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

[JEMC]

The long second part of the Monday news (seriously, PCGamer is going nuts with the amount of articles as of late):

Beat Slayer scratches both my Hi-Fi Rush and Hades itches, even if its functional soundtrack is short a few bangers
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/beat-slayer-scratches-both-my-hi-fi-rush-and-hades-itches-even-if-its-functional-soundtrack-is-short-a-few-bangers/
It's not a surprise that I've enjoyed what I've played of Beat Slayer so far. I like roguelikes, I like action games—and while I'm not much of a rhythm fiend, I adored Hi-Fi Rush. After taking Beat Slayer's demo for a whirl, I'm already impressed, even if it doesn't quite fire on all cylinders.

Acclaimed indie studio Vlambeer springs back to life 4 years after declaring 'the end of Vlambeer'
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/acclaimed-indie-studio-vlambeer-springs-back-to-life-4-years-after-declaring-the-end-of-vlambeer/
Few things seemed like more of a closed book to me than Vlambeer, the developer of Luftrausers, Nuclear Throne, and Ridiculous Fishing. A studio made up of Jan Nijman and Rami Ismail, Vlambeer shut its doors in September 2020 after 10 years in business, and announced "the end of Vlambeer" in a short, straightforward Twitter post. It was time for both its members to move onto new things.
Or not. Because in another post on Twitter yesterday, Nijman put out a "videogame company acquisition announcement" revealing that he now owns "100% of Vlambeer." In a tweet around the same time, Ismail announced that he had "sold my 50% of my old games studio Vlambeer to co-founder [Nijman]." Vlambeer, it seems, is back from the dead, albeit without Ismail's involvement.

WoW Classic Season of Discovery phase 3 is live—with a raised cap of level 50, 54 new runes, a fresh 20-player raid, and an unruly Emerald Dream
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/world-of-warcraft/wow-classic-season-of-discovery-phase-3-is-livewith-a-raised-cap-of-level-50-54-new-runes-a-fresh-20-player-raid-and-an-unruly-emerald-dream/
WoW Classic's Season of Discovery has been a chaotic, but overall impressive experiment, all told. While it's had its speed bumps when it comes to grappling with older server tech and designing its world PvP, it's also got that harebrained vibe usually reserved for private servers and the like. Tanking rogues, healing mages—spaghetti is meeting the wall at an unprecedented pace.
>> The devs are “aiming for fun, not perfect balance”. Take it as you want.

Palia studio Singularity 6 is the latest studio to suffer layoffs
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/mmo/palia-studio-singularity-6-is-the-latest-studio-to-suffer-layoffs/
Singularity 6, the studio behind the cosy MMO Palia, is the latest developer to suffer layoffs. Just under 50 developers, around one third of the company, have been let go according to Polygon reporter Nicole Carpenter.

Square Enix reportedly didn't want Life is Strange: True Colors to be thought of as the 'gay game'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/adventure/square-enix-didnt-want-life-is-strange-true-colors-to-be-thought-of-as-the-gay-game/
A new IGN report on Life is Strange: True Colors studio Deck Nine contains numerous allegations of dysfunction at the studio, as well as the surprising claim that publisher Square Enix was reluctant to embrace the series' underlying themes—to the point that it told the studio it didn't want Life is Strange to become known as the "gay game."

Somehow Dark Souls was the inspiration for player messages in the kindest MMO around
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/mmo/somehow-dark-souls-was-the-inspiration-for-player-messages-in-the-kindest-mmo-around/
The prevailing reputation of Journey's multiplayer system is one of anonymous kindness and emotional connection, which is about as opposite as you can get from the experience of multiplayer in Dark Souls games (unless you're visited by the fashion police or Let Me Solo Her, that is). I wouldn't have thought there was anything in a Souls game for Thatgamecompany to draw inspiration from in its extremely kind MMO Sky: Children of the Light, and yet that's exactly what its message system is based on.

Star Wars Outlaws story trailer will debut next week
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/star-wars-outlaws-story-trailer-will-debut-next-week/
Brace yourselves, Star Wars fans: A new trailer for Ubisoft's upcoming Star Wars Outlaws is set to debut on April 9.
>> And fans are excited about getting new info regarding the Splinter Cell remake… in June.

This base-building automation game looks like Factorio in space with bullet hell combat and Dyson spheres
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/this-base-building-automation-game-looks-like-factorio-in-space-with-bullet-hell-combat-and-dyson-spheres/
Ever watch a game trailer and think "I don't know what the hell is going on here but I know I like it"? That's how I feel about Final Factory, which looks like a Factorio-style automation game, only set in outer space, and it also has bullet hell combat, plus a space station design system, and hey, why not power the whole thing with a Dyson sphere?

I've waited so long for this freaky Lovecraftian point and click adventure that my life completely changed in the meantime, but it's finally out on PC
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/adventure/ive-waited-so-long-for-this-freaky-lovecraftian-point-and-click-adventure-that-my-life-completely-changed-in-the-meantime-but-its-finally-out-on-pc/
Since I first wrote about the demo for cosmic horror adventure game Desolatium all the way back in January 2022, I've been hired full time by PC Gamer, gotten Covid, adopted a dog, and traveled out of the country three times. You know what hasn't changed? Desolatium still looks rad as hell. The Lovecraftian (literally set in the Cthulhu Mythos) point and click is finally available on Steam for a launch sale price of $13.

Cyberpunk 2077 quest lead says we still haven't found every easter egg
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/cyberpunk-2077-quest-lead-says-we-still-havent-found-every-easter-egg/
In an interview with IGN at the Game Developers Conference, CD Projekt associate game director Paweł Sasko revealed that we've still got to do some digging if we want to find every secret in Cyberpunk 2077.

Larian publishing director on mass layoffs: 'None of these companies are at risk of going bankrupt. They were just at risk of pissing off the shareholders'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/larian-publishing-director-on-mass-layoffs-none-of-these-companies-are-at-risk-of-going-bankrupt-they-were-just-at-risk-of-pissing-off-the-shareholders/
Speaking with Game File (users will encounter a paywall) at the Game Developers Choice Awards, Larian director of publishing Michael Douse gave his take on the current state of the industry, including some sharp criticism on the wave after wave of mass layoffs we've been seeing.

Frostpunk 2's beta hits on April 15
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/city-builder/frostpunk-2s-beta-hits-on-april-15/
Frostpunk 2's beta will release in the next couple weeks, available from April 15-22 for people who've pre-ordered the Digital Delxue Edition of the upcoming survival city-builder.

Use towers, traps, and guns to repel spaceship boarders in tower defense-shooter hybrid Sentry
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/use-towers-traps-and-guns-to-repel-boarders-on-your-spaceship-in-tower-defense-shooter-hybrid-sentry/
An indie tower defense/shooter hybrid that hit Steam Early Access late last month is getting pretty positive reviews from early players. In Sentry your job is to defend a ship of frozen human survivors fleeing alien attack by setting up a gauntlet of traps, tricks, and environmental hazards between enemy boarders and the energy core of your ship.

Darktide's first update for 2024 revises penances, adds puzzles, pox gas, and a new enemy
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/darktides-first-update-for-2024-revises-penances-adds-puzzles-pox-gas-and-a-new-enemy/
While it's had several hotfixes already this year, Darktide will be getting its first significant 2024 update in late April. As developer Fatshark explains on its blog, this update—called the Path of Redemption—includes a reinvented penance system. Previously, penances were achievements that occasionally rewarded players with a cosmetic. Under the revised system, the points earned for completing them will progress you along a track of cosmetic rewards including, "frames, insignias, trinkets, emotes, end of round poses, character cosmetics, and weapon skins" as well as backpacks, titles, and cosmetics based on the outfits worn by the characters in Darktide's trailers and art.

The three parts of Total War: Warhammer 3's next DLC, Thrones of Decay, will be available individually
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/the-three-parts-of-total-war-warhammer-3s-next-dlc-thrones-of-decay-will-be-available-individually/
Following complaints about a price increase and widespread perception of a drop in value, the previous DLC for Total War: Warhammer 3, Shadows of Change, was significantly expanded to make it better value. Creative Assembly isn't done placating its audience, and has announced the next DLC, Thrones of Decay, which expands three of the game's armies, will be available in three separate parts.