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

[JEMC]

Tuesday gaming news, part two:

The Witcher 3 once had a suicide mission ending 'inspired by Mass Effect 2,' a quest where Geralt joined the Wild Hunt, and a version of its vampire-focused Blood and Wine DLC without vampires
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/the-witcher/the-witcher-3-once-had-a-suicide-mission-ending-inspired-by-mass-effect-2-a-quest-where-geralt-joined-the-wild-hunt-and-a-version-of-its-vampire-focused-blood-and-wine-dlc-without-vampires/
The Witcher 3 was, you may have heard, a large game. But it was once an even larger game. When it was still cooking over at CD Projekt Red, dev brains bubbled over with designs for questlines, cutscenes, and all sorts of other stuff that ended up on the cutting room floor before it released. Naturally, when I visited the studio for The Witcher 3's 10th anniversary, I asked for all the deets on the stuff we never got to see.

Of course, Team Cherry didn't deign to tell anyone that Hollow Knight: Silksong is arriving before Christmas in a weekend of showcases—but via a random Discord message
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/of-course-team-cherry-didnt-deign-to-tell-anyone-that-hollow-knight-silksong-is-arriving-before-christmas-in-a-weekend-of-showcases-but-via-a-random-discord-message/
At this point, I'm starting to think that Team Cherry, developer of Hollow Knight: Silksong, is either completely allergic to building up hype for its game or, alternatively, it may just be in on the joke.
(...)
Rather than deign to do something as pedestrian, as expected as, say, using Team Cherry's official X account, we are instead relying on a Discord message by the developer's head of marketing and publishing. Something I'm only even remotely aware of because of the diligent work of Silksong's eternal vigil-keeper Araraura, who did the developer's work for them.
"I confirmed BEFORE Holiday—we are not tied to a console release," Matthew Griffin writes in the midst of fan speculation, later clarifying that means before "Christmas yes".

Move over Ashcroft, Resident Evil 9 will have its T-virus poster boy back in the limelight according to notable Resi leaker: 'Leon Kennedy is not the only playable character but he is the main character'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/horror/move-over-ashcroft-resident-evil-9-will-have-its-t-virus-poster-boy-back-in-the-limelight-according-to-notable-resi-leaker-leon-kennedy-is-not-the-only-playable-character-but-he-is-the-main-character/
I have some very mixed feelings about the trailer for Resident Evil 9. Don't get me wrong, I'm incredibly happy to see it in the flesh, and the idea of returning to some iconic places fills me with nervous joy, but I'm also left wondering if we'll ever see some of my favourite characters again.
(...)
We didn't all miss a Leon cameo hidden within the trailer, but some signs are pointing towards the return of everyone's favourite backflipping hero, including a theory posted by well-known Resi leaker, Dusk Golem: "Resident Evil 9 will only have one campaign. Leon Kennedy is not the only playable character, but he is the main character."

Atlus promises it hasn't forgotten how to make new Persona games, says it's 'actively preparing for' something I'd bet money is Persona 6
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/atlus-promises-it-hasnt-forgotten-how-to-make-new-persona-games-says-its-actively-preparing-for-something-id-bet-money-is-persona-6/
One of the games industry's many badly kept secrets broke cover yesterday when Atlus finally came out and admitted that, yup, it sure is remaking Persona 4. In a trailer operating at the very limits of 'telling us nothing at all,' we got a glimpse of good ol' Inaba in scintillating ultra-HD.
(...)
Cue the usual stuff about how excited the devs are about P4R. But there, at the end, is a faint ember of future possibility: "Additionally, we are actively preparing for the future development of the Persona series as a studio. We are working hard to meet the expectations of fans around the world and our work is progressing well."

The absence of Marvel's Blade during the Xbox Games Showcase has left me worried about Arkane—after a rough couple of years it needs a win
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/the-absence-of-marvels-blade-during-the-xbox-games-showcase-has-left-me-worried-about-arkane-after-a-rough-couple-of-years-it-needs-a-win/
Blade was the only thing I was really looking forward to seeing in last night's Xbox Games Showcase. I ended up being pleasantly surprised by Grounded 2, at least, but when we finally got to the end of the barrage of trailers I was still waiting for my vampire fix.
I'm mostly just bummed out by its absence, but I'm also a wee bit worried.

Drywall Eating Simulator is a game about 'interacting with society' that takes me back to my retail days
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/sim/drywall-eating-simulator-is-a-game-about-interacting-with-society-that-takes-me-back-to-my-retail-days/
There were an awful lot of games revealed across a plethora of Summer Game Fest showcases over the past weekend-plus, some big, some small, and none more immediately intriguing, for me at least, than one revealed at the Women Led Games Showcase on June 8. It's called Drywall Eating Simulator, and as far as I can tell it is exactly what it says on the box.

Techland boss says Dying Light 2 'forgot' what made the series special, but Dying Light: The Beast gets back on track: 'For us, this really is Dying Light 3'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/techland-boss-says-dying-light-2-forgot-what-made-the-series-special-but-dying-light-the-beast-gets-back-on-track-for-us-this-really-is-dying-light-3/
My first surprise of Summer Game Fest came with the very first game I played. Dying Light: The Beast looked excellent in my hour-long demo, which I did not expect coming off Techland's previous disappointing sequel, Dying Light 2: Stay Human.
The Beast is leaving everything distinctly Dying Light 2 behind—its crowded city, characters, and wonky dialogue choices—and instead making a direct follow-up to the original Dying Light, with its main character Kyle Crane returning. In an interview with PC Gamer at Summer Game Fest, Dying Light franchise director Tymon Smektała was humble about Techland's missteps with Dying Light 2.
>> He also explains why guns are back.

At Fate's End is a gorgeous action adventure where you can pull a 'legendary God Sword' from your throat to work through family trauma in duels with siblings who use their own spines as weaponry
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/at-fates-end-is-a-gorgeous-action-adventure-where-you-can-pull-a-legendary-god-sword-from-your-throat-to-work-through-family-trauma-in-duels-with-siblings-who-use-their-own-spines-as-weaponry/
At the 2025 Xbox Games Showcase, Spiritfarer developer Thunder Lotus announced At Fate's End, "an action-adventure game where you fight the ones you love and your skill tree is your family tree." The reveal trailer is a roughly two-minute fever dream of young women pulling swords made of light out of their throats, dudes ripping their spines out to use as chainblades, and messy demigod family drama.

Medieval Dynasty fans should check out this third-person medieval city builder that just got a demo on Steam
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/city-builder/medieval-dynasty-fans-should-check-out-this-third-person-medieval-city-builder-that-just-got-a-demo-on-steam/
How do you like building your cities? There's real appeal in a godlike, top-down view as you become a sort of all-seeing invisible mayor in a city builder. But there's definitely something engaging about having your boots on the muddy ground as you carve a town out of the wilderness and fill it with citizens you can look right in the eye.
Noble Legacy is of the second variety: a medieval city builder where you play as a person (in third-person) and not a ghost mayor. You arrive in a tiny, neglected little town of just a few grubby citizens, and start cleaning the place up: collecting resources, building structures, and putting the villagers to work while attracting new ones to your growing city.

'If Hitman is a single-minded killer and basically the bad guy of the game, Bond is the hero': IO Interactive talks about shifting priorities for its upcoming 007 game
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/if-hitman-is-a-single-minded-killer-and-basically-the-bad-guy-of-the-game-bond-is-the-hero-io-interactive-talks-about-shifting-priorities-for-its-upcoming-007-game/
In some ways, 007 First Light looks like an easy step sideways for IO Interactive. Agent 47 is basically Bond anyway, minus the hair, turbocharged sex drive, and occasional witty (or groan-worthy) quips, right? So just add those things and you're halfway finished. Except as the studio explained in an exclusive interview with PC Gamer, it's not quite that simple, because 47 and Bond really aren't alike at all.