I know it's a typo and unhelpful to point out. But really don't know how I feel about that concept.
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Steam
I don't know the real answer, but I can guess. I think it's most likely that Rebirth will check your local install of Remake for a save file. That would mean that Remake doesn't need to be installed currently, but it needs to have been downloaded at some point in the past.
R.R. Bigman
Coolest Guy
I’ve been playing Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen on my Steam Deck off and on for a month now. I like the game, only every time I turn on the Steam Deck it downloads a gig or so of data for the game. It’s downloaded an extra twenty gigabytes of something over the last month, and I would like it to stop doing that every time I turn on the machine.
Yeah, I've had that same issue with Final Fantasy VII Rebirth on my Steam Deck, only every time I turn the dumb thing off it's like twenty gigs. It took like two hours to update yesterday! The only way around it is to keep the game launched and just put the Deck to sleep while it charges/I do something else to prevent the, for some reason, mandatory unskippable update.
Even Nintendo lets me launch un-updated Switch games, so long as I don't intend to play them online.
Even Nintendo lets me launch un-updated Switch games, so long as I don't intend to play them online.
R.R. Bigman
Coolest Guy
I am not a PC Gamer, so I don’t know if stuff updating all the dang time is normal. Your FF7 Rebirth issue sounds like a big problem! I hope there is some kind of fix for these problems, other than deleting the games off the deck outright.
I've been having Steam Deck do this a lot with like, shaders? There's 30GB of shaders in my memory and I don't know why.
R.R. Bigman
Coolest Guy
Yes! I don’t know what shaders do exactly, but steam sure is downloading a lot of them without my permission.
4-So
Spicy
Shaders are tiny programs that the GPU runs to basically manipulate any pixel or piece of a pixel, and they usually run at the same time for all pixels. Basically, what people refer to as "graphics" are what shaders are doing. Newer gamers that push graphical fidelity will have more shaders / busier shaders. How light is reflected off a character's face when you move the camera around, the difference between a stone surface vs. a wood surface, special effects, reflections, etc.
Basically, the graphics. And the more graphically intense the game, the more shaders you'll likely need.
Maybe the shader cache gets cleared every time the Steam Deck is turned off or a game is restarted? I don't really know. Getting into the "how the sausage is made" part of this, which I really like to avoid.
Basically, the graphics. And the more graphically intense the game, the more shaders you'll likely need.
Maybe the shader cache gets cleared every time the Steam Deck is turned off or a game is restarted? I don't really know. Getting into the "how the sausage is made" part of this, which I really like to avoid.
I've never seen it get cleared and there are lots of threads asking how to clear it along with some apps that purport to clear it for you (but I can't find a thread that doesn't say "but it might fuck things up to do so"). It seems like shader files from deleted games hang around, is part of the issue.
Becksworth
Aging Hipster Dragon Dad
Haven't had a chance to play it yet, but Steam Next Fest includes an Ys style bumping RPG by the Anodyne devs.
I have been playing the things.
store.steampowered.com
As noted above, Angeline Era is by Melos Han-Tani and Marina Kittaka, developers whose work I've admired from afar but haven't had much firsthand contact with until now. What they're putting together here is downright incredible: a revival of long-lost Ys immediacy parsed through Net Yaroze mystique and dreamscapes. Every individual map presents its own BGM that sounds like a PS1 demo disc menu screen that never was, while the writing concisely delivers both humour and wistful ruminations. Inside the levels you get to explore the mechanics of immensely considered bumper combat intertwined with layouts that make the most of both fighting and charting three-dimensional space, while outside of them the world at large presents a diorama of secrets landing somewhere in the region of Breath of Fire III and Wild Arms 2/3's discovery methods. Just from this taste it feels like it could be an all-timer, and certainly something I look forward to devouring in full.
store.steampowered.com
See impressions in its own thread. Not to be missed for godspeed edgegirls.
store.steampowered.com
There are a lot of King's Field-come-latelies these days (a recent example: the delightful FlyKnight) but the reality of it falls that they're mostly nominally so, and draw much more from newer From Software works in tonality and mechanical inspiration. As such, Labyrinth of the Demon King isn't really much different, as it adapts the combat fundamentals pretty directly to first-person and even emphasizes them more than usual, such as making parries and kicks integral tools of battle instead of optional wrinkles. What does set it apart is the overwhelming commitment to a horror aesthetic, as filtered through its low-fidelity grimecore, and how the structural nature of the piece has one rotten leg in the survival horror corpse pile as well. Instead of committing locations to mental maps, you're consulting literal ones, while fending off less numerous but more consequentially threatening enemies while rummaging a great household for its supplies and locating key items needed to progress. It's a slower game with a wonderfully oppressive atmosphere engendered by both mechanics (there is a stalker enemy, for one) and aesthetics (the music is distressing and blurs the borders between a background score and a soundscape the player might grow anxious of). There is a significant amount of overlap between these various genres, but I'm really interested in the execution reached for here as I can't think of a comparable treatment in the specifics at play.
store.steampowered.com
The life of a Castlevania mark is such that one will end up playing all sorts of derivative works, regardless of the caveats. That was the bargain of the first Gal (erstwhile Grim) Guardians, the baffling spinoff of what is surely Inti Creates's most prurient and exploitative homegrown series in Gal Gun--and there's pretty heady competition on that front. The game did not escape those qualities, but it also delivered an oddly inspired take on a dual-character 'vania-like, sometimes clumsily but perhaps more interesting for it. The demo for the sequel showcases that the solid craft present in Inti's output--because they truly do not stop--is accounted for, and that it does feel distinct from before, having a faster playfeel with a dash available at default. Enemies drop sub-weapons that allow for seemingly pretty wildly expansive load-outs, at four sets of two per character, so the genre maximalism in customizing armaments will probably feature into the mix. There's something unquestionably workmanlike in Inti's games like this, but they're also an acknowledged comfort niche... and at least from what the demo presents, there's less of the exploitation present too.
store.steampowered.com
Nitro Express isn't a run 'n gun but more a walk 'n gun, with a heavily rooted playfeel where big evasive actions aren't the standard rather than micro-adjustments to positioning, or brief tactical rolls to phase through projectiles with. It's appreciably different because of that, and from what can be surmised in an unlocalized demo, frames the chaos through light-hearted gadget and weapons otaku police farce that is evocative just on the strength of the visuals alone. The demo is very slight, so there's not much to get a grip on, and the game also is limited to 30FPS, which can be a high hurdle for presenting a 2D twitch action game. It's still unique enough that I'd be willing to make a gamble on it.
Angeline Era on Steam
An unforgettable and wild Bumpslash Action-Adventure! Explore a world of Fae, Humans and Angels, where hilarious hazards and charming creatures await. Will you uncover its mysteries?
As noted above, Angeline Era is by Melos Han-Tani and Marina Kittaka, developers whose work I've admired from afar but haven't had much firsthand contact with until now. What they're putting together here is downright incredible: a revival of long-lost Ys immediacy parsed through Net Yaroze mystique and dreamscapes. Every individual map presents its own BGM that sounds like a PS1 demo disc menu screen that never was, while the writing concisely delivers both humour and wistful ruminations. Inside the levels you get to explore the mechanics of immensely considered bumper combat intertwined with layouts that make the most of both fighting and charting three-dimensional space, while outside of them the world at large presents a diorama of secrets landing somewhere in the region of Breath of Fire III and Wild Arms 2/3's discovery methods. Just from this taste it feels like it could be an all-timer, and certainly something I look forward to devouring in full.
FUBUKI ～zero in on Holoearth～ HOLOLIVE ALTERNATIVE on Steam
『FUBUKI ~zero in on Holoearth~』is a high-speed pixel action game where you control the protagonist, Shirakami Fubuki, and battle using swords and skills.
See impressions in its own thread. Not to be missed for godspeed edgegirls.
Labyrinth Of The Demon King on Steam
Venture through the Labyrinth Of The Demon King, solving puzzles and fighting fearsome monsters in an epic quest to track down the demon who betrayed your lord and end its life.
There are a lot of King's Field-come-latelies these days (a recent example: the delightful FlyKnight) but the reality of it falls that they're mostly nominally so, and draw much more from newer From Software works in tonality and mechanical inspiration. As such, Labyrinth of the Demon King isn't really much different, as it adapts the combat fundamentals pretty directly to first-person and even emphasizes them more than usual, such as making parries and kicks integral tools of battle instead of optional wrinkles. What does set it apart is the overwhelming commitment to a horror aesthetic, as filtered through its low-fidelity grimecore, and how the structural nature of the piece has one rotten leg in the survival horror corpse pile as well. Instead of committing locations to mental maps, you're consulting literal ones, while fending off less numerous but more consequentially threatening enemies while rummaging a great household for its supplies and locating key items needed to progress. It's a slower game with a wonderfully oppressive atmosphere engendered by both mechanics (there is a stalker enemy, for one) and aesthetics (the music is distressing and blurs the borders between a background score and a soundscape the player might grow anxious of). There is a significant amount of overlap between these various genres, but I'm really interested in the execution reached for here as I can't think of a comparable treatment in the specifics at play.
Save 10% on Gal Guardians: Servants of the Dark on Steam
Take control of the demon sisters Kirika and Masha as they attempt to revive their Demon Lord Maxim and rebuild their castle in this 2D action Metroidvania adventure!
The life of a Castlevania mark is such that one will end up playing all sorts of derivative works, regardless of the caveats. That was the bargain of the first Gal (erstwhile Grim) Guardians, the baffling spinoff of what is surely Inti Creates's most prurient and exploitative homegrown series in Gal Gun--and there's pretty heady competition on that front. The game did not escape those qualities, but it also delivered an oddly inspired take on a dual-character 'vania-like, sometimes clumsily but perhaps more interesting for it. The demo for the sequel showcases that the solid craft present in Inti's output--because they truly do not stop--is accounted for, and that it does feel distinct from before, having a faster playfeel with a dash available at default. Enemies drop sub-weapons that allow for seemingly pretty wildly expansive load-outs, at four sets of two per character, so the genre maximalism in customizing armaments will probably feature into the mix. There's something unquestionably workmanlike in Inti's games like this, but they're also an acknowledged comfort niche... and at least from what the demo presents, there's less of the exploitation present too.
Nitro Express on Steam
Nitro Express is a 2D side-view gun action game where cute pixel-art girls shoot assault weapons with 360° free aiming in the streets of Japan!
Nitro Express isn't a run 'n gun but more a walk 'n gun, with a heavily rooted playfeel where big evasive actions aren't the standard rather than micro-adjustments to positioning, or brief tactical rolls to phase through projectiles with. It's appreciably different because of that, and from what can be surmised in an unlocalized demo, frames the chaos through light-hearted gadget and weapons otaku police farce that is evocative just on the strength of the visuals alone. The demo is very slight, so there's not much to get a grip on, and the game also is limited to 30FPS, which can be a high hurdle for presenting a 2D twitch action game. It's still unique enough that I'd be willing to make a gamble on it.
Violentvixen
(She/Her)
Oh dang I forgot it was NextFest! Goes until Monday so I'll have to look through demos and such over the weekend.
Becksworth
Aging Hipster Dragon Dad
Been too busy to play everything that looks interesting, as usual.
Microvania and Moadra both seem to be trying to evoke the Metroid side of Metroidvanias. Microvania unfortunately feels like a Gator Roboto minimalist take with half the speed and half the charm. I'm not sure who made it, but I wouldn't be surprised if the Prime 2D devs were behind Moadra from what I played of it, and it seems the more promising of the two.
Microvania and Moadra both seem to be trying to evoke the Metroid side of Metroidvanias. Microvania unfortunately feels like a Gator Roboto minimalist take with half the speed and half the charm. I'm not sure who made it, but I wouldn't be surprised if the Prime 2D devs were behind Moadra from what I played of it, and it seems the more promising of the two.
Violentvixen
(She/Her)
I hurt my wrist earlier this week and am in a brace, it's making my game options for this weekend limited but still getting to check out demos and play what I can.
I enjoyed the very silly demo for Run TavernQuest, where you are the parser of a text adventure game and the player submits game breaking cheats or nonsense or just plays badly and you have to try to help them win.
I also appreciated that they had a lot of dyslexic font options and you can skip through the voice acting. The voices got a little too silly for me at points although I do think it was well done.
I enjoyed the very silly demo for Run TavernQuest, where you are the parser of a text adventure game and the player submits game breaking cheats or nonsense or just plays badly and you have to try to help them win.
I also appreciated that they had a lot of dyslexic font options and you can skip through the voice acting. The voices got a little too silly for me at points although I do think it was well done.
I didn't get a chance to really check anything out but it did catch my eye:
store.steampowered.com
Tiny Dangerous Dungeons Remake on Steam
Guide Timmy the little treasure hunter through traps and puzzles to reach the legendary treasure! Experience the classic mini metroidvania remade with new visuals, music, and content!
Violentvixen
(She/Her)
Wrapping up a couple more demos before the fest ends:
Bops and Bits- very cute rhythm game. I'm bad at them myself but enjoyed what I played and want to recommend this. Credit to Patch magazine for having an article about this one, I wouldn't have tried it out otherwise.
Drop Duchy- Tetris to build a map, then battles? Very intrigued. I was glad this didn't have a timer since I was playing one-handed. Wonder if that changes later on.
Bops and Bits- very cute rhythm game. I'm bad at them myself but enjoyed what I played and want to recommend this. Credit to Patch magazine for having an article about this one, I wouldn't have tried it out otherwise.
Drop Duchy- Tetris to build a map, then battles? Very intrigued. I was glad this didn't have a timer since I was playing one-handed. Wonder if that changes later on.
Chronoquartz is a time loop game in the vein of the Outer Wilds, or Minit. Super neat.
I think I'm gonna have to disassemble my Steam Deck in order to fix the X button. I'm at a point now where button presses on X don't always register. Which uh, makes it a little difficult to play Hades 2, among other things. It's my own fault I'm sure -- I've dropped the thing more than once lol -- but I also have no idea what the actual hardware fix would be for something like this. I can hear a little piece of something rolling around inside the Steam Deck if I rotate it around and stuff. Fun times. My other choice is to only play turn-based games in handheld mode and dock it otherwise, so it's not like I'm totally screwed...
That sucks, but if you follow a guide like this to disassemble your Steam Deck, you should be alright - you won't have to remove the screen, which is the big pain, really. I would imagine you may just have to clean the X button area - it could just be a buildup of dirt. Who knows though! You'll have to take it apart to see. It shouldn't be too bad, assuming you have a screwdriver and preferably at least a guitar pick or something plastic to pry up the tabs holding the plastic back part of the case together (just don't use metal, you'll scratch your Steam Deck).
Well I almost had it opened up. But the last screw seems very stripped. Can't get it unscrewed. I got some broken plastic piece out (the thing that would roll around inside), and I did my best to spray some compressed air where I could, but I give up.
Honestly I can probably play around the button issue if I tried. I don't really know what other choice I have anyway! Can I send this over to Valve for a refurbish or something?
Honestly I can probably play around the button issue if I tried. I don't really know what other choice I have anyway! Can I send this over to Valve for a refurbish or something?
Valve will do repairs, I believe. Probably for a fee.
Violentvixen
(She/Her)
I got a random gift card and realized I might not have shared this here before. Here's the way to redeem a Steam card for any random amount as long as it's above the $5 minimum. I don't know what the minimum is in other currencies but I assume this would still work as long as you're above that?
Open Steam in a browser (I'm using Firefox), click on your name, go to View my Wallet.
On the page that shows all the options, right click on any of the green buttons and hit "Inspect" or "Inspect Element" depending on the browser. A frame like the below should appear at the bottom of your window:
It auto highlights a different line than we want, so scroll up one line (I think it's been two sometimes) and to the right where you'll see a value. I right clicked on the $10 button so it has data-amount="1000"
I have a $23 Visa gift card to use up so I changed that 1000 to 2300, then clicked the button I just modified.
Used up the whole thing. Again, you have to be above the $5 minimum but this is a great way to finish off gift cards.
Open Steam in a browser (I'm using Firefox), click on your name, go to View my Wallet.
On the page that shows all the options, right click on any of the green buttons and hit "Inspect" or "Inspect Element" depending on the browser. A frame like the below should appear at the bottom of your window:
It auto highlights a different line than we want, so scroll up one line (I think it's been two sometimes) and to the right where you'll see a value. I right clicked on the $10 button so it has data-amount="1000"
I have a $23 Visa gift card to use up so I changed that 1000 to 2300, then clicked the button I just modified.
Used up the whole thing. Again, you have to be above the $5 minimum but this is a great way to finish off gift cards.
Becksworth
Aging Hipster Dragon Dad
Web developer in me rolling my eyes over the payment web service being able to handle variable amounts but the UI being locked to fixed increments.
Violentvixen
(She/Her)
I have been doing this for maybe 10 years and every time it still works I'm baffled.
I wonder if maybe they did that because of mobile browsers.