So, it’s that time again when there’s a GOG sale. These typically run the gamut from frantic to quite relaxed. This particular sale will [probably] be with us for seven days. So, what can you expect?
Hit the read more link to find out. Read more
Category: News
Darksiders Warmastered Edition: Coming [Not Quite as] Soon – Update
Update
Alright so I guess I'm late to the party here but after much anticipation of the Warmastered Edition's release date tomorrow (the 25th of October) it turns out there's been a delay.
According to THQ Nordic, they'll be pushing back the release until November 29th for PC and November 22nd for console. Unfortunately there were no reasons given for the push back but it looks like we'll have to wait another month to jump back into War's Story.
My original article can still be read below, and you can bet that I'm still excited for this one.
Original Article Oct. 13th
You guys know I really like Darksiders from my review of Darksiders 2: Dethinitive Edition that I did did a few months back right? Well, not terribly long ago Nordic Games also announced the remaster of the original Darksiders called the Darksiders: Warmastered Edition, and it's live on October 25th.
I'll certainly be picking this one up. Darksiders was a killer title when it came out and it was one of the first games I got when I built my PC back in 2011. I'm really excited for this one especially if it's anywhere near as good as the last remaster Nordic did for the series.
The Warmastered Edition will be available for PS4 and Xbox One, boasting 1080p at 60 fps. There will also be a Wii U version that will be capped at 30 fps. For those of us who flex our PC muscles, we'll get up to 4k resolution and lots of additional video and control options. All versions of the game will be treated to improved textures and post processing as well as better shadows etc. There won't be any new content but it should still be vastly improved over the original Darksiders, and that's ok with me -I'm very important.
We'll get all the improvements and badassery one would expect from a current gen remaster for the so good price of $20. I can't wait to see how it is and write extensively about it in one of my all too long reviews that I occasionally bore you all with. Of course the rumor mill is still churning with speculation that these remasters are in fact a test for the audience reception of a possible Darksiders 3. One can only hope.
Windows 10 is Only Free for 10 More Days
Still holding out on that reviled Windows 10 "upgrade"? Well you're an adult and far be it for me to tell you what to do, but it's the 19th and Microsoft will only be offering the install for free until July 29th.
Doom Gets Vulkan Support Today
The 160MB patch rolled out at today 10:00am eastern time in U.S. and as long as your hardware supports it you'll likely be seeing some significant improvements in your game play. Vulkan is an API that allows for more interactions by developers "at a lower level". Meaning better optimization for games that support Vulkan and in turn passing those benefits to users.
Folks with hardware more towards the lower end of the spectrum will probably see the most improvement since they'll be able to turn up their graphics settings a bit higher now. Make sure you update to your latest graphics drivers from AMD or Nvidia to have things ready for Vulkan support. When you fire up Doom you'll be prompted to play in OpenGL or Vulkan and you'll be able to switch back and forth if you notice issues arising. The game will restart with every switch, but that's better than crashes and the like should it be happening.
I'll go ahead and paste the full notes directly below from Steam news page:
Vulkan support is now live for DOOM on PC. Below are some frequently asked questions, along with links to download the most recent drivers. Please also note that Steam controller support has also been included in this patch, so we've included some FAQs relating to it below as well.
FAQ
What is Vulkan?
Vulkan is a revolutionary graphics and compute API technology developed by the Khronos Group that allows game developers to interact with graphics hardware at a lower level, allowing for more efficient use of hardware, improving game performance.
On DOOM, Vulkan allows PC users to experience significant performance boosts on supported GPUs and CPUs, translating directly to better gameplay feel.
Most users on the minimum spec end of hardware will experience better performance at higher video settings. Users whose have recommended or above specs will experience exceptional performance with DOOM’s advanced video settings cranked up to full effect.
We’ll continue to work with AMD, NVIDIA and the Khronos Group to unlock the Vulkan API’s full potential through idTech 6, giving DOOM PC players a gameplay experience unlike anything else. Stay tuned for more updates.
For additional information on the Vulkan API, please visit the following links.
https://www.khronos.org/vulkan/
How do I get the Vulkan API?
DOOM Vulkan support will be enabled via a patch that goes live on Steam at 10:00am ET on Monday, July 11th, 2016. Vulkan will not run properly without updating to the latest unified drivers from AMD and NVIDIA for supported GPUs.
For more information on drivers, see the article below:
http://help.bethesda.net/app/answers/detail/a_id/33712/~/what-video-card-driver-versions-should-i-install-to-play-doom%3F
How do I get DOOM to run on the Vulkan API?
When launching DOOM from Steam, you’ll be prompted with a new menu to choose either OpenGL or Vulkan. To play with Vulkan, select the second menu option. You can also switch between OpenGL and Vulkan in game via the Advanced Settings options menu. The game will restart whenever you switch between OpenGL and Vulkan.
Does my graphics card support Vulkan?
If your graphics card meets the DOOM minimum requirements, it likely supports* Vulkan, but you’ll need the correct version of your GPU drivers in order to take advantage.
*Vulkan is not currently supported on NVIDIA GPUs with 2 GB of RAM on Windows 7 or on the GTX 690. Users with these GPUs need to run DOOM on the OpenGL graphics API.
For more information on drivers, see the article below:
http://help.bethesda.net/app/answers/detail/a_id/33712/~/what-video-card-driver-versions-should-i-install-to-play-doom%3F
Does Vulkan support change DOOM’s minimum PC specs?
The minimum PC specs for DOOM remain the same.
Does DOOM automatically have uncapped framerate when running on Vulkan?
To enable uncapped framerate, Vertical Sync needs to be disabled via the in-game (Video Settings) options.
Does DOOM support asynchronous compute when running on the Vulkan API?
Asynchronous compute is a feature that provides additional performance gains on top of the baseline id Tech 6 Vulkan feature set.
Currently asynchronous compute is only supported on AMD GPUs and requires DOOM Vulkan supported drivers to run. We are working with NVIDIA to enable asynchronous compute in Vulkan on NVIDIA GPUs. We hope to have an update soon.
Click here for additional information on asynchronous compute.
How do I enable the Steam controller when playing DOOM?
Once DOOM is loaded, the title will automatically detect the presence of the Steam controller and adapt controls and button prompts to match. No additional configuration is needed to use the default controller profile.
KNOWN ISSUES
DOOM crashes as soon as the game starts when running Vulkan on the NVIDIA GTX 690.
The NVIDIA GTX 690 is not currently supported to run Vulkan on DOOM. Users with this GPU will need to run the game on OpenGL .
DOOM crashes, is stuck on a black screen at launch or exhibits severe graphical corruption on supported NVIDIA GPUs that have 2GB VRAM when running Vulkan on Windows 7.
Vulkan is not currently supported on NVIDIA GPUs with 2 GB of RAM on Windows 7. Users with these GPUs need to run DOOM on the OpenGL graphics AP
Performance may suddenly decrease when entering Object Mode in the SnapMap editor while running the Vulkan API.
If this issue occurs, exiting Object mode back to Blueprint mode, before going back into Object Mode may correct the issue. If the problem persists, we recommend you run the SnapMap editor on OpenGL (you’ll still be able to play your maps on Vulkan).
While running the Vulkan API, DOOM crashes when taking a screenshot using the Steam overlay on AMD GPUs.
This is a known issue with Vulkan API and AMD GPUs.
The game may crash on some AMD GPUs when locking the computer.
This is a known issue while running DOOM on the Vulkan API.
While running the Vulkan API on an NVIDIA GTX 970, strange black checkering or primarily black screens appear after changing resolution or display mode settings.
Graphical corruption may occur after resizing the game window while in windowed mode, and then switching the display mode from windowed to full screen. If this occurs, restarting the game application should correct the issue.
Launching SnapMap may take longer on the Vulkan API.
It may take longer for some users to launch SnapMap on Vulkan than it does on OpenGL.
Some AI pathing issues may exhibit on SnapMaps while running the Vulkan API.
We are currently investigating a fix for this to include in an upcoming patch.
Windows 10 users running OpenGL or Vulkan on the AMD R9 Fury X znd R9 390X at 1080p or higher may experience framerates below 60 FPS with Vertical Sync enabled.
While we are working on a fix for this with AMD, affected users should run the game with Vertical Sync disabled.
When using the Steam controller, why can’t I rotate the automap with the right trackpad?
This is a known issue with the Steam Controller. An alternate control method can be used to rotate the map in the automap interface.
The Twinstiq Game Club!
That's right fellow Stiq-lings. We're getting the club back together! Welcome back to the official un-officially unprofessional Twinstiq Game Club! (Think book club but with games instead of books, and nerds instead for people in nursing homes)
The five us each nominated a game and randomly picked one that we will be playing first!
GOG Summer Sale! Free Games! RPG Mechanics! Bye, Wallet!
It's that time of year again: GOG are doing their summer sale. In the first day alone there were a couple of fairly interesting premieres for the site, including a Homeworld bundle, some new D+D games and a host of other bundles for your perusal. Read more
Dark Souls 3: Patch Today Helps Combat “Deviant Behavior”
Here's the patch notes copied right from Steam:
Community Announcements - Kimundi
Ashen Ones,
We have heard your concerns about being victims of deviant behavior while playing online multiplayer, we have released a patch solving some of the issues you can encounter. Other updates will follow to continue this work, we will keep you posted in due times!
Today’s update have solved the following issues you may encounter in the Online Mode:
- Being sent immediately to your world
- Being sent to the Firelink Shrine
- Being changed in full Dragon Body Status
We’d also like to remind you that our Server Team is checking all the accounts before penalizing players. If you received an “Invalid Data” message, please refer to the following article:https://support.bandainamcoent.com/index.php?/Knowledgebase/Article/View/507/458/dark-souls-iii---restrictions-and-warning-messages-what-do-they-mean. Players that fall victim of online issues will not be penalized if they are innocent.
The patch is small, only 41mb, and could be a great step for players who are being victimized by folks determined to ruin game play for the rest of us if in fact it does combat the quote "deviant behavior."
I've yet to run across any of this kind of thing myself thank goodness, but it's still recommended that you back up your save file from time to time.
The default path is: C:\Users\Your-username\AppData\Roaming\DarkSoulsIII\
You'll probably have to make Windows show hidden items to see the appdata folder and once you're in you'll be looking for the SL2 file extension. Just make a copy of that and rename it (example: DS30000_old.sl2) or something and that'll back up your save file in case something does happen. This way you can re-load and maybe lose only a couple of hours instead of a whole character or more.
Witcher 3: Blood and Wine is Closely Approaching – Updated May 31st Release Date Announced
Original Posting: May 3rd
Well guys, CD Projekt Red is releasing the newest and final expansion for Witcher 3 pretty soon. It was originally stated that it would arrive in the first half of 2016. I for one am looking very forward to it and I've been holding off on playing the Hearts of Stone expansion because I want to go back to back on both stories. More information is coming on May 10th and I'll try to update this article as soon as I learn more.
This latest expansion is called Blood and Wine, and it will take Geralt and Roach to the seemingly peaceful lands of Toussaint; a place where the war has yet to reach, but hides a "bloody secret". Toussaint is said to be as big as all of the Skellige Isles combined and promises to provide us fans with an addition 20 hours of play time with new creatures and quests and even a new Gwent deck.
Blood and Wine will mark the finale of the Witcher as a whole and it looks to be as fine a way to do so as any. Speaking of series finales, this one will probably be one of the only things that gets me away from Dark Souls 3 for a while, until it's expansion content comes around later this year anyway.
It'll be released on all supported platforms at the same time, thank god, no bullshit timed exclusivity purchase that comes with a useless hat or some such nonsense. Now to wait for Cyberpunk 2077 and see if Yoda0vgs and I have speculated correctly that Ciri has some involvement there.
Update: May 10th
The official release date for Blood and Wine is confirmed to be May 31st. It's also said that this final expansion will add an extra 30 hours to the game, approximately, through the main and side quest lines. You can also expect to a new "point of interest" system and it sounds like Geralt will even get a house to live in.
Of course if you own the Witcher 3 season pass, you'll just get your copy when it's released at the end of this month. If you didn't participate in a season pass, then you can buy a digital copy separately for $19.99. Or if you prefer, you'll also be able to get ahold of a physical copy for $29.99 that will include the Northern Realms and Nilfgaard, Gwent decks along with a game guide and Gwent tokens to use while you play. The physical copy is supposedly a limited edition so grab one while you can I suppose, even though I'm fairly sure the chances of running out of boxed copies is slim.
This is supposed to be Geralt's last Witcher game. Maybe that means some time in the future we'll see Ciri get her own Witcher title, maybe? Or perhaps it's over forever. In any case it's been a blast and I for one have been looking forward to Blood and Wine since I first heard about it. Gonna be great I'm sure.
Calling all Space Marines
Some more Dawn of War badassery has been announced. Produced by Relic Entertainment, the same folks originally that gave us Space Marine (Now owned by Sega) this will be Dawn of War 3. The new installment claims to involve Orbital Lasers and various giant units. Just check out the trailer here on the official website. You'll have to provide some age verification to get in.
No release date yet, but by creating a Relic Account you can receive your own updates about the game, and there are even hints at rewards for doing so. Looks like a cool one I think. So far it looks to only be a PC title, but who knows? That could change.
Greywolfe’s Games To Look Forward To In 2016.
Please note: This article is LITTERED with links. They will open in a new window and will take you off-site.
Now that four-in-February is behind us, I thought I'd take some time to look into games that I'm at least a little curious about for the calendar year of 2016. I have divided my choices into three broad sections:
Things that will almost definitely be with us in the near-future or before the end of 2016.
Things that might make it into 2016, but you never know.
And, finally, things that I'm totally worried about. Sometimes with good reason.
So, let's take a look and see, shall we? Read more