I'll buy a steam deck 2, ASUS can fuck off and MSI needs Intel to improve with Battlemage.

Finally made it to the Dragon's Den (Post game content exclusive to the GBA and Mobile remake of Final Fantasy VI) after finishing off the final dungeon of the main game couple of days ago.

Also made it to the World of Ruin (2nd half of the game on the Pixel Remaster on Switch lol)

Nice.

I tried Deux Ex Mankind Divided but I couldn't get into it and, as days passed, it only went worse. I'm not sure why as I liked Human Revolution, but maybe it's because I'm not as invested to know what's going on as I was in the first game. But, anyway, I just quit playing it and I hope I'll try again in the future with better luck.

And now I'm playing Graveyard Keeper. I'm not used to play this type of games, so I'm not sure what I'm doing or if I'm doing things well or not, but so far it's entertaining.

Finally finished the Dragon's Den in Final Fantasy VI.

Took me a good 5-6 hours - damn, longest dungeon I've played in any damn RPG lol.

Also that final boss in the Dragon's Den (not the secret one) - looking at my video of my GBA run 8 years ago which I struggled....and comparing it to now with this run? Huge night and day difference, it was a cakewalk for me on the PC version.

Time to do the soul shrine and finally the secret boss at the end - which likely will be tomorrow.

Will finish FFVI on Steam and move on to the next game.

I completed Final Fantasy VI (old ver.) on Steam today.

Not only did I finish the Dragon's Den post game dungeon but also the Soul Shrine which was my first time finishing that. Took me two tries.

Also Omega Weapon - the strongest boss in the game, I owned so much, was easier than my GBA experience 8 years ago.

56 hours and totally dominated the game - its my favorite version so far (with the extra content) but that might change with the Pixel Remaster which I am playing on the side.

My score for the game in comparison for the whole series I finished so far.

Final Fantasy I Dawn of Souls (GBA): 82
Final Fantasy I Anniversary (PSP): 85
Final Fantasy I (iOS): 81
Final Fantasy I Pixel Remaster (NS): 87
Final Fantasy II Dawn of Souls (GBA): 83
Final Fantasy II Anniversary (PSP): 85
Final Fantasy II Pixel Remaster (NS): 87
Final Fantasy III (NES): 80
Final Fantasy III Pixel Remaster (NS): 90
Final Fantasy III (DS): 86
Final Fantasy IV (SNES): 90
Final Fantasy IV (PS1): 89
Final Fantasy IV (GBA): 86
Final Fantasy IV (DS): 92
Final Fantasy IV (PSP): 94
Final Fantasy IV Pixel Remaster (NS): 95
Final Fantasy IV After Years/Prologue (PSP): 88
Final Fantasy V (SNES): 84
Final Fantasy V (PS1): 83
Final Fantasy V Advance (GBA): 88
Final Fantasy V (PC): 91
Final Fantasy V Pixel Remaster (NS): 93
Final Fantasy VI (SNES): 95
Final Fantasy VI (PS1): 94
Final Fantasy VI Advance (GBA): 95
Final Fantasy VI (PC): 97
Final Fantasy VII (PS1): 93
Final Fantasy VII (PC): 93
Final Fantasy VII Crisis Core (PSP): 93
Final Fantasy VIII (PS1): 88
Final Fantasy VIII (PC): 88
Final Fantasy IX (PS1): 95
Final Fantasy IX (PC): 97
Final Fantasy X (PS2): N/A
Final Fantasy X-2 (PS2): N/A
Final Fantasy XII (PS2): N/A
Final Fantasy XIII (PS3): 88
Final Fantasy XIII-2 (PS3): 86
Final Fantasy XV (PS4): 89
A King's Tale: Final Fantasy XV (PS4): 70
Final Fantasy Type-0 HD (PS4): 87
Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light (DS): 82
Final Fantasy Dissidia (PSP): 100
Final Fantasy Dissidia 012 Duodecim (PSP): 96
Final Fantasy Tactics (PS1): 94
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance (GBA): N/A

Anyways....

My end game party

Congratulations, Basil.

Final Fantasy VI (old ver) joins my top 20 at rank #11 on most played games on Steam.

Its right under my other favorite Final Fantasy game - Final Fantasy IX - love to see it.

Decided to buy a brand new CECHA model instead from Solaris Japan. I will build a passive build later on, I still have access to a RX 580 computer for might and magic and whatever else.

The Monday news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth & Tekken 8 have been huge successes on Steam
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/like-a-dragon-infinite-wealth-tekken-8-successes-steam/
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth and Tekken 8 came out on PC this week and from the looks of it, both of them have sold well on Steam. Okay okay, they are nowhere close to what Palworld has achieved this month on PC. However, both of these games have outsold their predecessors.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is currently the biggest Yakuza/Like a Dragon launch on Steam. The game had a peak of 34.3K concurrent players. Moreover, it has Very Positive Reviews on Steam.
Similarly, Tekken 8 had a peak of 49.9K concurrent players on Steam. For comparison purposes, Tekken 7 has a peak of 18.9K concurrent players. So, Tekken 8 saw an increase of 164%. That’s huge for a fighting game. Right now, T8 falls behind SF6 but it has surpassed MK1. Mortal Kombat 1 had a peak of 38K concurrent players. On the other hand, Street Fighter 6 had a peak of 70.5K concurrent players.

Leaving aside the New Year Sale, GOG has three new Deals of the Day that will last until Wednesday:

• Backpack Hero is 20% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/backpack_hero
• Expeditions: Rome gets a 60% discount: https://www.gog.com/en/game/expeditions_rome
• And Outward Definitive Edition is 85% off: https://www.gog.com/en/game/outward_definitive_edition

Steam only has one new deal: 鬼谷八荒 Tale of Immortal will feature a 30% discount until the 2nd of February: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1468810/_Tale_of_Immortal/.

Fanatical's new Star Deal is Baldur's Gate I & II Pack, 90% off during 48 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/bundle/baldurs-gate-i-and-ii-pack.

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-Empty-

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Sony shuts down the free fan-made Bloodborne Kart
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/sony-shuts-down-the-fan-made-bloodborne-kart/
Remember Bloodborne Kart? You know, the 32-bit kart free game that was based on Bloodborne? Well, it appears that Sony is shutting down. However, its creator, Lilith Walther, revealed that they will be changing all assets in order to eventually release this kart game.
Bloodborne Kart was meant to feature 12 racers and 16 maps. All maps and racers would be based on environments and characters from Bloodborne. This kart racer would also have a full single-player campaign mode, as well as local split-screen multiplayer and a VS Battle Mode. Oh, and there would have been some boss fights in it.
From what I’ve gathered, all of the game’s key features will remain intact. The only things that will change are assets and names. So, you can basically expect everything I described above in its upcoming version.
>> Without the Bloodborne assets, now they have plans to launch it as a proper game, and not just a mod or fan project.

Take a look at Manhunt with RTX Remix Path Tracing
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/manhunt-rtx-remix-path-tracing-video/
Modder ‘EiermannTelevision’ is currently working on an RTX Remix Path Tracing Mod for the classic Manhunt game. And although there is no ETA on when this mod will come out, the modder shared a video to showcase its current state.
In order to add new lights to the game, the modder used the Open Beta build of RTX Remix. And while it still needs a lot of work, it already looks pretty good. Do note that this RTX Remix still uses the vanilla assets. So, in theory, the game will look way better once the modder enhances the game’s textures.
According to EiermannTelevision, the biggest issue right now is the geometry which is being culled heavily. This can lead to unstable lighting, something that you can easily notice in the video.
>> There's an almost 8 minutes video of the project.

Call of Duty: World at War RTX Remix Path Tracing Demo Mod Released
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/call-of-duty-world-at-war-rtx-remix-path-tracing-demo/
Call of Duty fans, here is something for you today. Modder ‘xoxor4d’ has released a demo of his RTX Remix Path Tracing Mod for Call of Duty: World at War. So, be sure to download it and give it a go.
This RTX Remix Mod is only compatible with the game’s Zombies Mode. To be more precise, it only works with the Night of the Undead Map, which is the first Zombies map you unlock. It will not work with its single-player campaign. Moreover, this is just a proof-of-concept demo. In short, it does not represent the quality of a full RTX Remix. Still, this is a cool way to re-experience Night of the Undead.
>> There's a less than 4 minutes video of it.

First gameplay video for Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Nextgen Edition
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/first-gameplay-video-for-grand-theft-auto-vice-city-nextgen-edition/
Earlier this month, we informed you about a new mod project that will attempt to bring Grand Theft Auto: Vice City to GTA IV’s RAGE Engine. And last week, the modding team behind it shared an extended gameplay video for it.
GTA Vice City Nextgen Edition will be a complete transfer of all missions from the original game to the RAGE Engine. The mod currently targets a 2025 release date. So yeah, it will be a while until we can actually play it.
The mod will have an improved version of the city – and weapons – from the Definitive Edition. All the cars from the Xbox version of the original game will be present here. Additionally, all the models of all characters and peds will be from the Xbox version. From what we know, there are no plans to increase their polygon count. However, all 3D characters will have better textures.
All the original radio stations will also be present in this unofficial remaster. And although the project will have the cut-scenes and the style of the original game, it will also pack better particle effects and some lighting improvements.

The insanely ambitious Dark Souls 3 total conversion Archthrones just showed off a mysterious new area running on Steam Deck
https://www.pcgamer.com/the-insanely-ambitious-dark-souls-3-total-conversion-archthrones-just-showed-off-a-mysterious-new-area-running-on-steam-deck/
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is undoubtedly the most exciting thing coming (presumably) this year for FromSoftware fans, but the Dark Souls 3 mod Archthrones also has a ton of juice. The ambitious total conversion just showed off a new area, The High Lord's Temple, and it looks like it runs great on Steam Deck to boot.
Archthrones will remix areas from Dark Souls 2 and 3 to tell its own story in the setting, and the High Lord's Temple riffs on one of Dark Souls 3's most incongruous areas. Though its catacombs are located under a swamp (and, bafflingly, over another different swamp), Carthus was supposedly a desert kingdom.
The High Lord's Temple, named for big boy skeleton boss High Lord Wolnir, gives a look at scorching, sandy Carthus in its prime, before some timey-wimey, dimensional shenanigans sent it underground. The warmly-lit citadel under a bright blue sky makes for a nice contrast with the shadowy, claustrophobic catacombs of the base game, and the footage shows a player doing battle with robed apparitions instead of the nasty skeleton guys we're used to.
>> The article has a 6 minutes video.

GAMING NEWS

The Talos Principle 2 Patch 1.1.0 released & adds support for AMD FSR 3 Frame Generation
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/the-talos-principle-2-patch-1-1-0-released-adds-support-for-amd-fsr-3-frame-generation/
Croteam has released Patch 1.1.0 for The Talos Principle 2 which adds support for AMD FSR 3 Frame Generation. The Talos Principle 2 initially supported DLSS 3, but it had major visual issues with it. As such, I’m downloading the game to compare FSR 3.0 against DLSS 3.
>> Here are the results, if you're interested in them.

Forza Motorsport Patch 5.0 promises to bring major PC performance improvements
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/forza-motorsport-patch-5-0-pc-performance-improvements/
Turn10 has spilled the details on Patch 5.0, set to drop in February. The team promises some big PC performance improvements with this update. So, let’s check out all the cool enhancements they have in store for us.

Gameplay footage surfaces for Neversoft’s canceled Call of Duty
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/gameplay-footage-neversoft-canceled-call-of-duty/
It appears that some new gameplay footage has surfaced for Neversoft’s canceled Call of Duty game. Before Call of Duty: Ghosts, Neversoft was working on a futuristic Call of Duty game, and this mission served as a means to learn the engine.
>> If that clip wasn't enough ,now there's a 10 minutes video of it.

Warner Bros adds Denuvo to Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League 10 days before release
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/suicide-squad-kill-the-justice-league-denuvo/
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League will be released in a few days and Warner Bros has updated its Steam page, revealing that the game will be using the Denuvo anti-tamper tech.
>> Just what this game needs...

DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO just got a new cool gameplay trailer
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/dragon-ball-sparking-zero-just-got-a-new-cool-gameplay-trailer/
Bandai Namco has just released a new cool gameplay trailer for its upcoming Unreal Engine 5-powered fighting game, DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO. For those unaware, DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO will be a new Budokai Tenkaichi game. So, be sure to watch it if you are fans of DBZ.

The second part of the news:

Hearts of Iron 4 beefs up Brazil and invites you to save South America from fascism in its latest DLC
https://www.pcgamer.com/hearts-of-iron-4-beefs-up-brazil-and-invites-you-to-save-south-america-from-fascism-in-its-latest-dlc/
Hearts of Iron 4, a kind of Midnight Suns game where you make Mohammad Reza Shah and Mao Zedong best friends instead of Blade and Spider-Man, has announced its next DLC. It's heading down to South America in Hearts of Iron 4: Trial of Allegiance, a new country pack that aims to round out the experience of playing Brazil, Argentina, and Chile.

Another bunch of game studios have laid off employees, and we're not even out of January yet
https://www.pcgamer.com/another-bunch-of-game-studios-have-laid-off-employees-and-were-not-even-out-of-january-yet/
2024 continues to be an awful year for employees of the game industry, as another three studios have reportedly laid off employees this week. People Can Fly, the developer of games including Painkiller, Bulletstorm, and Outriders, has confirmed that "layoffs have happened," while a Kotaku report says Destroy All Humans! studio Black Forest Games and Ruiner developer Reikon Games have also made significant cuts to staffing.

Hogwarts Legacy's PlayStation-exclusive content is coming to other platforms this summer along with 'additional updates and features'
https://www.pcgamer.com/hogwarts-legacys-playstation-exclusive-content-is-coming-to-other-platforms-this-summer-along-with-additional-updates-and-features/
People like Hogwarts Legacy an awful lot—it was the biggest game of 2023—but one thing they didn't like (and by "they" I mean associate editor Ted Litchfield) was the inclusion of PlayStation-exclusive content. "How will we live without an exclusive quest and a Felix Felicis Potion Recipe?" he asked, in what I am certain was sincere and deeply-felt anguish. But Ted, and no doubt lots of other people, will be happy to know that content is coming to other platforms later this year.

Stardew Valley creator Eric Barone says he's 'done adding major new content' to the 1.6 update, promises it will 'absolutely' be out this year
https://www.pcgamer.com/stardew-valley-creator-eric-barone-says-hes-done-adding-major-new-content-to-the-16-update-promises-it-will-absolutely-be-out-this-year/
The Stardew Valley 1.6 update is done! Done having new content added to it, that is. Creator Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone said on Twitter today that the long-awaited update is now content-complete, and now he's focused on polish and bugs.

Palworld creator Pocketpair has another game in the works, and it looks like Hollow Knight with co-op and base building
https://www.pcgamer.com/palworld-creator-pocketpair-has-another-game-in-the-works-and-it-looks-like-hollow-knight-with-co-op-and-base-building/
Palworld has absolutely taken the real, non-pal world by storm, but no matter how big the survival crafting Pokémon brutality engine gets, I'm staying in my bunker to play crusty CRPGs from 1998 until the storm clears. Studio Pocketpair's next game, Never Grave: The Witch and the Curse, might be a little bit more my speed though.

Enjoy the punchy, colorful combat of action platformer Anomaly Agent
https://www.pcgamer.com/enjoy-the-punchy-colorful-combat-of-action-platformer-anomaly-agent/
Indie action platformer Anomaly Agent released this week, giving players a chance to be a funky-fresh secret agent battling his way through a cyberpunk world. It's the kind of slick and quick and smooth, yet very methodical, action that has gotten pretty popular in the last few years.

Twin stick crafter-shooter-basebuilder The Riftbreaker aims for a very ambitious 2024 roadmap
https://www.pcgamer.com/twin-stick-crafter-shooter-basebuilder-the-riftbreaker-aims-for-a-very-ambitious-2024-roadmap/
We haven't posted much about twin-stick shooter slash base-building survival game The Riftbreaker since its 2021 launch, but fans of butchering hordes of bad bugs and nasty monsters with either a carefully-constructed network of defensive guns and/or your giant mobile killer mech suit have enjoyed a few years of expansions and major updates since then.
Now developers Exor Studios are working on the third big expansion to The Riftbreaker's world, bringing the story of a stompy mech and its pilot to a new biome, the swamp. They're also working on much-requested multiplayer co-op, enabled by its broad success even though they didn't design the game for co-op at all.

Trap-dodging first person runner Phantom Abyss has escaped early access
https://www.pcgamer.com/trap-dodging-first-person-runner-phantom-abyss-has-escaped-early-access/
First person whip-based treasure-looting platformer Phantom Abyss has released from early access, bringing its fusion of roguelike and runner to a complete version 1.0 with three separate game modes to play. In Phantom Abyss players are a tomb-delving adventurer challenged to reach the end of incredibly deadly trap-filled dungeons and retrieve precious treasures from the end.

Enlisted, the 100-person shooter where everyone has a squad of NPCs, is coming to Steam
https://www.pcgamer.com/enlisted-the-100-person-shooter-where-everyone-has-a-squad-of-npcs-is-coming-to-steam/
Large-scale shooter Enlisted is coming to Steam this quarter of 2024, bringing its particular flavor of FPS where you're in charge of a whole squad out from the umbrella of a standalone launcher. The free-to-play game has picked up a following over the years because its approach makes the battles much bigger, but also lets you jump between members of your squad should you lose a soldier, easing the sting of death on big FPS maps.

Suicide Squad devs say despite being a live-service game it'll respect players' time because 'We all love playing games, but we also have lives'
https://www.pcgamer.com/suicide-squad-devs-say-despite-being-a-live-service-game-itll-respect-players-time-because-we-all-love-playing-games-but-we-also-have-lives/
It feels like the internet's already made up its mind about Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, to the degree that I can't imagine it receiving any kind of fair response when it launches on February 2. It's become a symbol of everything wrong with live-service games, which is a reputation I imagine Rocksteady is eager to get ahead of.