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

[JEMC]

It's time for the Monday news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

GOG brings us four Deals of the Day and two sales:

• These are the DotD, that will last until Wednesday:
  • The first one is Sacrifice, 20% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/sacrifice
  • Fantasy Tavern Sextet - Vol.1 New World Days (yes, it's one of "those" games), is 52% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/fantasy_tavern_sextet_vol1_new_world_days
  • Battlestar Galactica Deadlock is 80% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/battlestar_galactica_deadlock
  • The last one is Lost Words: Beyond the Page, with a 90% discount: https://www.gog.com/en/game/lost_words_beyond_the_page
• The new Weekly Sale features up to 90% discounts during 7 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/20230814_weekly_sale
• And the Post Apocalyptic Sale also features up to 90% discounts during 7 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/2023_post_apocalyptic

Steam has two deals:

• There's a new daily deal: Shift Happens will be 90% off during another 26 hours: https://store.steampowered.com/app/359840/Shift_Happens/
• The Games Incubator Publisher Sale features up to 85% discounts until August, 24th: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/gamesincubatorpublishersale

There's a new Humble Bundle: the Take Your Turn: Tactics & RPGs Bundle with up to 9 items to get (there are 2 coupons) during the next 18 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/games/take-your-turn-tactics-rpgs.

Fanatical will have new Flash Deals that haven't gone live yet, and the new BYO Super Summer Bundle, that comes with 20 titles to choose for your 1, 5 or 10 games bundle: https://www.fanatical.com/en/pick-and-mix/build-your-own-super-summer-bundle.

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

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MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Red Dead Redemption 2 DLSS 3 Mod can improve performance by 50%
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/red-dead-redemption-2-dlss-3-mod-can-improve-performance-by-50/
Modder ‘PureDark’ has shared a video, showcasing his upcoming DLSS 3 Mod for Red Dead Redemption 2. According to the modder, DLSS 3 Frame Generation can improve performance by 50% in Red Dead Redemption 2.
In order to capture the following gameplay footage, PureDark used an AMD Ryzen 7 5800 with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070Ti.
Contrary to other games like Star Wars: Jedi Survivor, Red Dead Redemption 2 is not that CPU-bound on the AMD Ryzen 7 5800. Even without DLSS 3, the RTX 4070Ti is used to its fullest. This explains why the gains of DLSS 3 Frame Generation are “only” around 50%.
Now the good news here is that since we’re talking about a 50% increase, the real frames are way more than the AI-produced ones. This basically means that visual artifacts (and input latency) should be kept at a minimum. So yeah, this is a win-win for all RTX 40 series GPU owners.
>> The video is roughly 4 minutes long.

Zelda: Ocarina of Time Unreal Engine 5.2 Mountain Trail Demo Released
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/zelda-ocarina-of-time-unreal-engine-5-2-mountain-trail-demo-released/
CryZENx has released a new demo of his amazing fan remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time in Unreal Engine 5.2. Moreover, the artist has shared a video, showcasing over 10 minutes of gameplay footage from it.
This new demo of Ocarina of Time in Unreal Engine 5.2 features the Mountain Trail level. CryZENX has been working on this level for one month, and he has implemented and tweaked a number of gameplay mechanics.
What’s really amazing about this fan remake is that it has proper gameplay mechanics. Contrary to other fan projects, in this Zelda remake you can explore the environments and fight a number of enemies. You can also use your ocarina, break objects, collect items, and speak to NPCs. Hell, this fan demo also has some cut-scenes and an inventory system. In short, it’s more than your typical “remake a map from a popular game in UE5” projects. As such, it more than deserves the spotlight.
>> The article has an over 10 minutes long video.

Valheim gets a new role-playing prequel expansion mod
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/valheim-gets-a-new-role-playing-prequel-expansion-mod/
Modder ‘Drengrobot’ has released a pretty cool role-playing prequel expansion mod for Iron Gate’s exploration and survival game, Valheim.
According to its description, Wildling is an expansion in which players must survive as a pre-teen version of their Viking self.
This Valheim expansion mod offers a more quest-like experience than regular Valheim and you should not expect to play in quite the same way or do similar things. There is an adventure and story here that unfolds over the whole map, although it primarily extends your time in the Meadows and Dark Forest.
Wildling is as much about character development and exploration as regular Valheim. The mod also features lesser role-play activities, strategies and secondary achievements.
Like other mods, you can only take Wildling items and characters to servers running with the Wildling mod. You can complete your quests on any world but there is only one quest state per world.
>> There are no screenshots nor videos of the mod.

Here’s how you can get smooth 60fps without stuttering in GTA 4
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/heres-how-you-can-get-smooth-60fps-without-stuttering-in-gta-4/
Grand Theft Auto 4 is notorious for its awful performance on PC. Even on this day, the game performs horribly in its default/vanilla version. However, there is currently a way via which you can get smooth 60fps in GTA 4 without any annoying stuttering.
Now the reason I’m sharing this is because a lot of people may want to replay this game, now that Grand Theft Auto 6 is on the horizon. So, if you are one of them and want a smooth gaming experience, you should run GTA IV with DXVK.
YouTube’s ‘TJGM’ has shared the following comparison video between the game’s default DX9 Mode and DXVK. And, as you will see, DXVK is able to run GTA 4 smoothly at 60fps and without any stuttering.
>> The video is roughly 10 minutes long.

This Fallout New Vegas Mod adds a real-time reflections system
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/new-fallout-new-vegas-mod-adds-a-real-time-reflections-system/
Modder ‘Wall_SoGB’ has released an incredible mod for Fallout: New Vegas that adds a fully dynamic, real-time reflections system to the game. This mod provides realistic ambient lighting on meshes, it’s highly customizable, and it can run even on weak PC systems.
Going into more details, this Reflections Mod for Fallout: New Vegas mod adds a new texture effect, real-time cube maps. These new cube maps can be applied either globally, or on a per-mesh basis thanks to shader flags.
Wall_SoGB has configured the mod by default to work only on correctly set-up materials. Thus, you’ll need patched meshes to see reflections. You can disable this behavior in the INI, and force reflections onto every material with environmental mapping. However, this can lead to some improperly looking meshes.
What’s also amazing here is that the renderer is highly configurable. PC gamers can configure resolution, brightness, draw distance, apply behaviors, quality modes and more. As such, the performance can be as low as 1-2 frames, or as high as over 30fps.
>> There are screenshots and a short (less than 1 minute) video.

This 'Cooler Karlach' mod lets you make your big demon wife even better with added scars and demonic grit
https://www.pcgamer.com/this-cooler-karlach-mod-lets-you-make-your-big-demon-wife-even-better-with-added-scars-and-demonic-grit/
I like Karlach—she's got the energy of a golden retriever despite being able to rip and tear until the job is done. I am, however, impressed by how untouched her face is. Her body's a mess of muscle and scar tissue, but her visage? Pristine, untouched. Well, if you ever wanted her to be more battle-damaged, the modding community's got you.
Karlach enjoyed a major glow-up during her early access days—her work-in-progress model was a lot smaller and far less beefy. This is to be expected, as everything from that time was a hefty work in progress. Before she hit the gym and got yoked on the fires of Avernus, though, players managed to datamine a preview of her, according to the mod's creator, labotor:
"A certain datamined version of Karlach was circulated around [in early access] that included a new scarred and beefier bodytype + accompanying face," labotor wrote. "The body ended up introduced in Patch 7... but Larian, to the surprise of some, opted to go for a different, much softer face.
Some liked it, but quite a few (me included) were disappointed - nothing about the new face says 'grizzled, battle-hardened warrior that's been trapped ripping demons apart in the Hells' … hence this mod."
>> The article has a single screenshot.

If you like the way D&D's eldritch blast works in Baldur's Gate 3, now you can blast away in Skyrim too
https://www.pcgamer.com/if-you-like-the-way-dandds-eldritch-blast-works-in-baldurs-gate-3-now-you-blast-away-in-skyrim-too/
In Dungeons & Dragons fifth edition, warlocks don't get a lot of spell slots from whatever patron they cut a deal with to get their magic powers. It's not as bad as it seems though, both because those spell slots refresh even if you take just a short rest, and because warlocks have access to one of the best cantrips in D&D.
Cantrips are spells you don't need to spend a slot to cast, endlessly repeatable little powerhouses that warlocks in particular rely on. None more so than eldritch blast, a straightforward damage-dealer that can be improved as you level. Agonizing blast is an upgrade invocation that increases its damage, while repelling blast adds a knockback effect, pushing away enemies you hit.
The latter is what makes it so useful in Baldur's Gate 3, where you're constantly fighting on the edges of cliffs and chasms. Doesn't matter how big that bag of hit points you're facing is, nobody survives being pushed off a floating platform in the Astral Plane.
Know what other RPG has a lot of fighting on cliffs? Good old Skyrim, and now its players can get in on the eldritch action. Thanks to a mod for Skyrim Special Edition by Shepiao, the Dragonborn can hurl green bolts of energy too, and they come with repelling blast built in. Using the same effect as the unrelenting force dragonshout, Skyrim's eldritch blast spell lets you hurl bandits off ledges to their death, after which you can climb down and loot them.
>> There's a roughly 2 minutes video of the mod.

GAMING NEWS

Gothic 1 Remake gets a new beautiful in-engine trailer
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/gothic-1-remake-gets-a-new-beautiful-in-engine-trailer/
Gothic fans, here is something for you. THQ Nordic has released a brand new in-engine trailer for Gothic 1 Remake. This trailer should give you an idea of the graphics that this upcoming remake will feature.

Outcast – A New Beginning gets a new gameplay trailer
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/outcast-a-new-beginning-gets-a-new-gameplay-trailer/
THQ Nordic has released a new gameplay trailer for its third-person open-world action adventure game, Outcast – A New Beginning. This video highlights some of the gameplay mechanics of this new Outcast game, so be sure to watch it.

Trailers for TMNT: The Last Ronin, Trine 5, Alone in the Dark, Wreckreation, SOUTH PARK: SNOW DAY! and more
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/trailers-for-tmnt-the-last-ronin-trine-5-alone-in-the-dark-wreckreation-south-park-snow-day-and-more/
At THQ Nordic Digital Showcase 2023, the publisher announced TMNT: The Last Ronin and SOUTH PARK: SNOW DAY!. Moreover, THQ Nordic shared new trailers for Alone in the Dark, Trine 5, Tempest Rising, Space For Sale and Last Train. As such, we’ve decided to share all of them in one big article.
>> Alex_The_Hedgehog has made a thread about the South Park trailer.

Baldur’s Gate 3 Hotfix 3 released, fixing over 200 bugs & issues
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/baldurs-gate-3-hotfix-3-released-fixing-over-200-bugs-issues/
Yesterday, Larian Studios released the second hotfix for Baldur’s Gate 3 which resolved over 300 crashes and bugs. And in just a day, the developers released Hotfix 3 which addresses over 200 bugs and issues.

STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl release date potentially leaked
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/stalker-2-heart-of-chornobyl-release-date-potentially-leaked/
It appears that the release date for the highly anticipated STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl may have been leaked by Koch Media’s Store. However, since this date has not been confirmed by GSC GameWorld, we strongly suggest taking it with a grain of salt.

Battlefield 2042 Patch 5.2.1 released, and here are all its fixes, tweaks and changes
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/battlefield-2042-patch-5-2-1-released-and-here-are-all-its-fixes-tweaks-and-changes/
DICE has just released Patch 5.2.1 for Battlefield 2042, and revealed its complete changelog/update notes. Patch 5.2.1 is a small Quality of Life Update to address some immediate issues that have been brought to DICE’s attention following the release of the Battlefield 2042 Update 5.2.