Review Required: ShellShock Live linked to crypto mining claims are under scrutiny.
Review Required: ShellShock Live linked to crypto mining claims are under scrutiny.
Hello everyone, I’d like to test this out fairly and see if anyone in the group can assist with getting ShellShock Live (ShellShock 2) for alleged crypto mining. The original Steam link is provided. All claims are being made *presumably*, and I aim to give both the accuser and the developer a balanced perspective. https://steamcommunity.com/app/326460/di...759/?ctp=1 My observations are personal, and I’ve responded to the Steam thread, but I’d appreciate input from others. Since I’m alone, it might just be an unusual observation on one review I’ve seen. TY. Here’s what I shared in my reply:
Now this is something that catches my eye. Not claiming it’s conclusive… but on Windows 11, checking Task Manager “Users” view, make sure the GPU column is selected, and I’m running in windowed mode. The game uses 61% of the GPU power. I’m using an AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX. That’s a staggering 61% at this resolution.
Also, in Windows 11, if you’re using a widescreen monitor, I’m seeing around 1080P. What stands out is that my setup matches the stats: same resolution, same GPU model.
What’s odd is how much performance drops when I switch to Intel or other AMD GPUs. In another game I played, RogueKiller or Spybot didn’t flag ShellShock, but it’s possible to code a program to mimic such behavior. I’m curious—what do others notice about GPU usage with different cards? Would you mind sharing your experiences?
In my testing, running ShellShock in windowed mode on an Ultrawide setup made the arena during battles look much less clear, and I noticed the game struggled to display the top 1/3 of the map. This is unusual given how long the game has been available.
For anyone curious, I’m also trying TimberBorn, another early access title that likely suffers from heavy optimization. It only uses about 1.9% GPU during idle in main menu.
My specs: AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D, 16-core processor, 64GB RAM, ROG STRIX X670E gaming rig. Thanks for considering a fair review—just don’t let accusations lead to conflict. -POW.
some titles employ a 3D rendering system in their primary interface, and the GPU utilization rate shown in the task manager isn't very useful since it doesn't factor in clock speed. if your graphics card is only operating at 30% speed, the manager might display 60% load, even though you're actually at just 20%. regarding the timberborn case... that game stands out as a strong example of optimization. it looks impressive and runs very well. this is essentially one argument from someone with a personal stake—perhaps a former colleague or rival—who may be attempting to tarnish the developer's reputation for another reason. SOOOO... what I'm saying is... if you spot a game that closely resembles this one on Steam in 2025, it’s likely the person who made that comment. It’s a big red flag, and there’s at least one opposing viewpoint in the discussion thread. This kind of claim feels more like a personal vendetta than a factual report. I’d advise exercising caution if you’re considering this story. EDIT: sidenote, I only came across this while organizing tabs; the comment is from two months ago, and I haven’t found any proof to support it. While I wouldn’t wish harm on anyone, you’ve been away from the forum for five years, so returning with such a clear case feels premature. The original Steam thread has since deteriorated into a lot of confusion, making this even more questionable. This should be documented in history, and if fairness matters, please revise your post to clearly state there’s no evidence at all, so confusion can be resolved here.]
I received a quite assertive response that wouldn’t help anyone, especially since my recent month was a mess and doesn’t concern anyone. In my view, I made it clear what I needed and asked for a closer look. I don’t understand any confusion—I ran a simple test and noticed something unusual that hasn’t appeared in many other games or discussions. I haven’t even seen others test as basic as mine in that forum. I believed joining here was the right move, but maybe I was mistaken. I didn’t interrupt an ongoing chat that the developers never addressed on the site. There are many examples where tech communities revisit old topics years later, and some issues are clearly proven while others remain unproven. Anyway, I think this is just fueling more personal attacks instead of a genuine review, so goodbye.
but the testing approach has issues, and many games exhibit this pattern (some do, others don’t). for instance, opening Google Chrome might trigger this behavior on certain systems. beyond that, there’s no solid reason to accept the claim, since the person making it hasn’t provided any proof—other than mentioning a flawed tool they used to supposedly spot malware, without sharing any screenshots. in reality, I think the absence of evidence in the original post and the lack of any follow-up from them are all the proof needed. this was clearly a short-sighted move to stir up controversy. additionally, several contributors in the original discussion have more knowledge about the game than we do—including someone who was banned for creating their own cheats by modifying the game code, making them likely very familiar with the mechanics—and they all agree there’s nothing suspicious. again, this isn’t new; it happened two months ago and conclusions were reached then. there’s no point revisiting it now if nothing has changed. and honestly, I won’t waste money on a game just to check these claims for myself—that’s essentially a self-serving stance. EDIT: regarding the broader pattern of this behavior across games... I’ve even noticed an app causing CPU speed to spike unexpectedly, which actually led to lower idle usage in the task manager—something that doesn’t support the narrative.
It seems extremely optimized for mining, as if it were focused on maximizing output, it would run the GPU at full capacity rather than the recommended 61%.