Thursday, March 14, 2013

News::Timeless: The Lost Castle Review | Casual Game Guides

Timeless: The Lost Castle is the story of an exciting chase through another world on a quest to save a lost soul. Are you clever enough to defeat the evil wizard and his nefarious schemes and to free a young girl from a terrible fate? Can you figure out the elusive Order before its too late? Find out in this exciting hidden object adventure game!



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1208389/timeless-the-lost-castle-review-casual-game-guides

News::Unity Engine 4.1 is Available Now

Unity Technologies have just announced that Unity 4.1, the first product cycle release for Unity 4 engine and toolset is now available to download.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1208067/unity-engine-4-1-is-available-now

News::Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 with free DLC and no DirectX 11 support at launch

G4MERS wrote: Free multiplayer DLC containing two new maps and an exciting additional game mode is just the first step in CI's plan to support the Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 experience for their fans after launch. Also soon after release a dedicated update to the PC version of the game that will allow gamers to enjoy all the advantages of DirectX 11"



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1208094/sniper-ghost-warrior-2-with-free-dlc-and-no-directx-11-support-at-launch

News::Reflections on a Save Crystal Episode 13

A Now Playing wthi Aliens: CM, Dead Space 3 and Metal gear Rising. Latest news section and a debate over microtransactions.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1208359/reflections-on-a-save-crystal-episode-13

News::StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm Review | The Guardian

The Guardian: "So undoubtedly this is a great (if tardy) addition to the Starcraft legacy. The single player campaign can be breezed through on easy setting, but this doesn't detract from some truly massive levels, packed with multiple objectives and considerable replay value. And when you get to the bosses, the struggles are epic and gorgeously animated. Is HOTS as surprising and welcome as WoL once seemed? Maybe not it basically looks and feels like the same game (not necessarily a bad thing), the story takes us nowhere particularly new and the bland voice acting has, if anything, has got worse. However, for RTS fans starved of major releases, PC fans increasingly abandoned for exclusive IPs and, of course, Starcraft fans in their millions, HotS is a massive slice of expertly crafted, beautifully balanced and totally tactical gameplay."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1208375/starcraft-ii-heart-of-the-swarm-review-the-guardian

News::Sacra Terra: Kiss of Death Walkthrough

Allow the CGG Sacra Terra: Kiss of Death Walkthrough to be your guide as you fight to save your fiancé from an evil succubus. When your boyfriend sets up a romantic evening for two, you think you know whats coming. But the perfect proposal turns deadly when he accidentally releases and is kidnapped by a succubus. Now, you must travel to a strange and distant island, face an age-old evil, and rescue the man who still needs to finish proposing. These insider tips, step-by-step instructions, and custom screenshots will help you face the darkness as you race to save your soon-to-be fiancé.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1208357/sacra-terra-kiss-of-death-walkthrough

News::Gamespot- Now Playing - Shadowrun Returns

GS:The GameSpot crew sits down with Harebrained Schemes to show off some new exclusive content for Shadowrun Returns.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1208324/gamespot-now-playing-shadowrun-returns

News::Motor Town: Soul of the Machine Review | Casual Game Guides

Take a ride with Motor Town: Soul of the Machine and receive an unexpectedly pleasant gaming experience. This package deal sports incredible graphics, exhilarating cinematic, and a gripping narrative that will have you throwing your arms up and screaming for more. Once you start, you wont want this thrill ride to end.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1208388/motor-town-soul-of-the-machine-review-casual-game-guides

News::Revengeance, the Lighter Side of Metal Gear - What Sets it Apart?

GameDynamo - "Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is, in essence, a self-deprecating comedy version of a series well known for humor and satire."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1208394/revengeance-the-lighter-side-of-metal-gear-what-sets-it-apart

News::Neocrisis: Tomb Raider Review

Neocrisis: The last time I played a Tomb Raider title that I really enjoyed was back in the 32bit days of the Sega Saturn and PlayStation 1. Tomb Raider was fresh of breath air that brought innovation and game design to the forefront of its genre. After the amazing trilogy, I found that subsequent titles had lost their way. Now, Lara's back and not just in glorious HD, she's back with a bang.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1208387/neocrisis-tomb-raider-review

News::Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 appears in Steam registry

Is Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 coming to Steam?



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1208276/naruto-shippuden-ultimate-ninja-storm-3-appears-in-steam-registry

News::Borderlands: Luck of the Zafords Weekend

This weekend Borderlands 2 player are about to get a makeover thanks to our Irish friends, the Zafords. This weekend the Zaford clan will be taking a break and helping out Vault Hunters.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1208282/borderlands-luck-of-the-zafords-weekend

News::StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm Review | Attack of the Fanboy

Attack of the Fanboy: "Its becoming a rarity for expansion content to be as big and as bold as youll find in Blizzards Heart of the Swarm."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1208358/starcraft-ii-heart-of-the-swarm-review-attack-of-the-fanboy

News::Editorial: The SimCity rap a crime against rhyme

This week, Split Screen takes a quirky look at SimCitys troubled launch. Sean Knight and Aenne Schumann lash out lyrics in P2Rs first rap battle and it is up to you to decide who won!



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1208339/editorial-the-simcity-rap-a-crime-against-rhyme

News::Tomb Raider Review | DarkStation

DarkStation: "Despite stepping away from the tone and play style of its forbears, Tomb Raider is an entertaining adventure and a great jumping off point for the new direction Crystal Dynamics wants to take. Great combat and beautiful scenery help to balance out issues stemming from questionable storytelling, elementary puzzle design and an overabundance of secondary items to collect. At the end of the lengthy adventure, Laras resolve to travel on a new path has me very excited to see what is in store for the future now that a strong foundation has been laid."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1208354/tomb-raider-review-darkstation

News::Fairly Twisted Tales: The Price Of A Rose Walkthrough

Let CGG's Fairly Twisted Tales: The Price of a Rose Walkthrough be your guide as you work to unravel the mystery behind the terrible beast. When your friends impetuous theft of a rose forces his daughter to marry a beast, youre called in to find a way to rescue her. But all is not as it seems, and soon this rescue attempt turns into the journey of a lifetime. Use these helpful hints, step-by-step instructions, and custom screenshots to help you as you struggle to find the truth behind the beast.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1208374/fairly-twisted-tales-the-price-of-a-rose-walkthrough

News::Memory Lane: March Releases Throughout the Years

GP takes a look back at some of the biggest March releases over the years.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1208003/memory-lane-march-releases-throughout-the-years

News::Call of Juarez: Gunslinger New Screenshots

Call of Juarez: Gunslinger New Screenshots



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1208261/call-of-juarez-gunslinger-new-screenshots

News::Starcraft 2: Heart of the Swarm Review at CalmDownTom

"Imagine if you will a long forgotten Baneling, burrowed amongst a Terran base, ever awaiting its moment of explosive release. This was my feeling until I got my hands on StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm." says CalmDownTom



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1208265/starcraft-2-heart-of-the-swarm-review-at-calmdowntom

News::Azada: Elementa Review | Casual Game Guides

Journey through worlds of wondrous magic in Azada: Elementa. When the elements are stolen from Azada, you are hand selected to retrieve them as "the chosen one." But the elemental mages with the ability to save the world have been captured, and finding them is sure to be no small task. Now, you must test your strength, dodge the evil Panoptes, and fight to restore the elements to save this dying world in this thrilling hidden object adventure.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1208360/azada-elementa-review-casual-game-guides

News::Arma 3 Alpha Lite Is Now Available

DSOGaming writes: "As promised and while the Arma 3 Alpha leads Steams Top Sellers chart since launch Bohemia Interactive today made a free invite-only variant available."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1208189/arma-3-alpha-lite-is-now-available

News::Koreas Best Cosplayers Take on StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm

Cosplay collective Spiral Cats brought their talents to the recent StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm launch in South Korea.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1208096/koreas-best-cosplayers-take-on-starcraft-ii-heart-of-the-swarm

News::Active Respawn Review: SimCity

Squishy finally stopped playing SimCity long enough to write her review. See what she thought of the recently released PC game.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1208307/active-respawn-review-simcity

News::StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm is an evolving love story | GameZone

GameZone's Andrew Clouther writes: "Never has the term star-crossed lovers fashioned itself quite so literally and figuratively, at the same time, as it does in StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm. From colleagues, to guilty actions, to hated enemies, to desperate rescue missions, and finally to lovers you can say Jim Raynor and Sarah Kerrigan have a past. These two characters have been part of the core of StarCraft lore since the very beginning. The final scene from StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty -- Jim is carrying the recently transformed human body of the Queen of Blades -- sets up the start of Heart of the Swarm."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1208184/starcraft-2-heart-of-the-swarm-is-an-evolving-love-story-gamezone

News::Edge- StarCraft 2: Heart Of The Swarm Review

Edge:Theres a moment in Heart Of The Swarms campaign when its star, Sarah Kerrigan, asks her Zerg chief scientist whether he is aiming for perfection with his genetic experimentation. No, he replies, he isnt. Perfection is never possible, because its forever a moving goal, and so hes consigned to merely follow it. Sure, its spoken by a dripping sexual organ of a character in one of the most deliriously schlocky games in recent memory, but its an idea that gets to the heart of StarCrafts multiplayer. Broadly, it hasnt changed in 15 years, and yet it still hasnt lost any of its capacity to entrap players and spectators within its dizzyingly complex interplay of unit abilities and human skill. As time passes, strategies are revised and meld, new tactics become standard plays, and rediscoveries of past successes undercut those of today and in turn become popular again. StarCraft, for its players, is a constantly shifting battleground where perfection always lies tantalisingly...



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1208288/edge-starcraft-2-heart-of-the-swarm-review

News::New Vault Hunter For Borderlands 2 To Be Shown At PAX East Panel

Super PolyPixel - A teaser trailer just uploaded to the Gearbox YouTube account shows what they say will be a new playable vault hunter for Borderlands 2. This trailer was originally shown off at SXSW and recorded off-screen. So if youre a fan of Borderlands then this is nothing new. What is new, however, is the announcement of the unveiling at PAX East. More specifically during the Gearbox Panel entitled Inside Gearbox Software. Sounds intimate! Below is the official description taken from the full schedule for PAX East.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1208196/new-vault-hunter-for-borderlands-2-to-be-shown-at-pax-east-panel

News::Counter Strike Co-Creator Minh Le's Tactical Intervention Now In Open Beta

Counter Strike Co-creator, Minh "Gooseman" Le's TACTICAL INTERVENTION Now in Open Beta



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1208281/counter-strike-co-creator-minh-les-tactical-intervention-now-in-open-beta

News::Gabe Newell Says Valves Business Grew 50% In The Last Year

The first one is that Valves business grew massively in the last year, by about 50%.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1208146/gabe-newell-says-valves-business-grew-50-in-the-last-year

News::SimCity Review | New Gamer Nation

New Gamer Nation - EA has done the unthinkable: theyve made Diablo 3s Error 37 seem like a completely minor inconvenience. When SimCity launched at midnight EST on March 5th, 2013, they initiated one of the biggest launch catastrophes in the history of video games. With only four servers and a comically bizarre queuing system, their online infrastructure buckled under the weight of gamers who had waited 10 years for a sequel to SimCity 4.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1208318/simcity-review-new-gamer-nation

News::Alice 3 is possible if American McGee can get the rights

The developer of the creepy Alice games, American McGee, posted on his Facebook asking people if they had an interested in there being an Alice 3.



1) If we could get the rights from EA, would you play Alice 3?

2) If you'd play Alice 3, would you back it on Kickstarter?

3) If you said yes to those two things, make some noise - I'm trying to gauge interest in case I happen to discuss this with EA during GDC in two weeks. The more interest there is, the more seriously they'll take the conversation.




It seems like he wants to continue this series, and he also would like to do it without EA being involved. Of course, EA probably doesn't have any interest in this series since Alice: Madness Returns didn't sell a thousand-million copies.


Alice 3 is possible if American McGee can get the rights screenshot


Read more...



via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/alice-3-is-possible-if-american-mcgee-can-get-the-rights-248686.phtml

News::Metro: Last Light sale didn't waste too much dev time

When THQ's properties were auctioned off earlier this year, it was easy to become worried about some titles -- especially those that had been shown publicly before and weren't terribly far off from being completed -- despite many of the intellectual properties and studios finding good homes. I would put Metro: Last Light in that category of games it would've been painful to see suffer from the sale, but its new publisher, Deep Silver, reassures that it is on track after the delay.


"Obviously the release date has been pushed back a little bit as the studio re-engages with a new publisher and tries to figure out QA, submissions and all the stuff you have to do behind the scenes," Deep Silver global brand manager Huw Beynon told VG247.


"We've not lost too much time on the development of the game, and it's essentially going to be the same product we planned to release in March. We're just really excited that it's not been too traumatic for the studio -- the game is coming out -- I'm confident that it's going to be great. And I'm just really glad that we can be showing it again."


Metro: Last Light team didn’t lose too much time on development after THQ sale [VG247]


Metro: Last Light sale didn't waste too much dev time screenshot






via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/metro-last-light-sale-didn-t-waste-too-much-dev-time-248688.phtml

News::360GamerCast - Tomb Raider Review

Lara makes her return as a 21 year old woman fresh out of University, embarking on her first adventure with some friends in search of the Lost Kingdom of Queen Himiko. The adventure begins with a very short cut scene before Lara is washed up on a strange island, she is cold, frightened and alone. Her vulnerability really shines through which is very much unlike the Lara Croft we know from previous titles. Crystal Dynamics have done an amazing job with Lara, she looks like a real woman unlike her cartoonish 90s predecessor which makes the game feel like a mature title, she is one tough cookie who has to struggle to survive this harsh wilderness



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1208212/360gamercast-tomb-raider-review

News::Call of Juarez Gunslinger Gameplay Reveal Trailer

Although the original Call of Juarez received mixed scores from critics, the game developed a strong fan base and Ubisoft have just released a brand new reveal trailer. The game follows the story of a skilled bounty hunter as you fight your way through iconic Wild West scenes. The original was made popular due to the frantic combat and authenticity, two features that Ubisoft appear to have built on with the currently released assets.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1208204/call-of-juarez-gunslinger-gameplay-reveal-trailer

News::Nintendo Download: LEGO City Undercover, Monster Hunter

The Wii U is getting a decent amount of full retail downloads this week, with LEGO City Undercover ($49.99, March 18), Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate ($59.99, March 19), Need for Speed Most Wanted U ($59.99, March 19), and Croods: Prehistoric Party ($39.99, March 19). Punch Out!! is also dropping March 21 for the Wii U Virtual Console for a cool $0.30.


The 3DS is also getting some love, with Mega Man 3 (3DS VC), a Ketzal's Corridors sale ($4.99), and a KarmoKnight demo. On the full retail eShop side of things, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate ($39.99), Rayman Origins ($29.99), Reel Fishing 3D Paradise ($19.99), and The Croods: Prehistoric Party ($29.99) are launching.


DSiWare is getting Forgotten Legions and Goony -- I really wish that last one was Goonies 2 for the NES.


Nintendo Download: LEGO City Undercover, Monster Hunter screenshot


Read more...



via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/nintendo-download-lego-city-undercover-monster-hunter-248680.phtml

News::Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance: 5 Reasons The Story Sucks

"Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (MGRR) was Hideo Kojimas, famed director behind the Metal Gear series, first foray into the hack and slash territory with a Metal Gear game. " | Explosion.com



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1208277/metal-gear-rising-revengeance-5-reasons-the-story-sucks

News::10 Games That Will Kick Your Ass

Cheat Code Central's Jenni Lada writes: "Many people lament the loss of Nintendo hard games. But if youre willing to look for them, youll find that not all the insanely challenging games are way back in the NES era. If recent years are any indication, developers understand that we actually do want games that kick our asses. We want to be tested. We want to throw our controllers through our HDTVs. So if you need to be brought down a few pegs, you should spend some time with the ten following games."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1208216/10-games-that-will-kick-your-ass

News::6 things Maxis must fix in SimCity

With the SimCity servers now comparatively stable, EA and Maxis must have hoped they would be through the worst, but the chance to play the game properly has revealed a number of more worrying concerns...



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1208263/6-things-maxis-must-fix-in-simcity

News::The 9 Worst Videogame Launches of All-Time

Dorkly: The launch of the latest SimCity was, to put it mildly, not handled well. To put it spicily, it was a huge unimaginable mess with people unable to download the game, play the game due to lack of available servers, features being turned off, and with a number of updates released post-launch trying to fix some of the major issues users were experiencing. This didnt go on for just the first few hours of its release though some of this is still going on, a week after release. For a smaller game and company, this might not be such a surprise but this is from one of the largest publishers in videogames and one of the biggest franchises in videogames. However, SimCity is not the first game to put users through this kind of launch mess. Here are 9 other games that had terrible launches.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1208104/the-9-worst-videogame-launches-of-all-time

News::Forbes Review: Game of Thrones Ascent

Do you like Facebook games like Farmville? Do you like Game of Thrones? If so, Disruptor Beam hopes to have the game you want to play but without the spiky throne. Whether slaying slavers or training up a lackwit bastard son, Game of Thrones Ascent always something to do. Or build. Or kill. Pity about the Facebook aspect.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1208278/forbes-review-game-of-thrones-ascent

News::Battlefield 3 -- End Game DLC - Review | G4MERS

G4MERS: " "End Game" introduced two great modes supporting basic version of the game, and maps can be considered as one of the best. "End Game" is the best addition to BF3 in terms of overall content."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1208218/battlefield-3-end-game-dlc-review-g4mers

News::Sniper Elite 3 targets 2014 for next-gen consoles and PC

Rebellion is partnering with 505 Games on a new installment in its World War II sniping series for next-gen platforms and PC. Sniper Elite 3 will once again feature OSS sniper Karl Fairburne when it arrives later next year.


"We've got some great ideas to improve on what we did before and feedback from fans has been invaluable," said Rebellion CEO Jason Kingsley. "Sniper Elite V2 was just the beginning of what we want to do with the franchise, there are things we didn’t have time to do before that we can really look at featuring this time.


"We want to focus on making this latest incarnation of Sniper Elite more of a sandbox game but also build on the awesome X-Ray Kill Cam and the atmospheric World War II setting. We're looking forward to seeing what Sniper Elite fans and gamers in general make of the latest chapter in the story."


Some of Sniper Elite V2 's kill-cam shots are just painful to watch -- imagine what those might look like running on higher-end hardware. I'm already grimacing. The transition to more of a sandbox environment does sound intriguing, though.


Sniper Elite 3 targets 2014 for next-gen consoles and PC screenshot






via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/sniper-elite-3-targets-2014-for-next-gen-consoles-and-pc-248687.phtml

News::SimCity Review | Awesome Games

Vince from Awesome Games writes: 'We have all heard the sounds of thousands of paying customers and video game journalists for that matter screaming about EAs utter failure to provide the product that they promised. With the reboot of the SimCity franchise, an always-on internet connection is indeed required even for single player evoking memories of last years rocky Diablo III launch. EA Maxis are in the midst of probably the worst public relations crisis in the history of both companies.'



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1208279/simcity-review-awesome-games

News::CVG- SimCity Review

CVG:Server problems are only the tip of the iceberg in this disappointing reboot of the classic city sim.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1208258/cvg-simcity-review

News::Gearbox teases new playable character for Borderlands 2


At some point in the future, Borderlands 2 will be getting another playable character as downloadable content. We don't know what this escaped experiment is called, or what it looks like, exactly, but this teaser trailer from developer Gearbox gives me some ideas.


PAX East attendees who want to find out more information will want to make room in their schedules for the Inside Gearbox Software panel on March 24 from 12:30pm to 1:30pm.


Gearbox teases new playable character for Borderlands 2 screenshot






via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/gearbox-teases-new-playable-character-for-borderlands-2-248685.phtml

News::StarCraft 2: Heart Of The Swarm review


There’s a moment in Heart Of The Swarm’s campaign when its star, Sarah Kerrigan, asks her Zerg chief scientist whether he is aiming for perfection with his genetic experimentation. No, he replies, he isn’t. Perfection is never possible, because it’s forever a moving goal, and so he’s consigned to merely follow it. Sure, it’s spoken by a dripping sexual organ of a character in one of the most deliriously schlocky games in recent memory, but it’s an idea that gets to the heart of StarCraft’s multiplayer. Broadly, it hasn’t changed in 15 years, and yet it still hasn’t lost any of its capacity to entrap players and spectators within its dizzyingly complex interplay of unit abilities and human skill. As time passes, strategies are revised and meld, new tactics become standard plays, and rediscoveries of past successes undercut those of today and in turn become popular again. StarCraft, for its players, is a constantly shifting battleground where perfection always lies tantalisingly out of reach.


But our oozing friend doesn’t speak for StarCraft’s core game design, which is, more or less, perfection. If it wasn’t, it wouldn’t still be at the peak of the RTS genre. And this is Blizzard’s boon and its bane. How can it build on what’s fundamentally already finished? HOTS, which follows 2010′s Wings Of Liberty as the second part of a trilogy of games under the StarCraft II banner, answers this question by adding seven new units across its three races’ multiplayer rosters, 26 new maps and a redesigned front-end interface. That’s enough to remake the game for its hardcore players, perhaps, who will be eager to discover the new strategies these enable, but what about the rest of us?



The obvious attraction for those without a vested interest in multiplayer is the campaign, which picks up directly after Wings Of Liberty. Rich and entertaining, it builds on WOL’s playful approach to the strictures of the RTS genre with a varied set of 20 main missions divided across five short storylines. Each tale takes you to a different location, documents Kerrigan’s efforts to bring the Zerg swarm together, and as a group they offer excuses for you to be piloting battlecruisers in space one moment, taking on boss battles the next, and then directing intimate single-unit engagements and partaking in light stealth soon after. Sometimes you’ll encounter multiple styles in the same mission. The campaign is generous, too, with almost every level introducing a new unit or plaything for you to get your head around as well as giving you choices over your army’s abilities and what set of missions to tackle next.


The campaign’s strength lies in the fact that it doesn’t feel the need to live up to the formality of multiplayer. For a start, it offers an expanded set of unit types, and for each you can select one of three augmentations that buff certain abilities. Seven units can be further improved in Evolution missions, in which you get to try out two strains and then choose the one to keep. These often transform their roles for the rest of the campaign. Your flying Mutalisk can become either a Brood Lord, which despatches powerful Locusts at ground targets from long range, or a Viper, which can pull enemy units from their positions to disrupt their formations. Zerglings, meanwhile, can be strengthened and given the ability to jump up cliffs and leap on enemies, or multiplied, with three birthed at a time.


And on top of all this is the almost constant and battle-turning presence of one of the story’s lead characters, usually Kerrigan. Here HOTS seems to look back to Warcraft III (perhaps through the lens of the popularity of the MOBAs that game inspired), packing in abilities that add direct control to the tactics: single-target blasts, healing, stun attacks, area damage and much more. Kerrigan herself levels as you complete missions, unlocking tiers of new abilities, including passive powers such as Zerglings automatically restocking at no cost at your home base when they’re killed, or Vespene gas extractors not requiring drones to operate. Some players might feel that such abilities take away from StarCraft’s tactical purity, given you can often muddle through with these powerful units, which even get resurrected after a short cooldown period if they die. But they make for dynamic confrontations that are less at the mercy of inexperience or poor planning than the scenarios found in many singleplayer RTSes.


Continue >>


The post StarCraft 2: Heart Of The Swarm review appeared first on Edge Online.






via Edge Online http://www.edge-online.com/review/starcraft-2-heart-of-the-swarm-review/

News::Vocalize Episode 1: Taking Down Michael Pachter

Playeressences Furious Francis discusses how Michael Pachter manipulates sales numbers and makes up complete BS to feed his egotistical mind. Using gamers as a resource to further his wealth, and promote his business. Michael Pachter is a poison to the gaming industry and to gamers.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1207920/vocalize-episode-1-taking-down-michael-pachter

News::Disney Infinity pushed back to August

After retailers updated their placeholders for August, the New York Times has confirmed that Disney has officially delayed Disney Infinity into the "more favorable" launch window of August.


Allegedly, it's not due to quality control reasons, as John Pleasants, co-president of Disney Interactive, states, “We could deliver in June if we wanted to. Will a two-month timing change help us? Sure, of course. It gives us a little more time to add bells and whistles and make sure it really sings and pops.”


The new date is set for August 18th for North America, which coincidentally, is just in time for the release of Pixar's Monsters University. The move also may have to do with pushing it closer (yet before) the release of Skylanders Swap Force , which could saturate the market before Activision gets a chance to try again.


Disney delays [New York Times]


Disney Infinity pushed back to August screenshot






via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/disney-infinity-pushed-back-to-august-248660.phtml

News::Sony Santa Monica on PS4′s potential, and what it means for game development


Sony Santa Monica’s Jason McDonald and Mark Simon are, surely, exhausted. They’ve been flown into PlayStation’s London office for a day of press interviews and they’re flying back to Santa Monica later that same day to continue to refine God Of War Ascension’s new multiplayer mode. Singleplayer might be done, but online play is the kind of job that never ends, says McDonald with a weary smile. They are both cheery and enthusiastic speakers, nonetheless.


We’re here to talk about God Of War, but really we want to know about PlayStation 4. We enquire whether Sony has asked them what they’d like to see from the new console as it was being built, in keeping with the rhetoric that emerged from PlayStation Meeting. Sony Santa Monica has been so hard at work getting Ascension finished – or as finished as it can be before online multiplayer feedback begins to filter though – that Jason McDonald and Mark Simon weren’t asked. But they can give us a sense of the feeling internally about the new machine.


“Everyone’s excited about it for sure,” says Ascension’s lead combat designer McDonald. “The last hardware release was seven years ago so it’s not like this happens every couple of years – we’re ready.”


Mark Simon is lead game designer on Ascension. “Our studio is filled with gamers too so you have that buzz – we see the new games and thinking as a developer is almost secondary. You can see the possibilities but really you’re like ‘Man, I really wanna play this game.’


“I think they’re concentrating on the social aspect which is great, because we’re kind of delving into it now with [God Of War] multiplayer. We’ve found that it’s not like you develop the game and then you ask afterwards what people liked and didn’t like. Now it’s what’s working and what’s not working and we can fix that. So that’s the thing for the next generation hardware and PS4 that I think is exciting, that we’re embracing that and saying that that’s important and games are about having fun with one another.”


McDonald is most interested in the implications of that Share button. “The spectating, in particular, is very new,” he tells us. “You get a little taste of that on PC where people can just stream their games on PC – people like it so having a way to do that on a mainstream console is going to be big. With games like Ascension people are going to get competitive and want to stream and see other people play.”



The raw power of the new console will open up greater opportunities for games like God of War, too. “The hardware possibilities are crazy,” adds Simon. “I’m excited that things like depth of field will look great next-generation. It’s going to mean real cinematography, and real in-game is going to look like a pre-rendered movie. That is awesome, because then our cinematic games becomes really cinematic all the way through and there’s no quality change between pre-rendered and in-game.”


Though he’s had little hands-on experience with PS4, Simon can nevertheless explain why all the talk of creating games on PS4 suggests it’ll be easier to code for. “Generally you have to write a lot of low-level code in order to work with architecture from PS2 and PS3 and then you go to this standard that everybody is programming with on PS4,” he says. “So what that means is it frees a lot of people to stop thinking about low-level code. Obviously it was a strength of the PS3 because the sub-processor was a badass, but it took a lot of work to use the full architecture of the PS3. But now by using something that’s more common across all of programming land, that frees up time, and programmers with freed up time can make better tools and that’s going to make for better games.”


Simon also acknowledges that Sony has learned lessons from outside the console business. “Maybe in the future you start to see some things that are happening in mobile and on the web are starting to happen on console. I think those worlds are going to blur – and I think it’s because of popularity and profit.”


The move to a more social, data-driven style of game development through online play has just begun, it seems. On PS3, God Of War Ascension’s multiplayer will be tinkered with for the next few months, even years. When PS4 arrives, neverending, service-style game development might leave some at Sony Santa Monica looking back fondly upon the days when a project had a more definite beginning, middle and end.


The post Sony Santa Monica on PS4′s potential, and what it means for game development appeared first on Edge Online.






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Cheat Code Central's Jake Valentine writes: "The decision to make StarCraft IIs campaign a trilogy is still somewhat controversial. Regardless, here we are with the release of StarCraft IIs second installment, Heart of the Swarm, which has us playing as the Zerg race and following the story of Sarah Kerrigan. Sure, well come across familiar races and universal plot lines, but this time, they all take a backseat to the Queen of Blades."



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Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics successfully re-invent the beloved, iconic video archaeologist from a 2-dimensional pistol-packing ass-kicker into something a little more human. In short, Crystal Dynamics Tomb Raider successfully re-invigorates a long-stagnant characterand with it, the Tomb Raider franchise.



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