Articles from GameswithDeath Article Feature Guide Impressions News Opinion Review Dec 10, 2025 Post Malone's Murder Circus Encore The Ringmaster Returns to the Bayou with New Features, Twitch Drops, and One Angry Bear Article 9 Mins by Death Dec 1, 2025 No, High-End Weapons Do NOT Need to be Buffed There's a lot Going on with the Weapons in ARC Raiders Article 6 Mins by Death Nov 17, 2025 Extraction Shooters are NOT Oversaturated Media Claims about Extraction Shooter Market Saturation are Grossly Inaccurate Article 6 Mins by Death Oct 27, 2025 100 Starter Tips & Strats For ARC Raiders Everything you Need to get Past the Initial Learning Curve Guide 30 Mins by Death Oct 9, 2025 THE EXPEDITION PROJECT REVEALED Embark Finally Details their Voluntary Wipe System for ARC Raiders News 4 Mins by Death Sep 23, 2025 Embark Drops Huge ARC Raiders News Preorders are Finally Available and Server Slam Announced News 1 Min by Death May 26, 2025 It Just ****in’ Works ARC Raiders carries the hopes of a stunted and underestimated genre Impressions 7 Mins by Death Nov 29, 2024 Immersive Playthrough Details All the Mods and Details for Death's Immersive CP2077 Run Feature 2 Mins by Death Apr 14, 2025 Death's Anime Watchlist 死のアニメ視聴リスト (This is Japanese!) Article 2 Mins by Death First Prev 1 Page 1 Next Last

Gaming Reviews, Guides, and Insights from GameswithDeath Post Malone's Murder Circus Encore The Ringmaster Returns to the Bayou with New Features, Twitch Drops, and One Angry Bear Article No, High-End Weapons Do NOT Need to be Buffed There's a lot Going on with the Weapons in ARC Raiders Article Extraction Shooters are NOT Oversaturated Media Claims about Extraction Shooter Market Saturation are Grossly Inaccurate Article 100 Starter Tips & Strats For ARC Raiders Everything you Need to get Past the Initial Learning Curve Guide Oct 9, 2025 THE EXPEDITION PROJECT REVEALED Embark Finally Details their Voluntary Wipe System for ARC Raiders News by Death 4 Mins Sep 23, 2025 Embark Drops Huge ARC Raiders News Preorders are Finally Available and Server Slam Announced News by Death 1 Min May 26, 2025 It Just ****in’ Works ARC Raiders carries the hopes of a stunted and underestimated genre Impressions by Death 7 Mins stream schedule Live on Twitch Hunt: Showdown 1896 w/ JonWright & Barittaneyyy Today, Dec 10, 2025, 9:00 AM UTC Hunt: Showdown 1896 ARC Raiders [SOLO] Tomorrow, Dec 11, 2025, 4:00 PM UTC ARC Raiders A Hunt Stream Will Happen... Dec 12, 2025, 9:00 AM UTC Hunt: Showdown 1896 An ARC Raiders Stream Will Happen... Dec 12, 2025, 4:00 PM UTC ARC Raiders Hunt w/ AngryTwitches & Davey Dec 13, 2025, 9:00 AM UTC Hunt: Showdown 1896

Death's Article on Hunt: Showdown 1896: Post Malone's Murder Circus Encore "The Ringmaster Returns to the Bayou with New Features, Twitch Drops, and One Angry Bear" Dec 10, 2025 9 Mins by Death Post Malone’s Murder Circus Encore The Ringmaster Returns to the Bayou with New QOL Features, Mechanics, and One Angry Bear Post Malone returns to the Bayou with vengeance on his mind in the new winter event for Hunt: Showdown 1896 (2018). Update 2.6 also brings a plethora of UI and gameplay improvements, a new way to customize your in-game profile, and a holiday-themed Twitch Drops campaign with new legendaries. Here’s everything you need to know. The Murder Circus Saga continues: Post, the former Ringmaster (now “Disciple of Death”) and Giggles are back to continue where they left off after the events of last year's Circus visit. Ursa Mortis, the escaped two-headed circus bear, returns as well and has been reworked to be much more deadly than before. She adds more chaos to matches, with more health and damage, and the ability to smash through the circus fences when chasing players; she's also immune to explosive knockdowns, so Hunter should prepare for the fight of their life. Shredder Rework (Event-exclusive) The infamous Shredder is back after a significant rework, requiring more skill to use this time around: Saw blades no longer “smart bounce” toward players – bounces are now pure physics, requiring players to carefully place shots or flood an area with blades to incapacitate enemy hunters. The Shredder must be manually charged after every shot, making the rate of fire much slower. There is no auto-charge on equip; the weapon must be charged manually by pressing X on PC or Up on the D-pad on console. The blade now spins down over time and unequipping no longer stops the spin. The Shredder will keep spinning when stowed, so it can still be “primed” for a quick shot; but this carries the risk the spinning noise will give away the user. Blade projectiles no longer pierce multiple targets; instead sticking into bodies like bolts or arrows. Event Traits & Troupes The Troupes return, each with a unique Trait bought with Pledge Marks — Hunters can now pledge to as many Troupes as they can afford. The Knifethrower Troupe features the Blademancer trait for two pledge marks. Hunters can use Dark Sight to pull retrievable ammo in front of them back into their inventory, up to 100m away. The Mystic Troupe gives the Communion trait for one pledge mark. While in Dark Sight, hunters can temporarily lose 15 max HP to heal a teammate for 75 HP and cleanse statuses up to 25m away. The Trickshooter Troupe gives Crack Shot for one pledge mark. Hunters have less weapon sway and higher ironsight zoom for rifles and stock pistols. These effects do not apply to shotguns or sawed-off variants. The Strongman Troupe muscles in with the Bruiser trait for one pledge mark. This trait lower melee stamina costs and reduce aim punch when taking damage. Finally, the Ringmaster Troupe brings back Corpse Seer for two pledge marks. Hunters gain one second of Dark Sight Boost when looting downed enemy Hunters. There’s also a new High Striker booth: smack it with any melee weapons to earn Event Points; your score is shared across all High Strikers in the current mission. Player Customization Cards The new patch also brings customizable Player Profile Cards. Each card can show an avatar (Hunters, monsters, etc.), up to 3 badges (item mastery, progression), up to 3 stat trackers (kills with specific items/Hunters, bounty earned, etc. – mainly Bounty Hunt and Bounty Clash stats), a title (item mastery titles, nicknames, achievement tags), and a cosmetic frame. An example of the new customizable Player Profile Cards coming with Patch 2.6. Most of these are unlocked through regular play, Story Challenges, and events; while others can be purchased with Blood Bonds. Most stats start tracking from 2.6 onward, with only a few using historical data. Hunters will see player profile cards on the death screen, on the last mission screen, in the lobby (by clicking on their teammates), and during the pre-match sequence. Hunters can create their customizations in the reworked Career tab, alongside Story Challenges. Check out the official Crytek News post here for more details. Story Challenges Story Challenges are a new, chapter-based progression track that mixes lore and gameplay tasks; they are found on the updated Challenges screen, which now houses both Weekly and Story challenges. Each Story Challenge line is broken into Chapters, with rewards tied to completing individual challenges and entire chapters. Two storylines ship with 2.6: On the Winds of Midwinter is a Premium, time-limited three-chapter storyline. Rewards include: Krampus (Hunter), Hoof and Horn (Legendary Terminus skin), Clamor’s Carol (Charm), Profile items (avatar, frame, title), and Event Points, Hunt Dollars, Bloodline XP, etc. An Acquired Taste is a free, permanent three-chapter storyline. Rewards include: Tennessee Morgan as a returning tiered Hunter (Rookie / Survivor / Veteran), Profile items (avatar, title), and Hunt Dollars, Bloodline XP, etc. These are not the only Story Challenges hunters will see, as Crytek has stated they plan to expand on this feature in future updates. UI, Ping & Compass Rework The map screen has been significantly reworked; traits are now ordered by “last acquired”, and traits picked up mid-mission are marked; the map background is now semi-transparent for better situational awareness; new map art, icons, and boss target borders provide players with more clarity; a widget now tracks weekly and story challenge progress directly on the map. The ping system is now more detailed with more ping types per player. Pings now indicate what type of object is being pinged, including, healing, ammo, toolboxes, caches, money bags, trait charms, blueprints, barrels, traps, tools, weapons, animals, clues, and more. Standard markers last 15 seconds, danger pings 2 seconds, and trap pings 24 seconds. New contextual pings will clear up some of the "confusion" in these parts. Marker visibility got buffed too. All ping icons show on the compass, lined up with their world position. Markers fade slightly when you ADS. Lighting no longer alters ping colors, so they stay readable. The compass UI itself has been redesigned to handle multiple icons cleanly. Gameplay & Balance Changes There’s a new Doused status that interacts with water and fire. Hunters become Doused when moving through deep water, and stay that way for 15 seconds. While Doused, Hunters are harder to ignite, recover charcoaled HP faster, have louder, easier-to-track, wet-sounding footsteps. Water Bottles will instantly kill Immolators. Water Bottle is a new world item that spawns randomly in the world. Throwing it creates a big splash and applies the doused status to Hunters and Immolators. Water bottles put out most flames and burning Hunters; however, hitting an oil fire creates a bigger flame burst instead of extinguishing it. Water bottles can be shot on the ground to detonate the splash, but cannot be stored and will break if dropped. Changes to Traits, Healing & AI There are also several significant changes to traits, healing, and AI in this patch: Recovery Shots and the Relentless trait now restore HP chunks with 24 points of charcoaling, slowing their immediate benefits. Burn traits, like Relentless, Remedy, and Rampage, no longer stack; Hunters can only have one instance of each. Beetle cocoons can now spawn any Beetle variant, reversing a previous change. Immolators will become Doused in deep water, heavy rain, or from Water Bottles; while Doused, they can’t ignite, are slower, and take more damage. Hives now moves more slowly in water. The Assassin has had his HP reduced to bring its TTK in-line with the other bosses. Weapons & Meta There are several weapons and meta changes, that will impact play this patch: The Centennial Wildland's spread has been increased from 17.5 to 22.5, making it less effective at range. Rare Locked Weapon Boxes, containing a Wildland or Homestead, can now spawn at watchtowers; unlocking them costs 3 Pledge Marks. Silencer volumes, occlusion, interior gun tails, melee flybys, and more now have improved positional audio and clarity. Rich Presence is now available for Steam and Discord; players who opt-in can now show more details about their in-game status. New Player Onboarding has been streamlined. Several bugs have been fixed, but some persistent issues remain. See patch notes for complete details. Hunt Winter Twitch Drops Campaign Alongside Update 2.6, there’s a Twitch Drops campaign starting on December 12, 2025 – 15:00 UTC and ending on December 24, 2025 – 15:00 UTC. Viewers can earn rewards by watching any Hunt streams after linking their Hunt and Twitch accounts. For the first time, Crytek is providing a way for viewers to support their favorite Hunt streamer with Support-a-Streamer Rewards. Subbing to any Hunt streamer during the drops period will give the following reward bonuses: 1 subscription of any tier, gifted or direct, to any live Hunt channel awards the Hunt Twitch Chat Badge. 2 total subscriptions to one or multiple channels awards the Hunt Twitch Chat Badge and the Head Taker Legendary Hunter. Details for the Hunt Winter Twitch Drops Campaign. Viewers will also receive rewards for watching every hour, up to nine hours. Each successive hour watched gives the following rewards and a Supply Crate: 1st hour – a Random Charm. 2nd hour – a Random Avatar. 3rd hour – a Random Legendary Equipment Skin. 4th hour – a Random Sleigh Ride (Legendary Ranger 73 variant). 5th hour – a Random Legendary Hunter. 6th hour – another Random Charm. 7th hour – another Random Avatar. 8th hour – Random Legendary Equipment Skin. 9th hour – Random Death’s Caroler (Legendary Krag variant). Each Supply Crate contains one random Rifle, one random Pistol, one random Shotgun, one random Special Weapon, three random Tools and/or Consumables, and a random amount of Hunt Dollars. Random rewards take into account what legendaries a Hunter already owns; see Crytek's Twitch Drops page here for official details on how to link accounts and claim rewards. Conclusion In all, update 2.6 is a big one; the Murder Circus is back in town with a nastier Ursa Mortis and a more skill-based Shredder; profile Cards and Story Challenges give Hunters new ways to customize their appearance and something to grind for; ping, compass, onboarding, and audio all get meaningful quality-of-life passes; and the Winter Twitch Drops campaign has plenty of rewards for everyone involved, streamers and viewers. If you’re thinking of returning to the bayou, 2.6 has plenty of reasons to do so. I'll be streaming the drops everyday from 9 AM EST on at twitch.tv/GameswithDeath , so come by and join the murderous fun. Otherwise, I’ll see you on the other side, Hunters. [The audio version of this article was generated using machine-learning technology.] Hunt: Showdown 1896 2018 Share Send Send Send Send Track Name 00:00 / 08:32 Link Copied! Post Malone's Murder Circus Encore The Ringmaster Returns to the Bayou with New Features, Twitch Drops, and One Angry Bear Article

Death's News on ARC Raiders: Embark Drops Huge ARC Raiders News "Preorders are Finally Available and Server Slam Announced" Sep 23, 2025 1 Min by Death Update 23 Sep: According to an event posted in the official ARC Raiders Discord server, the Server Slam will be 50 hours in duration, starting at 9 AM EST on Friday 17 Oct and ending at Sunday 19 Oct at 11 AM EST. The Server Slam Event in the official ARC Raiders Discord Server. A lot of huge ARC R aiders news dropped today! The game is finally available for preorder on all platforms; the Standard Edition is $40 USD and the Deluxe Edition is $60 USD, with cosmetics and raider tokens being the only difference between them. Standard and Deluxe Editions comparisons. From the ARC Raiders Steam store page. Summary of the ARC Raider Preorder and Deluxe Edition bonuses. From the ARC Raider Steam store page The accompanying preorder trailer also teased at least two new ARC Enemies; the first looks to be a quadruped as tall as a human; the other is of indeterminate size as we only get a brief glimpse of a tank-like cannon turret. We got closer look at the walker arc see in the launch date trailer, which looks to be the same size or bigger than a bastion or bison. Terrifying stuff! Embark teases new ARC Enemies in the new Preorder Trailer. Embark also announced plans for a Server Slam shortly before launch from the 17th to 19th of October. The Server Slam will be on every platform and is open to everyone, no purchase required. Embark is also going to have a booth at TwitchCon San Diego this year. So while all the other streamers are lining up to play the game there, I’ll be streaming it on Twitch, ( twitch.tv/gameswithdeath ) so be sure to come and check it out. I definitely can’t wait to get back into the ARC Raiders world. October 30th can’t come quick enough. See you on the other side, Raiders. ARC Raiders 2025 Share Send Send Send Send Track Name 00:00 / 01:06 Link Copied! Embark Drops Huge ARC Raiders News Preorders are Finally Available and Server Slam Announced News

Death's Review on Dark Glasses: Classic Giallo Style Horror "Director Dario Argento saves Dark Glasses, a film with few engaging characters" Jan 30, 2024 2 Mins by Death Dark Glasses is the much-anticipated return of storied Italian director Dario Argento . His long career stretches back to the 1970s, with his most acclaimed past works being The Bird With the Crystal Plumage (1970) and Suprisia (1977). Dark Glasses is the first time Argento has directed since 2012’s Dracula 3D. Dark Glasses is co-written by Argento, Franco Ferrini, and Carlo Lucarelli. Dark Glasses opens in Rome on a beautiful Italian summer day with an impending eclipse causing a sense of unease among the locals. Diana ( Ilenia Pastorelli ), a high-priced prostitute, observes the eclipse in a crowded park while dogs can be heard barking in the background. A mother and father explain to their child that “They’re barking ‘cause they’re nervous. Not only dogs but all animals are afraid. Even our ancestors were afraid of eclipses. They thought the sun disappearing was the end of the world.” The scene sets an ominous tone and establishes an interplay between light and dark, animal and human, and good and evil. Ilenia Pastorelli as Diana. Courtesy of Rai Cinema. Argento plays with these themes throughout the film, incorporating them into the Giallo style of Italian horror film-making, which he is known for perfecting. For context, Giallo originated as a horror genre in Italy in the 1960s and gaining international popularity in the 1970s. The genre marries murder-mystery plots with intense moments of horror, often featuring glamorous female protagonists stalked by unidentified killers in luxurious settings, think Halloween, but Laurie is wearing Versace and is being chased through an upscale resort in St. Barths. The Giallo genre heavily influenced American slasher films such as Halloween (1978) and Friday the 13th (1980), which brought the motif, especially the use of lighting, to suburbia and summer camps; locations more accessible to American horror fans. Unlike her sexually repressed American counterparts, Diana is a beautiful and glamorous Italian prostitute who shows no reservations concerning her station in life. In fact, Diana is what she needs to be to survive any situation; seductive with her clients, vicious when cornered by those who would harm her. Pastorelli’s portrays of a woman hardened by the perils of her profession, but not the judgments laid upon her. Her performance is memorable and engaging, but is sadly one of the few highlights among the films actors. This relationship has no reason for being. Courtesy of Rai Cinema. After the film's opening act, Diana becomes connected to Chin ( Xinyu Zhang ), a young boy, orphaned after a tragic accident. The film's narrative fails to utilize Chin's character to any effect. Despite Zhang’s adequate delivery of lines, the character lacks depth beyond being an overgrown handbag for Diana to drag through the film. The film struggles to develop any connection between Diana and Chin; Diana is unbelievable as a maternal figure, and Chin is annoying rather than endearing. The lack of chemistry hinders the film’s tension because the central relationship is not worth caring about. As a result, any peril the pair experiences is diminished since the audience doesn't see much to care about. The killer in Dark Glasses tries their best to fill in where this relationship falters. Unfortunately, the need to keep their identity secret until the later acts, a trope for Giallo films, proves even more frustrating. The killer is missing on the screen and as an existential threat. Argento tries to compensated for this with some moments of violence, but they feel contrived and disconnected from the rest of the film. A viewer could be forgiven for thinking they mistakenly bought tickets to an ill-conceived foreign sitcom featuring an Italian call girl and her adopted Chinese son. Overall, Dark Glasses' plot is disjointed and creates more confusion than fear. Ilenia Pastorelli's performance is one of the film's few high points. Courtesy of Rai Cinema. Despite these shortcomings in writing, Argento’s work behind the camera is easily the most interesting part of Dark Glasses . His use of color and lighting makes scenes come alive or feel sterile without being jarring the viewer. Every shot in the movie has something visually unique, with rarely two scenes being similar in camera angle, lighting, or even color palette. John Carpenter fans will recognize the directional style and lighting techniques that were innovated decades ago by Argento and other in the Giallo genre. Watching a master like Argento showing off his skills saves the films as it falls short in other areas. Dark Glasses stands out for its departure from the “sex equals death” trope too familiar in horror. Like X (2022) earlier this year, Dark Glasses refrains from depicting all sex workers as helpless victims. Diana is presented as an empowered individual who is comfortable with herself despite outside judgements. Her story is not a redemption arc from prostitute to nun, as a puritanical American audience would expect. Instead, the audience must accept her as she is, no excuses offered. It is refreshing to a horror movie not steeped in outdated views of female sexuality. Despite not being an impressive film or representative of Argento’s best work, Dark Glasses is a master class in visual technique that demonstrates that even long-established genres, and their creators still have something to offer. Note: A previous version of this review appeared on slayawaywithus.com on 6 Apr 2023. Dark Glasses 2022 Share Send Send Send Send Track Name 00:00 / 01:04 Link Copied! Classic Giallo Style Horror Director Dario Argento saves Dark Glasses, a film with few engaging characters Review

Death's Review on Doom The Dark Ages: A Welcome Return to Basics "Death's Complete Review for Doom: The Dark Ages" May 24, 2025 9 Mins by Death Doom: The Dark Ages (2025) is the third installment of id Software's contemporary revival of the legendary first-person shooter. It is also another reminder of how unafraid this developer is to innovate on well-established series norms. Gone are the tight Martian corridors of Doom (2016) and the high-flying Escherian arenas of Doom: Eternal (2020). In their place stands a medieval-themed semi-open world that feels equal parts Dark Souls (2011) gloom and Rammstein music video, but still remain unmistakably Doom, even if the demons bleed just a little easier than before. Doom: The Dark Ages is leaner, friendlier, and engineered for a wider audience. On default settings, the new game is noticeably more forgiving than its predecessors. The combat puzzle that once demanded flawless bunny hops and 6,000 APM weapon swapping strategies has been replaced with gentler cooldowns, forgiving parry windows, and a fully featured difficulty slider suite that lets players tailor the experience to their liking. The difficulty may be questionable, but the Slayer's hatred of demons is potent as ever. While series veterans will bemoan the changes to the default difficulty settings, specifically the Nightmare setting—which has previously acted as a sort of gut check for fans wanting to prove themselves—the difficulty sliders actually make Doom: The Dark Ages the most difficult Doom ever. Players have options to increase the game speed up to 150%, shorten the parry window to sheer milliseconds, speed up enemy projectiles, or even increase enemy damage. This allows for more creative ways to play the game than ever before, and there's a version of Doom here that might actually be impossible for even the most skilled humans to complete. My only criticism of the slider system is that the graduations are not granular enough. There is a big difference between doing 50% and 75% damage to enemies. The game would be better served if there were more intermediate options to hone the experience, especially since the upper limits may actually be beyond human capability. This system also makes me want more options, like limiting certain ammo types or modifying specific behaviors of enemies or weapons. Overall, it is a great addition that allows for more replayability than what we normally find on offer for games like this. The brilliance of id Software's Tech 8 engine is on full display in Doom: The Dark Ages (2025). Of course, the difficulty changes don't come at the expense of the game's technical execution. Id Software continues to reign supreme as the technical gods of the FPS genre. Doom: The Dark Ages is a coming-out party for Tech 8, Id's in-house game engine. The engine renders the frantic action at frame rates other shooters can only dream of. Texture detail is absurd. Ray-traced puddles faithfully reflect severed limbs as you hack them off enemies. And the game holds 180 fps on my 4090 with little effort. Id bragged they rebuilt the renderer to push more on-screen demons than Doom Eternal ever managed, and this has proven to be true. Sound, always Doom's secret weapon, hits as hard and makes every shield-bash super shotgun combo drip with satisfaction. While Mick Gordon's genius is sadly absent this time due to infamous conflicts surrounding Doom Eternal 's production, Finishing Move Inc does no harm filling the gap. I don't envy the task of trying to follow the work of the man that gave us bangers like BFG Division and Rip and Tear, songs that had had far-reaching influence beyond video games and into the metal genre itself. The score for Doom: The Dark Ages feels like Doom, but sadly there are few tracks that stand out. This won't be a soundtrack you will be blasting in your car while waiting at the drive-thru. The Doom's combat loop remains the core attraction in Doom: The Dark Ages , and the new guns feel both fresh yet familiar. Among them, the Impaler, a high damage drop shot bullet time sniper stand-in is exceedingly rewarding. The chain shot, which fires a wrecking ball that does massive damage to small groups, will be your go-to weapon for standing toe to toe with the game's toughest enemies. And of course, the BFG makes a return with its medieval version, the BFC, a massive one-shot crossbow. There are several weapon synergies that will help you unlock the gold Conqueror skins for each weapon mastery, and there are more customization options than there were in Doom Eternal . Doom: The Dark Ages features upgrades for three different melee weapons, weapon mods and runes to give your shield more offensive power. Like in the previous games, there is not a lot of depth as one would expect in something like an ARPG, but there is enough to allow players to adapt to their preferred play style. The Cosmic Baron is an intimidating foe that hits hard and fast. The most important weapon in your arsenal is going to be the shield. The Slayer does his best Captain America impression without all the, "We're the good guys" morality to hold them back, of course. The shield serves many functions beyond just protecting the Slayer from incoming damage. Locking on with the shield bash allows the Slayer to fly towards enemies, creating opportunities to initiate encounters by getting up close and personal with weapons like the Super Shotgun or locking on to distant enemies to escape a no-win fight. The shield can also be thrown to take out rows of demons or destroy enemy armor. Most importantly, you can parry incoming green projectiles back at enemies, but more on this mechanic in a moment. Here's how to do the Shield/Super Shotgun Combo. Given the movement opportunities that the shield provides, it's surprising that the main criticism of Doom: The Dark Ages has been the game's movement. While it is true that there is no double jump in Doom: The Dark Ages , it is also true that the Slayer's base movement speed is actually faster in this game than the others. The double dash has been replaced with a sprint button, making transitioning from fight to fight faster than it was before. There is definitely less verticality in Doom: The Dark Ages than there was in Doom Eternal . There are no yellow bars to fling the Slayer up in the air to headshot that imp that has been annoying you all fight. I actually welcome this return to the horizontal plane, as the high-flying acrobatics of Doom Eternal felt more like a departure from the original series than this game does. As the movement during combat has been reined in from what we played in Doom Eternal , by far the biggest change to combat in this game is the addition of the aforementioned shield parry. Parrying forms the basis for most of the combat in Doom: The Dark Ages . This mechanic is so heavily relied on that there are boss encounters where parrying is the only thing you need to do to win. Several times, I found myself standing motionless before certain bosses, focused solely on hitting parries to quickly counter with the weapon that synergized from the parry. Yes, mastering parrying was a rewarding boost of confidence and certainly felt engaging when fighting certain bosses. However, it also felt very one-note at times. I certainly don't mind using this technique to win a fight once, twice, or even seven times during a playthrough. But for the number of times a fight was either decided or lost by parrying alone, there were times it felt exceedingly tedious. I am torn over whether this is a step back or an improvement in gameplay. I very much enjoyed the parry mechanic, but I think more variation in the enemy attack patterns could have made instances where this mechanic was needed more rewarding. Overall, the combat in Doom: The Dark Ages is no less compelling and empowering than what came before, even if it relies too heavily at times on the parry mechanics. Id has opted for a more traditional style of play centered on giving players more choice when engaging most enemies and less on avoidance and resource management. As a result, the fights feel smoother than Doom (2016), yet also less like you're spinning plates as in Doom Eternal . Like the game's combat, the campaign's structure is also more open-ended. There are twenty two chapters that will take you roughly twenty hours to complete if you forego obtaining all the secrets hidden in some rather huge levels. The level design is straightforward enough to not be confusing while being open enough to give the player a sense of exploration, exploring for the collectible toys and power-ups hidden in secret areas. Your loyal Mecha Dragon, Serrat. Unlike some, I enjoyed the dragon flying missions. (Serrat is a good boy and should be treated as such.) They were nice interludes and set up the game's engine to show some spectacular vistas before landing to fight the real fight. They were much better than the giant mech fighting levels, which were pretty, but really lacked any depth to make me want to replay them. After spending over 40 hours with the game, I can confidently say that Doom: The Dark Ages delivers truck loads of medieval demon-smashing catharsis. The game's mechanics are a solid bedrock for id to give us even more. Doom: The Dark Ages has already shattered Doom Eternal 's numbers, with Bethesda calling it "Id Software's biggest launch ever." I can't wait to see what they do with the coming expansions. While the community appears to be less unified than before on the merits of Doom: The Dark Ages 's place in the wider Doom pantheon, I appreciate Id's emphasis on innovation over iteration. I highly recommend picking it up. See you on the other side. Doom The Dark Ages 2025 Share Send Send Send Send Track Name 00:00 / 08:41 Link Copied! A Welcome Return to Basics Death's Complete Review for Doom: The Dark Ages Review

Death's Review on Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II: A Throwback to Simpler Times "Space Marine II Reminds an Industry What it is Supposed to Be" Oct 9, 2024 15 Mins by Death This may sound simple, but the best word I can think of to describe Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II ( SMII ) is ‘video game’. This isn’t sarcasm. For what Saber Interactive set out to accomplish, calling SMII a video game is the highest compliment I can give it. Buzz Lightyear in the year 40,000. SMII feels like a game in the wrong timeline, and this is precisely why it is successful. Despite our highly developed modern interactive entertainment ecosphere, which is always clamoring to sell the latest industry-changing innovations, imagined or otherwise, there's a strong nostalgia for a simpler time of gaming—an era of pure fun, free of terms like ‘live service,’ ‘microtransaction,’ or ‘pre-order.’ During the early 2000s (and some may find this shocking), games were made for enjoyment and fun. Developers delivered polished, self-contained experiences that fully functioned on release day. Part of the reason for this was that most gamers lacked access to broadband internet, so patching after release wasn’t possible. Version 1.0, the version burned into the disc and distributed on release day, was often the only shot the developers had to connect with their audience. This meant games like Halo: Combat Evolved (2001), Gears of War (2006), and Killzone (2004) had to be good on day one, or they would never get a second chance. SMII is a throwback to this era, a time that was free of the problematic practices that plague the industry today. Of course, SMII is a modern game with the typical problems we would expect. It is a live service game with DLC and a season pass. It was sold as a pre-gaming by delivering an epic, bombastic campaign, easy-to-understand gameplay mechanics, and engaging multiplayer. SMII stands out for being what so many other pieces of modern interactive entertainment are not: a video game. In this video game, you play Demetrian Titus, a firstborn space marine. After the events in the first game, Titus is reassigned to the Deathwatch, an elite group of veteran space marines gathered from across the Imperium. After being gravely injured on a mission to release a new biological weapon against a brewing Tyranid invasion, Titus is resuscitated as a Primaris space marine within his old chapter, the Ultramarines. Titus goes on to combat the Tyranid invasion with his new squadmates, Chairon and Gadriel. The Squad: Titus, Chairon, and Gadriel. SMII ’s combat is not new, but it isn’t old, either. I can’t say that I have played anything exactly like this before, but it feels familiar. At its heart, SMII is a third-person shooter that plays like Gears of War without the cover shooting mechanics. As your character becomes overrun with enemies, SMII shifts gears and becomes a souls-like melee fighter hybrid, complete with button combos and parry mechanics. The combat is not without its issues. For example, hitting parries feels inconsistent. Smaller enemies are no problem, but sometimes, when hitting the blue circle prompts on larger enemies feels like nothing happens, even though I was absolutely hitting the button. If you do happen to hit a parry correctly, then you are awarded a deflection that leaves your enemy open for an immediate counter-attack. Often, this is a satisfying bolter shot to the head, a definite highlight of the combat in SMII . As pleasing as this can be, the sound design for some of the melee weapons lacks ‘oomph.’ (I don’t think that is a word, but it best describes what I mean, so let’s go with it.) Melee hits with weapons like the Chainsword, Power Sword, and Combat Knife don’t have that meaty thump feedback that I expected. It was not until I started playing with the Thunder Hammer that I really started to enjoy hitting things. When it comes to ranged combat, I enjoyed shooting things much more than swinging a melee weapon at them. Everything from the standard Bolt Pistol to the Plasma Incinerator felt impactful and fun to shoot. Of all the systems that make up the combat in SMII, the shooting really stands out. There are many ways to play SMII . Mouse and keyboard are the most accurate and will help you dominate in PvP. But this game really shines on a controller, especially on the Sony DualSense. The DualSense tactile triggers offer resistance when pulling the trigger and pushback when firing. The sensation was odd at first, and I was worried about fatigue during extended play sessions, but the fact that you can feel every round leave your bolter makes any fatigue disappear into my white-knuckle cries of vengeance as I yell at the screen. Vibration feedback isn’t new, but here it works to make the gameplay that much more immersive; I definitely missed it when playing on mouse and keyboard. For your loadouts, SMII keeps things simple and gives you up to three weapons: a primary, a secondary, and a melee weapon. Most primary weapons have their personalities, and only a few, like the Bolt Rifle and the Auto Bolt Rifle, lack distinction from one another. Ranged combat is very satisfying. The weapons function as you would expect, with no attempt to innovate away from good traditional gunplay. Everything is generally fun to fire, and dumping a mag into an oncoming wall of Tyranids releases a generous amount of dopamine. However, since we are talking about the early 2000s, I do wish they had brought back the active reload system from Gears of War . That was a fun mechanic that could have worked here, but alas, maybe someday. The health system could also use a rework. Despite being a heavily armored space marine, your character is surprisingly vulnerable: enemy hits inflict significant damage even on lower difficulties, and it's often unclear which one is attacking you; getting swarmed means losing a lot of health quickly if you are not careful. Executions proved the best way to sustain my fragile health pool; executing weakened enemies restores health and shields through an i-framed animation. This is similar to Doom Eternal 's (2020) "enemies-as-resources" system, which encourages continuous engagement rather than searching for resources out of combat. Yet, due to how fragile the space marines apparently are, I eventually had to accept that my main health bar was always going to be low. Execution farming became the only effective way to stay alive. I even became complacent about picking up health stims to replenish my base health bar. If I didn’t have shields, I would lose health so fast that I was dead anyway, so shields were my only priority. SMII also borrows the on-the-edge-of-death mechanic from Doom . This occurs when the player can take additional damage at 0 HP that would otherwise be fatal. It’s a fun trick that is designed to create moments of disbelief when players are desperate to survive a no-win situation. Unfortunately, it happens too often in this game to retain its mystery. I felt like I could count on it as an ability at times, which made me care even less about managing my base health bar. The health system doesn’t detract from the overall experience; the game is entirely fun to play. Still, the squishyness of my space marine, whom I am led to believe is a 12-foot tall tank-like super soldier in adamantium-reinforced power armor, feels out of place. I would have much preferred a system where my health was more durable, and enemies would chip away at it over time. Health packs could be less common, making finding them more thrilling. I would be forced to manage the overall health bar rather than relying on shields and executions to do most of the heavy lifting. The executions will continue until morale improves. Despite these minor criticisms, SMII ’s combat is great. It hits hard enough to create some really unforgettable moments, in addition to the narrative delivered in the campaign. Before I go in-depth on the campaign, a quick note about difficulty scaling: you can play the main campaign solo. However, I recommend playing with friends if you want to take on difficulties higher than normal. The campaign is intended to be played with three players. If you go in solo, you will be playing with the AI companions, who are mostly useless, on a good day. So, do yourself a favor and find a couple of friends to play with. As with all things related to the Warhammer universe, SMII ’s campaign is epic and ridiculous. But this is why it works as well as it does. The campaign is like going to a museum, but instead of looking at some diorama of a wooly mammoth, it is a colossal battle scene inviting you in. The game frames its vistas in a way that highlights the grandness of this world. When you arrive in an area, it gives you a moment to take it all in before rushing off. This pause provides context for your actions and makes you feel like you are more than just an observer. This isn’t easy to do outside of a cut scene without feeling intrusive and annoying, but SMII is one of the few games that get this right. SMII is a master class in scene framing. The world itself is incredibly beautiful. Running SMII on a 4090, I had no problem rendering the game with all settings on max. There’s more I could say here, but I think it is just best if I let the game speak for itself. Have a look. As visually stunning as the campaign is, it is relatively short, at around twelve hours on normal difficulty. Saber Interactive has opted for a quality-over-quantity approach with SMII , so what you get in this short frame of time is well worth a playthrough, even two. The combat sequences are exceptionally well-staged due to the outstanding level design. I never had to wonder what I needed to do when I walked into an area. Most of the time, this involved killing enemies who were climbing a wall or chewing on cables as part of a larger objective. These encounters were always imbued with enough purpose to keep me engaged and interested. The campaign doesn’t overstay its welcome and leaves you wanting more, as any good campaign should. The only thing that stood out during my playthrough was that I noticed that I rode a lot of elevators. I know they are loading screens and everything, but you really do ride a lot of elevators in SMII . Unlike these elevators, the game’s narrative doesn’t waste your time by being overly complex, at least not on its surface. The story can be as complicated or as simplistic as the player needs it to be. The universe of Warhammer 40K is deep, and there are hundreds of rabbit holes you can gleefully dive down if you want, but none are essential to understanding the story unfolding before you. If all you know about the story is that the bug-looking things need to die, you are still going to have a great time. The Warhammer universe is satire incarnate in a suit of power armor, even if some of the more questionable fans don’t even realize this. Still, SMII really doesn’t care to wander into that territory. There is no overarching socially consequential message or profound meaning to ponder, making the game a nice piece of escapism, which is sadly rare these days. I respect this approach. Not every piece of media needs to enlighten or die on the altar of political correctness. Sometimes, all I want is a game to make me feel like a kid playing with action figures on the living room carpet; this video game does precisely that. Overall, the campaign is well-executed and provides some memorable, larger-than-life moments. Even better, thanks to the cooperative missions, there’s still more of the story to see after the campaign. The coop missions are structured similarly to the primary campaign, except that you can team up with random teammates via matchmaking. These missions are actually the other side of the main story missions but feature different characters besides Titus and his squad. These missions are more challenging than the regular campaign, and to take on the highest difficulties, you have to level your character’s class. There's much more challenge to be had in the higher difficulties of the coop missions. There are six classes to play in both coop missions and PvP: Tactical, Assault, Vanguard, Bulwark, Sniper, and Heavy. Each class features a unique ability to give them an edge in combat: Tactical can expose enemies and highlight their weak points; Bulwark uses a shield to provide cover during advancements and plants a banner that regenerates shields; Sniper uses a cloak to get closer to or escape enemies; and Heavy has an energy shield to block incoming damage. In coop missions, you can customize your class with perks and weapon augments and adapt your build to your play style. Higher-level classes receive perks like faster recharges on special abilities or increased damage against specific enemies. You can also level up your weapons in coop missions, giving you bonuses like more headshot damage and greater magazine capacity. There are no class or weapon perks in PvP, but team composition becomes an important consideration since class abilities can counter other class strengths. For example, Tactical can reveal the Sniper through their cloak with their scan ability; Assault can dive behind the Bulwark’s shield to break up the enemy front line; and Vanguard can grapple through the Heavy’s shield (which is also super annoying). Outside of the fun of mastering all the classes, it will be the extensive cosmetic customization that will keep players coming back. SMII leans heavily into the Warhammer source material here and pulls directly from the extensive Space Marine lore. The best customization options have to be earned and are only available to those who are good enough and are willing to put in the grind. I am the target audience for these customization features. There is no skill-based matchmaking in PvP, so you will get lobbies that are completely unbalanced. Most matches were blowouts to one side or the other, and my teammates were either gods or bots. Some matches did feature some genuine back-and-forth drama, but this was mostly the exception. Thankfully, there are no PvP rankings or leaderboards, so you don’t have to care much if you lose. I only have two minor criticisms for SMII ’s multiplayer: The quality of the servers is horrible at times. The lag spikes during fights really ruin the fun. I have died multiple times to enemies that weren’t even on my screen, some even coming around corners almost a full second after they had killed me. Big red nameplates also appear above your enemy’s head when you ADS at them. This isn’t bad in general practice; it is nice to know if you have been stomping on the same person over and over, but the nameplates last so long that I get a surprising amount of information on their movements, even when they break line of sight. I have been killed by snipers firing at my nameplate in defilade, using bullet drop to get hits even though they haven’t physically seen me for the last few seconds. The nameplates should just be disabled. This multiplayer format is a throwback to games like Gears of War and Halo , and I couldn’t be happier to engage with it. SMII’s PvP is approachable and slow-paced enough that it doesn’t feel overwhelming. It also recalls a time when activities like this were not careers, be that creating content or trying to make Dad proud in the pro leagues. Outside of the game itself, SMII is also another data point in a trend that has arisen in the gaming industry. I hesitate to address this, as I don’t want to jinx it, but it seems like the industry as a whole is moving away from some less-than-honest pricing models. In the last few years, we have seen significant titles like Elden Ring (2022), Baldur’s Gate III (2023), Black Myth: Wukong (2024), and Helldivers 2 (2024), all released as complete games with a one-time box price, largely free of microtransactions or features hidden behind paywalls. This deserves a much larger discussion than I am willing to go into in this review, but it is heartening to see SMII continue this trend. To this point, Saber Interactive’s CEO, Matthew Karch, recently commented on a video by YouTuber and homeless person movie extra Asmongold, stating, “I hope that games like Space Marine 2 and Wukong are the start of a reversion to a time when games were simply about fun and immersion.” [1] This image contains a spoiler You've been warned. Someone likes to make an entrance. For its part, SMII delivers a fun and immersive campaign with multiplayer that is a refreshing throwback to simpler times. It reconfirms what is fun and fundamental to video games while remaining mostly free of the negative trends that plague releases today. SMII doesn’t break ground in any new areas outside of its stellar graphical presentation and is an incredible introduction to the Warhammer universe; still, it serves as an important reminder about what a blockbuster game can be and deserves consideration for Game of the Year. [1] Space Marine 2 is a reminder of what we lost | Asmongold Reacts , @AsmonTV, youtu.be/hBUqCUZ0swE?si=ALOcniYHwjs8C602 , accessed on 8 Oct 24. Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II 2024 Share Send Send Send Send Track Name 00:00 / 01:04 Link Copied! A Throwback to Simpler Times Space Marine II Reminds an Industry What it is Supposed to Be Review

Death's Opinion on Hunt: Showdown 1896: Post Malone Enters the Bayou "Murder Circus is a Different Kind of Collaboration" Dec 23, 2024 10 Mins by Death Hunt: Showdown 1896 (2018) has had a remarkable year, with 2024 standing out as one of the most pivotal in its history. Following the ambitious 2.0 relaunch this summer, the six-year-old live service game experienced its fair share of highs and lows. While persistent UI and technical issues dampened what was otherwise a well-received relaunch, Crytek continued to produce an impressive amount of new content for its flagship title. For Hunt's fourth and final event of the year, patch 2.2, the developers have delivered an update that lives up to its hype, both in scale and notoriety. If you haven’t been extract camping at Scupper Lake for the past year, then you are probably aware that this event is a collaboration between Crytek and music megastar Post Malone, aptly dubbed Post Malone’s Murder Circus . The event features a colorful turn-of-the-century traveling circus, complete with fortune-telling machines, and creepy clowns, inspired by Post’s interesting style. This collaboration marks only the second time that Crytek has partnered with an IP outside Hunt ’s homegrown universe, the first being the inclusion of Ghostface as a Hunter DLC in October of 2024. Ghostface's inclusion in Hunt sparked debate within the community about what does and does not “fit” within the game's universe, with some fans lamenting that Hunt had entered its “Fortnite arc,” claiming that Crytek's original hardcore, gritty vision was gone forever. The addition of Ghostface highlighted the risks of branding deals between video games and outside IPs. Cross-brand collaborations in gaming have a checkered history, often resulting in cringe-worthy partnerships that embarrass everyone involved. Difficulties most frequently occur when the celebrity’s enthusiasm for the game is oversold to the fan base. While Keanu Reeves gave a stellar performance as Johnny Silverhand in Cyberpunk 2077 (2020), CD Project Red compounded the game’s disastrous launch by insisting that Reeves loved playing the game, only for the star to come out later and deny the studio’s assertion. Will Smith’s endorsement of the zombie survival mobile game Undawn (2023) resulted in derision for him and the game’s developers. After the game’s release, it became apparent that he was only interested in a quick pay cheque, and his involvement was mostly due to his past films like I am Legend (2007). Celebrity collaborations with video games often leads to mixed results. Gamers are notorious for being extremely sophisticated consumers and are more likely to react negatively to marketing campaigns that rely on fluff rather than concrete details about a game’s features and innovations. It follows then that Hunt fans would have questions about how genuine Post Malone’s involvement is and what this adds to their experience. While most of the initial reception for the collaboration has been good, there are some that see Post as just another celebrity tourist looking for name recognition and promotional revenue. But, considering everything known about this collaboration, Post Malone’s Murder Circus may actually be more organic to Hunt than any previous event to date. The details of how this partnership was finalized will probably never be revealed, but its genesis definitely began months ago on Hunt ’s servers. Early in 2024, Post was spotted playing Hunt with Khalamity, a Crytek Partner and Twitch streamer who has been playing the game since early access. In a summary video [1] posted to Khalamity’s YouTube channel, he and Post play several matches together, with Khalamity lending his experience as Post learns the game. During the session, the duo secured several victories, with a few key clutch moments from Khalamity and some juicy headshots from Post himself. They would play again a few more times in the following weeks. While playing with a Twitch streamer is not evidence in itself of an authentic affection for the game, Post’s stated passion for Hunt is supported by the amount of time he has accumulated. In a recent interview with Hunt ’s Game Director, Scott Lussier, [2] Post states he was introduced to the game by his friend and revealed that he has over 400 hours in Hunt . Given the intensity of his touring schedule and other demands, 400 hours is a massive amount of time. Throughout the rest of the interview, Post adlibs responses to questions about the game, displaying an intimate knowledge of its mechanics that could only come from lived experience. When questioned about his skill level, Post states that he has never achieved a six-star ranking and then wisely dismisses K/D as a reliable statistic for assessing skill in Hunt . Post explains, “There’s two ways to play. You either play the game, or you can sit in a bush and have a high K/D.” The most undeniably relatable moment of the interview came when Scott asked, “What is the worst way to lose a hunter?” and Post quipped back without hesitation, “Disconnecting.” Crytek also released a video [3] of Post reacting to the contents of the battle pass for the Murder Circus event. Putting aside the incentives for Crytek to frame his reactions in the most positive way possible, Post’s feedback in this video is not a result of creative editing. His reactions display genuine wonder, the same that any gamer would display when seeing cool stuff in a video game they love, especially when it is inspired in their honor. The look on Post’s face is more akin to a kid opening a Super Nintendo on Christmas morning, than it is a celebrity cynically playing it up for the cameras. Post's reactions to the event's battle pass were that of a fan, not a compensated endorser. Post’s passion for Hunt isn’t surprising, given that he is a well-known gamer with myriad interests. He is a huge fan of Magic: the Gathering and in 2023, purchased the ‘One Ring’ card from Magic ’s Lord of the Rings set for a reported $2 Million. [4] He also has his own series of cards in MTG itself. [5] Post even credits gaming for influencing his music career. In a 2017 Rolling Stone interview, Post stated that he was inspired to play guitar because of the video game Guitar Hero (2005). [6] Gamers are right to call out collaborations that are nothing more than paper-thin attempts to capitalize on brands whose connections are tenuous at best and exploitative at worst. However, in the case of Post Malone and Hunt , anyone accusing him of being a tourist clearly has not been paying attention. As an event, Post Malone’s Murder Circus works to a surprising degree in terms of style and theme. Post, a fan of tattoos and body modification, visually belongs more in Hunt ’s 19th-century zombie apocalypse than here in the 21st Century. His music, which swings from light and hopeful to gritty and dark, has enough range that it does not feel too out of place in Hunt ’s aesthetic. (Maybe there’s a Hunt -inspired song coming in the future, who knows.) The choice of casting Post as the ringmaster of a circus is fitting, given his performance career. It also provides Crytek the opportunity to explore the themes of traveling circuses, which were a popular form of entertainment in rural areas of the U.S. during the era. The theme works so well that if Post’s name was taken off the event there are probably very few players who would think something was out of place. Crytek's transition of Post into the game did require much modification. Overall, Post Malone’s Murder Circus isn’t the typical Video Game/Insert Celibrity Name Here collaboration that gamers are so used to seeing. Like in his music career, Post possesses a unique talent to fit a variety of genres while still maintaining his authenticity. His love of the game itself, coupled with just how easily he fits into Hunt’s universe, makes this event less a collaboration than it is a homecoming, one that the community can fully embrace without feeling pandered to. Post Malone’s Murder Circus is a fun event that originated from the most Hunt place it could, a fellow hunter, who just happens to be Post Malone. Patch 2.2 is available now, and the event runs until February 10th, 2025. See you on the other side. References: [1] Khalamity, Apr 22, 2024, I was carried by Post Malone in Hunt: Showdown , https://youtu.be/kxr88ueBvGE?si=qx_uhmxIJ3ZT7-2M [2] Hunt: Showdown, 20 Nov 2024, Q&A with Post Malone , https://youtu.be/CywILj8E8rM?si=nrJvFL9dhrCApihX [3] Hunt: Showdown, 9 Dec 2024, Post Malone Reacts to Battle Pass , https://youtu.be/C8QtvOcVey8?si=yi8lbykZpc512YC9 [4] Kain, Erik, 3 Aug 2023, Post Malone Just Bought The Most Expensive ‘Magic: The Gathering’ Card Of All Time , https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2023/08/03/post-malone-bought-the-one-ring-magic-the-gathering-card-for-a-cool-2-million/ [5] Wizards of the Coast, Accessed 22 Dec 2024, Secret Lair x Post Malone: Backstage Pass , https://secretlair.wizards.com/us/en/product/772015/secret-lair-x-post-malone-backstage-pass [6] Weiner, Jonah, 17 Nov 2024, Post Malone: Confessions of a Hip-Hop Rock Star , https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/post-malone-confessions-of-a-hip-hop-rock-star-116218/ Hunt: Showdown 1896 2018 Share Send Send Send Send Track Name 00:00 / 01:04 Link Copied! Post Malone Enters the Bayou Murder Circus is a Different Kind of Collaboration Opinion

Death's Feature on Cyberpunk 2077: Immersive Playthrough Details "All the Mods and Details for Death's Immersive CP2077 Run" Nov 29, 2024 2 Mins by Death If you are like most gamers, you have a lot of games you have purchased but have yet to play. I read somewhere recently that roughly 30% of purchased games are never played. (I may be making this up, so don’t quote me on it.) As I have revealed in other writings on this site, I have hundreds of games in my Steam library that remain untouched. (I am fully aware that Steam sales are a problem. I am working on it.) The one game that I constantly promise myself that I will play but never get around to is Cyberpunk 2077 (CP 2077) . I don’t intend to rehash the details of CP 2077 ’s abysmal launch here. We all collectively experienced the justified outrage together long ago, and this game's horrible launch is probably the largest factor in why I have been hesitant to really sink my teeth into it. However, for reasons that I don’t really need (or want) to explain, I found myself with a sudden urge to ignore one dystopia in favor of another. Over the last month, I have put more than 200 hours into CP 2077 , and I just can’t put it down. I plan on going into more detail on why this game is so compelling in some later articles and videos. I will probably do a full-on review of the game, but for now, I will give you the TLDR and say that CP 2077 is one of the greatest RPGs I have ever played. There is so much to this game in terms of themes, writing, gameplay, etc., that I still have a lot more I want to experience before I start writing. There’s a huge mod scene that I am continuing to explore, and there are ARGs and mysteries that are ongoing… there’s a lot. So, instead of doing all of this behind the scenes, I am going to stream a modded version of the game with the intention of making it as immersive as I can. Some examples of how CP2077 can be made to look: Here is a full list of all the mods (both visual and gameplay) and the relevant settings I will be using. All of these mods are available on Nexus mods, with the exception of Dreampunk, which is available from NextGen Dreams on Patreon: Dreampunk 2.0 – A visual tone mapping mod that delivers photorealistic visuals. Dreampunk does have some limitations and issues. It can make brighter scenes look incredibly washed out and darker scenes way too dark. I am going to try to mitigate these issues by controlling the weather and keeping it raining most of the time. The mod makes the game look very realistic, but if it causes crashes or other issues, I will have to remove it. Weathermancer – A mod that allows me to set the in-game weather. Using this in conjunction with Dreampunk 2.0 to deliver the visuals. Always First Equip – A mod that randomly performs weapon inspection animations. Disable W-S Keys to Select Dialog Options – A mod that does what it says. Environment Textures Overhaul – ETO 1.1 2K – A mod that increases the details of in-game textures. I switched to Surfaces mod for 4K textures. Surfaces - Various 4K Texture Packs. I play with a 1440p monitor, so the 4K textures may be overkill, but if any issues arise, I will go back to ETO 2K. Fast Travel to Any Fast Travel Point – A mod that allows me to fast travel to any fast travel point from anywhere on the map. Improved Environmental LODs – A mod that loads in more detail at a distance for better visuals. Limited HUD – A mod that limits the appearance of HUD elements. I am limiting the appearance of HUD elements as much as possible. They will only appear when I use ocular zoom or in combat. Smarter Scrapper – A mod that automates scrapping weapons and equipment since the vanilla implementation of the inventory system is tedious. Advanced Control Mod 1.2.3 – An advanced mod that allows for movement controls like lean, scroll wheel speed adjustment, and more. Smooth Movement 1.1 – Tweak-XL Version – A mod that makes movement less jittery and allows for smoother control. The vanilla version of CP 2077 doesn’t do movement well; this fixes that. Unlock Me the Mods 2.1 – A mod that allows weapon mods to be removable. Not being able to move mods from one weapon to another is just annoying. Walk by Default 2.0 – A mod that readjusts the walking and jogging speeds in the game. Zoomable Scopes 1.4 – A mod that makes scopes zoomable because they are not for some reason. Simple Flashlight – A mod that gives V a flashlight to use because I get scared in the dark. Enable_Advert_Animations – A mod that animates all the billboard ads. Ragdoll Physics Overhaul 2.0 BETA - A mod that improves the physics of ragdoll effects. Better Vehicle First Person - A mod that improves player perspective while driving in first-person. Other Settings – No enemy indicators or health bars. No crosshairs. Driving is in first-person only. AHK script that lets me swap the first two weapons only because Hunt has ruined me. Playstyle Details – Very Hard difficulty, Male V, Net Runner build, smart/tech weapons, first-person driving only, save scumming at a minimum, and any % or whenever I feel like stopping. I will be streaming the run on twitch.tv/GamewithDeath until it is finished. Enjoy, Chooms. Cyberpunk 2077 2020 Share Send Send Send Send Track Name 00:00 / 01:04 Link Copied! Immersive Playthrough Details All the Mods and Details for Death's Immersive CP2077 Run Feature

Death's Article on : Extraction Shooters are NOT Oversaturated "Media Claims about Extraction Shooter Market Saturation are Grossly Inaccurate" Nov 17, 2025 6 Mins by Death In the run-up to the release of ARC Raiders (2025) late last month, there were more than a few media outlets parroting the refrain that the extraction shooter sub-genre is somehow oversaturated; some even stating, “We don’t need more extraction shooters…If there's one genre that truly didn't need to become a trend, it's the extraction shooter." Others called the sub-genre “a crowded market,” even while reviewing the recent success of ARC Raiders (2025). This criticism even dates back to the sub-genre’s early days. In 2022, PC Gamer questioned the since-cancelled extraction shooter Hyenas ’ goal of “squeezing itself into an already oversaturated genre.” The sub-genre is effectively five years old at this point (if we mark Escape from Tarkov (2017) as the beginning), and there were eight (yes, eight!) games tagged as extraction shooters on Steam by the end of 2022. To anyone who plays extraction shooters—which up until ARC Raiders ’ release would mostly be those who played Escape from Tarkov and/or Hunt: Showdown 1896 (2018)—this oversaturation claim is incredibly perplexing and needs to be put to rest, if only due to the gross misuse of the term ‘oversaturated .’ Market saturation is an actual economic concept with an actual definition, which is seemingly not well understood. Overstauration of a market occurs when “no more of a product or service can be sold because there are no more possible customers.” Further , “Market saturation refers to the point at which a product or service has reached its maximum potential in a given market, resulting in little to no room for further growth or expansion.” At the time of writing, there are 19,355 games tagged as ‘shooters’ on Steam . Among the shooter sub-genres, extraction shooters are the smallest with a paltry 220; 5,029 are tagged as third-person shooters, 1,564 as ‘looter shooters,’ and 1,498 as ‘hero shooters.’ Extraction shooters are even outsized by the 1,062 games tagged as ‘boomer shooters.’ In all, extraction shooters only represent ~1% of shooters on Steam. If the market for extraction shooters is oversaturated compared to the overall shooter market, then the ratio of extraction shooter players to available games should be smaller than what we see for the overall shooter market. To find this, we need to first estimate just how big the shooter market is. Estimating the shooter market is difficult since most of this data is private and must be inferred using a combination of available Steam data, industry reports, and what publishers let the public see. To estimate the MAU for games we don’t actually have numbers for, we are going to use the monthly average concurrent player count multiplied by 25. This multiplier (let’s name it 25x) is extrapolated from available data on concurrent viewer averages and MAU on other shooters like Fortnite (2017), Apex Legends (2019), and more. Players’ behavior may vary from game to game depending on tastes and habits (e.g., it is possible extraction shooter players are more likely to be single-game players than battle royal fans who play every game in that sub-genre), but the 25x multiplier will more or less work for our purposes. To define the overall shooter market, let’s keep it simple and only include gamers who have shown an interest in playing first-person shooters, like Call of Duty (2003), and third-person shooters, like Fortnite ; we are also going to refer to these kinds of shooters as ‘traditional shooters’ to distinguish them from extraction shooters. We are going to ignore RPGs with FPS and third-person perspectives like Cyberpunk 2077 (2020) and Control (2019), as well as the shooter market for mobile devices. The mobile shooter market, despite its massive size (e.g., PUBG Mobile (2018) ~120M MAU and Call of Duty: Mobile (2019) ~80M MAU), has too many unknowns (e.g., mobile player barriers to entry for conversion to the PC/console market) for a meaningful comparative analysis. Okay, so how big is the traditional shooter market compared to the extraction shooter sub-genre? Since there are literally thousands of traditional shooters on the market, an exhaustive count would be time-prohibitive, so we are just going to use the top 7 games in the genre. The estimated MAU for these games ranges from 197M to 284M, with an average of ~240M MAU.[1] For extraction shooters on Steam with over 1K concurrent players, the estimated MAU is ~3.9M MAU.[2] Adding 1.47M for Escape from Tarkov brings the total MAU for extraction shooters to ~5.4M.[3] This means extraction shooters represent only ~2.2% of the overall shooter market (5.4/(5.4M + 240M) =2.2). If we used the most conservative estimates of the traditional shooter market, 197M as opposed to the 240M average, extraction shooters still only make up ~2.6% of the market. In total, extraction shooters make up an extremely small part of the larger shooter genre; but could they still be described as oversaturated, according to the definition above? If the ratio of games on offer in the sub-genre is higher compared to the overall genre, then this is still possible. For every extraction shooter on Steam, there are roughly ~24K MAU per game (~5.4M MAU/220). In the overall shooter market, this ratio is ~12K MAU (~240M/19,398), which means there are almost double the games per player in the overall shooter market than there is in the extraction shooter sub-genre; meaning the extraction shooter sub-genre is less saturated than the overall shooter market.[4] The reasons for the oversaturated misconception could be due to many factors; it could be the failure of gaming journalists in seeing extraction shooters as the separate and growing sub-genre they are, instead choosing to reflexively lump any shooter into a traditional shooter market which is oversaturated; or a subconscious bias against extraction shooters due to their punishing difficulty, something which traditional shooter players have difficulty adjusting to. Whatever the reason, as the sub-genre continues to grow, with upcoming titles like Hunger (2026), Marathon (2026), and more, this perception is likely to persist until extraction shooters see their own success independent of the traditional shooter market. Notes: [1] Call of Duty: Warzone (2020) 60-90M MAU, Fortnite (2017) 40-80 MAU, Counter-Strike 2 (2023) 24-30 MAU, Overwatch 2 (2022) 24M MAU, Valorant (2020) 19-28M MAU, APEX Legends (2019) 18-20M MAU, and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege (2015) 12M MAU. [2] ARC Raiders (2025) 8M MAU, Delta Force (2024) 1.6M MAU, Escape from Duckov (2025) 800K MAU, Arena Breakout: Infinite (2025) 800K MAU, Hunt: Showdown 1896 (2018) 425K MAU, Off The Grid (2025) 170K MAU, Dark and Darker (2024) 120K, and Gray Zone Warfare (2024) 30K. [3] Estimating the MAU for Escape from Tarkov , the game which created the sub-genre, is difficult since Battle State Games does not release data on the game’s player base. Steam DB numbers for Escape from Tarkov are not helpful, since the game has only been out for mere hours, at the time of writing, and the majority of the player base is likely using Battlestate Games’ legacy proprietary launcher. For this analysis, we will use the IconEra estimate of ~1.47M MAU, since it is a consistently updated number based on data which is available and is further supported by community tracking. https://icon-era.com/blog/escape-from-tarkov-live-player-count-and-statistics.136/ [4] There are definitely more traditional shooter players than the numerator accounts for in this equation, which would make the traditional shooter market look less saturated. However, without the resources and connections of a dedicated research firm, accurate numbers are unavailable, which means painting with broad strokes is, unfortunately, necessary. Remember to always view any analysis based on incomplete data with the skepticism it deserves, especially this one. 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