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Our group supervisor, Stevie Ward, has been going by way of her assortment of PC Gamer’s print version and requested what everybody thought was the journal’s greatest cowl of all time. “I’ve to say, it really tends to be video games I do not play”, Stevie stated. She helpfully linked to a gallery of current points (opens in new tab), and you can too have a look at our candy subscriber covers on Twitter (opens in new tab), which current a guff-less model of the journal, gentle on textual content.
What’s your favourite PC Gamer journal cowl?
Listed here are our solutions, plus some from our discussion board.
Evan Lahti, World Editor-in-Chief: I haven’t got a lot affection for Duke, however the “Come Get Some!” November ’97 difficulty is the one I most intently affiliate with my time as a PC Gamer reader, although it featured an notorious recreation: Duke Nukem Perpetually. I really like the splashy characteristic opener within the picture under. I nonetheless keep in mind particular person boxouts and advertisements from this difficulty, just like the absurdly text-heavy “The best way to a person’s coronary heart is thru his sternum (opens in new tab)” advert for Half-Life that has completely nothing to do with the sport.
This was a second in PC Gamer’s historical past when our web page rely was at its peak (a bricklike 448 pages on this case), and the problem stays a time capsule from an fascinating second in PC gaming historical past—post-Doom, post-Quake, however pre-EverQuest and Unreal Match, a second when everybody was excited by the chances of on-line gaming, but additionally a time when these imaginations have been outpacing what was playable.
Robin Valentine, Print Editor: Not solely am I going to choose certainly one of my very own covers, I will cheat and select a split-run. We put collectively the ‘Escape Your World’ difficulty at some extent the place lockdown was actually sporting us all down. I needed to make a difficulty that mirrored that feeling, however in a optimistic manner—at a time once you could not discover or journey in the true world, we embraced the escapism inherent to video games.
It took a variety of work to discover a strategy to visualise that. Normally we might at all times attempt to keep away from a design that did not have a robust central character, however on this case I actually needed the panorama itself to be the main focus—superb digital horizons stretching out earlier than you. And simply to make our lives as tough as doable, we additionally determined it needed to be a break up run, displaying off these 4 completely different worlds.
Large credit score to my artwork editor John Strike for his design work on these—seeing them once more now they really feel like a little bit of a magic trick, to me. It is beautiful to have the ability to look again on one thing from that fairly depressing level of the pandemic and really feel happy with what we made occur.
Now, if the remainder of you do not select points I edited too, I am by no means going to speak to you ever once more.
Jacob Ridley, Senior {Hardware} Editor: Flicking again by way of the library of previous PC Gamer covers brings again so many recollections of studying gaming mags within the faculty yard whereas I used to be slightly child, pondering sooner or later I would be so fortunate to play video games for work.
That stated, I am really going to have to choose the December 2020 difficulty (#350) as my favorite. That was my first cowl story; I even have it framed hanging on the wall in my home. I feel youthful me could be fairly happy with that.
Mollie Taylor, Information Author: I’ve a little bit of a gentle spot for the Might 2021 difficulty, because it’s the primary difficulty the place I bought to put in writing one thing! It additionally occurs to be the problem that has Genshin Impression on the duvet, fairly probably one of many least PC Gamer covers I’ve ever seen. As an anime and Genshin Impression lover although, it is very Mollie.
The group is at all times harping on in regards to the Planet Zoo cowl as properly, which I am positive will find yourself making an look in somebody’s reply. It is rather cool, one other one which feels rather less on-brand. Any covers that subvert the stereotypical PC Gamer aesthetic I am completely right here for.
Phil Savage, Editor-in-Chief, UK: Concern 310 was my first full difficulty as journal editor—my first difficulty deciding the sport that may grace the duvet. I needed to make use of the journal as a automobile to have a good time the breadth of the PC as a platform, and so I made a decision to take an opportunity. My first cowl recreation was going to be a mod.
The factor about mods is they do not essentially have slick idea artwork to make use of. Fortunately, Black Mesa was a remake of Half-Life, a recreation with a few of the most recognisable iconography in PC gaming. John Strike, our artwork editor and the key hero of PC Gamer journal, created the fantastically textured background, and we spent slightly further to pay for a fluorescent Pantone for the lambda image. Nearly as good because it appears to be like on display screen, the bodily copy is a lot extra vibrant.
We paired the Black Mesa characteristic with an enormous, multi-part retrospective on Half-Life 2—celebrating the truth that the problem got here out throughout the tenth anniversary of Episode 2. The entire thing got here collectively brilliantly, each artistically and conceptually. It stays the most effective points I’ve labored on.
Ted Litchfield, Affiliate Editor: I will should go together with the Sport Gods, November 2000, although possibly not for the cowl itself, however what it represents. I used to be about 5 years outdated when this difficulty got here out, and I am undecided if it ever handed by way of my fingers through my older brother. It crops up on Twitter right here and there and I at all times smile after I see it.
That is such a beautiful piece of turn-of-the-millennium enjoyable, from the outfits on show to the titular “Sport Gods” themselves and the tasks they labored on. Alice, Daikatana, Sigma, and Unreal Match are such an ideal sampling of gaming 22 years in the past, not essentially when it comes to high quality in Daikatana’s case, but it surely undoubtedly brings the vibes. The duvet as an entire represents a time in PC gaming I by no means really skilled for myself, but largely informs my style to today.
Morgan Park, Workers Author: I wasn’t a lot of {a magazine} reader rising up, however I knew I would discover a winner if I seemed for magazines older than me. My vote is March 1995, difficulty 16.
It is exhausting to beat a canopy that enthusiastically tells readers to “GET HIGH!” earlier than introducing a assessment for a flight sim. The crimson airplane towards the blue sea is putting and nearly distracts from the awkward “It is showtime” textual content over a wavy American flag. To not point out the banger of a demo disc included right here: an early slice of Full Throttle and Mortal Kombat 2? Sick.
Andy Chalk, NA Information Lead: I’ve to go together with difficulty 186 of PC Gamer’s US version, April 2009, that includes FEAR 2: Undertaking Origin, and extra to the purpose a big, stark picture of an oddly enticing (and fully unclothed) Alma. This isn’t in any respect what you’d name an correct illustration of the character, and but any person determined that the factor to do could be to take this insane, murderous, completely terrifying lady—an embodiment of supernatural horror, actually—and make her sizzling. Actually sizzling. And likewise bare. After which use traces like “Alma desires you (to die)” and “All the pieces is uncovered in our ultimate verdict!”
I imply, what have been they pondering right here? FEAR 2 is a really completely different form of shooter than its predecessor (and never practically in the identical league) however there’s completely nothing about it that makes me suppose, “Yeah child, it is horny Alma time!” It is such a weird selection, I can not assist however discover it intriguing. Or possibly baffling is a greater phrase for it. Both manner, that is a hell of a canopy.
Oh, and by the best way, Metacritic says we “uncovered” FEAR 2 as a 72% shooter: “FEAR 2 fails to innovate, which might make it merely a good however forgettable shooter if not for some good scares.” I would say that is just about spot-on.
Stevie Ward, Group Supervisor: It is wonderful how the covers actually do seize a time in gaming… going again into the archive and I can actually really feel the way it felt typically, a few of them simply kickstart a bunch of recollections of occasions and releases round that point.
It is like… outdated household photographs however for players… does that make sense?
I am additionally biased however as a result of I used to be the group supervisor for this, it at all times offers me the feels:
mainer: I envy you that you just nonetheless have room to maintain your PCG Journal assortment. Again within the ’90s I used to save lots of all my month-to-month copies (they usually had many extra pages again them), in addition to these of Pc Gaming World & Pc Video games & Technique Plus. However I ultimately ran out of room to retailer them, someplace within the center 2010’s (I feel). So, I took all of them to my native Salvation Military Retailer (they really took them again then). I nonetheless want I had them.
I can not keep in mind any of the photographs, however from those in your hyperlink (opens in new tab), it must be the June 2011 difficulty, with Commander Shepard on the duvet for Mass Impact 3. I’ve spent actually a whole bunch of hours within the ME video games through the years, and I used to be so excited for ME3. There have been a variety of PCG articles after that due to the controversial ending, but it surely was nonetheless an incredible recreation.
Frindis: I bought some prints water-sealed and saved in a secure safe location to make use of slightly James Pond jargon. Diablo 2, Quake, and System Shock 2 are a few of my favourite editions. Why? Properly, not juuust due to the video games, however as a result of they have been a couple of of the magazines I used to learn at any time when I took a practice from my hometown to the capital of Norway: Oslo. The trip took about two hours or so, so I simply had sufficient time to learn by way of the entire journal, to not point out the return ticket to get enthusiastic about enjoying the demo discs.
Volley: It was the June 1996 Cowl that bought me my first PC gamer journal buy, nonetheless my favourite.
Mknott: That is actually the identical or at the very least similar to one I used to be pondering of, I performed a lot X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter again within the day and was enjoying Jedi Knight a couple of weeks again multiplayer in 2022.
Brian Boru: Essentially the most iconic of these is undoubtedly 2011-09.
The remainder are largely forgettable in a mass of comparable covers on any newsagent journal racks. I assume there are a great deal of gross sales knowledge to assist cramming as a lot ‘content material’ as doable onto a canopy, cos that appears to be the overwhelming design selection throughout all types of mags.
Honorable mentions: 2011-03 Complete Struggle Shogun 2, 2017-11 Half Life, 2013-09 The Indie difficulty, 2018-10 Metro Exodus, 2012-12 The Way forward for Minecraft, 2018-05 Jurassic World.
theMediaman: As a ’90s gamer, I am a fan of the early points.
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