Well, well, well. Look what I found: the Friday news!
SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS
Today’s free game on the Epic Store is HOT WHEELS UNLEASHED: https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/hot-wheels-unleashed.
GOG has another GIVEAWAY: The Dark Eye: Chains of Satinav will be free to get during 70 hours: https://www.gog.com/en/game/the_dark_eye_chains_of_satinav.
Fanatical has two new deals:
SOFTWARE & DRIVERS
INTEL Arc Graphics 32.0.101.6332/6253 driver
https://videocardz.com/driver/intel-arc-graphics-32-0-101-6332-6253
Fixed Issues
Intel® Arc™ B-Series Graphics Products:
- The Crew Motorfest (VK) may exhibit flickering corruptions in certain scenes.
- Selaco (VK) may experience application crash during game launch.
- Elden Ring (DX12) may exhibit stuttering during gameplay in certain scenes.
- Homeworld 3 (DX12) may experience application crash during game launch.
- F1 24 (DX12) may exhibit stuttering during gameplay with ray tracing quality set to high.
- Game may exhibit lighting corruptions during night scenes.
Intel® Core™ Ultra Series 2 with built-in Intel® Arc™ GPUs:
- F1 24 (DX12) may exhibit stuttering during gameplay with ray tracing quality set to high.
- Game may exhibit lighting corruptions during night scenes.
Unreal Engine 5.5 MegaLights brings a massive performance boost
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/unreal-engine-5-5-megalights-brings-a-massive-performance-boost/
Quixel has released an impressive new tech demo environment for Unreal Engine 5.5, called Dark Ruins. This demo features 372 unique meshes, 12 unique decals and 12 unique surfaces. It also supports Lumen and Nanite. And, from the looks of it, it’s also compatible with MegaLights.
Now what’s cool here is that YouTube’s ‘MxBenchmarkPC’ has compared the MegaLights version with the Software Lumen and the Hardware Lumen versions. And, as we can see, MegaLights can bring up to 50% better performance.
This right here shows why MegaLights is one of the most important new features of UE5.5. With MegaLights, an identical scene (with all the benefits of Hardware Lumen) can run way, way faster. And that’s without any image reduction.
The important thing to note is that MegaLights does not “de-activate” Hardware Lumen. So, this is a MAJOR optimization and performance improvement. And yes, this is a feature more and more games should start using.
>> The article has an over 10 minutes video.
MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS
Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite & Beyond Is Available for Download
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/marvel-vs-capcom-infinite-beyond-is-available-for-download/
And the time has finally come. After eight months of hard work, Team Beyond has released the first version of its large-scale overhaul mod for Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite, called Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite & Beyond. So, let’s see what this mod brings to the table.
Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite & Beyond brings a complete upgrade to the game’s graphics. It also adds brand-new 4-player game modes and gameplay updates. On top of that, players will enjoy re-arranged music by Alex Moukala, Little V, and Vincent Moretto.
Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite & Beyond adds three exciting offline multiplayer modes. These are Cross Frenzy, Single Frenzy, and Cross Fever. Cross Frenzy is a wild 4-player mode where two teams of two battle it out at the same time. In Single Frenzy, you play as two characters at once, all controlled by one player using a single controller. Finally, Cross Fever is the classic MVCI gameplay, but with a twist. In this mode, each character is controlled by a different player.
The mod also includes a Story Mode, but it isn’t fully polished yet. This means character models and cutscenes might not look perfect in some scenes. The creators plan to improve this mode with future updates. Or at least that’s my guess.
Finally, Team Beyond has made a number of community-tested balance changes. These balance changes can be used online, but only with other players that are using them.
>> There’s a shorter than 4 minutes video of the mod.
Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs Gets a Next-Gen Treatment Thanks to Mods
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/ubisofts-watch-dogs-gets-a-next-gen-treatment-thanks-to-mods/
NexusMods ‘Koschei’ has shared a modlist that can overhaul the first Watch Dogs game. Koschei has merged a lot of mods to create the ultimate experience. And, if you’re thinking about replaying it, this is the perfect way to do it.
Ubisoft’s Watch_Dogs was one of the first games that was severely downgraded from its E3 demo. In retrospect, though, I believe a lot of players treated it harshly. Yes, Ubisoft made some dumb decisions. However, it wasn’t THAT bad of a game. At least in my opinion.
Anyway, this mod merges some of the most famous ones you can find for it. And yes, it includes the Source Textures Collection, The Fall of Windy City, and the Living City. You will also find the Enhanced Coat Physics, the Realistic Ragdolls + Lethal Takedown,s and the Enhanced Traffic Diversity mods.
>> The article has a very short video showcasing one improvement this mod brings.
This Mod Turns Starfield Into One of the Goriest Games
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/starfield-just-got-one-of-the-goriest-mods-ever/
Now here is something we didn’t see coming. Modder ‘Nullifidian’ has just released Gore Framework for Starfield which makes it one of the goriest games ever.
Going into more details, this mod introduces new death effects. Enemies can now burn up, melt, disintegrate and explode. Moreover, the mod brings new types of “human remains” that can be left behind by gory deaths. For example, there are now bloody skeletons, bloody ribcages, piles of ashes, and piles of bloody “flesh goo”. Plus, there are big pools of blood.
In a way, this framework makes Starfield’s fights look more like those from Doom or Prodeus. And, in a way, this is the kind of gore I hope we see in Doom: The Dark Ages. I mean, the original Doom games were among the goriest FPS titles we’ve seen. Not that Doom 2016 or Doom Eternal weren’t gory. Still, I hope we get some extra gory treatment in the new Doom game.
As said, this is a framework that can be used by modders to alter some of the game’s weapons. In other words, this mod does not change or modify the already existing weapons. However, you can test it yourselves with a test gun.
To get this test weapon, you’ll have to type the following command into the console. “help blep_testthegore_gore 4 weap”. After that, you’ll get a formID. Then type “player.additem 1” and you’ll get a copy of the gun in your inventory.
>> The article has some screenshots.
Brutal Half-Life Version 3.0 Available Now for Download
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/brutal-half-life-version-3-0-available-now-for-download/
Remember the Brutal Half Life Mod we reported back in 2018? Well, modder ‘zoonyarts’ has just released a brand new version of it that you can download right now.
Inspired by Brutal Doom, Brutal Half-Life makes Valve’s classic shooter most violent and addictive. As a tribute to the classic FPS games, it also brings some new weapons. For instance, it has an Aerosol Can similar to that of Blood.
Version 3.0 features seven new weapons. These are the M4a1, Mp40, the Duke 3D chaingun, Dynamites, the Aerosol can, the Usas12 auto shotgun and the M40a1 sniper rifle. Moreover, it has new maps that are inspired by Doom, DN3D, Quake, and Blood.
This latest version of Brutal Half-Life also comes with better graphics, as well as improved models, new animations and new sounds. It also has some new mechanics. For instance, players can manipulate objects, and vault various objects. Plus, there is a nice surprise for LucasArts adventure fans.
>> The article has a slightly over 1 minute video.
Bloodborne Magnum Opus Mod restores content cut from the game
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/bloodborne-magnum-opus-mod-restores-content-cut-from-the-game/
Bloodborne fans, here is something special for you today. Modder ‘Abyss1ne’ has released the Project Beast Update for Bloodborne Magnus Opus. So, let’s see what this must-have mod brings to the table.
Bloodborne Magnus Opus is a project that aims to restore content that was cut from the game. The modder has spent thousands of hours working on it. As such, you can now have the ultimate Bloodborne experience.
Going into more details, Project Beast is compatible with shadPS4. Yep, you can now use this mod with the PS4 emulator. As such, you can play it on your PC. How cool is that?
So, Project Beast revises the lighting in numerous places, and brings some new more powerful runes to the game. It also restores some weapons that were cut from the game, and tweaks some other weapons. Moreover, it adds more world notes to the world, it adds a secret dialogue between Laurence and Gehrman, and adds new enemies in Central Yharnam, Cathedral Ward and a few more locations.
>> In the article you’ll find an over an hour long video of the mod.
GAMING NEWS
The famous third-person E3 2000 build of Halo has been leaked
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/the-famous-third-person-e3-2000-build-of-halo-has-been-leaked/
Remember the E3 2000 demo of Halo? You know, the demo that amazed pretty much everyone and made Microsoft sign an exclusive deal with Bungie? The demo that made 3DFX implement 32-bit color rendering in its GPUs. Well, that famous build has been leaked online.
The multiplayer shooter with the radioactive bears and moose artillery is holding a holiday playtest with a brand-new game mode
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/the-multiplayer-shooter-with-the-radioactive-bears-and-moose-artillery-is-holding-a-holiday-playtest-with-a-brand-new-game-mode/
If you're looking for something new to play over the holidays, allow me to direct your attention to Striden, and more specifically the new round of playtesting that's now underway. The holiday playtest features a brand-new co-op PvE mode that sets teams of up to five players on a mission to fix their radio so they can get out of town, all while defending their base against waves of enemies.
>> This playtest started on the 23rd and will last until the 2nd of January.
Turns out that Balatro, like Tetris before it, can only be 'finished' by scoring so high it crashes the game
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/roguelike/turns-out-that-balatro-like-tetris-before-it-can-only-be-finished-by-scoring-so-high-it-crashes-the-game/
Ever wonder how far you can go in Balatro once you get past those first eight antes and enter endless mode? Sure you have. What about once you hit ante 16 and enter the wild reaches of untracked endless mode? Less likely, but you might have made it out there once or twice. Even fewer would be those who have hit an integer so high their game just bugs out and explodes in a big ol' glitched-white-card-spewing crash.
Well, as proven and viewed widely by streamer Nandre, you can in fact hit Ante 39 and just straight up explode the videogame to win because 1.8e308, the highest number it will track on your machine in the game's code, isn't high enough to win the score requirement of that ante. Which is... also higher than the highest number your machine will track, so it just displays as "nan"—programmer speak for "not a number."
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