The longer than usual second part of the Wednesday news:
Final Fantasy 14's Yoshi-P says 'if the question is whether I was shocked' by the mixed reception to Dawntrail's story, 'the answer is no, not really'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/final-fantasy/final-fantasy-14-s-yoshi-p-says-if-the-question-is-whether-i-was-shocked-by-the-mixed-reception-to-dawntrail-s-story-the-answer-is-no-not-really/
Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail has had some time to simmer in the minds of its fanbase—and while I've had a blast with everything outside of it, the main scenario quest line has left me a little less enthusiastic than usual.
(...)
I recently went to Gamescom and got to speak with the game's director, Naoki Yoshida (Yoshi-P), in person. I asked how he felt about the fanbase's response (in slightly more diplomatic terms) and he seemed quite reflective of the story's successes and failings. As is typically the case with these interviews, Yoshi-P's responses were translated on the spot by an interpreter.
>> He also talked about Scion's 'half-hearted' role in Dawntrail.
One of Deadlock's scariest characters is getting a redesign, changing her from an 'alien weeb' into a deadly yokai
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/moba/one-of-deadlocks-scariest-characters-is-getting-a-redesign-changing-her-from-an-alien-weeb-into-a-deadly-yokai/
Deadlock has a brilliant cast of characters, but some players are growing increasingly afraid of one of them: Yamato. A few people have even pointed out that she looks like the woman in the painting from Stephen King's IT, which I honestly couldn't see at first, but the more I look at the side-by-side comparison, the more terrified I am.
While she might not be quite as bad as a Stephen King monster, she isn't perhaps as cool as some of the others in Deadlock, like Seven or Bebop. It turns out that her design was established back when Deadlock was called Neon Prime and had more of a cyberpunk-themed world. "Her current design is supposed to be an alien who became accustomed to Japanese culture, as per her lore in Neon Prime," one player says. "In other words, an alien weeb."
Multiple new design concepts have been shared by Valve dev "Yoshi" on Deadlock's Discord, and they seem to steer Yamato away from aliens and towards a yokai, a class of beings from Japanese folklore that encompasses everything from demons, to tricksy shapeshifters, to spirits. The designs were also shared on Deadlock's Reddit, and out of the five concepts, I think the first and fifth stand out.
>> Something else that will change is the description of one character. He’ll no longer be an a$$hole.
Deadlock's upcoming hero Astro, is a sign that players need to start learning better movement habits
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/moba/deadlocks-upcoming-hero-astro-is-a-sign-that-players-need-to-start-learning-better-movement-habits/
Valve may have finally confirmed Deadlock's existence, but that doesn't mean that it's in a finished state. The MOBA shooter is currently in a closed beta (which is invite-only), so there are still plenty of changes to be made and features to be added, one of which is a new hero, Astro.
WoW game director Ion Hazzikostas says they're already drafting up plans for The Last Titan's patches—that's 2 expansions after The War Within, in case you're keeping score
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/world-of-warcraft/wow-game-director-ion-hazzikostas-says-they-re-already-drafting-up-plans-for-the-last-titan-s-patches-that-s-2-expansions-after-the-war-within-in-case-you-re-keeping-score/
World of Warcraft: The War Within, bar some iffy early access nonsense, appears to be landing pretty well—it's early days, mind, but Blizzard seems to have meant it when it comes to bolstering its evergreen systems, changing how it tells its story, and making Xal'atath into the scenery-chewing dramaturge perfect to kick off the Worldsoul Saga's chaos.
Speaking with Ion Hazzikostas at Gamescom, I asked whether the dev team—given that Blizzard announced three WoW expansions at once—has been planting seeds here that'll sprout story beats years down the line. Not only did he say "absolutely", he also revealed that the team's already hammering out the wider details of The Last Titan's patch quests.
Geralt and Dave the Diver are in Balatro now
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/card-games/geralt-and-dave-the-diver-are-in-balatro-now/
Geralt of Rivia is a well-known card game aficionado, and not just for Gwent. It turns out the famed witcher is also a big fan of Balatro—so big that he's now actually in the game.
Geralt and a couple of familiar friends have joined Balatro in the game's first ever "Collaboration Pack," a crossover that adds optional face card backs from not just The Witcher 3, but also Dave the Diver, Vampire Survivors, and Among Us. The card cosmetics can be unlocked through a new "deck settings" menu that enables players to customize their decks with new cards.
Smite 2 is a full-on sequel because the original is just too old: 'There were lots of little janky bits about Smite 1 that we were unable to address'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/moba/smite-2-is-a-full-on-sequel-because-the-original-is-just-too-old-there-were-lots-of-little-janky-bits-about-smite-1-that-we-were-unable-to-address/
What's that sound I hear in the distance? Is it chanting? The rhythm of a drumming circle? A chorus of gaming mouse clicks at 180 beats per minute? This can only mean one thing—MOBAs have returned.
It's feeling very 2014 on Steam this week. Valve's launched a new MOBA, Deadlock, while Hi-Rez, the studio behind the eternally-third-place-to-Dota-and-LoL-but-still-beloved Smite, is back with its own sequel after a decade. Smite 2 is live on Steam as of today in a $30 founder's edition, which the developers are calling a "24/7 closed alpha." Anyone can play Smite 2 as long as they kick in some cash, and at some point down the road it will become free-to-play like its predecessor.
>> Paying to be a tester of a game. Things have gone a long way… in the wrong direction.
Nearly every essential Castlevania game is now on PC, with one glaring exception
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/nearly-every-essential-castlevania-game-is-now-on-pc-with-one-glaring-exception/
It took nearly three years after Konami brought the Castlevania Advance Collection to PC for it to bundle up the next set of games in the series, originally released on the DS in the late 2000s, and port them to PC. But what's a few years in the life of Dracula? He only wakes up to throw a party in his castle once a century or two, so the wait for Dawn of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin and Order of Ecclesia barely counts as a power nap for ol' Vlad Tepes.
But I'm glad to see those games join the Game Boy Advance 'vanias as well as the Anniversary Collection on Steam, because that's 16 classic 2D Castlevanias total now easily playable on PC. What more could we ask for, really?
'Of course we are tired': After working for 2 years in the shadow of Russia's invasion, Stalker 2 developers see finally finishing the game as a way to tell the world, 'We are here'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/of-course-we-are-tired-after-working-for-2-years-in-the-shadow-of-russias-invasion-stalker-2-developers-see-finally-finishing-the-game-as-a-way-to-tell-the-world-we-are-here/
Making a videogame is a tough business at the best of times, and for Ukrainian studios like Stalker 2 developer GSC Game World, these are much closer to the worst of times: Ukraine suffered a full-scale invasion by Russia in early 2022, and while the country has defended itself far more ably than many expected, it still faces relentless daily assaults in a war that's cost tens of thousands of lives.
(...)
Understandably, Stalker 2 itself has been delayed multiple times. Speaking to PC Gamer at Gamescom, Stalker 2 technical producer Evgeniy Kulik said it's been a long, tough haul, but developers have worked hard to support each other through it.
Space Marine 2 reveals post-launch plans: 4 seasons of paid cosmetics and free gameplay updates including new maps, weapons, enemies, and a horde mode
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/space-marine-2-reveals-post-launch-plans-4-seasons-of-paid-cosmetics-and-free-gameplay-updates-including-new-maps-weapons-enemies-and-a-horde-mode/
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is set to launch on September 9, but developer Saber Interactive has big plans beyond the initial release. The studio shared its "Year One Battle Plan" today—a rundown of four seasons of planned content that will carry the game deep into 2025.
Spectre Divide, the most promising tactical FPS since Valorant, is out next week
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/spectre-divide-the-most-promising-tactical-fps-since-valorant-is-out-next-week/
After Morgan tried out the beta for Spectre Divide, a free-to-play shooter with an unusual two-characters-per-player setup, he said it was so fun that he couldn't stop thinking about it.
That's admittedly no guarantee of success—I liked Concord when I previewed it, and its launch has been brutal—but Morgan's enthusiasm is certainly a good sign for the competitive FPS, which we've just learned is releasing in early access next week.
Stardew Valley maker Eric Barone says he's 'trying to' score a Fortnite collab and knows just who he wants in the game: Pelican Town's smoky, middle-aged bus driver Pam
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/life-sim/stardew-valley-maker-eric-barone-says-hes-trying-to-score-a-fortnite-collab-and-knows-just-who-he-wants-in-the-game-pelican-towns-smoky-middle-aged-bus-driver-pam/
In what scientists will someday call "a marketing collabo of supernatural potency," Stardew Valley creator Eric Barone has revealed that he wants to get some kind of crossover going with Fortnite. Specifically, he'd like to transplant a few of the citizens of his sedate farming sim into Epic's Omniverse, handing them a combat shotgun and letting them go ham on other people's licenced trademarks.
Barone was asked about his willingness to do a Stardew/Fortnite crossover by YouTuber Panedwards (via IGN). "I've been trying to," came Barone's reply, who particularly wants "Pam in Fortnite" but is "open to doing a collab" in general.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 creative director speaks candidly about the new RPG's respect for Final Fantasy and Persona: 'We are definitely not hiding that there are influences'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/clair-obscur-expedition-33-creative-director-speaks-candidly-about-the-new-rpgs-respect-for-final-fantasy-and-persona-we-are-definitely-not-hiding-that-there-are-influences/
After watching a recent hands-off demo of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which in my opinion looks like one of the most interesting new RPGs incoming in 2025, I was particularly taken by what I perceived to be the game's indebtedness to the great turn-based RPG series, Persona, and specifically its latest and greatest release, Persona 5 Royal.
(...)
"Yeah. We are definitely not hiding that there are influences from the big Japanese genre," Broche noted. "Actually, [though], I wouldn’t say that Persona is the biggest influence on what we do. I don’t hide my love of action for the Final Fantasy 8, 9, and 10 era. I think a lot of the core of the game definitely takes inspiration from that. Not directly. It’s not like we take it from the games. The game is more like [what] I grew up with, and kind of built my creative tastes on. So I would say we take a lot of influence from them but not directly trying to pick things from them.
>> They also talked about the plot of the game.
Baldur's Gate 3 YouTuber uncovers 15 minutes of fully voiced 'impossible' content, and it turns out Karlach's 4th-wall break is far from the game's only hidden scene
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/baldurs-gate/baldurs-gate-3-youtuber-uncovers-15-minutes-of-fully-voiced-impossible-content-and-it-turns-out-karlachs-4th-wall-break-isnt-the-games-only-hidden-scene/
There is no end to Baldur's Gate 3. I'm convinced of it. Trillions of years from now, when the universe has entered its dark age and all trace of light and heat has left it, the last event that will happen is someone making a Reddit post about how, if you repeat some ludicrously precise series of inputs, you can get Astarion to recite the entire John Galt speech or something.
Hey, it might be in there. But if it is, it's likely hidden behind an "IMPOSSIBLE" flag. Turns out, there are numerous forbidden scenes cut out of BG3—like Karlach's notorious fourth-wall break—that are dummied out of the final product by a flag in the game's files that literally marks them as impossible. Never to be seen, only speculated at.
Or not. Actually, it turns out that making the impossible possible is just a matter of flipping that flag to "true." You can see the revolution in action in a recent video from YouTuber SlimX, showing off various fully voiced scenes that Larian never intended to see the light of day.
