The second part of the Monday gaming news:

If you ever feel like you'd have won a fight in Arc Raiders if you actually heard the player sneaking up on you, then you need to turn this setting on right away
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/if-you-ever-feel-like-youd-have-won-a-fight-in-arc-raiders-if-you-actually-heard-the-player-sneaking-up-on-you-then-you-need-to-turn-this-setting-on-right-away/
Generally speaking, it's the players you can't see that pose the most danger to you in Arc Raiders. Chances are, players who stroll on up to you and make their presence known just want to be your friend, or they'll openly betray you later on but you'll often see that coming, to be honest. Either way, getting ambushed by a raider crawling around behind you is hard to come back from.
(...)
Nevertheless, I'd rather not get jumped like that again, and there's actually a rather simple solution I've found for it. Head into the audio settings and enable Night Mode, found just under the audio output option at the top of the list
>> By the way, only 15% of players have revived a fellow player (link).

Helldivers 2 players exercise managed democracy to rename destroyed city 'New York Supreme' rather than the infinitely better 'Bernard'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/helldivers-2-players-exercise-managed-democracy-to-rename-destroyed-city-new-york-supreme-rather-than-the-infinitely-better-bernard/
Helldivers 2 players have exercised their democratic rights by choosing to re-name a destroyed city called York Supreme as New York Supreme. Yes it does sound like a pizza, which is kinda the point. The sad news, however, is they chose this nonsense over the far superior choice of "Bernard."

'We've got some big changes coming in Season 1': Call of Duty: Black Ops 7's design director talks buffing aim assist, adjusting spawn locations, and a drone pod nerf ahead of the next season
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/call-of-duty/weve-got-some-big-changes-coming-in-season-1-call-of-duty-black-ops-7s-design-director-talks-buffing-aim-assist-adjusting-spawn-locations-and-a-drone-pod-nerf-ahead-of-the-next-season/
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Season 1 is only a couple of weeks away, but as we creep closer, the devs are still fine-tuning the multiplayer and campaign experience to ensure they're both as smooth as possible.

Resident Evil Requiem producer hints at the return of 'some characters from the past' then—way too late—warns players not to 'over-expect or hype it'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/horror/resident-evil-requiem-producer-hints-at-the-return-of-some-characters-from-the-past-then-way-too-late-warns-players-not-to-over-expect-or-hype-it/
Ok, it's happening, everybody stay calm: Resident Evil Requiem's producer Masato Kumazawa has said that characters from past series will be making an appearance in the next Resi game, which means the possibility of Leon Kennedy showing up has just skyrocketed.

The PUBG extraction shooter spinoff springs back to life with a closed alpha test set for December, and its focus on exploration over pure combat sounds a lot like my favorite part of Arc Raiders
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/the-pubg-extraction-shooter-spinoff-springs-back-to-life-with-a-closed-alpha-test-set-for-december-and-its-focus-on-exploration-over-pure-combat-sounds-a-lot-like-my-favorite-part-of-arc-raiders/
We learned in 2023 that PUBG was being fitted for an extraction shooter spinoff, referred to at the time as Project Black Budget. It was set to launch in the second half of 2024, but then 2024 came, Project Black Budget didn't, and frankly we forgot about the whole thing. I did, anyway.
Now, as the second half of 2025 withers away, it's back, officially known as PUBG: Black Budget and with a closed alpha test set to begin in December.

Hytale honcho says early access will be $20 because 'charging more didn’t feel right': He doesn't think the game is good yet, but 'my team and I will push hard to make it good, then great'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/hytale-honcho-says-early-access-will-be-usd20-because-charging-more-didnt-feel-right-he-doesnt-think-the-game-is-good-yet-but-my-team-and-i-will-push-hard-to-make-it-good-then-great/
Hytale is saved, yes, but there's still a long way to go. The ambitious Minecraft-inspired sandbox RPG was canceled by Riot after developers "couldn’t bring Hytale to life in a way that truly delivered on its promise," , and its new goal is to deliver "the original vision for Hytale," from before it turned into a sprawling seven-year project. Hypixel founder Simon Collins-Laflamme said in a post on X that original vision comes with a relatively humble price tag: $20, or "as aggressively low as possible."

Doom: The Dark Ages' latest update overhauls its customisable arena mode, and id Software wants to add the best player-made slaughter-fests as selectable presets
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/doom-the-dark-ages-latest-update-overhauls-its-customisable-arena-mode-and-id-software-wants-to-add-the-best-player-made-slaughter-fests-as-selectable-presets/
Doom: The Dark Ages received a whole new mode back in August—the wave-based "Ripatorium" that allows players to build their own demonic encounters. But it seems id Software has had a rethink about the Ripatorium, as The Dark Ages' latest update substantially overhauls how it works.
While update 2.3 is mainly Ripatorium focussed, it's worth briefly going over the adjustments it makes to the campaign and general play. Regarding the former, the update introduces another round of combat encounter tweaks, adding an enemy here, removing another there. On the latter front, it adds an option to adjust TDA's "Brink of Death" feature, which determines how likely you are to survive a near-death situation. Basically, you can now reduce the system's impact on combat, making you more likely to die at low-health.

This mech themed XCOM-like just got a gargantuan update that overhauls its campaign, redesigns its overworld, and adds personalities to pilots with 'over 100' unique traits
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/this-mech-themed-xcom-like-just-got-a-gargantuan-update-that-overhauls-its-campaign-redesigns-its-overworld-and-adds-personalities-to-pilots-with-over-100-unique-traits/
In the deep, dark mists of 2023, Crypt of the Necrodancer developer Brace Yourself Games released a mech-themed, simultaneous turn-based tactics game called Phantom Brigade. It sounded like an instant winner, and it certainly had potential. "There’s so many little aspects that Phantom Brigade gets right," Dominic Tarason wrote in his Phantom Brigade review, praising its visual design, thrilling turn replays, and tangible sense of weight to its mechs.
(...)
In the end, Dominic gave Phantom Brigade a score of 68, which more or less chimed with the consensus at the time. Yet rather than hit the eject button and watch as its off-brand Gundam suit exploded, Brace Yourself took it back to the hangar and has spent the last two years fixing it.
The result is Phantom Brigade 2.0, a colossal overhaul that tweaks, adjusts, or outright redesigns seemingly everything about the game. Brace Yourself dives into the details in a voluminous Steam post, claiming that 2.0 represents a "truly transformative overhaul of Phantom Brigade as you know it."

5 months after launch, cooperative shooter FBC Firebreak finally has integrated voice chat, but its Vampire Survivors-style wave mode is delayed until next year
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/5-months-after-launch-cooperative-shooter-fbc-firebreak-finally-has-integrated-voice-chat-but-its-vampire-survivors-style-wave-mode-is-delayed-until-next-year/
While a lack of voice chat wasn't the biggest problem with FBC: Firebreak when it released in June, it was certainly one of the issues that led it to fall flat with myself and players in general. Given Firebreak is a cooperative shooter where teamwork is crucial to survival, being able to communicate with friends verbally is kinda important. True, there are plenty of third-party options for voice-chat these days. But sorting that out can be a pain in the arse, especially when you're playing across multiple platforms.
Better, if you're making a dedicated cooperative experience, to ensure voice chat is integrated into that. It took five months, but Firebreak has finally done this. In a Steam post Remedy announced that it has added "cross-platform voice chat" into all versions, letting you finally gab with your pals in the Oldest House without migrating to Discord.

Cities: Skylines 2's bicycle update adds a lot more than just bikes, as Colossal Order prepares to hand over development to a new studio
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/city-builder/cities-skylines-2s-bicycle-update-adds-a-lot-more-than-just-bikes-as-colossal-order-prepares-to-hand-over-development-to-a-new-studio/
Colossal Order will soon part ways with its difficult second child, Cities: Skylines 2, but at least the developer got to teach the sequel to ride a bike before sending it to live with adoptive parent Iceflake Studios. The newly released bike patch actually adds bicycles and electric scooters into Skylines 2, along with all the infrastructural gubbins that go along with a bicycle-friendly city.

A former Valve dev revealed how, while a VR version of Half-Life 2 was being made, a single metro cop's toe created a 'time-travelling' bug that softlocked all versions of the game
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/a-former-valve-dev-revealed-how-while-a-vr-version-of-half-life-2-was-being-made-a-single-metro-cops-toe-created-a-time-travelling-bug-that-softlocked-all-versions-of-the-game/
One of the coolest things about Half-Life 2 is its physics engine, but as anyone who has played a physics-based game will know, even the best-in-class tech is prone to quirks here and there. Valve's legendary narrative shooter was no exception, as former Valve developer Tom Forsyth shared in a thread on Mastodon.

A 'small update' just shook up Deadlock's basic mechanics and tweaked nearly every hero
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/moba/a-small-update-just-shook-up-deadlocks-basic-mechanics-and-tweaked-nearly-every-hero/
Deadlock's not-so-secret invite-only beta has been a blast if you don't mind your favorite MOBA getting fundamentally altered every few months. The game has switched up how many lanes it has, dropped half a dozen new heroes in one go, and now, majorly overhauled lane creep mechanics in what Valve calls a "small update."

'A big document of stealth' requested by Todd Howard from a designer of one of the best stealth games of all time was the blueprint for Skyrim's most beloved playstyle
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/the-elder-scrolls/we-owe-skyrims-beloved-stealth-archer-to-one-of-the-designers-of-an-all-time-classic-pc-stealth-game-who-wrote-todd-howard-a-big-document-of-stealth-in-20-different-games/
I love stealth games, and I love playing a sneaky guy in bigger RPGs: Fallout, The Elder Scrolls, Cyberpunk. You best believe that, when given the option, I'm crouch walking for 80 hours straight. I'm not alone in that preference either: The Stealth Archer in Skyrim, which plays exactly how it sounds, is a memetic, fan-favorite playstyle in Bethesda's smash hit RPG, with guides, analysis, and love letters galore on YouTube and Reddit.
Being obsessed with stealth in games, particularly Bethesda RPGs, I've always wondered about the Pagliarulo Connection: Bethesda's design director, who has contributed to all of the studio's games since Oblivion, got his development start at Looking Glass Studios, the legendary '90s developer of Ultima Underworld, System Shock, and Thief.

The original Dawn of War games have 109 new Steam achievements after 20 years—if you have the definitive edition, at least
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rts/the-original-dawn-of-war-games-have-109-new-steam-achievements-after-20-years-if-you-have-the-definitive-edition-at-least/
I'm no RTS expert, but I'm nonetheless ride or die for Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War. I've poured what must be hundreds of hours into campaign and skirmish modes across the game's four versions, gleefully gunning down gue'la for the greater good and deep striking dreadnoughts where they are least welcome. Granted, there's no record of my wartime victories, as the Steam versions of these games (and the CD-ROM versions of my youth) never had acheivements—until now.
That only holds for the recently released definitive edition, which as Sean Martin said in his impressions is a "sparing" but superlative version of the classic RTS series, but the GOG version has the achievements as well. You can find the full list on a Steam News Hub blog post from Thursday, and they're about what you'd expect.

Classic text adventure Zork is going open source, but I'm side-eyeing Microsoft's announcement about it hard
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/classic-text-adventure-zork-is-going-open-source-but-im-side-eyeing-microsofts-announcement-about-it-hard/
Microsoft has made classic text adventures Zork and its sequels open source. The original trilogy (which is actually one huge game that developer Infocom split into three parts) is now available under an MIT License.

And here’s the third part, of course:

Fatshark celebrates 10 years of rat-bashing by adding one of Vermintide's 'most popular' maps into Vermintide 2, but 'things are not as before'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/fatshark-celebrates-10-years-of-rat-bashing-by-adding-one-of-vermintides-most-popular-maps-into-vermintide-2-but-things-are-not-as-before/
Warhammer—End Times: Vermintide celebrated its tenth birthday in October, a fact that makes me painfully aware of how much closer I am to becoming rat fodder myself. The original Vermintide was a decent stab at Left 4 Dead-style cooperative action by developer Fatshark, but much like Valve's pioneering shooter, it has long been eclipsed by its superior sequel.
Consequently, Fatshark has taken an interesting approach to celebrating a decade of rat-squashing, bringing one of Vermintide's "most popular" maps into Vermintide 2. Yet Return to the Reik isn't a straight port of Vermintide's distinctive River Reik, as Fatshark hints in a Steam post that "Things are not as before".

This roguelike take on Geometry Wars is the best game I've played this month, and the latest to become a permanent fixture on my Steam Deck
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/this-roguelike-take-on-geometry-wars-is-the-best-game-ive-played-this-month-and-the-latest-to-become-a-permanent-fixture-on-my-steam-deck/
November has been an absolutely huge month for games, between AAA staples like Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, ongoing successes like Arc Raiders and Dispatch (both technically released in October, but have each dominated the conversation this month) and indie triumphs like Demonschool. But the game that has hooked me in more than any other this month isn't likely to come up in conversation.
Sektori is a twin-stick developed by former Housemarque developer Kimmo Lahtinen, most easily described as a roguelike take on Geometry Wars. Yes, it's another game that borrows that three-card upgrade system from Vampire Survivors and slaps it into a familiar experience, but not only does this work extremely well, it's also only a fraction of what makes Sektori great.
>> Believe it or not, the article doesn’t have the link to the game. So, here it is (link).

This absurdly stylish side scroller feels like playing two different genres of retro shooter at the same time, and I love it
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/this-absurdly-stylish-side-scroller-feels-like-playing-two-different-genres-of-retro-shooter-at-the-same-time-and-i-love-it/
Neon Inferno looks like a lot of new games that gleefully throw back to the golden age of the run and gun side scroller—delights like Blazing Chrome and Huntdown. Cyberpunk city, dirty cops, laser sword-wielding Yakuza, and just enough slugs to send 'em all to hell; it's all pretty by the numbers on the surface, but don't count it out even if you're worn out on the nostalgic aesthetics. Contra-style platforming is just one dimension on offer here.

Baldur's Gate 3 is 'an inspiration' for CD Projekt, but it's all-in on big open worlds: 'We are definitely not going to make a game like Larian did'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/baldurs-gate-3-is-an-inspiration-for-cd-projekt-but-its-all-in-on-big-open-worlds-we-are-definitely-not-going-to-make-a-game-like-larian-did/
Confirmed best PC game Baldur's Gate 3 brought CRPG stylings back into the spotlight, and more than that, proved the enduring appeal of an exceptionally reactive, player-driven story with emergent narratives and shenanigans aplenty.
But while the game's success was "an inspiration" according to CD Projekt's joint CEO Michał Nowakowski, it's not necessarily the direction development division CD Projekt Red (CDPR)'s games are headed.
>> Meanwhile, Geralt’s voice actor isn’t worried about the new voice of Ciri (link).

Two Point Museum lets you run wild in its biggest (and hairiest) DLC to date and you can sink your claws in for free this week
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/two-point-museum-lets-you-run-wild-in-its-biggest-and-hairiest-dlc-to-date-and-you-can-sink-your-claws-in-for-free-this-week/
So far we've been thoroughly spoiled in Two Point Museum, treated with an abundance of free updates—from staff memorials to the ever-expanding Digiverse expedition map—and its first major paid DLC Fantasy Finds.
Having recently completed Fantasy Finds, I was impressed at the sheer breadth of content and the incorporation of light RPG mechanics that let me live my best Baldur's Gate life in a museum. But, I was a little dubious when the Zooseum DLC was announced—this could be its own game, no? It felt less exciting, and a shift away from what was unique about Two Point Museum—there's an abundance of Zoo-based management sims out there after all.

The world's busiest toilet temporarily made detective sim Shadows of Doubt a murder-free zone: 'You can't always legislate for the fact that everyone's going to need a wee at midnight'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/adventure/the-worlds-busiest-toilet-temporarily-made-detective-sim-shadows-of-doubt-a-murder-free-zone-you-cant-always-legislate-for-the-fact-that-everyones-going-to-need-a-wee-at-midnight/
Since the earliest days of humanity's experiments with legal systems, we've been trying to find a way to make murder less appealing and trickier to pull off. Criminalising weapons, prison time, law enforcement—it turns out all we really needed was an extremely busy toilet.
In a talk on proc-gen narratives at AdventureX, Shadows of Doubt lead writer Stark Holborn shared one of her "favourite pieces of jank" from the detective sim's development, where a toilet accidentally saved lives.

Udo Kier, star of Red Alert 2 and Hideo Kojima's OD, dies aged 81: 'There will never be another like him. Udo, rest in peace'
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/udo-kier-star-of-red-alert-2-and-hideo-kojimas-od-dies-aged-81-there-will-never-be-another-like-him-udo-rest-in-peace/
Udo Kier—the impossibly prolific German actor that you and I will readily recognise as Yuri from Red Alert 2, Command and Conquer: Yuri's Revenge, and Hideo Kojima's upcoming OD—has died aged 81. His partner, Delbert McBride, confirmed the news to Variety.

Forgotten gacha game Tower of Fantasy is launching a new server to de-RNG itself into a purer MMO
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/forgotten-gacha-game-tower-of-fantasy-is-launching-a-new-server-to-de-rng-itself-into-a-purer-mmo/
Tower of Fantasy is an interesting one: a mashup of gacha and MMO, all of the random monetisation bullshit, plus expecting you to *shudder* work together with strangers. Despite being a sicko for both genres, I'd never dare put them together in a single experience—like the two friend groups you very carefully plan individual events for, lest the two opposing sides of your personality collide in a fiery blaze of social faux pas.
While marrying two (in my opinion, rather opposing) styles of gameplay is what makes Tower of Fantasy stand out—because it sure is not the incredible Genshin-ness of it all—developer Hotta Studio is trying something new: it's launching what it calls a Warp server on November 25. One that rips the gacha out altogether in favour of bringing it a little closer to a traditional MMO experience.

Rockstar Games co-founder and former Grand Theft Auto scribe reckons there's 'always that danger' that the industry will get 'overly focussed on making money'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rockstar-games-co-founder-and-former-grand-theft-auto-scribe-reckons-theres-always-that-danger-that-the-industry-will-get-overly-focussed-on-making-money/
Dan Houser, Rockstar games co-founder and one of the chief creative forces that transformed Grand Theft Auto into an unstoppable financial juggernaut, reckons that there's "always that danger" that the games industry will become "overly focussed on making money."
>> I’d argue that we’re already in that mindset, at least for the big publishers.

I like it. It's not perfect, TPU has reviewed it and the thermals are bad (link), but I like the idea and design of it.

Oh, c'mon. You surely won't expect a company that is estimated (important to note that) to make 16 billion this year alone (link) to subsidize their own hardware, right?

/sarcasm

And this is a great example of why I stopped posting articles about Roblox:

Interview with Roblox CEO kicks off with an unbelievable answer about its predator problem being 'not just a problem, but an opportunity,' and somehow just gets crazier from there
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/interview-with-roblox-ceo-kicks-off-with-an-unbelievable-answer-about-its-predator-problem-being-not-just-a-problem-but-an-opportunity-and-somehow-just-gets-crazier-from-there/
Roblox CEO David Baszucki is taking heat for a recent podcast interview with the New York Times, in which he discussed the platform's new AI-powered age gating technology, dismissed accusations that Roblox has a predator problem, and got into a bit of a high-strung back-and-forth with the interviewer over the company's approach to moderation.

Holy shit, ram prices are crazy. I wonder if PS5 will increase in price again? Sorry what was the price going to be on the steam machine again? lol.

Sony has reportedly stockpiled RAM when it was cheaper, so they should be fine for a few more quarters at least.

PC GPU Shipments Increased 2.5% In Q3 2025, AMD Gains In Both GPU & CPU Market Share

https://wccftech.com/pc-gpu-shipment-q3-2025-amd-gains-both-gpu-cpu-market-share/

NVIDIA RTX 6000D “Blackwell Pro For China” Tested: Features 17% Fewer Cores, 14% Less VRAM, & Lower Clocks

https://wccftech.com/nvidia-rtx-6000d-blackwell-pro-for-china-tested-lower-cores-vram-clocks/

NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell desktop GPU drops to $7,999

https://videocardz.com/newz/nvidia-flagship-rtx-pro-6000-is-now-rtx-5080-cheaper-as-card-price-drops-to-7999

What a steal!

64GB DDR5-6000 memory kits now priced near Radeon RX 9070 XT and above PlayStation 5

https://videocardz.com/newz/64gb-ddr5-6000-memory-kits-now-priced-near-radeon-rx-9070-xt-and-above-playstation-5

ZOTAC RTX 5090 12V-2×6 connector completely melts with below-recommended 850W PSU

https://videocardz.com/newz/zotac-rtx-5090-12v-2x6-connector-completely-melts-with-below-recommended-850w-psu

Samsung begins mass production of 28 Gbps GDDR7 3GB memory, faster variants now sampling

https://videocardz.com/newz/samsung-begins-mass-production-of-28-gbps-gddr7-3gb-memory-faster-variants-now-sampling

Ubisoft reveals Teammates, a generative AI-powered FPS experiment

https://videocardz.com/newz/ubisoft-reveals-teammates-a-generative-ai-powered-fps-experiment

Here come the Tuesday gaming news:

SALES/PLAYER COUNTS & DEALS

Steam’s Top 10

(Click here for the Top 100)

Steam's first-ever Black Friday sale makes a surprise appearance to fill the gap left by the Steam Autumn Sale
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/steam-black-friday-sale-2025/
The 2025 Steam Autumn Sale popped a couple months earlier than usual for the simple reason that in every previous year, it fell too damn close to the Steam Winter Sale. The two big seasonal sales were separated, literally, by just a couple weeks: The 2024 Autumn Sale wrapped up on December 4, and the Winter Sale kicked off on December 15. That's just too much sale all mush into one month.
But if you thought that the shifted Autumn Sale meant no discounts on Steam in late November, boy, were you ever wrong. Because for the first time ever, Valve has capitulated to the gods of e-commerce and is holding its very own Black Friday Sale.
Unlike many online retailers, who view Black Friday as one of the most important sell stuff holidays* of the year, Steam's Black Friday Sale is a relatively small affair compared to the seasonal heavyweights: It runs for just one week, and there are no attendant Points Shop freebies or trading cards to earn for hammering through your discovery queue.

GOG has also launched its Black Friday Sale, featuring over 7500 deals up to 95% off during 7 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/2025_black_friday.

Guess what. Besides the Black Friday Sale, Steam also has a bunch of new weeklong deals. How many of them are in both sales? I don’t know and I’m not going to check.

Fanatical also has new deals:

• These are the new 24h Flash Deals:
  • REMATCH is 30% off: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/rematch
  • Sol Cesto has a 40% discount: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/sol-cesto
  • The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered increases that to 42% off: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/the-elder-scrolls-iv-oblivion-remastered
  • DATE A LIVE: Ren Dystopia sports a 70% discount: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/date-a-live-ren-dystopia
• And the BYO Capcom All-Stars Bundle (Winter 2025) features 23 games for your 2+, 3+ or 4+ bundles. It will last 15 days: https://www.fanatical.com/en/pick-and-mix/build-your-own-capcom-all-stars-bundle

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-Empty-

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

MotorStorm is finally playable on PC thanks to RPCS3
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/motorstorm-is-finally-playable-on-pc-thanks-to-rpcs3/
The RPCS3 team has announced that the first MotorStorm game is now playable on PC thanks to the latest version of RPCS3. By using the latest version of this PlayStation 3 emulator, PC gamers can finally enjoy this PS3-exclusive racing game.
MotorStorm was one of the first PS3 games that impressed a lot of gamers. While it was nowhere close to the CG trailer that Sony showcased at E3 2005, it was still a great-looking racing game.
One of its key features was its car destruction and terrain deformation. And, funnily enough, these two features in this game remain pretty cool, even by today’s standards.
The RPCS3 claims that levels with muddy tracks are very GPU-heavy. As such, you should not upscale the game too much on mid-tier GPUs. Owners of high-end GPUs may be able to brute-force their way. There is also a 60FPS patch for it that you can use. Originally, the game was locked at 30FPS on PS3. But now, you can enjoy it with 60FPS on PC.
It’s also worth noting that the game can run on the Steam Deck. It’s not perfect on that device, but it can still be enjoyed. Just make sure to set the GPU clock at 1600Mhz to ensure stable performance. You should also disable MSAA and use the visual patches.
Another game that appears to run great on RPCS3 is Killzone 2. On a high-end PC system, you can play it at 60FPS. At the end of the article, you can find a video showcasing the game running at 4K with more than 75FPS at all times on an AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D with an NVIDIA RTX 5090. However, I don’t know if the full game is playable.
>> The article has three videos.

Fallout 4 Now Has A Free AMD FSR 3 Frame Gen Mod
https://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/fallout-4-now-has-a-free-amd-fsr-3-frame-gen-mod/
Now here is something that passed under my radar. Earlier this month, modder ‘doodlum’ released a mod for Fallout 4 that adds support for AMD FSR 3 Frame Generation.
For those who did not know, Fallout 4 already had an AMD FSR 3.0 Frame Gen Mod. However, that was a paid mod. As such, a number of F4 gamers boycotted it. But now, everyone will be able to use FSR 3.0 Frame Generation, as this is a free mod.
>> There is a slightly over 3 minutes video in the article.

GAMING NEWS

Star Fox-inspired Wild Blue Has Been Renamed To Wild Blue Skies
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/star-fox-inspired-wild-blue-has-been-renamed-to-wild-blue-skies/
In August 2025, we informed you about an upcoming game that is heavily inspired by Star Fox, called Wild Blue. Well, the game has now been renamed to Wild Blue Skies, and you can find a new trailer for it after the jump.

Assassin’s Creed: Shadows Update 1.1.6 Releases Today – Full Patch Notes
https://www.dsogaming.com/patches/assassins-creed-shadows-update-1-1-6-releases-today-full-patch-notes/
Ubisoft announced that Title Update 1.1.6 for Assassin’s Creed: Shadows will come out later today and shared its full patch notes. So, let’s see what this new update brings to the table.

Tuesday gaming news, part two (and last!):

Baldur's Gate 3 Shadowheart actor Jennifer English has advice for AI pushers: 'Don't'
https://www.pcgamer.com/software/ai/baldurs-gate-3-shadowheart-actor-jennifer-english-has-advice-for-ai-pushers-dont/
Pay no attention to the well-heeled gentlemen whispering 'What if it's a bubble?' behind the curtain—AI is the all-revolutionising tech that's here to change the world. Ubisoft reckons AI is a revolution for games on par with "the shift to 3D." EA's buyers plan to lean on AI to make its $20 billion debt disappear. Microsoft's AI boss doesn't understand why some folk don't like AI! Which, to be fair, might also be true for me if my generous executive pay package depended on me not understanding it.
But one person who's not all in on the AI-fication of everything is voice actor Jennifer English, who you almost certainly know as Baldur's Gate 3's Shadowheart and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's Maelle. In a chat with GamesRadar at this year's Golden Joystick Awards, English had one piece of advice for anyone looking to apply generative AI to games: "Don't."

Metaphor: ReFantazio and Persona 5 director wants to usher in the age of 'JRPG 3.0', which will change 'the genre's structure and presentation at a fundamental level'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/metaphor-refantazio-and-persona-5-director-wants-to-usher-in-the-age-of-jrpg-3-0-which-will-change-the-genres-structure-and-presentation-at-a-fundamental-level/
At the Korean gaming conference G-Star 2025, Katsura Hashino, creative producer and game director at Atlus, presented a talk alongside fellow Atlus art director, Shigenori Soejima exploring the impact of visual storytelling: "When experience becomes memory—designing lasting impressions through art and structure".
Hashino also discussed how he's gearing up for what sounds like a literal upgrade to the JRPG genre, except there are no patch notes yet. As reported by 4gamer and translated by GamesRadar, Hashino sees the genre as three distinct eras—the past (JRPG 1.0), present (JRPG 2.0), and future (JRPG 3.0). The 'ghosts of JRPG past, present, and future' would have switched up the story of A Christmas Carol a bit, and now I'm wondering what that looks like.

The Chinese Room's cofounder told Paradox 'we can't make Bloodlines 2' but then they did make Bloodlines 2 and it was like 'untangling an anaconda f***ball of competing priorities'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/the-chinese-rooms-cofounder-told-paradox-we-cant-make-bloodlines-2-but-then-they-did-make-bloodlines-2-and-it-was-like-untangling-an-anaconda-f-ball-of-competing-priorities/
Vampire: The Masquerade—Bloodlines 2 released last month after a lengthy, difficult development, one that saw the project taken off original developer Hardsuit Labs by publisher Paradox Interactive and handed over to The Chinese Room. When it finally burst from its coffin, the critical reaction ranged from mildly positive to firmly negative, with our own Fraser Brown giving it a respectable score of 78 in our Vampire: The Masquerade—Bloodlines 2 review.
(...)
As is so often the case, it appears Bloodlines 2's adoptive developers were highly aware of this potential problem. Speaking to Cat Burton of the Goth Boss Podcast (via PCGamesN) TCR cofounder Dan Pinchbeck explained how he urged Paradox Interactive not to call Bloodlines 2, well, that.

Escape from Tarkov director says the launch week's wobbles were 'actual stress testing not only of our servers but also our mind and nerves'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/escape-from-tarkov-director-says-the-launch-weeks-wobbles-were-actual-stress-testing-not-only-of-our-servers-but-also-our-mind-and-nerves/
Escape From Tarkov released on Steam on November 15, taking the excellent extraction shooter out of beta after a mere eight years, and almost immediately had a bit of a wobble. Players found themselves unable to log in, with demand being such that developer Battlestate Games acknowledged severe server woes, and then came the inevitable review bombing from those who couldn't play. Welcome to Steam, comrade!
"What a week," wrote director and Battlestate COO Nikita Buyanov on X. "This week was actual stress testing not only of our servers but also our mind and nerves for sure. But seeing you enjoy the game makes us feel better."

'Most of the innovation in gaming has happened on PC' says EVE Online studio boss: 'When I love a game, it's so deeply PC'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/mmo/most-of-the-innovation-in-gaming-has-happened-on-pc-says-eve-online-studio-boss-when-i-love-a-game-its-so-deeply-pc/
The PC is still the center of innovation in gaming, according to Hilmar Veigar Pétursson, CEO of CCP Games, which is known for long-running, esoteric space MMO EVE Online.
"I think most of the innovation in gaming has happened on PC, to some extent on mobile, just because of sheer volume," Pétursson told me at EVE Fanfest earlier this year. "But I don't think we're observing a lot of innovation in mobile right now. I think we're observing a lot of refinement and execution and formula, kind of hardening. On PC, we still see a lot of experimentation."
>> Totally not biased...

'It wasn't fun for the first 7 years' says maker of fantasy sim Tavern Keeper, which spent more than a decade in development
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/sim/it-wasnt-fun-for-the-first-7-years-says-maker-of-fantasy-sim-tavern-keeper-which-spent-more-than-a-decade-in-development/
It's obvious a ton of work has gone into fantasy sim Tavern Keeper, from the intricate and often hilarious animations of the patrons and staff to the flexible and easy-to-learn item design tools to the fully-narrated interludes that make your pub feel like it's part of a storybook adventure.
(...)
I spoke last week with Patrick Klug, director and co-founder of Greenheart Games, and asked why the tavern sim took so long to belly up to the bar.

2025 Steam Awards nominations are open, and I wonder if Valve's wonky personalized suggestions will affect the results—you'll know they did if Bongo Cat gets nominated in the 'story-rich' category
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/2025-steam-awards-nominations-are-open-and-i-wonder-if-valves-wonky-personalized-suggestions-will-affect-the-results-youll-know-they-did-if-bongo-cat-gets-nominated-in-the-story-rich-category/
Another year on this godforsaken rock is grinding to a close, and you know what that means: award season! The Golden Joysticks just wrapped up, The Game Awards are coming, and to kill some time in between you can now nominate your games of choice for the 2025 Steam Awards.
>> If you need inspiration, one of the stars of Ghost of Yotei knows who to vote for: Blue Prince (link).

Demonschool's credits go one step further than names and job titles, adding full descriptions for designer roles: 'We wanted to give people proper, actual credit'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/demonschools-credits-go-one-step-further-than-names-and-job-titles-adding-full-descriptions-for-designer-roles-we-wanted-to-give-people-proper-actual-credit/
I'm as guilty as anyone for hammering the skip button when a videogame's credits begin to roll, but I acknowledge that a scrolling list of names is an important part of the game. At a time when layoffs abound, projects are cancelled at a moment's notice, and work in the games industry is more difficult to find than ever, designers being able to show potential employers the work they've done is vital. Hence, diligent, accurate crediting is important for any creative's career, as well as just being the decent thing to do.
In most cases, a credit is formulated as the developer's name and the nature of their role on the project, whether that's a fixed job title or a specific type of work they contributed on a part-time or freelance basis. But with the credits for Demonschool, developer Necrosoft Games went one step further, adding paragraph-long descriptions for every role on the project.

Disappeared survival horror Cold Fear magically returns in GOG's immortal games lineup, with 4K, crash fixes, and support for modern controllers
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/horror/disappeared-survival-horror-cold-fear-magically-returns-in-gogs-immortal-games-lineup-with-4k-crash-fixes-and-support-for-modern-controllers/
Remember—let me see here—one week ago? When 2005 survival horror shooter Cold Fear disappeared from Steam completely out of the blue? Well, disregard that entirely. It's back in GOG Preservation Program form.
In other words, GOG's done some work on this one. "The new GOG release of Cold Fear isn’t just a reappearance on a storefront—it’s a quality re-release with extensive under-the-hood work," reads the blurb.

Please stop scooting around while you're downed in Arc Raiders: it's making you die faster
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/third-person-shooter/please-stop-scooting-around-while-youre-downed-in-arc-raiders-its-making-you-die-faster/
I don't know about you, but when I go down in virtually any game, I'm immediately crawling around, going on a journey. I'm on the brink of death, sure, but that's not gonna stop me dancing and shimmying about for literally no reason other than it's hard to sit still, like I'm a child who's had too many energy drinks.
I'm no different in Arc Raiders. If I'm playing with a buddy and I go down first, yes, I want a front row seat to the shootout, so I'll crawl around for the best view and start doing doughnuts to distract the enemy. Surely this could have no downsides whatsoever…is what I thought until today.
After seeing side-by-side testing by creator Jinko, I now realise I've been doing it wrong this whole time, and I'm riddled with the mental anguish of knowing I didn't need to bleed out on a few occasions.

A very small victory for AMD GPUs. At least it's a good change of pace.

This is insane. And things won't get better anytime soon, with Google telling its employees that it needs to double its AI capacity every six months (PCGamer).

Mummelmann was very smart going with a 64GB kit when he build his machine, even if it doesn't reach those 6000MT/s and CL30 sweet spots.

For some desperate people, Hardware Unboxed tested the difference running single and dual channel, in case people wanted to try and save some money on RAM:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nMu1KFkOC4

From little difference in GPU bounded games to really big gaps in others. But good luck finding a matching RAM stick once prices fall to less ridiculous levels.

Interesting video.

I guess the statement we've all seen that AMD runs better on Linux than Nvidia is only partially true, or partially wrong. Depending on how you view it.

Still, if someone wants to give MSoft the middle finger, the best course of action would probably be going the other way around, keeping a Windows install to play games but using a Linux one for everything else. After all, what we do with our PCs outside of gaming is much more interesting for all these companies than how and what we play.