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

[JEMC]

Finally! The third and last gaming news post:

Loot envy is at an all time high in Path of Exile as lucky players print the rarest items in the game while everyone else sifts through trash
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/loot-envy-is-at-an-all-time-high-in-path-of-exile-as-lucky-players-print-the-rarest-items-in-the-game-while-everyone-else-sifts-through-trash/
The newest Path of Exile season, or league, is a great example of why you should never look at how other players are faring in a loot-based action RPG. Once you see what life is like when the RNG gods are generous, all you will know is pure envy.
A handful of lucky players are posting their loot hauls from the new genesis tree introduced in Path of Exile's latest expansion, Keepers of the Flame. Basically, it's a freaky, haunted tree that gives birth to powerful items based on preferences you set. It's only been a few days since it launched and players are swimming in the kind of loot you'd usually have to grind long hours for.

Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection launches to mixed reviews on Steam
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fighting/mortal-kombat-legacy-kollection-launches-to-mixed-reviews-on-steam/
Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection should have been an easy win. It bundles together the first four Mortal Kombat games, including the WaveNet version of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 previously thought lost, as well as less fondly remembered spin-offs like Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero for the sake of completeness and the memes. It also comes with an interactive documentary about the history of the gory fighting series, à la The Making of Karateka. Sounds like the complete package.
Yet, within days of release, 55% of its Steam reviews are negative. "Input lag is unacceptably high in every game—even offline" says one, with some players complaining it's even noticeable in the menus. Others are upset that "the online's in a terrible state. Quick play matches with random people only. You can't queue for more than one game at a time, so the community's splintered between games." Another laments, "The 360/PS3 MK Kollection that came out over 10+ years ago had better netcode than this".
It's not just the lag and online that players are complaining about either, with the AI coming in for a drubbing as well: "Since half of the match is just the enemy social distancing and staying 6 feet away from me, God Forbid Milenna gets ******** covid".

A new biome is coming as an alternative to the Tropics in Peak, but the only downside is you might be attacked by spiders
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/sim/a-new-biome-is-coming-as-an-alternative-to-the-tropics-in-peak-but-the-only-downside-is-you-might-be-attacked-by-spiders/
Fine, I'll say it. The Tropics has always been my least favourite biome in Peak. I hate the exploding mushrooms that always send me hurtling off the mountain, and the fact that everything can and will poison you. Not to mention the ticks. Luckily, a new biome is rolling out this week on November 5, which will be an alternative for the Tropics, though I'm not particularly thrilled about what might be lurking there either.

Our pick for 2024's best tactics game just got a community pack of featured levels—which ignore the dev's difficulty balance goals because 'our community, god bless em, have no such qualms'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/our-pick-for-2024s-best-tactics-game-just-got-a-community-pack-of-featured-levels-which-ignore-the-devs-difficulty-balance-goals-because-our-community-god-bless-em-have-no-such-qualms/
Tactical Breach Wizards was one of my favourite games from last year—you can read my full thoughts in my Tactical Breach Wizards review—but in case you're unfamiliar, it's a turn-based tactical RPG with great writing, interesting worldbuilding, and a razor-sharp sense of humour. It also just happens to be a really solid tactics game on top of all that, which is nice, and is why we gave it our Best Tactics award last year.
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And hey! We've got more of Tactical Breach Wizards. As announced in a news update, the dev team has snagged the best levels from its level editor and featured them on the game's community browser. What's more, they're looking like the endgame challenge I've been yearning for. I know what I'm doing on my lunch break.

Battlefield 6 is introducing a casual Breakthrough mode 'to create a more relaxed way to play', making it easier to progress and complete challenges
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/battlefield-6-is-introducing-a-casual-breakthrough-mode-to-create-a-more-relaxed-way-to-play-making-it-easier-to-progress-and-complete-challenges/
Battlefield 6 has added a new mode for players who just want to complete challenges and take it easy. Casual Breakthrough has already been added to the main menu and will offer a far chiller version of Battlefield 6, where players can go to take shelter from the sweats and professional jet pilots.

Cyberpunk creator says 'Contact me' after Keanu Reeves said he wants to be Johnny Silverhand again, then tries his luck and tells Scarlett Johansson, 'I have roles for you. You can do anything'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/cyberpunk-creator-says-contact-me-after-keanu-reeves-said-he-wants-to-be-johnny-silverhand-again-then-tries-his-luck-and-tells-scarlett-johansson-i-have-roles-for-you-you-can-do-anything/
Egotist, terrorist, lovable scamp: these are descriptors I associate with Johnny Silverhand, the Cyberpunk setting's mashup of David Bowie and Andreas Baader, who was played by Keanu Reeves in Cyberpunk 2077. Reeves, god bless him, hasn't been shy about voicing his desire to play the character again. Which sounds like it'd be pretty tough, given his story is pretty well wrapped-up in 2077 and his actual mortal body has already been dead for decades by that game's start.
Or so you might think. But that, and no other reason, is why you aren't Cyberpunk TTRPG creator Mike Pondsmith. In a recent stream (via GamesRadar), Pondsmith sounded just as eager as Reeves to get the Hollywood star back into Silverhand's big boots. "You know, not that long ago, I saw that Keanu would like to find a way to come back from the dead and play Johnny again," said Pondsmith. "I have ways to do that, Keanu. Contact me."
>> Not that they’d be against it, but shouldn’t CD Projekt Red have something to say about it?

As players debate whether to purchase Possessor(s) after Heart Machine lays off staff a week before launch, its creators and publisher respond: 'As a developer who is slated for lay off—please buy this game!'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/as-players-debate-whether-to-purchase-possessor-s-after-heart-machine-lays-off-staff-a-week-before-launch-its-creators-and-publisher-respond-as-a-developer-who-is-slated-for-lay-off-please-buy-this-game/
It's a messy time over at Heart Machine, developer of the beloved Hyper Light Drifter and its ill-fated hack 'n' slash successor Hyper Light Breaker. The latter debuted to mixed Steam reviews and muted sales when it carved its way into early access back in January, resulting in layoffs at Heart Machine and work on Hyper Light Breaker ceasing prematurely.
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The combined layoffs have led some players to question whether to continue supporting Heart Machine financially. In a Steam discussion, user Adam posted that it's "hard to support devs when they can no longer see a cent from a game."
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Eventually, these queries prompted responses from representatives at Heart Machine and Possessor(s) publisher Devolver Digital. From Devolver, community strategist Harris Foster said the publisher was "saddened to hear the news of layoffs at Heart Machine" while also clarifying the situation regarding compensation for employees laid off from their roles on Possessor(s).
"Heart Machine has confirmed to us that all revenue-share eligible team members who contributed to Possessor(s) will continue to receive their share," Foster wrote. He then quoted Heart Machine's Creative and Design Director Alx Preston, who confirmed that team members scheduled to receive profit share will do so "regardless of if they are no longer here or remain at the studio".

Schedule 1's Halloween update arrived two days late because the developer thought he should 'probably play it safe' and test it first
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/schedule-1s-halloween-update-arrived-two-days-late-because-the-developer-thought-he-should-probably-play-it-safe-and-test-it-first/
Good news, everyone! Schedule 1's Halloween update is here. Just in time for…wait. Why are all those porch pumpkins looking a bit deflated? Why have all the TV networks pivoted to Christmas adverts? Why do I have a sudden urge to grow a moustache and write an entire novel in 30 days? Oh my God! It's November.
Yep, Schedule 1's Halloween update missed the ghost train by two whole days. Developer TVGS apologised for the unseasonal delay. "Sorry this update is a couple of days late—I was originally planning on skipping the open beta and going straight to full release. At the last minute released [sic] I should probably play it safe and publicly beta test it for at least a day." A sensible decision, I reckon.

Starfinder: Afterlight snags Red Dead Redemption 2's Roger Clark to voice its narrator, and he's just as Arthur Morgan about it as you'd expect
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/starfinder-afterlight-snags-red-dead-redemption-2s-roger-clark-to-voice-its-narrator-and-hes-just-as-arthur-morgan-about-it-as-youd-expect/
I am really optimistic about Starfinder: Afterlight, an upcoming CRPG based on the Starfinder 2e TTRPG system. It's got a lot of things going for it: sensible developers, a gorgeous artstyle, official support from Paizo, and voice direction by Neil Newbon of Baldur's Gate 3 fame. Also, its Kickstarter has had the crap funded out of it, reaching £573,965 out of its £65,827 goal at the time of writing (making it about 871% funded).
Some of that dosh has clearly been going to its voice cast, as new-kid studio Epictellers Entertainment has only gone and snagged Roger Clark. As in, the Arthur Morgan from Red Dead Redemption 2. Better yet, you're gonna be hearing a lot of him, because he's narrating the dang thing.

REPO's monster update has arrived, and it is so much scarier than I thought it would be all because of one beast
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/horror/repos-monster-update-has-arrived-and-it-is-so-much-scarier-than-i-thought-it-would-be-all-because-of-one-beast/
When REPO announced it would be receiving a bunch of new monsters in September, I naively thought they wouldn't be too scary. Most of REPO's existing critters are unsettling, especially the Upscream and the Animal, but there's nothing that really petrifies you. The same can't be said for the game now though, and having spent the weekend running for my life and screaming over proximity chat, REPO really lives up to its horror tag.

Saints Row 1's director is pitching a prequel that gets 'back to the roots of what made SR 1 entertaining,' but I mostly want to know what became of the Saints Row 2 PC patch whose developer died
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/saints-row-1s-director-is-pitching-a-prequel-that-gets-back-to-the-roots-of-what-made-sr-1-entertaining-but-i-mostly-want-to-know-what-became-of-the-saints-row-2-pc-patch-whose-developer-died/
Somehow, Saints Row returned. Well, kind of. In a giddy post on the Saints Row subreddit, a lead on the original game in the Saints Row series announced that someone, somewhere might be interested in firing up Volition's (RIP) open-world crime games once more.
Chris Stockman, who served as design director on the first Saints Row game before absconding from Volition, announced to the community that he had "hopeful news" for the future. "I've been asked to create a pitch for a Saints Row prequel!"

Lethal Company developer says the freedom afforded by text adventure design is why his latest game took 10 years to make: 'That made it very easy for this project to spiral out of control'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/horror/lethal-company-developer-says-the-freedom-afforded-by-text-adventure-design-is-why-his-latest-game-took-10-years-to-make-that-made-it-very-easy-for-this-project-to-spiral-out-of-control/
Solo developer Zeekerss may be best known for Lethal Company, arguably the most influential game of the last few years. But it's actually the latest in a long line of spooky experiences from the game design wunderkind. Previous projects include the lo-fi paranoia generator It Steals, the survival horror throwback Dead Seater, and the physics-heavy frightfest The Upturned.
In short, Zeekerss is highly prolific, which makes it all the stranger that his latest game has been in development for longer than any of the above. Welcome to the Dark Place is a creepy single-player text adventure inspired by the likes of Zork and Kentucky Route Zero, which Zeekerss' has been working on for more than a decade.