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

[JEMC]

Friday news, part two:

Indie Metal Gear replaces Solid Snake with a gritty gecko
https://www.pcgamer.com/indie-metal-gear-replaces-solid-snake-with-a-gritty-gecko/
The 22-year-old Metal Gear Solid 1 port we have on PC is patchy at best. It can be a little glitchy, is prone to the odd crash, and whenever I try to play it there's a 50/50 chance it will forget my input settings. But what if there was an alternative? What if someone put together an exactingly faithful homage? What if it condensed MGS1's cutscene-heavy sprawl to a tight half hour?
What if you were a literal gecko instead of a figurative snake?
These are the questions Covert Critters dares to ask. Made in 12 days by two developers—sodaraptor and NormalHumanSixx—for Portland's Summer Slow Jams event, Covert Critters is a nostalgic salute to the first 3D Metal Gear that just so happens to replace the Genome Soldiers and Solid Snake with a flock of birds and a lizard.

Ubisoft cancels Ghost Recon battle royale and Splinter Cell VR
https://www.pcgamer.com/ubisoft-cancels-ghost-recon-battle-royale-and-splinter-cell-vr/
Ubisoft revealed today that it has halted development of Ghost Recon Frontline and Splinter Cell VR, as well as two other projects that had not yet been announced.
The decision to end development of the games was made as Ubisoft focuses on achieving "sizable cost optimization" in the upcoming fiscal year, chief financial officer Frederick Duguet said during today's financial call. As part of that process, Duguet said Ubisoft will put "even more focus on our biggest development opportunities, as evidenced by our decision to stop development of the Splinter Cell VR game, Ghost Recon Frontlines, and two other unannounced titles."

Even GTA Online can't escape high gas prices and record-breaking heat
https://www.pcgamer.com/even-gta-online-cant-escape-high-gas-prices-and-record-breaking-heat/
Escapism in video games is getting tougher and tougher to come by, and that now includes violent crime sandbox GTA Online. In The Criminal Enterprises update, coming July 26, "Gas prices have spiked to their highest levels in decades, retail supply chains are in turmoil, and to top it off a ferocious heatwave is gripping the state."

FIFA 23 will not have Russian teams, EA confirms
https://www.pcgamer.com/fifa-23-will-not-have-russian-teams-ea-confirms/
EA unveiled its last-ever FIFA game earlier today, FIFA 23, which will feature women's club teams for the first time ever, and the Qatar World Cup and Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in post-launch updates. What it won't feature, however, are Russian teams, as Electronic Arts has confirmed that the Russian national team and Russian club teams will not be included.

Robert Alan Koeneke, creator of the influential roguelike Moria, has died
https://www.pcgamer.com/robert-alan-koeneke-creator-of-the-influential-roguelike-moria-has-died/
Robert Alan Koeneke, who created the landmark 1980s roguelike The Dungeons of Moria, commonly referred to as simply Moria, has died. Koeneke's death at age 64 was announced in an obituary at dignitymemorial.com.
>> D.E.P.

Looks like Blizzard accidentally leaked the release date for Wrath of the Lich King Classic
https://www.pcgamer.com/looks-like-blizzard-accidentally-leaked-the-release-date-for-wrath-of-the-lich-king-classic/
As spotted by WoW Head, Blizzard seems to have let slip the Wrath of the Lich King Classic release date a wee bit earlier than intended. According to an image uploaded to the WoW Classic website, and then quickly removed from it, "The Lich King Returns September 26, 2022".

Take one guess as to why people are mad about the new free-to-play Marvel CCG
https://www.pcgamer.com/take-one-guess-as-to-why-people-are-mad-about-the-new-free-to-play-marvel-ccg/
If you want a reminder of how weird the games industry has got, consider the case of Marvel Snap. The mobile-first digital card game (which will also be available on PC), is still deep in a closed beta, without a firm release date. But free-to-play monetization is what it is, and the community is currently mired in an absolute uproar over a particularly brazen transaction scheme. In that sense, I guess you could say Marvel Snap is way ahead of schedule.

Resident Evil Village DLC trailer offers glimpse of playable Lady D
https://www.pcgamer.com/resident-evil-village-dlc-trailer-offers-glimpse-of-playable-lady-d/
Capcom announced a massive update for Resident Evil Village last month in the form of The Winters' Expansion, which includes a new story, a third-person mode, and what they're calling The Mercenaries Additional Orders, which adds three new playable characters in their own Mercenaries side missions. The latter component got a new trailer today, and with it, details on how playing as Lady Dimitrescu, Karl Heisenberg, and Chris Redfield will actually work.

Epic boss says NFT games won't be banned on the Epic Games Store
https://www.pcgamer.com/epic-boss-says-nft-games-wont-be-banned-on-the-epic-games-store/
Yesterday Mojang drew a line in the sand, saying that NFT integration is "generally not something we will support or allow." (...)
A Twitter user commented on the Minecraft decision, tagging in Epic CEO Tim Sweeney and saying: "hey Epic Games, it’d be really nice to see the same opinion from the Epic Games Store. Please get rid of every last one of those games on the store "
(...)
Sweeney responded to the call to ban NFTs on the Epic Game Store by re-stating some of the principles he believes should underly such a store.
"Developers should be free to decide how to build their games, and you are free to decide whether to play them," Sweeney wrote in response. "I believe stores and operating system makers shouldn’t interfere by forcing their views onto others. We definitely won’t."
>> This is the sign for Chazore to, at least in this case, deservedly rant about Epic.

And these are the weekend deals at GOG and Steam:

+GOG

• The first of the two Deal of the Day is The Medium, 35% off during 70 hours: https://www.gog.com/en/game/the_medium
• The other DotD is Mortal Shell, 55% off until Monday: https://www.gog.com/en/game/mortal_shell
• And the Weekend Sale features up to 80% discounts during the next 3 days: https://www.gog.com/promo/20220722_weekend_sale

+Steam

• The first Weekend Deal is Left 4 Dead 2, free to try and also 80% off until Monday: https://store.steampowered.com/app/550/Left_4_Dead_2/
• Hardspace: Shipbreaker gets a 25% discount until July 28: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1161580/Hardspace_Shipbreaker/
• Hell Let Loose will be free to try during the weekend and 33% off until the 28th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/686810/Hell_Let_Loose/
• Insurgency: Sandstorm is also free to try during the weekend, and has a 50% discount until Thursday 28: https://store.steampowered.com/app/581320/Insurgency_Sandstorm/
• Rubber Bandits is, yet again, free to try during the next 3 days, and also 60% off until July 28: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1206610/Rubber_Bandits/
• Summer in Mara gets a 60% discount until the 28th of July: https://store.steampowered.com/app/962580/Summer_in_Mara/
• And No Man's Sky is going to be 50% off until the 1st of August: https://store.steampowered.com/app/275850/No_Mans_Sky/

Enough of news! Go find somewhere cool to hide from this heat (or a warm place for those that live down there) and remember, try to have a happy and gaming weekend.