Carzy Zarx’s PC Gaming Emporium - Catch Up on All the Latest PC Gaming Related News

[JEMC]

The Monday news, part two:

EA survey finds majority of players want games to be more inclusive
https://www.pcgamer.com/ea-survey-finds-majority-of-players-want-games-to-be-more-inclusive/
A study made by EA's Global Consumer Insights team has found that 56 percent of 2,252 survey participants consider it important for companies to make their games more inclusive. 31 percent were "neutral" on the matter, and 13 percent said that inclusion was "not important". The survey was sent out in May last year, and targeted "decision makers in entertainment purchases" with an age range of 13-54.

Phoenix Point developer addresses Epic Games Store criticism
https://www.pcgamer.com/phoenix-point-developer-addresses-epic-games-store-criticism/
The Phoenix Point Reddit AMA was destined to be dominated by criticisms and questions about the recently announced Epic Games Store exclusivity deal. It's become par for the course for the mood to turn sour after these announcements. Julian Gollop used the opportunity to defend the decision and clarify a few misconceptions.

It's not every day a Japanese game from 1984 gets added to Steam
https://www.pcgamer.com/its-not-every-day-a-japanese-game-from-1984-gets-added-to-steam/
One of the first games I ever played as a kid was Montezuma's Revenge, an early 80s adventure platformer made for the Atari and various PCs. I spent a lot of time jumping over snakes and rolling skulls, and searching for keys to unlock color-coded doors. I'm reminded of it when I look at The Demon Crystal, a Japanese PC adventure game from around that same time. I wouldn't expect a 35-year-old game made in America to suddenly pop up for sale on Steam in 2019, much less one made half a world away, but here we are: The Demon Crystal is coming to PC on March 28. That's pretty cool!

Jump pads are appearing in Apex Legends
https://www.pcgamer.com/jump-pads-are-appearing-in-apex-legends/
The Apex Legends Battle Pass for Season 1 hasn't shown up yet, but Respawn appears to have jumped the gun with a small piece of its content. Jump pads—expected to be the ultimate ability of the new hero Octane—are starting to pop up in current games.
>> And here's how they work.

Beat Saber releases first paid DLC music pack
https://www.pcgamer.com/beat-saber-releases-first-paid-dlc-song-pack-contains-10-tracks/
Rhythm game Beat Saber, one of the best VR games around, has released its first paid DLC song pack—a collection of 10 tracks from Canadian electronic record label Monstercat.

Jump Force reveals 2019 roadmap, three DLC characters arriving May
https://www.pcgamer.com/jump-force-reveals-2019-roadmap-three-dlc-characters-coming-in-may/
Anime brawler Jump Force will get three new characters in a paid DLC in May, and another three in a second DLC pack in August, Bandai Namco has revealed.
On its 2019 update roadmap, the publisher revealed that May's DLC would add Seito Kaiba, one of the main characters from Yu-Gi-Oh!, alongside two other fighters. The DLC will also add "avatar costumes/skills". August's DLC is the same deal, but Bandai Namco didn't name any of the characters it will add.

Supergiant's RPG Pyre comes to Origin Access
https://www.pcgamer.com/supergiants-rpg-pyre-comes-to-origin-access/
Ever since EA opened the doors of Origin Access to other publishers last year, a steady stream of solid games have made their way to the service, which gives players access to a vault of more than 180 games for $30/£20 a year. The latest is Pyre, Supergiant Games' 2017 RPG-come-sports game, which is still worth playing today.

Rabbids easter egg found in Rainbow Six Siege
https://www.pcgamer.com/rabbids-easter-egg-found-in-rainbow-six-siege/
Ubisoft love to sneak references to their games into their other games. Far Cry New Dawn, to pick a recent example, contains nods to Splinter Cell, Assassin's Creed, and the rabbids who have gone from enemies in Rayman to somehow become Ubisoft's weird mascots. And now, players have found a reference to them in the new Rainbow Six Siege map as well.

Watch a new trailer for Gwent's Crimson Curse expansion
https://www.pcgamer.com/watch-a-new-trailer-for-gwents-crimson-curse-expansion/
One of the cool things about Gwent is how great its art is, especially on the premium animated cards, constantly in motion and writhing around. It's nice to see the latest trailer for its Crimson Curse expansion show off so much of this animated art, all gothic and blood-drenched. Knights charge, monsters roar, vampires wipe blood from their mouths.

Islanders is a minimal, chilled city builder out next month
https://www.pcgamer.com/islanders-is-a-minimal-chilled-city-builder-out-next-month/
If, like me, you like your city builders simple and relaxing then you should keep an eye on Islanders, which is coming to Steam on April 4.
This week's reveal trailer, above, is very charming indeed. Each building bounces as you plop it down, sending little gold hexagons flooding into your score wheel. The music is chilled and the pretty islands are compact, which should take all the stress out of planning the expansion of your city.

Dissidia Final Fantasy NT's free PC launch plagued by lag
https://www.pcgamer.com/dissidia-final-fantasy-nts-free-pc-launch-plagued-by-lag/
The release of a free-to-play Final Fantasy fighting game on PC should be cause for celebration—but it appears 3v3 brawler Dissidia Final Fantasy NT Free Edition is being plagued by online lag, which is ruining it for most players.

Stylish cyberpunk adventure Tales of the Neon Sea gets release date
https://www.pcgamer.com/stylish-cyberpunk-adventure-tales-of-the-neon-sea-gets-release-date/
Purely on the strength of its visuals, Tales of the Neon Sea is one of the games I'm most excited about for this year—its ultra-stylish cityscapes are packed with detail and, as we said in our preview of the games to watch in 2019, it looks like a 2D Cyberpunk 2077 "with a little bit of Blade Runner sleuthing thrown in". Chinese indie developer Palm Pioneer revealed its release date this week, and we don't have long to wait.

Capcom's Hideaki Itsuno wanted to resign after DmC: Devil May Cry, says Dante's voice actor (Updated)
https://www.pcgamer.com/capcoms-hideaki-itsuno-wanted-to-resign-after-dmc-devil-may-cry-according-to-dantes-voice-actor/
Hideaki Itsuno, director of the Devil May Cry series, wanted to resign from Capcom after DmC: Devil May Cry, according to the voice and motion capture actor for Dante.
Update: Capcom producer Matt Walker has claimed Hideaki Itsuno's desire to leave the studio after DmC: Devil May Cry had "nothing to do" with the game itself.
>> And DMC V's free Bloody Palace mode arrives on April 1st.

Gearbox tease another game, maybe involving Penn & Teller?
https://www.pcgamer.com/gearbox-tease-another-game-maybe-involving-penn-and-teller/
Gearbox has been tweeting a series cryptic images in the build-up to Pax East, leading to a lot of speculation about what games they'll be announcing. Signs point to Borderlands 3 for the first one of course, and the follow-up image could be from a sequel to We Happy Few? Maybe? That was followed by a pixelated screenshot of Maya from Borderlands 2, which might point at a Switch port, and the fourth image is something completely different: An ampersand. Specifically a red ampersand on a black background that looks suspiciously like part of the Penn & Teller logo.

Here's ten minutes worth of footage from Pathway, a tactical tomb-raiding adventure
https://www.pcgamer.com/heres-ten-minutes-worth-of-footage-from-pathway-a-tactical-tomb-raiding-adventure/
Pathway looks very cool: think Indiana Jones as a turn-based RPG, with an art style heavily reminiscent of recent favorite Wargroove. Jody interviewed its creators last year and I've been keeping an eye out for it since – it definitely boasts some of the best 16-bit inspired pixel art I've seen in recent times.

The Division 2 datamine digs up details on the first raid
https://www.pcgamer.com/the-division-2-datamine-digs-up-the-first-raid/
If you've had an especially fruitful weekend in The Division 2's post-apocalyptic capital, you're probably on the look out for some fresh challenges in the endgame. There's quite a bit to do once you hit level 30, as Samuel points out in his The Division 2 review-in-progress, but you'll need a wait a bit longer for the first raid, Dark Hours. A recent datamine, however, provides some potential hints about what you'll be doing.

Excuses Galore is a free anti-adventure where you just want to stay at home
https://www.pcgamer.com/excuses-galore-a-free-anti-adventure-where-you-just-want-to-stay-at-home/
As nice as it is to see people, and do things, I definitely understand the urge to stay inside your cosy, familiar home instead. Excuses Galore! is a richly varying text adventure where you have to avoid, brush off, or otherwise deter your many friends, who insist on wanting to see you, for some reason.

Notmycar is a vehicular battle royale, coming soon
https://www.pcgamer.com/notmycar-is-a-vehicular-battle-royale-coming-soon/
Notmycar is providing an important service for anyone who has played PUBG and thought "this would be better if we were all cars". Up to 100 cars are dropped onto the battlefield, and they've got to gear up and murder the competition. It sounds as great as the new trailer is obnoxious. And it's pretty obnoxious.