The History Channel is one of my favorite channels on YouTube, I've been watching it a lot lately. Anyway, I stumbled upon this video and thought I'd share it here. Surprisingly, I did learn some things. A lot of this I knew about, but it's pretty nice to watch a documentary on the history of something you've experienced most of your life. If you're like me, it will take you down Memory Lane. So, give it a watch!

What do you think about this video and the history of video games? Do you have a long, fond, and memorable history with video games? Feel free to share your thoughts!

If you're a PC enthusiast like me and you play some video games that are quite demanding of your hardware, then chances are you're probably interested in keeping an eye on the temperatures inside your PC, particularly for your CPU and GPU. This is important, because these components can get very hot and without proper cooling, they will not last very long. Monitoring temperatures is actually easy with MSI Afterburner, but the software is capable of so much more!

This recommendation is based upon a comparison between MSI Afterburner and EVGA Precision X1. Amazingly, you MSI Afterburner doesn't care what GPU you're using, it will work with it. It doesn't matter if you have Nvidia or AMD. However, if you want to use Precision X1, you're going to need an Nvidia GPU.

Both pieces of software not only help you monitor GPU temperatures, but they also help you with controlling fan speeds and overclocking. Overclocking isn't something I'm into, though I've dabbled with it a bit. It does seem, to me, that MSI Afterburner is actually better at this than Precision X1. With the latter, you pretty much just have to stick some what random values in and try to see if you can find the correct values that work before a game or software crashes. It's pretty much guess work. However, MSI Afterburner has an icon in the top left-hand corner marked with "OC" and a magnifying glass. Clicking on this icon will let you scan and test values. So, it can help you automatically overclock your GPU, where as Precision X1 requires much more manual work.

MSI Afterburner also has a lot more features and settings than Precision X1. Even if you're not overclocking your GPU, MSI Afterburner is still the better piece of software to use, in part because it not only helps you monitor your GPU temperature, but also your CPU temperature and your FPS. If you go into the software's settings, you can set up a hot key to enable or disable the OSD (On-Screen Display). You can also configure it with a variety of options. Unfortunately, even though Precision X1 has a similar OSD, it does not work in every game. In fact, I can't even recall which games it actually works with. However, I've never had a problem with MSI Afterburner's OSD not working.

It's ok to have both programs installed, but not recommended to run both at the same time, so be careful with that. MSI Afterburner has a lot more features and configuration settings than Precision X1. It may be a bit more confusing, but there is box that will pop up when hovering over each setting that will help you understand it better. Both pieces are software are free, but it is MSI Afterburner that seems to deserve a very strong recommendation.

I've embedded a video from JayzTwoCents which is a guide to overclocking your GPU. He uses MSI Afterburner and Heaven Benchmark. If you're interested in getting more performance out of your GPU, you may also want to check out another one of his videos here: https://youtu.be/cqshaJTI8FQ I think he has even more videos on these subjects, so you may want to check out his YouTube channel, I strongly recommend it, it's my favorite for PC enthusiasts.

Do you have thoughts on this recommendation that you'd like to share? Do you overclock your hardware? Do you monitor temperatures and FPS? Feel free to reply in the comments section!

I've been playing Red Dead Redemption 2 a lot since I bought it during the Steam Summer Sale and I absolutely love it. However, it's not a perfect game. Though, what is? I've spotted some bugs and I thought I'd report them, so that they'd hopefully get fixed. This isn't the first time I've stumbled into bugs in a game. My experience, however, has changed a bit though.

One of the best ways to report a bug in a game is to capture video of it. Then, you can upload it to YouTube and send the video's URL along w/ the bug report. This I think kind of helps eliminate confusion during the bug report process and it also proves that you are experiencing the issue. You can create the video on YouTube as an "unlisted" video, meaning that only the people that know the video's URL can access it.

Windows 10 has the XBox Game Bar that you can enable for your games. You can use it by hitting the Windows key along with G. With it, you can see FPS, how your hardware is being utilized, take screenshots, or capture video. However, I've recently come to the conclusion that for capturing video (at least for RDR2) this software is inferior to GeForce Experience. While GeForce Experience seems to be primarily used to "optimize" your game's settings based upon your hardware, the software also comes with features quite similar to the XBox Game Bar, which you can access via Alt-Z.

I noticed that while trying to capture video with the XBox Game Bar, it would tell me something like it could not work with the game and to try setting the game to borderless window mode. I'm sure I managed to use it though, I play all of my games on full screen. Capturing a screenshot with it wasn't working out well, either, it didn't take a screenshot of the game. Yes, you can use Steam to take a screenshot, but the Steam overlay web browser is very problematic with RDR2, so I've disabled it. GeForce Experience did not have the same issue as the XBox Game Bar. It gave me no such error.

I like that both pieces of software exist and that we can capture video and screenshots of the game's we're playing. I'm sure it really helps developers see issues in action. It seems as though one of the bugs I reported for RDR2 has been resolved.

Anyway, I just thought I'd put this recommendation out there. If you're using an Nvidia GPU, then GeForce Experience is, in my opinion, the best software to use when capturing video. I think it's quite user friendly.

As a side note, if you want to edit your video, you can actually open it with the Photos app in Windows 10. It will play the video, but there is also an edit button near the top right-hand side. I was able to use it to trim my video captures. So, if you're looking for a free (if you own Windows 10) way to do some basic video editing, check out the Photos app.

Do you have any suggestions you'd like to share that are similar to the ones in this post? Feel free to reply in the comments!

You've got to see this, it's brilliant! Every Star Wars movie has the wrong title, here's how each movie should really be titled (making the titles actually obviously relevant to the plot). This will only take one minute of your time, it's a MUST see! Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments. I think this makes a whole lot of sense!

https://www.gamespot.com/articles/every-star-wars-film-has-the-wrong-title-heres-wha/1100-6480401/?utm_source=gamefaqs&utm_medium=partner&utm_content=news_module&utm_campaign=homepage

I recently finished Star Wars: The Force Unleashed I and II and thought it was time to give them a proper Cheerful Ghost review. The second game is a sequel to the first However, the first game isn’t very great, especially compared to the second. I wouldn’t say it’s horrible, but one thing I absolutely hated was that it uses quick time events. These were often buttons you had to press at a certain time to do a certain finishing move. The second game has these, too, but does a much better job by having fewer of them and making them not as seemingly random. They weren’t as annoying in the second game as the first, though I still don’t like this game mechanic.

I was able to play both games via Steam on Windows 10 and with an Xbox One controller. I didn’t have to do any special configuration, though the second game included some graphical detail options, which weren’t automatically set to the highest, so I set them that way. It didn’t seem to have a 1920x1200 resolution, but 1600xsomething instead, which I don’t think was really noticeable anyway. In the second game, subtitles were automatically turned on and I turned them off.

You’ll start out in the first game as Darth Vader death marching your way through a Wookie village. One could say that Vader (and Anakin Skywalker) is the most iconic character in all of Star Wars, so it’s fun getting to play as him. It was also great to see him in the game, hear him, and watch him act. He was presented very well in both games. Eventually, you’ll change to controlling a character who is Vader’s apprentice. I didn’t know he had one. He said he wanted you to help him overthrow the Emperor. He’s helping you complete your training by sending you on some missions, which will have you fighting some Jedi. There aren’t a lot of characters here, there’s a droid which is used as a communication device to speak to Vader. He’s also funny in that his goal is to try to kill you and he keeps apologizing for failing. You also have a female pilot, which you needed after Vader killed your previous pilots.

This is an action game, you’ll be attacking enemies using Force powers such as Force Lighting, Force Grip, and more. When you get to the tutorial part in the beginning, I recommend getting comfortable and familiar with the controls before moving on, it can feel a little difficult to get used to. The second game doesn’t have a tutorial in the same way, but it will tell you things you can do, while you play, when they become available or relevant. As you progress in the game, more abilities will unlock. You’ll also earn points, which are used to increase your rank of each ability. Higher ranked abilities are more powerful than lower ones, so you’ll want to manage those points. There are Jedi and Sith Holocrons hidden throughout the first game. The Jedi Holocrons unlock special things like a Lightsaber Crystal, costume, or some other special extra. Sith Holocrons give you a temporary ability such as invincibility or health restoration, for example. This is different in the second game as there are four different kinds of Holocrons each with a different color and each will give different things, such as permanent health increase.

Lightsaber Crystals can be changed, in game in a menu. You may find these hidden throughout the games. They not only change the color of your lightsaber(s), but also have their own abilities, such as stronger lightsaber attacks.

There are “extras” in each game you can unlock, though I’m not sure exactly how to unlock everything as I didn’t look for a guide for that. I do know that you unlock cinematics when you see them as you progress in the games. However, I noticed that the second game still had some that I hadn’t unlocked. You can also unlock costumes and databank entries, which will tell you about something in the Star Wars universe. These entries are rather lengthy, at least in the first game, I didn’t look at them in the second game.

Over the course of the game, you’ll run into familiar Star Wars characters and locations. You’ll notice that almost none of the characters sound the way you’re used to, though Vader’s voice was done very well. I was pleasantly surprised to hear the voice of one character other than Vader. His is the voice of the clones in The Clone Wars, the same voice actor. It's fitting, in my opinion, that this is that character's voice. The one problem I had with the locations in the first game is that you go back to them a second time. There are a few different difficulty levels and I played on easy. I noticed the “unleashed” difficulty unlocked in the second game after I completed it. The first game had some instances of confusion, where it was difficult to know what to do or how exactly to do it. There’s one in particular that seems like it will take forever and does seem difficult to get right. The second game wasn’t like that.

So, if you’re interested in playing a Star Wars game and seeing a story about Vader with an apprentice, check out The Force Unleashed and it’s sequel. The second is definitely an improvement over the first.

I'd also like to point out that both games are short. Steam says I've spent 8 hours on the first, even though I restarted at least once, and 4 on the second. Higher difficulty would probably change these numbers. Also, really hunting down those Holocrons and such would certainly add some time, though I didn't do that.

This is funny, you should check it out, Honest Game Trailers for The Force Awakens: https://youtu.be/0ATGmaVwrIw

One of my most favorite games, Ark: Survival Evolved is now a freebie on the Epic Games Store. I strongly encourage you to go grab it while you can! I've put in an insane amount of hours into the game and I'm still playing, because they keep creating content. At the moment, we're celebrating the game's 5th birthday with an Anniversary Event and a new map, Crystal Isles. Kill Party Dodos, get Cake Slices, cook them in a cooking pot, and you'll get a special pet chibi.

Yes, this is a survival game. If you get hurt, you'll heal, but you'll get hungry. However, there are plenty of things to eat, like berries you can easily harvest from plants. Can you survive in the environment with dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures? Go check it out! This opportunity is way too good to miss!

This isn't just a survival game, but it's also a crafting/building adventure game as well. You'll first need to punch a tree to get some wood and thatch (sound familiar?), then pick up some stones to craft a pick. Then, you'll want to use that on a bigger rock to get flint to craft a hatchet, which you'll want to use to get wood. It continues from there and goes on for quite a while. You don't have to do all your resource gathering by hand, though, as you can tame some creatures who specialize in getting certain resources. For example, the Ankylosaurus is used for gathering metal. Many creatures have their own special talent and there is a large variety of them.

This game was mostly designed for multiplayer, but I suggest playing in single player mode, that's just my preference. There are a variety of great mods to use as well. Feel free to find the game on Cheerful Ghost to see the posts I have made or just hit me up in the comments and let me know what you want to know. Beware, though, Ark is pretty graphically intense even at 5 years old.

https://www.pcworld.com/article/3545909/microsoft-releases-the-windows-10-may-2020-update.html

Above is the headline that it was released but even after checking for updates, I still have build 1909, so maybe it hasn't been completely distributed yet.

However, I read the article below and it sounds very interesting. It sounds like Microsoft is now accepting Linux into Windows. I think this is unexpected. This could mean one may not have to have separate computers for Windows and Linux. It also seems like they work together. I thought this was interesting enough to share.

The article has details about other pieces of the May 2020 Update, too, so go check it out. As for Cortana, I've never really used it.

https://www.pcworld.com/article/3526472/windows-10-20h1-review-microsoft-boosts-linux-and-your-phone-but-cortana-slips-hard.html

After playing Doom 64 recently, I got Doom 3 BFG Edition on Steam. It was certainly different. The best description I’ve found is put simply in the embedded video as the original Doom games were action games, while Doom 3 is a "realistic" horror game. This made the game unappealing to me at first and is a bit still, but I see other parts of the game that make me think it’s not bad. I’m not a fan of horror games, but I’ve played a few Resident Evil games. It’s just not the kind of game I’m into.

Instead of running around killing already spawned in demons in a mostly open area like the original, Doom 3 leads you through a mostly linear path down corridors. Although all Doom games can have you running in circles, confused about what you’ve missed, where you’re supposed to go, but there’s plenty of info on the web to help you find your way around when you get stuck. You’ll need to find PDAs to get security clearance to access some places. They may also contain some of the game’s lore, but not forcing you to listen to recorded audio. You’ll also collect some inventory items along the way, which are important for the task at hand. For instance, sometimes you’ll have to remove a power cell from one generator and place it in another.

There are some scary lighting effects going on, there is a lot of darkness, flashing lights, and you can’t always walk with your flashlight on, sometimes it has to charge. It can be hard to see enemies at times, but it’s best to look all around as much as possible. Usually monsters will spawn in with a noticeable sound and flash in an area. There are also plenty of “jump scares” and pieces of the environment falling out of place at times to scar you, too. It is a bit of a thrilling experience.

The demons all look different than we’re used to seeing them in the Doom series, you should take a look at them, if you’re a fan. Their design is definitely close to “realistic” horror. Some are difficult to recognize, while others are easily recognizable. Perhaps the scariest of them are the bosses, which can be “bullet sponges.” Some take strategy to defeat, while some just take enough fire power.

Console issue: I like cheating in these kinds of games (Doom in particular), it makes it more fun for me. I thought that I might turn on cheats eventually, but that moment never came. As soon as I started a new game, the game told me achievements were disabled because the console was being used. After some troubleshooting this seems to be an issue in the game and there’s a simple remedy for it. You just need to add “seta com_allowconsole 0“ (without quotes) to the “default.cfg” file that’s in the folder at “C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\DOOM 3 BFG Edition\base\” as noted by “IcyDeadPeople” here: https://steamcommunity.com/app/208200/discussions/0/828925849197513340. This resolved the issue for me, although it may have allowed me to get achievements even if I used console commands, but I never reached the point of deciding to cheat, so I never looked into those commands.

Technically, the game runs extremely well. Granted this could be expected with modern hardware and the game’s age, but I still can’t help but be impressed just how little time it takes to load. This version of the game also comes with the original Doom and Doom 2, however they’re a bit functionally different than the recent Doom Classic Complete Collection I recently wrote about here: https://cheerfulghost.com/GregoPeck/posts/4401/getting-the-doom-complete-collection-to-run-on-windows-10 That is because that version wouldn’t run on it’s own. Instead, I had to copy the .WAD files to a source port and play it that way, however that’s not necessary with the versions in this edition. These work well with no extra configuration needed. I find this impressive, but also confusing as to why the two versions don’t just simply work in the same way. Since this version of those games lets them run just fine, you can work on getting their achievements, too.

I should also note there is a source port for this, which seems to work more for Doom and Doom 2, although it does come with some extra features for Doom 3. It's called Doom 3: BFA Edition. I started out with this version, but it didn't really connect to Steam and I didn't find it necessary. In fact, I enjoyed the game(s) just fine without it.

It’s kind of hard to say whether I recommend this or not. If you’re into horror games and Doom, then you’ll probably be into this. It does have a “very positive” score on Steam. Personally, I think I like the action kind of Doom game better, like Doom (2016). If you’re a Doom fan, you should at least take a look at some video of it. I’ve embedded a video that talks about why it is a good game.

I’ve recently taken a trip back into the 90’s by getting some gaming nostalgia. Recently, I got the Doom Classic Complete collection, which contains Doom, Final Doom, Ultimate Doom, Doom II, and the Master Levels for Doom II. I write a post about getting it to run as it was actually a bit difficult to play right away and without a source port. Having copies of the games on Steam is quite helpful, because it gives you the .WAD files you’ll need to use with a source port. If you’d like, you can check out my post about that here: https://cheerfulghost.com/GregoPeck/posts/4401/getting-the-doom-complete-collection-to-run-on-windows-10

As for Doom 64, I never played this when it originally came out, even though I still have my N64. I wish I had gotten this game back then. I don't know why or how I ignored it, after all I played the Doom and Quake games during high school. This looks and feels much like the Doom and Quake games, although it’s unique and possibly not what you’d expect for a N64 game. Granted, everything in the game looks different from the original, it’s still wonderful. The game controls beautifully with a mouse and keyboard with no need to use a source port. Although, you can check out Doom 64 EX, if you’re interested. The embedded video goes into some detail about porting EX and making it as close to the original game as possible. For just $5 on Steam, this is a must own if you’re a fan of the series!

There are ways in which this iteration of Doom surpasses the original, especially when it comes to keyboard and mouse controls. I also really appreciate the excellent distinction between yellow and red keys, in the original games these colors looked way too similar, yellow looked more orange. Perhaps the one thing that this game does not match the original is when it comes to music. This game doesn’t exactly have music as the original did, instead it’s more of a scary ambiance, which is still nice, but it’s not the awesome rock riffs we’re used to.

One thing I’ve always loved about these games was being able to cheat. Gaming can be fun and challenging, separately or in balance, but for me I have more fun when I’m able to ease and relax without much of a challenge. I did try the game out without cheats, but I knew I’d reach a point where I’d enable them. The only downside is that this disables your ability to get achievements on that save file, but I’m ok with that, there seems to only be 10 of them anyway and I already got one. Doom 64 has the ability to save and load games, but it also uses a password system. You can look online for passwords to input into the game. One of them will open a “features” option on the main menu and you can select the cheats you want to use or you can press ` to access the debug screen and type them in such as “noclip” (without quotes). I believe I read that you have to get all three keys in level 32 without cheating to unlock “feature” in the main menu without having to input a password, but it really looks tough to do. There are also other passwords that will bring you to different levels or just do different things. You can check the guides section on Steam or you can also refer to IGN’s N64 cheat guide here: https://www.ign.com/wikis/n64-cheats/Doom_64_Cheats

I really do give this a strong recommendation. I can’t stress enough how even a base price of $5 for this game is extremely and surprisingly low. I think it’s worth a bit more at least, but this just adds it to the list of great games that are at or under $5. Do yourself a favor, if you like the Doom and Quake games and haven’t checked this out, do so, I don’t think you’d regret it.

Also, credit to Jon for posting about this before I even played it. https://cheerfulghost.com/jdodson/posts/4395/nightdive-studios-brings-an-incredible-port-of-doom-64

If you’ve played this, feel free to share your thoughts about this, too. If you haven’t let me know why or if you’re interested now.

I just recently picked up the “Doom Classic Complete” collection for less than $5 and I came across something I thought I’d share. First of all, this collection contains Ultimate and Final Doom, Doom II, and the Master Levels for Doom II. I recently re-discovered a CD I have for Ultimate Doom, but the game wouldn’t run the way I wanted it to. However, I made a discovery then and ran into the issue again with my recent purchase of this collection, so I thought I’d share my tip.

As a PC gamer, I’ve gotten used to playing games with a keyboard and a mouse. WASD keys move forward, left, back, and right. The mouse looks up, down, left, and right. I can’t recall how I played the Doom games back in the 90’s, but it certainly feels odd now. This is because moving the mouse forward or backward will move your character in that direction. I found this to be quite odd and annoying. I did some digging online and I found a few different solutions. Some weren’t helping, the game would still lock up and such, but I found another, perhaps easier, solution.

This Steam version of the collection uses DOSBox and I have played around with it a bit starting a few weeks ago. Sure, if you load a separate instance of DOSBox, mount your Doom directory and run “novert.com” (a file you can download for free on the Internet) before “doom.exe” it might work properly, but it’s a bit of a hassle to have to go through that every time.

The simplest solution I found is to use a free “source port” and the one I have the most experience with is Chocolate Doom, which was incredibly easy to set up. After downloading and extracting the program, run the included setup file and under the “mouse configuration” make sure “allow vertical mouse movement” is unchecked. Then copy the .WAD file from wherever you have it stored and drop it into your Chocolate Doom directory. Then all you have to do is run Chocolate Doom. This works for all the .WAD files included in this collection. Without a .WAD file, the game will run the shareware version of Doom II. There are other source ports out there with different features. I’ve barely played with some others as I decided I wanted to stick with the most authentic experience and Chocolate Doom gives me exactly what I want.

As for getting each of the .WADs in the Master Levels for Doom II to work, you may need to use some command lines or another source port, like ZDoom. In Chocolate Doom, you can open the setup file, hit F2 for warp and W to add a .WAD. Put the .WAD file in the same directory and just type in the name of the .WAD file (including the file extension). You may need to read the .TXT file that comes with the .WAD to make sure you're on the right level. ATTACK.WAD was easy to get going, but BLACKTWR.WAD was more difficult, until I read that it's on level 25 and I had to warp to it, which I did the Chocolate Doom setup file.

I did check out GLDoom and GZDoom (or ZDoom). GLDoom didn't have an obvious way of disabling vertical mouse movement, like Chocolate Doom does, but you can turn the vertical sensitivity down to zero. GZDoom (or Zdoom) is like GLDoom in that it runs on OpenGL, but as far as I can tell it does a whole lot more than any of the other source ports I've tried. It has tons of features and even allows you to look around and jump.

I haven’t tried Doom 64 yet, in fact I’ve never played it. However, I did learn in recent weeks about Doom 64 EX. I think you don’t have to worry about this, because, I believe the Steam version was a port. Jon made a post about it, so I recommend checking that out as the included video is pretty informative. You need the .WAD file to run Doom 64 EX, which does not come with the software, but if you purchased the game via Steam and installed it, then I’m sure it’s just a matter of copying a file over into a single directory as described above for the other classics.

I hope this helps. If you need help, feel free to ask, I can try to help you out as best as I can. Have you played these games recently? Have you run into similar issues? If so, how did you get them to work?

Links:

“Doom Classic Complete” collection on IsThereAnyDeal.com: https://isthereanydeal.com/game/doomclassiccomplete/info/

DOSBox: https://www.dosbox.com/

Novert: https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/utils/misc/novert

Chocolate Doom: https://www.chocolate-doom.org/wiki/index.php/Chocolate_Doom

GZDoom (or ZDoom): https://zdoom.org/downloads

Jon’s post about the Doom 64 port: https://cheerfulghost.com/jdodson/posts/4395/nightdive-studios-brings-an-incredible-port-of-doom-64

Doom 64 EX: https://doom64ex.wordpress.com/