Monday has come, and with it, more gaming news:

SALES/PLAYER COUNTS & DEALS

Jump Space, the co-op spaceship crew-'em-up we warned you was fun, just launched in early access and it's already turning heads
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/jump-space-the-co-op-spaceship-crew-em-up-we-warned-you-was-fun-just-launched-in-early-access-and-its-already-turning-heads/
I see you, weary Silksonger. You are tired of brutal bossfights and backtracking. You have a fierce need to chill with your buds, and if it happens to be in space, you'd be down with that. I assume, anyway, that's the general demographic propelling Jump Space to the top sellers list on Steam, where it's rapidly amassing players on its first day in early access.
While I'm writing this, SteamDB records a 24-hour peak of 15,558 players for the co-op space adventuring game, and that's just a few hours after it went live. It's not the hundreds of thousands of players recorded by Silksong or Borderlands 4, but early user reviews are positive.

Steam has two new deals and two sales:

• Menace from the Deep is going to be 35% off until the 29th of September: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2644610/Menace_from_the_Deep
• Unknown Tapes will have a 50% discount until the 5th of October: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2785200/Unknown_Tapes
• And these are the two new sales:
  • Spelkollektivet brings some Swedish games on sale with games up to 85% off. The deals will end with today’s refresh while others will last until the 29th: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/spelkollektivet-anniversary-sale
  • Serbian Games Week features upcoming games and up to 81% discounts. The deals will last until the 28th or 29th, depending on the title: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/SerbianGamesWeek2025

There are two new deals at Humble:

• Humble Bundle presents the Remedy Games 30th Anniversary Bundle, with up to 10 items to get (9 games and a coupon for Firebreak. lol) during 18 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/games/remedy-games-30th-anniversary-bundle
• Humble Store has the Ziggurat Publisher Sale, with up to 85% discounts during another 3 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/cosmi-valusoft-ziggurat-publisher-sale

Fanatical has a Star Deal and a bundle:

• The Star Deal is DYNASTY WARRIORS: ORIGINS, 38% off. It started yesterday and will last another 24 hours: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/dynasty-warriors-origins
• The BYO Bumper Bundle (2025) has 16 games for your 1+, 5+ or 10+ bundles during the next 34 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/pick-and-mix/build-your-own-bumper-bundle

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-Empty-

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Must-Have FEAR Mod Unlocks Framerate, Fixes Physics, Adds HD Reflections, Removes Model LODs, and More
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/must-have-fear-mod-unlocks-framerate-fixes-physics-adds-hd-reflections-removes-model-lods-and-more
F.E.A.R. is one of the best first-person shooters ever made. Created by Monolith, it amazed players with its smart enemy AI. However, the game didn’t run well on modern PCs. Thankfully, a new mod has been released that makes big improvements. So, let’s take a closer look at it.
EchoPatch for F.E.A.R. updates the game and its expansions with modern features like HUD scaling, high-framerate support, XInput controller support, and other QoL improvements. This fan patch is designed not to be intrusive. It doesn’t change game files or gameplay by default. Instead, it focuses only on fixing issues and improving the overall experience.
The mod makes the HUD (texts, crosshair, and icons) scale properly with your screen resolution. It also fixes problems that happen at high framerates, letting you play smoothly at up to 240FPS. In the original game, unlocking the framerate caused big physics issues, but EchoPatch fixes that. Now, you can enjoy the game at really high FPS without problems. On top of that, the mod prevents the game from treating all HID devices as controllers, which helps stop framerate drops over time.
And there’s even more. EchoPatch fixes problems with controls on non-English keyboards by using hardware scan codes instead of English key names. It also removes the old 4:3 screen limit, so you can now use any widescreen resolution. The mod also removes the LOD bias, meaning the game always shows the best-quality models, no matter how far away they are. On top of that, it makes textures look sharper at a distance by improving mipmaps. Furthermore, EchoPatch adds Large Address Aware support, letting the game use up to 4 GB of memory, which helps stop loading problems.
It’s also worth noting that EchoPatch for FEAR keeps objects (bodies, blood stains, debris, bullet holes, shell casings, and glass shards) from despawning. In other words, you will enjoy the carnage you create throught the entire game. This is an amazing QoL improvement. Moreover, the mod adds HD reflections and mirrors.
>> The article has an over 10 minutes video.

This Cyberpunk 2077 Brutal Mod Takes Gore & Blood to the Next Level
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/this-cyberpunk-2077-brutal-mod-takes-gore-blood-to-the-next-level
Modder ‘Cazanu’ has released a new brutal mod for Cyberpunk 2077 that takes its gore and blood effects to the next level. Inspired by the over-the-top gore of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners show, this mod transforms Night City into a slaughterhouse with tons of gibbing and enhanced blood and gore.
The GoreRunner Mod makes the game super violent. Enemies can have their heads explode, with pieces of brain, bones, and organs flying everywhere. Grenades, shotguns, and katanas can rip enemies apart in brutal ways.
The mod also adds a dynamic Blood Splatter System. There are over 70 different splatter effects, which change depending on the weapon, direction, and where you hit. Small guns make fine sprays, big guns make dense splashes. Katanas leave a slice trail first, then spatter blood everywhere. Limbs that get chopped off keep bleeding, and wounded enemies leave trails of blood when they move.
By default, most blood and gibs stay for 10 minutes or until the body is cleaned up by the game if you go far away. Smaller gibs vanish after ~60s for performance, but large messes stay behind. There is also an optional 5-minute version you can download.
It’s also worth noting that the mod enhances the game’s gore model. There are now more exposed ribs, brutal headshot flaps, and deeper wound detail. Plus, GoreRunner adds new wounds. To be more precise, we get thick bump-mapped wounds that sometimes soak in, as well as unique slice wounds for sharp melee weapons.
>> There is an age-restricted video in the article.

Hollow Knight: Silksong Got a Multiplayer Mod With PvP Support
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/hollow-knight-silksong-got-a-multiplayer-mod-with-pvp-support
Now here is something really cool for all our Hollow Knight: Silksong fans. Modder ‘XvX’ has released a multiplayer mod for it with basic PvP support. As such, you can now play this new Hollow Knight game with your friends, something that wasn’t possible in the vanilla version.
Hollow Knight: Silksong is the big sequel to the hit game Hollow Knight. In this adventure, players will travel through brand-new lands, unlock new abilities, and fight lots of bugs and monsters. Along the way, they’ll discover secrets about their past. The goal is to explore, battle, and survive while climbing to the top of a kingdom ruled by silk and song.
To showcase what this mod can do, the modder has shared a video in which we can see 30 people playing online. This is an unedited 40-minute video. I know, it’s a bit long. Still, it will give you a pretty good idea of what you can expect from it. So, be sure to watch it.
Do note that this MP Mod is still in active development. It’s not a co-op mod. At least right now. The only boss players can damage is Fourth Chorus. And that’s it. They are not able to attack the other bosses or any other enemy. As I said, the mod adds PvP support, meaning that you can damage other players. That’s why I’ve listed it as “PvP Mod” and not a “Co-Op Mod“. So, be sure to keep that in mind.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt NextGen gets another HD Remaster Mod
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/the-witcher-3-wild-hunt-nextgen-gets-another-hd-remaster-mod
By now, most The Witcher 3 fans are aware of the amazing HD Reworked Project from Hulk Hogan. And today, we have some good news for all of you. Another HD Remaster Mod is currently in development. So, let’s take a closer look at it.
For those who did not know, The Witcher 3 HD Reworked Project improves the game with top-notch textures that look great and run smoothly, without needing more VRAM. The pack includes high-quality, accurate normal maps, many of which are made from detailed 3D models. Moreover, it brings better LODs for objects, as well as a better view distance.
Kwest0rek’s HD Immersion Pack does a similar thing for objects that were not covered in the HD Reworked Project. Right now, the mod replaces 41 models in the game with completely new ones in high resolution. Its latest version covers fruits, various herb bags, meats and dishes, vegetables, as well as decorative and utility items.
>> The article has some comparison screenshots.

Next-Gen Graphics in Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater Thanks to Complete RT
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/next-gen-graphics-in-metal-gear-solid-delta-snake-eater-thanks-to-complete-rt
YouTube’s ‘Beyond Dreams’ has shared a video, showcasing a modded version of Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater on an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090. The biggest feature in this video is the latest version of CompleteRT, which adds support for ReSTIR GI. So, let’s take a look at it.
CompleteRT uses screen-space information for its Ray Tracing. And although MGS Delta: Snake Eater uses Lumen, Complete RT can enhance the game’s visuals. As you will see, it brings better shadows, better GI, and better AO.
Thanks to the combination of Complete RT with Software Lumen, MGS Delta: Snake Eater looks absolutely incredible. This right here shows why most UE5 games look so good. Yes, some of them have performance issues. But you can’t deny how amazing they can look. The forest in this modded version of MGS Delta: Snake Eater will give you Crysis vibes.
The good news is that Complete RT is available for free to everyone. You can go ahead and download it from this link. In the video, Beyond Dreams used Massihancer’s Ray Tracing Preset, which is behind a paywall. Still, if you mess around with the settings of Complete RT, you will be able to get similar results.
>> The over 10 minutes video Is in the article.

This Doom mod based on ye olde Flash animation series Madness is, fittingly, way slicker than it has any right to be
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/this-doom-mod-based-on-ye-olde-flash-animation-series-madness-is-fittingly-way-slicker-than-it-has-any-right-to-be/
Back in the days when I used to haunt Newgrounds as a perpetually online teenager, a new episode of Madness would always shoot right to the top of the portal charts. The series, created by animator Krinkels, was a sort-of cultural after-dinner mint for fans of The Matrix.
Madness' fast-paced, hyper-violent shorts involve grey, cross-faced people blasting each other to smithereens. Central to the series' appeal was how its action scenes grew more impressive and elaborate with every passing episode, and it was always fun to see how far Krinkels could push things when a new entry dropped.
I haven't thought about Madness for a long time (though the series hasn't gone away, as I'll get to shortly). But those memories came flooding back when I spied Somewhere in Hell, a Doom 2 mod that goes to impressive lengths to recreate Madness' flashy, bloody action in id Software's shooter sequel.
Somewhere in Hell basically replaces Doom's weapons and enemies with goons and firearms from Krinkels' animations. But what's impressive is how modder Recurracy 2 has infused the mod with the speed and vicious lethality of Krinkels' animations. The legions of monochromatic foes you face move across the maps fast, crossing whole rooms in a matter of seconds to get in your face.
Weapons like the revolver and the double-barrelled shotgun, meanwhile, are imbued with joint-ripping recoil. When bullets connect with your faceless adversaries, they explode like an overstuffed haggis, showering the walls, floor, and the screen itself with gore.
Somewhere in Hell has been in development for a while, but it recently released its 1.0 version, which features 33 weapons and five playable characters. The mod also supports a bunch of custom mechanics like dual wielding weapons, while some of those characters have unique abilities such as a Max-Payne style shoot-dodge.
You can download Somewhere in Hell over on ModDB. If that isn't enough Madness-related action for you, it's worth noting the series has an official game—Madness: Project Nexus. This is a 3D, third-person blend of shooter and beat 'em up that was released back in 2021, and seems to be well-regarded among Madness fans.
>> The article has a shorter than 2 minutes trailer.

GAMING NEWS

Here’s how you can fix Borderlands 4’s crash issues on the NVIDIA RTX 50 series GPUs
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/heres-how-you-can-fix-borderlands-4s-crash-issues-on-the-nvidia-rtx-50-series-gpus
So I’ve been playing Borderlands 4 lately, and from the looks of it, the game suffers from some major crash issues on the NVIDIA RTX 50 series GPUs. If you own an NVIDIA RTX 5080 or RTX 5090, you have definitely faced some GPU-related crash issues. Thankfully, there is a way to fix them.

The second part of the Monday gaming news:

Team Reptile announces Hyperfunk, a Bomb Rush Cyberfunk follow-up that's '2 seconds per second of evolved funkstyle'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/sports/team-reptile-announces-hyperfunk-a-bomb-rush-cyberfunk-follow-up-thats-2-seconds-per-second-of-evolved-funkstyle/
If you're a gamer of a certain vintage, there's a good chance that your idea of cool looks like cel-shaded graffiti artists doing roller blading tricks in a futuristic cityscape where nothing isn't neon. Sanctified by Jet Set Radio, that visual lineage continues in the work of creators like Bomb Rush Cyberfunk developer Team Reptile, which just revealed its next entry in stunt-centric Y2K futurism.

The adaptation you've been waiting for since 1996 is finally here: Bop It! is now a videogame
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rhythm/the-adaptation-youve-been-waiting-for-since-1996-is-finally-here-bop-it-is-now-a-videogame/
Videogames are great but don't you wish they had more bopping? And not just more bopping, but also more twisting and pulling, perhaps of… I don't know, some sort of nebulous… it? And most importantly, a loud voice telling you exactly when you should bop it, twist it, and/or pull it?
Your oddly specific prayers have finally been answered, because nearly 30 years after the discovery of the cursed Pandora's Box-like artifact known as Bop It!—which demanded its user perform ritualistic bopping, twisting, and pulling of its button, knob, and handle in the precise pattern needed to finally release the prophesied Loud One, known as Bophomet, upon the world to reign for all time—is now a videogame.

9 months after its 1.0 launch flopped, an indie dev just learned that Steam never emailed the 130,000 people who wishlisted its game
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/survival-crafting/9-months-after-its-1-0-launch-flopped-an-indie-dev-just-learned-that-steam-never-emailed-the-130-000-people-who-wishlisted-its-game/
Planet Centauri, a 2D sandbox game blending survival, creature collection, and automation elements, didn't have the 1.0 launch it expected. Despite making over 100,000 sales and earning spots on more than 130,000 Steam users' wishlists in over 10 years of early access, indie developer Permadeath watched as Planet Centauri's full release day came—and the world barely noticed (via Polygon).
"We sold… 581 units in 5 days," Permadeath developer Laurent Lechat wrote in a Reddit post last week. "The game didn't even appear on page 2; we were invisible; we were a total flop. And we never understood why until today."
After nine months of confusion and frustration, Permadeath finally received an explanation from Valve itself: When Planet Centauri finally launched, nobody who'd wishlisted it knew—because Steam never told them.
>> That’s a big, impactful mistake from Steam.

'You wouldn't believe how much stupid s**t is in this giant world': The Baby Steps devs want you to know as little as possible before you play their walking sim
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/you-wouldnt-believe-how-much-stupid-s-t-is-in-this-giant-world-the-baby-steps-devs-want-you-to-know-as-little-as-possible-before-you-play-their-walking-sim/
Baby Steps developer Gabe Cuzzillo prefaced today's "very unprofessional" developer overview by saying "you shouldn't know very much about this game when you play it, because it's full of surprises and they're fun." After watching it, I'm not sure I know any more about the comedic walking simulator, but I'm certainly intrigued by the vibe here.

The studio behind award-winning Umurangi Generation is reimagining Lovecraft's At the Mountains of Madness from the perspective of a penguin, and it's brought the voice of Disco Elysium onboard to do it
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/adventure/the-studio-behind-award-winning-umurangi-generation-is-reimagining-lovecrafts-at-the-mountains-of-madness-from-the-perspective-of-a-penguin-and-its-brought-the-voice-of-disco-elysium-onboard-to-do-it/
In a new trailer at the Six One Indie Showcase, Origame Digital showed off its first trailer for Penguin Colony, a horror game where you play as a little penguin, and the studio revealed that the game will be anchored by a performance from Lenval Brown, the narrator of Disco Elysium: The Final Cut.

'There is a chance that they will stay in Roblox': Gen Alpha is into PC gaming, but one industry analyst isn't so sure they're going to age out of their favorite haunt
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/gen-alpha-roblox-newzoo-analysis/
The kids are playing computer games.
According to the latest Global Games Market Report from the analysts at industry intelligence firm Newzoo, Gen Alpha—defined in this case as anyone born in or after 2010—makes up "an increasing share of the player base, especially on PC."
As a lifelong fan of computer games, this is good news to me. The kids are with us! But the kids aren't necessarily playing the kinds of games I grew up on: You may have heard of that excruciatingly popular platform called Roblox where kids are pressured to spend their parents' money in games like "Steal a Brainrot." (Which, to be fair, does sound like something you'd find on Newgrounds circa 2000, so maybe we're not all that different.)
(...)
But what about when the kids graduate from Roblox to the games I understand? Rosier, a parent to Roblox-playing teenagers himself, isn't so sure that's going to happen.

FF14 is getting a baby Seikret minion as part of its Monster Hunter Wilds collab, and I will fistfight Arkveld alone for it
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/mmo/ff14-is-getting-a-baby-seikret-minion-as-part-of-its-monster-hunter-wilds-collab-and-i-will-fistfight-arkveld-alone-for-it/
I'm not going to try convincing you to play through ~500 hours of Final Fantasy 14 for a Monster Hunter Wilds event. It's easily one of my favorite games, but if you're not into the story as it stands, then the MMORPG isn't worth it. I will, however, show you this freakishly adorable baby Seikret minion revealed with the collab rewards and walk away. Whatever happens after is not my business.

Monastic brewing sim Ale Abbey hops out of early access with eight new beers to quaff and a 35% launch discount
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/monastic-brewing-sim-ale-abbey-hops-out-of-early-access-with-eight-new-beers-to-quaff-and-a-35-percent-launch-discount/
I'm not normally much of a drinker, but I'll be pouring a pint or several (hundred) this weekend, because monastic management sim Ale Abbey has staggered out of early access. The launch version spews a chunky 1.0 update all over the abbey's virtual cloisters, while wannabe brewmasters yet to sample its stout offering can dive in at a sizeable launch discount.

This 'supernatural handyman simulator' is House Flipper for Abiotic Factor sickos, a first-person restoration sim about fixing up a gigantic research facility
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/survival-crafting/this-supernatural-handyman-simulator-is-house-flipper-for-abiotic-factor-sickos-a-first-person-restoration-sim-about-fixing-up-a-gigantic-research-facility/
While I understand the appeal of renovation sims like House Flipper, I simply cannot bring myself to play them. The idea of spending hours fixing up a fake house seems downright perverse when I cannot find time to maintain my own real, increasingly dilapidated abode.
You might say the obvious solution is to take some time off and get those many annoying odd jobs done, and you would be wrong. The solution is clearly for someone to make a game like House Flipper, but with a setting sufficiently detached from reality that I can convince myself that I am not wasting my time playing it.
It is with open arms, therefore, that I welcome The Lift, a "supernatural handyman simulator" that takes the core premise of House Flipper but switches out its crumbling bungalows and mouldy condos for a massive, Soviet-core scientific facility. It's basically Abiotic Factor for DIY sickos, and I am already buckling up my neglected toolbelt in anticipation.

2 years later than planned, Arctic Awakening arrives to pull the walking simulator out of its Edith Finch-shaped grave
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/adventure/2-years-later-than-planned-arctic-awakening-arrives-to-pull-the-walking-simulator-out-of-its-edith-finch-shaped-grave/
The walking simulator really died on its arse circa 2018, didn't it? It's like What Remains of Edith Finch released and everyone went "Well, we're not going to do better than that!" before hanging up their hiking boots once and for all. Even Giant Sparrow, the creator of What Remains of Edith Finch, hasn't released a game since.
While I can't exactly say I've missed walking sims—there's been no shortage of other games to keep me occupied in the meantime—I certainly wouldn't mind a luscious, whimsical first-person narrative adventure to saunter around for a few hours. Fortunately, after years wandering through the wilderness, the walking sim has decided to pay us a visit. And it's all thanks to Arctic Awakening, a new and exceedingly pretty sci-fi narrative thriller developed by GoldFire Studios.

FromSoftware is showing a sliver of mercy with a new QoL patch for Nightreign's super hard Deep of Night, but it hasn't gotten any easier
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fromsoftware-is-showing-a-sliver-of-mercy-with-a-new-qol-patch-for-nightreigns-super-hard-deep-of-night-but-it-hasnt-gotten-any-easier/
If you've been playing Elden Ring Nightreign's intense new Deep of Night mode, you may have noticed your Depth level ranking sometimes doesn't increase as it should after a victory. That glitch and some much-needed quality-of-life tweaks are getting addressed in an upcoming patch Bandai Namco announced on Friday.

One of my favorite shooters of the 2020s⁠—a sleeper 'Overwhelmingly Positive' on Steam⁠—just got a second episode that more than doubles its length for $10
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/one-of-my-favorite-shooters-of-the-2020s-a-sleeper-overwhelmingly-positive-on-steam-just-got-a-second-episode-that-more-than-doubles-its-length-for-usd10/
After a three-year wait, the phenomenal FPS Cultic is finally done, with creator Jasozz Games and publisher 3D Realms releasing its second episode on Steam for $10⁠—the same price as Episode One.

Developer of NSFW games says Valve won't let them add adult content in updates, now it has to be DLC
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/developer-of-nsfw-games-says-valve-wont-let-them-add-adult-content-in-updates-now-it-has-to-be-dlc/
Since the anti-porn crusaders Collective Shout pressured payment processors to get adult games removed from storefronts, things have been rough in the world of eroge development. (Eroge being short for "erotic game", he wrote, feeling like your dad explaining how babies are made.) Now, a developer at Crimson Delight has claimed they can't add new adult content to their existing adult game on Steam unless it's as DLC. (Via Automaton.)
"From what I know," they wrote on Reddit, "prior to the whole Collective Shout situation, adult games could add NSFW content even post-launch. But during the review process we were informed this was no longer the case. I have to say the reviewer was kind and forthcoming, we didn't feel threatened or bullied in any way, and we got the feeling they were trying to do their best to help devs navigate the process. But the fact of the matter is that Valve has payment processors breathing down their neck, and the rules keep getting stricter as time goes on."

Shadows of Doubt's hilarious new modifiers let you play as a wall-crawling rat detective and evade a killer snail
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/sim/shadows-of-doubts-hilarious-new-modifiers-let-you-play-as-a-wall-crawling-rat-detective-and-evade-a-killer-snail/
I didn't think there were many ways to make Shadows of Doubt a better detective game—aside from giving the whole thing a vigorous polish. ColePowered Games' sleuthing simulator procedurally generates an entire city's worth of crimes to solve, somehow creating genuine deduction puzzles out of a bucketful of random numbers. Granted, it also tends to create a lot of bugs and dead ends in the process. But when Shadows of Doubt works, it's one of the best games ever made.
Yet the latest update somehow makes Shadows of Doubt even more conceptually appealing, by letting you play as a detective who is also a rat. The modifiers update injects a bunch of optional mutations into the sim's algorithmic genes, one of which lets you prowl its rain-slicked alleys as a trenchcoat-wearing rodent.

Mercenary RPG Wartales' latest DLC adds one of its most hotly-requested features, fief management
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/mercenary-rpg-wartales-latest-dlc-adds-one-of-its-most-hotly-requested-features-fief-management/
On balance, it's probably a good thing we have little cause to use the word 'fief' anymore. But I do wish I had a few more excuses to deploy it, if only because it's such an enjoyable word to say. Luckily, I'm able to postpone starting a degree in medieval history just so I can drop 'fief' into conversation more often without coming off as a total weirdo, because feudal estates happen to be the focus of Wartales' newest DLC.

And the third part of the gaming news:

The Sims 4 gets a much-needed update to the increasingly buggy base game, as EA assures players that 'your concerns are heard' over issues like deformed pets and missing ghost children
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/the-sims/the-sims-4-gets-a-much-needed-update-to-the-increasingly-buggy-base-game-as-ea-assures-players-that-your-concerns-are-heard-over-issues-like-deformed-pets-and-missing-ghost-children/
The Sims 4 has been going through a bit of a mid-life crisis lately. A wayward patch issued in July triggered a rampant pregnancy epidemic, while the most recent Enchanted by Nature DLC received a less-than enthusiastic response from players. Now, it seems the community is generally fed up with the increasingly buggy state of the base game, with EA revealing plans for two solid months dedicated to bugfixes and quality-of-life support.

Goofy open world sim Wobbly Life launches into space for its 1.0 update, adding rescue missions, asteroid mining, and the chance to be a space detective
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/life-sim/goofy-open-world-sim-wobbly-life-launches-into-space-for-its-1-0-update-adding-rescue-missions-asteroid-mining-and-the-chance-to-be-a-space-detective/
I first encountered Wobbly Life a few months ago when searching for new games to play with my kid. It's a physics-powered open-world sim that roughly resembles a child-friendly Grand Theft Auto, a big colourful playground with activities that include races, delivering pizzas, and taking on taxi fares. My quickfire take is that it isn't as good as Human Fall Flat, but better than Totally Reliable Delivery Service and way less cursed than Roblox.
At least, those were my thoughts before the 1.0 update, which expands Wobbly Life quite a bit. The launch version basically adds a second open world to the game, if you can consider outer flipping space a world, that is.

Battlefield 6 devs say that remastering old maps is harder than you might think
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/battlefield-6-devs-say-that-remastering-old-maps-is-harder-than-you-might-think/
After a couple popular public playtests, Battlefield 6 is one of the most watched upcoming releases. There are are a lot of eyes on it from people who're wanting a lot of things. One of those things? The return of a fan favorite map.
In an interview with PCGamesN, DICE design director Shashank Uchil said that you "wouldn't believe" how hard it is to be sure that an old map will both work in the new game and live up to players' expectations and memories, including those memories that are viewed through "rose-tinted glasses." The comments were made in the context of returning map Operation Firestorm, from Battlefield 3.
>> By the way, the game is full with nu metal songs.

Silksong has the most insane secret bragging rights reward I've ever seen: A special red or purple inventory icon for beating at least half of the game without a map
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/silksong-has-the-most-insane-secret-bragging-rights-reward-ive-ever-seen-a-special-red-or-purple-inventory-icon-for-beating-at-least-half-of-the-game-without-a-map/
"I played for 20 hours without mapping for this," wrote user JessieWarren09 on the Silksong subreddit. "I stole Trobbio's edgy purple quill, cause he doesn't deserve nice things." Jessie, what the fuck are you talking about?
It took a second for it to sink in: Silksong makes you pay for everything, including a quill to update the area maps you buy from Shakra⁠—without the quill, you're just left with the vague outlines of each area to navigate by, as opposed to a proper metroidvania automap.
If you simply refuse to buy the plain white quill at the beginning of Hollow Knight: Silksong, the game will eventually provide you with a free one, and it'll be a snazzy red quill to boot! The red quill alone requires many hours of normal gameplay to reach⁠—fewer, but still a chunk of time if you just make a beeline to it⁠—while the purple quill won by JessieWarren09 requires a true commitment. 20 hours to reach it is rushing. Spoilery specifics below the jump
>> Meanwhile, some dedicated folks have determined the DPS of every crest.

Thumper, one of the best rhythm games we've ever played, has a follow-up and you can try the demo immediately
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rhythm/thumper-one-of-the-best-rhythm-games-weve-ever-played-has-a-follow-up-and-you-can-try-the-demo-immediately/
Released last year for VR platforms, rhythm game Thrasher will soon be playable on non-VR setups in a version that'll release on Steam later this year. It's by duo studio Puddle, half of which is Brian Gibson—the composer and artist on 2016 game Thumper, which PC Gamer called "one of the best rhythm games ever made."
Thus, you might understand why we're very interested in Thrasher and its just-released demo.

The 16+ year-old original Stalker games have Nvidia DLSS support now, which isn't as crazy as it sounds
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/the-16-year-old-original-stalker-games-have-nvidia-dlss-support-now-which-isnt-as-crazy-as-it-sounds/
On September 18, GSC Game World released a patch for its Legends of the Zone remaster of the original Stalker games that adds Nvidia DLSS support, a seemingly absurd addition to the ancient shooters that makes more sense when you dig into the specifics of the remaster.

Sucker Punch confirms it fired artist for joking about Charlie Kirk shooting: 'Making light of someone's murder is a deal-breaker'
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/sucker-punch-confirms-it-fired-artist-for-joking-about-charlie-kirk-shooting-making-light-of-someones-murder-is-a-deal-breaker/
Sucker Punch studio head Brian Fleming has commented on the case of a studio veteran who was fired from the studio for "making light" of the assassination of far-right activist Charlie Kirk.
Drew Harrison, who had worked at Sucker Punch as an artist for almost 10 years, wrote "I hope the shooter's name is Mario so that Luigi knows his bro got his back," in the immediate aftermath of Kirk's shooting—a reference to Luigi Mangione, the prime suspect in the December 2024 assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

Konami tempts fate by asking players what Metal Gear they want remastered next, and bizarrely enough includes MGS5 among the options
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/konami-tempts-fate-by-asking-players-what-metal-gear-they-want-remastered-next-and-bizarrely-enough-includes-mgs5-among-the-options/
Whisper it, but Konami might be back: or at the very least, is showing some signs of life after what feels like over a decade in the doldrums. That's slightly overstating things of course, because Konami has always been a profitable company with fingers in many pies, but it hasn't been competing at the top end for a while now.
The recent release of the generally excellent Metal Gear Solid Delta, and what looks like a good reception for Silent Hill f, suggests that this tanker might be on the turn. And for the upcoming Tokyo Games Show, which will feature an exclusive PC Gaming Show, Konami has scheduled the latest in the "Metal Gear–Production Hotline" series of videos, in which the company's talent talks about what's next for Metal Gear.
But the interesting element of this broadcast is an advance survey, viewable here in Japanese, which includes a few interesting questions for fans of the series. As first spotted by the fan account Metal Gear Network, among the questions the survey asks what kind of information fans want from these broadcasts, with two options being new information on Metal Gear Solid: The Master Collection Vol. 2 and "other future developments in the Metal Gear series." I'll have both thanks.

Great news for all of us! /s

We really need Intel or Samsung to step up their game and bring some competition here to keep TSMC in check.

That performace hit is quite big, enough to bring it close to what you can get running the game natively. It's cool that they've been able to try it but, imho, it's not very useful.

Cool from Asus to try new things, but maybe they should work to change the standards to make these new power delivery systems a thing, and not by themselves.

Here are a couple of extra news. The first one may interest you, the second one may cause you to make some strange facial gestures:

Internet Archive settles two-year lawsuit with record labels over music preservation program
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/internet-archive-settles-two-year-lawsuit-with-record-labels-over-music-preservation-program/
As reported by Ars Technica, the Internet Archive has survived another legal battle in its seemingly endless war to defend digital preservation in the face of copyright law. A settlement was filed on Monday in a lawsuit between music record labels and the Internet Archive, which the labels alleged committed copyright infringement with its “Great 78 Project” music preservation program.

The terms of the settlement and the amount haven’t been announced yet (and it’s likely the amount won’t be publicly revealed), but an order of dismissal for the case was also filed on Monday after the settlement. The Internet Archive team hasn’t said much, either, only offering a short update on its blog stating, “The parties have reached a confidential resolution of all claims and will have no further public comment on this matter.”

Japan's space agency officially ends decade-plus mission that carried Hatsune Miku into space one year after losing probe somewhere above Venus
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/japans-space-agency-officially-ends-decade-plus-mission-that-carried-hatsune-miku-into-space-one-year-after-losing-probe-somewhere-above-venus/
Hatsune Miku's voyage through space has finally come to an end after 15 long years. The Japanese space probe Akatsuki has officially ceased operations, as reported by Automaton. The probe was originally launched on May 21, 2010, after famously being decorated with some 13,000 Hatsune Miku drawings and messages submitted by fans.
>> I mean, it's Japan. Doing some weird sh*t like this shouldn't surprise me anymore, and yet it still does.

How are we even still on 5.0 if they're working on 8.0???

Also, hardware getting more expensive again, as usual. Damn I miss the times when shrinking hardware made them cheaper...

FSR4 Performance looks better than FRS3 Quality from the testing I've seen so, it is still worth it. 

I took the results from the ComputerBase article (link) linked in the Videocarddz article (link).

I was talking about the performance hit compared to native rendering. There is an improvement, and I know that the above relative results won't be the same for every game or even GPU, but going trom 64 to 71 with FSR4 is a relatively small performance jump (10%) compared to native.

I'd rather play at native resolution at that point.

When using Quality, it's quite small...but the thing is, with FSR4 (like with DLSS) you can go quite aggressive and go with Performance, where you'll see quite a bit of more fps - check out both Daniel's video from yesterday on RDNA3 and DF Direct segment where Richard did some tests as well.

And if I understood correctly, this INT8 version is done so it can run on RDNA2 as well, without specific support for some things that RDNA3 offers, so if made for RDNA3 it would perform even better.

Now, this is not official, and there are issues, and it's most likely not as good in image quality as FSR4 FP8 for RDN4 - but as proof if concept I'd say it more than works and I'm really hoping to see it implemented officially, cause that will give those older cards a new lease of life.

FSR4 Performance has better image quality than FSR3.1 Quality. FSR4 Performance provides a bigger FPS boost than FSR3.1 Quality with better image quality. So I stand by my statement. 

RDNA3 has WMMA support. The INT8 version of FSR4 that "leaked" doesn't take advantage of that. If AMD continued to work on this and implemented WMMA support for RDNA3 it would increase the performance boost. Pure speculation on my part but I think FSR Redstone will include FSR4 INT8 with WMMA support for RDNA3 and the FSR4 INT8 for RDNA2.  AMD's APUs are not switching away from RNDA3.5 any time soon and their APU stack still includes RDNA2 on the low end. So getting version of FSR4 for their older architecture is imperative for that market segment. The Intel powered MSI Claw 8 is currently the only APU* with ML upscaler support via XESS & XESS 2.0. It runs the full version, not the fall back verison that non Intel hardware uses.

*The Switch 2 has DLSS but PC Handhelds are in different market IMO.

EDIT: Daniel Owen dropped a video testing RDNA2 (6800XT)