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

[JEMC]

Welcome to the "How can it be blue Monday when there are so many gaming news?" and other similar BS intros I come up with for the news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

GOG gives us two new Deals of the Day and a new sale:

• These are the DotD, that will last until Wednesday:
  • The first one is Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Master Collection, with a 75% deal: https://www.gog.com/en/game/warhammer_40000_dawn_of_war
  • The second one is Alone in the Dark: The Trilogy 1+2+3, 80% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/alone_in_the_dark_the_trilogy_123
• And to fight the blue Monday, there's the Cheer Up Sale, with up to 90% discounts during 7 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/2024_blue_monday_cheer_up

Steam only has one new deal: Hacknet will be 85% off until the 21st of January: https://store.steampowered.com/app/365450/Hacknet/

Humble Bundle presents the new Awesome Games Done Quick 2024 Bundle, with 8 items to get during 11 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/games/awesome-games-done-quick-2024.

And Fanatical has two new deals/sales:

• The new Star Deal is DREDGE, 40% off during 48 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/dredge
• And the January Savers Sale features up to 90% discounts during 14 days. Check them out here

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

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MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Prey Hi-Def 3.0 Graphics Overhaul Mod Released
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/prey-hi-def-3-0-graphics-overhaul-mod-released/
Modder ‘y2keeth’ has released a brand new version of his Hi-Def Graphics Overhaul Mod for the original Prey game. This mod brings new high-quality textures to the game. So, if you plan to replay it, you should definitely get it.
To demonstrate the new textures, the modder shared the following screenshots. These screenshots should give you an idea of what you can expect from it. As you can see, the game can now look really sharp. So yeah, this is a mod that we highly recommend using. At the end of the article, you can also find a showcase video.
Sadly, y2keeth has not shared any additional details. Thus, we don’t really know whether this latest version improves the polygon count of enemies. We also don’t know whether or not it improves the quality of shadows. So, consider this an HD Texture Pack.
>> There is also a video.

Tomb Raider looks incredible with RTX Remix Path Tracing
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/tomb-raider-rtx-remix-path-tracing/
YouTube’s ‘skurtyyskirts’ is currently working on an RTX Remix Mod for the first Tomb Raider game. This RTX Remix Mod will add Full Ray Tracing/Path Tracing to this classic title, and below you can find some new screenshots from it.
From what I know, these screenshots are not from the upcoming Open Beta Build of NVIDIA RTX Remix. In other words, they are based on the NVIDIA RTX Remix Runtime that came out last year. So, in theory, this mod will look even better once NVIDIA launches the Open Beta phase of RTX Remix.
As we can see, the lighting can literally transform this classic third-person action adventure game. The visual improvements are beyond what Reshade Ray Tracing can achieve. And, well, that shouldn’t come as a surprise. After all, RTX Remix implements proper Path Tracing.
For those wondering, this mod is not yet available for download. There is also no ETA on when it will come out. Naturally, though, we’ll be sure to keep you posted.
>> The article only has 4 screenshots.

Someone has recreated Flappy Bird in Unreal Engine 5
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/flappy-bird-remake-unreal-engine-5/
Remember Flappy Bird? Well, YouTube’s ‘Zaidadoo’ has released a remake of this game in Unreal Engine 5. Zaidadoo has recreated this game from the ground up so that he can bring it into the modern era with improved graphics and game mechanics using Unreal Engine 5.
Now there are some good and some bad news. The good news is that this fan remake of Flappy Bird is complete and available for download. The bad news is that it’s behind a Patreon wall. So yeah, that kind of sucks. I mean, I was willing to try this Flappy Bird Remake in UE5 in case it was free. After all, I wasn’t a big fan of this mobile game.
Anyway, you can at least watch the following video which showcases the game in action. So, you can at least get an idea of how this fan remake looks and plays like. It’s really cool and I understand why its creator is charging money for it. However, I don’t see it becoming viral anytime soon.
Zaidadoo is also working on a remake of Pac-Man 3D in Unreal Engine 5. Now that’s a remake I’d most likely pay money to play. I mean, I was a huge fan of Pac-Mania back in the Amstrad CPC days. And, from what I’ve seen, this upcoming remake of Pac-Man 3D looks pretty cool.

Max Payne Remixed With Path Tracing Will Blow You Away, Demo Available for Download
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/max-payne-remixed-path-tracing-demo-download/
Max Payne fans, here is something special for you today. Modder ‘Slasks Psykbunker’ has just released a demo of Max Payne Remixed. Max Payne Remixed is one of the best examples of RTX Remix Mods, adding Path Tracing to this classic title.
This RTX Remix Mod features detailed PBR textures and custom light sources. Additionally, it comes with remastered models and assets. As such, it’s miles better than the COD4 RTX Remix Mod we shared yesterday.
It’s also worth noting that this RTX Remix Mod supports NVIDIA’s DLSS. Thus, owners of an RTX GPU will be able to improve overall performance by enabling it.
>> The article has some screenshots and a video.

Final Fantasy 7 has been remastered on PC with widescreen support, better backgrounds and a new world camera
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/final-fantasy-7-mods-widescreen-backgrounds-world-camera/
Modder ‘Cosmos’ has released two amazing mods for the classic 1997 version of Final Fantasy 7. These two mods add proper widescreen support, overhaul all of the background images, and introduce a new world camera.
As said, there are two new mods for FF7: Cosmos Limit Break and Cosmos Gaia. The first one, Cosmos Limit Break, improves all the backgrounds in the game and adds widescreen support. The modder used a mix of AI and manual editing, and the end result is seriously amazing. This is what a proper remaster of FF7 should look like.
On the other hand, Cosmos Gaia gives the world map a major upgrade by changing how the terrain looks. You can now move and control the camera more smoothly, almost like using an analog stick. Plus, there’s cool real-time lighting and you can see much farther. So, consider this a major QoL improvement.
By using these two mods, you can experience Final Fantasy 7 like never before. This may be the ultimate way to re-experience this classic. So, if you plan on replaying it, we suggest doing it with these mods.
>> There's an over 5 minutes video of this mod.

Here are 35 Mods to improve Fallout New Vegas’ gunplay
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/35-mods-fallout-new-vegas-gunplay/
YouTube’s ‘Mutant Mods’ has shared a list of mods that will significantly improve the gunplay mechanics of Fallout: New Vegas. These mods are a must for everyone who wants to replay this Fallout game. So, let’s take a closer look at them.
>> The article also has an almost 15 minutes video.

The creator of Delicious in Dungeon drew portraits of the Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 cast you can use in-game
https://www.pcgamer.com/the-creator-of-delicious-in-dungeon-drew-portraits-of-the-baldurs-gate-1-and-2-cast-you-can-use-in-game/
I've watched the first two episodes of the anime version of Delicious in Dungeon, which is based on Ryoko Kui's manga, and been well-pleased with how it's been adapted. (...)
It's also extremely game-y. Delicious in Dungeon is the closest thing to a Wizardry anime since, well, the Wizardry anime from 1991, and feels a lot like someone's D&D campaign. (...)
Which makes sense, because Ryoko Kui is a fan of CRPGs. On her blog she's drawn fan art of Planescape: Torment, Pathfinder: Kingmaker, and Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, as well as portraits of the characters from the first two Baldur's Gate games, which really capture Imoen's journey from happy-go-lucky scamp to hardened adventurer.
The portraits have even been packaged up as a mod called Baldur's Gate 2: Anime Edition, should you want your next replay of the classic CRPG to be a little more fabulous. Just download the Portraits folder, then copy it into Baldur's Gate II – Enhanced Edition in your Documents. I can't wait to see the cast off Baldur's Gate 3 in this style.
>> There is only one screenshot.

The creator of the canceled Portal 64 demake says, 'Don't be mad at Valve here'
https://www.pcgamer.com/the-creator-of-the-canceled-portal-64-demake-says-dont-be-mad-at-valve-here/
Programmer and Nintendo Jedi James Lambert has spent the last couple of years working on a demake of Valve's first-person puzzler Portal for the Nintendo 64, a machine I wasn't sure could even display a proper circle let alone a moveable hole in reality you can use to teleport through 3D space in real-time. That project, Portal 64, was recently canceled after Valve's lawyers asked Lambert to take it down.
In a new video Lambert made it clear that he expected this, and he doesn't want people who were excited about the project to be upset at Valve. "I don't blame them at all," he said, "and I don't think you should either. Don't be mad at Valve here. The project was probably doomed to be taken down from the beginning."

GAMING NEWS

SMITE 2 officially revealed, to be powered by Unreal Engine 5, first trailer
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/smite-2-unreal-engine-5-first-trailer/
Hi-Rez Studios has officially announced SMITE 2. SMITE 2 will be powered by Unreal Engine 5, and below you can find its debut in-engine trailer.

Lords of the Fallen Patch 1.1.430 Released, Packing Over 80+ Enhancements & Optimisations
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/lords-of-the-fallen-patch-1-1-430/
Hexworks has released patch 1.1.430 for its latest Souls-like game, Lords of the Fallen, packing over 80+ enhancements and optimisations. So, let’s take a closer look at them.

Unreal Engine 5-powered dinosaur shooter, Instinction, gets a 7-minute gameplay video
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/unreal-engine-5-dinosaur-shooter-instinction-7-minute-gameplay-video/
Hashbane just dropped a new 7-minute gameplay video for their upcoming dino game, Instinction. The video shows Izzy, the main character, checking out some of the game’s early areas. Just a heads up, though – there aren’t any dinosaurs in this video, so don’t get too hyped up about that.
>> The article lies. There are dinosaurs in the video.