Trending Topics - Week 22, 2023

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Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart announced for release on PC

Nixxes Software has revealed Ratchet & Clank is coming to PC.

Nixxes Software in collaboration with Insomniac Games has revealed Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is making its PC debut on July 26. This is the latest entry in the series that was released on PlayStation 5 exclusively in 2021 to a solid 88 Metacritic score.

The PC release will be coming with additional features which evolve the ray-tracing with newly added ray-traced shadows and ultra-wide monitor support. You can also expect all of the upscaling technologies to be supported which includes DLSS 3, FSR 2, XeSS, and Insomniac Games own Temporal Injection.

When it comes to controls, full mouse and keyboard support will be available and if you decide to plug in a DualSense controller all of its features will work as expected such as haptic feedback and dynamic trigger effects.

The PC version is currently up for preorder at $60 on Steam and Epic Games Store. If you're interested in preordering, the bonus comes with early access to the Carbonox Armor set and the Pixelizer Weapon.

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SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake Update 1.0.5.0

The latest update improves support for Steam Deck along with a host of other enhancements.

Purple Lamp released a new update for SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake that improves support for Steam Deck and a host of other enhancements.


  • Added an end screen after completing the story featuring instructions on what to do next (complete challenges, unlock awards and new costumes, etc.)
  • Added an "auto-continue" option for dialogues to the settings
  • Additional fixes and improvements for voice overs during cutscenes
  • Improved several travel point positions
  • Speed runners: The playtime now continues during cut scenes and in the pause menu
  • Speed runners: Fixed a bug with the playtime getting frozen when SpongeBob dies during dialogues
  • Speed runners: Added a configurable cumulative loading penalty to the options that gives the player a playtime penalty when loading a save game
  • General bug fixes
  • Improved support for the Steam Deck

PlayStation Plus Games for June 2023

Here are the three games coming soon to PlayStation Plus for June.

The next lineup for PlayStation Plus has been revealed and here are the three games coming on June 6th.


NBA 2K23 | PS4, PS5

With best-in-class visual presentation, up-to-date rosters and historic teams, the game has never felt more real and complete than it does in NBA 2K23. Compete as your favorite NBA and WNBA teams and stars and experience the pinnacle of true-to-life gameplay. Prove yourself against the best players in the world and showcase your talent in MyCAREER or The W. Pair today’s All-Stars with timeless legends in MyTEAM. Build a dynasty of your own as a GM or lead the league in a new direction as the Commissioner in MyNBA. PlayStation Plus members also get access to exclusive monthly MyTEAM packs in-game.

NBA 2K23


Jurassic World Evolution 2 | PS4, PS5

Avoid the mistakes of the past and build your own Jurassic World for dinosaurs and visitors alike in this sequel to Frontier’s 2018 management simulation, Jurassic World Evolution. Experience exciting new features, four engaging game modes and an expanded roster of awe-inspiring dinosaurs. Immerse yourself in a compelling and original Jurassic World narrative set after the earth-shattering events of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. Work alongside iconic characters from the films, including Dr. Ian Malcolm (voiced by Jeff Goldblum) and Claire Dearing (voiced by Bryce Dallas Howard) and lead the efforts to control, conserve and contain wild dinosaurs now rampaging across the USA.

Jurassic World Evolution 2


Trek to Yomi | PS4, PS5

Trek to Yomi is an ultra-stylised cinematic action-adventure that follows an enthralling story of Hiroki during his fall against the forces of evil. Experience his heroic return to make good on his failed promise to save the people he swore to protect. As a vow to his dying Master, the young swordsman is sworn to protect his town and the people he loves against all threats. Faced with tragedy and bound to duty, the lone samurai must voyage beyond life and death to confront himself and decide his path forward.

Trek to Yomi


Leaving Soon

For last month's games, PlayStation Plus members have until Tuesday, June 6 to add GRID Legends, Chivalry 2, and Descenders to their game library.


Not an amazing month but the highlight for me is NBA 2K23 on PS5 which they added Michael Jordan challenges and the new MyNBA Eras mode that allows you to take over a team in previous eras of the NBA (exclusive to the next-gen version of NBA 2K23). Other than those modes, unfortunately, micro-transactions flood the game. I've never played Jurassic World Evolution 2, so I can't comment on that game, but I have played Trek to Yomi and it was pretty average.

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Xbox Live Gold Games for June 2023

Xbox Live Gold's next lineup of games for June has been announced.

The next lineup of games for Xbox Live Gold has been revealed. Beginning June 1st Adios will be available for download until June 30th. Then on June 16th The Vale: Shadow of the Crown will be available until July 15th. You will need an active Xbox Live Gold or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription to gain access to these games at no extra cost.


Adios

One choice can change everything. You are a pig farmer in Kansas who has finally had enough of your role helping the mob dispose of bodies on your farm. Your hitman friend tries to convince you to change your mind as the two of you go about the errands of the day. He knows what saying no means. This is a meditative thoughtful game that reflects on morality and spirituality with compelling writing and phenomenal voice acting. Will this be goodbye?

Adios


The Vale: Shadow of the Crown

You can close your eyes and listen. This is one of the most unique adventures you’ll experience that leverages sound and haptic controller feedback in an audio-based adventure. Break down the barriers between you as the player and your character as you feel your enemy’s breath, listen to the crunching of footsteps or the clang of weapons. Combat is intense and very different than other combat and fantasy games.

The Vale: Shadow of the Crown


Leaving Soon

Remember to pick up one of last month's games as Hoa will be leaving on June 15th.


THQ Nordic Offers to make Alan Wake 2 Physical

Alan Wake 2 is supposed to be a digital-only release but THQ Nordic has chimed in on the situation.

One major negative that came out about Alan Wake 2 after the recent PlayStation Showcase was that it would be a digital-only release. This news sparked backlash on Twitter, with a lot of users stating they are not purchasing the game anymore. THQ Nordic responded last week to a user who was reiterating the news that they would love to do it themselves.

If you didn't know, the video game publishers THQ Nordic were the ones responsible for the original game's physical release on PC. While it's a long shot for them to change their minds just because a studio they've worked with in the past offered their services, they'd have to at least consider the option with all the backlash and negative reception since revealing the digital-only release news.

@alanwake @remedygames I mean... we did the disc version of Alan Wake for PC back in the day ICYMI ;) And just because ONE person (or company) does not love physical, there is plenty who still do. Give it some thought. We'd love to go at it again! Full circle and all.

THQ Nordic (Twitter) May 25, 2023

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Nvidia GeForce Driver Update 535.98

The latest Nvidia driver adds support for Diablo 4 and the System Shock remake.

Nvidia has released a new driver labeled version 535.98 which introduces support for Diablo 4 and the System Shock remake. Diablo 4's support will include DLSS 3 and System Shock will feature DLSS 2 upscaling.


Fixed Issues:

  • Applying GeForce Experience Freestyle filters cause games to crash.
  • Monitor may briefly flicker on waking from display sleep if DSR/DLDSR is enabled.
  • [SOLIDWORKS 2023] rendering issues when Enhanced Graphics Performance is
    enabled.
  • [MAGIX Vegas Pro] Preview not working properly on some notebooks.
  • [TouchDesigner] Degraded performance using Vulkan.
  • [Nsight Tools] Abnormal termination that previously required a reboot.

Known Issues:

  • [GeForce RTX 4090] Watch Dogs 2 may display flickering when staring at the sky.
  • Increase in DPC latency observed in Latencymon.

For the full update information check this link out here.


AMD Radeon Driver Update 23.5.2

Diablo 4 support has arrived in AMD's latest update to the Adrenalin Edition driver.

Software version 23.5.2 has been released by AMD for their Adrenalin Edition driver and it adds support for Diablo 4.


Highlights

  • Support for Diablo 4.
  • Performance optimizations for Microsoft Olive DirectML pipeline for Stable Diffusion 1.5 on AMD Radeon RX 7900 series graphics.
  • Boost your performance by an average of 2x in Microsoft Olive Optimized DirectML Stable Diffusion 1.5 using AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition™ 23.5.2 on the AMD Radeon™️ RX 7900 XTX graphics card, versus the previous software driver version 23.5.1.

Known Issues

  • High idle power has situationally been observed when using select high-resolution and high refresh rate displays on Radeon™ RX 7000 series GPUs.
  • Certain virtual reality games or applications may encounter suboptimal performance or occasional stuttering on Radeon™ RX 7000 series GPUs.
  • Application crash may be intermittently observed while playing RuneScape™ on some AMD Graphics Products, such as the Radeon™ RX 5700 XT.
  • Application crash or driver timeout may be observed during playback of AV1 video content using DaVinci Resolve™ Studio.
  • Intermittent corruption may be observed after switching windows while play Nioh 2™ on some AMD Graphics Products, such as the Radeon™ RX 6800 XT.

Important Notes

  • Factory Reset has been temporarily disabled as a precautionary measure while we address isolated installation issues that have been reported during PC upgrades. Users may use AMD Cleanup Utility as a temporary option.

For the full update information check this link out here.

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New Game Release Highlights for June 2023

If you're looking for the biggest game releases for June 2023, this is the spot to check out.

If you're looking for the biggest game releases for June 2023, this is the spot to check out as highlighted below are all the details and a quick look at this month's upcoming games launches.


Street Fighter 6 | June 2nd | PC, PS5, PS4, XBS | $60

Street Fighter 6 is the next evolution of the Street Fighter series, and features innovative new gameplay features, plus enhanced visuals for every aspect of the game.

Powered by Capcom's proprietary RE ENGINE, the Street Fighter 6 experience spans across three distinct game modes - Fighting Ground, World Tour and Battle Hub.

Your path to becoming a World Warrior starts here. Your moment. Your fight.

Street Fighter 6


Diablo 4 | June 6th | PC, PS5, XBS, XBO | $70

The legendary action RPG series returns with Diablo IV. This spectacular evolution introduces a vast new world to explore, filled with the promise of never-ending adventure, deadly demons and legendary loot.

Discover the corrupted land of Sanctuary as it falls into a new era of darkness. Lilith, daughter of Mephisto, Lord of Hatred, has been freed from exile and now her hateful influence threatens to consume the world. Only you and your fellow adventurers stand between Lilith and Sanctuary’s ruin.

Explore Sanctuary solo or with friends as your progress through Diablo IV’s engrossing campaign, taking on quests, liberating towns and battling epic bosses. In true Diablo fashion, an expansive end game awaits; players can meet in the game’s shared world to trade, team up, or test their might in lobby-free PVP zones. Cross-play, cross-progression and couch co-op allow you to continue the adventure whenever, wherever.

Diablo 4


Park Beyond | June 16th | PC, PS5, XBS | $50

In Park Beyond, you can create the park of your dreams without being held back by gravity! Take the role of a newly-hired visionary architect for a struggling company and create mind-twisting theme parks. You can create the rides you have always dreamed about but that couldn’t exist in real life. Team up with Phil, the enthusiastic park veteran, Izzy, the stern but friendly executive, and a host of other colorful and passionate characters, to build a successful and profitable park company.

The user-friendly controls and a story-driven campaign mode will help you learn the ropes of park management and build increasingly crazy rides and modular coasters.

Park Beyond


Crash Team Rumble | June 20th | PS5, PS4, XBS, XBO | $40

Get ready to dash, jump, slide, and bounce into an all-new way to Crash.

Crash Team Rumble™ takes Crash Bandicoot™ in a brand new direction, placing the series’ iconic heroes and villains into a 4v4 team-based competition. Players will duke it out across diverse and dangerous maps as both teams race to be the first team to collect and bank enough Wumpa fruit to claim victory! Rise as a hero, or feed your inner villain across a wild and N.Sane cast of characters, each with their own unique skills and abilities. Teamwork is integral to every match, as players must work together to battle the opposing team, defend their own Wumpa Bank, and capture key points around the map to boost their score.

There’s more to come for Crash Team Rumble™, with additional heroes, modes, maps, rewards, and more coming soon!

Crash Team Rumble


Final Fantasy 16 | June 22nd | PS5 | $70

The 16th standalone entry in the legendary Final Fantasy series marks a darker turn for the RPG franchise, with a complex tale of revenge, power struggles and unavoidable tragedy.

Final Fantasy XVI reimagines the series' iconic summons as Eikons. These deadly creatures are housed within Dominants, men and women who inherit their immense power at birth - whether they like it or not.

Eikons are the most powerful beings in Valisthea, a land where six powerful realms have emerged thanks to the power of the Mothercrystals. The aether provided by these towering mountains of crystal powers the magicks that have allowed these nations to thrive for many years — but now a mysterious Blight threatens to disrupt their uneasy alliance.

Play as Clive Rosfield, First Shield of Rosaria and guardian of his younger brother Joshua, the Dominant of the Eikon Phoenix, in this epic action RPG from a team of Final Fantasy veterans.

Final Fantasy 16


Hogwarts Legacy PC & Console June 2nd Patch Notes

The latest update fixes bugs and improves the overall experience.

A new update has released for Hogwarts Legacy that aims to fix bugs and improve the overall experience.


Gameplay

Missions
  • Resolved quest failing to progress upon starting the final battle with the Pensieve Guardian.
  • Resolved Percival Rackham's Trial not being able to be completed causing a progression blocker.
Cinematics
  • Resolved avatar using a generic NPC wand instead of their unique wand.
Avatar
  • Resolved the avatar's robe moving unnaturally while drinking the potion if they are created immediately after making a manual save on another character's slot.
Achievements/Trophies
  • Resolved large gold chests being lootable after patching.
  • Resolved achievements not working correctly when no internet was available.
  • Resolved Gregory and Goblet of fire field guide pages not showing complete after latest patch.
  • Resolved with Daedelian Key and not being able to open chest to get house reward.
  • Resolved "Allow "Known" Collection items to count correctly towards proper achievements.

UI

  • Updated localization overlapping issues related to location names.
  • Resolved quest tracking icon remaining on map and minimap after the quest is completed.
  • Resolved intro outfit and robe being available in your gear appearances by default.
  • Resolved untracking missions in-game, in the map and/or mini-map not updating their icons and/or disappearing.
  • Resolved the user getting stuck on the 'Field Guide' screen if they spam the [MENU] button while transitioning to the 'Map' screen.

Save Game

  • Resolved restarting from a manual save can place Sir Nicholas at the mission's starting point.
  • Resolved player being able to permanently lock themselves out of the conversation with Natsai when using a manual save during a mission.
  • Resolved avatar being able to unlock the talent menu during a mission after reloading a manual save.
  • Resolved reloading an autosave after gathering any collection chest allows the avatar to obtain the same chest rewards again.

Performance

  • Resolved a crash when fast traveling to Hogsmeade using floo flames.
  • Optimization to overall lighting.
  • Resolved crash during level and mission transitions/loading.
  • Resolved a crash when opening and closing pause menu during missions.
  • Resolved crash related to foliage.
  • Resolved a crash when ornate chests in the game.
  • Resolved a crash related to in game beacons.
  • Resolved memory optimization.
  • Resolved single frame hitching throughout the game.
  • Resolved localization crash when dictionaries are reloaded from a save game.
  • Resolved landscape streaming issues during Hogwarts.
  • [PC] Resolved crash VRAM memory leaking.
  • [PC] Update to latest NVIDIA Streamline SDK.

Miscellaneous

  • Resolved improper shadowing around the vines of dungeons.
  • Update to game credits.

Gameplay

Missions
  • Resolved the player can permanently lock themselves out of the conversation with Natsai after using a manual saving during a mission.
  • Resolved avatar being able to unlock the talent menu during a mission after reloading a manual.
  • Resolved Percival Rackham's Trial not being able to be completed causing a progression blocker.
  • Optimization triggering multiple auto-save requests.
Doors
  • Resolved visual issues of door of the vault looking open from a far distance.
  • Resolved the avatar falling from the balcony when using prompt to open the door away from it.
Cinematics
  • Resolved issue with the avatar and companion NPC's in cinematics having their wands swapped for a generic one.
  • Resolved Fig flickering away at the end of the first cinematic.
  • Resolved characters using generic NPC wands instead of their unique wands.
NPC
  • Resolved student NPCs standing in air in the courtyard after completing the tour with Everett Clopton.
Avatar
  • Resolved the avatar's robe moving unnaturally while drinking the potion if they are created immediately after making a manual save on another character's slot.
VFX
  • Resolved Professor Hecat's apparate VFX is missing during a scripted event.
Achievements/Trophies
  • Resolved "Allow "Known" Collection items to count correctly towards proper achievements.
  • Resolved Gregory and Goblet of fire field guide pages not showing complete after latest patch.

UI

  • Updated localization overlapping issues related to location names.
  • Resolved quest tracking icon remaining on map and minimap after the quest is completed.
  • Resolved untracking missions in-game do not update their icons and/or disappear.
  • Resolved opening the map has a chance in softlocking the game.
  • Resolved intro outfit and robe being available in your gear appearances by default.
  • Resolved the user getting stuck on the 'Field Guide' screen if they spam the [MENU] button while transitioning to the 'Map' screen.

Save Game

  • Resolved save issue with Deathly Hallows.
  • Resolved restarting a manual save places Sir Nicholas at the mission's starting point.
  • Resolved reloading an autosave after gathering any collection chest allows the avatar to obtain the same chest rewards again.

Performance

  • Resolved world unloading when the avatar stands at the top of the staircase near the Beast Hut.
  • Resolved the PS4 memory allocator being more robust and thread crashes after soaking.
  • Resolved memory optimization.
  • Resolved landscape streaming issues during Hogwarts.
  • Resolved localization crash when dictionaries are reloaded from a save game.
  • Resolved avatar falling out of world due to missing rocks at Coastal Cavern.
  • Resolved crash with light probes.
  • Resolved crash when opening ornate chests in the game.
  • Resolved crash during level and mission transitions/loading.
  • Resolved a crash when opening and closing pause menu during missions.
  • Resolved crash related to foliage.
  • Resolved crash fast traveling from Central Hall to Forbidden Forest floo flame.
  • Resolved a crash when fast traveling to Hogsmeade using Floo Flames.

Miscellaneous

  • Update to game credits.
  • Resolved extra collision issue on spiral stair case pillar leading to the map chamber.
  • Resolved visible banding with weather decals.
  • Resolved several metal assets looking completely black in the last room of the Percival Dungeon.

For more information about the previous update, check out this link.

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