouldn't have thought that England beating Argentina would be considered an upset four years on, but here we are.

Luxembourg beat Iceland and are now joint second in their group. They're very much in contention to qualify.

I think New Zealand are there for the taking, especially with the sin bin. France should win this if they maintain their discipline.

Not the start France wanted.

Games like Vampire Survivors and Hades are often mentioned as being great on Steam Deck.

On recent form, France, Ireland, New Zealand and South Africa ought to be the four biggest contenders. As they're all in the top section of the draw, however, at least two of them will be eliminated before the semi-finals.

It's largely down to how Bethesda designs its games. Every item's position is permanently tracked in the game world, which is a big drain on processing power. Even the most expensive PC builds are struggling to maintain a constant 60fps with the game. I suspect we're going to be seeing a lot more 30fps games on Series X and PS5 moving forward. A Plague Tale: Requiem and Gotham Knights didn't have 60fps performance modes on either system, while Final Fantasy XVI really struggles to keep a stable 60fps on PS5. Big studios are always likely to prioritise graphical quality over frame rate because it looks good in promotional material. The more they focus on features like ray tracing, the harder it is for the Series X and PS5 processors to cope. I'm always of the opinion that a 60fps option should be offered if possible, but it's sadly going to reach a point where it becomes less and less common this generation. My expectation is that the inevitable mid-generation "Pro" versions of each console will become the 60fps machines, while the current ones settle for 30fps.

The World Cup starts tomorrow. France v New Zealand ought to be a smashing opener.

He has now passed.

This game officially still exists. The Chinese Room, known primarily for Dear Esther and Everybody's Gone to the Rapture, has taken over development. The trailer above shows a bit of combat gameplay, which is all well and good, but it's the RPG mechanics, writing and world design that will determine if this is a worthy sequel.

Final Fantasy XVI's PC port has been re-announced. There's no release date, however.

How are you finding the map? It seems to be the most common area of complaint.

I hope Paradise still has its share of cheeseburgers.

My cousin was part of the security team at Harrods in the 1980s. She said that Al-Fayed was a massive misogynist and all-round knob, which led to her departure.