by Stuart Kerley on 06/09/2010
In our last post about Cataclysm we took a look at the starting experience for the new races being introduced, the Worgen and the Goblin. This time we'll be taking a look at the first two levelling zones that Blizzard has provided the level 80 players who want to get started on the road to 85. In addition to that we will also look at the refresh of the Talent Tree system which is receiving an overhaul in the latest expansion.
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by Richard Lewis on 13/08/2010
The title of the game conjours up images of those macho magazine subscriptions that come with a hardback folder as a free gift with issue one. As such expect a dry, technical tank based simulation with loads and loads of information for military enthusiasts and a technically accurate control system that requires reading a five hundred page manual, right?
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by Stuart Kerley on 03/08/2010
In our first blog about Cataclysm we provided an overview of WoW and took a look at some of the new features we can expect from the expansion. In this entry we'll be taking a closer look at the new races that will be made available to play in Cataclysm, the Worgen and the Goblins. We'll look at what these new races bring to their respective factions (Alliance and Horde) and the how Blizzards are introducing these races to us in their starting area storylines.
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by Richard Lewis on 28/07/2010
"Hell, its about time"growls Tychus Findlay in the opening cinematic. The poster-boy for bad-ass pretty much echoes the sentiments of every real time strategy fan the world over.
Finally, the sequel to 1998s game of the year has arrived and promises to bring all the glory and all the horror but it is fair to say it has a huge weight of expectation resting on it.
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by Veridian3 on 27/07/2010
Today saw the release of one of the most anticipated titles this decade. Unless you've been under a rock for a very long time you would have seen our GamingHeaven coverage on StarCraft II over the last few months, well here we are with what is likely our final piece of coverage before the fabled review is published very soon!
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by Stuart Kerley on 26/07/2010
When GamingHeaven was fortunate enough to be given a beta key from Blizzard for the new WoW expansion I jumped at the chance to get a sneak peak at what Blizzard have in store for us. Future blogs will cover our experience in the latest incarnation of WoW... for now, let's discuss what WoW actually is and take a look at what new features Cataclysm holds...
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by Stuart Kerley on 01/07/2010
In part 2 of this blog I talked about my experience playing as Terran in the beta and about how the new Real.ID system is likely to impact both StarCraft and World of Warcraft players. In this post I wanted to talk a little about the, as yet unseen, single player campaign and what we can expect when they game is launched on the 27th of July.
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by Stuart Kerley on 24/06/2010
In my last post I talked about the background to the new StarCraft game and what my immediate feelings were about playing it. In this post Id like to talk a little more about what I learned from taking part in the beta, aside from how to lose a game with good grace, and what impact the Real.ID scheme will have on StarCraft and World of Warcraft players.
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by Stuart Kerley on 14/06/2010
I was recently lucky enough to be given an opportunity to take part in the StarCraft 2 beta, thanks to the good folks here at Heaven Media and I'd like to share my thoughts with you on how the game is shaping up so far. First though I have a few confessions to make...
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by Richard Lewis on 25/05/2010
StarCraft II is one of the most highly anticipated games of the year and fans of the series have been wishing for it to arrive for almost every day of its eight year development. As such we here at GamingHeaven were naturally delighted to be invited to the pre-launch exhibition in the UK, an event that would provide us with an opportunity to not only learn more about Blizzards long awaited sequel but also to get our hands on some of the single player campaign levels ahead of schedule.
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by Richard Lewis on 20/05/2010
Prince of Persia seems to be taking over the world this week with the lauch of a new video game and movie. Today lead game reviewer Richard Lewis takes a look back at the title which started the franchise back in 1989.
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by Richard Lewis on 23/04/2010
What a difference a beard makes... Seriously. The promotional material for Splinter Cell: Conviction saw pictures of a bedraggled Sam Fisher plastered everywhere just to let us know that things had changed. Its the classic movie convention - clean cut equals a by the book good guy, stubble equals either a bad guy or a good guy with a tendency to make up the rules as he goes along but the full beard is the uniform of a broken man.
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by Richard Lewis on 12/04/2010
Wouldnt it be great if there was a game that recreated the element of surprise at the heart of each conflict, one that would enable players to not only show the understanding of their arsenal but also genuine lateral thinking in the face of something unexpected?
That is the premise behind R.U.S.E. It may seem like a familiar rehash of things that have seen before. The World War II setting for example means that almost anyone will be familiar with the units, the setting and the factions.
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by Richard Lewis on 07/04/2010
Ever since the first wave of games in the "Survival Horror" genre creators of such titles have looked to ramp up the scares, the tension and just exactly how horrific their creations can get. Metro 2033 has a huge advantage in this respect being based on a truly traumatic novel by Russian writer Dmitry Glukhovsky. In the usual bleak "mankind will eventually destroy itself" setting the protagonist of the game, Artyom, is one of a handful of survivors that were not killed during a nuclear holocaust.
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by Richard Lewis on 30/03/2010
The Command and Conquer series is rightly revered by real-time strategy buffs as one of the most important in the entire genre. For fifteen years different generations have built bases, amassed units and then gone and marched on to victory against a variety of opponents, all done using the same tried and tested interface that has been replicated countless times. However, time doesnt wait for anyone and anything and even the third imagining of C&C garnered praise for its retro charm but little in the way of innovation.
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by Richard Lewis on 24/03/2010
The first Just Cause required more suspension of disbelief than your average Hollywood blockbuster and this turned out to be both a blessing and a curse. Some lauded its over the top non-stop action and stunts while others labeled it as simply trying too hard, all brawn and no brains. Flying round a huge island in a stolen plane, only to jump out at will with a parachute and kill some bad guys before the character has even hit the ground...
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by Richard Lewis on 13/03/2010
From the moment the title is fired up it sucks the player into an interactive cinematic experience and it is as visually stunning as it is immersive. While the opening mission is reminiscent of the Metal Gear Solid 2 intro it doesn't have the same overblown and bloated style.
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by Veridian3 on 08/03/2010
Napoleon Total War launched last month and in our review we called it "A glorious recreation of the time period and as fun as it is taxing". Since then our sister sites Cadred and Tek9 took to the virtual battlefields in order to establish which had the strongest General... and community.
Today in the latest update to our Total War content we talk to Kieran Brigden, Studio Communications Manager from The Creative Assembly about all things Total War.
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by Richard Lewis on 05/03/2010
People who grew up in the eighties know two things - the first being that Aliens was amazing and the second being that Predator was also amazing. This would lead anyone from that time to arrive at the conclusion that combining the two would be very much a wining idea. So it proved across various systems, the nostalgia mash-up delivering what many of us had hoped for down the years.
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by Richard Lewis on 25/02/2010
Immediately it is clear that this version of Total War, while familiar to experienced players of the series, presents more options than before. There is the open-ended campaign mode, an opportunity to play to one-off battles both historical and invented.
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by Richard Lewis on 23/02/2010
In the battle of the eagerly awaited real-time strategy titles Electronic Arts struck first and released the multiplayer beta of Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight. After the third installment of the franchise received some criticism in the gaming press for a lack of innovation this time around we had been promised a radical overhaul. As such, we here at GamingHeaven couldnt wait to get to grips with the game and see if it delivered on that promise.
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by Richard Lewis on 12/02/2010
In the first of a series Lead Games Reviewer Richard Lewis reminisces about one of the classic games from days gone by, Cannon Fodder.
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by Richard Lewis on 11/02/2010
We here at GamingHeaven can remember back to far flung days when the original Aliens Versus Predator was a reason to purchase the largely forgotten Atari Jaguar. Since then each version has looked to ramp up the atmosphere, authenticity and action of a crossover franchise that is for many a mash-up of 80s nostalgia taken to a glorious extreme.
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by Richard Lewis on 09/02/2010
The Battlefield: Bad Company game was a cross-over of both genre and attitudes designed to inject more fun and action into the Battlefield franchise. Set during a fictional war between America and Russia, players controlled a group of soldiers with the sort of personality flaws that while rendering them completely inappropriate for military service did make them more interesting than the generic, nameless grunts you see in most military games.
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by Veridian3 on 02/02/2010
Back in 2004 an announcement was made that Star Trek Online was in development and geeks around the world rejoiced (this reviewer included). News releases after that were sporadic at best until in January 2008 it was announced that the developer was closing its doors and the game development (not including code) was being passed to Cryptic Studios. Given their experience with MMO games, Cryptic seemed an ideal fit and just over two years after taking on the IP, we have the official release of Star Trek Online.
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by Veridian3 on 29/01/2010
As Mass Effect 2 begins we take the role of John Shepard, commander of the Normandy in the year 2183. During this initial sequence the ship is attacked and takes heavy damage, forcing most of the crew to evacuate.
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by Veridian3 on 22/01/2010
Dark Void is one of the first big multi-platform releases of 2010 and is also a key title in NVIDIAs PhysX catalogue. Today we take a look at the game in detail with a full review and also look at the PhysX content/performance.
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by Veridian3 on 11/01/2010
GamingHeaven had chance to catch up with Bear McCreary, musical composer for the soon to be released Dark Void title from Capcom.
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by Zardon on 29/12/2009
If you are a Fallout fan and enjoy a post apocalyptic gaming environment with a great storyline then Fallen Earth might just be the title to relieve those end of year holiday blues. Twisted mutants roam the desolate landscape and sinister splinter groups worship computer AI characters.
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by Zardon on 22/12/2009
There are a huge variety of puzzle games available in 2009 and most of us have played at least a handful, such as Jewel Quest or 7 Wonders which all fit into the ‘match 3 formula which proves so popular with the mass public. Pieces Interactive have a new title out called Puzzlegeddon which may be a fun game to play in the run up to the holidays ... as it costs only $10 it wont break the bank either.
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by John Erikson on 21/12/2009
Siege of Mirkwood is the latest addon for Lord Of The Rings Online and it places the player into a gloomy, dark and dingy world. Thats not to say it isnt compelling however because there is still plenty that fans of the series will take from this game.
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by John Erikson on 14/12/2009
Hungarian developer NeoCore Games have designed a strategy wargame along similar lines to the Total War series. The game delves into the legend of King Arthur and manages to create a strong fantasy role playing atmosphere. It is up to you to guide Arthur to the throne of Britain by killing enemy monarchs and their armies.
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by John Erikson on 12/12/2009
Borderlands was a brilliant game and one that I have been playing since it was released. The Zombie Island Of Dr. Ned is the first downloadable content for the game which only costs $10. For this you get a whole new zone as well as new enemies, new missions and chances to get more equipment and loot. The Island is very dramatic in design with a sub horror 'halloween feel' to it, populated with a plethora of undead zombie forces.
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by Zardon on 08/12/2009
With our recent analysis of Dirt 2 running on DX11 capable ATI hardware we decided to take our HD camera over to Codemasters HQ for an interview with Senior Programmer Gareth Thomas. We asked him a variety of questions on the development of Colin McRae Dirt 2 focusing on not only on the new game engine but also their involvement with AMD during the process.
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by John Erikson on 08/12/2009
The Creative Assembly have been producing historically accurate Real Time based War games for many years now and they have gathered a huge following. We were shown some of the upcoming Napoleon: Total War game in a recent press event and it is shaping up to be possibly the best game in the franchise to date.
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by John Erikson on 02/12/2009
Rogue Warrior was announced two years ago and Bethesda held an event in Las Vegas which I attended - war hero Richard Marcinko was there to detail the game development and to show an early level. The title showed a lot of promise, offering an almost Rainbow Six style experience which relied on tactics and teamwork as well introducing Demo Dick - the temperamental main character whose experiences formed the foundation of the game.
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by John Erikson on 01/12/2009
Well, here we are again - Gamingheavens GOTY. We have thousands and thousands of pounds of prizes to give away, including a HIS 5970, Sapphires Vapor X 5870 and a full Core i7 Kit from Intel - to enter? just participate and possibly walk away with some absolutely stunning hardware.
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by John Erikson on 30/11/2009
If you are as old as me you will fondly remember many nights spent mindlessly shooting a bizarre array of aliens in Serious Sam. This game was so much fun that it was really hard to put it down, even when you beat it, several times. Croteam have recently released the 'HD' version of the game using the updated Serious 3 engine but is it really worth revisiting?
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by John Erikson on 29/11/2009
StarCraft was not only an amazing seller for Blizzard but it is still played in certain parts of the world and has turned into what you could safely classify as a "timeless strategy game". There is still no confirmed release date for Starcraft 2: Wings Of Liberty on the PC but we did manage to get some hands on time at the show floor of G-Star 2009, a gaming convention at BEXCO in Busan, South Korea.
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by John Erikson on 25/11/2009
Simbin have released a new racing game entitled Race On however on closer inspection it is basically a resissue of the aging (but still solid) Race 07. The Swedish developer added Nordschleife and some Grand Tourers last year and called it GTR Evolution ... this year they add more to it, with American Muscle cars, WTCC 08 updates and some Swedish Touring action making the grade.
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by John Erikson on 21/11/2009
At a recent press event EA sat with some journalists and we spent some time with a beta version of the upcoming Command and Conquer 4 - the hotly awaited new strategy game which continues the long running (and big selling) franchise.
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by John Erikson on 19/11/2009
From the same team who brought you Defence Of The Ancients, one of the best known and loved Warcraft 3 mods, comes their new title League Of Legends.
League Of Legends gives each player control of a champion unit within a team based battle in the attempt to destroy each others base and it combines real time strategy elements with role playing facets such as leveling up abilities and equipment choices.
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by John Erikson on 17/11/2009
Left4Dead was one of the most successful multiplayer games in recent years so it made sense for Valve to follow this up with a sequel .... however a portion of the core audience felt it was a rash move to make one quite so soon. Left4Dead2 we are happy to report however is a fantastic game and improves on the original in many ways.
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by John Erikson on 16/11/2009
J.J. Abrams has created a Star Trek phenomenon lately with the release of his latest movie 'reboot' of the franchise - even people who werent interested in the franchise before have suddenly embraced the futuristic Sci FI romp with open arms. This is great news for Paramount Digital Entertainment who have just released their bargain priced Star Trek DAC game for the PC.
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by John Erikson on 13/11/2009
Machinarium is a game many of you might not have heard about but it took the prize "Excellence In Visual Art" at this years's Independent Game Festival and when you first see it you will not be questioning why. The game actually represents a moving graphic novel rather than a traditional adventure game.
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by John Erikson on 12/11/2009
The Star Trek franchise is still massively popular and developer Cryptic Studios are hoping that by involving such a rich and diverse fantasy world they will get a huge portion of the game playing public interested in their new virtual Sci-Fi based MMO universe.
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by Asmoday on 09/11/2009
Are you a fan of Diablo? Do you long for days when games didnt need to have DX11 effects and cutting edge engine technology to win you over? Torchlight might be the answer to your prayers, because it focuses entirely on gameplay and puts a twisted yet very interesting slant on the 'Diablo' genre.
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by John Erikson on 05/11/2009
The Force Unleashed was a big seller for Lucasarts when it was originally released with Star Wars fans buying it in their droves. While we wait patiently for a genuine successor however they have released their latest 'Ultimate Sith Edition' which features a brand new exclusive level and a ton of extra content.
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by John Erikson on 03/11/2009
For the few of you who dont know - legendary developer Bioware have a new game released called Dragon Age: Origins. Publisher Electronic Arts have been behind a huge marketing campaign with a level of hype I havent seen in quite a while. Thankfully we are glad to report, for once, our expectations are met - this is possibly THE game of 2009.
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by John Erikson on 01/11/2009
Most of us love a good strategy game - the problem however is working out the ones really worth playing and those which need to be filed away to the bargain basement option for a later date. Today we are looking at Cities XL - a game by French developer Monte Cristo which is targeting the SimCity 4 audience. Is it worth a look?
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by Zardon on 21/10/2009
Codemasters recently invited us to their Headquarters for an exclusive intereview with two of the Developers for OF: DR - Tim Browne (Senior Games Designer) and James Nicholls (Chief Mission designer). We knew our readers would love to hear their inside thoughts, so we rushed with our trusty camera equipment and asked them a series of relevant questions about this great new game.
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by John Erikson on 21/10/2009
City building games are a popular genre with the public and the Tropico series has always comprised a fine combination of traditional building with interesting and diverse directions. Tropico 3 has just been released and adds an intriguing layer of political action which brings another dimension to the overall strategy dynamic.
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by Asmoday on 20/10/2009
Borderlands is an unusual game - a shooter hybrid which combines elements of RPG games such as leveling, looting and fine tuning items in your inventory to pimp out your character. Gearbox are keen to point out that they have created a role playing shooter, an RPS. Imagine a shooter which feels like an MMO and you get the picture.
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by John Erikson on 19/10/2009
Valve are due to release Left 4 Dead 2 in November but they have just updated the original Left 4 Dead with some new downloadable content which is aimed to appease the zombie loving masses. Called Crash Course it comprises a brand new campaign featuring two chapters and best of all, its free.
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by John Erikson on 11/10/2009
The MMORPG genre has been dominated for so long by World Of Warcraft that it seems almost impossible for any other titles to get a long term foothold. Developers keep trying however because this market is so lucrative and today we look at the much hyped MMO entitled 'Aion' from far east developer NCSoft.
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by John Erikson on 08/10/2009
Order Of War is a real time strategy game developed by Wargaming.net and published by the legendary Square Enix. You take control of the American Forces from Operation Overlord and the invasion of Normandy as well as the German troops from Operation Bagration, Russias final push during WW2.
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by John Erikson on 06/10/2009
Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising is one of the finest tactical first person war games released in recent years because while other titles such as Ghost Recon are linear by nature Codemasters have created an open world environment with strong focus on giving the gamers (you guys) total freedom of choice. Excited? you should be.
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by John Erikson on 30/09/2009
Championship Manager 2010 from developer Beautiful Game Studios is a title which is set to revitalise the floundering franchise because thanks to a huge array of new features and other tweaks it ends up being a very entertaining alternative to the dominant Football Manager series.
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by John Erikson on 20/09/2009
When the original Majesty was released at the turn of the century I spent months of my life trying to complete some of the more difficult missions. It was fiendishly addictive yet also surprisingly difficult. Developer 1C Company have released the follow up entitled Majesty 2 which is set to update some of the gameplay elements as well as introduce a flashy new 3D graphics engine.
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by John Erikson on 17/09/2009
Red Faction Guerrilla has finally made it to the PC and with the GeoMod 2.0 engine you can blow up and damage almost everything in the game. You can fire rockets, detonate charges and even smash through buildings with sledgehammers to get the job done and everything reacts realistically. It is the latest in a brilliant list of PC games released this month - you just need to make sure you have the hardware to handle it.
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by Asmoday on 16/09/2009
Resident Evil 5 was released on the consoles around 6 months ago and it was positively received by both critics and more importantly the public. It brought together some of the franchises classic characters and combined a few of the best elements of previous releases for the finest release to date. The addition of cooperative mode increased the overall enjoyment and ensured healthy sales. Today we look at the PC version which has been much awaited.
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by John Erikson on 14/09/2009
We are excited about the release of the forthcoming Assassins Creed II because although the original was a little repetitive we had a blast playing it, both on the Xbox 360 and then the PC - sales figures show that 35 million other people have enjoyed the game so we werent alone! Today we have a few videos to share with you (one from Comic Con) as well as some answers to a few questions courtesy of Patrice Desilets, the projects Creative Director.
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by John Erikson on 14/09/2009
F.E.A.R. 2 was met with a mixed response - some gamers thought it combined strong core gameplay with high octane FPS action while others felt it was just riding on the coat tails of the original game which was a huge seller when it was released. Me? I thought it was entertaining enough, even if it didnt reinvent the wheel.
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by John Erikson on 10/09/2009
TimeGate Studios are a developer well known for their release of the Kohan real time strategy series which was a favourite with the gaming community a few years ago. They tried to push the boundaries of the genre and for the most part it worked well. They were also responsible for the F.E.A.R. Expansions - Extraction Point and Perseus Mandate. Today we review their latest game, a multiplayer focused shooter.
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by John Erikson on 02/09/2009
Telltale games released the first Monkey Island comeback entitled 'Launch of The Screaming Narwhal' last month to much critical acclaim. It was a success because it combined a fun combination of puzzle solving as well as sharp, witty scripting - exactly what fans of the original series want.
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by John Erikson on 31/08/2009
These days when discussing new PC games, the talking point is generally around a new cutting edge engine and how much better it looks when compared to the previous version. It seems quite often that the core element of gameplay is overlooked and today we are looking at a title from developer Frozenbyte which is a modern take on the classic 2D action adventure genre.
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by John Erikson on 23/08/2009
We recently reviewed the console version of Wolfenstein 2009 and we came away a little unimpressed with the overall experience - even though the core gameplay was pretty good. By no means a bad game it however didnt knock our socks off - something we are hoping the PC version might rectify today.
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by John Erikson on 09/08/2009
Death To Spies: Moment of Truth has recently appeared on Valves Steam platform and it is the sequel to 2007s Death To Spies. It is a game which may be overlooked and that would be a shame because it combines challenging stealth gameplay with a super smooth and very effective engine.
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by John Erikson on 07/08/2009
In all the Fallout games there has always been a downed alien space ship and if you had been exploring the wastelands of Fallout 3 you would have already noticed it .... sending out an ominous distress call. This call gets answered and once again Bethesda Game Studios have a foundation for another downloadable expansion pack for their hugely successful futuristic title.
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by John Erikson on 23/07/2009
Almost three years ago Age Of Pirates: Caribbean Tales was released - an adventure style RPG simulation game which places you on the open sea in the hunt for treasure and glory. As well as swordfighting you could trade goods and control cities and forts. The follow up has been released recently by Akelia and Playlogic which promises to build on the original concept with more up to date features and options.
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by John Erikson on 21/07/2009
Fighting game fans who only own a PC have a shortage of good titles available so the release of Street Fighter IV on this platform is big news. Capcoms biggest game has been around for almost 20 years now and has legendary status, but the big question has yet to be answered - is the PC version actually any good?
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by John Erikson on 08/07/2009
Alan Wake has been one of the most anticipated games in years and we managed to spend some time with code from developer Remedy to see how the game has been shaping up.
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by John Erikson on 03/07/2009
ArmA II by developer Bohemia Interactive is a followup to their own series of Operation Flashpoint games, which are now owned by Codemasters. It puts you in control of everything from hand held pistols to formidable, state of the art aircraft and is sure to appeal to gamers who like to duke it out on high octane dynamic battlefields.
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by John Erikson on 02/07/2009
Call Of Juarez was released 2 years ago by Ubisoft and it was a game set in the Wild West that dealt with a mission for revenge as well as the hunt for a cursed treasure. Reverend Ray was a fantastic character, a fanatical preacher who quoted from the bible while shooting people in the face. COJ 2 focuses on the history of Reverend Ray, his family and their quest for gold.
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by John Erikson on 26/06/2009
Light Of Altair is a game made by two people with a budget price tag of $15. We love independent titles on Gamingheaven because quite often they dont suffer from restrictive publisher control and are free to explore radical ideas outside the confines of a big budget production. As SaintXi develop and publish the game is it able to offer something entertaining for the relatively modest asking price?
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by John Erikson on 08/06/2009
Helldorado is the sequel to Desperados, an action strategy game set to appeal to diehard fans of the franchise... for the rest of us however the game has one or two shortcomings which might be a deal breaker.
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by John Erikson on 05/06/2009
Tunnel Rats is a game now available on Steam from developer Replay Studios which is based on an Uwe Boll movie. Does the game translate well and is it worth your hard earned cash? we aim to find out today.
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by John Erikson on 05/06/2009
Gamingheaven is at E3 and we sat down with the 2K Czech division to get some hands on time with their much anticipated Mafia 2. With the recent sad news of the delay until early 2010 we wanted to check out the virtual world of Empire City --- and boy are we happy to say it is looking awesome !
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by John Erikson on 03/06/2009
The Sims franchise has been one of the biggest selling games on the PC for the last decade and while those of us who love gory first person shooters will snigger at the prospect of playing the latest incarnation of EAs cash cow, there are many more who will dedicate months of their life to this virtual world. Sales figures alone prove this. The all important question however, does Sims 3 deliver the goods?
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by John Erikson on 31/05/2009
Battlestations: Pacific is the followup to 2007‘s Battlestations: Midway, a title which was a good seller for Eidos. Pacific is a bigger venture with a new Japanese campaign to partner with the American campaign and there are other touches to bring it firmly into 2009.
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by John Erikson on 26/05/2009
Zombies have long been a favourite of modern society and there is nothing I enjoy more than watching a George A. Romero horror film then heading online to frag with my buddies in Left4Dead. Today we look at a new game available on Steam from Tripwire Interactive called Killing Floor that was initially released as an Unreal Tournament 2004 mod almost four years ago.
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by John Erikson on 23/05/2009
Do you miss the days of simple, intense first person shooters with little concern for storyline and total focus on slaughtering as many enemies as you can fit on screen? Today might be your lucky day because NecroVisioN is set to deliver a fragfest with all the subtlety of getting hit square in the face with a sledgehammer.
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by John Erikson on 19/05/2009
Mysteries of Westgate was finished a year ago but due to behind the scene issues with DRM protection it has taken a long time to bring the adventure pack to public release. Unfortunately while this was happening Storm Of Zehir was released which featured enhancements not only to the party mechanics but to the engine.
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by John Erikson on 18/05/2009
All Fronts comprises all the maps from the Combustible, Flashback and Snowblind packs and also features seven brand new maps in a collection entitled Dark Corners. These are a collection of environments set all over Sera in a plethora of environments.
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by John Erikson on 15/05/2009
GH was at EAs Pre-E3 party last week in Los Angeles and we had a look at Biowares demo of Dragon Age: Origins for the PC. The game is looking very adult oriented with a plethora of gore and sex on offer - if you werent interested beforehand, I reckon you are now, right? The role playing game features a new Marilyn Manson video preview with a huge battle and even some depicts some naughty skin action.
Caution Advised Adult Content.
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by John Erikson on 13/05/2009
TOW 2: Africa 1943 is the sequel to the successful Theatre Of War and features a huge sense of scale as well as intuitive camera structuring to let the gamers get right into the heat of the battle. There are some issues however which could possibly ruin the experience for many which we will detail in the review today.
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by John Erikson on 12/05/2009
MMOs are for a specific type of gamer. Those guys (and gals) who sit for many months and dedicate a huge portion of their life to exploring game worlds, improving their characters and joining guilds. When a new one is released there is normally a rush to see what is on offer and if there will be enough to maintain interest to build up a rich and diverse community of players. Many people are looking for a game to replace World Of Warcraft, the insanely successful game from Blizzard.
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by John Erikson on 11/05/2009
Tower defense games seem to be all the craze lately with every platform having a multitude at their disposal already. Heck, even the Iphone has a few really good titles available on the Itunes store. Today we are looking at the newest title available on Steam for a few bucks by developer PopCap called Plants Vs Zombies. This game is set to become a classic because it combines addictive gameplay while oozing charm and personality from every line of code.
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by John Erikson on 07/05/2009
Zeno Clash is an independent first person game based on Valves Source engine. It has been getting much acclaim since its release and developer ACE Team have managed to create something original and entertaining.
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by Asmoday on 06/05/2009
Released recently on Steam is a little unknown game from developer Replay Studios. Imagine a WWII stealth-like mixture of Thief and Splinter Cell without a massive budget then you get the basic overview of the game.
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by John Erikson on 24/04/2009
Runes Of Magic is a new game from Taiwanese developer Runewalker Entertainment. As a free to play MMO we were immediately concerned that it would be rubbish, but during testing we found many positive qualities.
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by John Erikson on 23/04/2009
Battleforge is an ambitious title from Electronic Arts which combines the competitive and social nature of online multiplayer games with the addictive and compelling nature of collectible card games to combine them into a meticulously presented strategy experience. Is this unusual hybrid any fun to play however?
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by John Erikson on 21/04/2009
If you combine The Fast and the Furious with Unreal Tournament then you end up with the game we have on review today - Death Track Resurrection. A weird hybrid of a combat/racing game that is actually based on a 1989 Activision game called Deathtrack. Russian developer, Sky Fallen handle the coding but unfortunately there are more than a few issues.
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by John Erikson on 20/04/2009
Demigod is the latest title from Stardock and Gas Powered Games which shipped about a week ago. This is a multiplayer based real time strategy game which unfortunately has some major issues and they have been hard at work for the last 3 or 4 days patching them.
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by John Erikson on 17/04/2009
Braid was released last year on Xbox Live Arcade and received passionate acclaim from both critics and the public. It was a compelling and fascinating title from a small independent developer which proved the point that sometimes the most creative concepts dont come from huge publishing corporations. Today we take a look at the PC version which is available to purchase on steam.
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by John Erikson on 16/04/2009
Unreal Tournament III has been a massively successful game for Midway and Epic with gamers still online playing en masse. Very recently a new expansion was released called The Titan Pack which provides more than a simple addition of mutators or maps. Unreal tournament fans can delight in the new offerings...
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by John Erikson on 14/04/2009
Games based on films are rarely good with exceptions to this rule being very uncommon. Today we look at a PC game based around the new 3D movie Monsters V Aliens which is proving popular with a wide cinema going audience. Is this another licensed game to avoid however or is it worth your time?
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by John Erikson on 12/04/2009
It seems to be a prime time for Vin Diesel with several computer games including Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena released recently. Today we are taking a look at Wheelman, a game much closer to what you would expect from the musclebound anti hero if you went to the cinema to see his latest film. It is all about fast cars, lovely looking women and plenty of weaponry. The mainstream press have slated this recently, but I find it quite enjoyable!
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by John Erikson on 08/04/2009
The Godfather was a big seller for Electronic Arts and today we have a look at the sequel, a title which not only adds some strategy to the game play mechanic, but which also attempts to mirror some key story elements of the film.
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by John Erikson on 07/04/2009
Battlefield has been a huge success on the next generation consoles, however the real strength of the franchise has always been firmly rooted on the PC. Electronic Arts and DICE are preparing for a sequel which promises tons of destruction and as much chaos as you could possibly handle. We recently spent some time with them looking at an early version of the game which is due out this winter.
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by John Erikson on 06/04/2009
Escape from Butcher Bay was loved by PC gamers the world over and today we take a look at the sequel which follows Riddick on his new journey. "They say hope begins in the dark... The Darkness, for me, is where I shine."
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by John Erikson on 31/03/2009
It would be fair to say that MMORPGs are taking ground from single player RPGs on the PC in recent years so today it is with much interest that we take a look at Square Enixs Last Remnant, a game which originally hit the Xbox 360 in late 2008. Those familiar with the game will find a host of improvements and tweaks to make the experience even more enjoyable however the game is not without fault.
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by John Erikson on 28/03/2009
Grand Ages: Rome is the followup to Glory Of The Roman Empire and Imperium Romanium from developer Kalypso Media. Both of these were pretty much run of the mill city building titles so we will find out today if the new game is going to be a more appealing investment.
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by John Erikson on 25/03/2009
Red Alert 3 proved to be a big seller for Electronic Arts and was a popular title with the Command and Conquer fanbase. Today we are looking at the expansion pack with provides a strong addition to the single player element. Some people will be pleased to hear that Uprising is a full standalone title so you dont need the first title installed in order to play.
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by John Erikson on 20/03/2009
Massive Entertainment released World In Conflict late 2007 and it was an instant success with the gaming community. It comprised great graphics with an intuitive RTS mechanic and was great fun to play. Recently they released an expansion pack for the game which takes the original content, adds 6 new levels and gives a new perspective to sections of the storyline.
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by John Erikson on 14/03/2009
Perimeter was a strategy game that ended up a cult classic, and rightly so because it combined a competent little game engine with some addictive and very unusual gameplay. It did away with the usual RTS methodology and you were allowed to shape the landscape. It also used voxel technology to create dynamic and appealing environments. The reviews were positive and many people have been hanging on tenderhooks for the long awaited followup.
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by John Erikson on 13/03/2009
Shellshock 2: Blood Trails is a game from developer Rebellion who were responsible for Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron and The Simpsons Game. The title up for review today was produced on a limited budget and we will find out today if it shows.
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by John Erikson on 01/03/2009
I have been waiting on Empire Total War for a long time and Creative Assembly have delivered a fantastic strategic experience with the newest title in their successful franchise. Empire: Total War is one of the finest war games I have played because it not only refines several aspects of the Total War formula but it also throws a few curveballs into the mix.
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by John Erikson on 27/02/2009
Dirt was one of the most popular racing games when it was released as it featured not only killer gameplay but a total overhaul of their successful Colin McRae Rally franchise with a wonderful graphics engine, a great interface and a plethora of events to entertain a broad audience. Codemasters are set to follow up the success of the original with Dirt 2 which was announced in November last year.
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by John Erikson on 19/02/2009
Warhammer: Dawn Of War was a hugely successful real time strategy game and developer Relic have been hard at work on the much awaited sequel which is due for release in a couple of days time. There are some key changes set to breathe life into the franchise and today we will find out if it has been worth the wait.
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by John Erikson on 11/02/2009
Regular readers of Gamingheaven will be aware of our F.E.A.R. 2 preview recently and today we have a final release version of the game for our review. F.E.A.R. 2 is a new experience yet features, once again, Alma, the evil childlike dealer of death.
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by John Erikson on 10/02/2009
Take me down to the Paradise City where the grass is green and the girls are pretty - and with the Slash guitar riff the newest Electronic Arts game makes its entrance on the PC platform. The game is set in the fictional setting of Paradise City and it is up to you to win races, take shortcuts and reach the finish line faster than anyone else. Winning Challenges gets you new rides and better licenses to take on more difficult challenges. Has this console favourite made a good entrance to the PC market?
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by John Erikson on 03/02/2009
The snippet we seen was when Batman hauled the Joker back to Arkham in the passenger seat of the Batmobile. This story doesnt directly relate to any movie and it is instead set inside the Batman comic book universe. We were told that Jim Lees Wildstorm were involved and have created original character designs for the game. That said, things are that radical and all the characters, vehicles and weaponry all have a similar look to what we know and love.
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by John Erikson on 30/01/2009
Chronicles Of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay was a firm favourite with many PC gamers in 2003 as it combined some great class leading visuals with an attractive storyline and some great FPS action. This is a very rare feat for a movie tie in. Developer Starbreeze AB remain in control of the follow up so it is with high hopes that we sat with them and got some hands on time with the forthcoming Assault on Dark Athena.
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by John Erikson on 29/01/2009
We recently spent some time with Cryostatis developer Action Forms Limited and they let us play their forthcoming PhysX supported title. Many of you will have already tried out the graphics demo which has been available for a while. It certainly seems an ambitious title, but is it actually any good?
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by John Erikson on 28/01/2009
Command and Conquer 3 has been another successful game for Electronic Arts and it hasnt taken them long in developing an expansion pack which is going to be available as a download. Called Uprising it is scheduled to be released in March for $20 and it will ship with new units and maps and four more story campaigns as well as a new Commanders Challenger mode.
We recently sat down with EA and were shown a build of the game as well as some of the new content.
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by John Erikson on 22/01/2009
Many people arent even aware of the development of Sims 3 because everything relating to the game seems to have been kept relatively hush hush. Developer Maxis also handed the project over to EA Redwood Shores recently. It is actually quite a shock to learn that this title has been in development for around four years now. I was lucky enough to get a look at The Sims 3 when it was announced but recently I managed to spend some time in the new Sims town courtesy of EA.
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by John Erikson on 19/01/2009
Tom Clancys HAWX from Ubisofts Romania Studio puts the player in the cockpit of the latest fighter jets to create a high octane flight experience with plenty of tricks to separate it from the masses. We recently had some time to play a few of the new missions over Chicago and Washington, which proved to be a memorable experience.
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by John Erikson on 13/01/2009
We reviewed Mirrors Edge last year on the high definition consoles and today we are following up with the new PC version which features support for Nvidia PhysX. For those who missed it first time around developer DICE have attempted to recreate a high octane game built around the concept of a futuristic parkour environment. You climb, jump and scale obstacles, all while trying to avoid being shot by bloodthirsty armed troops.
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by John Erikson on 08/01/2009
Polish developer City Interactive release budget games for the PC and their previous outings haven't been that wonderful. Today however we are looking at their latest air combat game, Combat Wings: Battle Of Britain which actually turns out to be quite an enjoyable game.
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by John Erikson on 07/01/2009
Saints Row 2 was released on the next generation consoles quite a while ago and while similarities are always going to be made with it and Grand Theft Auto there are some quite large differences between the two .... What? Well for a start one is actually good fun, the other isn't!
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by John Erikson on 06/01/2009
We have looked at other GTR games before in the past and conclusions state that Simbin are one of the greatest developers of racing games on the PC platform. Combined with the RACE series they have proven to be class leading titles and today we are taking a look at the latest expansion to RACE 08, GTR Evolution.
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by John Erikson on 30/12/2008
Tower Defense games are popular right now with quite a few already available for the PC and even on the high definition console stores. Hidden Path Entertainment recently released Defense Grid: The Awakening on Steam but for $20 does it bring enough to the table to make it an addictive and fun experience?
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by John Erikson on 17/12/2008
If you are a fan of the horror genre then the game on review today may interest you. Outcry hails itself as an eerie and immersive world with a haunting musical score so it is with much anticipation and a pumping heart that we see if the title is worth the money.
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by John Erikson on 16/12/2008
The Shadow Odyssey is EverQuest II's fifth expansion and it introduces a new storyline as well as bringing back instanced group Dungeons and areas derived from the original EverQuest.
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by John Erikson on 10/12/2008
The original Gothic was released in 2001 and quickly became a favourite with RPG fans. In 2006 the quality suffered with Gothic 3, a game which was riddled with design flaws, bugs and logistical issues. This year Indian developer Trine Games have taken over from Piranha Bytes and are releasing Forsaken Gods, a standalone title. Is it any good?
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by John Erikson on 08/12/2008
Storm Of Zehir is the latest add on for Neverwinter Nights 2 and it is different in style to Mask Of The Betrayer. This game offers an expansive environment and lets you - the hero explore the world, free of a forced linear based 'main quest' able to explore the world on your own.
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by John Erikson on 03/12/2008
Grand Theft Auto was a big seller on the consoles earlier this year and deservedly so ... It told the story of immigrant Niko Bellic's adventures through the crime infested Liberty City. The PC version is upon us now and there are some new additions, including support for 32 multiplayer matches and an editor for making and recording clips from your in game sessions.
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by Asmoday on 01/12/2008
It is hard to believe that World Of Warcraft was released only 4 years ago as its path to success seems almost embedded into modern culture on a variety of levels. WOW as it is commonly known has held the MMORPG crown since it was released and with over 11 million subscribers it is hard to imagine its popularity will fade anytime soon. Wrath of the Lich King is the second expansion to Blizzard's game and has already sold in massive quantities. I am a long time fan of the series, so I am here to find out if it is worth your money.
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by Zardon on 23/11/2008
Lara Croft is undoubtedly one of the most well known game icons across the globe and Eidos have released the latest installment Underworld to capitalise on the success of Legend ... which was a great title. The question we aim to answer today, is this another archaeologist journey worth paying for?
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by John Erikson on 18/11/2008
Left 4 Dead is the newest team based game from Valve which puts you and some buddies into the role of a group of people battling against hordes of mutant zombies with a simple goal ... to stay alive and hopefully escape. Is this a modern-day Valve classic or just another run of the mill zombie romp?
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by John Erikson on 02/11/2008
Command & Conquer has been one of the most successful real time strategy franchises of all time and with the latest Red Alert incarnation in the series Electronic Arts have created a fun and entertaining strategy game which is sure to appeal to a huge audience.
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by John Erikson on 23/10/2008
Far Cry was one of my favourite first person shooter games of all time, so when I heard that a new team were making the 'follow-up', my heart sank. Ubisoft Montreal are responsible for the sequel and it shares absolutely nothing in common with the original classic of a few years ago. Yes, rest in peace Jack Carver.
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by John Erikson on 21/10/2008
Batman is developer Travellers Tales fifth outing in the LEGO series and the previous games in this genre have proven to be successful. LEGO Batman is different however in that it is the first not to be based on a movie or even a comic book. As it is an original story this game can follow its own path making the scope almost limitless.
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by John Erikson on 08/10/2008
It would be safe to say that we were disappointed with the console version of Brothers In Arms: Hells Highway which we recently reviewed. Today however we are taking a look at the PC version which hopefully has some improvements to the control system as well as the gameplay mechanic.
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by Veridian3 on 06/10/2008
As the popularity of the internet has grown, like any successful game the Football Manager series has developed a strong online community but the game has always retained its single player focus, until now. Today we preview the forthcoming Football Manager Live.
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by WhO_KnOwS on 26/09/2008
When fantasy worlds are concerned, the more dirty and gritty the lore is, the better. And by that metric, few can compete with Warhammer, be it the classic variant or the 40k space marines versus orcs one. But while having a good world to base your project on may be half of the work in the movie business, it doesnt matter all that much in the realm of games. Especially when you want to topple the king of MMOs - World of Warcraft.
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by John Erikson on 23/09/2008
The PC version of Flatout Ultimate Carnage is a port of the Xbox 360 title from last year. The game was warmly received when it was released on the console platform, but can the PC version bring anything fresh or exciting to the table?
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by John Erikson on 14/09/2008
Anyone who has played Crysis has strong opinions about the game. You either loved the ground breaking graphics and open landscapes, or you loathed the fact you needed the pc equivalent of a small nuclear power plant to run it. The followup Warhead is more action oriented which manages to keep all the strong points of the first game and adds new gameplay elements while lowering the computer requirements. A sure success? ... let's find out.
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by John Erikson on 11/09/2008
Battle March is a standalone expansion to Mark Of Chaos, the latest in a long line of popular strategy games. The new game features the greenskin and dark elf races in the single player campaign as well as adding a 'world domination' multiplayer mode playable via Gamespy's matching service.
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by John Erikson on 04/09/2008
Maxis are responsible for many addictive PC games, Simcity and the Sims are the first that spring to mind. Spore, however is their most ambitious project so far as you take control of a lifeform as it evolves from a cellular organism to the end result of being capable of intergalactic space travel. Is the game a classic however or just a rather nice diversion?
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by John Erikson on 04/09/2008
Those of you who fondly remember S.T.A.L.K.E.R. from last year will be waiting in some anticipation of the follow up. Does Clear Sky have the same vast landscapes and immersive environments?
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by John Erikson on 19/08/2008
Gas Powered Games are following up their success with Dungeon Siege by releasing a space fared romp aptly titled Space Siege. While the title naming convention is hardly awe-inspiring there is hope that the new title will recapture some of the excitement most of us remember with the original hack 'n slash.
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by John Erikson on 22/07/2008
Very little of worth has been released lately on the PC, however today we are taking a look at a new title from Crackpot Entertainment which is set to inject some interest in the adventure genre with a wacky game called Insecticide (Episode 1).
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by John Erikson on 21/07/2008
The definition of a game expansion is a pretty standardised concept. An expansion enhances and expands upon the original core gameplay, however SimCity Societies: Destinations ends up slightly different. They have introduced a Traveller mechanic which means you now have to consider how each new building will attract and serve the vacationers.
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by John Erikson on 01/07/2008
Lost Planet was one of those games that got critically panned when it was released and yet surprisingly against all odds, I thought it was a killer title. It was released in 2007 for Xbox 360 and PC and then was later ported over to Sonys Playstation 3. Colonies Edition is a greatest hits style release with extra content for the PC and Xbox 360 priced at a reasonable $29.99 in the USA.
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by John Erikson on 05/06/2008
Developer Frogware bring together Conan Doyles legendary Sherlock Holmes and Maurice LeBlancs Arsene Lupin in a rather unusual adventure style battle of wits. Is this a refreshing twist on a tried and tested formula or a waste of time?
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by John Erikson on 02/06/2008
Mass Effect was originally released on the Xbox 360 last November, it was an epic game combining all the best aspects of a pulsating, vibrant sci fi world populated by diverse and exciting alien races. The player stepped into the shoes of Commander Shepard, a hero out to solve a devious scheme to undermine the future of humanity in a rich and complex environment.
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by John Erikson on 28/05/2008
Conan the Barbarian, Conan the Cimmerian... whichever name you know him by Conan is without doubt one of the most famous fictional characters of all time. Starting life in the American pulp fiction magazine in the 1930s Conan has appeared in seventeen stories published back then and more than a couple since, as well as the movies that made Arniefamous and more recently various TV series.
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by Veridian3 on 13/05/2008
In 2005 Jonathan Mak began working on what he hoped would be an entertaining game with plenty of depth and ingenious design but after a portion of the development the result was, in his words "a complicated mess of rules and controls".
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by John Erikson on 09/05/2008
One of this year's biggest movies is set to be Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr. and of course with a blockbuster this size comes the obligatory game tie in. Unfortunately while the film is entertaining and fun, the game ends up a mish-mash of instantly forgettable proportions.
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by John Erikson on 01/05/2008
Jack Keane is a game clearly inspired by the classic Monkey Island from Lucasarts. Deck 13, the developer of Ankh have borrowed the traditional adventure fare, starring a brave chisel chinned hero (Keane), a hot headed love interest, silly pirates and a bad guy resplendent with camp moustache.
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by Asmoday on 25/04/2008
Europa Universalis: Rome is the latest title in this long standing franchise and for the first time has a setting in ancient Rome. If you are new to the Europa Universalis series you will be pleasantly surprised to hear that it is much more than just another war game. There are however some game crushing bugs which will ruin it for many.
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by John Erikson on 22/04/2008
We sent our guy John Erikson to talk to the Sacred 2 team, one of the most awaited forthcoming games to hit both PC and Xbox 360 platforms.
We would like to thank Hans Arno Wegner and Heiko Tom Felde for their time as well as many of the development team behind Sacred 2.
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by John Erikson on 11/04/2008
Imperium Romanum is a Roman themed strategy game based on 2006s Glory Of The Roman Empire, a less than stellar title that most of you reading this will never have played. With good reason too, because it was rubbish.
Unfortunately the sequel is even more mundane than the original despite the improvements to the graphics via the updated engine. The game looks good, however under the hood the graphical finesse hides a title lacking in gameplay and with a woefully unsophisticated combat mechanic.
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by John Erikson on 11/04/2008
Season Two of Sam and Max has been really strong so far with the last episode "Chariots Of the Dogs" being my favourite for witty jokes and razor sharp scripting. With the release of "What's New Beelzebub?", Telltale games are ending the season on a very strong footing, with Satan stealing the show.
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by John Erikson on 10/04/2008
The Total War series on the PC has been a huge success for years, with its indepth army style tactical element appealing to a wide array of strategic gamers. XIII Century: Death or Glory is a game in a similar vein (with a lower budget) by developer Unicorn Games Studios, but is it worth your money?
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by John Erikson on 09/04/2008
Assassin's Creed has been out for around six months now on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 and has proven to be not just a big seller but a very good game. Finally it has made the leap to the PC platform and I am pleased to say it has been worth the wait.
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by John Erikson on 08/04/2008
In 1997 a complex strategic game called Seven Kingdoms was released to critical acclaim and was popular with PC gamers across the globe. 11 years later, Enlight Software have released a follow up which is a fantasy RTS title pitting demons against humans.
Unfortunately this time around the game is extremely simplistic and has a plethora of serious bugs and glitches. There are few choices during gameplay and the campaign missions do not flow in any kind of story form and play more like skirmishes.
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by John Erikson on 26/03/2008
Kane's Wrath, The follow up expansion pack to the highly acclaimed C&C Tiberium Wars packs 13 new single player missions as well as 6 new subfactions and a global conquest campaign into the mix. The big question though, is it fresh enough to warrant a purchase?
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by John Erikson on 16/03/2008
The original was a big enough seller to assure sequels, two of which we have seen before today: Winter Assault and Dark Crusade. The latter was a major overhaul with focus on a RISK style world map interface however the third expansion, Soulstorm, isn't bringing any evolutionary new game play mechanics to the table. This time around the game developer is Iron Lore, who are known for making Titan Quest.
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by John Erikson on 15/03/2008
Chariot Of The Dogs is the latest in the long line of game shorts released for the PC and it focuses on the missing store clerk Bosco. I missed him from the last game so before I even started playing I knew this would be a great addition to the series. I am glad I was not wrong because this game is absolutely brilliant and is laced with the satire we all expect from the Sam and Max games.
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by WhO_KnOwS on 21/02/2008
As Page does one of his trademark guitar solos the resulting quick succession of grey blocks on the road ahead leaves me no choice but to smack headfirst into one of them and kiss a new highscore goodbye. Welcome to Audio-Surf, the game where you can literally see the music!
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by John Erikson on 13/02/2008
In 2003 S2 Games released a rather offbeat multiplayer game called Savage. It was unique because it contained action style elements found in first person shooter and fighting games and combined them with strategy game elements putting you in the midst of the action at ground level. Additionally a class based unit system and a high level command interface brought the team based side of the game a fresh edge. It would be fair to say however that the game mechanics and learning curve were rather difficult for new players.
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by John Erikson on 08/02/2008
The Sims: Castaway Stories is the latest in the long line of releases for this money making franchise. This time however it is a stand alone title, meaning you won't need to already own The Sims, The Sims 2 or The Sims: Life Stories to play it. The game is however based on the Sims 2, but is the first game to feel different to its predecessors.
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by WhO_KnOwS on 04/02/2008
If you are an RPG fan your choices are usually limited to fantasy or futuristic settings. At best there is a sporadic game here and there that offers role playing fans a chance to be a modern day character or perhaps a history inspired adventurer. With MMOs the choices are even more limited. Title after title has us battling dragons and sorcerers, with the occasional jump into the future where goblins are replaced by aliens and spells by rifles (for some reason swords tend to stay swords). So you can imagine how much interest Pirates of the Burning Sea generated when the authors promised this Caribbean based MMO. Heck, the game deserves a chance purely because of its unique setting. But is that all it has going for itself, or does it offer more?
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by John Erikson on 30/01/2008
The Gaming Industry is rife with huge corporations like Electronic Arts who spew forth endless reams of games each year, very often franchises that are guaranteed to fill their coffers. These games, can quite often lack a soul. Ok, that's a little melodramatic, EA aren't Lucifer reincarnated as many gamers would have you believe, however if like me, you occasionally long for something a little different then today I have a treat in store for you.
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by YouGamers on 24/01/2008
Picture a field in your mind and scale the size of it according to these phrases. Number of PC gamers in the world... BIG... number of PC gamers who love simulation titles... quite big... number of PC gamers who love trains... getting smaller... number of PC gamers who love simulation titles about trains. Okay, you get the general idea - it's a small market but one that's certainly worth a publisher having a go at. Microsoft thought so too, and seven years ago they commissioned UK-based Kuju Entertainment to produce their first Train Simulator game. They had planned a sequel but things went wrong for Kuju for a while, forcing the cancellation of the deal. However, the plucky developers soon got back on track (groan) and ploughed full steam ahead (even worse) with their own Rail Simulator - "an authentic railway experience."
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by WhO_KnOwS on 24/01/2008
Before you start writing us e-mails about the game being several months old let us reassure you that we are well aware of the fact. And believe it or not, we know that the game didn’t exactly impress most reviewers back when it was released. So why on earth are we writing a late review to a mediocre game when newer, better games are finally starting to appear? Because sometimes you have to spend more than a day with a game to fully appreciate it. Because sometimes a game sees so many improvements after release that it no longer is the game it was when it hit store shelves. And also because we are huge fans of Diablo 2 and let’s face it – Hellgate: London is as close as we’ll get to a true Diablo 2 successor for the time being.
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by WhO_KnOwS on 17/01/2008
Certain games scream clich from a mile off. Games like Command and Conquer or Crysis. The moment the game starts you know exactly how things will pan out and except for perhaps the occasional twist along the way nothing surprises you. Universe at War suffers from the same malady, at least on the surface. But beneath the predictable storyline and "generic aliens invade earth scenario" lies a hidden depth that just might pull the game out of the grim waters of mediocrity. That is if certain design blunders don’t make it fall short!
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by YouGamers on 16/01/2008
Earlier last year, Gas Powered Games released Supreme Commander, the spiritual successor to the revolutionary RTS game Total Annihilation. SC's reception was kind of a mixed bag, due to its rather unforgiving, newbie slaughtering game-mechanics, monstrous system requirements and flood of issues. SC capitalised mostly on catering to players who want to control grand armies, and coordinate lengthy, well planned combat manoeuvres, compared to the micro-management that we are accustomed to from games such as Company of Heroes or Command & Conquer 3. Supreme Commander's expansion, Forged Alliance, aims to enhance this in every possible way.
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by YouGamers on 01/01/2008
Kane & Lynch: Dead Men comes to you from IO Interactive, the creator of the popular Hitman game series. After four titles in a row for that series, IO have tried something different: a disturbing tale of two desperate convicts on a murderous rampage. Where Hitman was all about stealth and disguise, rewarding missions that were carried out unseen and unheard, in Kane & Lynch you make a lot of noise and spill a lot of blood.
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by WhO_KnOwS on 20/12/2007
Name 5 trademark Xbox 360 games of the top of your head! Gears of War, Halo 3, Forza 2, erm... Dead Rising... *cough*. Well? Still missing a game. Yes, I know it’s on the tip of your tongue but you are afraid to say it. No? Ok, then I’ll say it for you: Viva Piata! One of the most unique looking games released in the last 10 years, this jewel from Rare didn’t receive the amount of attention it deserved on the 360. So, after over a year the game is trying its luck with a different crowd, one that is known for being more open towards original ideas. Can Viva Piata make it on the PC?
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by Vesper on 15/12/2007
Lets face it; this month could easily be considered the most competitive time to release an FPS on the PC. Games like Unreal Tournament 3, Gears of War, Crysis, and Call of Duty 4 were all set to come out, and amongst the pack remains one less known title. TimeShift, which has seen development changes and delays, finally decided to release itself amongst all the chaos. Even so, the game has a unique charm about it that you wont want to miss.
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by WhO_KnOwS on 08/12/2007
Tabula Rasa (Latin, stands for clean slate or chance to start anew) was supposed to be another game on the long list of fantasy MMOs, but during development Richard Garriott and his team decided to scrap that idea and start from scratch (a clean slate indeed, heh), this time going with a more Sci-Fi theme. If you saw the cinematic trailer for the game (which also acts as the intro sequence), you know that humanity no longer calls earth its home. After a brutal invasion that pretty much ensured nothing more than single cell organisms survived, Earth was left behind, forcing humanity to start rebuilding their lives on alien planets. The interesting thing is that at the time of the invasion humans weren’t yet a spacefaring species, so the question arises how they escaped the catastrophe? Well, unknown to most of the population, governments discovered portals left on earth by an ancient civilization. They used these portals to evacuate a limited number of people, all handpicked in order to ensure humanity lives on.
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by YouGamers on 04/12/2007
Video game franchises are volatile entities. With each successive release of a popular franchise, publishers walk a fine line between pleasing existing fans and attracting new ones. Driving fresh sales with changes to gameplay can backfire terribly, as the fans that made a series a success in the first place may walk away in disgust. Yet publishers are reluctant to ditch previously successful branding, so a profitable series is likely to soldier on until its final iteration resembles its first release in name only. Some games have such valuable pedigrees that even the worst gameplay isn't enough to hamper the critical reception; take the extended technology demo known as Doom 3, for instance.
Other games, however, such as Sierra's recently released real-time strategy game Empire Earth 3, can't survive on branding alone. 2007 has seen a number of superb releases in the real-time strategy genre, and the Empire Earth name alone isn't enough to carry the third game in the series if the gameplay isn't up to par. Given the generally excellent reception of the series' previous release, continued success for the series is no easy task - and by no means guaranteed.
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by YouGamers on 19/11/2007
Does Emergence Day sound to you like a haughty euphemism for childbirth? Does the phrase "Can't stop the Train, baby!" hold no irony for you? Even if you're a stalwart PC-only gamer, it was hard to miss the hype surrounding the release of Epic's Gears of War on the Xbox 360. If you did happen to be living in a cave - a cave without electricity, even - or were visiting the moon during November of last year, then you had no reason to feel slighted by Epic and Microsoft for not bringing Gears of War to the PC at the same time as the Xbox 360 release. PC gamers on planet Earth, however, likely felt a twinge of hostility toward Epic for withholding a PC release until the Xbox 360 version sold enough copies to buy designer Cliff Bleszinski 24-karat gold pants. When the subject of a Gears of War PC port was first broached with Epic vice president Mark Rein, he initially refused to acknowledge the existence of any such master plan. But as sales of the game quickly approached infinity plus one, Rein's denial soon turned to cageyness and then to confirmation. Which leads us to today: PC gamers, Emergence Day is nigh. It's time to tear through some Locust the way nature intended: in high-resolution goodness, with a mouse and a keyboard.
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by YouGamers on 19/11/2007
Horror author Clive Barker last lent his name and narrative talent to a video game six years ago. The PC-only release, Clive Barker's Undying, was notably spooky in its delivery, if a bit derivative in gameplay. Recently, Barker took some time off from writing (and from an ongoing slap-fight with film critic Roger Ebert) to work on a new game. For his current spin on the video game merry-go-round, the author teams up with publisher Codemasters and developer Mercury Steam to deliver another horror-themed FPS. That game, Clive Barker's Jericho, is getting AAA-style treatment, with ports to the PC, Playstation 3 and Xbox 360, and an ad campaign both in print and on television. With some serious resources behind it, will Jericho match the critical success of Undying?
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by WhO_KnOwS on 13/11/2007
When Gothic 3 hit the shelves earlier this year it was met with mixed reactions. Some (including Gaming Heaven) thought the game had a lot of potential and was enjoyable enough to ignore some of it's rather glaring shortcomings . Others however weren’t as forgiving and gave the game developers a hard time. Unfortunately for the games developers soon bit the dust, so any real hopes Gothic 3 had of becoming what it was meant to be were snuffed out then and there. But just as RPG fans started losing hope for a more dark, brutal fantasy RPG ... out of nowhere (well, not really – the game has been on every RPG player’s list for a while now) came The Witcher with its dark, almost realistic approach at fantasy adventuring.
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by Zardon on 02/11/2007
We recently spoke with Christofer Strasz, Lead Functionality and UI Designer, Richard Garriott’s Tabula Rasa about the forthcoming TABULA RASA. We will also soon have some of these games to give away on Gaming Heaven.
Be sure to check out the interview, this game looks like it is going to be extremely different to anything we have seen !
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by Zardon on 28/10/2007
GH: Hi Michal, can you tell us your relation to the forthcoming game: "The Witcher"?
Michal: My name is Michal Madej and for the past three years I have been the games chief designer, which inevitably means that I have been responsible for the general conceptualisation of The Witcher. Consequently, I set the course for all the individual designer departments that were tasked with combat, character development, plot, GUI, as well as many smaller aspects of the game.
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by YouGamers on 19/10/2007
Some games go out of their way to try and push the envelope of gaming - either technologically or as a form of art - and some just use the available technology and mould it to fit their goal of providing a package of mindless fun. Stranglehold is firmly standing in the latter camp, where content and fun drives the development and the technical details are secondary to the game. What you get is a tight package of M-rated, over-the-top gun play without any pretences for a deep and involving storyline - and there is nothing wrong with that.
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by WhO_KnOwS on 18/10/2007
Today Peter takes a look at Valve's Hot "Orange Box" comprising Half Life 2, Half Life 2: Episode 1/2, Portal and Team Fortress 2.
Is it worth your money?
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by WhO_KnOwS on 12/10/2007
Half Life games are quite possibly amongst the most revered PC titles of the recent years. And how could they not be? Both the original and its sequel pushed forward the boundaries of FPS story-telling, making players experience the story first hand, not through directed cinematics. That was not all they did however! With great AI, graphics engines that were amongst the prettiest of the generation and some of the most memorable scenes in gaming the two defined what PC gaming was all about. As if all of this wasn’t enough, Valve decided to push the boundaries in content delivery as well, bringing forward Steam and inevitably episodic games. HL2 Episode 1 was not amongst the longest games of last year, but it was without doubt one of the best shooters we had the pleasure of playing. Valve are also well known for learning from their mistakes, so let’s see what Episode 2 has in store for us!
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by Vesper on 07/10/2007
When thinking of Quake, traditionally one would picture the fast paced arena shooters that are all about blowing off your opponent’s face before they do the same to you. While that has been the only multiplayer Quake games offered until now (not counting mods), Splash Damage decided to fuse the Quake universe with a more strategic side of gaming after seeing the success Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory. As the name suggests Nazis and Allies got replaced with the Strogg and GDF, for what could end up being one of the most memorable wars ever.
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by WhO_KnOwS on 05/10/2007
Town/City building games were very popular back in the day with titles like SimCity, Caesar (and later Zeus and Pharaoh) getting a new sequel every year or two. Yes, those were really the times for us strategists who prefer to count the coins in our treasury and make tax cuts instead of sending troops into the fray. The Settlers have been a classic since the early days, combining a cartoonish look with a very deep, often mind-numbing resource system where entire chains of resources were needed for some of the final products. The new Settlers games left most with a sour taste in their mouths, so expectations weren’t too high. On the other hand Blue Byte promised to make a return to their roots, simplifying things in the process. The result, although not quite like the old Settlers games, might just be what it takes to bring the series back on the map.
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by YouGamers on 25/09/2007
It's that time of the year again, with EA Sports pumping out the yearly updates to their sports franchises. Madden NFL 08 has already received some nasty remarks about bugs, some praise for its stunning new visuals and been at the center of controversy revolving around the fact that the PS3 version runs only at 30fps while Xbox 360 manages 60fps. But wait - all those things apply only to the new shiny console editions. What about the PC version? Well, the good news is that it sure runs at 60fps, and there are no bugs with players running off the field. The bad news is that the game actually has little to do with the much-publicized next-gen console versions.
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by WhO_KnOwS on 24/09/2007
Playing WiC it is sometimes hard to tell that the game was developer primarily as a multiplayer game. Sure enough the online modes and mechanics are amongst the best, and you’ll probably experience some of the best moments of gaming here. It is the singleplayer that really shines though. The very action paced campaign will give you almost no time to breathe, and even the few moments of respite you’ll get will probably be spent being angry, sad and happy with the on-screen characters. And it will be during these moments that you’ll realize that WiC is more than just a strategy game. After all, when was the last time you wanted to smack somebody up when playing Warcraft?
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by YouGamers on 18/09/2007
As recent releases have attested to, the modern PC is still king when it comes to simulations. Titles such as Microsoft's Flight Simulator X (flying) and SimBin's GTR 2 (auto racing) accurately capture the richness of real-world experiences on a computer monitor. From military strategy to sports, there's a PC simulation available for most passions. One notable void, however, is maritime simulation. Boating and sailing enthusiasts have been forced to choose from a small number of less-than-stellar titles. Looking to fill that void is Dutch developer VSTEP, with their Ship Simulator 2008 (published by Lighthouse Interactive), the follow-up to their introductory maritime depiction Ship Simulator 2006.
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by Zardon on 12/09/2007
What is it that makes WWII such a popular scenario for video games? Is it the fact that it is recent, yet long enough ago to allow it to be used by popular media? Is it that it was as morally unambiguous a war as there has been? Is it the combination of weaponry and squad-level tactics? Or is it just the 'ding' noise from the M1 Garand as the clip is ejected?
Whatever it is, WWII games have fallen out of favour in the last year or two. With the exception of the magnificent Company of Heroes, there's a sense among many gamers that we've “seen it all before”. There is possibly a seed of truth in this: WWII games have often borrowed heavily from film and television depictions of the second World War. Think of the Omaha beach landing in MOH:AA, and Saving private Ryan; or maybe Carentan in Call of Duty, and Band of Brothers. Perhaps this game-ifying of the silver screen's set-pieces, music and art has dulled our senses to something new and exciting from that era.
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by Spyre on 14/08/2007
A few years back it would have been near impossible to find a PC point and click style adventure game, as they were a dying breed. With the big 3D graphics boom players somehow lost interest in the genre for some reason. Thankfully we’re currently experiencing a mini resurgence of adventure games and there seems to be some interest in the genre once again. Evil days of Luckless John does follow the latest trends, so it is fully 3D. It isn't content to rest on the achievements of other older adventures and mixes some new elements into the gameplay such as physics, which play a part in puzzles. There are also short driving sections and we even get to fire a gun from a FPS style viewpoint. The game is a comedy adventure rather than one that is deadly serious, so it may not appeal to everyone especially as its hard to get comedy in games right (I could write an entire article about this).
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by WhO_KnOwS on 12/08/2007
It is becoming increasingly hard to play a good horror game. The last decent offering was Condemned on the Xbox 360 and before that the latest Resident Evil on the GameCube (and later PS2 and PC). Sure, there was a plethora of semi-decent releases on the PS2 just a year or two back, but other than the Silent Hill series most of these games never made it big outside of Japan. Surprisingly enough the first Obscure, a game marketed primarily at the western audience somehow managed to slip under the radar, even though it was just as good as the Silent Hill games and offered some unique takes on how horror games should be done.
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by WhO_KnOwS on 03/08/2007
I could start this review by complaining how the Wild West theme isn’t used enough in games. Then I’d mention Desperados and Gun as the only two even remotely recent games that touch on the subject. But I won’t. You know why? Because being a Wild West themed game is not Call of Juarez’s biggest attribute. In fact, there were a few moments in the game where I was actually sick of the whole cowboy theme and just wanted to pull out a sonic rifle and start shooting aliens. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
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by Spyre on 01/08/2007
Who wouldn’t want their own robot?! It would come in incredibly handy, although I'm sure we would all end up being unable to move due to the lack of exercise, I know I would. After all, we would have the robot do everything possible and we would just sit in a chair and watch the TV eating junk food. (Un)fortunately robots are way too expensive and limited in their scope, so I will still be tidying the house tonight and doing all those boring chores. At least an independent company has released a cool game based on Robots, so all is not lost!
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by WhO_KnOwS on 30/07/2007
If you gave the first predecessor a chance you probably liked it. Regardless of which version you tried you got solid gameplay, good visuals and some pretty intense movie like action scenes. The Xbox360 version leaned a bit towards pure actions while the PC version catered to a more mature, tactic seeking crowd. With GRAW 2 for the Xbox360 Ubisoft played it safe and delivered an exact replica of the first with some minor adjustments done here and there, repacked in a more rural setting. Can they strike gold with the PC version as well, or are we PC gamers a tougher crowd to please?
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by WhO_KnOwS on 27/07/2007
The first thing that needs to be said about OftP is that your enjoyment of the game is largely dependent on your skill level and how much you care for the Harry Potter universe. If you are a hardcore gamer that avoids anything branded with the Harry Potter name like the plague, you might want to steer clear of this title as well. If on the other hand you enjoy platforming and puzzle games or are into the whole saga, you will probably enjoy this game a lot. Why, you ask? Let me explain.
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by WhO_KnOwS on 23/07/2007
If you remember the first Civilization IV expansion Warlords, you will know that outside of adding military hero units and doing some tweaks across the board, the expansion didnt change the way the game played in any major way. That is not the case this time around as Beyond the Sword introduces some drastic changes that alter the entire fabric of playing.
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by WhO_KnOwS on 05/07/2007
PC gamers are generally very biased when it comes to console ports. No surprises here, as the vast majority of ports end up being stinking piles of dog doodoo. Because of that even the games that would deserve the attention often get overlooked or worse, criticized regardless of their quality. Lost Planet aims to break this tradition, as it not only is a port of a next-gen game that has been optimized for the PC, but instead raises the graphical bar a few notches higher. If you played the game on the Xbox360 you will know that it can look amazing. Now imagine what happens when the DX9 level graphics get some additional make up in the form of DX10 support. Brain melting graphics coupled with some decent gameplay would be nice, wouldn’t you say so?
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by WhO_KnOwS on 27/06/2007
Sam and Max: Hit the Road holds a special place in every adventurer’s heart. How could it not? Created by Steve Purcell, the dynamic duo’s insane adventure across the US of A was filled with black humour, out of this world puzzle solutions and some of the best conversations this side of an asylum’s walls. Considering the success the game had it took a surprisingly long time before a sequel was announced, let alone released. After a few years of uncertainty and publisher juggling the detective dog and manic rabbit pair finally saw the light of day in the form of Episode 1 of the 6 part Season 1 story arc. The series was originally exclusive to the online service GameTap and was recently added to Steam and will soon be available in stores as well. Because of that we decided to see what Season 1 can offer as a full-priced game.
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by WhO_KnOwS on 16/06/2007
Making a two year old Xbox game the first Vista only title was probably one of the most bizarre decisions made by Microsoft lately. First of all, Vista is supposed to be a next-gen operating system, so using a game that barely has any DX9 functionality is kind of dumb. Secondly, from the millions of gamers out there the majority of those who wanted to play Halo 2 already did it on the Xbox. That leaves a relatively low number of PC only gamers as potential buyers, but even then only a fraction of them are running Vista. So what was Microsoft thinking I ask you?
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by WhO_KnOwS on 11/06/2007
In the beginning there was Indiana Jones but no matter how cool Indy was, he was soon forgotten once Lara Croft first appeared in Tomb Raider. By todays standards the game was awful low resolution textures, blocky environments, a retarded camera system and triangular breasts (which we all still drooled over nevertheless, right?). The game spawned a legacy that is still alive and kicking today, though only a few selected titles in the series were any good. With the recent jumpstart the franchise got with TR: Legend and 2007 being the 10th anniversary of the series the news that the original game would be remade caused quite the uproar amongst fans. Was the uproar warranted?
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by Zardon on 26/05/2007
GH: Can you describe for us exactly what kind of game this is, and the type of gamer who will be attracted to it?
Michal: “The Witcher” is a very modern adaptation of the classic RPG, where great effort is placed on an intricate, non-linear, and absorbing plot. Additional strong points of the game are its original, unusual, and adult fantasy world, which the player gets to explore through Geralt – the story’s main character, the legendary monster slayer, known also as the White Wolf. Moreover, “The Witcher” offers electrifying, dynamic, and visually spectacular combat. Largely thanks to these characteristics, I strongly believe that the game will strike a positive chord with a wide section of gamers. After all, who of us has not fallen spell before to an intriguing plot, stimulating action, and charismatic heroes?
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by Sandok on 24/05/2007
The main story of the game, as you can surely guess, follows the same plot as the movie, but Treyarch knew this wouldnt be enough and thankfully, gave many parallel side missions with famous villains from the comic books too, keeping the spider within all of us contempt. Overall, thats forty-two different missions, without counting the extra challenges like skydiving and such spread out throughout the city. But will you actually want to finish these numerous missions? Well, the answer might surprise you
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by Zardon on 19/05/2007
Gaming Heaven has an interview with Michal Madej - the chief designer for the much awaited forthcoming PC title "The Witcher".
GH: Can you describe for us exactly what kind of game this is, and the type of gamer who will be attracted to it?
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by WhO_KnOwS on 17/05/2007
Based on the success of World of Warcraft and the huge fanbase the world of Tolkien has, it was only a matter of time before a Middle-Earth based MMO would see the light of day. The name Lord of the Rings Online would probably be enough to sell anything, even an empty box, so it was a nice surprise when it was announced that Turbine would be the developers of the game. Their games might not be as popular as Blizzards, but when it comes to MMOs they are one of the biggest names in the field. Was their talent enough to give justice to Tolkiens high fantasy setting?
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by WhO_KnOwS on 11/05/2007
This (re)volution happened back in 2001 and today the game has a huge following. But even though Bohemia did an exemplary job with OFP, some aspects of the game left fans crying for more. Over the years the insane amount of mods available made most of the complaints moot, but the announcement of OFP2 still made a lot of people ecstatic. After years without a single word from Bohemia, fans started to get worried and after Bohemia lost the rights to the franchise things looked very grim. Luckily Bohemia didnt intend to go down without a fight and the result of their strong will is Armed Assault.
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by WhO_KnOwS on 07/05/2007
You know how with some games you can tell if they are good or not from a mile away? Or how you can sometimes play a game that is just about perfect on the surface, but there is something wrong with it deep down under it all? You can't point your finger at it, but it's there. Dawn of Magic is the exact opposite. At first glance it is a mediocre Diablo clone that would only interest the die-hard action RPG fans. But the more you play it, the more you realize that the authors managed to strike the nail on the head in terms of progression speed, game world character and unique features.
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by WhO_KnOwS on 02/05/2007
What's the hottest PC game out right now? Judging by the sales numbers World of Warcraft is still way ahead of the pack. Now, from a publisher’s perspective the best thing to do is to try and copy the game, hoping for an equally successful title to be made. The problem is, the market is kind of saturated right now, so not only is it hard to penetrate the market, it’s near impossible to make a title that is different enough from the rest yet at the same time generic enough to fit all tastes. A possible solution? Instead of copying WoW have a look at Blizzard’s back catalogue and do your best to mimic one of the games on the list. If it worked out for Titan Quest it sure as hell can for a game that has zombies with cannons sticking out from their abdomen!
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by Zardon on 18/04/2007
With the next-generation console war in full swing, it sometimes feels as if PC gamers are left behind, especially when it concerns new innovative ideas. Games like Okami or Guitar Hero II just don’t exist on the PC platform and instead, gamers have to settle for the typical FPS, RTS and RPG genres. While this is far from being a bad thing, I do wish that from time to time, developers would bring some those unique console games over. Thankfully, Atari and Eden Games have heard my cry for innovation, given that they’ve ported Test Drive Unlimited over to the PC. And trust me, no need to complain how this is “just another car game”, because it’s so much more than that.
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by WhO_KnOwS on 30/03/2007
Kane is back!
3 words that changed everything. If Tiberium Wars was regarded as a potentially good game prior to the announcement, it became one of the most anticipated RTS games of 2007 after it. Online forums were filled with posts about C&C once again; tiberium was a commonly used word, just like it was almost a decade ago. Fears about the quality of the game were next to forgotten – I mean, if you have Kane in the game it simply can’t be anything less than superb, right?
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by Zardon on 29/03/2007
s been quite some time since I anticipated something with so much excitement that my palms became sweaty and my pulse raced. But, the nearer I came to arriving at the local Frys Outpost Tuesday afternoon of the 27th of March, the more excited I got. Anyone whos been reading the DriverHeaven forums for any length of time over the past year will already know what a fan I am of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. (Fanatic, anyone?)
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by WhO_KnOwS on 27/03/2007
Most games fall into well defined genres, but S.T.A.L.K.E.R is an exception to the rule. It cant really be classified as an RPG, even though it offers many of the genres attributes, and it cant be called a pure FPS either, seeing as it has those RPG elements. While this isnt anything new per say (Deus Ex for example), GSC Game World dared to try and mix two genres, creating the unique experience that is S.T.A.L.K.E.R.
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by WhO_KnOwS on 05/03/2007
When it comes to RPGs, Bioware are without equal. They have created wonders such as the Baldur's Gate series, quite possible the best fantasy RPG ever created, as well as given tools to the community with the hugely successful Neverwinter Nights. After a brief adventure in space in the form of Knights of the Old Republic, they sought a new challenge the result of which was Jade Empire for the Xbox. While not the pinnacle of their work, it was still a great game with few flaws – one of them being its relatively repetitive gameplay. Another glaring problem, one which has been recently fixed, was the lack of a PC version. It might be worth seeing if that’s the only issue that was fixed.
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by Sandok on 21/02/2007
The large majority of videogames fall into well defined genres such as First Person Shooters, Flight Simulations or Role Playing Games. But there will always be exceptions that simply can’t be classified, instead creating their own unique niche in the market. One such game is French developed Trackmania, which was originally released almost four years ago and became an instant fan favorite. To understand how much of a success this series has turned out to be, a quick search for Trackmania on YouTube will display an impressive amount of community created videos, like the spectacular and mesmerizing 1K Project. In fact, these fervent guys haven’t just stopped at videos, creating thousands of tracks and car models too, showing their zealous adoration for the franchise.
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by WhO_KnOwS on 19/02/2007
Hype can be a games worst enemy. It creates expectations that are often blown out of proportion and are impossible to meet. And right up there with hype is having a popular predecessor. Unite both and you get a game that has to not only cater to the originals players but also bring enough to the table to convince the rest that the hype was not based on empty promises. Supreme Commander is in this exact situation and it is inevitable that somebody will be disappointed. The question is who.
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by WhO_KnOwS on 09/02/2007
The current direction most MMOs are taking is cloning World of Warcraft. While this is to be expected due to its huge success we are left to wonder if that is what we consumers really want. I personally like WoW, but I'd much rather play a game that is a bit harder, doesn't allow so many instant traveling options and is as a whole more hardcore. I'm absolutely positive that I'm not the only one who harbors such feelings, because Sigil sure as hell wouldn't create a game like that just for me.
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by WhO_KnOwS on 01/02/2007
The Warhammer universe is one of the most developed fantasy worlds out there. In fact, one of the most popular computer fantasy worlds – the Warcraft universe, borrows heavily from it. At first glance it is a rather typical medieval place filled with humans, elves, dwarves, demons and other run of the mill fantasy creatures. A deeper inspection reveals several key differences however. Technologically speaking this world is years ahead of a standard fare fantasy place with musketeers and blazing cannons playing a key role in battles. The constant warfare also made the landscape itself almost barren and the dominant colors of the sky range between brown and red. As you can imagine such a place is the perfect place to wage glorious battles and I have never before felt like the gameworld actually wanted me to slaughter the enemy armies.
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by WhO_KnOwS on 31/01/2007
For a few years now market analytics have been saying that PC gaming is in decline. Judging from the sales figures of PC games there is at least some truth to their claims. But every single claim of theirs is void when you look at the sales figures of Blizzards MMO behemoth World of Warcraft. The latest reports say that currently there are over 8 million active subscribers playing the game, every one of them shelling $15 per month to Blizzard.
Surprisingly it seems that even those numbers are not big enough for the team responsible for WoW. As with every MMO an expansion pack was bound to come out and I'm sure that no matter how bad it was people would still buy it like there was no tomorrow. But as Blizzard have shown with The Frozen Throne (the expansion pack for Warcraft III) their expansions are usually just as good as the original product if not better. That leaves us with the question: Just how good is The Burning Crusade?
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by Sandok on 22/01/2007
For the vast majority of people, the only aeronautical simulation known to them is Microsoft’s renowned Flight Simulator series. Personally, even though I have great respect for that franchise, I just never considered it that entertaining and usually found myself trying to crash the planes in the most amusing ways possible instead of just flying them. Fortunately, for other flight simulation aficionados like me, there are alternatives; better known as the Falcon, Lock On and IL-2 Sturmovik series. All of these games are utterly unforgiving and realistic, bringing combat flight simulation to the masses. Whereas the first two games that I mentioned are based on modern-day warfare, the latter is all about aviation during the Second World War. Although, like many people, I find that the market is saturated with games from the WW2 era, when it comes to flight combat, nothing beats good’ole dogfighting. And since another expansion for Oleg Maddox’s excellent flight simulation was recently released, called IL-2 Sturmovik: 1946, I just had to go out and try it!
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by Sandok on 10/01/2007
ully hydraulic racing seats are readily available for gamers with deep pockets, as are intricate joysticks with integrated LCD screens. Personally, I consider these different accessories as optional extras because they mostly help players with the immersion factor, little else. Apparently, the same can’t be said about a new and pioneering product called TrackIR, which according to its creators NaturalPoint, literally puts your head in the game for unparalleled immersion and playability.
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by WhO_KnOwS on 28/12/2006
Since EQ2 came out the game has seen tons of changes. Some of them were minor (interface tweaks, zone population balancing, etc.) but a great number of them were major. The combat in the game was completely revamped, the old class leveling system got scraped and the list doesnt stop there.
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by WhO_KnOwS on 11/12/2006
When you buy a game you typically expect about 20 or so hours of enjoyment from it. Occasionally you will get lucky and get around 50 odd hours out of a game. Its fair to say that spending years on NWN with the countless (free) modules that were available on the internet and the very robust online component was (and still is) easier than one might think. Slap on the toolset that the authors themselves used to create the game on top and you got possibly the best bang for your buck ever!
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by Sandok on 02/12/2006
For almost two decades, millions of geeks all over the world have enjoyed the famous board game created by Rick Priestley that is known as Warhammer 40,000. These fictional battles carried out in dark murky basements with the help of dice always had an untapped potential to be an amazing video game that was only realized in September 2004 when Dawn of War was released by the pioneering developers Relic Entertainment. Gamers everywhere instantly fell in love with the fast and refreshing style of gameplay that was unique to the Warhammer trademark and thus, it wasnt surprising to see a new expansion one year later called Winter Assault, adding the notorious Imperial Guard to the already numerous amount of races. But of course, the Canadian developers didnt stop there and as a result, we are blessed with their latest game based on the sci-fi universe; Warhammer 40,000: Dark Crusade.
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by WhO_KnOwS on 01/12/2006
Medieval II is (as all Total War games) composed of two main parts the turn based strategic map and the real-]time tactical battles. The strategic map is where most of the time will be spent in the main campaign. You have to manage the regions you have control over, build up your armies and develop your settlements.
A new addition to the series is the introduction of two types of settlements. Cities are your main source of income and they are generally culturally more developed. The second type of settlement is the castle. They are generally better protected and offer a wider array of troops available for training, but they generate less income. In the early stages of development it is possible to convert one type into the other, but you always lose all the buildings exclusive to the previous type.
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by WhO_KnOwS on 16/11/2006
The latest games in the Might and Magic series have been mostly so-so. None of them were bad (far from it actually), but for the most part they didn't quite meet expectations. Fans of the lore (as well as fps junkies) had high hopes for the next iteration of the franchise – the medieval fps Dark Messiah. The preview videos all looked great and from what could be seen the game play wasn't bad either. Though some people were worried that the game would get boring and repetitive very quickly (kicking people into spikes is only fun for so long) the general opinion was that the game would be good.
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by WhO_KnOwS on 10/11/2006
Unlike other MMORPGs the past Guild Wars titles (Prophecies and Factions) featured a solid story which took the player through several quests and missions (the games name for longer and more scripted quests). This approach made questing in Guild Wars a more challenging and involved activity as opposed to what can often be considered a grind in other online RPGs.
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by Sandok on 03/11/2006
Consoles have always had plenty of exclusive titles that have left PC gamers rather resentful, forcing them to pray that one day, that amazing game featured on Nintendo or Sony’s platform might arrive onto their computers too. While famous franchises like Metal Gear Solid, Halo or Grand Theft Auto finally do make it onto the beige box, somehow car games always get left out and are never ported over. Sure, the Need for Speed and Test Drive franchises exist on everything including computers, but the true gems of the genre like Gran Turismo on Sony’s Playstation or Forza Motorsport on Microsoft’s Xbox have never, and most probably will never be brought to the trusty old computer. But luckily, it just doesn’t matter anymore because the of late, the tables have turned since it’s finally the PC that has an exclusive title that is making the console gamers envious; GTR2.
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by WhO_KnOwS on 26/10/2006
Older RPG players will remember that about 10 years ago buying a cRPG meant getting a box filled with goodies. Besides getting the game and a 10lb manual (not exaggerating by much here as some manuals had over 300 pages) the buyer often received items like cloth maps and figurines. With the years and the switch to DVD box sizes such extras became sparse and today getting anything more than a 10 page manual is rare.
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by Vesper on 23/10/2006
Back in 1998, the first Dance Dance Revolution game was released, and coincidentally enough Konami had indeed revolutionized the gaming industry by creating a new genre that fused exercise with gaming. Since then Konami has come out with loads of new mixes in the DDR series, but that didnt stop the guys over at Roxor Games from improving on the original formula. In the Groove is essentially similar to DDR in the sense that the objective of the game is to step on arrows that are synced to the music, but ITG varied the gameplay experience enough to offer an entirely new experience. With both subtle and major differences, In the Groove for both PC and MAC is one of the best dancing game releases to date.
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by Sandok on 11/10/2006
Although World War II might have officially ended September 2nd 1945, millions of people are still fighting it out everyday on virtual battlefields. Video game series like Call of Duty, Medal of Honor and Commandos have all enjoyed phenomenal success by depicting the most memorable and infamous moments during the war. Invading Normandy on D-Day through the eyes of a solider is an exhilarating experience that can only be relived via these different games. However, one thing that is rarely represented in most World War II series is the strategic finesse required to win battles against overwhelming odds. While the Commandoes franchise does necessitate tactics and strategy, its only on a small scale since you never end up controlling more than four or five men at a time. But all that was about to change when the Relic Entertainment unveiled the revolutionary World War II based RTS game called Company of Heroes.
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by WhO_KnOwS on 12/09/2006
The Ship brings to the table what the Hitman series failed to deliver multiplayer assasination. As you can probably imagine the gameplay mechanics had to be changed to accommodate the fact that players would probably notice a strange assassin walking amidst them. Even more importantly, it wouldn't be much fun for only two players to be the hitman and victim while the rest would be just innocent bystanders. The authors Outerlight countered all of the above with a simple solution: they made everyone the assassin and the victim at the same time.
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by Vesper on 08/09/2006
Sidmeier's Civilization is a critically acclaimed series that has sold millions of units during its time. This is the latest expansion for Civ IV, let's take a look.
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by Sandok on 08/09/2006
One thing that ruins many new car games nowadays are their horrendous requirements that leave a large portion of the population running them at their ugliest graphical settings. Games like GTR 2 or NFS: MW are quite demanding on current computers, but this isnt the case with FlatOut 2.
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by WhO_KnOwS on 28/08/2006
One of the biggest trademarks the Micro Machine series brings is the size and scope of everything. Unlike in other toy arcade racers (like Revolt) the cars are literally tiny, being only a few centimeters long. This results in very interesting races when the race track is actually a pool table or laboratory desk for example. New to the series is the environment interactivity that MM4 brings to the table with the ability to push certain smaller objects out of the way. This makes races more dynamic as opponents can push cigarette boxes and such into your way, forcing you to slow down by either hitting the item of trying to avoid it.
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by WhO_KnOwS on 15/08/2006
CivCity shares its name with one of the PCs best franchises Civilization. Despite this fact, the game was not created by Firaxis, but by Firefly studios, the authors of the popular strategy game Stronghold. The design of the game reflects this, as it bears a striking resemblance to all of the Stronghold games. There is nothing wrong with that, but at times I wished Firaxis had more input on the game design. As it is, the only connection between this game and Civilization is the name and some little tidbits like the civilopedia.
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by WhO_KnOwS on 23/07/2006
For those of you that have been living under a rock for the last year, Prey follows the story of a Cherokee named Tommy who refuses to accept his heritage. After his people are abducted by alien forces, its up to him to save the planet from sure destruction. Unlike other shooters, Prey lets the gamer manipulate gravity, pass through portal systems, walk on walls, and even travel around in a spirit form. By combining old Cherokee mythology with an alien invasion, its obvious that Prey is different from every other title out there.
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by Sandok on 21/06/2006
Many games dont dare dive into the darker aspects of human society. As a gamer, youll more often end up playing the perfect hero who ends up saving the entire human race (like Gordon Freeman), but youll almost never be the twisted drug dealer, crazed murderer or calculating assassin. Why? Because our societys standards say that its incorrect to portray such violence and immorality. However, a few developers (well mostly Rockstar) have dared make some extremely wrong games which also turned out to be some of the biggest sellers of their years. Manhunt and GTA are two franchises that have made millions, as well as been in the headlines several times thanks to their violent and adult nature. But there has also been another brutal and shadowy series lurking around called Hitman, and with their latest game, Blood Money, Eidos and IO Interactive have gone deeper than ever before into the worst parts of human civilization.
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by Rasta Monsta on 15/06/2006
According to Dictionary.com, ultimate is defined (in part more on that later) as representing or exhibiting the greatest possible development or sophistication, so when Codemasters assails the gaming public with an assertion that they have created the Ultimate Racing Simulator, they are making a heady claim indeed. A quick glance over the box does seem to lend support, though: 116 Championships. . .35 different motor racing styles. . .70 different licensed race cars. Combine the breadth of the game with the built-in credibility Codemasters gained from creating the Colin McRae Rally series (peaking with the near-perfect Colin McRae Rally 04), and the potential within the Toca concept is staggering.
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by Vesper on 20/05/2006
World War II games have been hitting the market on a near monthly basis for the last couple of years. Some of them easily portray that they need more work, others will deliver the average gamer endless hours of pleasure. One game that fits in that category would be Red Orchestra. A game that debuted as a simple mod for the critically acclaimed Unreal Tournament 2004 has now hit the market as a standalone online steam title with the publishing rights of the UT engine.
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by Sandok on 24/04/2006
Tomb Raider has been developed for everything from the current generation consoles like the Playstation 2, all the way to the next generation consoles like the Xbox360 and since the PC can have millions of hardware configurations, you can have your graphics range from PS2 quality to Xbox360 quality. To have the highest quality visuals, you must enable a Next-Generation setting which turns on everything you can imagine (and then some), ranging from High Dynamic Range, parallax mapping, self shadowing, high resolution textures and dynamic shadows. In summary, you get the whole lot of goodies and usually, this will completely and utterly destroy your system unless youre lucky enough to have a very powerful Crossfire or SLI system. You must not forget that you need a PixelShader 3.0 compatible card too if you wish to enable this.
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by Sandok on 11/04/2006
ype can be a negative in the video game industry, many games have become major sellers even if they are terrible, all thanks to their marketing campaigns. Enter the Matrix is a very good example and the same can be said about Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness which was complete garbage but still, thanks to the hype, was a respectable seller.
This brings me to The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, a new sequel to the very successful Morrowind series from Bethesda Softworks on PC and lately, this new Elder Scrolls has been getting monumental amounts of hype.
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by Sandok on 26/03/2006
There used to be a time when every game released by Lucasarts was a classic but recently weve had many games attempting to cash in on the hype of the Star Wars movies. Games like Clone Wars, Bounty Hunter and Starfighter (on consoles) didnt leave a lasting impression on anyone and many would say were only released knowing the star wars fanatic would have to add them to their collection. Sure, there have been a few diamonds in the dirt like the Knights of the Old Republic series, the Jedi Knight series or even Republic Commando which all captured the essence of the movies.
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by Sandok on 08/03/2006
So far 2006 has been quite dreary for the PC gaming community with only a few meager titles available for the avid gamer. This is especially true for the tactical FPS genre which so far has only gotten two new games under its belt: Rainbow Six Lockdown and The Regiment. Out of these two, everyone will obviously buy the more famous and well renowned franchise from Tom Clancy but I decided to see what the Japanese can create within this genre so lets see what The Regiment is all about.
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by Vesper on 07/02/2006
The Battlefield franchise is known to be system intensive. With an array of textures and models mixed with a heavily coded engine, it is clearly a bumpy road to reach smooth gameplay for the majority of gamers. Previously, I had considered myself one of the few lucky ones who were able to run the game smoothly without a hassle. The game requires the same system specs as Battlefield 2, however many have reported lower frame rates with BF2: SF than with BF2
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by Sandok on 01/02/2006
If youve already played any of Climaxs MotoGPs, then youll quickly find yourself immediately at home a little too at home actually. The first thing youll notice is that the entire menu system is exactly the same as in the previous versions. The only thing that changed were maybe a few new options and a few others removed, a different color scheme and thats about it. It hasnt been retouched which is a pity since the menu system is slightly clunky and felt unpolished (unlike the rest of the game). But its still pleasant and the continuous videos playing the background make browsing the menus interesting to say the least.
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by Rasta Monsta on 18/12/2005
The game is modeled after FIA-GTC racing, a popular vintage racing series in Europe. Although the cars are old, the settings are not, and you night feel like you are in a bit of a time warp sitting in your 1965 Shelby GT350, while the LCD screen of the lap timer ticks away on the dash. The courses are modern as well, and you will drive on many dedicated road courses that were not in existence in the 60s, and others, such as the Nurburgring, which have been entirely reconfigured since these cars had their heyday.
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by Sandok on 05/12/2005
As the holiday season fast approaches, more and more people are out in the shops searching for the perfect presents. With major celebrations soon arriving, this years end is extremely interesting because there are many good gifts available for the slightly gaming addicted person. Go into any shop that sells video games and youll see countless masterpieces for every format, whether it be the PC, console or handheld. Of course, the videogame giant EA anticipated this perfectly and thus, they released on every format imaginable their most famous franchise ever: Need for Speed.
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by Vesper on 19/11/2005
The game has clearly established several differences from its predecessor. First of all, you no longer have a health bar. Instead, youll be prompted to always keep cover during a firefight and to never unrealistically rush into dozens, if not hundreds, of Nazi soldiers. If you do not respect this, then the contour of your screen will gradually turn red until you finally get the Take Cover warning that will eventually lead to your death if you do not cooperate accordingly. Grenades are also more effective; whenever an enemy soldier throws one at you, an indicator will pop up on your screen pointing to the direction of the grenade. If youre too close, then get ready to read one of the many quotes the game offers once youve died
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by Vesper on 16/11/2005
Serious Sam: The First Encounter was a smash hit for the PC back in 2001 because it was a straightforward, intense, and downright enjoyable shooter. Instead of worrying about delivering a deep plot or trying to impress the audience with state-of-the-art visuals, First Encounter offered gamers a lot of killing without a hefty price tag. Four years later, the developers at Croteam have the next title in the Serious Sam universe ready to go, cleverly entitled Serious Sam II. Sam Stone is back in action with a whole bunch of new weapons to fire, environments to explore, and baddies to be destroyed.
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by Sandok on 12/11/2005
The PC has seen a plethora of impressive first person shooters within the last year, including Half-Life 2, Doom 3, and Quake 4. Such titles are renowned because they are able to immerse the gamer into the adventure, making the whole experience feel like its a lot more than just a game. F.E.A.R. is yet another outstanding shooter available on the PC that carries some of the greatest visuals to date. The horrifying storyline will grab you right from the start, and the fast paced, perceptive battles will leave you playing until the last mission. F.E.A.R. is an atmospheric shooter that any PC gamer definitely needs to check out.
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by Sandok on 03/11/2005
There are a few games on this planet that have reached legendary status and make gamers tremble the moment you talk about them. This is especially the case in the FPS domain, with games such Half-Life, Doom, Unreal Tournament and Call of Duty. Every time a developer gets ready to bring out a sequel to one of these famous creations, the entire gaming community holds its breath in anticipation and fear. Will the new game live up to the legends expectations? Will it bring anything new to the series? Will it make history again or will it flop horribly? These are the questions running through everyones mind, and it was no different when the greatest FPS of all was announced to have a fourth title under its belt, Quake.
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by Veridian3 on 12/10/2005
Day of Defeat is one of the most popular Half Life 1 mods available today, but with the release of Valves Source engine gamers everywhere could see that DoD was in great need of a makeover. Day of Defeat: Source is a remake of the hit HL1 mod, but this time around it has a completely new look while still delivering the intense close quarters combat that WWII fans fell in love with. With a price tag of only $20 for Half Life 2 owners, Day of Defeat: Source is the perfect title for anyone seeking WWII multiplayer mayhem.
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by Sandok on 30/09/2005
Bet on Soldier: Blood Sport is a futuristic first person shooter filled to the brim with nonstop action. Taking the role of Nolan Daneworth, the hero will find himself battling as a part of an elite crew to avenge his fallen fianc. Utilizing the KT graphics engine, Bet on Soldier will captivate you from the start with its unique blend of RPG, FPS, and strategy elements and will constantly keep you on the edge of your seat.
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by Vesper on 04/09/2005
We got ourselves a train robber. His name is Jericho and hes about to have a very bad night. His last train is apparently all too fitting, as it is being run by a secret group of undead hunting cowboys as the Darkwatch, and it ain't gold they are hauling.
Darkwatch is a new game from High Moon Studios. It is also their first game.
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by Vesper on 30/08/2005
Superbike racing is one of the lesser known sports for the most part. However, the Isle of Man TT is infamous for high speed thrills at breakneck speeds with over 37 miles of pavement designated for racing. From 125CC engines all the way to 1000CC and even sidecars, Suzuki TT Superbikes is the perfect racing game for anyone who owns a crotch rocket in real life, and even if you dont the realistic effects will make it feel like you own one!
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by Vesper on 11/08/2005
The BloodRayne series debuted on the Gamecube a few years back and now the badass vampire has made her way to the PC in BloodRayne 2. Thats right, in this hack-em slash-em third person action title, the gamer will take the role of a blood-thirsty vampire seeking revenge for those who have wronged her in the past. While BloodRayne 2 is still far from being considered a great game, there is certainly enough violence to keep anybody busy for a while.
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by Vesper on 05/08/2005
Dead to Rights: Reckoning is a straightforward third person shooter released by Namco for the PSP. With the help of his trusty sidekick Shadow, the gritty cop Jack Slate will fire his way through the Triad territory as he attempts to find the lost informant before it is too late.
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by Zardon on 04/08/2005
Unless you have been in a cocoon for the last twenty years, you will be aware of the Worms universe to some degree. This franchise has become a part of gaming history and started with the insanely popular and simple 2D wormfest that millions of people devoured in their gaming droves.
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by Sandok on 27/07/2005
Every once in a while a relatively unknown developer will come up with a great idea and be able to turn that idea into a rather entertaining game. Developed by Bugbear Entertainment, Flatout (available on PC, PS2, and Xbox) is a surprisingly well done mixture consisting of both strategic racing and destructive driving elements. While this isnt necessarily the greatest driving game available by any means, Flatout moves away from the beaten path to offer a unique twist to the racing genre.
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by Sandok on 18/07/2005
The game is Area 51 and it has been out on PS2, Xbox and PC for a while now. So, let me tell you a bit about the interesting, yet twisted story that this game offers. You are a Special Forces soldier trained for biochemical accidents and your name is Ethan Cole (voiced by David Duchovny). Apparently, there has been a chemical accident in the notorious government base called Area 51 and you, along with your teammates have been sent in to get the situation under control and in the process rescue as many people as possible. But, as you travel deeper into the underground facility, things start to go wrong, Very wrong. I wont tell you the whole story because that would just ruin the game for you but here are a few hints. Mutants. Illuminati. Aliens. Clones. Galactic Domination. Government Cover-Ups. I think you get the picture and dont worry, the story is rich, exciting, and not clich at all, meaning youre in for one hell of a ride.
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by Vesper on 09/07/2005
I believe you will agree with me that psychic powers are cool. I bet many of you would enjoy the ability to explode things with nothing more than the thought of it. Would it not be interesting to enter peoples minds and listen to their thoughts or how about running through an obstacle course set within the mind of a war veteran? Well you can have all that psychic fun with Double Fine Productions Psychonauts. For such an unorthodox action-adventure platform game, I decided to take the unorthodox route of reviewing both the PlayStation 2 and PC version. So read on, and I will tell you why weird is fun.
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by Zardon on 26/06/2005
Let me start this review with this: I disliked Digital Illusion CE (DICE)s original Battlefield 1942 despite the reviews, the massive amount of players and all the successful modifications released for it.! When Battlefield Vietnam came out, I did not even give a glance. Why did I not enjoy Battlefield 1942? I felt the game as whole was a sound idea, but individual portions of the game such as the infantry, ground vehicles and aircraft experiences were poorly developed. I also felt that there was a lack of team play in the Battlefield universe. At this point, you may be thinking that I will be giving this game an inadequate score. I will tell you now, that your assumptions bear no fruit. Battlefield 2 can potentially be the ultimate first person shooter multiplayer experience to date and I am here to tell you if it is or not.
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by Vesper on 10/06/2005
Back in October 2004, Sony PlayStation 2 gamers were blessed with another installment in the already highly successful (and sometimes controversial) Grand Theft Auto series. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas ripped through the sales charts and received rave reviews from game critics everywhere. While most die-hard GTA fans may already have a copy in their PS2s, some may have opted to wait for the higher resolution version of the game to arrive on the PC and X-Box platforms. So lets take a gander at the PC version of San Andreas and see if Rockstar North made the PS2 to PC transition a smooth one.
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by Vesper on 08/05/2005
Imagine, if you will, a filter for online role playing games which removed all the negative aspects of traditional online role playing games and only left the rich, fun filled elements intact. This was the goal of the developers at ArenaNet when they set forth on their journey to create Guild Wars.
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by prodigal jenius on 30/04/2005
In case youve been in a coma for the past few years, Splinter Cell is Ubisofts incredibly popular Stealth Shooter based on the shenanigans of a Tom Clancy storyboard. You are Sam Fisher, master of ass-kickery. Your job skills include sporting a kickin' wetsuit, creeping around in the dark in places you arent supposed to be, and welding an full array of James Bond style gadgets. You are the governmental clean up crew.
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by Zardon on 10/10/2004
arhammer has always been the most adaptive of the three as the other two are based on science fiction, whereas Warhammer spans fantasy of yore to the far reaches of infinite space. The tabletop required thousands of squads of tiny plastic avatars that you, probably couldnt collect all of, much less afford. If you found your bank account a little dry and dice are not up your alley, you can always play a game, on the PC, of course.
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by Veridian3 on 15/08/2004
Around one week ago the eagerly awaited Counter-Strike: Source Beta was released by Valve, through Steam to Cyber Caf subscribers. This was the first part of a staggered release with a wider beta open to ATI Voucher holders and Condition Zero owners soon to follow. We at Driverheaven were lucky to be invited into the beta program at an early stage and this preview lets you know what we thought of the new game, and the new engine.
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by Sandok on 02/06/2004
A world where nature and metal are in a constant struggle. The Metal consists of the Builder and his clergy of Hammers; the Nature, of the Trickster and his woodsy minions, the Pagans. Throw in an unwitting populous, the inept city guard and a secret order named The Keepers trying to hold everything together. This is the magic and mystery that is the Thief universe.
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by Chaos on 08/05/2004
The game begins with our main character Jack Carver, a charter boat captain based in the South Pacific. Jack has been hired to take an ambitious journalist named Valerie Cortez to the Island of Cabatu so that she can take pictures of the little known Japanese WWII ruins there. This is where Jack's journey begins. Along the way Jack will meet more enemies than you can ever imagine. They come in all shapes and sizes, both human and mutant.
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by Zardon on 05/05/2004
We all know Rockstar Games for their often-controversial videogame series Grand Theft Auto and their equally popular Max Payne series. After being out on the PlayStation 2 for a while and then banned in New Zealand, Rockstar Games have finally released Manhunt for the PC. The question, is this game any good or does it just rely on the "shock factor" to sell ?
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by Vesper on 23/04/2004
Ubisofts Splinter Cell, not unlike Konamis Metal Gear Solid, is a tactical game based around stealth. Although there are no bosses in the Splinter Cell series there are very expansive and often beautiful levels. They are filled with fairly difficult obstacles that you must overcome using your stealth abilities and thermal/night vision goggles.
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by Veridian3 on 06/04/2004
Counter Strike is one of the most popular games of all time, played every day by hundreds of thousands of avid gamers and always top of the best FPS lists. Despite this and my liking of this game genre CS was something I never really got into. Like countless others I received it free when I bought a Half-Life box set however the few times I tried to set up a server with friends nothing seemed to go smoothly so I gave up. Curiousity has gotten the better of me and with the recent release of Counter Strike Condition Zero I decided to take the plunge and try Counter Strike again.
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by Zardon on 04/04/2004
Unreal Tournament 2004 (UT2004) is the much anticipated successor to Epic Games 2002s First-Person-Shooter, Unreal Tournament 2003 (or UT2003). This new tournament has been surrounded by hype for many month the demo itself was downloaded by millions all over the world. The most important question, will this game bring back the classic Unreal Tournament feel, which many people said UT2003 lacked?
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by Chaos on 04/01/2004
When it comes to sports games EA Sports usually reigns supreme. Im sure most of you are familiar with their NHL hockey series and their Madden football series; well today we are going to have a look at a much slower paced sports simulation, Tiger Woods 2004. This new version of the Tiger Woods golf consumes a whopping 1.89 Gigs of disk space for a full install. The package consists of 3 CDs, the Install disk, the Media disk and the Courses disk. All 3 of the disks are required during the install and then to actually finish you need to insert the 1st cd again to complete the install.
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by Zardon on 30/12/2003
In their immeasurable greed and constant thirst for power, the thirteen most powerful Mages of all time doomed the land, hurling it into an endless spiral of chaos and despair. Entire countries were wiped out in the blink of an eye when the devastating power of the Elements was unleashed Elements summoned by dark rituals. Continents shattered like glass, the pieces strewn about like leaves in the wind. Huge armies, bound by the the power of ancient runes, brought war and destruction to the lands that survived the initial onslaught. All that was left were a few islands, connected by magic portals.
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by Zardon on 28/12/2003
Halo for PC, what more is there to say. I played the X-Box version a couple of years ago when the console first came out and I have to admit that the game blew me away. A very unique experience at the time coupled with stunning visuals and audio. I had always felt the storyline would make a great film with a good Hollywood director in the driving seat.
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