Uf, imagine if they had to play one of the Metal Gear Solid games. They would go nuts... or maybe not. People accept certain things in some games but hate the exact same things in other games.

What do you mean in terms of Metal Gear Solid?

I can't comment on the last two, but the Metal Gear Solid 2 and 2, from th PS1 & PS2, were so full of cutscenes that the internet, and this site, was full of comments about how the cutscenes were longer than the games themselves or that playing the games felt more like watching a movie with some gaming in between.

True you can tell a lot of work has been done to make the lore complete as it is. Its just a few technical things that I wished were a done a bit better. Faces, animations and tech included. Won't be for some time but interested to see what modders come up with this game with it does launch on PC.

And yeah its a lot more mature in its story and presentation. And far less light hearted and tongue in cheek, you'd come to expect from FF like in the older games. But it does have its moments which positively contrasts it. And its always cool to always see the usual reoccuring names pop up here and there. To be perfectly honest though I way prefer the tone in this game to the more recent cheesy and lets say anime-like mainline games before - FF7R non withstanding.

Agreed, there's nothing like a good FF. The sense of awe and granduer you just can't find in most other games especially in big battles. And the music just flows with the epic'ness. So, damn good. Now back to playing lol.

Oh you mean the cutscenes/story scenes.

I played MGS1, 2, 3, 4, Peace Walker HD, Portable Ops back to back in 2017-2018 - thankfully to the MGS Legacy collection on PS3 (and I had a copy of the PSP version).

Honestly, the cutscenes were some of my most favorite parts of the game, I just love to be immersed in the storyline so I didnt mind the long cutscenes.

Actually now that I think of it, playing through the FFXVI demo, I enjoyed the long cutscenes, gameplay is great but if the story is really engaging like in FFXVI or the MGS series, I'll take that as a positive rather than a negative.

I like FFXVI characters design. Specially Clive and Jill. It's no as great as many other FF but I'm okay with that.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is on average 23% faster than RTX 3060 12GB in 3DMark tests

https://videocardz.com/newz/nvidia-geforce-rtx-4060-is-on-average-23-faster-than-rtx-3060-12gb-in-3dmark-tests

Imagine if they named this the 4050 like it should be and it costed $150

AMD Radeon RX 7600 is now available for $249

https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-radeon-rx-7600-is-now-available-for-249

Now that is a much better price than the original $300 and panic discount to $270 slightly before the reviews embargo lifted. Radeon seems to have a habbit of pricing things high, getting a negative word of mouth and then discounting them to their proper prices after. Nvidia does that too but they also have 80+% of the market and they have tons of features for their GPUs that Radeon does not have.

Intel 14th Gen Core “Raptor Lake Refresh” is now supported by official Processor Identification Utility

https://videocardz.com/newz/intel-14th-gen-core-raptor-lake-refresh-is-now-supported-by-official-processor-identification-utility

When you OC this chip

China’s GeForce RTX 40 Founders Edition launch has been taken over by scalpers

https://videocardz.com/newz/chinas-geforce-rtx-40-founders-edition-launch-has-been-taken-over-by-scalpers

Likely due to sanctions that limits Nvidia from selling their GPUs to China

I mean, they look like actual human beings believably living in their setting instead of overdrawn anime characters.

This motherfucker is also unforgettable and not generic in the least, but not in a good way.

I imagine as game graphics get better there's less need to make main characters distinguishable by an unusual set of clothing and the like. Even Nintendo picked up on that with Mario and Link in the latest games.

The Monday news part one, full of mods:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

GOG's Summer Sale is still going on, and today brings a new giveaway and four Deals of the Day, that will last 46 hours:

• The new GIVEAWAY is Ancient Enemy, available until June 29th: https://www.gog.com/game/ancient_enemy
• The first DotD is Zeus + Poseidon (Acropolis), 50% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/zeus_poseidon
• Hexen: Deathkings of the Dark Citadel gets a 60% discount: https://www.gog.com/en/game/hexen_deathkings_of_the_dark_citadel
• Jazz Jackrabbit Collection is going to be 82% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/jazz_jackrabbit_collection
• And the last DotD is The Samaritan Paradox, with a 91% discount: https://www.gog.com/en/game/the_samaritan_paradox

Steam has two new deals:

• Space Haven, still in Early Access, will be 60% off until Thursday: https://store.steampowered.com/app/979110/Space_Haven/
• The second deal is Genesis Noir, with a 70% discount until the 29th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/735290/Genesis_Noir/

The Humble Store has two new sales:

• To celebrate the launch of its latest update, Conan: Exiles and its expansions go on sale with up to 60% discounts during 4 days. All the keys are for Steam: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/conan-exiles-age-of-war/
• And the Jackbox Summer Slumber Party Sale also comes with up to 60% discounts during 4 days. There are keys for Steam and 1 for GOG: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/jackbox-summer-slumber-party-sale/

Fanatical has a Star Deal and a bundle:

• It started yesterday, but the Star Deal is Assassin's Creed Valhalla, between 73 and 79% off, depends on the edition, during another 24 hours. The key is for UbiConnect: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/assassin-s-creed-valhalla-complete-edition
• The BYO Trinity Bundle, Summer Edition, comes with 13 titles to choose rom for your 3, 5 or 7 games bundle: https://www.fanatical.com/en/pick-and-mix/build-your-own-trinity-bundle-summer-edition

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

Next-Gen Unreal Engine 5 GDC 2023 Demo available for download
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/next-gen-unreal-engine-5-gdc-2023-demo-available-for-download/
At GDC 2023, Epic Games showcased a next-gen tech demo for Unreal Engine 5.2. And today, we are happy to report that this demo (or to be more precise, its environment) is available for download as a Sample Project.
Going into more details, the Electric Dreams Environment Sample Project enables you to explore the demo’s jungle environment, which was constructed using just a handful of Quixel assets. The demo features Procedural Content Generation framework (PCG), as well as a new material authoring system called Substrate.

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Grand Theft Auto 5 gets a fun and gory Chainsaw Man Mod
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/grand-theft-auto-5-gets-a-fun-and-gory-chainsaw-man-mod/
Talented modder ‘JulioNIB’ has released a gory mod for Grand Theft Auto 5 that is heavily inspired by Chainsaw Man. This mod allows you to play as Denji in his devil form, and cut in half enemies. JulioNIB has implemented numerous moves from the anime, something that will please a lot of Chainsaw Man fans.
Since this mod is currently a WIP, it’s only available to JulioNIB’s Patreon members. However, and given the modder’s history, we can expect a free public version once the mod is complete. For instance, remember the Harry Potter Mod we shared in March 2023? This mod is now available to everyone.
>> There are two videos of the mod.

New The Witcher 3 Next-Gen Mod lets you kill most in-game NPCs
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/new-the-witcher-3-next-gen-mod-lets-you-kill-most-in-game-npcs/
Modder ‘Lolzzl’ has released a version of cypherxxxx’s “Kill ‘Em All” Mod for the Next-Gen version of The Witcher 3. This mod allows you to kill almost all of the game’s NPCs in some really gory ways.
Going into more details, this mod allows you to attack NPCs & horses using swords, bombs, crossbows, signs & even other NPCs. It’s a pretty cool mod that can completely change the way you play the game.
According to the modder, you can also attack NPCs that are crucial to the story and completely break the game. So make sure to keep that in mind. Now the good news here is that you can reload a save and continue your progress.
>> There's an almost 8 minutes long video.

Skyblivion, Oblivion remake in Skyrim, gets new gameplay footage
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/skyblivion-oblivion-remake-in-skyrim-gets-new-gameplay-footage/
The modding team behind The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remake in Skyrim, Skyblivion, has released a new developer diary for it. In this new dev diary, the team presented some new WIP gameplay footage from this highly anticipated project.
Skyblivion aims to bring The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion to a new generation of gamers and re-introduce it to long-time fans of the series. This mod will also support both Skyrim Legacy Edition and Skyrim Special Edition.
>> The video is a bit over 10 minutes long.

Fallout 4 showcased with NVIDIA’s DLSS 3 Frame Generation
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/fallout-4-showcased-with-nvidias-dlss-3-frame-generation/
Modder ‘PureDark’ has released a video, showcasing Fallout 4 running with NVIDIA’s DLSS 3 Frame Generation. DLSS 3 Frame Generation can double performance in Fallout 4, allowing PC gamers to enjoy constant 60fps on various PC configurations.
In case you did not know, Fallout 4 is a heavy CPU game, especially if you mod it. Thus, DLSS 3 can significantly improve performance in it. Moreover, and since the game is locked at 60fps, PC gamers won’t notice any major latency issues or visual glitches.
>> The mod is still in development, but the article has a video showing it in action.

Skyrim Special Edition gets a new 4K Texture Pack for all shields
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/skyrim-special-edition-gets-a-new-4k-texture-pack-for-all-shields/
Modder ‘UFR’ has released a new 4K Texture Pack for Skyrim Special Edition that overhauls all of the game’s shields. This 4K Texture Pack is 850MB in size and enhances 32 shields.
UFR has done an amazing job at overhauling the game’s shields. At the end of the article, you can find some screenshots that showcase the new 4K textures. And, as you’ll see, these shields look better than ever.
>> There are only some screenshots.

Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom finally runs silky smooth on PC
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/zelda-tears-of-the-kingdom-finally-runs-silky-smooth-on-pc/
Last week, we shared a video showcasing The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom running in 4K/60fps on an NVIDIA RTX 4090. However, the biggest issue back then was the cut-scenes which did not run properly at 60fps.
Thanks to the game’s modding community, though, this has been fixed. As such, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is finally smooth on PC during both gameplay and cut-scenes.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom gets another first-person mod
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/the-legend-of-zelda-tears-of-the-kingdom-gets-another-first-person-mod/
Last month, we informed you about a first-person mod for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. And today, we are bringing you another mod that aims to let you play this new Zelda game from a first-person perspective.
Created by MaxLastBreath, this mod features three different FOVs for the first-person viewpoint. The first one is for smaller screens, the second one is for when using typical desktop monitors/TVs, and the third one is for ultrawide monitor owners.
Now what’s interesting here is that the game switches to an over-the-shoulder viewpoint whenever you lock on an enemy in combat mode. This should help you avoid/dodge attacks more easily. So yeah, that’s a cool tweak.
>> There's a 4:13 minutes video of the mod.

Ghost Recon Wildlands gets immersive bodycam first-person mod
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/ghost-recon-wildlands-gets-immersive-bodycam-first-person-mod/
Now here is something interesting. Remember Unrecord? You know, that Unreal Engine 5 game that took everyone by surprise with its bodycam viewpoint? Well, time to experience Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands from a similar bodycam first-person view.
YouTube’s ‘DEEF’ has shared the following video, showcasing this bodycam mod for Ghost Recon: Wildlands. And while this looks cool and immersive, there is something that makes it feel a bit off. Perhaps it’s the exaggerated depth of field, motion blur and chromatic aberration effects that make everything look so damn blurry. Seriously, it’s like having astigmatism and not wearing glasses. Yeah, it can be THAT bad.
>> If you're still interested in the mod after reading the above, check over 9 minutes video in the article.

Multi Theft Auto: San Andreas V1.6 is available for download
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/multi-theft-auto-san-andreas-v1-6-is-available-for-download/
The modding team behind Multi Theft Auto, an open-source software project that adds full online support to Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, has released a brand new version of it.
For those unaware, this project allows you to play Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas with other players online. It’s a pretty cool multiplayer mod, and we highly recommend giving it a go.
Version 1.6 fixes numerous inconsistency issues that were related to high framerates. Additionally, this version adds a number of graphical effects, such as corona rain reflections and dynamic pedestrian shadows.
It’s also worth noting that V1.6 comes with stability improvements, a lot of synchronization improvements, as well as bug fixes and quality-of-life improvements.
>> The article has a less than two minutes video.

Monday news, the long as usual part two:

This upcoming arcade racing game promises to be a throwback to the '90s in more ways than one
https://www.pcgamer.com/this-upcoming-arcade-racing-game-promises-to-be-a-throwback-to-the-90s-in-more-ways-than-one/
I'm not sure I'd go so far as to say that arcade racers are enjoying a renaissance right now, but there's definitely some good stuff to choose from out there, like Circuit Superstars and, more recently, Exo Rally Championship. That number will grow by one later this year with the release of New Star GP, a retro-styled open-wheel racing game set in the heyday of Prost, Senna, and Schumacher.

With its kiddie audience rapidly growing up, Roblox is making a new category for 17+ games on the platform
https://www.pcgamer.com/as-the-children-who-love-it-begin-to-hit-adulthood-roblox-is-making-a-new-category-for-17-games-on-the-platform/
Roblox Corporation has announced the creation of a new category of experiences, which is what it calls the games people create on the platform, for people aged 17 and older. "17 to 24 year-olds are the fastest-growing group on Roblox, and in 2022, people over 17 made up 38% of our daily active users," said Roblox in the announcement. "We’ve heard your feedback on wanting to be able to build experiences that feature more mature themes and storylines that appeal to older users".

Bethesda's upcoming Indiana Jones game will only be available on Xbox and PC
https://www.pcgamer.com/bethesdas-upcoming-indiana-jones-game-will-only-be-available-on-xbox-and-pc/
Back at the start of 2021, Bethesda and MachineGames announced that they're working on an all-new Indiana Jones game. We haven't heard much about it since, but during the ongoing hearing into the FTC's objection to Microsoft's proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard, it came to light that the game will be exclusive to Xbox and PC.
>> And MSoft bought Bethesda because Starfield was going to be a Playstation exclusive.

You begin this base-building survival game with a single item: a time machine
https://www.pcgamer.com/this-base-building-survival-game-starts-you-off-with-only-a-single-item-but-luckily-its-a-time-machine/
Most survival games start off the same way: you're standing alone in the wilderness and you have very little in the way of supplies or gear. (...)
So it's a little unusual to find a survival game that starts you off with absolutely nothing except a time machine, which seems like it should be at the end of a very long tech tree instead of the beginning.

Escape From Tarkov studio threatens to ban anyone who shares information gained from 'illegal datamining'
https://www.pcgamer.com/escape-from-tarkov-studio-threatens-to-ban-anyone-who-shares-information-gained-from-illegal-datamining/
Escape From Tarkov developer Battlestate Games is drawing a hard line in the sand against datamining. The studio said in an announcement today that it is going to start banning all accounts belonging to dataminers and anyone who shares the information they discover.
>> And there has already been a victim, that has been forgiven.

Oh, to be a little gecko crawling up some walls in this exploration platformer
https://www.pcgamer.com/oh-to-be-a-little-gecko-crawling-up-some-walls-in-this-exploration-platformer/
I'm really feeling this cute little one-person developed platformer about being a Gecko. Maybe I'm just in a mood for a movement-driven game about exploring and doing puzzles (thanks, Zelda) but The Gecko Gods is adorable.

Be a middle-manager in charge of hell's breaches in deckbuilding defense game Heretic's Fork
https://www.pcgamer.com/be-a-middle-manager-in-charge-of-hells-breaches-in-deckbuilding-defense-game-heretics-fork/
"Thank you for submitting your application for the position of Hell's Manager. We are pleased to offer you the job and extend a warm welcome to our team. As you may know, we have some overpopulation issues that we believe can be resolved with your help," starts Heretic's Fork. It doesn't really slow down from there.

Suds for the sud god: PowerWash sim is getting a Warhammer 40k crossover
https://www.pcgamer.com/suds-for-the-sud-god-powerwash-sim-is-getting-a-warhammer-40k-crossover/
Please remain calm, but for whatever reason we're being blessed by the timeline where tongue-in-cheek relaxation machine PowerWash Simulator gets a crossover with venerable grim, dark sci-fi series Warhammer 40,000. There's just a teaser trailer and a short description, that's it, but I'm still very excited.

The new GOG versions of the Yakuza games omit multiple developers and even entire support studios from their credits
https://www.pcgamer.com/the-new-gog-versions-of-the-yakuza-games-omit-multiple-developers-and-even-entire-support-studios-from-their-credits/
Sharp-eyed Yakuza fan Timo654 noticed something strange in the recent GOG re-release of the Yakuza series. Namely, many Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio staff members, as well as entire support studios like Lab42 and QLOC, were omitted from the games' end credits.
>> Not cool, Sega, not cool.

This hidden Diablo 4 feature could make the endgame loot grind much easier
https://www.pcgamer.com/this-hidden-diablo-4-feature-could-make-the-endgame-loot-grind-much-easier/
Eventually you reach a point in Diablo 4 where, instead of grinding for levels, you're grinding for gear. Unique items give unique bonuses for your class and they're essential as you climb toward the RPG's level 100 cap.
Instead of blindly sweeping through dungeons and gambling with Murmuring Obols for gear, you can actually target specific item types with Diablo 4's monster family system (a truly unfortunate name). Necromancers desperate for a scythe, for example, can seek out Drowned enemies, or if you just need a Unique helm to complete your build, you can focus on fighting Cultists.

Dev discloses Diablo 4's rarest unique items, what they are, and how to get them
https://www.pcgamer.com/dev-discloses-diablo-4s-rarest-unique-items-what-they-are-and-how-to-get-them/
Diablo 4's class designer Adam Jackson has dropped details on the rarest Unique items to be found in Diablo 4, from that one cool hat to a sword which is the sire of all those other swords. It's a sudden end to lots of guessing about which items were in, how many, and where they could be found.

Diablo 4 and other Battle.net games are back online after brutal weekend DDoS attack
https://www.pcgamer.com/diablo-4-and-other-battlenet-games-are-back-online-after-brutal-weekend-ddos-attack/
At 1:18 PM EST, Blizzard announced that the distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack affecting Battle.net has ended. Blizzard first acknowledged the attack on Twitter at 10:24 AM EST and even warned players of the attack in-game according to Kotaku, but going off posts to the Diablo subreddit, the game was experiencing significant problems as early as last night.

Swap horses and swords for kids on bikes in Kingdom Eighties
https://www.pcgamer.com/swap-horses-and-swords-for-kids-on-bikes-in-kingdom-eighties/
Kids on bikes fighting/befriending/escaping/pursuing monsters: One of the strongest resurgent genres of the last decade, and thanks to Stranger Things deeply ingrained to the 1980s aesthetic which first birthed it.
Now the acclaimed Kingdom series is taking it on with Kingdom Eighties, which will swap the fantasy trappings of the first three games for a setting that, surprise surprise, works just as well with the same antagonists. Those antagonists being the vicious Greed, who want to take your cool stuff and make you into a sad, listless person. Which is obviously the ultimate insult for a cool kid on a bike having the time of their life over summer vacation.

Mortal Kombat 1 continues the tradition of dealing with rage quitters in hilariously brutal ways
https://www.pcgamer.com/mortal-kombat-1-continues-the-tradition-of-dealing-with-rage-quitters-in-hilariously-brutal-ways/
There's nothing more annoying than absolutely rinsing your opponent in a fighting game, only to have them throw a tantrum and pull the plug mid-match. NetherRealm devised a fun way to deal with cowardly disconnectors back in Mortal Kombat X with "Quitalities," where the loser finishes themselves with a neat head explosion or, in Mortal Kombat 11's case, a giant rock impaling them. It beats the classic "oops, sorry" disconnection screen and thankfully, it's making a return in the new entry.

Head of Microsoft Flight Simulator says 'we're not a game [...] what we're doing is accurate aviation activities'
https://www.pcgamer.com/head-of-microsoft-flight-simulator-says-were-not-a-game-what-were-doing-is-accurate-aviation-activities/
FlightSimExpo came in for landing in Texas last week, during which developer Asobo gave a presentation on Microsoft Flight Simulator 24. The game was a surprise announcement during the Xbox Games Showcase, and even caused a little disquiet among its audience who were unclear about whether this was a whole new game or basically a fancy expansion with a new name.

Rights holder retakes control of a 27-year-old MMO from devs keeping it updated, says don't worry, you can still play a version from 2008
https://www.pcgamer.com/rights-holder-retakes-control-of-a-27-year-old-mmo-from-devs-keeping-it-updated-says-dont-worry-you-can-still-play-a-version-from-2008/
(...)
Despite its age, The Realm Online has had its heart kept beating by fans in a way similar to City of Heroes—though in this case with the official backing of the IP holders Norseman Games. In 2018, Norseman entered into an agreement with the private server Mistwalkers, allowing the fanmade developer Rat Labs—now Realm World LLC—to update The Realm Online in an official capacity on a free-to-play server that would receive new content and quality of life updates.
An announcement made on June 21 of this year, however, marked a downturn in relations. Despite the developers' intention to continue its modernisation of The Realm Online's ageing bones, Realm World LLC says there was a a communication breakdown between it and Norseman Games