The biggest PC gaming stories of the week

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Last week, Red Dead Redemption 2 finally released on PC, and you can read James' review here. The short of it is that it's excellent, if hampered by technical issues which are being patched out (one patch has already helped with stuttering). If you're waiting for the Steam release in December, hopefully it's in its best shape by then.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order also released this week, and we'll have a review next week. In the meantime, here's what happened during a busy week of PC gaming news:

Path of Exile 2 announced, but it's not a separate game

It's more like 'Path of Exile 2.0' and will bring a new seven-act story and an overhaul of the existing game's systems, characters, and graphics.

Age of Empires 4 gameplay revealed at X019

Age of Empires was all the rage this week, both new and old (but still sorta new). In addition to the excitement of the Age of Empires 4 gameplay reveal (it looks pretty good!) we posted our review of Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition. Spoiler alert: it's also pretty good!

Everything announced and shown off at X019

On top of Age of Empires, the big Microsoft event saw the announcements of a new Rare game, a new Obsidian game (which Wes has a closer look at), Wasteland 3's release date, a bunch of new Xbox Game Pass additions, and more. Here's everything that happened.

Stardew Valley update 1.4 — (Image credit: Concerned Ape)

Stardew Valley is getting a big content update later this month

A new feature that lets you take a single screenshot of your entire farm? That's music to the ears of Stardew players everywhere, and it's just one part of a hefty 'Everything' update that's arriving November 26 which also includes new events, romance options, and separate gold balances in multiplayer.

Should you buy a 4K monitor during the sales this Black Friday?

Somehow the Black Friday madness is nearly upon us, so you may already be sniffing around for potential deals. If you're thinking about a Black Friday monitor deal, you'll probably want to check out some 4K displays. We've got advice galore in the article above if so.

BioWare is reportedly working on a complete overhaul of Anthem

We don't really know how well Anthem is doing these days, but it feels like it fizzled out pretty quickly. Good news if you own a copy, though, as it sounds like it may receive a major overhaul sometime in the future. More possible good news: the same report suggests another Mass Effect game may be in early development.

Around the office

We've now had a solid week with Red Dead Redemption 2 on PC—you can read James' review right here, and listen to some additional thoughts on our weekly podcast—but Andy Kelly argues that as big and bountiful as RDR2 is, you really need to revisit San Andreas to experience Rockstar at its most brash, bold, and ambitious.

But can you create a corpse pile with other players by lining up on a train track in San Andreas?

one of the dumbest times i've had online with friends and strangers: the communal recursive train corpse pile (red dead online) @ComradeCupcake_ @MorganRPark @screencuisine pic.twitter.com/cMxNtUc8rGNovember 10, 2019

We also examined what it takes to make a living on Twitch. It's a good question if you've ever dreamed of playing games for a living, or even if you're just curious about how it all works for those who do. Alex Wiltshire talked to several streamers who turned their love of gaming into a full-time job, like Kaitlyn Fox, who is using it to pay for med school.

Finally, Tyler wondered what PC gaming would be like if Google Stadia really did take over, and also recapped the past six years of Star Wars games under EA, pointing out how lackluster the scene has felt when compared to the prequel era, when games like Knights of the Old Republic were releasing. That feeling may change with Jedi: Fallen Order.

We don't have a Fallen Order review yet because we just started playing it, so that's what we're up to this weekend. Have a great one, and may the force at least be somewhere near you, if not with you.

Chris started playing PC games in the 1980s, started writing about them in the early 2000s, and (finally) started getting paid to write about them in the late 2000s. Following a few years as a regular freelancer, PC Gamer hired him in 2014, probably so he'd stop emailing them asking for more work. Chris has a love-hate relationship with survival games and an unhealthy fascination with the inner lives of NPCs. He's also a fan of offbeat simulation games, mods, and ignoring storylines in RPGs so he can make up his own.