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

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Get ready for the second part of the news:

Nightdive's spent 6 years on its update of System Shock 2, so it's now the '25th Anniversary Remaster' and will finally announce its release date on March 20
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/nightdives-spent-6-years-on-its-update-of-system-shock-2-so-its-now-the-25th-anniversary-remaster-and-will-finally-announce-its-release-date-on-march-20/
Being, as I am, a fashionable man with his finger on the pulse, interested in only the latest and greatest that the videogame world has to offer, the game I'm probably most excited about this year is System Shock 2: Enhanced Edition. That's Nightdive's remaster (not remake, let's be clear) of the original 1999 classic, one of my favourite games of all time. If Nightdive can do for SS2 what it did for System Shock 1 in its enhanced edition of that, I'll be very happy.
Except it's not called System Shock 2: Enhanced Edition anymore, apparently. It's just unveiled itself as System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster, which is a pretty nice way of spinning the six years since it was announced all the way back in 2019. When life gives you lemons, make the lemonade look like it was your plan all along.

Presumably much to Miyazaki's dismay, Elden Ring Nightreign is decidedly void of poison swamps: 'Maybe no one wanted to include it'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/roguelike/presumably-much-to-miyazakis-dismay-elden-ring-nightreign-is-decidedly-void-of-poison-swamps-maybe-no-one-wanted-to-include-it/
As we know all too well at this point, Elden Ring director Hidetaka Miyazaki freaking loves a poison swamp. They've become a staple of FromSoftware's environments, a lovely poisonous debuff enveloping you while scraggly little creatures try to chip away at your health even further. Back in 2022, he said he "rediscovered" his love for a good old toxic bog, adding "I know how people feel about them but I suddenly realize I'm in the middle of making one and I can't help myself. It just happens."
He then admitted last year that maybe he went a little overboard with chucking them in every single game, though of course there was still one in Shadow of the Erdtree. One upcoming FromSoft game that notably doesn't include a poison swamp, however, is Elden Ring's roguelike spinoff Nightreign.

Dark and Darker developer did not commit copyright infringement, court rules, but has to pay Nexon nearly $6 million anyway
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/dark-and-darker-developer-did-not-commit-copyright-infringement-court-rules-but-has-to-pay-nexon-nearly-usd6-million-anyway/
A South Korean court has ruled that Dark and Darker developer Ironmace did not commit copyright infringement against Nexon, according to a Korea Times report. But Ironmace is going to have to fork over some bucks anyway, because the court also ruled that it did infringe on Nexon's trade secrets.

Just two weeks after launch, 'extraction survival horror' game Level Zero: Extraction ends development: 'It's no longer feasible for our relatively small teams to sustain the game'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/just-two-weeks-after-launch-extraction-survival-horror-game-level-zero-extraction-ends-development-its-no-longer-feasible-for-our-relatively-small-teams-to-sustain-the-game/
Just two weeks after launching on Steam, "multiplayer extraction survival horror" shooter Level Zero: Extraction has reached the end of the road. In a message posted to Steam, community manager Antishyr said the game has "underperformed compared to our expectations," and thus "it's no longer feasible for our relatively small teams to sustain the game from a financial standpoint."

'We should be a little scared of what we're putting out there': Overwatch 2 lead designer says hero perks are about 'letting go' of perfect balance
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/we-should-be-a-little-scared-of-what-were-putting-out-there-overwatch-2-lead-designer-says-hero-perks-are-about-letting-go-of-perfect-balance/
This week, Blizzard threw a curveball at Overwatch 2 fans just a few months shy of its ninth anniversary. As of next week, Overwatch 2's static heroes will level up throughout a match with mini-skill trees. Blizzard calls them perks, and based on my playtime with them, they're the single largest shakeup of Overwatch's format since 5v5—one perk lets Mercy's blue beam change to two allies at all times, another gives Reaper an entirely secondary fire, and my favorite trades Orisa's javelin spin for a barrier, letting her pivot to a defensive tank role.
While it's natural to question if Overwatch's pivot to mid-game power ups is a direct response to Marvel Rivals' team-up abilities that can similarly elevate heroes, Overwatch 2 lead gameplay designer Alec Dawson told a roundtable of press at Blizzard's Irvine campus this week that perks were in the works long before Rivals was the new hero shooter hotness. That said, the motivation ultimately came from a growing feeling that Overwatch was at risk of stagnating.

Indie FPS developer targets content creators who take undisclosed payments from rival developers and then dunk on his game: 'You and I will have legal problems'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/indie-fps-developer-targets-content-creators-who-take-undisclosed-payments-from-rival-developers-and-then-dunk-on-his-game-you-and-i-will-have-legal-problems/
The developer of independent military shooter Operation: Harsh Doorstop has waded into the thorny topic of streamers and YouTubers getting paid for positive coverage of video games, taking specific issue with content creators who accept large payments for producing positive reviews of one game, then disparage other, similar games that they haven't been paid directly to review.
Connor Drake, Operation: Harsh Doorstop's lead developer, who goes by the online monicker BlueDrake42, posted a "warning" on X last week (via GamesRadar) to "every content creator", in light of an imminent update to his game. "If you have taken over $10,000 USD in payments from studios we compete with in the last 12 months and you don't disclose that in any 'review', you create about our game, then you and I will have legal problems."
>> It feels like he’s asking for trouble. Not that he’s wrong, tho.

Planet Coaster 2's latest update adds synchronised rides, customisable video billboards, and stops guests suffering from perpetual panic
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/planet-coaster-2s-latest-update-adds-synchronised-rides-customisable-video-billboards-and-stops-guests-suffering-from-perpetual-panic/
Planet Coaster 2 has been quietly expanding its virtual theme parks since the sequel launched last November. Just before Christmas, the game's first major update enhanced the simulation of its new flume rides, and improved the user interface—one of the main sources of criticism from the community on launch. Now, a second update has splashed down into Planet Coaster 2's glittering pools, letting you create your own video billboards for your park, as well as the advertisements played on them.

We can't have Bloodborne on PC but we can have Mudborne, a thematically similar game about breeding frogs
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/we-cant-have-bloodborne-on-pc-but-we-can-have-mudborne-a-thematically-similar-game-about-breeding-frogs/
Awoken from a long hibernation, you find the pond abandoned and ruined. Through genetic manipulation of local frogs and plants you must restore your world, solving puzzles across frog generations in order to meet odd little goals—a bit of mad science experimentation along the way is encouraged. It's not Bloodborne, it's Mudborne, which is set to release in March.

Monster Hunter producer says 'There are more players than ever playing on PC, including in Japan,' and that the series' handheld wilderness years prepared them for Wilds' day 1 PC launch and crossplay
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/monster-hunter-producer-says-there-are-more-players-than-ever-playing-on-pc-including-in-japan-and-that-the-series-handheld-wilderness-years-prepared-them-for-wilds-day-1-pc-launch-and-crossplay/
Speaking with GamesRadar, Monster Hunter Wilds producer Ryozo Tsujimoto talked about Capcom's evolving stance toward PC gamers, and some of what it took to make Monster Hunter Wilds a simultaneous launch on all platforms with crossplay.

Former EA exec says the ailing mega-publisher missed a chance to snag Blizzard and other heavy hitters before Activision: 'EA saw all those first and passed on all of them'
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/former-ea-exec-says-the-ailing-mega-publisher-missed-a-chance-to-snag-blizzard-and-other-heavy-hitters-before-activision-ea-saw-all-those-first-and-passed-on-all-of-them/
As reported by IGN, former EA chief creative officer Bing Gordon revealed on a recent Grit podcast appearance that the company had turned down opportunities to own Call of Duty and Guitar Hero, and even acquire Blizzard. Gordon was speaking to former Activision CEO Bobby Kotick, whose company wound up capitalizing on all of those games.

Lae'zel's voice actor Devora Wilde also auditioned for Shadowheart, Karlach, 'And probably Astarion?'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/baldurs-gate/laezels-voice-actor-devora-wilde-also-auditioned-for-shadowheart-karlach-and-probably-astarion/
GINX TV's video series The Games That Made Me has featured interviews with several cast members of Baldur's Gate 3, including Astarion actor Neil Newbon, who talked about his work on Fallout London. The latest is with Devora Wilde, who plays Lae'zel with such snarling ferocity it's tough to imagine her as any of the other characters. And yet, as she told GINX, she auditioned for several roles in Larian's romance-em-up.

Metal Eden is a movement-shooter that looks like cyberpunk Doom Eternal
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/metal-eden-is-a-movement-shooter-that-looks-like-cyberpunk-doom-eternal/
Buried in the onslaught of Sony's State of Play announcements—a scattershot blast of Too Much Videogame I'm still tweezering out pellets of—was the announcement of Metal Eden. Being developed by Polish studio Reikon, who formerly made birdseye action game Ruiner, Metal Eden's only been seen briefly before, back when it was codenamed Final Form.

Mintrocket's director is delighted to bring Like a Dragon's Ichiban into Dave the Diver, 'It's been a dream of mine to invite these iconic characters into Dave’s world'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/adventure/mintrockets-director-is-delighted-to-bring-like-a-dragons-ichiban-into-dave-the-diver-its-been-a-dream-of-mine-to-invite-these-iconic-characters-into-daves-world/
Normally I feel about brand crossovers the same way I feel about poutine. Gravy and chips are both wonderful things when eaten separately, but combine them and you end up with a soggy mush that loses all sense of texture. But I'm willing to give Dave the Diver's latest Like a Dragon DLC crossover a pass, because the story behind it is really rather sweet. The latest DLC for Mintrocket's wildly successful aquatic adventure brings Like a Dragon's Ichiban and several other characters and minigames from the series into Dave the Diver.

Saber Interactive's head honcho pulled a wild stunt to nab the Halo: Combat Evolved remaster, telling Microsoft he'd do the job for free before ultimately squeezing the publisher for millions
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/halo/saber-interactives-head-honcho-pulled-a-wild-stunt-to-nab-the-halo-combat-evolved-remaster-telling-microsoft-hed-do-the-job-for-free-before-ultimately-squeezing-the-publisher-for-millions/
If you've ever wondered how Saber Interactive ended up handling the remaster of one of the biggest shooters of all time, well, Saber's CEO Matthew Karch recently regaled journalist Stephen Totilo with the tale of landing the contract for Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, and includes some of the most absurd business shenanigans I've read about for a long time.

Dawnfolk is a satisfying city builder puzzle game that works great on Steam Deck
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/plop-tiles-to-drive-back-darkness-and-build-cute-cities-in-strategic-puzzler-dawnfolk/
Somewhere between puzzle and strategy game is Dawnfolk, a tile-placement city builder that has you plopping down buildings in order to gather resources so that you can build a settlement capable of driving back a supernatural darkness that has overtaken the world. From the fiery center of your camp you spread out across different terrain types, playing minigames to harvest their resources and placing buildings on what remains.