This month's issue looks back into PC gaming's past for a retro-inspired edition. With the release of a new Doom and (miraculously) a new Half-Life game, we thought it was a good opportunity to reflect on where these classic series began and the powerful impact they made on the industry.
For this retro-infused magazine special, we've chatted with John Romero about the impact of Doom as a legacy-defining shooter, delved into Half-Life's history with Valve's Dario Casali, and re-examined how Shogun: Total War redefined the strategy genre.
This month's issue also looks at Harmonix's return to the rhythm genre with their new game Fuser, along with plenty of previews, including our impressions of Gears Tactics, Disc Room, and the spaceship salvage sim Hardspace: Shipbreaker.
As for reviews, we've got some big ones for you this month. Doom Eternal and Half-Life: Alyx are the two juggernauts of the group, sitting alongside our reviews of Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Corruption 2029, and a fan-made reimagining of the original Half-Life, Black Mesa.
In hardware, we've gone on a mission to find the perfect microphone for those of you who want the best sound quality for streaming, podcasting, and gaming. We've chosen six microphones that will get your voice across loud and clear.
This month's free gift is for an Icebrood Saga Hero's Bundle in Guild Wars 2. This bundle includes a mini icebrood saga ogre pet, an item booster, a karma booster, an XP booster, and a 10 slot bag.
Issue 343 is available on all your digital devices from the App Store and Zinio. You can also order directly from My Favourite Magazines or purchase a subscription to save yourself some cash, receive monthly deliveries and marvel at our exclusive subscriber covers. This one's a classic.
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This month:
- The impact of Doom as a legacy-defining shooter with John Romero
- Half-Life's history with Valve's Dario Casali
- Previews for Fuser, Fear Tactics, Disco Room, and more
- Doom Eternal, Half-life: Alex, Black Mesa, Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem and more reviewed
- Our microphone group test
- And more!
The collective PC Gamer editorial team worked together to write this article. PC Gamer is the global authority on PC games—starting in 1993 with the magazine, and then in 2010 with this website you're currently reading. We have writers across the US, UK and Australia, who you can read about here.