Let's keep the season goodies going:

*** NEW CONTEST ***

Guru3D 2023 Christmas Day 2 Competition: Win an MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SuprimX
https://www.guru3d.com/story/guru3d-2023-christmas-day-2-competition-win-an-msi-geforce-rtx-4070/

The contest is GLOBAL and will end the 31st of December.

Good luck!

TCP kind of reminds me more of FFXIII in terms of level design than Dead Space. Not necessarily a bad thing, just different.

They did change the shoot button to R2 in the Drake Collection but playing it after BotW, with Nathan's arbitrary climbing skills, was disappointing. The same was true for HZD, but the level design in Uncharted felt way more confusing.

Here are the free games, today it's two for the price of one:

• The Epic Store gives away Human Resource Machine during the next 24 hours: https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/human-resource-machine
• Meanwhile, GOG will give Lacuna – A Sci-Fi Noir Adventure during another 69 hours: https://www.gog.com/en/game/lacuna_a_scifi_noir_adventure

Thanks JEMC. If it wasn't for you I would probably forget about the free games being given out.

^My pleasure.

And hey, look, it's the news!

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

Steam's Top 10

(Click here for the top 100)

Today's free game at the Epic Store is Cursed to Golf: https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/cursed-to-golf-a6bc22.

GOG has launched a new Deal of the Day: Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain will be 86% off during 46 hours: https://www.gog.com/en/game/blood_omen_legacy_of_kain.

The Humble Store has an Ubisoft Holiday Sale, with up to 85% discounts during 5 days. While the vast majority of the keys are for UbiConnect, there are also some Steam and EGS keys, plus some direct downloads: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/ubisoft-holiday-sale/.

Fanatical

• The new Star Deal is Resident Evil 4 Deluxe Edition, 54% off during 48 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/resident-evil-4-deluxe-edition
• The Vertigo Games Bundle features 5 games split into three tiers of 2, 3 or 5 games during the next 8 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/vertigo-games-bundle

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

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MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

This mod attempts to recreate Spider-Man 2’s traversal system in Spider-Man Remastered
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/this-mod-attempts-to-recreate-spider-man-2s-traversal-system-in-spider-man-remastered/
Modder ‘Skibidiohiorizz’ just dropped an awesome mod for Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered. This mod is a game-changer, giving the traversal system a major upgrade. This mod is all about bringing the vibes of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 into the first game. The goal? To recreate that sweet traversal system PS5 players enjoyed.
This mod introduces new air tricks (with one of them replacing the forward air dodge). It also brings faster web-swinging, webzip and point launch. Players will also be able to use a wingsuit (which will replace the “Low Gravity” suit power). There are also Spider Jumps and Spider Dashes. Not only that but the mod introduces slingshots and some new swinging trails effects.
All in all, this is a must-have mod for all Spider-Man fans. Now since the mod will completely change the way you play the game, we suggest using it in your second playthrough. So, go ahead and download it from this link. At the end of the article, you can also find a showcase video for it.

Fallout London, DLC-sized Mod for Fallout 4, releases on April 23rd
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/fallout-london-dlc-sized-mod-for-fallout-4-will-release-on-april-23rd/
The team behind the DLC-sized mod for Fallout 4, Fallout: London, has announced that its fan expansion will release on April 23rd. In order to celebrate this announcement, the team has also shared a new trailer that you can find below.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim DLC-sized Mod, Apotheosis, will release in 2025
https://www.dsogaming.com/articles/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-dlc-sized-mod-apotheosis-will-release-in-2025/
The creators of the fan expansion for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Apotheosis, just revealed that it will be coming out in 2025. To celebrate, they also dropped a cool new trailer. So, go ahead and take a look at it.
Apotheosis will be a dark fantasy expansion, with a super cool story and a big open world to explore. This expansion takes place in 17 Planes of Oblivion and the ‘Dreamsleeve’.
In Apotheosis, storytelling, quests, and narrative design will be important elements. The team will also put a lot of emphasis on player freedom. Or at least that’s its goal. Plus, it’s working on some cool new gameplay stuff.

Phantasy Star Online will get a Unity3D Fan Remake in 2024
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/phantasy-star-online-will-get-a-unity3d-fan-remake-in-2024/
A team of modders is currently working on a fan remake of Phantasy Star Online in Unity3D. This fan remake will be fully playable, and it will come out in 2024. Below you can also find a teaser trailer for it.
Phantasy Star Online Remake is built on top of the MMORPG tech that has been in development in Unity3D for many years. This MMORPG framework has been in development for many years and it’s now in a complete enough state that multiple commercial game titles are being developed using it. Thus, the Phantasy Star Online Remake project can finally benefit from it.
What’s crazy here is that the MMORPG framework has been mainly developed by a single developer. As such, we’re eager to get our hands on it and test it. Seriously, imagine if a single dev has managed to create a robust MMORPG system. This will put to shame most commercial gaming studios.

PC gamers can enjoy an unofficial sequel to Super Mario Sunshine
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/pc-gamers-can-enjoy-an-unofficial-sequel-to-super-mario-sunshine/
A team of modders is working on a sequel mod for Super Mario Sunshine, and it’s exclusively for PC gamers. It’s called Super Mario Eclipse, and it’s all about adding fresh new content to Super Mario Sunshine. Not only that but there’s a demo you can grab and play right now.
Super Mario Eclipse will be dropping its full version on June 30th, 2024. It will have a load of cool stuff like new characters, fresh environments, slick moves, and a whopping 240 Shinesprites to snag. The team behind it says it’s basically the sequel Super Mario Sunshine 2 could’ve been.
And guess what? You can already grab a demo of Super Mario Eclipse. This demo has 3 cool characters to play, 4 awesome main courses to check out, and a bunch of Shinesprites and blue coins to scoop up – 37 Shinesprites and 60 blue coins, to be exact. And let’s not forget a new super catchy original soundtrack. Plus, the game comes with way new moves and better collisions.
To play Super Mario Sunshine, you gotta get a legally ripped USA non-nkit .iso of the game. Once you’ve got that, you can use a Nintendo Wii/Nintendo GameCube emulator to run it. The team recommends using Dolphin.
>> Since it's technically a mod for the first game, Nintendo shouldn't be able to take it down, but you never know. By the way, there's a video of the mod in the article.

This mod turns Yakuza: Like a Dragon into a classic Yakuza action brawler
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/this-mod-turns-yakuza-like-a-dragon-into-a-classic-yakuza-brawler/
Yakuza: Like a Dragon was my GOTY in 2020. And although I didn’t mind its change from an action brawler to a turn-based strategy, I know that a lot of Yakuza fans were put off by this change. Well, good news if you were one of them as there is a mod that turns it into a classic Yakuza action game.
Like A Brawler turns Yakuza: Like a Dragon into a real-time combat action game. This will allow Ichiban Kasuga to fight in real-time. Ichiban will now be able to perform brand new heat actions and utilize multiple styles to efficiently strike down his enemies. This is a game-changer. And yes, I highly recommend trying it.
>> The article has a video of it.

The Day Before may get an offline mode thanks to modders
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/the-day-before-may-get-an-offline-mode-thanks-to-modders/
The Day Before was one of the most disappointing games of 2023. Originally marketed as an MMORPG, The Day Before was actually an Extraction Shooter that looked and played nothing like its pre-release videos. In just mere days after hitting Steam Early Access, Fntastic closed its doors. And, from the looks of it, modders are working on an offline mode for it.
>> The most important question here is very easy to guess: why?

GAMING NEWS

Dark Souls-inspired Project Relic has been renamed to The Relic – The First Guardian, gets gameplay trailer
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/dark-souls-inspired-project-relic-has-been-renamed-to-the-relic-the-first-guardian-gets-gameplay-trailer/
Remember Project Relic? You know, the Dark Souls-inspired game that had some amazing destruction/physics effects? Well, Project Cloud Games has renamed it to The Relic – The First Guardian, and shared a new gameplay trailer for it.

The full source code for Grand Theft Auto 5 has been leaked online
https://www.dsogaming.com/articles/the-full-source-code-for-grand-theft-auto-5-has-been-leaked-online/
In November 2022, a part of GTA 5’s source code was leaked online. And earlier today, new reports surfaced, suggesting that the entire code for this GTA game has been leaked.
Now what’s interesting here is that this code includes a Bully 2 file. It also has an early GTA 5 map and script which confirms that GTA 6 was once codenamed “Project Americas”.
>> Talking about leaked stuff, there are a couple more leaks: a PC Dev build of Spider-man 2 and screenshots for the infamous Agent game from Rockstar.

Chasmal Fear is a new cool Unreal Engine 5-powered bodycam FPS horror game, created by two people
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/chasmal-unreal-engine-5-bodycam-fps-horror-game/
Now here is something interesting. MystiveDev has informed us about its upcoming Unreal Engine 5-powered bodycam FPS horror game, Chasmal Fear. This game appears to have an art style similar to Doom 3. Or at least that’s the vibes I got from it. And below, you can find its latest gameplay trailer.

The news, the second part:

'Every stone will not be turned for years' says Baldur's Gate 3's principal narrative designer, on its many hidden outcomes
https://www.pcgamer.com/every-stone-will-not-be-turned-for-years-says-baldurs-gate-3s-principal-narrative-designer-on-its-many-hidden-outcomes/
While Baldur's Gate 3 is appreciably big in size—its three acts spanning a lot of square miles —its sheer largeness comes more from the amount of pieces on the board. A tool recently discovered that the thing has around 1,800 characters and over 110,000 lines of text.
So when the game's principal narrative designer Lawrence Schick tells Inverse in an interview that "every stone will not be turned for years", I believe him. That's despite the fact we have a pretty stellar list of hidden dialogues already—every time something new pops up on the internet, I'm just staggered that it just keeps happening.

Disastrous survival shooter The Day Before to be extracted from existence, shutting down its servers just one month after launch
https://www.pcgamer.com/disastrous-survival-shooter-the-day-before-to-be-extracted-from-existence-shutting-down-its-servers-just-one-month-after-launch/
It's startling to think The Day Before was once the most wishlisted game on Steam, given how fast and spectacular its fall from grace has been. Earlier this month, the game launched to scathing reviews from critics and players alike, panning it as a shallow, empty extraction shooter that was nothing like what its developer Fntastic originally promised. Just four days later, Fntastic announced it was shutting its doors, with the developer claiming that it "lack[ed] the funds to continue". A few hours after that, the game was pulled from sale on Steam, though the actual servers remained online.
For those players who could still access it, the fate of the game itself has remained uncertain. Until now. Earlier today, The Day Before's official Twitter account posted a statement confirming the game will be shut down next month. "We regret to inform you that the development company Fntastic has officially ceased operations, and as a result The Day Before will be retired and the servers will be turned off on 22 January 2024."
>> While this explains the reason for the offline mod, the main question remains: why would people want to keep playing this awful game?

Witcher actor Doug Cockle says the use of AI voices in games is 'inevitable' but potentially dangerous: 'AI is not the problem. It's the people using AI'
https://www.pcgamer.com/witcher-actor-doug-cockle-says-the-use-of-ai-voices-in-games-is-inevitable-but-potentially-dangerous-ai-is-not-the-problem-its-the-people-using-ai/
In a new interview with IGN, voice actor Doug Cockle, famed as the voice behind The Witcher trilogy hero Geralt of Rivia, says it's "inevitable" that AI will be increasingly used in the process of game development, and that's not necessarily a bad thing—but it is potentially "dangerous" if voice actors don't take steps to control how their voice is used.

TinyBuild closes indie publisher Versus Evil, all staff laid off
https://www.pcgamer.com/tinybuild-closes-indie-publisher-versus-evil-all-staff-laid-off/
2023 is very near its end, but the bad news for the videogame industry keeps on coming. Just three days before Christmas, TinyBuild has laid off all staff at indie publisher Versus Evil and shut it down.
>> That's disappointing.

One of our favorite early access shooters is approaching the finish line with the release of its creepiest chapter yet
https://www.pcgamer.com/one-of-our-favorite-early-access-shooters-is-approaching-the-finish-line-with-the-release-of-its-creepiest-chapter-yet/
New Blood shooter Ultrakill has released an exciting holiday update. The high-flying Doom Eternal come character action riff launched the first part of its third and final act: Layer 7, Violence.

Shares in Chinese gaming giants tumble as the CCP imposes strict new regulations and spending limits, alongside a ban on login bonuses and 'luck-based draw features' for minors
https://www.pcgamer.com/shares-in-chinese-gaming-giants-tumble-as-the-ccp-imposes-strict-new-regulations-and-spending-limits-alongside-a-ban-on-login-bonuses-and-luck-based-draw-features/
Regulators of the Chinese Communist Party have come down hard on several key pieces in the live service model, leading to spiralling shares for major players in the market as investors scramble to assess the damage.
According to a Reuters report, "nearly $80 billion in market value" has sloughed off Tencent Games and NetEase Games: "Shares in Tencent Holdings (0700.HK), the world's biggest gaming company, tumbled as much as 16% at one point, while those of its closest rival, NetEase (9999.HK), plunged as much as 25% after the National Press and Publication Administrations published the new draft rules."

Today it's the Spanish (and other places) equivalent of April Fool's Day. But you don't have to worry, all the following news articles are legit...

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

The Epic Store gives away Cat Quest during the next 24 hours: https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/cat-quest-8373e0.

And Fanatical has launched its BYO Winter Bundle, featuring 26 games for you to build your 1, 5 or 10 games bundle during the next 33 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/pick-and-mix/build-your-own-winter-bundle.

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

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MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Batman: Arkham City just got an Insane Difficulty Mod
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/batman-arkham-city-just-got-an-insane-difficulty-mod/
Modder ‘GPUnity’ has just released an Insane Difficulty Mod for the second Batman Arkham game, Batman: Arkham City. This mod will significantly increase the game’s difficulty. This mod is ideal for those who want an extra challenge in this Batman game. So, if you are one of them, this mod is for you.
The Knightfall Overhaul mod makes Batman: Arkham City more challenging by reducing the time you have for counters. It also allows enemies to deal more damage. Plus, it makes stealth parts of the game harder. Oh, and just so you know, this mod only works on Hard Difficulty and NG+ Modes. It does not make any changes to the challenge map difficulty.
>> The article has a couple videos.

Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon just got an Easy “Story” Mod
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/armored-core-6-fires-of-rubicon-just-got-an-easy-story-mod/
Modder ‘DeadLock’ has just released an Easy Difficulty Mod for Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon, allowing less experienced players to enjoy the game’s story. This is a must-have for those who found this latest FromSoft game a bit too hard.
Now I know, shame on using Easy Modes and “cheats” for a FromSoft game. If you are one of those who have finished the game, more power to you. However, some players would love to enjoy this mecha game without the need to “git good”. And, since this is a mod, there is nothing really wrong with it.
Going into slightly more details, this mod changes a lot of the default weapons. For instance, Coral Rifle Redshift will no longer have a cooldown and it’ll have an insta-kill beam. The Booster now costs nothing and the Generator will now instantly recharge energy.
>> The article doesn't have screenshots nor videos.

GAMING NEWS

Tiny Rogues feels like someone stuffed Brotato and Binding of Isaac into a fantasy shell
https://www.pcgamer.com/tiny-rogues-feels-like-someone-stuffed-brotato-and-binding-of-isaac-into-a-fantasy-shell/
One action roguelike is surging to the top of the Steam charts this holiday week courtesy of an update, with little room-based dungeon crawler Tiny Rogues holding strong player numbers for an indie after the release of its Heaven & Hell update added oodles of new stuff. Released late last year, Tiny Rogues is an action roguelike that punts you from room to room dodging nasty traps and enemy attacks while building up a set of unique equipment and abilities that synergize well enough to get you through 10 dungeon floors and their nasty bosses.

And that's all the news available today. Both DSOG and PCGamer are mostly on holidays.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER 16 GB, 4070 Ti SUPER 16 GB, 4070 SUPER 12 GB Custom Models From MSI & Gigabyte Leak Out

https://wccftech.com/nvidia-geforce-rtx-4080-super-16-gb-4070-ti-super-16-gb-4070-super-12-gb-custom-models-msi-gigabyte-leak/

AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT Launches In January In Custom Flavors Only, Might Be The Last RDNA 3 GPU Before RDNA 4

https://wccftech.com/amd-radeon-rx-7600-xt-launches-januarycustom-flavors-only-might-be-last-rdna-3-gpu/

Gigabyte Rolls Out AMD AGESA 1.1.0.1a BIOS Firmware For AM5 Motherboards, Carries Ryzen 8000G “Hawk Point” APU Support

https://wccftech.com/gigabyte-amd-agesa-1-1-0-1a-bios-firmware-am5-motherboards-ryzen-8000g-hawk-point-apu/

NVIDIA’s H100 GPUs Powered AI Powerhouses & Data Centers Consume Electricity Equivalent To Entire Nations

https://wccftech.com/nvidias-h100-gpus-powered-ai-powerhouses-data-centers-consume-electricity-equivalent-to-entire-nations/

AMD Might Be Working On More RDNA 3 GPUs: Radeon RX 7800, RX 7700 & RX 7600 XT Spotted

https://wccftech.com/amd-more-rdna-3-gpus-radeon-rx-7800-rx-7700-rx-7600-xt-spotted/

NVIDIA launches GeForce RTX 4090D with 14592 CUDA cores, 24GB G6X memory and 425W TDP

https://videocardz.com/newz/nvidia-launches-geforce-rtx-4090d-with-14592-cuda-cores-24gb-g6x-memory-and-425w-tdp

Well, the gap between AMD's 7600 and the 770XT GPUs is big enough to fit the 7600XT and bring some fight to Nvidia's 4060, but I don't see where they'll be able to fit something like the 7800.

The hypothetical 7700 would depend on how well the 7600XT performs.

This gen is selling poorly. Nvidia's answer? Let's release some even more expensive editions.