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

[JEMC]

The Wednesday news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

GOG will keep you busy with 4 new Deals of the Day and three sales:

• These are the DotD, that will last until Friday:
  • The X4: Tides of Avarice DLC is 30% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/x4_tides_of_avarice
  • The NSFW Inside Jennifer gets a 55% deal: https://www.gog.com/en/game/inside_jennifer
  • Desperados III Digital Deluxe Edition is 75% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/desperados_iii_digital_deluxe_edition
  • The last one is Worms: Armageddon, with an 80% discount: https://www.gog.com/en/game/worms_armageddon
• Team17 puts its games up to 80% off during 7 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/2023_team17_summer
• Devolver Digital also puts its games on sale, with up to 90% discounts until August, 9th: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/2023_devolver_summer_sale
• And the QuakeCon Sale is here, featuring up to 85% discounts during the next 14 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/2023_quakecon

Steam has two new deals:

• The Early Access title MISTROGUE: Mist and the Living Dungeons is going to be 40% off until August, 8th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2102320/MISTROGUE_Mist_and_the_Living_Dungeons/
• Thymesia gets a 33% discount until the 14th of August: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1343240/Thymesia/

Fanatical has two new deals:

• The new Star Deal is Dying Light 2 Stay Human. 60% off during 48 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/dying-light-2-stay-human
• And the QuakeCon Sale is also live here with 86% discounts during the next 13 days, tho some deals will end sooner than that: https://www.fanatical.com/en/publishers/bethesda-softworks

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

AMD releases Adrenalin GPU driver for Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, fixing crashes with ray tracing
https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-releases-adrenalin-gpu-driver-for-ratchet-clank-rift-apart-fixing-crashes-with-ray-tracing
AMD has introduced a special driver release for the Ratchet and Clank game, which encountered difficulties on Radeon GPUs during its launch. Specifically, the game faced issues related to ray tracing and dynamic resolution scaling on Radeon architectures, leading to crashes for users of AMD’s latest GPUs, including the Radeon RX 7900 XTX.
The newly released driver is not part of the official branch but is based on the latest 23.7.2 driver, sharing the same issues list. However, that driver lacked official optimizations specifically designed for the Ratchet and Clank game. The new driver, identified as version 23.10.23.03, focuses on addressing the game’s performance concerns.

Highlights

• Support for Ratchet & Clank™: Rift Apart

Fixed Issues

• Application crash or driver timeout may be observed while playing Ratchet & Clank™: Rift Apart with Ray-Tracing and Dynamic Resolution Scaling enabled on some AMD Graphics Products, such as the Radeon™ RX 7900 XTX.

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Playstation 4 emulator, RPCSX, can now boot and run Sonic Mania at 45fps
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/playstation-4-emulator-rpcsx-can-now-boot-and-run-sonic-mania-at-45fps/
Last month, we informed you about a new Playstation 4 emulator from the team behind the best Playstation 3 emulator, RPCS3. And today, we are happy to report that this PS4 emulator can boot and run Sonic Mania at 45fps.
For those wondering, Sonic Mania is not the first commercial game that RPCSX can boot and run. Back in July 2023, we shared a video showcasing We Are Doomed running on it.
Do note that the RPCSX team has not implemented yet any input functionalities. So, although you can boot and run Sonic Mania and We Are Doomed on RPCSX, you cannot yet play them.
From what we can see, an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 can run Sonic Mania via RPCSX with 45fps. Now while this isn’t particularly impressive, it’s at least a start. Let’s not forget that RPCSX is in a very early development stage.
>> The article has a slightly over 2 minutes video.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart gets unofficial modding tools
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/ratchet-clank-rift-apart-gets-unofficial-modding-tools/
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart just came out on PC and like pretty much all the latest PC releases, it does not feature any modding tools. However, modder ‘ASC’ has just released some unofficial modding tools that you can download.
According to the modder, this tool will allow people to extract assets, as well as create mods to replace assets.
In order to install all the future mods for Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, PC gamers will also need this tool. In other words, it can be also used as a modding tool manager for all upcoming mods.

Dark Souls 3 Mod adds dynamic shadows to almost every object
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/dark-souls-3-mod-adds-dynamic-shadows-to-almost-every-object/
Modder ‘fromsoftserve’, the man behind the Scholar of the Second Sin Visual Overhaul Mod for Dark Souls 2, has released a new mod for Dark Souls 3. Dark Souls 3 Visual Overhaul adds dynamic shadows to almost every object, and it’s a must-have mod for all DS3 players.
Going into more details, this mod removes unneeded point lights not based on an actual light source. Moreover, it adds shadowcasting to some torches/light sources, and improves the game’s water reflections. And, as said, the mod adds shadows to almost every object in the game (grass, rocks, buildings, etc.).
>> I think I already posted this mod, but I couldn't find it. In any case, the article has some screenshots and an over 15 minutes long video.

GTA 5 gets a new story mod with NPCs that are powered by 30+ AI models
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/gta-5-gets-a-new-story-mod-with-npcs-that-are-powered-by-30-ai-models/
Modder ‘Bloc’ has released an amazing new story-driven fan expansion for Grand Theft Auto 5, called Inworld Sentient Streets. This mod offers a distinctly unique experience separate from the main storyline of GTA 5, and one of its big features is its AI-powered NPCs.
In this fan expansion, you will assume the role of a skilled and successful law enforcement officer within the Los Santos Police Department (LSPD). Additionally, you can choose one of three distinct partners, each with their own characteristics.
Players will confront formidable challenges throughout their shifts, interact with criminal elements, and exercise their decision-making prowess. Players will also be able to make their own choices in this mod. For instance, you can employ persuasive tactics to defuse tense situations and employ innovative strategies to extract critical information from criminals. You can even explore the path of corruption by accepting bribes.
As said, one of the biggest features of this GTA 5 mod is its AI-powered NPCs. According to its description, the NPCs in this mod are powered by the Inworld AI Character Engine with ElevenLabs voices. Inworld AI is an alternative to ChatGPT. This tool lets game developers go beyond dialogue trees to power narratives and NPCs using AI. As Bloc claimed, this GTA 5 Mod uses 30+ AI models that let players have open-ended conversations in real-time with eccentric cult members, cunning police officers, and unsuspecting civilians.
>> There's a fairly long video of this mod.

Fallout 4's best mod is coming to a dramatic conclusion
https://www.pcgamer.com/fallout-4s-best-mod-is-coming-to-a-dramatic-conclusion/
It's been a while so I'll shout it from the rooftops again: if you're going to start a new game of Fallout 4, you should install the Sim Settlements 2 mod. Not only does it make settlement building and management a much better experience, it adds a bunch of new characters, lots of quests, and an intriguing storyline.
If you're not familiar with the mod, it's a complete overhaul of the vanilla settlement building system. Instead of doing all the work yourself, you can zone your settlements for different purposes like residential, commercial, and industrial—a bit like playing a city builder—and then let your settlers take things from there. And if you do enjoy building and micromanaging, you can still build as much stuff as you want alongside the mod's overhauled system. It's the best of both worlds.
(...)
The story of Sim Settlements 2 is broken into chapters, and the third and final chapter has just arrived. As you can see in the trailer above, the concluding chapter is all about war as the defeated Gunners return with reinforcements and some advanced new tech. To prepare for the coming conflict you'll be able to turn your settlements into proper military outposts using new building plots like armories, watchtowers, prisons, and field medic stations. You can also recruit settlers into your growing army and establish new bases pretty much anywhere you want on the map, not just in the vanilla game's preselected settlement spots.

GAMING NEWS

New gameplay trailers/videos for Fort Solis, Lords of the Fallen, Atlas Fallen
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/new-gameplay-trailers-videos-for-fort-solis-lords-of-the-fallen-atlas-fallen/
A number of gameplay videos and trailers surfaced these couple of days, so we’ve decided to share them in one big story. So, below you can find the latest gameplay videos/trailers for Fort Solis, Lords of the Fallen, Atlas Fallen and Alone in the Dark.
>> The Alone in the Dark teaser claims that we'll know more today, so I guess I'll have something to post tomorrow.