If you simply want to choose the strongest class for your main in WoW: The War Within, you have 5 different classes that are generally considered the best right now.

This is all based on what we know from the beta for The War Within and previews, of course. There are a lot of massive balance changes coming, not to mention the new Hero Talent mechanic!

But, let’s cut right to the chase, shall we? Let’s now take a look at the 5 best classes you should main in WoW: The War Within.

Top 5 Best Classes To Main in WoW: The War Within

Evoker

The Dracthyr continue to dominate the meta with their exclusive Evoker class, which is easily one of the best classes in WoW: The War Within. They provide the most utility out of all classes with their Augmentation spec, while also being fantastic Healers with the Preservation spec.

Augmentation overall is possibly the single most useful Class Spec in the entire game right now. It allows the Evoker to provide insane buffs to every other role. More damage for DPS, more survivability for Tanks, and more Mana for Healers… what more could you possibly want from a single class? Besides, the Evoker is also quite capable of dishing out solid damage on its own on top of that.

Preservation, while not quite as game-changing as Augmentation, does make the Evoker into a top-tier Healer. It’s a very unique Healer spec as well, due to its slower pace: you’ll rely on charging up spells to provide massive healing in bursts. These powerful healing spells also have a large AoE, making it easy to keep your entire party topped up no matter how hectic things get.

Simply put, Evoker might be the singular best class in the game currently!

Death Knight

As you might have heard from anyone playing The War Within’s beta, Death Knight is easily one of the best classes in the game currently. Whether you go for the DPS specs (Frost, Unholy) or the Tank spec (Blood), this class has earned its spot at the top of the meta.

All their Hero Talents are pretty great as well and work extremely well with the Death Knight’s innate strengths. This is very important, considering that Hero Talents is a new mechanic in The War Within and some classes weren’t as lucky as Death Knights.

Death Knight is a class with a lot of potential builds and playstyles, as well. You can play as a vampiric Tank who relies on dealing damage to boost their health and strength or you can choose to summon demonic forces to aid you in battle, for example. No matter what, you’ll have some of the best survivability and damage output in The War Within!

Mage

If you’re all about spellcasting, Mage is your best bet for a spellcasting DPS. All 3 of its specs are DPS-focused, and all 3 of them are currently extremely strong. This ensures that the class has long-lasting power and shouldn’t have to worry about any upcoming balance changes, making it an easy pick for one of the best classes in WoW: The War Within.

Similar to the Death Knights, Mages were also blessed with 3 strong sets of Hero Talents as well. These further bolster the Mage’s innate strengths. As you might notice from this list, this is a common trend for all of the best classes in The War Within! These Hero Talents are extremely important.

The only real downside for Mages is that you really do need to master them. Their overwhelming DPS potential comes at the cost of low survivability. However, you’ll easily dominate all your foes if you can overcome these skill issues. Good Mage players are always guaranteed a spot for Raids due to their insane damage output.

Warrior

Say what you will about how straightforward the Warrior class is to play, you can’t deny that it brings results. This class is all about Melee DPS with the Arms and Fury specs, but the Protection spec can also turn them into a top-tier Tank. Just like with the other best classes in The War Within, all of the specs are viable and extremely strong.

If you go the DPS route, you’ll be dishing out millions of damage with fairly simple skill rotations that are easy to manage. If you choose to be a Tank, your ability to take damage will be second only to Paladins and you also don’t rely too much on Healers. Either way, you’ll be a key asset to any party you’re in!

There are very few downsides to the Warrior currently, and this is definitely the best class for anyone who likes straightforward Melee DPS. If we had to come up with a weakness, you could say that their simplicity means they have very low build variety and they don’t provide much utility to parties. But if that’s no issue for you, Warrior has basically no downsides.

Shaman

A bit of a surprise, the Shaman class has been climbing the ranks of best classes in WoW: The War Within as we approach the full launch. It has received a lot of fantastic buffs and reworks during the beta, making it into a meta favorite.

It has the potential to Tank no matter its spec as well as provide high DPS with the Elemental or Enchantment specs. What’s more, it can also turn into a top-tier healer with the Restoration spec. That said, the DPS specs seem to be earning the most favor right now simply due to how strong they are currently.

Another thing that makes the Shaman shine is their ability to lay out totems across the battlefield. These totems provide excellent utility to the party, be it by providing Crowd Control, healing, or even deflecting enemy attacks. The new Totemic Hero Talent tree also makes these totems stronger and easier to use, making Shaman shine brighter than ever!

But well, that was the last class on our list of the top 5 best classes to main in WoW: The War Within. If you want a more general and less meta-focused look at all the classes, check out our class picking guide for The War Within.

The post The 5 BEST Classes YOU Should MAIN In The War Within – WoW appeared first on Games Fuze.

One thing that XDefiant doesn’t lack in is weapons. From small and compact SMGs to devastating sniper rifles, there are tons of different weapons to choose from. With so many weapons in the game, finding the best ones can be a bit difficult.

Luckily, we have created a tier list that ranks the weapons in this game based on how good they are. With the game having just been released, people are still trying out all the weapons in the game and figuring out what’s best. Knowing which weapons are the best will help you take over any lobby you play in.

Gun Tier List

There are a total of 17 unlockable weapons from all the different weapon classes on our tier list. Most of the weapons on the list will have to be unlocked before you can use them. If you haven’t unlocked all the weapons in XDefiant, make sure you check out our article on how to unlock every weapon in XDefiant. With all that being said, here is our tier list for all the weapons in the game.

S-tier

MP7

Starting our list we have the MP7 SMG, which for a lot of people is the best weapon in the game. In terms of overall stats, the MP7 isn’t the best at anything in particular. Instead, it is pretty much good at everything it does. On top of that, it is also pretty easy to get used to, making it an amazing weapon for players of all skill levels.

M870

The M870 in XDefiant fits the most classic definition of a shotgun. It is a pump-action shotgun that pretty much decimates anyone close to you. What separates the M870 from the other shotguns in this game is its consistency. Make sure you avoid long range engagements, as that is pretty much the only weakness of the weapon.

ACR

To finish off the S-tier weapons we have the ACR assault rifle. Unlike the other 2 weapons in the S-tier, the ACR isn’t the best when it comes to short-range combat. It makes up for it though with to its long-range proficiency. It is also the only assault rifle in the game that is very good at all ranges.

A-tier

AK-47

In terms of pure stats, the AK-47 is as good as any assault rifle in the game. The main downside of the gun is its high recoil, which will require you to fire in bursts when fighting from range. Despite that, the AK-47 earns its place in the A-tier due to its high DPS.

P90

The best way to describe the P90 is an SMG with the magazine size of an LMG. Outside LMGs, the P90 has the largest magazine size in the game. Alongside that, the P90 also has decent fire rate and damage. The main thing putting the P90 in the A-tier instead of the S-tier is its slightly lower overall damage than the MP7.

Vector

Another SMG, the Vector is one of the hardest weapons in the game to rank. It has the highest fire rate in the game and more than decent damage to go along with it. The weapon pretty much melts anyone instantly. The Vector falls slightly short of the S-tier mainly due to its low magazine size and slightly hard-to-control recoil.

Double Pump

Like the Vector, the Double Pump shotgun is another weapon that is extremely difficult to rank. While it has the best damage in its class, the Double Pump sometimes feels too inconsistent. This is mainly due to its low ammo capacity and having to reload after firing 2 shells.

B-tier

M249

The M249 overall has pretty average stats, as the damage and fire rate are both OK. LMGs in XDefiant are generally a bit weaker than SMGs and assault rifles. So despite being the highest ranked LMG in this list, the M249 still finds itself in the B-tier. If you do happen to be an LMG enjoyer though, the M249 might be the weapon for you.

MK20SSR

The MK20SSR has everything you would expect from a marksman rifle. For mid to long range engagements, there aren’t many guns better than the MK20SSR. Similar to LMGs though, marksman rifles in XDefiant are overall a weaker class when compared to SMGs or assault rifles. The gun has clear strengths, but it also has glaring weaknesses.

TAC-50

If you are looking for pure damage, then look no further than the TAC-50. This sniper rifle can make quick work of anyone at any range in this game. Just one shot to the chest or head will take down any opponent. This is again a weapon that takes some time getting used to. It rewards good accuracy, but is very punishing if you miss. In the right hands, the TAC-50 is as good as any weapon in the game.

SVD

The SVD is the perfect bridge weapon from the marksman rifle class to the sniper class. In a way, it mixes both and creates a very fun weapon to use. The SVD has lower damage than the snipers in this game, but makes up for it by having a higher rate of fire.

M44

The M44 has the second highest damage in the game for any weapon, right below TAC-50. Like the TAC-50, the M44 is also a bolt-action sniper rifle. If you are looking for a faster firing and less punishing sniper than the TAC-50, then the M44 is the perfect weapon for you.

C-tier

M16

The M16 is the most unique assault rifle in XDefiant. While all the assault rifles in this game are fully automatic, the M16 is instead 3-round burst. For players who want an assault rifle purely for precision, the M16 is a great choice to go for.

M4

The M4 in XDefiant is the perfect definition of “jack of all trades, master of none”. The main strength of the weapon is how easy it is to control. There is minimal recoil and landing multiple shots on one person is very straightforward. It is important to note that the M4 is the starting assault rifle. So even if it is worse than the other rifles, its still usable and everyone has access to it.

MP5

In many ways, the MP5 is just the SMG version of the M4. A perfect starting weapon, but when compared to other weapons in the class, The MP5 falls just a little bit short. It is probably the most flexible weapon in the SMG class, but that doesn’t make up for its much worse performance in short ranged engagements.

D-tier

M60

Finally for the D-tier, we start off with the M60 LMG. The M60 has the highest damage in the class, but at the same time, the lowest fire rate. One positive about the weapon is its huge magazine size. Unfortunately that still doesn’t stop the weapon from landing in the D-tier as its overall damage potential is just too low when compared to other weapons.

RPK

Unsurprisingly, the other D-tier weapon is also an LMG. The RPK in this game has very similar damage to the M249, but with a much lower fire rate. Unlike the other 2 LMGs on this list, the RPK has a faster default reload than the other LMGs as it uses a magazine similar to assault rifles. In most cases this will be a clear advantage, but the game allows you to use a similar magazine when you are using the M249. So there are pretty much no advantages of using the RPK over the M249.

So there you have it, a weapon tier list for XDefiant showcasing the best weapons and the worst weapons. In a competitive shooter like XDefiant, any advantage that you can get is valuable. Knowing which weapons are best will give you a significant advantage over your opponents, helping you win more gun fights.

The post XDefiant: Weapons Tier List | Best Weapons To Unlock appeared first on Games Fuze.

(Information on Steam’s top games were gathered for this article from Steam Charts)

A couple of weeks ago I went through eight of the most popular Steam games at the time, and linked which Logical Increments PC build tier is needed to play that game at a specific performance level. Well, that proved to be a popular article, so I’m here to round out the list with more of Steam’s most successful titles (and maybe a couple trending ones)!

I strongly recommend also checking out the previous list, and even the much older list I made with similar goals way back in January 2020.

Something that surprised me as I went through the list last month was how closely linked 1440p resolution at 120 frames per second (1440p120) and 4K resolution at 60 frames per second (4K60) were. I guess it’s not too much of a surprise since 4K is more-or-less double the amount of pixels in 1440p, but I still found it intriguing that you could sometimes get away with a system that was one tier lower at 4K60 than the 1440p120 ones. In a way, it makes sense: lower frame rates tend to be more stable than higher frame rates, and your processor isn’t having to work as hard since only half the amount of frames are being generated.

And, as you’ll now see, that trend continues here!

Criteria:

As I mentioned in the previous article, Logical Increments keeps its primary tier list consistently updated, showing you the cost of building systems geared towards particular performance milestones. From the humble ‘Destitute’ system to the jaw-dropping ‘Monstrous’ setup, it shows what is attainable at each price point, offers a roadmap for some upgrading, and generally makes it convenient to knit together a balanced system with top-notch parts.

With that list in hand, we can match each of the most popular games on Steam right now with a Logical Increments tier. In this piece, I cross-referenced eight of the most played Steam games with our tier list to see what is required to hit 60 frames per second at 1080p (referenced as 1080p60), 120 frames per second at 1440p (referenced as 1440p120), and 60 frames per second at 4K (referenced as 4k60).

Back in the old 2020 version of this exercise, I stuck to certain non-negotiables for a system to land in a specific category. In this article and last month’s article, though, I made a few changes:

• The lion’s share of the time, we’re talking 99% or more, it had to cruise within 10% of the minimum frames per second or higher at the chosen resolution. So, I care more about the ‘minimum’ than the ‘average’ frames per second.
• It had to strut with at least very high graphical settings.

What should you do with this information? Find the games you play most often, or at least the games that interest you. Look at the resolution and frames per second you’re interested in, and (assuming you’re not bursting your budget), get the suggested tier for a satisfying, pleasant experience. You won’t have any regrets, as these systems have been vetted to ensure a proper balance of performance and price.

Now, let’s get on with what you came here for! On with the games!

Games:

Naraka: Bladepoint

We covered PUBG, Apex, and Warzone last month, and this is yetanother free-to-play battle royale game. I guess those are pretty popular at the moment? Anyway, this game differs from many others in that it features a melee-based combat system inspired by martial arts. There have been a few comparisons to Apex Legends, but it still stands out with a style that, according to former Rock Paper Shotgun writer Matt Cox, is a game where “fighting game aficionados will feel right at home” with its mix of combos and rock-paper-scissors-style combat. Cox summarizes, “charged attacks beat normal attacks, parries beat charged attacks, and normal attacks beat parries”. But what do you need to run the game? Well, according to its Steam page, it “requires ‘Windows Memory integrity and VBS enablement’ to be disabled.” That’s unusual. But, hey, it’s still popular.

Grand Theft Auto V

Explore the world of Los Santos and Blaine County! …Again! Team up with friends, do missions, go crazy! This game was released on Steam in April 2015, and it has maintained a high level of popularity throughout that time. It’s just a fun multiplayer game with friends. Nothing too stressful, nothing too competitive. So, what do you need to enjoy this level of mayhem? Considering how old the game is, I don’t think you need much. Heck, the minimum requirements include an Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 with a 9800 GT or HD 4870! One thing to consider throughout all of this is that MSAA is crazily hardware-intensive, so if you want to play with that enabled, jump up two tiers from my recommendations.

Battlefield V

Ah, another ‘V’. This first-person shooter interestingly reached its peak popularity for the year on the 27th of November. I wonder how much Modern Warfare 3 influenced that. Anyway, for a game that came out a few years ago, the graphics still hold up nicely and it’s just an all-round fun experience. For the most part anyway.

War Thunder

Even though it came out around 10 years ago in August 2013, War Thunder has been steadily rising in popularity. In fact, its most popular day was around late March or early May of this year. How crazy is that? As a military MMO, this game pays high attention to detail and focuses on realism and authenticity—at least as much as a game can be, whilst still being accessible. Still, it’s got plenty of planes, tanks, and ships.

Football Manager 2024

Well, this is a peculiar one. It doesn’t really need graphics power unless you want to watch your team run around in 3D—but even then the graphics are nothing amazing. Really, this is like a glorified spreadsheet, though I will say it’s become a little simpler and more friendly towards beginners than it used to be.

Warframe

Set sometime in the fairly distant future, Warframe has you team up with other crazy metal ninjas and slice and dice your way through thousands (if not tens of thousands) of enemies that are powerless to stop your onslaught. You can also breed pets, that will help you slice and dicce you way through thousands (if not tens of thousands) of enemies. Grind, collect loot, build more powerful weapons, get more powerful classes (which are also known as frames), and relax as you’ve sliced and diced your way through a million or so enemies and they keep coming back for more.

Tevi

I don’t know too much about this game, as it’s just been released within a day or so of me writing this (which probably accounts for it making its way into this list, by riding a wave of release traffic). But, according to its Steam page, it is self-described as a “bullet hell metroidvania.” Neat! Based on its art style and recommended specifications, I doubt it really requires anything significant considering it’s a 2D game.

Conclusion:

There we go, another list of Steam games completed! I find it a little interesting that the most popular games are mostly older games. I guess those of us suffering from the high prices of the newest and most powerful PC parts this year can be grateful that such popular titles are so easy to run (or maybe I’ve got the causation reversed there).

With rare exceptions such as Baldur’s Gate 3, the games I’ve covered in this article and the previous one are mostly several years old, if not older. Maybe there have only been a few really legendary multiplayer releases in the past few years. If true, that would go to show that a game with solid mechanics and a healthy multiplayer scene really can trump the latest and greatest tech.

(Information on Steam’s top games were gathered for this article from Steam Charts)

Back in January 2020, I crafted a neat little piece discussing the Logical Increments tier needed to enjoy each of the top games on Steam at the time. Fast forward to now, and oh, how the scene has shifted! Back around that period, we were seeing trade tariffs causing a good bump in prices for PC hardware​. As we ventured into late 2020, high demand meant the cost of PC parts kept climbing, and 2021 brought even higher prices—especially for graphics cards due to a cryptocurrency boom. Oh, and let’s not forget, the world was just getting acquainted with Covid-19, adding a whole new level of complexity to tech market dynamics through supply chain issues.

Now, at the tail end of 2023, with prices and availability having normalized in some (though not all) component categories, and just a week left until Black Friday and Cyber Monday, it’s about time we take a fresh look at what Logical Increments PC building tier you’d need to dive into the most popular Steam games today. Let’s see what changed in the last few years, and whether that ol’ system still has some life in it, or whether it might be worth a little upgrade. Stick around as we unpack the current gaming demands and discuss today’s tech landscape.
 

Criteria:

Logical Increments keeps its primary tier list consistently updated, showing you the cost of building systems geared towards particular performance milestones. From the humble ‘Destitute’ system to the jaw-dropping ‘Monstrous’ setup, it shows what is attainable at each price point, offers a roadmap for some upgrading, and generally makes it convenient to knit together a balanced system with top-notch parts.

With that list in hand, we can match each of the most popular games on Steam right now with a Logical Increments tier. In this piece, I cross-referenced the 8 most played Steam games with our tier list to see what is required to hit 60 frames per second at 1080p (referenced as 1080p60), 120 frames per second at 1440p (referenced as 1440p120), and 60 frames per second at 4K (referenced as 4k60).

Last time, I stuck to two non-negotiables for a system to land in a specific category. This time I made a few changes:

• The lion’s share of the time, we’re talking 99% or more, it had to cruise within 10% of the minimum frames per second or higher at the chosen resolution. So, I care more about the ‘minimum’ than the ‘average’ frames per second.
• It had to strut with at least very high graphical settings.

What should you do with this information? Find the games you play most often, or at least the games that interest you. Look at the resolution and frames per second you’re interested in, and (assuming you’re not bursting your budget), get the suggested tier for a satisfying, pleasant experience. You won’t have any regrets, as these systems have been vetted to ensure a proper balance of performance and price.

Now, let’s get on with what you came here for! On with the games!

Games:

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2 is the freshest iteration in the cherished Counter-Strike series, known for its intense competitive gameplay that’s been honed by Valve (and then by millions of players worldwide over two decades). Built on the Source 2 engine, this game was released on September 27, 2023, 11 years after CS:GO. Interestingly, even though it had a massive graphical upgrade and several systems were overhauled (to the disappointment of some), the minimum specifications haven’t really changed that much. Really, any gaming computer built in the last 5 years would be able to run this at 1080p60 without any issues. But I digress. Here are my recommendations:

DotA 2

Another Source 2 engine game. Last time, I said that “the multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) Dota 2 was officially released in 2013, and quickly rose in ranks to become one of the most popular games on Steam. Allowing for a range of different gameplay styles, such as strategical and tactical or more aggressive, you can play the game almost any way you want. It has a fairly steep learning curve, and can be an exercise in frustration for newcomers, but once you get the hang of the controls you’ll be greeted with fun, exciting gameplay.” Not much has changed on that front, so let’s see if the recommendations have changed:

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG)

Released in late 2017, this battle royale game catapulted to the top of Steam’s most popular games, and it hasn’t really dropped from the list. Thankfully, it’s a lot more stable to run these days; in the early years, there were stability and optimisation problems, but hey, that’s now mostly a worry of the past.

Baldur’s Gate 3

A role-playing game released in early August, 2023. Baldur’s Gate 3 received high praise for its narrative, gameplay, and player choice. It has a fantastic amount of flexibility and replayability. You really can play this game any way you want. Its popularity has surprised its creators though, with a peak of around 800,000 players on release, and a current count still above 100,000 months later. The suggestions below include using upscaling technology in the game’s settings; if you don’t want to use it, I suggest going up a tier or two.

Apex Legends

Apex Legends is a battle royale game released in February 2019. Though it’s another game built on the Source engine, it isn’t similar to Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2 because the engine of Apex Legends is a fork of the original Source engine from around the time Portal 2 came out. I’d argue that Apex Legends is really pushing the original Source engine to its limits, so I’m interested to see how well it performs on lower-tier systems. Without further ado, let’s check out the recommendations:

Team Fortress 2

Last time, I said that it’s “nearly impossible to get good data on how well current GPUs run this game.” And you know what? That still holds true today, thanks to the age of the game. Team Fortress 2 has been running for around 15 years, and still has popularity and longevity. Which makes perfect sense to me; it’s a great game! My only question is about how well-supported current-generation graphics cards are, comparatively. So, with some interpolation of available data, here are the choices I’ve made:

Call of Duty

So, this part encompasses Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, Modern Warfare II, and Warzone. Having both solid single-player campaigns and a “multiplayer combat arena with battle royales, resurgence and DMZ” this game, whose earliest member came out in 2022, does require a powerful system to get the most out of it. I definitely recommend using upscaling tech like DLSS or FSR if the visual artifacts don’t bother you.

The Finals

A really recent entry, The Finals is a new shooter game that’s just been released. As in, I was typing this section the day The Finals was released (in open beta) so there’s not a huge amount of information available yet. To further exacerbate this situation, the system requirements on Steam all say TBD. Lovely. But that doesn’t mean there’s zero info, and we can extrapolate data from similar games and similar engines as well. Anyway, this game is much more arcade-like, and has some really solid destruction physics. Keep in mind though that at present this is in beta, so stability and optimisation isn’t the best yet (and may not be the devs’ current priority).

Conclusion:

Something that surprised me was that for the most part, 4k60 required the same tier as 1440p120, or sometimes even the tier below. Personally, I prefer 1440p120 over 4k60—but for slower, single-player games it’s worth knowing. Nonetheless, whether you are chasing the thrill of multiplayer games like The Finals or Apex Legends, or getting immersed in the narrative of Baldur’s Gate 3, getting the right hardware is instrumental to a good experience.

It’s not just enough to look at the average frame rates, but the minimum you’ll get as well. You want to ensure the experience stays smooth, which is what my analysis has done here. It is fantastic that most of these games don’t require powerful hardware. You can get a fully enjoyable experience at 1080p60 with a fairly budget-oriented system. So, even though games continue to evolve and push new heights with new releases and updated versions, you can still be assured that your old favourites will be hanging around for years to come, and that you’ll have the system to run them.

Sources

• Gamers Nexus – Coronavirus Hits PC Hardware Manufacturing Hard: Z490, AM4, & Computex
• HowManyFPS – FPS Calculator for Hardware, PCs, and Laptops
• PC Gamer – Larian’s boss worried Baldur’s Gate 3 had peaked in early access, so its massive 800K concurrent player launch was ‘way, way beyond’ expectations
• PCGamesN – The Finals system requirements
• RockPaperShotgun – Baldur’s Gate 3 system requirements, PC performance, and best settings to use
• Steam – Call of Duty Store Page
• SteamCharts – Top Games List
• TechPowerUp – Counter-Strike 2 Performance Benchmark Review – 40 GPUs Tested