I subscribed to Linus Tech Tips and I have mixed feelings. The videos are interesting and entertaining but I struggle to full trust him. He does come off really honest but when every second sentence is a mention of a sponsor I get the feeling that certain conclusions aren't really that honest.

^Well, as long as those sponsored ads aren't for competing products of the one reviewed...

Anyone here fancies a new monitor? If so, I have news for you:

**NEW CONTEST**

The folks at bit-tech.net have a competition for UK and EU only residents and the price is a Iiyama ProLite XUB3493WQSU-B1 monitor.

https://www.bit-tech.net/competitions/tech/eu-competition-win-a-34-ultrawide-iiyama-freesync-monitor/1/

I'd wish you good luck but, since there's only one price and I'm taking part on it, I won't .

The news. Today there aren't many news, so they're all in one post (Yay! Less work for me):

SALES & DEALS

GOG has two new, and unexpected, sales:

• To celebrate that they've launched The Witcher 3 on Switch, CD Projekt has decided to put the series on sale, up to 85% off for the next 3 days: https://www.gog.com/promo/20191015_promo_launch_switcher
• And Bethesda has also decided to put its games on sale, they're all 50% off for the next 4 days: https://www.gog.com/promo/20191017_bethesda_publisher_sale

Steam has two new sales:

• The daily deal is Circle Empires, 40% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/834740/Circle_Empires/
• And Beat Hazard 2 is 20% off for the next 6 days: https://store.steampowered.com/app/618740/Beat_Hazard_2/

On the Humble Store, the new Spotlight Deal is SYNTHETIK: Legion Rising, 60% off for the next 3 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/synthetik-legion-rising

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

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MODS/EMULATORS

This mod for Skyrim Special Edition overhauls its magic system, adds more than 200 new spells
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/this-mod-for-skyrim-special-edition-overhauls-its-magic-system-adds-more-than-200-new-spells/
Simon Magus has released a brand new version of his magic overhaul mod for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition, Mysticism. Mysticism is a comprehensive magic overhaul that adds over 200 meticulously balanced spells to the game.
These spells are designed to feel like they belong in the world of Skyrim, both mechanically and aesthetically. Therefore, players can purchase them from vendors, loot them from dungeons, or find them in specific locations around the world. Many of these spells reintroduce magical archetypes from previous games, or expand on new magical archetypes introduced in Skyrim (such as Sun magic and Ash magic).
(...)
Since its initial release, the modder has been constantly improving this mod. Its latest version tweaks the level of the following spells in the character menu: Dismiss, Conjurer’s Cure, Dark Deal. Furthermore, fixes an issue where the Dremora Warrior wouldn’t use his shield. It also fixes the casting time on Bound Battleaxe to be more consistent.
>> Available from Nexus Mods:

GAMING NEWS

World of Tanks DX11 RayTracing Demo is now available for download
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/world-of-tanks-dx11-raytracing-demo-is-now-available-for-download/
Yesterday, we reported on the new Ray Tracing effects tat World of Tanks will be getting. And today, we are happy to report that a new demo for World of Tanks is currently available. This new demo features these DirectX 11 Ray Tracing effects that players can experience themselves on their systems.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey Update 1.5.1 releases tomorrow, packs PC-specific fixes, full patch notes
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/assassins-creed-odyssey-update-1-5-1-releases-tomorrow-packs-pc-specific-fixes-full-patch-notes/
Ubisoft has announced that update 1.5.1 for Assassin’s Creed Odyssey will release tomorrow. This patch is 400MB in size and addresses a number of bugs/issues. Moreover, it comes with some PC-specific tweaks/fixes.
>> Today, it will launch/has launched today.

Sea of Thieves October 2019 update available for download, adds new fortress and banjos
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/sea-of-thieves-october-2019-update-available-for-download-adds-new-fortress-and-banjos/
Microsoft and Rare have released the free October update to Sea of Thieves. Fort of the Damned encourages you to seek out a fearsome fortress and take on the most exciting Skeleton Fort challenge yet to earn huge rewards including a guaranteed Chest of Legends.

Anthem Update 1.5.0 available for download, brings New Season of Skulls Freeplay events, full patch notes
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/anthem-update-1-5-0-available-for-download-brings-new-season-of-skulls-freeplay-events-full-patch-notes/
Bioware has released a brand new update for Anthem. According to the release notes, update 1.5.0 fixes various crashes for stabilization, and improves aim assist. Moreover, javelins now automatically go into hover mode instead of crashing to the ground when flying into obstacles.

Here are over 50 minutes of gameplay footage from the Warcraft 3 Remake, Warcraft III Reforged
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/here-are-over-50-minutes-of-gameplay-footage-from-the-warcraft-3-remake-warcraft-iii-reforged/
YouTube’s ‘Book of Flames’ has shared three videos, showing over 50 minutes of gameplay footage from the upcoming Warcraft 3 remake, Warcraft III Reforged. These videos showcase the game on Ultra settings at 1080p. As such, I strongly suggest watching them, especially if you are interested in this upcoming strategy game.

Devolver wants the Steam vs. Epic conversation to be 'reset'
https://www.pcgamer.com/devolver-wants-the-steam-vs-epic-conversation-to-be-reset/
Speaking to Gamespot, Devolver Digital co-founder Graeme Struthers called for that conversation to be "reset," saying that it "never really took place properly in my opinion." He defended the impact that Steam has had on the business since it went live in 2003, including that it enabled publishers to be paid accurately and on time every month, which was sometimes a struggle with other publishers. And while Steam's 70/30 revenue split might seem out of wack now (Epic offers 88/12), Struthers said it was "transformative" at the time.

Blizzard is working on a fix for Ashe's new Halloween skin in Overwatch
https://www.pcgamer.com/blizzard-is-working-on-a-fix-for-ashes-new-halloween-skin-in-overwatch/
Overwatch players always have exciting new skins to look forward to around Halloween, but this year's set has a problem. Ashe's new skin, which gives her a wicked-looking Warlock makeover, also changes her weapon sights, and players have found they're much less usable now. Fortunately, Blizzard has heard their cries, and a fix is on the way.

Farming Simulator 19 Platinum expansion trailer promises we can 'farm like never before'
https://www.pcgamer.com/farming-simulator-19-platinum-expansion-trailer-promises-we-can-farm-like-never-before/
"Farm like never before," the new Farming Simulator 19 proclaims, and it's hard not to get into the mood thanks to a groovy rock track. That's right, Farming Simulator 19's Platinum expansion is right around the corner, and Focus Home Interactive is building the hype by announcing a new equipment manufacturer, Claas.

Sea Salt is out now, allowing you to become a horrible eldritch ocean god
https://www.pcgamer.com/sea-salt-is-out-now-allowing-you-to-become-a-horrible-eldritch-ocean-god/
There are quite a few games based on H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos, but not many that let you play as his baddies. That's a shame, since the baddies in Lovecraft are extremely bad, so much so that even learning too much about them is enough to drive his nervous protagonists over the deep end. Sea Salt, however, casts you as Dagon, the elder god of the sea, giving you the opportunity to wreak havoc on coastal villages to your cold, black heart's content.

Red Dead Redemption 2's first PC trailer shows the beauty of the open country
https://www.pcgamer.com/red-dead-redemption-2-pc-trailer/
As you might have heard, Red Dead Redemption 2 is heading to PC. But what, exactly, will the PC version look like? Rockstar has answered that question in the form of a minute long montage—available in 4K, at 60fps—of beautiful countryside set to protagonist Arthur Morgan's gruff, scattered musings about freedom and civilisation and, y'know, cowboy stuff.

Now you can play Westwood's classic Blade Runner on modern PCs
https://www.pcgamer.com/now-you-can-play-westwoods-classic-blade-runner-on-modern-pcs/
Westwood, the studio behind the original Command & Conquer and Dune games, took a break from real-time strategy in 1997 and released Blade Runner, a point and click adventure game that bucked convention and became one of the most memorable games of the genre. Now, thanks to the ScummVM development community, you can finally play it again easily on modern PCs.
As Eurogamer reports, Westwood lost the source code for Blade Runner during a studio move, which made a modern port of the game impossible. And with Westwood now long since shuttered, it's fallen to the community behind ScummVM to backwards-engineer some of the classic games of the '90s to get them working on modern hardware.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order's stormtroopers have names, but they're apparently a big secret
https://www.pcgamer.com/star-wars-jedi-fallen-orders-stormtroopers-have-names-but-theyre-apparently-a-big-secret/
There's a mystery in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order: the buried history of the fallen Jedi, which you uncover in ruins as travel from planet to planet. There's also another mystery that I discovered while interviewing Fallen Order developers Jeff Magers and Aaron Contreras: the Stormtroopers have names, but I'm not allowed to know what they are.

I wonder if Vampire 2 is running away from TLoU2 / Cyberpunk 2077 / FFVII, instead of merely finding a late roadblock on the development cycle.

I doubt we'll ever know.

Just like how a year ago lots of games got delayed, to avoid facing RDR 2 on consoles.

Could be a mix of both. I mean, I'd want to distance myself from the big hitters for that reason alone.

Linus won't hold back on criticizing a product, even if it's a product sponsor. - In saying that, he doesn't get everything right, but that goes for any outlet/reviewer, always good to get multiple opinions.



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Digital Foundry had a look at StarCitizen, one of the big PC exclusives coming in the next few years.
They were impressed on it's Technical achievements and even stated it's a "Next Gen game that is playable today."



Yay. PC.

What they're trying to achieve with SC is remarkable and insanely ambitious. I really hope they succeed in reaching that vision.

It's finally Friday! That means that these are the last news of the week:

SALES & DEALS

My Friend Pedro sells almost 500,000 copies, now has more modes
https://www.pcgamer.com/my-friend-pedro-sells-almost-500000-copies-now-has-more-modes/
"Aw, that's cute" is not something I thought I'd say about My Friend Pedro but here we are. The slow-motion murder platformer extravaganza now has a 'tiny player mode' and it's properly adorable. This comes as part of the Code Yellow update, which adds 14 modifiers to the skateboard shoot-a-thon including cinematic camera mode, big head mode, adjustable focus speed, and adjustable player speed. There's also an option to hide the HUD and a timer for speedrunners.
According to publisher Devolver Digital's blog post announcing Code Yellow "nearly half a million folks" have bought My Friend Pedro. I can see why—it's a hyper replayable score-attack kill-em-up with a goofy theme, and I had a blast playing it.

Observer and Alan Wake American Nightmare are available for free on Epic Games Store
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/observer-and-alan-wake-american-nightmare-are-available-for-free-on-epic-games-store/
Epic Games has announced that Observer and Alan Wake American Nightmare are now available for free on its store. From today and until October 24th, PC gamers can acquire their free copies for these two titles.
>> Next week it will be Layer of Fear and Qube.

Crusader Kings 2 is free on Steam amid big Paradox sale
https://www.pcgamer.com/crusader-kings-2-is-free-on-steam-amid-big-paradox-sale/
Paradox Interactive's convention, PDXCON, kicks off very shortly, and to celebrate the publisher is offering Crusader Kings 2 for free on Steam. It's not a limited time demo, so if you grab the game from now until (presumably) the end of PDXCON on October 20, you'll get to keep it forever.
(...)
Paradox is also holding a big sale on Steam, with recent titles like Age of Wonders: Planetfall and Imperator: Rome getting discounts of 10 percent and 33 percent respectively. The back catalogue stuff is where the really steep discounts are, though: Prison Architect, Stellaris and Europa Universalis IV are all 70 percent off, for example. Check out the full sale here.

On the Humble Store, the Deus Ex franchise is on sale, up to 85% off for the next 3 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/deus-ex-franchise-sale/

At Fanatical there are several new deals and bundles:

• The new Star Deal is the METAL SLUG PACK, containing METAL SLUG 2, 3 & X with a 90% discount for the next 48 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/metal-slug-pack
• The Learn Japanese to Survive Complete Bundle, featuring 3 games and 8 DLCs is 92% off for the next 14 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/learn-japanese-to-survive-complete-bundle
• The Cat Quest & Cat Quest II Bundle is 32% off: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/cat-quest-and-cat-quest-II-bundle
• Quest Hunter: Collector's Edition, with the game and 2 DLCs, is 37% off: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/quest-hunter-collectors-edition
• The Leisure Suit Larry Bundle is back with its 7 games, 94% off: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/leisure-suit-larry-bundle
• And the Dungeon Rushers Complete Bundle, with the game and 4 DLCs, is 96% off: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/dungeon-rushers-complete-bundle

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

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MODS/EMULATORS

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GAMING NEWS

Official PC system requirements for Need for Speed Heat revealed
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/official-pc-system-requirements-for-need-for-speed-heat-revealed/
Electronic Arts has revealed the official PC system requirements for Need for Speed Heat via its Origin store page. According to the specs, PC gamers will at least need an AMD FX-6350 or an Intel Core i5-3570 with 8GB of RAM.

Obsidian releases the official PC requirements for The Outer Worlds
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/obsidian-releases-the-official-pc-requirements-for-the-outer-worlds/
Obsidian has revealed the official PC system requirements for The Outer Worlds. According to the specs, PC gamers will at least need an Intel Core i3-3225 or an AMD Phenom II X6 1100T with 4GB of RAM.

First alpha testing for Ninja Theory’s Bleeding Edge begins on October 24th
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/first-alpha-testing-for-ninja-theorys-bleeding-edge-begins-on-october-24th/
Ninja Theory has announced that the first alpha test for Bleeding Edge will begin on October 24th. Bleeding Edge is an online 4v4 melee game that focuses on hand-to-hand combat and every character will have his/her own weapons and unique look.

Demo released for sci-fi horror first-person survival game, Shadows of Kepler
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/demo-released-for-sci-fi-horror-first-person-survival-game-shadows-of-kepler/
Infinite Hole has released a demo for its upcoming sci-fi horror first-person survival game, Shadows of Kepler. Shadows of Kepler promises to contain RPG elements to bring a unique game style in first person.
>> Get the demo from Steam, and the article links its Kickstarter campaign, if you're interested,

First gameplay trailer for Unreal Engine 4-powered medieval battle royale game, RAN: Lost Islands
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/first-gameplay-trailer-for-unreal-engine-4-powered-medieval-battle-royale-game-ran-lost-islands/
Zodiac Interactive has revealed the first gameplay trailer for its upcoming medieval battle royale game, RAN: Lost Islands. RAN: Lost Islands is an online medieval battle royale that thrusts 100 players into do or die combat and survival coming to PC later this year.

Cyberpunk 2077 will have an overhauled streaming system, will be a real show piece in terms of tech
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/cyberpunk-2077-will-have-a-overhauled-streaming-system-will-be-a-real-show-piece-in-terms-of-tech/
John Mamais, studio head at CD Projekt Red’s Krakow studio, has revealed some new tech details about Cyberpunk 2077. According to Mamais, Cyberpunk 2077 will feature an overhauled streaming system.