VRR has been so amazing, and one of the reasons I went to PC.  My TV is VRR and supports up to 120 hz.  So PC games run incredibly well.  

Looks like the winners of the main prize in Europe are luckier than in the US; the config in the US has a Ryzen 7 9700X while in Europe it's a 7950X - though the 9700X also comes with a new 870E board, which comes with WiFi 7 and USB4.

Edit: Since the link to ASUS Space Marine 2 giveaway landing page wasn't present, here it is: https://www.asus.com/microsite/warhammer-40k-space-marine-2-experience/

The Thursday news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

This week, the Epic Store gives away two titles:

• Fallout® Classic Collection: https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/bundles/fallout-classic-collection
• Wild Card Football: https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/wild-card-football

And next week, they’ll give away Football Manager 2024 and Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts.

Steam has two new deals:

• The Early Access title Craftomation 101, that has a demo, will be 24% off until the 4th of September: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1724140/Craftomation_101_Programming__Craft/
• Death in the Water 2 gets a 75% discount until the same 4th of September: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1338840/Death_in_the_Water_2/

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-Empty-

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

This cool Skyrim Mod brings epic battles with hundreds of infantry, tanks & aircrafts
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/this-cool-skyrim-mod-brings-epic-battles-with-hundreds-of-infantry-tanks-aircrafts/
Modder ‘MixedMartialArtist’ has released a pretty cool new mod for Skyrim Special Edition. This mod brings to the game epic battles with hundreds of infantry, tanks, and aircraft. And before you ask, yes. You can take part in these battles.
As the modder noted, players are able to command their armies to charge forward, and take part in epic tank-on-tank battles. You can also rain down artillery on the enemy, and call in air strikes. Or you can just watch the cinematic battles from afar.
Among other things, in this mod, Veteran and Elite troops will be facing off against Fresh Troops. You can also expect massive explosions from artillery, grenades, tank shells, etc. The battlefields will be filled with severed limbs, and severed torsos. Not only that but armies can get wiped out in seconds.
In short, this mod will completely change the way you experience Skyrim. And this, right here, is why we love mods. Yes, this mod can be a bit rough in some places. However, you will now experience Skyrim in a completely new and different way.
>> The article has two videos.

New Fallout: New Vegas Mod adds physics & realism to player’s movements
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/new-fallout-new-vegas-mod-adds-physics-realism-to-player-movements/
Modder ‘Drarack’ has released a new cool mod for Fallout: New Vegas that adds physics and realism to player’s movements. This mod will greatly enhance your gaming experience. As such, we highly recommend using it.
So, let’s now see what this new mod brings to the table. As the modder noted, gravity will now affect the player while moving up and down slopes. Moreover, walking up small rubble piles, into road crevices, and even onto footpaths can be perceivable if high/low enough. The mod also brings jump momentum to the game. This means that when you jump, you will continue moving at that velocity even if you stop pressing a movement control. Not only that but the players will now sink in water. This effect will also increase with encumbrance.
The good news here is that the mod is compatible with the Enhanced Movement Mod. So, if you already use that, you can use it alongside it. True Movement Mod is also compatible with most of the sprint and bullet time mods.
>> The article has a slightly over 2 minutes video.

GAMING NEWS

Croc Legend of the Gobbos Remaster is officially coming to PC
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/croc-legend-of-the-gobbos-is-officially-coming-to-pc/
Argonaut Games has announced that a remaster of Croc Legend of the Gobbos will be released on consoles and PC in 2024. To celebrate this announcement, the team shared a teaser trailer that you can find below.

Unreal Engine 5-powered turn-based RPG, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, gets amazing new 6-minute gameplay trailer
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/unreal-engine-5-powered-turn-based-rpg-clair-obscur-expedition-33-gets-amazing-new-6-minute-gameplay-trailer/
Kepler Interactive has shared an amazing 6-minute gameplay trailer for its upcoming turn-based RPG with real-time elements, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. This looks really cool, so don’t sleep on it.

Here are 10 minutes of gameplay from the Gamescom 2024 Demo of Gothic 1 Remake
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/here-are-10-minutes-of-gameplay-from-the-gamescom-2024-demo-of-gothic-1-remake/
YouTube’s ‘ENFANT TERRIBLE’ has shared a video, showcasing ten minutes of gameplay from the Gamescom 2024 demo of Gothic 1 Remake. Since this video shows gameplay from the game’s latest build, it’s a must for all Gothic fans. So, be sure to watch it.

Thursday news, part two:

'Magma fish are back on the menu boys': Valheim's newest patch lowers the difficulty of the notoriously treacherous Ashlands biome
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/survival-crafting/magma-fish-are-back-on-the-menu-boys-valheims-newest-patch-lowers-the-difficulty-of-the-notoriously-difficult-ashlands-biome/
Valheim's most recent patch turned towards the Ashlands to fix what ended up being a long list of issues. There's a couple of significant changes, but the main thing is this update will make the Ashlands easier to traverse. 

Tavern Keeper is immediately charming, narrated by a prolific audiobook actor, and has a furniture system so freeform I already know I'm gonna lose hours to it
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/life-sim/tavern-keeper-is-immediately-charming-narrated-by-a-prolific-audiobook-actor-and-has-a-furniture-system-so-freeform-i-already-know-i-m-gonna-lose-hours-to-it/
I wrote a little about Tavern Keeper when Greenheart Games, a developer that's spent 10 years making it, showed it off to me over a video call earlier this year. After sitting down, playing a little, and getting to chat with studio manager and director Patrick Klug at Gamescom, I've gone from curious to downright smitten with the thing.

Phantom Blade Zero plays less like Sekiro, more like Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty—and I couldn't be happier
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/phantom-blade-zero-plays-less-like-sekiro-more-like-wo-long-fallen-dynasty-and-i-couldn-t-be-happier/
I got to sit down and play Phantom Blade Zero at Gamescom last week and—after muddling a bit to find my booth in the chaos of a bustling floor—came away quite impressed. Judging by the reactions of my fellow demo-triers, one of whom managed to beat it a whole 7 minutes before me (I'm not upset), it's looking to be a sleeper hit.

Bandai Namco and Amazon say no refunds as they kill off anime MMO Blue Protocol, but they'll give you 5,000 funbucks a month until it dies
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/mmo/bandai-namco-and-amazon-say-no-refunds-as-they-kill-off-anime-mmo-blue-protocol-but-theyll-give-you-5000-funbucks-a-month-until-it-dies/
Bandai Namco has announced that the Japanese version of its live service anime MMO Blue Protocol will be ending on January 18, 2025. After discussions with Amazon Games, the release of the title in Europe and the US will also be cancelled. 

CD Projekt dev explains how Geralt ended up in Balatro, and the answer will shock you: CD Projekt devs really like Balatro
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/card-games/cd-projekt-dev-explains-how-geralt-ended-up-in-balatro-and-the-answer-will-shock-you-cd-projekt-devs-really-like-balatro/
"Geralt is in Balatro now," we wrote yesterday following the announcement of the Friends of Jimbo update, a big cosmetic crossover that brought The Witcher 3, Dave the Diver, Among Us, and Vampire Survivors into the game. But Geralt in Balatro—how does something like that even happen? It turns out that if you make a really cool game that everyone loves, some people are just going to want to work with you—and a lot of folks at CD Projekt are big Balatro fans.

Deadlock players are learning they can pause the match for the entire lobby, and some are using it for evil
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/moba/deadlock-players-are-learning-they-can-pause-the-match-for-the-entire-lobby-and-some-are-using-it-for-evil/
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. You’re about 40 minutes into a Dota 2 ranked match, the enemy Techies is planning on stalling for as long as he can, and some comedy genius decides to pause the match to drag things out just a little bit longer. Bad manners? Probably, but they’ll be laughing all the way to low-priority matchmaking, I’m sure!
The novelty of this feature is probably lost on those who’ve sunk thousands of hours into Valve’s previous MOBA, but its reprisal in Deadlock has players committing heinous acts of psychological warfare for kicks. Just take it from this streamer, who took a breather mid-match to get some recreational gambling in

Former Marathon director Christopher Barrett was reportedly fired by Bungie for inappropriate behavior with female employees
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/former-marathon-director-christopher-barrett-was-reportedly-fired-by-bungie-for-inappropriate-behavior-with-female-employees/
Bungie announced in March that its upcoming Marathon reboot had a new game director: Joe Ziegler, the former director of Riot's online shooter Valorant, who joined Bungie in 2022. Ziegler took over from Christopher Barrett, well known among Bungie fans as a designer and director on the Halo and Destiny games who'd been with the studio for nearly 25 years. A reason for Barrett's surprise departure wasn't provided, but a new Bloomberg report says he was fired following an investigation into multiple complaints about inappropriate workplace behavior.

Space Marine 2's lead dev says more games can trace their DNA back to 40K than people might think: 'Many young gamers probably don't realize the influence it had on your favorite game'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/space-marine-2s-lead-dev-says-more-games-can-trace-their-dna-back-to-40k-than-people-might-think-many-young-gamers-probably-dont-realize-the-influence-it-had-on-your-favorite-game/
Everyone loves a space marine. But is it just a coincidence that so many of our favorite franchises feature heroes fully encased in hulking power armor? Not so, says Tim Willits, chief creative officer at Saber Interactive (and, I imagine, most people who've seen more than one flavor of space marine). In an interview with PC Gamer at Gamescom, Willits said every Master Chief and Doomguy has a healthy amount of Warhammer under all that heavy plating.

The Witcher 4 'is nearing a major milestone' and will soon enter full production
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/the-witcher-4-is-nearing-a-major-milestone-and-will-soon-enter-full-production/
CD Projekt's 2024 half-year financial report is out, and there's not a whole lot to see for anyone who isn't a major shareholder in the company. But there is one thing that's of interest to non-investing gamer types: The Witcher 4 is just about ready to move into full production.

Just over a year after it launched on PC, Warner Bros is shutting down Harry Potter: Magic Awakened
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/just-over-a-year-after-it-launched-on-pc-warner-bros-is-shutting-down-harry-potter-magic-awakened/
Just over a year after Harry Potter: Magic Awakened launched internationally, publisher Warner Bros has announced that the game will be shut down in the Americas, Europe, and Oceania in October.

'I have not touched Haunted Chocolatier in a long time': Eric Barone says work on Stardew Valley's 1.6 console and mobile port is still ongoing
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/life-sim/i-have-not-touched-haunted-chocolatier-in-a-long-time-eric-barone-says-work-on-stardew-valleys-16-console-and-mobile-port-is-still-ongoing/
Stardew Valley's 1.6 update was released earlier this year for PC. But it wasn't an average patch, as it added a ridiculous amount of new features like a brand new farm, more festivals, and tons of quirky secrets for players to uncover. It was so popular with fans that 150,000 players flooded back into the game. 
(...)
So it doesn't really come as a surprise that Barone's latest Stardew Valley progress update also includes an apology to Haunted Chocolatier fans. "Console and mobile ports are still in progress," Barone says. "I acknowledge that they are taking a long time. There are reasons for this, but the bottom line is that they are not out yet. We are still working on them, and they have been our primary focus since 1.6 came out for PC. It would be a huge relief to me if they were ready for today, but they aren't, so all we can do is continue working on them until they are ready. 

I would bet money that Metal Gear Solid 4 is PC-bound after Konami tells fans they can 'probably connect the dots' about its inclusion on Master Collection volume 2
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/i-would-bet-money-that-metal-gear-solid-4-is-pc-bound-after-konami-tells-fans-they-can-probably-connect-the-dots-about-its-inclusion-on-master-collection-volume-2/
(...)
But I've got an inkling our long national nightmare might be ending. In a chat with IGN, Konami producer Noriaki Okamura was asked directly about the potential for MGS4 to make an appearance in a future Master Collection release. His response was, basically, a nudge and a wink: "We definitely are aware of this situation with MGS4. Unfortunately we can't really say too much at the moment with Vol 1 containing MGS 1-3 dot dot dot… you can probably connect the dots!"

Our favourite city builder of last year is releasing its first expansion next month, and it brings a new biome, new buildings and, oh yes, frog people
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/our-favourite-city-builder-of-last-year-is-releasing-its-first-expansion-next-month-and-it-brings-a-new-biome-new-buildings-and-oh-yes-frog-people/
Hooded Horse's roguelike city builder Against the Storm slipped out of early access late last year—too late to be in contention for PCG's Game of the Year Awards. Which is a shame, because—as our 91% review can attest—it's a triumphant reimagining of the genre, and a game that absolutely deserves more attention.
(...)
It's clever stuff, and made better thanks to the series of free updates made in the months since its release. And now developer Eremite Games is putting the finishing touches on the game's first expansion, Keepers of the Stone, which the studio today revealed is coming out next month, on September 26.

Man I really wouldn't like for us to go back to the days where PC ports had FPS caps, especially ones where we only had 30-60fps options and nothing else (but still got stuttering). 

Here come the Friday news!

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

Fanatical’s new Star Deal is Insurgency: Sandstorm, 73% off during 48 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/insurgency-sandstorm.

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

AMD Radeon Software Adrenalin 24.8.1 driver
https://videocardz.com/driver/amd-radeon-software-adrenalin-24-8-1
Highlights
New Game Support

• Call of Duty®: Black Ops 6 Open Beta
• Concord™
• FINAL FANTASY XVI
• Star Wars Outlaws™

Expanded HYPR-Tune Support

• HYPR-Tune support allows HYPR-RX to enable in-game technologies like AMD FidelityFX™ Super Resolution.
• Support now added to automatically configure AMD FSR 3 frame generation in:
  • Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® III
  • Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered
  • Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales

AMD Radeon™ Anti-Lag 2 Support for Ghost of Tsushima DIRECTOR’S CUT

• Takes responsive gaming to the next level by introducing an in-game option to optimally pace frames, further reducing input lag on AMD RDNA™ architecture-based discrete and integrated graphics products.
  • Get a decrease in latency in Ghost of Tsushima DIRECTOR’S CUT at 4K “Very High” settings of up to 28% when using AMD FidelityFX™ Super Resolution 3 with frame generation with AMD Radeon™ Anti-Lag 2 compared to using it without AMD Radeon™ Anti-Lag 2 on the AMD Radeon™ RX 7800 XT graphics card. ^RS-669
  • Users looking for a way to measure response time can use our Frame Latency Meter (FLM) or the built-in latency monitor in AMD Radeon™ Anti-Lag 2.

AI on Radeon™
Support and optimizations for the latest 2.1 version of Amuse application with FLUX.1 model support.

• Amuse 2.1 is supported on
  • Radeon™ 7000 Series
  • Ryzen™ AI 300, 8040 & 7040 Series
• FLUX.1 model is supported on
  • Radeon™ RX 7900 series, AMD Radeon™ PRO W7900 and AMD Radeon™ PRO W7800 graphics cards.
  • Minimum 32GB system RAM required.

Fixed Issues

• Intermittent application crash or driver timeout may occur while playing Black Myth: Wukong.
• Intermittent application crash may occur while playing Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess on some Radeon™ RX 6600 and 6700 series GPUs.
• Intermittent application crash or driver timeout may occur while launching Pacific Drive or KINGDOM HEARTS -HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX.
• Anti-Aliasing and Anisotropic Filtering settings from AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition may fail to correctly apply for OpenGL® applications.
• Artifacts may appear while playing certain games such as Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales or Rust.
• Increased memory usage may be observed while playing certain versions of Minecraft Java Edition.
• Improved “Optimizing Shaders” time when initially launching Forza Motorsport.

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Star Wars Genesis offers the ultimate SW experience in Starfield
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/star-wars-genesis-offers-the-ultimate-sw-experience-in-starfield/
Star Wars fans, get ready for a treat. As you may already know, we’ve shared some Star Wars mods for Starfield. However, it appears there is a new modlist you can download to get the best SW experience in Bethesda’s space RPG. So, let’s take a look at it.
According to its creator, Star Wars: Genesis is not your typical modlist that simply combines every mod out there into one big file. Instead, this modlist features countless mods of his own that were built specifically for it. These include the Main Story Conversion, Soundtrack, Environmental Storytelling, Custom Balancing, Roleplay Elements, and Lore.
Star Wars: Genesis comes with an original main story. It also has 10K rewritten voice lines, and numerous locations from the Star Wars universe. Players can expect a full conversion of all factions, weapons and armors, as well as a revamped third-person combat system. You’ll also find 4K textures, dynamic weather, and unique companions.
In short, this is a must-have mod for all Star Wars fans. Star Wars: Genesis will completely change the way you experience Starfield. So, make sure to use the mod in a new game.
>> The article has an over 10 minutes video showing the mod.

Fans are working on yet another remake of Dino Crisis in UE4
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/fans-are-working-on-yet-another-remake-of-dino-crisis-in-ue4/
Back in December 2023, we informed you about a fan remake of Dino Crisis in UE4. And, from the looks of it, there is another one in the works for Capcom’s dino game.
Titled Project Crisis, this new fan remake aims to offer a third-person viewpoint. Its initial gameplay trailer features some of the game’s environments, as well as Regina herself. Moreover, it shows off some basic gameplay mechanics.
Now the good news here is that this trailer has dinosaurs in it. Moreover, it looks better than the previous fan remake we shared in 2023.
Now I’ll be honest here. I don’t expect this to ever be completed. We might get lucky to get a demo of it. So, let’s hope that the artist behind it will polish the early areas, and release a tech demo.
In other words, keep your expectations in check. This won’t be anything as good or as polished as the official remakes of the Resident Evil games. Sadly, though, this may be the only way to re-experience Dino Crisis.
You see, Capcom doesn’t seem interested in remaking it. Or at least that’s what we know so far. Not only that but Shinji Mikami claimed that there is no room for a Dino Crisis Remake after the huge success of Monster Hunter. So, things are not looking that good for Dino Crisis fans.
>> I’m going to leave aside Mikami’s silly comments (more on that in a PCGamer article), the video is less than 1 minute long.

GAMING NEWS

Star Wars Outlaws seems to have been slightly downgraded
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/star-wars-outlaws-appears-to-be-slightly-downgraded/
YouTube’s ‘ElAnalistaDeBits’ has shared a comparison video between the gameplay reveal and the final version of Star Wars Outlaws. And, as we can see, the final version looks almost as good as the gameplay reveal trailer. There are some slight downgrades. However, the game looks almost as good as that trailer.

Friday news, part two:

Build an empire that will last for thousands of years in strategy city builder Memoriapolis
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/city-builder/build-an-empire-that-will-last-for-thousands-of-years-in-strategy-city-builder-memoriapolis/
In most city builders I usually wind up feeling like an urban planner or a mayor. In Memoriapolis, which launched into early access on Steam today, I feel more like a god-emperor because the city I'm managing isn't just going to grow and expand for a few years or decades or even centuries, but for millenia.

MOBAs are suddenly back in fashion, and one dev says it might be because of soulslikes: 'Now that more players understand that it feels great to master a difficult game, I think more are willing to take that journey'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/moba/mobas-are-suddenly-back-in-fashion-and-one-dev-says-it-might-be-because-of-soulslikes-now-that-more-players-understand-that-it-feels-great-to-master-a-difficult-game-i-think-more-are-willing-to-take-that-journey/
2024 is feeling very 2016 all of a sudden. No, I don't mean because we're reentering the psychic maelstrom of election season; I'm talking about the MOBAs. (…)
(… a couple paragraphs later…)
Whether it's a temporary burst of activity or the beginning of a renaissance, MOBAs are back in vogue. The question is: Why now? For Alex Cantatore, executive producer for Smite 2, soulslikes deserve some of the credit.
"I've often described MOBAs as the 'soulslike' of multiplayer genres," Cantatore told PC Gamer via email. "They're really hard. You're going to die a lot to learn the game." While technically demanding games have always had their audience, we're now in a world where games like Elden Ring can casually brutalize their players and still sell tens of millions of copies. With punishing games achieving a mainstream appeal, Cantatore says MOBAs have an opportunity to attract an audience they might not have been able to eight years ago.

Remedy is leaving Epic in the dark place to self-publish Control 2 through a 'strategic cooperation agreement' with Annapurna
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/remedy-is-leaving-epic-in-the-dark-place-to-self-publish-control-2-through-a-strategic-cooperation-agreement-with-annapurna/
Remedy will self-publish Control 2 as part of a new "strategic cooperation agreement" with Annapurna. A press release accompanying the announcement says Annapurna will provide half of Control 2's development budget, and in return gains the rights to adapt Control and Alan Wake for film and television.

In survival MMO Dune: Awakening players can 'see just a little bit into the future' once they get 'saturated with spice'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/mmo/in-survival-mmo-dune-awakening-players-can-see-just-a-little-bit-into-the-future-once-they-get-saturated-with-spice/
In survival MMO Dune: Awakening, the spice you harvest on Arrakis will play a huge role in crafting, the economy, and even the base taxes you pay to the emperor. But the famously expensive space drug can also muck with your mind, and while it doesn't sound like it'll transform you into a weird gross slug monster (like the guild navigators in Dune), it will still have an impact on your character when you're exposed to it.

Randy Pitchford says Tiny Tina's Wonderlands didn't get DLC because there was 'no way to do that and put the focus on Borderlands 4 that we needed to'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/randy-pitchford-says-tiny-tinas-wonderlands-didnt-get-dlc-because-there-was-no-way-to-do-that-and-put-the-focus-on-borderlands-4-that-we-needed-to/
The Borderlands spinoff looter-shooter Tiny Tina's Wonderlands is pretty good, if you're into that sort of thing, and it was apparently something of a surprise hit too: Publisher Take-Two Interactive said in 2022 that the game "outperformed our expectations" and was "the best new franchise launch from 2K in several years." Given all that, you might have expected more Tiny Tina to happen in fairly short order—but it didn't.
The reason, Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford recently explained on Twitter, is simple: Borderlands 4. "I wish we could’ve managed some big campaign DLC, but no way to do that *and* put the focus on Borderlands 4 that we needed to," he tweeted. "I’m sorry I couldn’t talk about it at the time, but the world is the world."
>> Yeah, they needed to work hard on BL4 to have it ready to capitalize on the success of the movie...

Gearbox's first Risk of Rain 2 expansion gets hammered on Steam as developer admits the PC version 'is in a really bad place'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/gearboxs-first-risk-of-rain-2-expansion-gets-hammered-on-steam-as-developer-admits-the-pc-version-is-in-a-really-bad-place/
Gearbox's acquisition of Risk of Rain in 2022 did not inspire widespread celebration among fans, many of whom worried the studio would find some way to screw it up. And, well, here we are: The Risk of Rain 2 expansion Seekers of the Storm, the first made by Gearbox, is out, and it's a train wreck.

Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred's new runewords system will let barbarians teleport like loud, massively muscled sorcerers
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/diablo-4-vessel-of-hatreds-new-runewords-system-will-let-barbarians-teleport-like-loud-massively-muscled-sorcerers/
With Diablo 4's runewords, sorcerers won't be the only class who can teleport across the screen. Barbarians won't be the only ones who can shout so loud their skin turns to iron. Stealth? Not just for rogues anymore either. Runewords break the rules of Sanctuary and they're coming with the Vessel of Hatred expansion in October.

6 years after making one of our senior editors so mad he beat up a defenseless armadillo, Green Hell is ending development 'with teary eyes' and one last update
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/survival-crafting/6-years-after-making-one-of-our-senior-editors-so-mad-he-beat-up-a-defenseless-armadillo-green-hell-is-ending-development-with-teary-eyes-and-one-last-update/
After a five year run on Steam—six, if you count the year it spent in early access before its 1.0 launch—the hit survival game Green Hell is calling it quits with its next update.

Demonschool, the Persona-like tactical RPG about battling demons while getting a good education, has been delayed into 2025 so developers can add 'more life and liveliness' to the game world
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/demonschool-the-persona-like-tactical-rpg-about-battling-demons-while-getting-a-good-education-has-been-delayed-into-2025-so-developers-can-add-more-life-and-liveliness-to-the-game-world/
Quite a few PC Gamer folk have been excited for Demonschool since it was announced at the PC Gaming Show in 2022. Rich Stanton said it was "one to keep a disembodied eye on," Robin Valentine said it has the potential to deliver "the most interesting turn-based combats of 2024," and Harvey Randall predicted that it could be "another Into the Breach." That's a lot of enthusiasm! And so it genuinely pains me to have to be the one to tell them (and you) the game has been delayed into early 2025.

Sid Meier was apparently baffled by the decision to launch Civilization 5 without Genghis Khan: 'Sid said, What?'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/sid-meier-was-apparently-baffled-by-the-decision-to-launch-civilization-5-without-genghis-khan-sid-said-what/
He was out of town when I visited Firaxis to play Civilization 7 earlier this month, but I did walk past the office from which Civilization creator Sid Meier continues to guide the strategy developer. One example of that guidance, although it came 14 years ago now, was the quick addition of Ghengis Khan as a free Civilization 5 update.
"We ended up shipping Civ 5 without Genghis Khan," said Civ 7 executive producer Dennis Shirk in a recent interview with GameRant. "Sid said, 'What?' We ended up releasing Genghis Khan the next month in a free update because he was right. We shouldn't have shipped without Genghis Khan, so there's always going to be that collection, that foundation."
>> That comment implies that Sid is not very involved in the making of the games anymore. Not much of a surprise.

I couldn’t avoid it this time. Here’s the third part of today’s news:

'We are not an extraction shooter, hero shooter, or some competitive tac shooter:' Cyberpunk FPS Defect's secret fourth thing actually has me excited for a PvEvP game for once
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/we-are-not-an-extraction-shooter-hero-shooter-or-some-competitive-tac-shooter-cyberpunk-fps-defect-s-secret-fourth-thing-actually-has-me-excited-for-a-pvevp-game-for-once/
I felt like I went on a bit of an emotional rollercoaster with the reveal trailer for Defect. A gritty, grungy cyberpunk shooter with Lore and a soundtrack from Mick Gordon of neo-Doom fame: The crowd cheers. Then I get to the line "Play with your friends in PvP or co-op:" The crowd boos. But after hearing some more about the game from Emanuel Palalic, game director at developer emptyvessel? Well, the crowd might just be cheering again.

Deadlock's first major patch adds wall jumping and over a hundred balance changes
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/moba/deadlocks-first-major-patch-adds-wall-jumping-and-over-a-hundred-balance-changes/
I logged onto Steam today to find Deadlock downloading a 683MB patch. Wondering what might that patch might contain I looked in Steam's news feed for Deadlock, which is empty, and Steam's "Events and Announcements" forum for Deadlock, which is also empty. Turns out the patch notes are being posted in a completely different forum which you can only access by generating a password from the main menu of Deadlock itself, which suggests a weird distaste for Steam's official ways of disseminating patch notes coming from a game made by the people who make Steam.

Space marines are so big the Space Marine 2 dev team had to spend a considerable amount of time just getting their walking and running animations right
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/space-marines-are-so-big-the-space-marine-2-dev-team-had-to-spend-a-considerable-amount-of-time-just-getting-their-walking-and-running-animations-right/
Have you ever looked at a space marine's legs? Like, properly looked at how their thighs connect to their hips and wondered what's going on inside that armor? Their stance is so wide it's impossible to imagine a normal man being able to stand like that, which is fine because space marines aren't normal men. They're genetically engineered transhuman supersoldiers and part of the surgical modification that makes them space marines is apparently letting them stand like their legs are bolted to the sides of their waist.
(...)
In a videogame, it presents an issue. "When Games Workshop created the first space marine miniature, they weren't thinking about him running and shooting with all that armor," says Tim Willits, chief creative officer at Saber Interactive, in a recent interview with PC Gamer at Gamescom. "It was definitely a challenge to get him to run and land and jump and fight with armor that is kind of unrealistic."

Shinji Mikami doesn't think the world needs another Dino Crisis, 'that's been kind of nailed down by Monster Hunter in recent years'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/horror/shinji-mikami-doesnt-think-the-world-needs-another-dino-crisis-thats-been-kind-of-nailed-down-by-monster-hunter-in-recent-years/
The creator of Resident Evil and Dino Crisis, Shinji Mikami, recently revealed that he doesn't quite understand all the excitement that fans still have for a new Dino Crisis, pointing out that there are some pretty great alternatives currently available for players to enjoy. 
(...)
"I'm very surprised to hear that," Mikami says in an interview with Eurogamer. "The awesomeness of dinosaurs and the stuff you can do with dinosaurs have been kind of really nailed down by Monster Hunter in recent years.
"So even if I were to decide to make a remake or a new version of Dino Crisis, I don't really feel like there's a whole lot of space for that kind of game right now, just since Monster Hunter has become such a big game. But yeah, it is surprising." 
>> Does… does he remember what Dino Crisis was about? Because it’s completely different genre from Monster Hunter.

Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus 2's revamped Cognition system is incredibly clever, bridging the gap between wargame vets and tactics fans
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/warhammer-40-000-mechanicus-2-s-revamped-cognition-system-is-incredibly-clever-bridging-the-gap-between-wargame-vets-and-tactics-fans/
At the start of a short Warhammer 40k: Mechanicus 2 preview I attended at Gamescom last week, I was a smidge concerned. I'm not a wargamer, I've never painted a miniature, and I only break out my tape measure when I need to put a shelf up.
Despite my comfort with TTRPG systems, there was a part of my brain that was worried I'd be lost in the dark—I was relieved to find myself picking up what the game was putting down quite quickly, even while watching a developer play it second-hand, thanks to a cleverly-refurbished mechanic that helped me read between the lines of code.

All Honkai: Star Rail codes from the 2.5 livestream
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/honkai-star-rail-codes-2-5-livestream/
The Honkai: Star Rail 2.5 livestream codes are here, dropping alongside the regular special program that previews everything set to arrive in the upcoming version. For those who are new to the game, miHoYo broadcasts a stream in advance of each regular update, showcasing the new characters, events, and narrative quests set to arrive. And, as a little incentive to tune in, they also drop three codes during the stream.

And now, the GOG and Steam deals for the weekend… or more like the Steam ones, because GOG has no new deal for us:

+Steam

• The No Time To Loot Festival, not sale, has roguelites and roguelikes to explore, and some even have discounts as high as 95% off. The length of the deals vary, with some ending tomorrow and other September 12: https://store.steampowered.com/developer/ravenage/sale/notimetoloot
• The Escapists franchise sale features up to 90% discounts until the 2nd of September: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/escapistsfranchisesale24
• The Back to Hogwarts Sale has three games up to 70% off until the 5th of September: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/backtohogwarts
• The Tales of Franchise is on sale with up to 90% discounts until September 5: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/TalesofFranchise
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance will be free to try during the weekend and 90% off until the 5th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/379430/Kingdom_Come_Deliverance/
• Publisher Snail Games puts its games on sale with up to 80% discounts. The length of those deals vary from the 5th to the 12th of September (was far as I’ve seen): https://store.steampowered.com/sale/2024snailpublisher
• And the last one, It Takes Two, will have a 70% deal until September 12: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1426210/It_Takes_Two/

Nothing else to add, except for wishing you a happy and gaming weekend.

Grabbed Tales of Arise via sale. Need to finish Death's Door before firing up.

I've thought many times to get into the "Tales of" games, but I've never done it. I think I even asked here which would be the best game in the series to play first, but given that I don't remember if I asked it or not, it's fair to assume that I don't know which game would that be.

And let's be honest, knowing you all, that question would probably end with three replies and 4 game names.

In any case, that would be come later, as I still have to start again (and this time finish) Trails in the Sky.