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

[JEMC]

We’re already Thursday and these are the news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

The guys at the Epic Store have changed their minds and offer two free games this week:

• The Bridge: https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/the-bridge
• Deus Ex: Mankind Divided: https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/deus-ex-mankind-divided-4c6370

Next week, the free games will be Call of the Wild: The Angler and Invincible Presents: Atom Eve.

Steam has Train Valley 2 with a 65% discount until the 21st of March: https://store.steampowered.com/app/602320/Train_Valley_2/.

There’s a new Humble Bundle: the Plaion: The Hits – Saints Row & Red Faction Bundle, with up to 10 games & DLCs to get during 20 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/games/plaion-hits-saints-row-red-faction-collection.

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

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MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

This Dark Souls 2 Mod adds dynamic shadows, better textures, better skyboxes, better normal maps, better water & more
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/dark-souls-2-graphics-mod-dynamic-shadows-better-textures/
Modder ‘fromsoftserve’ has released a must-have graphics mod for the original version of Dark Souls 2. This mod aims to significantly improve the graphics and visuals of the game. So, let’s take a closer look at what it brings to the table.
Vanilla DS2 Remastered adds to the game dynamic shadows, better textures, better skyboxes, and better normal maps. Moreover, it brings better mesh/texture lods, and better water reflections. Not only that but it allows torches to cast shadows onto more of the environment.
Going into even more details, the mod adds shadows to trees, houses, grass, buildings, and pretty much everything else that didn’t have shadows before. Plus, it makes the textures look way better by doubling their resolution. The modder also made new normal maps for walls and floors to make them look even cooler. Oh, and he turned the water from not-reflecting to reflecting, and added more stuff to see in the reflections. So, the game now looks way, way better than before.
As said, this mod is for the original version of DS2. You can’t use it with Scholar of the First Sin. However, fromsoftserve has released a similar mod for Scholar of the First Sin that you can download from this article.
>> The article has some screenshots.

GAMING NEWS

Empire of the Ants promises mindblowing graphics thanks to Unreal Engine 5
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/empire-of-the-ants-promises-mindblowing-graphics-thanks-to-unreal-engine-5/
IGN has shared a new in-engine trailer for the Unreal Engine 5-powered Empire of the Ants, which appears to pack incredible visuals. Developed by Tower Five, Empire of the Ants promises to offer mindblowing graphics that will impress players.

TopSpin 2K25 is coming to PC on April 26th
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/topspin-2k25-is-coming-to-pc-on-april-26th/
2K Games has announced that TopSpin 2K25, a revival of the beloved tennis video game simulation series, will be released on April 26th. The game will boast a roster of over 24 playable pros, TopSpin Academy training center voiced by tennis legend John McEnroe, competitive single-player, and multiplayer modes, all four historic Grand Slam tournaments, and much more.

Here are over 4 hours of gameplay footage from Delta Force: Hawk Ops
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/4-hours-gameplay-delta-force-hawk-ops/
YouTube’s ‘Virgin Wizard’ has shared a video, showcasing over 4 hours of gameplay from the upcoming Delta Force game, Delta Force: Hawk Ops. This video was captured from an event that took place earlier this month.

Diablo 4 Ray Tracing Update Launches on March 26th
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/diablo-4-ray-tracing-update-launches-on-march-26th/
NVIDIA has revealed that the Ray Tracing Update for Diablo 4 will be released on March 26th. This update will add to the game ray-traced reflections and shadows.

Star Wars Outlaws will support NVIDIA DLSS 3, Ray Tracing and Reflex
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/star-wars-outlaws-will-support-nvidia-dlss-3-ray-tracing-and-reflex/
NVIDIA has announced that it has partnered with Ubisoft and Lucasfilm Games for Star Wars Outlaws. As such, the game will support NVIDIA’s DLSS 3 and Reflex, as well as Ray Tracing effects.

New Portal With RTX Update Adds Support for DLSS 3.5 & RTX IO
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/new-portal-with-rtx-update-adds-support-for-dlss-3-5-rtx-io/
NVIDIA announced the release of a new update for Portal with RTX. This update adds support for DLSS 3.5 Ray Reconstruction and RTX IO. Basically, these will make the game look even better and run smoother. The Ray Reconstruction tech makes the Ray Tracing effects in the game look even better, while RTX IO makes everything load faster.

Black Myth: Wukong will have Ray Tracing Global Illumination, Shadows & Reflections on PC
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/black-myth-wukong-will-have-ray-tracing-global-illumination-shadows-reflections-on-pc/
Black Myth: Wukong is one of my most anticipated games of 2023. This third-person action game will be released on August 20th, and it will have full Ray Tracing effects on PC.