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

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Tuesday gaming news, the long part two:

Rematch devs talk balls—specifically, how to balance the ball's feel with function: 'It's the basic brick of the game, it's like an atomic component'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/sports/rematch-devs-talk-balls-specifically-how-to-balance-the-balls-feel-with-function-its-the-basic-brick-of-the-game-its-like-an-atomic-component/
Rematch is still going strong after its release, with around 33,000 players on Steam alone as I write this very sentence. Talking to them about their successes, PCG's own Evan Lahti asked co-founder Pierre Tarno and lead game designer Dylan Allen what goes into making the game's balls feel so good to kick.

There's still no sign of Star Citizen 1.0, but it did just get a revamped referral program so the die-hards can tempt in even more saps
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/mmo/theres-still-no-sign-of-star-citizen-1-0-but-it-did-just-get-a-revamped-referral-program-so-the-die-hards-can-tempt-in-even-more-saps/
2025 began with Cloud Imperium Games (CIG) CEO Chris Roberts declaring that "we are closer than ever to realizing a dream many have said is impossible" with Star Citizen. As in releasing the thing.
(...)
Star Citizen is known as a crowdfunded project, though CIG has proven adept at working out ways for players to pay them more money, whether that's paid access to the alpha, subscriptions, merch, or expensive spaceships. And the latest feature announced for the game is… a revamped referral program that aims to help the die-hards be better recruiters.
Star Citizen has always had the faint whiff of dodginess to it, but referral programs like this will have many thinking about how pyramid schemes exploit social connections to attract new suckers. Launching July 2, it offers "a completely new and improved referral experience" with progression tracking, milestones, various rewards along the way, and a variety of leaderboards for the game's most committed to compare how many poor fools they've managed to inveigle on-board.
>> Do you think it will matter if the game (or games with Squadron 42) ever launch? Because I think that most of those interested in the game are already on board or lost any hope of playing it a long time ago.

Counterwatch isn't in the cards for Overwatch 2's Stadium mode: 'No hero swapping has been one of the core foundational pillars'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/counterwatch-isnt-in-the-cards-for-overwatch-2s-stadium-mode-no-hero-swapping-has-been-one-of-the-core-foundational-pillars/
One of the most contentious parts of Overwatch 2 may just be something that players have not so lovingly named Counterwatch. It's the act of swapping heroes mid-fight to counter strong enemies, and it can be enough to send some players into a swirling rage. It's pretty fundamental to Overwatch 2, but for Stadium it's a different story.
"No hero swapping has been one of the core foundational pillars of the mode since day one, like since we started prototyping it," senior game designer Dylan Snyder tells me. "Part of that is because of how difficult it is to kind of contend with, what if somebody swapped after multiple rounds, and what does that do for the enemy team?"

Hypixel Studios founder says he'll 'reach out' to Riot about taking over Hytale: 'I am even down to put $25 million by myself to finish Hytale, that’s how much I believe in it'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/hypixel-studios-founder-says-hell-reach-out-to-riot-about-taking-over-hytale-i-am-even-down-to-put-usd25-million-by-myself-to-finish-hytale-thats-how-much-i-believe-in-it/
The Minecraft-inspired sandbox RPG Hytale is cancelled, but it's not necessarily dead. In the wake of Riot's decision to pull the plug on development last week, Hypixel Studios co-founder Simon Collins-Laflamme has expressed interest in the possibility of bringing it back to life, and says he's willing to put his money—a lot of money—where his mouth is.
>> Eric Barone has also said that maybe he could help, saving the game if he knew why it failed.

Path of Exile co-creator Chris Wilson has started a new game studio: 'I wanted to be creative in a way that didn't involve being a CEO of a 200 person company'
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/path-of-exile-co-creator-chris-wilson-has-started-a-new-game-studio-i-wanted-to-be-creative-in-a-way-that-didnt-involve-being-a-ceo-of-a-200-person-company/
Over the weekend, Chris Wilson, co-founder of Path of Exile developer Grinding Gear Games, surprised ARPG devotees with an unexpected announcement. During an hourlong interview with Diablo designer David Brevik in celebration of Diablo 2's 25th anniversary, Wilson revealed that he's started a new game development studio, and that he's already got a new game project underway.

Palworld just got a huge Terraria-themed update, which as it turns out is a lot less ridiculous than Silent Bob in Warzone
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/survival-crafting/palworld-just-got-a-huge-terraria-themed-update-which-as-it-turns-out-is-a-lot-less-ridiculous-than-silent-bob-in-warzone/
You might know Palworld for its jaw-dropping player counts, its uncanny resemblance to the world's biggest media franchise, or its legal battle with Nintendo over that last thing I mentioned. Despite all the hubbub, it's just a pretty alright survival crafting game full of cute monster buddies parodying (or ripping off, depending on how cynical you are) Pokémon. They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, I suppose, and now it's doing its best Terraria impression—though it's a collaborative effort this time.
The Tides of Terraria update dropped last week and delivered a hefty supply of new equipment, dungeons, and enemies inspired by Terraria, including the Moon Lord boss familiar to anyone acquainted with Terraria's endgame. More than just a handful of token additions, it's a pretty big update that seems to substantially beef up its early access build whether you care about Terraria or not.

A Short Hike dev 'sort of' cancels Paper Mario-inspired game, but decides to let everyone play a demo of it anyway: 'I figured maybe sharing the demo is better than nothing'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/a-short-hike-dev-sort-of-cancels-paper-mario-inspired-game-but-decides-to-let-everyone-play-a-demo-of-it-anyway-i-figured-maybe-sharing-the-demo-is-better-than-nothing/
It's rare to get a peek at unfinished games, especially ones that aren't going to be released any time soon. The indie developer behind A Short Hike decided it might be interesting to give people an idea of what that looks like through a demo of a Paper Mario-inspired game they consider to be on indefinite hold.

'They told me to destroy' my backups, Fallout creator Tim Cain says: 'People high up at companies take authority but no responsibility' for game preservation
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fallout/they-told-me-to-destroy-my-backups-fallout-creator-tim-cain-says-people-high-up-at-companies-take-authority-but-no-responsibility-for-game-preservation/
You may remember the clay heads used in dialog from the original Fallout CRPGs. They've not aged gracefully, what with their stiff animations and pudding-like faces, but you can't tell the full story of how RPG visuals evolved in the late '90s without them. They (and all the sprites in the original Fallout) represent a milestone for the CRPG—and as far as Fallout co-creator Tim Cain knows, their source art assets might just be gone for good.
"Even though it shipped with sprites, it was a sprite-based engine, they were all made in 3D. They were made in Maya or Alias," Cain said in a video on his YouTube channel. "Those source art files were huge … they were backed up to DAT tape, but I don't know what happened to that DAT tape and it doesn't last that long. They last five or ten years before they start having errors. So, I think that source art is all gone."

Space Marine 2 will celebrate its first anniversary with a 'large-scale update' in September, and another year of free and paid content is on the way
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/space-marine-2-will-celebrate-its-first-anniversary-with-a-large-scale-update-in-september-and-another-year-of-free-and-paid-content-is-on-the-way/
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 3 is now officially in development, but that doesn't mean Saber Interactive is finished with Space Marine 2. Quite the opposite, in fact: The studio announced today that another year of free and paid content for the game is on the way, as is a new "large scale update" set to go live in September.

Good guy GSC wordlessly deletes ads in Stalker remaster menus with itsy-bitsy new patch
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/good-guy-gsc-wordlessly-deletes-ads-in-stalker-remaster-menus-with-itsy-bitsy-new-patch/
GSC Game World continues to juggle the patch process for four separate games in the wake of last May's release of the Stalker Enhanced Trilogy—the uprezzed remasters of the original X-Ray Engine games—which left it not only firefighting the myriad issues present in Stalker 2, but also handling the various fan disgruntlements around the new versions of the golden oldies.
Patches for the trilogy have been releasing at a fair clip, tackling stuff like blurry graphics (which only seemed to manifest for certain users), missing models, and other foibles. Now, a new patch has taken aim at the longstanding fan gripe of the ads in the games' main menus. Up to now, the remasters siloed off a little corner of their start screens to remind you that other Stalker games exist—even if you already own them. A bit like the ads Bethesda sticks in the top right of its main menus these days.

Bing Bong is talking to you: Peak players are getting jump-scared by what seems to be the developers possessing a little green plushie
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/adventure/bing-bong-is-talking-to-you-peak-players-are-getting-jump-scared-by-what-seems-to-be-the-developers-possessing-a-little-green-plushie/
Bing Bong was the first thing I saw after waking up dazed in the sand after a traumatising plane crash at the start of Peak. His little green frame immediately caught my attention and his wonky eyes somehow filled me with peace amid the burning wreckage; this must be how the cast of Lost felt.
(...)
This green plushie lands next to you on the beach and is, well, just a green plushie. While I definitely got a morale boost from taking him up the mountain with me I ended up switching him out for some food when the hunger pangs started to hit. There is an achievement for managing to take Bing Bong all the way up the mountain, but that's about it; unless you are visited by his ghost.

Obsidian director Josh Sawyer says it's a 'mistake' for RPGs to sacrifice crunchy 'sweaty boy' systems in favour of a 'one size fits all' game, since easier difficulties aren't too hard to make
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/game-development/obsidian-director-josh-sawyer-says-its-a-mistake-for-rpgs-to-sacrifice-crunchy-sweaty-boy-systems-in-favour-of-a-one-size-fits-all-game-since-easier-difficulties-arent-too-hard-to-make/
Dear reader, I need to confess something to you. I have never done a proper playthrough of Skyrim. I've booted the game up countless times, gotten a few hours deep, and felt a kind of malaise drag me away. It's nothing personal—I just need more crunch out of my RPGs. Josh Sawyer, studio design director at Obsidian (who gave us New Vegas and Pillars of Eternity) hears my call.
Speaking to PCG's own Ted Litchfield at GDC this year, Sawyer got deep into the paint on the issue of difficulty and complexity in RPGs—and the back-and-forth pendulum of the CRPG genre as a whole.

Deus Ex was a hard sell because, among other things, the Thief devs thought 'if you give players a gun, they won't sneak'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/deus-ex-was-a-hard-sell-because-among-other-things-the-thief-devs-thought-if-you-give-players-a-gun-they-wont-sneak/
Deux Ex, today, is synonymous with the immersive sim genre—paving the way for other games to let you approach a task from all possible angles. A new brand of videogame, unshackled from the straight lines of old school CRPGs, or the hallway trappings of the FPS.
But it didn't start that way. Before John Romero swooped past in 1997 to snap up Deus Ex auteur Warren Spector for Ion Storm, he was trying to get it pitched to his then-current studio Origin Systems as "Troubleshooter", circa 1994.