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

[JEMC]

The Wednesday news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

Steam has two new deals:

• Beyond: Two Souls will be 50% off until January, 31st: https://store.steampowered.com/app/960990/Beyond_Two_Souls/
• And Godhood gets a 70% discount until the same 31st: https://store.steampowered.com/app/917150/Godhood/

The Humble Store has a new flash deal: Ultimate Chicken Horse will be 60% off during 26 hours. The key is for Steam: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/ultimate-chicken-horse-winter-sale-featured-deals/.

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

AMD Radeon Software Adrenalin 23.1.2 (RX 7900)
https://videocardz.com/driver/amd-radeon-software-adrenalin-23-1-2-rx-7900
Highlights
Support for:

• Forspoken
• IREE compiler using MLIR interface on Vulkan.
• Additional Vulkan extensions. Click here for more information.

Fixed Issues

• AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition may fail to launch with the error message “Delayed Write Failed” on Microsoft® Windows® 11 version 22H2.
• Poor performance and load time may be observed while playing SpaceEngine™.
• Missing or flickering textures may be observed while playing Emergency 4™.

>> This is, once again, a driver update only for the new 7900 cards and, as TechPowerUp notes, there has been no driver updates for older cards for the last 48 days. Way to go, AMD!

INTEL Arc & Iris Graphics Driver 31.0.101.4090
https://videocardz.com/driver/intel-arc-iris-graphics-driver-31-0-101-4090
Highlights
Support for:

• Forspoken

Fixed Issues
Intel® Arc™ Graphics Products:

• A Plague Tale: Requiem (DX12) may experience application freeze and crash during gameplay.
• Need for Speed: Unbound (DX12) may exhibit box corruptions during gameplay.

Intel® Core™ Processor Products:

• Need for Speed Unbound (DX12) May exhibit screen-space color corruption during gameplay.
• Total War: Warhammer III (DX11) May exhibit an intermittent application crash when launching the game.
• Battlefield: 2042 (DX12) May experience color corruption on certain maps.

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Mass Effect 3 Unofficial Patch 2022 is a must-have mod for the original 2012 version
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/mass-effect-3-unofficial-patch-2022-is-a-must-have-mod-for-the-original-2012-version/
Modder ‘Orikon’ has released a brand new version of the Unofficial Patch Project for the original Mass Effect 3 game. As said, this patch is for the original game that came out in 2012, and not for the remastered version that is available in Mass Effect Legendary Edition.
This Unofficial Mass Effect 3 Patch (UME3P) introduces a large amount of bug fixes, polish and visual corrections. Furthermore, it backports changes from the Legendary Edition, helps integrate DLC, and restores cut content in a careful and selective manner.
>> There are 2 videos of the mod.

GAMING NEWS

4A Games has released the Exodus SDK, allowing modders to create new free content for Metro Exodus
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/4a-games-has-released-exodus-sdk-allowing-modders-to-create-new-free-content-for-metro-exodus/
4A Games has just released the Exodus SDK for Metro Exodus and Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition. This SDK will allow modders to create new free content for these versions of Metro Exodus.

Fallout 76 January 24th Update released and here is its full changelog
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/fallout-76-january-24th-update-released-and-here-is-its-full-changelog/
Bethesda has just released a new update for Fallout 76. According to the release notes, the January 24th Update brings a host of bug fixes, gameplay improvements, and more. This patch is 5.6GB on Steam and 15GB on Microsoft Store.

Forspoken has frame pacing, audio & shader compilation stutters issues
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/forspoken-has-frame-pacing-audio-shader-compilation-stutters-issues/
Square Enix has just released Forspoken on PC and things are not looking particularly well. One of the biggest features of this title was its support for DirectStorage. And, after closer examination, it appears that DirectStorage support is available on both Windows 10 and Windows 11.
>> By a WccfTech article, the DirectStorage implementation is the old one, so it doesn't support GPU decompression. Therefore, loading isn't as fast as in consoles.

The highly anticipated FPS, Atomic Heart, will be using Denuvo
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/the-highly-anticipated-fps-atomic-heart-will-be-using-denuvo/
Mundfish has confirmed that its highly anticipated first-person shooter, Atomic Heart, will be using the Denuvo anti-tamper tech. What’s really annoying here is the excuse Mundfish presented, as well as the fact that Denuvo is not listed on the game’s Steam store page.
Mundfish claims that it doesn’t know whether Denuvo will impact the game’s performance. If it does though, the developer claims that DLSS 3 will win back those loses.
>> I wasn't sold on the game, but that lame, piss poor excuse is enough for me to give them the middle finger.

Unreal Engine 5-powered MMO, The Day Before, has been delayed until November 2023
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/unreal-engine-5-powered-mmo-the-day-before-has-been-delayed-until-november-2023/
Fntastic was originally planning to release its survival MMO game, The Day Before, on March 1st. However, and due to a trademark/copyright claim, the team has now delayed the game until November 10th, 2023.