https://store.steampowered.com/app/2215430/Ghost_of_Tsushima_DIRECTORS_CUT/

May 16th. Just a couple months. We'll see if it's a good port or not, but Nixxes usually does a good job.

Moving into a new position that will allow me to study and train at work (seeing how lazy I am when I get home) and need a creative laptop for it. Decided to pick this baby up on sale:

https://www.newegg.com/lunar-gray-msi-creator-z16-hx-studio-a13vfta-046us-content-creation-home-personal-work-busin/p/N82E16834156584?Item=N82E16834156584

Should be a nice upgrade over my 7 year old GTX1060+HDD unit. Between this and remoting into my rig at home now I'm REALLY out of excuses not to train.

I don't know much about laptops and their hardware, but that one looks quite good.

Congratulations.

It’s time for the Thursday news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

Indie developer makes his game free after Warner unceremoniously tells him they're 'retiring' it from Steam and the PlayStation Store
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/puzzle/indie-developer-makes-his-game-free-after-warner-unceremoniously-tells-him-theyre-retiring-it-from-steam-and-the-playstation-store/
Small Radios Big Televisions creator Owen Deery says Warner Bros Discovery has informed him it's "retiring" the game from Steam and the PlayStation Store, so he's making it available for free on his studio's website.
Originally released in 2016, Small Televisions Big Radios is an indie puzzle game that has players searching abandoned factories in search of lost cassette tapes containing "boundless virtual worlds." Published by Adult Swim Games, it wasn't a big hit but was reasonably well-received critically, particularly for its visual style and soundtrack.
In a bit of good news—bad news, you can now get the game for free: Good, because hey, free game, but bad because it's being removed from sale at the behest of Adult Swim parent company Warner Bros Discovery.
>> Featured above is the Steam link for the game, but in the article you’ll find the one to get it for free.

The Epic Store gives away Astro Duel 2; https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/astro-duel-2-e1261d.
Next week, they’ll give away The Bridge.

GOG has the META Publishing and Owlcat Games Sale, with up to 85% discounts during 5 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/20240311_meta_owlcat_sale.

Steam has two new deals:

• BUSTAFELLOWS will be 70% off until the 13th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1494470/BUSTAFELLOWS/
• And publisher Bedtime Digital Games celebrates its 10th anniversary putting its games on sale with up to 83% discounts until March, the 14th: https://store.steampowered.com/developer/bedtimedg/sale/bedtime10yearanniversary

Fanatical has launched its BYO Platinum Collection Bundle for March, with 24 games to choose to build your bundle of 3, 5 or 7: https://www.fanatical.com/en/pick-and-mix/platinum-collection-build-your-own-bundle.

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-Empty-

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time’s Sacred Forest Meadow Remake in Unreal Engine 5.3 Available for Download
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/zelda-ocarina-of-time-sacred-forest-meadow-unreal-engine-5-download/
CryZENx has completed and released the Sacred Forest Meadow for his amazing remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time in Unreal Engine 5.3. To celebrate this release, the artist has also shared a new gameplay video that you can find below.
In this Zelda fan game, you can explore the environments and fight several enemies. You can also use your ocarina, break objects, collect items, and speak to NPCs. Not only that but this fan remake of this classic N64 Zelda game in Unreal Engine 5 also has some cut-scenes and an inventory system. In short, it’s more than your typical “remake of a map from a popular game in UE5” projects.

Brutal Voxel Doom has just been released and it’s a must for all Doom fans
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/brutal-voxel-doom-release/
Brutal Doom and Voxel Doom are two of the best mods for id Software’s classic first-person shooter. And finally, we have a mod that offers the best of them. Created by Derrick Davison, Brutal Voxel Doom combines Cheello’s Voxel and Parallax Doom II with Brutal Doom-like mechanics and monsters. And it looks gor ( y ) geous.
The modder added cool new zombies and demons to the game. Now, there are all sorts of zombies – white ones, black ones, some with helmets, others with chainsaws, and even shield zombies. They can also do more things now, like reloading their guns and ducking when they shoot. And guess what? You can blow their heads off. The imps got an upgrade too, with nightmare imps and dark imps joining the mix.
And that’s not all. Derrick also added Doom Eternal’s Cyber Mancubus and Mecha Zombie, Quake’s Ogre, and a few other new contenders to the game. As such, players will be fighting old and new enemies in this gory mod.
>> The article has a roughly one minute video.

GAMING NEWS

Starfield Beta Update 1.10.30 Released, Full Patch Notes
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/starfield-beta-update-1-10-30-relased-full-patch-notes/
Bethesda has just released a new beta patch for Starfield. According to the release notes, Title Update 1.10.30 adds new poses and expressions for you and your companions.

The Sinking City 2 Announced, Will Be Powered by Unreal Engine 5, First Screenshots
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/the-sinking-city-2-unreal-engine-5/
Frogwares has just announced The Sinking City 2 for all current-gen platforms. The game will be using Unreal Engine 5, and you can find below its first screenshots and its announcement trailer.

Sekiro-like The First Berserker: Khazan Gets Brand New Gameplay Trailer
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/sekiro-like-the-first-berserker-khazan-gets-brand-new-gameplay-trailer/
NEXON has shared a new gameplay trailer for its Sekiro-like action RPG, The First Berserker: Khazan. This action RPG has anime-inspired graphics and I’m kind of interested in it. After all, it looks more like Sekiro and less like Dark Souls.

Capcom’s Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is coming to PC in 2024, gets new gameplay trailer
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/kunitsu-gami-path-of-the-goddess-pc-2024/
Microsoft has announced that Capcom’s upcoming Japanese-inspired single-player action adventure game, Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, will be released in 2024. Moreover, MS shared a new gameplay trailer that you can find below.

Unknown 9: Awakening is a new third-person action adventure, coming to PC in Summer 2024
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/unknown-9-awakening-pc-summer-2024/
Bandai Namco has announced a new third-person action adventure game, called Unknown 9: Awakening. Unknown 9: Awakening is coming to PC in 2024, and below you can find its debut gameplay trailer.

TimeSplitters 4 2008 Dev Build Has Been Leaked Online
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/timesplitters-4-2008-dev-build-has-been-leaked-online/
It appears that a PS3 dev build for the canceled TimeSplitters 4 has been leaked online. From the looks of it, this appears to be a tech demo and not a full game. Still, this may be something that will interest our TimeSpliiters fans. Not only that, but you can find below a gameplay video from it.

Frostpunk 2 releases on PC on July 25th
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/frostpunk-2-releases-on-pc-on-july-25th/
11 bit studios, creators of the iconic This War of Mine, unveiled the release date for their most anticipated game to date, Frostpunk 2. This fully-fledged sequel to the original society survival game is set to arrive on Windows PC on July 25th. To celebrate this announcement, the team shared a new trailer that you can find below.

The Alters is a new emotional adventure/survival/base-building sci-fi game
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/the-alters-is-a-new-emotional-adventure-survival-base-building-sci-fi-game/
11 bit studios has announced a new emotional sci-fi game that features a unique blend of adventure, survival, and base-building elements, called The Alters. This game will come out on PC in 2024, and below you can find its debut in-engine trailer.

Tales of Kenzera: ZAU gets an official gameplay reveal trailer, PC demo available for download
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/tales-of-kenzera-zau-gameplay-trailer-pc-demo/
Electronic Arts has shared an official gameplay trailer for its upcoming metroidvania-style adventure game, Tales of Kenzera: ZAU. Moreover, the publisher released a PC demo that you can download right now on Steam.

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora Title Update 3.1 Released, Fixing Crash & Hair Clipping Issues
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/avatar-frontiers-of-pandora-title-update-3-1-released-fixing-crash-hair-clipping-issues/
Ubisoft has just released Title Update 3.1 for Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora and shared its full patch notes. This patch is 2.37GB on PC, and will address a few issues that plagued the game. So, let’s take a closer look at it.

Outward 2, action RPG with survival elements, gets pre-alpha gameplay trailer
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/outward-2-action-rpg-with-survival-elements-gets-pre-alpha-gameplay-trailer/
Nine Dots Studio has shared a pre-alpha gameplay trailer for its upcoming action RPG with survival elements, Outward 2. The game will focus on a believable and relatable experience, and this trailer will give you a glimpse of its visuals.

Thursday news, part two:

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2's Brujah are big drinkers who flip the bird to taunt enemies
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-2s-brujah-are-big-drinkers-who-flip-the-bird-to-taunt-enemies/
With Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 due out this year, The Chinese Room continues to let us sip the game's veins, today giving us a better look at one of the undead clans: the Brujah. These leather-loving vamps are the rebels of vampire society, and were the first clan revealed by both Hardsuit Labs in the sequel's original incarnation, and again by The Chinese Room.  
>> Another bit of news revealed is that you’ll be able to drink vampire blood to get extra abilities.

Creatures of Ava is the cozier version of Palworld: A 'creature saver' co-written by Rhianna Pratchett
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/adventure/creatures-of-ava-is-the-cozier-version-of-palworld-a-creature-saver-co-written-by-rhianna-pratchett/
We're destined to come full circle again. This year started out with the massively popular Pokémon-with-guns and by the end we're now expecting to play 'Palworld but nice.' Announced during today's Xbox Partner Preview showcase, Creatures of Ava is a "creature saving" game focused on healing wild critters from an aggressive infection to become their friends instead of riddling them with bullets and pressing them into warehouse labor.

Helldivers 2 studio is not getting acquired by Sony, confirms Arrowhead CEO
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/helldivers-2-studio-is-not-getting-acquired-by-sony-confirms-arrowhead-ceo/
Rumours have been circulating about Arrowhead Game Studios, the team that brought us Helldivers 2, being acquired by Sony, with an announcement due sometime soon. Studio acquisitions are still all the rage, but it turns out this one is just nonsense. Johan Pilestedt, Arrowhead Game Studios CEO, shut down the claims in a reply on Twitter, stating  "This is fake… unless I've missed something."

Helldivers 2 balancing guru explains why 'Don't Nerf, Only Buff' is a bad idea: 'I believe players are scared of nerfs because it will ruin the fantasy of a weapon, ruin their fun'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/helldivers-2-balancing-guru-explains-why-dont-nerf-only-buff-is-a-bad-idea-i-believe-players-are-scared-of-nerfs-because-it-will-ruin-the-fantasy-of-a-weapon-ruin-their-fun/
Helldivers 2 got its first round of balancing today in a patch that buffed a handful of underperforming support weapons and significantly nerfed the Railgun (…)
Arrowhead explained the reasoning behind today's patch on Discord, but in a separate blog post published later, head of product testing Patrik Lasota expanded on Arrowhead's approach to balancing, gently shutting down the notion that Helldivers 2 shouldn't have nerfs and exploring how players perceive weapons versus what data actually shows. It's a great read for fans, and in this humble journalist's opinion, a masterclass in meeting the audience at eye level to say things they might not want to hear.
>> After that patch, the flamethrower has now become a great weapon, but players aren’t happy with the changes.

While other gaming companies talk layoffs, Capcom is raising salaries
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/while-other-gaming-companies-talk-layoffs-capcom-is-raising-salaries/
At a time when mass layoffs are rampant in the games industry, one company is talking about raises. Capcom announced to investors this week that it's increasing its base starting salary for new hires in Japan, and giving current employees a raise of "over 5% on average" this year. 

Mojang finally adds more than one type of dog to Minecraft, after over a decade of players struggling to tell their wolves apart
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/survival-crafting/minecraft-finally-adds-more-than-one-type-of-dog-to-minecraft-after-over-a-decade-of-players-struggling-to-tell-their-wolves-apart/
If you've ever been too terrified to take your Minecraft wolf out on an expedition for fear of creeper explosions and pillager raids, then boy, do I have news for you. 
Today, Mojang announced on Twitter that wolves will receive a significant update in Minecraft, including new variants and wolf armour. While these changes are still in the works, you can try them out for yourself by enabling snapshots for Minecraft: Java Edition or in the previews/beta for Minecraft: Bedrock Edition. 

Persona 3 Reload is getting the DLC it needs, but not the one it deserves
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/persona-3-reload-is-getting-the-dlc-it-needs-but-not-the-one-it-deserves/
It was pretty much inevitable. Ever since Persona 3 Reload hit store shelves, the hints that it would get The Answer—the epilogue Atlus bolted onto original Persona 3's 2007 re-release—have been, well, too direct to call "hints". 
(...)
Well, Atlus officially announced The Answer is coming during yesterday's Xbox Partner Preview, alongside additional background music and costumes as part of the new Persona 3 Reload: Expansion Pass.

The kids' MMO that got plagued by messages reading 'The next world is my boss's a**hole' is now on European Steam
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/mmo/the-kids-mmo-that-got-plagued-by-messages-reading-the-next-world-is-my-bosss-ahole-is-now-on-european-steam/
Wizard101, an MMO for kids that's older than most of its playerbase, is coming to Steam. Well, kind of. Wizard101 has already been on Steam for US players since 2018, but as of yesterday the venerable and family-friendly massively-multiplayer online RPG (FFMMORPG) is also available on Steam in Europe, where it had previously been absent.

Outward 2, action RPG with survival elements, gets pre-alpha gameplay trailer
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/outward-2-action-rpg-with-survival-elements-gets-pre-alpha-gameplay-trailer/
Nine Dots Studio has shared a pre-alpha gameplay trailer for its upcoming action RPG with survival elements, Outward 2. The game will focus on a believable and relatable experience, and this trailer will give you a glimpse of its visuals.

Oh, so happy...Outward is very niche game, exploration-survival RPG, with high ambitions, yet fairly low budget, but one of my favourite experiences of the last decade. Really happy to see they did well and that they're are making a sequel.

EA just added a heap of classic games to Steam:
https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/7/24093716/ea-steam-classics-dungeon-keeper-simcity-populous

The Saboteur was such a nice surprise for me back in 2009 - it mixes GTA and AC extremely well, and though it was pushed out the door before it was completely ready, I found it really great experience and one of my favourite GTA-esque games.

Time for the Friday news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

Poker roguelike sensation Balatro sells more than 500,000 copies in just 10 days
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/card-games/poker-roguelike-sensation-balatro-sells-more-than-500000-copies-in-just-10-days/
It's not easy being a non-Balatro player amidst a horde of committed fans. People say things like, "A joker duplicating the joker that gives you x4 for playing the same hand, and one that did x4 for four of a kind," or, "If you wanna scale that kind of build you basically then need red seals on all your face cards so it all repeats again," and all you can do is sit there quietly wondering what the hell is going on. It's a lonely feeling sometimes.
For the record, yes, I am talking about myself versus the rest of the PC Gamer team, which is deeply enamored with Balatro, the poker-themed roguelike deckbuilder that encourages cheating at a level that would get your fingers broken at any respectable casino. And they are not alone: Publisher PlayStack announced yesterday that more than 500,000 copies of the game have been sold across all platforms in just 10 days.

The Humble Store has two new sales:

• One week later, but the Leap Year Celebration Sale brings up to 90% discounts during 13 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/leap-year-celebration-sale/
• And the shockingly empty (at least once you’ve removed all the Cities: Skylines DLCs) Female Forces in Gaming Spotlight has games up to 85% off during 6 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/female-forces-in-gaming-spotlight/

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-Once again, empty-

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Fallout: New Vegas Visuals Improved Content Expanded Mod fills the surroundings of Vegas to make it feel more like a real city
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/fallout-new-vegas-visuals-improved-content-expanded-mod/
Modder ‘Mugsie’ has released a new mod for Fallout: New Vegas that aims to make Vegas feel and look more like a real city. Basically, this mod fills out some harshly neglected areas in and around New Vegas to have a more “close to concept” appearance.
Going into more details, VICE adds pre-war police, firefighter, and military presence to the city, as well as downed planes, traffic and wreckage. It also adds diners, cafes, and drive-ins, as well as public utilities and spaces. Players will also find police, fire, train and gas stations, as well as school and churches. There is also a new saloon, brothel, casino, and mining guild.
Not only that but the mod restores details seen in the intro cinematic for consistency. It also features more NPCs than the vanilla game. Some of them will patrol the area, and some of them may even be hostile to the player. You will also find notes and terminals for more worldbuilding. There are also some classic architecture veterans of the series will recognize. And finally, some boarded buildings will be now explorable. Pretty cool right?
>> There’s a roughly 4 minutes video.

The Witcher 3 Next-Gen Mod Fixes the Ray Tracing Bleach Issues
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/the-witcher-3-next-gen-mod-fixes-the-ray-tracing-bleach-issues/
Modder ‘MetVarner99’ has released a must-have mod for those that playing The Witcher 3: Next-Gen with Ray Tracing. This mod solves the poor ray tracing bouncing optimization when moving inside closed places.
For those unaware, in the vanilla version, when you enter a dark environment (especially caves), you have some weird “web look-alike” artifacts around Geralt and the ambient surfaces. Additionally, there were some weird blue artifacts in the reflections on metals and armor. These were the results of the limited ray tracing bounces that the game has. And with this mod, you’ll be able to minimize these artifacts.
Now, as you may have guessed, this mod comes with a significant framerate hit. According to the modder, you should expect a 7-10% (without frame gen) when using this mod. So, make sure to use it only if you own a high-end GPU.
>> The article has a before and after screenshot… that doesn’t say much since the camera is in a different place.

GAMING NEWS

New Star Citizen video focuses on its FPS combat mechanics
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/new-star-citizen-video-focuses-on-its-fps-combat-mechanics/
Cloud Imperium has shared a new gameplay video for Star Citizen that focuses on its first-person combat mechanics. In this video, the developers highlight many of the FPS combat-related changes that will be coming in Alpha 3.23.

Microids has announced a remake for the 1999 adventure game, Amerzone: The Explorer’s Legacy
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/microids-has-announced-a-remake-for-the-1999-adventure-game-amerzone-the-explorers-legacy/
Microids has just unveiled the highly anticipated remake of the beloved adventure game, Amerzone – The Explorer’s Legacy. To celebrate this announcement, the team shared the game’s debut gameplay trailer which you can find below.

Dragon’s Dogma 2 Character Creator & Storage Demo Released
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/dragons-dogma-2-character-creator-demo-released/
Capcom has just released the Character Creator Demo for Dragon’s Dogma 2. Players can download this tool in order to create their unique Arisen and main Pawn. And yes, you’ll be able to transfer your data to the main game.

The Night Wanderer is a new sci-fi/fantasy Souls-like with RPG elements
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/the-night-wanderer-is-a-new-sci-fi-fantasy-souls-like-with-rpg-elements/
Mighty Koi Studio has just announced The Night Wanderer, a game based on the iconic book series “Lord of the Ice Garden” by Jarosław Grzędowicz. To celebrate this announcement, the team shared a cinematic trailer that you can find below.