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

[JEMC]

The news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

Steam has one new deal: 部落与弯刀 Sands of Salzaar is going to be 60% off until the 31st of December: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1094520/_Sands_of_Salzaar/.

And at Fanatical, yesterday’s Star Deal has been extended for another 24 hours. You know where to find it.

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

The Nvidia App is damaging frame rates in some games, on some PCs, with Nvidia staffers recommending you nix the Game Filters overlay as a potential solution to the problem
https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/the-nvidia-app-is-damaging-frame-rates-in-some-games-on-some-pcs-with-nvidia-staffers-recommending-you-nix-the-game-filters-overlay-as-a-potential-solution-to-the-problem/
Recent reports have surfaced suggesting the new Nvidia App, fresh out of beta, is harming the gaming performance of some PCs. We've conducted some of our own testing, with up to a 12% frame rate hit on one PC, and no performance issues on another. But if you do find yourself with an issue, there at least looks to be a temporary fix that doesn't mean you have to uninstall the application altogether.
(...)
As pointed out by one Nvidia staff member (via VideoCardz) in the GeForce forums, the lead theory is that this issue is related to the 'Game Filters and Photo Mode' and turning that overlay off specifically will help performance.
>> Hardware Unboxed made a video about it confirming the results.

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Super Mario 64 Just Got a Hard Mode With Lots of Gore & Blood
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/super-mario-64-just-got-a-hard-mode-with-gore-blood/
Now here is something cool for all Super Mario 64 fans. Modder ‘TheIncredibleHolc’ has released a mod for Super Mario 64 that adds to it a new Hard Mode, with lots of gore and blood.
This mod started as a port of Kaze’s Unfair Mario 64. However, it quickly evolved into a new romhack for the classic Super Mario game.
So, Super Mario 64 Gore/Hard Mode features 120 completely obtainable stars. It also has 20 collectable challenge trophies with a special prize if you unlock them all.
The mod changes the game’s player behavior. So, get ready for splats, crunches, chomps, and lots of new ways to die. All the original enemies now act in new and tougher ways. Some levels are also harder than before. Plus, you can discover new secret boss fights that weren’t in the original game.
Alongside the standard Hard Mode, there is also the “I Wanna Be The Guy Mode” Mode. This mode plays identical to the mod, but you start at zero stars. On death, all progress (Stars, keys, flags) will all be reset back to 0.
Finally, you will find some togglable options in the Mod Menu. Right now, the mod offers the following ones. Romhack Compatibility, Enable Hell on Game-over, Enable PVP deaths, Enable IWBTG Mode, and Enable Dizzyness.
>> The article has a long video, close to an hour.

Unreal Tournament 3 Just Got an AI-Upscaled 4K Texture Pack
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/unreal-tournament-3-just-got-an-ai-upscaled-4k-texture-pack/
Modder ‘ParallaxTiger’ has released an AI-upscaled 4K Texture Pack for Unreal Tournament 3. This pack is around 7GB in size, and will enhance almost all of the game’s textures. So, let’s take a closer look at it.
The mod pack improves many parts of the game. It updates items, power-ups, environments, skies, decals, particle effects, weapons, and character portraits. It also enhances the screens for selecting maps and game types. Most characters have better textures now. For example, players will see improved textures on first-person arms and hands for all races. Character gore, skeletons (human and Krall), and Corrupt shrapnel also look better.
>> The article has some screenshots.

This Red Dead Redemption 2 Mod Adds Next-Gen Fur to Animals
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/this-red-dead-redemption-2-mod-adds-next-gen-fur-to-animals/
Modder ‘Tahitian Mango’ has released a new mod that brings next-gen fur to all animals in Red Dead Redemption 2. This mod will significantly enhance all the animals that have fur. However, it’s meant mostly for those who own high-end GPUs.
Going into more details, this mod improves the fur on all fur-bearing animals and puts an end to the jitter. It also restores the fluffy donkey.
To achieve this next-gen fur, the modder has increased the fur’s level of detail with more strands and more height layers. The main version has 3X strands and X10 height layers. On the other hand, the lite version 2X strands and X5 height layers.
Now the reason I say this mod is mostly for those with high-end GPUs is because it comes with a big performance hit. The mod will lower your performance by 10-15FPS. However, during bear attacks, the performance hit may be even higher than that.
As said, there is also a lite version that you can try. Its image quality, though, is not up to what the main version achieves. The good news here is that the lite version looks better than the vanilla fur. However, the main version – which looks arguably better – requires a high-end graphics card.
>> In the article you’ll find both screenshots and a video.

GAMING NEWS

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Patch 2 Released & Detailed
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/indiana-jones-and-the-great-circle-patch-2-released-detailed/
MachineGames has released the second update for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and shared its full patch notes. So, let’s see what this new patch brings to the table.

EXODUS is a new Mass Effect game from ex-Bioware devs
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/exodus-is-a-new-mass-effect-game-from-ex-bioware-devs/
As promised, Archetype Entertainment released the first gameplay trailer for EXODUS. And, as you will see, this looks and feels like a new Mass Effect game. So, make sure to watch the trailer if you are a fan of ME.

Path of Exile 2 Title Update 0.1.0e Released, Full Patch Notes
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/path-of-exile-2-title-update-0-1-0e-released-full-patch-notes/
Grinding Gear Games has released Title Update 0.1.0e for Path of Exile 2, and shared its full patch notes. This new update is around 411MB in size on PC, and packs over 130 fixes, tweaks and changes. So, let’s take a closer look at them.

Lost Soul Aside is officially coming to PC in 2025
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/lost-soul-aside-is-officially-coming-to-pc-in-2025/
Sony and UltiZeroGames have announced that their upcoming action RPG, Lost Soul Aside, will be officially coming to PC in 2025. To celebrate this announcement, the teams shared a new gameplay trailer that you can find below.