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

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Monday news, part two:

I got murdered by the ancient Swiss in this life sim about being Julius Caesar's top guy
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/i-got-murdered-by-the-ancient-swiss-in-this-life-sim-about-being-julius-caesars-top-guy/
As a man who has listened to one third of Mike Duncan's History of Rome podcast and seen James Purefoy absolutely tear it up as Mark Antony in HBO's Rome, I'm something of an expert in Roman history. So, naturally, when Alessandro Roberti's new RPG Never Second In Rome came out in early access a couple of days ago, I leapt right on it.
The premise is you're a centurion in the army of one proconsul Julius Caesar, recently minted governor of Gallia Cisalpina, and your goal is claw your way up in the big guy's esteem, keep your men (and yourself) disciplined and trained up and, oh, don't die. This is hard, because bossman Caesar absolutely loves doing wars in Gaul. He's ape for it, and as one of his men—one of his top men, if you play your cards right—you're part of the gang who does that for him.

XCOM's creator wants to know where XCOM 3 is just as badly as you do: 'I'm sure there's an audience for it'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/xcoms-creator-wants-to-know-where-xcom-3-is-just-as-badly-as-you-do-im-sure-theres-an-audience-for-it/
I'm sorry to do this to you, but XCOM 2 came out nine years ago. The world was young, my passport said "European Union" on it, and I had a full head of hair (I still do, but I also did then).
Not only did XCOM 2 come out nearly a decade ago, but it was really good. So good that a sequel seems like a total no-brainer. But here we are, collectively lost as we wait for an XCOM 3 that may never come. No, Chimera Squad doesn't count.
But you and I aren't the only ones waiting. The actual creator of original XCOM, Julian Gollop, is just as keen to play it and just as perplexed by its absence. In a chat with PCG about his new game, Chip 'n Clawz vs The Brainioids, Gollop said that, though there's been "A resurgence of RTS games" in the recent past, he doesn't know what's happened to XCOM 3.

Inzoi is really trying to eat The Sims 4's lunch by including seasons in its base game instead of locked behind a DLC
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/life-sim/inzoi-is-really-trying-to-eat-the-sims-4s-lunch-by-including-seasons-in-its-base-game-instead-of-locked-behind-a-dlc/
As has become Friday tradition leading up to the launch of the new life sim Inzoi, its creative director Hyungjun "Kjun" Kim has revealed some more features coming to the game at launch to fans on Discord. This time: Seasons. Oh, and the possibility of your Zois dying of exposure if underdressed.

Peter Jason, the voice of Fallout 2's famous drill sergeant and Dizzy in the Gear of War games, has died
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/peter-jason-the-voice-of-fallout-2s-famous-drill-sergeant-and-dizzy-in-the-gear-of-war-games-has-died/
A Variety report says character actor Peter Jason, known to gamers as the gruff, put-upon Drill Sergeant Dornan in Fallout 2 and Dizzy in the Gears of War series, has died.

Marvel Rivals was reportedly almost cancelled because the CEO of NetEase didn't want to pay Disney for the licenses
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/marvel-rivals-was-reportedly-almost-cancelled-because-the-ceo-of-netease-didnt-want-to-pay-disney-for-the-licenses/
Marvel Rivals is a big hit, but there was a time when its very existence was in doubt. That's according to a new Bloomberg report on developer NetEase and its CEO William Ding, which says that before the game was released there were discussions about cancelling it outright. NetEase has denied the claim.
The problem, according to a source cited by the report, was that Ding didn't like paying Disney, which owns Marvel, for the right to use its characters in the game. At one point, Ding reportedly asked artists to replace the Marvel superheroes with their own designs, which would've saved a few bucks on licensing fees but ended up costing NetEase millions because of the time and energy wasted on the effort.

'These kids do not care about romance': Game devs want to know what today's teens want, and surveys say sex and romance isn't it
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/game-development/these-kids-do-not-care-about-romance-game-devs-want-to-know-what-todays-teens-want-and-surveys-say-sex-and-romance-isnt-it/
Surveys say that today's youth are more interested in stories about platonic friendships and social groups than romance and sex, and game developers are taking note of that and other trends in teen media consumption.
To a crowd of games industry professionals at D.I.C.E. Summit last week, TV executive turned game studio founder Sharon Tal Yguado and Roblox VP of civility and partnerships Tami Bhaumik spoke about "what teens want," presenting recent research and their observations.
>> Teens aren’t interested in sex? Press X for doubt.

No More Room in Hell 2's 'biggest update yet' introduces weapon attachments, new level scenarios, and ensures players no longer spawn 'without a body'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/horror/no-more-room-in-hell-2s-biggest-update-yet-introduces-weapon-attachments-new-level-scenarios-and-ensures-players-no-longer-spawn-without-a-body/
Zombie survival shooter No More Room in Hell 2 shambled onto Steam early access late last year, and proved to have a few more bits missing than its audience could reasonably cope with. Debuting to a 'Mostly Negative' rating on Steam as players cited a litany of flaws, from bugs to performance issues to the experience generally feeling undercooked. However, developer Torn Banner has continually tinkered with the game since then, with this latest addition described as its 'biggest update yet.'
Titled the 'Nightmare' update for reasons that will soon become clear, the patch expands the game's open-ended survival scenario in numerous ways. The headline addition is weapon attachments, letting players customise their guns with sights, flashlights, and perhaps most importantly, silencers, which seem like a major advantage in a game where noise is as much of a threat as the undead shambling in the dark. One notable omission Torn Banner admits to is "magnifying scopes" though the team assures players these will be "coming in a future update along with more attachment options".

Need to relax? Grab a coffee, kick back and submerge yourself in the sound of Hades 2's narrator reading the patch notes for its latest massive update
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/roguelike/need-to-relax-grab-a-coffee-kick-back-and-submerge-yourself-in-the-sound-of-hades-2s-narrator-reading-the-patch-notes-for-its-latest-massive-update/
While I need little extra motivation to read patch notes, bugfix sicko that I am, I admire the additional effort Supergiant has gone to in guiding players through Hades 2's second major update. Not content with throwing the update's voluminous changelog on Steam (though it's done that too), Supergiant enlisted Hades 2's narrator Logan Cunningham to growl through 27 minutes of new features, system adjustments, UI refinements, and much more.
>> The article has the video, in case you’re into it.

Atomfall dev says Rebellion's open world shooter has 'some experimental stuff' that can have a 'huge influence' on the game world: 'It might work out. It might not'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/atomfall-dev-says-rebellions-open-world-shooter-has-some-experimental-stuff-that-can-have-a-huge-influence-on-the-game-world-it-might-work-out-it-might-not/
Rebellion's upcoming Atomfall already draws strong comparisons with Stalker, what with it being an open-world shooter set in a cordoned off zone in the aftermath of a nuclear disaster. But it seems the latest game from the Sniper Elite devs may also be taking a leaf out of Dying Light 2's book, if the words of lead designer Ben Fisher are anything to go by.

Skyrim was 'personally rebalanced' by producer Jeff Gardiner just 2 weeks before launch: 'Well, I hope this is good'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/the-elder-scrolls/skyrim-was-personally-rebalanced-by-producer-jeff-gardiner-just-2-weeks-before-launch-well-i-hope-this-is-good/
Skyrim was getting ready to launch—it was mere weeks away—but former Bethesda producer Jeff Gardiner and the designers were in the midst of a disagreement over balance. This led Gardiner, who also had years of creative and design experience, to take matters into his own hands.
>> Another tibdit of Skyrim: a dev broke the game before launch by making ants cast shadows.

An autobattler designed by Magic: The Gathering creator Richard Garfield is coming in March
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/an-autobattler-designed-by-magic-the-gathering-creator-richard-garfield-is-coming-in-march/
The latest game from Magic: The Gathering designer Richard Garfield is coming to early access on March 11, says development studio The Tea Division. Vanguard Exiles is a collaboration between Garfield and the studio, an autobattler that it says is "revolutionary" in the genre and will be "a competitive strategy gameplay experience unlike any other, offering new scenarios in each round ensuring no two turns are ever alike."

Avowed could have been Obsidian's Redfall, with a Destiny plus Skyrim co-op multiplayer vision scrapped early in a grueling 6-year development
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/avowed-could-have-been-obsidians-redfall-with-a-destiny-plus-skyrim-co-op-multiplayer-vision-scrapped-early-in-a-grueling-6-year-development/
In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Avowed director Carrie Patel shed some more light on what seems to have been a challenging development cycle for the venerable RPG studio. Not only was Avowed initially supposed to be a seamless open world, it was going to have a co-op or even live service multiplayer component, and had to be rebooted after two years of preproduction. The end result is pretty fantastic though, and DLCs or even a full sequel already seem to be on the table.

There's a free beta on for the mech game by the World of Tanks creators
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/theres-a-free-beta-on-for-the-mech-game-by-the-world-of-tanks-creators/
As part of a Steam Publisher Weekend, World of Tanks and World of Warships developer Wargaming is having a playtest of Steel Hunters, its upcoming fusion of mech-hero shooter with extraction battle royale. The four-day beta is going until February 24, and is free to participate in via Wargaming's website or on Steam.
>> You may be able to play some of it if you’re fast.

Void Martyrs is 'Grimdark survival horror about a nun in a space suit' so sign me up
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/roguelike/void-martyrs-is-grimdark-survival-horror-about-a-nun-in-a-space-suit-so-sign-me-up/
Do you like the Sisters of Battle from Warhammer 40,000? How about the birdseye sci-fi survival horror of Signalis? The roguelite progression of Void Bastards? The whole vibe of Event Horizon? If at least three of those things seem like your cup of recaf, then sit down and let me tell you about Void Martyrs.

Hasbro is working with Saber Interactive on a 'tentpole' IP using Space Marine 2's swarm tech
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/hasbro-is-working-with-saber-interactive-on-a-tentpole-ip-using-space-marine-2s-swarm-tech/
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 was a big hit for both Games Workshop and Saber Interactive, with players proving highly receptive to its old-school, linear third-person action. As such, I've been curious as to how the Space Marine 2 team would follow up Titus' 8-hour tyranid butchery course. Would they roll straight into Space Marine 3, or move on to something else entirely?
Well, it seems the cat is now (partially) out of the bag thanks to an unlikely source, Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks. Speaking in an earnings call on Thursday (via Polygon), Cocks said the company was collaborating with Saber's Space Marine 2 team on a new title based on one of the toy manufacturer's "tentpole IPs".