Let's do the Monday news!

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

GOG starts the week with two new sales:

• The Weekly Sale becomes and Activision Sale, with up to 67% discounts: https://www.gog.com/promo/20210712_activision_sale
• The second sale is the French Touch Sale, with up to 90% discounts on games made in France during the next week: https://www.gog.com/promo/20210712_french_sale

Steam has two daily deals:

• 宇宙大拍扁 / BIG BIA, still in Early Access, is 40% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/585020/__BIG_BIA/
• The second daily deal is The Room VR: A Dark Matter, 50% off: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1104380/The_Room_VR_A_Dark_Matter/

We find several new deals at Humble:

• There's a new Humble Bundle: the Unleash Destruction Bundle, with up to 9 games to get during the next 11 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/games/unleash-destruction
• At the Humble Store, we find 4 new sales:
  • The 505 Games Sale features up to 80% discounts during the next 4 days. There are Steam and EGS keys: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/505-games-publisher-sale/
  • Publisher Versus Evil also puts its games on sale, up to 90% off during the next 4 days. There are Steam and GOG keys: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/versus-evil-publisher-sale/
  • The TripWire Publisher Sale features up to 75% discounts during the next 6 days. The keys are for Steam, except one that's also for EGS: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/tripwire-publisher-sale/
  • And the Yakuza franchise Sale brings up to 75% discounts during the next 7 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/yakuza-franchise-sale/

Fanatical has two new deals:

• This week, all the Star Deals will last 24 hours and feature an AAA game from Ubisoft (that also means UPlay). Today it's Prince of Persia, 90% off: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/prince-of-persia
• The Capcom Sale brings up to 81% discounts during the next 13 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/publishers/capcom

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

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MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

The Wilderness Mod for Fallout 4 adds a worldplace as big as Nuka World
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/the-wilderness-mod-for-fallout-4-adds-a-world-as-big-as-nuka-world/
Modder ‘El Ha’ has released a pretty cool mod for Fallout 4. The Wilderness adds a worldplace that is at least as big as Nuka World, featuring lakes, forests, ruins and an abandoned city.
In addition, this mod features a horror-themed main quest and a dozen of new settlement options. Naturally, it also packs new weapons, items, armor and music.
As the modder noted, the settlements range from small to mid size. Most of them are set up in a way that they are near to each other in town. However, they are also very far away from Commonwealth.
>> Available from Nexus Mods (1.1GB).

Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness Fan Remake shows an amazing new 3D model for Lara Croft
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/tomb-raider-the-angel-of-darkness-fan-remake-new-3d-model-lara-croft/
In May 2021, we informed you about a fan remake of Tomb Raider Angel of Darkness in Unreal Engine 4. And today, we are happy to share some new screenshots and a video that showcased the newly improved 3D model for Lara Croft.
Created by FreakRaider and Konrad Majewski, this new Lara looks similar (but better) to her original looks. The duo was able to capture her original style and aesthetics, while also increase her polygon count. The end result is a 3D model that looks exactly what we’d expect to see from an official remake.

This AI-enhanced Mod for Grand Theft Auto San Andreas overhauls all of its textures
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/this-ai-enhanced-mod-for-grand-theft-auto-san-andreas-overhauls-all-of-its-textures/
Modder ‘flyaway888’ has released a new AI-enhanced mod for Grand Theft Auto San Andreas that overhauls all of its textures. In order to showcase these improved textures, the modder also released a video that you can find below.
By using AI tools, the modder was able to upscale the original textures by eight times. As such, the new textures look more detailed, and retain the art style of their original versions.
Unfortunately, though, flyaway888 did not upload the pack to ModDB or NexusMods. Instead, the modder decided to use AdFly and another hosting website (you can find the links in the video description). Now I don’t want to be an ass, but AdFly forces you to enable notifications (otherwise it won’t provide you the download link). This is a major pain in the ass, so I thought I should warn you about it.
I seriously hope the modder will provide another link for this pack. However, and until then, we suggest taking a look at another AI-enhanced HD Texture Pack from modder Kadakash. While the results may not be similar, you can at least freely download this mod.

Stardew Valley mod makes finding the last fish you need for your bundle much easier
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/stardew-valley-mod-makes-finding-the-last-fish-you-need-for-your-bundle-much-easier/
Like most fishing minigames, fishing in Stardew Valley is controversial. Not everyone cares for the vanilla experience, the little tap-tap-bounce to try and reel one in—finding it finicky, frustrating, or just plain boring. There are a number of mods that make fishing easier or skip it altogether, but even for those who like the fishing experience, it can't be disputed that finding the right fish, when you just want to help Jody make a fish casserole for dinner or fill out a bundle, can sometimes become a bit of an errand.
A new "Visible Fish" mod from shekurika on Nexus Mods makes it just that bit easier. With it, you can see which fish are in the water before you cast your rod—no more enticing shadows that turn out to be cans of cola.
The mod has additional options, including changing the maximum amount of fish on the map, and the density of fish per water tile. A 200% density is two fish per tile, which would make a lot of casserole. It would also let players fill out those junimo bundles a lot faster, if they so choose—at least the fishy ones, I don't know if you're going to get through your seasonal veggies any faster. Let's be honest though: there's probably a mod for that, too.

GAMING NEWS

FIFA 22 will be next-gen on Stadia but old-gen on PC
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/fifa-22-will-be-next-gen-on-stadia-but-old-gen-on-pc/
Well, you gotta love EA. Following FIFA 21 and Madden 22, EA Sports decided to bring to the PC the old-gen version of the next part in its FIFA series, FIFA 22. However, the Stadia version of the game, which most PC gamers can access via streaming, will be based on the next-gen build.
>> Oh, EA, you never change. Anyway, here's the reveal trailer.

Judgement and Lost Judgement are not coming to PC due to Takuya Kimura’s talent agency
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/judgement-and-lost-judgement-are-not-coming-to-pc-due-to-takuya-kimuras-talent-agency/
Even though the entire Yakuza series is available on PC, its spin-offs, Judgement and Lost Judgement, have not been announced for it. And, from the looks of it, these two games will not be coming at all on our platform.
Back in February, we assumed there was an exclusivity deal with Stadia. However, that doesn’t appear to be the case. According to a report from Nikkan Taishu, Takuya Kimura’s talent agency has forbidden SEGA from releasing these two games on PC.
>> So tell me, this is worth one or two facepalms?

Monday news, part two:

Close call: The first Witcher game almost didn't star Geralt
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/close-call-the-first-witcher-game-almost-didnt-star-geralt/
The Witcher as we know it might not exist today if not for a decision made a few years into the development of the original game. During a developer presentation at WitcherCon, CD Projekt Red quest designers Phillipp Weber and Błażej Augustynek revealed that Geralt wasn't intended to be the star of the series at the start.

The Witcher 3 is getting free new DLC based on the Netflix show
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/the-witcher-3-is-getting-free-new-dlc-based-on-the-netflix-show/
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has been out on PC for almost six years now: Its grand finale, the Blood and Wine DLC, has been around for more than five years. Despite its advanced age, new content is on the way: A "next-gen update" is coming later this year for the Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC, and there's going to be some new DLC content based on the Netflix series, too.

Favela was Rainbow Six Siege's most hated map, now it's coming to Ranked
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/favela-was-rainbow-six-sieges-most-hated-map-now-its-coming-to-ranked/
Rainbow Six Siege's most historically disliked map will be among the first to make the jump from casual play to the Ranked map pool in an upcoming patch. Favela, a highly destructible map added back in 2016, received a complete rework in Siege's recent North Star update. The map update was intended to be a "casual rework" only for Quick Play, but Ubisoft is now confident the map is balanced enough for Siege's most competitive mode.

Exclusive: Chernobylite's survival systems were inspired by research trips to Chernobyl
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/exclusive-chernobylites-survival-systems-were-inspired-by-research-trips-to-chernobyl/
Chernobylite is a survival-horror RPG in the tradition of Stalker, set in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. The latest developer diary, exclusively provided to PC Gamer by The Farm 51 and All In! Games, focuses on the survival half of the equation.

Don't hold your breath for Final Fantasy 16 at Tokyo Game Show
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/dont-hold-your-breath-for-final-fantasy-16-at-tokyo-game-show/
During a recent and extremely long livestream in support of Final Fantasy 14, producer Naoki Yoshida gave away a little bit of info about the other game he's producing at the moment: Final Fantasy 16. Mostly, what he said was not to expect to see it at Tokyo Game Show this September/October.

Red Dead Redemption 2 has some unexpected edutainment value, according to academics
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/red-dead-redemption-2-has-some-unexpected-edutainment-value-according-to-academics/
Red Dead Redemption 2 was one of the most highly-detailed games that year when it first came out in 2018, with extensively interacting systems—including realistic animal behaviour. While some critics asked if that experience was worth the human cost of "death march" crunch needed to develop it, it had an additional surprising outcome. According to a paper published for the 'People and Nature' journal, players who had played either Red Dead Redemption 2 or Red Dead Online were better at identifying real life animals than those who hadn't.
>> Edutainment? Really?

Summer Games Done Quick breaks its online record by raising nearly 3 million dollars
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/summer-games-done-quick-breaks-its-online-record-by-raising-nearly-3-million-dollars/
This year's Summer Games Done Quick raised a total of $2,897,704 for Doctors Without Borders, after seven days of events—beating their record for money raised during previous online-only streams.
>> Well done! Congratulations.

Bloober Team shoots down new Silent Hill rumors, but there's still hope
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/bloober-team-shoots-down-new-silent-hill-rumors-but-theres-still-hope/
(...)according to Bloober Team CMO Tomasz Gawlikowski, responding to queries from IGN. Gawlikowski addressed each project, ruling out project H20 as anything particularly exciting, since it was the codename for the already-released Layers of Fear 2.

There are 'one or two' staff at Respawn working on Titanfall's security problems
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/there-are-one-or-two-staff-at-respawn-working-on-titanfalls-security-problems/
(...)
"You're not abandoned," Garza began. "It's a game of whack-a-mole with this." He went on to explain that, while he didn't want to repeat that the team was working on the issue because "you can only hear that so many times before it becomes useless," they definitely are working on it. "Because now it's a different type of game with these people who DDOS and stuff like that, and blacklist and things like that, so we can't telegraph our moves, we can't say what we're doing. All I can say is we're working on it."

Psychonauts 2 will have an invincibility toggle
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/psychonauts-2-will-have-an-invincibility-toggle/
Psychonauts 2 may feature a spinning tunnel of teeth but that doesn't mean you have to die in it, Double Fine has confirmed. The long-in-development sequel will have an invincibility toggle, meaning that you can beat the game without dying once, even if you're a beginner.

Warzone glitch lets player parachute into the gulag while invincible
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/warzone-glitch-lets-player-parachute-into-the-gulag-while-invincible/
Add this one to the list alongside the infinite stim glitch, the invisible player glitch, that one watch that made you visible through walls, and especially the bug that let a player bring their full loadout into the gulag. The latest Call of Duty: Warzone glitch lets you parachute into the gulag, and makes you invincible at the same time.

Final Fantasy 14: Endwalker system requirements and benchmarking tool released
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/final-fantasy-14-endwalker-system-requirements/
The fourth expansion for Final Fantasy 14 is months away, but if you want to know how well your rig will be able to handle Endwalker, Square Enix have published system requirements and a benchmarking tool you can download.
>> Yuri already posted the benchmark tool, but here you'll also find the req, specs.

Death Stranding: Director's Cut isn't a director's cut, says Hideo Kojima
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/death-stranding-directors-cut-isnt-a-directors-cut-says-hideo-kojima/
Between Ghost of Tsushima and Death Stranding, Sony's big thing of late is updating and rereleasing its first-party games with "Director's Cut" editions. But that particular phrasing doesn't appear to have sat well with Death Stranding director (and noted cinephile) Hideo Kojima.

Final Fantasy 14 had such a spike in players that Square Enix temporarily ran out of digital copies
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/final-fantasy-14-had-such-a-spike-in-players-that-square-enix-temporarily-ran-out-of-digital-copies/
(...)
As spotted by u/Polydopamine over the weekend, Square Enix's online store had zero stock of Final Fantasy 14 (though you could join a waiting list), and wasn't allowing players to create new characters on any servers either.
This was as one would expect a temporary blip, and I've checked and the game is now available as a digital edition again, but what it does show is a massive spike in popularity at just around the same time as World of Warcraft is going through some difficulties with its playerbase.

Smuggler caught with 256 Intel Core i7-10700/i9-10900K processors strapped to his body

https://videocardz.com/newz/smuggler-caught-with-256-intel-core-i7-10700-i9-10900k-processors-strapped-to-his-body

I was thinking that if you were gonna smuggle a set of CPUs, why not do AMD ones instead and then I realized that the Pins from the AMD CPUs would have probably caused a lot of issues.

AMD Next Generation Threadripper 5000 Series “Chagall” Launching In August

https://wccftech.com/amd-next-generation-threadripper-5000-series-chagall-launching-in-august/

Intel dead... Again!

Intel Accelerated Event Hosted By CEO Pat Gelsinger To Detail IDM 2.0 And Foundry Roadmap

I have read a lot of nonsense over the years and when I read this today, I thought this was satire. But it goes to show that no matter what, some people will still have backwards thinking.

The one good thing is that this goes to show how vital PC market really is that Sega would rather kill a series and start over than to leave it exclusive to consoles. Fuck that talent agency!

It actually sounds like a joke at first, until you read the article and find that they went as far as baning Famitsu from using a pic with the main character... which is nuts.

Anyway, consols yes, Stadia yes, but PC no. Sounds like they have no f*cking idea how big PC gaming is or what is Stadia. Oh, well, too bad for them and the actor, but good for Sega for taking the right measures to make sure that it doesn't happen again.

Decided to give F76 a try, since it was both on sale during the summer sale, and was part of the Beth bundle (it was the only game left that I hadn't bought in the bundle at the time). It's still a bit rough around the edges (namely performance), but it has some nicer looking forests and better SSR than F4, plus the UI looks a lot more pleasing to me than F4's did. I also prefer the game's radio station presenter over F4's (because the dude in F4 sounded like a total wimp). She feels like she's got more life in her than most of the other presenters (save for 3 Dog who will forever be the best radio host). 

Come across this really impressive UE5 demo with real time terrain deformation. That realtime deformation with voxels is some darn impressive stuff. Really want to see more of this in games. More interactive environments and dynamic/creative play. Kinda reminds me of playing Red Faction for the first time and blowing up walls and making my own path though the map. Then you have all the other nice stuff like Lumen providing GI, Nanite helping with LoD's etc.. we're gonna see some amazing looking and playing games with this engine.

And to top it all off.. all of this is running on a 1080Ti.

Yeah, saw that last week. I think UE5 is the next program I'm gonna play around with.

EDIT: Another stunner I just came across:

You can't even tell it's CG from certain angles.

Also amazing what you can already achieve in UE4 with a simple HDRI:

It's a nice step toward the ultimate goal of everything being interactive/destructible - IIRC, some 6-7 years ago someone from Epic (I think it was Tim Sweeney in Gamasutra interview) said it would require around 25-30 TFLOPS for fully voxel worlds...so guess we're getting there in some not so distant future.

*** NEW CONTEST ***

Win one of three ASRock AMD AM4 motherboards
https://hexus.net/tech/features/mainboard/148021-win-one-three-asrock-amd-am4-motherboards/
Our first prize is the HEXUS Recommended X570 PG Velocita, and we're not stopping there as two runners-up will each receive a B550 PG Riptide!

Unfortunately, this contest is limited to UK and Europe Only.