Harvey Randall
Harvey's history with games started when he first begged his parents for a World of Warcraft subscription aged 12, though he's since been cursed with Final Fantasy 14-brain and a huge crush on G'raha Tia. He made his start as a freelancer, writing for websites like Techradar, The Escapist, Dicebreaker, The Gamer, Into the Spine—and of course, PC Gamer. He'll sink his teeth into anything that looks interesting, though he has a soft spot for RPGs, soulslikes, roguelikes, deckbuilders, MMOs, and weird indie titles. He also plays a shelf load of TTRPGs in his offline time. Don't ask him what his favourite system is, he has too many.
Latest articles by Harvey Randall
![Pictomancer in Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail](https://cdn.statically.io/img/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/LjygDAmdrK4LTrizKQyQBX-320-80.jpg)
Final Fantasy 14's director confirms that no, Pictomancers weren't meant to manually remove their own buffs for a 1% DPS increase—outlines other job changes for patch 7.01 of Dawntrail
By Harvey Randall published
News "My apologies for any confusion this may have caused."
![Elden Ring screenshot - man with torch standing near giant ants and a pile of gooey dead bodies](https://cdn.statically.io/img/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/HcdeuK4vXDZKraTt2tqGY6-320-80.jpg)
After playing last year's soulslikes, Shadow of the Erdtree reminded me that no one knows how to use ambushes like FromSoftware
By Harvey Randall published
OUTTA NOWHERE Difficulty's got nothing to do with it.
![Krile, a member of the Students of Baldesion in FF14, considers a wax-sealed invitation in Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/KjQyjuD7Jhvrno8yPsmKf4-320-80.png)
The father of Final Fantasy loves FF14 so much, fellow devs at his studio have had to log on sometimes to say 'hey, the meeting's started'
By Harvey Randall published
News "On a rare occasion—I want to stress 'rare occasion'."
![Volo the bard telling a story in Baldur's Gate 3.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/eV3u2va43JidkdLS76ZXUX-320-80.jpg)
Go farruk yourself: creator of the D&D setting used for Baldur's Gate 3 teaches us how to cuss
By Harvey Randall published
News Ua tah phind thlah ea Lolth!
![Gale from Baldur's Gate 3 under a veil of moonlight, looking very sad.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/qAhX8fRdqX5a3iRphQ2cJ-320-80.png)
D&D's lead rules designer admits he changed some spells because of how 'painful' and 'excruciating to cast' they were in Baldur's Gate 3
By Harvey Randall published
News "I thought: 'we are going to redesign Produce Flame.'"
![helldivers 2](https://cdn.statically.io/img/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/CJY6BBevgv9LDKcwdtqZEX-320-80.png)
Helldivers 2's latest major order has everyone so curious about a mysterious interplanetary battle station, 4/5ths of all online players are handling it as I write this headline
By Harvey Randall published
News X-45 gonna give battle stations to ya.
![Alisaie, a headstrong ally in Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail, looks skeptically while standing in the middle of a beautiful blue forest.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/wPqxSB2RqQ74tSh4hxae6S-320-80.png)
Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail players warn side-questers: don't solve these riddles for an NPC that blabs a big spoiler right before it happens
By Harvey Randall published
News Riddle me this: What's green, blue, and spoils you?
![Adventurers from D&D's revised ruleset Player's Handbook do battle with kobolds, swords drawn, spells flying, dungeons? Dragon'd.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/neigNTpGV7TYP4LLrJuq9A-320-80.png)
Oh for goodness' sake—D&D has early access periods and pre-order bonuses now, like a 3D model of a dragon for a virtual tabletop that doesn't exist yet
By Harvey Randall published
News The worst habits of videogame storefronts are making their way to pen and paper.
![Elden Ring character Let Me Solo her stands in Malenia's boss room after climactic battle.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/qvVDFkoYxeiDiKZM7DdbzT-320-80.jpg)
I pitied Shadow of the Erdtree's future 'Let Me Solo Her' champion, but seeing how the Elden Ring community's handled business, I'm not so worried anymore
By Harvey Randall published
FRET NOT The kids are alright.
![World of Warcraft: Dragonflight Alexstrasza](https://cdn.statically.io/img/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YwYc4ExLm3HV255C97LaEc-320-80.jpg)
This WoW player who clicks their skills is probably better than you—hunter Durendil solos yet another raid boss armed with a spreadsheet and raw grit
By Harvey Randall published
News Clicking into place.
![DrDecomposing yelps in joy as he finally conquers Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree's final boss with nothing but a saxophone.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/4Kd8mbpxPZEymB8v8X2Fg8-320-80.png)
Elden Ring maestro plays a saxophone to style on Shadow of the Erdtree's final boss, wins battle of the bands in 'a dozen attempts'
By Harvey Randall published
News Let me (jazz) solo her.
![Man screaming in Helldivers 2 intro cinematic](https://cdn.statically.io/img/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/GCLefSMVZeFyCK9nbSogzQ-320-80.jpg)
'Is this supposed to be rigged?' Helldivers 2 players fatigued as bugs leapfrog across supply lines like a bunch of dirty cheaters
By Harvey Randall published
News Bugging them something fierce.
![Erenville, a side character in Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail, stands proudly on a ship with the sea breeze in his hair.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/JZXh8w3ZTJ9gNJ9Pa5M2sS-320-80.png)
Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail rises to a mixed reception in its opening weekend, though I don't think the sky's falling just yet
By Harvey Randall published
BACK TO BASICS Slow and steady.
![A hopeful adventurer looks to the horizon in Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail, while the spectre of a leather mask looms salaciously in the sky beyond.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cvpSyBa72wp7Xvvg2NqYDK-320-80.png)
Dawntrail's opening hour made my heart so full, which is almost enough to distract me from these mysterious gimp suits
By Harvey Randall published
News Hey, uh, Square? How are these story-relevant? Square?
![Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree](https://cdn.statically.io/img/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/TZ894fTiuuiZQhbYUbdPqg-320-80.png)
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree player does an 'all-hit' run of the DLC's final boss, refusing to dodge, block, parry, or even heal until the job is done
By Harvey Randall published
News "Boss mechanics? I think you mean 'boss suggestions'."
![Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League screenshot of Deadshot](https://cdn.statically.io/img/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hqjqUyWeXQ5MyQQbLQQgF7-320-80.jpg)
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League's Steam numbers have dwindled into the low hundreds, placing it side-by-side with Gotham Knights
By Harvey Randall published
News No more anti-heroes.
![A hyur in Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail looks amazed, standing in a gorgeous forest city-scape.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/WFAMBuojtBXCKEK4mG8xqj-320-80.png)
Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail's 7.0 graphics update really is a game-changer—breathing life, colour, and atmosphere into the 11-year old MMO
By Harvey Randall published
News Seeing it, believing it, hearing, feeling, and thinking it.
![A wielder of a Lightning Perfume bottle in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree charges up for a vicious attack.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cNDkKMFriMCnZz89NLSmdT-320-80.png)
The deadliest weapon in Shadow of the Erdtree is a bottle of perfume that can evaporate the DLC's final boss in 13 seconds, thanks to hitbox buffoonery
By Harvey Randall published
News Lightning, in a bottle.
![The director of "Turalism" in Final Fantasy 14, as played by Rhys Darby, stands proudly in front of a beautiful open sky.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/EhjkeZUiAQ2nxUeF87ZsGa-320-80.png)
Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail gets its own in-universe tourism website, complete with activity recs, recipes, and small-print about dying horribly
By Harvey Randall published
News "All visitors must acknowledge that death can technically be considered a once-in-a-lifetime experience."
![Messmer from Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree looks at his hand, pained, garbed in a flowing red robe.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/AjVNYSghTyVW3u2VRWGFqV-320-80.png)
FromSoftware all but gets on its knees and begs Shadow of the Erdtree players to take their Scadutree supplements, posts a map to one on Steam
By Harvey Randall published
News Take your dang medicine.
![Gwyn, the regal Lord of Cinder, stands proudly with his knights in front of a roiling flame.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/98y3aFrVGyEnU8hxtbBycN-320-80.png)
I've just been put to shame: Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree player parries its final boss into the dirt like they're Gwyn, Lord of Chumps
By Harvey Randall published
News Ah, damnit.
![A knight rides the saddle of their trusty steed Torrent in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, looking over miraculous ruins.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/GeQoWMyVqc5uK7x7gpR7Ge-320-80.png)
Shadow of the Erdtree's dense, dungeon-heavy map made me wish again (in spite of its upsides) that Elden Ring didn't go open world
By Harvey Randall published
TARNISHED PERSPECTIVE Back in my day, "legacy dungeons" were the whole package, grumble grumble.
![New games 2023 — a dagger-wielding adventurer faces off against a minotaur in Baldur's Gate 3](https://cdn.statically.io/img/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/tHzUeaSTNgsFZdAqRMKHST-320-80.jpg)
This Baldur's Gate 3 mod turns the game into a chaotic roguelike, which is great if you just want to slay some monsters like you're in an old school D&D campaign
By Harvey Randall published
News Roll for initiative, again and again.