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

[JEMC]

Monday news, part two:

The Steam reviews for Lawn Mowing Simulator are revealing very strong feelings about lawn mowing
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/lawn-mowing-simulator-steam-reviewers-have-strong-opinions-about-lawn-mowing/
Lawn Mowing Simulator is a game about mowing lawns. Andy Kelly found a demo if it to be surprisingly soothing and meditative. I haven't played it myself, but I have found a window into the souls of those who have: the Steam reviews.

Firaxis is looking for a narrative lead with a 'knowledge and passion for world history'
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/firaxis-are-looking-for-a-narrative-lead-with-a-knowledge-and-passion-for-world-history/
Firaxis Games, best known for making the Civilization series and XCOM, are currently looking for a slew of new hires—including, perhaps tellingly, a narrative lead with a "knowledge and passion for world history". The listing doesn't mention which game it would be for, only that it would for the studio's "next AAA strategy title". In addition to the narrative lead, Firaxis is also looking for several artists and programmers.

Skate across a burning city for love in Fire Tonight
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/skate-across-a-burning-city-for-love-in-fire-tonight/
It is the year 1990, before mobile phones or internet, and when a fire brings down the phone line between Maya and Devin, there's only one solution: rollerskates. Also the less retro transportation methods of 'car' and 'train', but either way, Maya sets out across the burning city to be with her person. It is also now, that Fire Tonight, the narrative puzzler about reuniting this couple, is out.

Boyfriend Dungeon will update with 'more accurate' content warning about stalking
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/boyfriend-dungeon-will-update-with-more-accurate-content-warning-about-stalking/
Boyfriend Dungeon is about dating and dungeon crawling with swords... that are also people. It had a surprise release on the 11th of August, and despite its goofy premise on the surface, its story explores some sensitive themes, as Rachel noted in her preview: "Dating for many women and queer folk in general is, unfortunately, a huge risk, and meeting in public, having a friend on hand, and checking out the place are just some of the many safety tips used when meeting dates the first time. For a game about smooching sharp weapons, it's great to see Boyfriend Dungeon acknowledge that."

Ladies speedrun for charity in Flame Fatales, kicking off August 15th
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/ladies-speedrun-for-charity-in-flame-fatales-kicking-off-august-15th/
The year's next Games Done Quick speedrunning event starts tomorrow, August 15th: Flame Fatales is GDQ's annual all-women charity event, where a team of select speedrunners go as fast as they can in their choice titles for charity donations. This year's Flame Fatales event benefits The Malala Fund, which works for a world where all girls can get a secondary education.

EA might ban beta leakers from Battlefield 2042 after release
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/ea-might-ban-beta-leakers-from-battlefield-2042-after-release/
With Battlefield 2042 having kicked off its limited beta testing this week, which EA is billing as a "technical preview," a number of videos, streamed segments, and screenshots began to show up online. The people who are in this beta, however, signed an NDA saying they won't share details or videos of the game. EA has now warned those folks that they may find themselves not just booted from the test, but kicked out of the game entirely, forever.
>> l.o.l.

A possible Alan Wake 2 is now in "full production"
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/a-possible-alan-wake-2-is-now-in-full-production/
Remedy has confirmed that their unannounced game project alongside Epic Games "has moved into full production." This is the game that some believe to be Alan Wake 2, following Remedy's reacquisition of Alan Wake in 2019 and announcement last year that the next game in the "Remedy Connected Universe" was already in the works. Remedy said in the same message to investors that they are still in "full production mode" on their second, smaller-scale unannounced game.
>> I'll be honest here: if this news had come out 5 years ago, I'd be *very* excited. But it's been 11 years since the game launched and it will take what, another two until this one releases? Yeah, thanks but it's too late for me, I've already moved on.

John Romero is making Sigil 2, but he's using Doom 2 this time
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/john-romero-is-making-sigil-2-but-hes-using-doom-2-this-time/
Doom creator John Romero is returning to Doom, again, with a sequel to his 2019 expansion mod Sigil. The appropriately named Sigil 2 will be released for Doom 2, taking an appropriate step forward along the Doom timeline to the next game. Sigil 2 doesn't yet have a release date, and it doesn't have a lot of development done either, but I wouldn't' despair of ever seeing it. Romero's been making games for most of his life. He'd be insane to stop now.

Upcoming immersive sim Core Decay's getting a demo this year
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/upcoming-immersive-sim-core-decays-getting-a-demo-this-year/
Here's another titbit of info from this year's Realms Deep event, the digital showcase of retro shooters and the like coming from 3D Realms. Core Decay, an upcoming Shocklike (which is to say, a stealth-action FPS with some RPG elements) being made by Ivar Hill and Slipgate Ironworks, has a new trailer and will have a demo out this year.

There's a scythe that cuts reality in Amid Evil's expansion
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/theres-a-scythe-that-cuts-reality-in-amid-evils-expansion/
(...)
The Black Labyrinth will serve as a prequel to Amid Evil, containing new levels, new enemies, and new weapons as well as "new Andrew Hulshult placeholder music". [Note: Dave Oshry contacted us to clarify that, of course, that's just a joke, saying, "The music is definitely not a placeholder in actuality, heh."] The trailer shows a scythe thing that can shoot a row of purple energy blasts or just slice open reality and strand enemies in the void. I guess if your base game comes with a staff that shoots planets you need to go large for the DLC. There's also a pair of spiked gauntlets. I figure they'll probably let you punch enemies through time so a dinosaur eats them or something.

Looks like Pinhead from Hellraiser is coming to Dead By Daylight
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/looks-like-pinhead-from-hellraiser-is-coming-to-dead-by-daylight/
(...)

Hints about who the next killer would be included audio files posted to Discord that revealed the word HELL via spectrogram, and letters posted to Twitter that spelled out RAISE. Then came a teaser video showing a fuzzy VHS recording of a red flower blossoming (as seen when the Cenobites are summoned in Hellraiser) and the number 1987, the year Hellraiser was released.

Man arrested after Overwatch and Halo voice actor murdered in Brazil
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/man-arrested-after-overwatch-and-halo-voice-actor-murdered-in-brazil/
A man has been arrested by Brazilian police on suspicion of the murder of Christiane Louise, a Brazilian voice actor whose career included such roles as Mercy in Overwatch and Cortana in Halo. Christiane Louise was 49 years old, and her death was announced on August 6 by fellow voice actor Mário Tupinambá Filho on Instagram.
>> D.E.P.

Streamer gets blown backwards into a huge new Metal Gear Solid glitch
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/streamer-gets-blown-backwards-into-a-huge-new-metal-gear-solid-glitch/
A streamer called Boba was having a merry old time playing Metal Gear Solid a few days ago, when along came one of the game's guards and shot Solid Snake—whose model recoiled backwards, and glitched into a sequence skip that will rewrite the rules for this time-honoured classic. Well OK, maybe not all the rules, but the minutes it can save you certainly have the speedrunners thrilled.