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

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The Tuesday news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

Steam has several new deals, including new weeklong deals:

• TinyBuild puts its games on sale with up to 75% discounts. Be warned, some deals end the 27th while others will last until the 30th: https://store.steampowered.com/developer/tinybuild/sale/vintage
• The Dynasty Warriors franchise will be up to 66% off until January 30: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/33016879/sale/dynastywarriors
• Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon® Breakpoint is going to be 80% off until the 30th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2231380/Tom_Clancys_Ghost_Recon_Breakpoint/
• Of course, the Base Builder Sale is present, with up to 75% discounts until the 30th: https://store.steampowered.com/category/base_builder
• The SteamWorld franchise goes on sale with up to 85% discounts: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/SteamWorld-Build-Announcement-Sale
• Titanfall® 2 is going to be 90% off until the 2nd of February: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1237970/Titanfall_2/
• The Neptunia Franchise Madness Sale features between 60 and 80% discounts until February 6th: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/neptunia23
• And here's a small sample of the weeklong deals:
  • Placid Plastic Duck Simulator gets a 15% discount: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1999360/Placid_Plastic_Duck_Simulator/
  • Farmer's Life, that has a demo, will be 30% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1137750/Farmers_Life/
  • Mayhem Brawler features a 40% discount: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1306720/Mayhem_Brawler/
  • 60 Parsecs! is 50% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/646270/60_Parsecs/
  • Assetto Corsa Competizione gets a 66% discount: https://store.steampowered.com/app/805550/Assetto_Corsa_Competizione/
  • Trailmakers will be 75% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/585420/Trailmakers/
  • Worms Armageddon gets an 85% discount: https://store.steampowered.com/app/217200/Worms_Armageddon/

Fanatical has a new Star Deal: Chernobylite Enhanced Edition will be 60% off during 48 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/chernobylite-enhanced-edition

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

NVIDIA GeForce 528.24 WHQL driver released, optimized for Dead Space Remake & Forspoken
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/nvidia-geforce-528-24-whql-driver-released-optimized-for-dead-space-remake-forspoken/
NVIDIA has released a new driver for its graphics cards. According to the release notes, the NVIDIA GeForce 528.24 WHQL driver offers the best day-0 gaming experience for Dead Space Remake & Forspoken.
Furthermore, this driver adds support for DLSS 3 in Marvel’s Midnight Suns and Hitman 3. Hitman 3 will definitely benefit from DLSS 3, and we’ll have a performance article once its patch becomes available.
>> Check the article for the download link as well as the fixed issues.

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Half-Life 2: Episode One VR Mod to be released in Q1 2023
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/half-life-2-episode-one-vr-mod-to-be-released-in-q1-2023/
The SourceVR Mod Team has announced its plans to release a VR Mod for Half-Life 2: Episode One in Q1 2023. In order to celebrate it, the team has also shared a trailer that you can find below.

New Cyberpunk 2077 HD Texture Packs improve the textures of NPCs faces, hair & beards
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/new-cyberpunk-2077-hd-texture-packs-improve-the-textures-of-npcs-faces-hair-beards/
Modder ‘XilaMonstrr’ has released two new HD Texture Packs for Cyberpunk 2077. These packs use AI techniques and will overhaul the faces of generic NPCs, as well as the hair and beards of both the player and NPCs.
Since these packs use AI techniques, they retain the art style of the original textures. Therefore, we highly recommend downloading them. Sure thing, some may claim that they can achieve similar results by using a sharpening filter. However, and for those that don’t want to mess around with such filters, these AI-upscaled packs are amazing.
>> There are only some screenshots.

I can't believe this Elden Ring Halo map isn't actually imported from Elden Ring
https://www.pcgamer.com/i-cant-believe-this-elden-ring-halo-map-isnt-actually-imported-from-elden-ring/
Okay, Halo Infinite Forgers. You had my curiosity. Now you have my attention.
Halo Infinite Forge creator Blupe Vave has published a work-in-progress multiplayer map called Crumbling Lands, recreating one of the last dungeons from FromSoftware's Elden Ring, Crumbling Farum Azula. I can't think of two game aesthetics much more distinct than Halo and Elden Ring, and yet this map looks incredible. It's so authentic to Elden Ring, my first instinct was to assume that Blupe Vave had actually imported a pile of Elden Ring assets into Halo Infinite somehow.
But nope: it just shows how much you can do with the Forge mapmaking tool, if you have the skill and patience to pull it off.
>> There's a short video of the mod.

Swearing rats mod for Oblivion puts its vermin in permanent meltdown mode
https://www.pcgamer.com/swearing-rats-mod-for-oblivion-puts-its-vermin-in-permanent-meltdown-mode/
Oblivion's rats are now as uncouth as they are unclean, thanks to a mod from creator DavaScript that imbues the game's rodents with all the unbridled rage of early 2000s internet. The Swearing Rats mod uses clips from an infamous (and ancient) Ventrilo user meltdown to turn their squeaks and yelps into a barrage of inventive invective. There is no reason for it to exist and we should all be very thankful it does.
The mod is scarily effective. Hearing Oblivion's rats—probably the weakest enemies in the whole game—threaten to tear off various of my appendages and find new homes for them in other parts of my body really does make them quite a bit more intimidating than they usually are. It's like being pursued by a hundred four-legged versions of Malcolm Tucker; I can't think of anything more terrifying.
>> There's a roughly 1 minute long video of the article.

GAMING NEWS

Forspoken PC demo releases later today on all available digital stores
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/forspoken-pc-demo-releases-later-today-on-all-available-digital-stores/
Square Enix and Luminous Productions have announced that they will release a free playable PC demo later today. According to the teams, this PC demo will be available on all available digital stores, meaning that it will appear on Steam, Epic Games Store and Microsoft Store.