Saturday, December 28, 2013

News::The Best Achievements And Trophies Of 2013 | Game Informer

Whether you love them, hate them, or forget they exist until they pop on your screen and interrupt your game, achievements and trophies have become a (literally) required aspect of all PlayStation 3, 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Steam games.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1426572/the-best-achievements-and-trophies-of-2013-game-informer

News::Top 8 indie games of 2013 (Casper's list)

Rely on Horror: 2013 is coming to an end, so there is no better time to look back at the many games we have played this year (doing it in July would be a bit weird) and share our thoughts on the years ups and downs. CJ has told me that I shouldnt be so negative all the time, so today I would like to share with you my top 8 best indie games of 2013. If you havent played any of the titles on this list yet, then consider this a list of recommendations.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1426660/top-8-indie-games-of-2013-caspers-list

News::Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag Review | Pluggedin

There was a time, several sequels ago, when you pretty much knew what you were going to get with an Assassin's Creed game. A new title would put a twist on things but still surely revisit the sci-fi intrigue of technologically tapping into the DNA of a hapless bartender named Desmond.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1426531/assassins-creed-iv-black-flag-review-pluggedin

News::The Legacy of Kain Series Will Return When the Circumstances are Right

A rep responds on the current status of the Legacy of Kain franchise.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1426676/the-legacy-of-kain-series-will-return-when-the-circumstances-are-right

News::Peria Chronicles: EQ Next's World Building Meets Pokemon Style Combat

You might be not very familiar with Peria Chronicles, the new Korean MMO developed by Thingsoft and published by Nexon. The game was first announced in 2012 in the name of Project NT, and officially named Peria Chronicles in October 2013. Compared to the other Korean MMOs that focus on flashy combat, Peria Chronicles takes a very different approach by allowing you to create your content and your virtual world.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1426637/peria-chronicles-eq-nexts-world-building-meets-pokemon-style-combat

News::MMOGames's Top 5 Fantasy MMOs of 2013

As the year comes to an end we begin to reflect back on the months passed, 2013 has been quite a year in the MMO industry that has seen many releases. With so many MMOs being released, not every game can be a winner, so here are my Top 5 Fantasy MMOs of 2013!



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1426620/mmogamess-top-5-fantasy-mmos-of-2013

News::Elder Scrolls Online Feature | MMOGames

According to their NDA, if you are lucky enough to get a key for the Beta, you may not disclose anything relating to software, software code, designs, graphics, rules, playing strategies, artwork, visual depictions, plot, theme, settings, characters, characterizations, skills, emails, screenshots, marketing emails, marketing and promotional plans, current, future or proposed products or services of ZeniMax, written or printed documents, announcements or pre-releases, product samples, artwork, graphics, promotional and/or marketing items), the Beta Trial forums and other private ZeniMax forums, business and/or trade secrets, testing protocols, processes, and standards relating to the Game and/or associated products or services of ZeniMax.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1426618/elder-scrolls-online-feature-mmogames

News::Best Voice Actor/Actress of 2013

Acting in games is getting a lot better, and Hidden Audio Log is happy to recognize the person it believes to be the best actor/actress of this year.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1426621/best-voice-actor-actress-of-2013

News::Hands-On Preview: Assassins Creed: Liberation HD - Electronic Theatre

Having made its debut on PlayStation Vita last November, Assassins Creed: Liberation was evidence that Sony Computer Entertainment had created a handheld console capable lf delivering expansive worlds and intricately detailed videogame experiences on par with home consoles. It stood as a grand reason to invest in the console, and a reason to believe that many similar experiences were to come. Sadly, a year later, it would seem that neither of these beliefs rung true.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1426630/hands-on-preview-assassins-creed-liberation-hd-electronic-theatre

News::Battlefield 4 Is A Threat To China - More Games Will Be Banned In The Future

HardwarePal : China after 13 years finally had their console ban lifted, their was a blast in sales of both video games and game consoles. Its very odd that consoles are mass produced there but were banned due to some cultural and parental reasons.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1426645/battlefield-4-is-a-threat-to-china-more-games-will-be-banned-in-the-future

News::Cyberpunk post-apocalyptic RPG Ama's Lullaby gets its first ingame video

RPGs set in a post-apocalyptic future seem to be all the rage now, but one also boasting of a cyberpunk setting is rare; Ama's Lullaby is a new survive game that seems to combine all of the above with an isometric look and also includes a turn-based combat mode.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1426601/cyberpunk-post-apocalyptic-rpg-amas-lullaby-gets-its-first-ingame-video

News::Gamers' Choice Awards 2013: The best video games of the year

As the 2013 comes to a close, it's time to look back and highlight what video games were the best of the best for the year.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1426592/gamers-choice-awards-2013-the-best-video-games-of-the-year

News::How To Survive Review Assuming You Still Want To | GameFront

A zombie apocalypse? Pffahh. Nothing a little duct tape, a few sharpened sticks, and some good old elbow grease cant fix. Thats the prevailing attitude woven throughout How To Survives MacGyver-style approach to staying alive when the reanimated dead come shambling en masse for your sweet, delicious brains.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1426386/how-to-survive-review-assuming-you-still-want-to-gamefront

News::Phantasy Star Online 2 Reaches South East Asia In Early 2014 In English

Asiasoft will publish Phantasy Star Online 2 in South East Asiain English.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1426655/phantasy-star-online-2-reaches-south-east-asia-in-early-2014-in-english

News::Get Loaded Has 2 Amazing Steam Games For 12, This Weekend Only

GG3 picks up more awesome deals for the holiday season. In the latest Get Games promotion, their Get Loaded Holiday Special offers a list of 22 Steam games, which can be picked up per 2 for just 12. Titles include Tomb Raider, The Bureau, Bioshock Infinite and Hitman Absolution.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1426635/get-loaded-has-2-amazing-steam-games-for-12-this-weekend-only

News::Homeworld Fans Surveyed on Platforms, Collector's Edition for HD Release

"Gearbox Software has posted a survey asking fans of the Homeworld series which platforms they would like to see the HD release launch on as well as whether there would be interest in a Collector's Edition."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1426301/homeworld-fans-surveyed-on-platforms-collectors-edition-for-hd-release

News::Teds Top Ten Games of the Generation

Ted, Gamer Horizon's Managing Editor, lists off his Top Ten Games of the Generation.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1426405/teds-top-ten-games-of-the-generation

News::Dying Light Gets A Christmas Live Action Short Film

YouTube's 'JasonRoseteFilm' has released a live action Christmast short for Techland's upcoming zombie title, Dying Light. This short is based on the official Christmas Carol trailer that was released a couple of days ago.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1426296/dying-light-gets-a-christmas-live-action-short-film

News::League of Legends: Silence System Introduced in China

Riot Games and Tencent (League of Legends China publisher) announced a new punishment system in order to prevent excessive negative behavior in game. The silence system will be an additional measure to the tribunal and it will silence players whose behavior is not exemplar. This system will cut off any kind of communication and interacting with team mates will be extremely limited for a huge amount of matches.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1426297/league-of-legends-silence-system-introduced-in-china

News::Relic Working on Localizing a Japanese MMORPG: is Phantasy Star Online 2 Finally Coming West?

A new career opportunity ad from Sega and Relic Entertainment has some interesting information about the fact that the developer acquired after the death of THQ is working on the localization of a MMORPG developed in Japan.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1426599/relic-working-on-localizing-a-japanese-mmorpg-is-phantasy-star-online-2-finally-coming-west

News::SWTOR Galactic Starfighter Guide to Flashfire / Sting

So now you know a little more about Flashfire, lets look at strategies to succeed. These are general tips but they will help you make the most of your Flashfire/Sting.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1426488/swtor-galactic-starfighter-guide-to-flashfire-sting

News::Devil May Cry online - Project Black Sheep World View Trailer Unveiled

Based on the cooperative development of Rockman(Mega Man), NEOWIZ GAMES join hand with Monster Hunter series' developer CAPCOM again developing Project Black Sheep. Massive interactive scenes content as well as excellent stylized combat make Project Black Sheep titled "Devil May Cry online" by action game enthusiasts. Here is a trailer with English narrator unveiling the world view of new action MMORPG Project Black Sheep.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1426223/devil-may-cry-online-project-black-sheep-world-view-trailer-unveiled

News::When You Dont Want To Know How It Ends

Geoff continues his weekly quest through the life as a gamer, with his musings on the story of Gone Home.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1426546/when-you-dont-want-to-know-how-it-ends

News::Call of Duty: Ghosts Review | Pluggedin

Pluggedin - "As we've been told so many times, death and taxes are two surefire inevitabilities. And in the world of games, there appears to be a third: If it's November, then you can count on a new Call of Duty to hit store shelves. And you can expect millions of gamers to quickly snap it up and start in on a fresh round of shooting."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1426532/call-of-duty-ghosts-review-pluggedin

News::Assassins Creed 4 Freedom Cry DLC Review | GameRant

With the latest installment in Ubisofts flagship series, Assassins Creed 4: Black Flag righting the ship (pun intended) after a somewhat divisive predecessor, the development team has released the first story-based DLC that is, itself, pulling no punches in terms of story and themes.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1426535/assassins-creed-4-freedom-cry-dlc-review-gamerant

News::MURI Review | GameGrin

It's a brave decision bringing a DOS-style adventure to the masses in 2013, but MURI does pretty much everything right.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1426473/muri-review-gamegrin

News::Need for Speed Rivals Review | Pluggedin

It's safe to say that the police officers of Redview County have quite a large departmental budget at their disposal. After all, these hot-footed flatfoots drive the likes of Aston Martins, Bentleys and Lamborghinis! And they're not afraid to use them and abuse them.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1426530/need-for-speed-rivals-review-pluggedin

News::Fix the Future in this Chronology Trailer

Sometimes all you need is a time-altering snail to solve all your problems. Chronology is a puzzle platformer that has you shifting between the past and present.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1426602/fix-the-future-in-this-chronology-trailer

News::'The Last of Us,' 'Grand Theft Auto V': the top 5 games of 2013

St Louis Post: "When it comes to year-end lists of video games, I feel like it's more useful to say what didn't make the cut than what did. Take this list of my favorite games of 2013. There's obviously plenty of titles that don't appear on it. But you, advocate of "Tomb Raider" or "BioShock Infinite" or whatever, could just tell yourself I didn't play your favorite game. "So of course it's not on the list!" In the case of those games, you'd be wrong. And so, if you knew that I had played them, you'd understand the superior value I've assigned to the games that topped them. But in the case of many, many other games PC standouts like "Gone Home," or the 3DS darling "The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds" you'd be right. Yeah, shocker: I didn't play every video game released in 2013. Show me someone who has, and well, just show me that person, please, because they probably need to go to the hospital. Now that I've sufficiently sapped it of all meaning, here's th...



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1426594/the-last-of-us-grand-theft-auto-v-the-top-5-games-of-2013

News::Battlefield 4 Review | Pluggedin

A lot of gamers will tell you that they only pick up a first-person combat game for its online multiplayer components. They come wanting the various open sandbox maps, frantic team battle modes and easily earned equipment upgradesall the things that make for hours and hours of what amounts to a digital paintball war with up to 64 players at a time (on the PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4) from all over the globe.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1426529/battlefield-4-review-pluggedin

News::World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor hands-on | PCGamer

World of Warcraft is nine years old. If you want to take a moment to let that sink in, thats perfectly understandable. It has remained the biggest subscription-based MMO in the world throughout that period: its still huge, even if the prevailing narrative surrounding it is of an empire in gradual decline.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1426400/world-of-warcraft-warlords-of-draenor-hands-on-pcgamer

News::GP Critics Biggest Disappointments of 2013

Gameplanet - "This week we've been celebrating the best games of 2013. But just as many games have surprised and captivated us, many games have also disappointed us. We're all guilty of getting swept up in the moment, and jumping on the pre-release hype wagon. We've also all felt the bitter sting of those drummed up expectations far exceeding the ho-hum reality of the game at release. Our contributors share their biggest disappointments of 2013."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1426501/gp-critics-biggest-disappointments-of-2013

News::Speculating on Ultra Street Fighter IVs new character

"We are all taping up our fists in anticipation for the June release of Ultra Street Fighter IV, the final expansion in Capcoms lauded Street Fighter IV series. In addition to six new stages from Street Fighter X Tekken and the new fighting mechanics, Capcom has revealed four returning series vets: Poison, Hugo, Rolento and my person favorite: Street Fighter IIIs Elena. On top of this roster a new challenger approaches: an as-of-yet unannounced female character. But who could this mysterious warrior woman be? Series producer Yoshinori Ono has stated that this character has never been in a fighting game before, which hints at either an entirely new Capcom creation or someone from the vaults who has yet to make an appearance in a Capcom fighting game. After all, Jill and Felicia have already thrown down in Marvel vs. Capcom, along with a bunch of other Capcom starlets." - Maxwell Coviello



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1426516/speculating-on-ultra-street-fighter-ivs-new-character

News::The 20 Best Indie Videogames of 2013

Here are the 20 most compelling indie games of the past year.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1426510/the-20-best-indie-videogames-of-2013

News::GP Critics Top 5 Games of the Year

Gameplanet - "This year we decided to give our wonderful contributors a chance to step outside their roles as critics and just straight-up enthuse about their top five favourite games of 2013. Weighted averages were calculated and discarded, arguments were won and lost, and formal writing tossed aside in favour of anecdotes."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1426504/gp-critics-top-5-games-of-the-year

News::Return To Far Cry 3

Join Vault of the Gameverse on their new adventure in Far Cry 3 as they start an all new game ready to go for 100% completion in the beautiful huge open world full of a ridiculous amount of content.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1426563/return-to-far-cry-3

News::Nvidias GameWorks program usurps power from developers, end-users and AMD

Joel Hruska(ExtremeTech) : Over the past few months, Nvidia has made a number of high-profile announcements regarding game development and new gaming technologies. One of the most significant is a new developer support program, called GameWorks. The GameWorks program offers access to Nvidias CUDA development tools, GPU profiling software, and other developer resources. One of the features of GameWorks is a set of optimized libraries that developers can use to implement certain effects in game. Unfortunately, these same libraries also tilt the performance landscape in Nvidias favor in a way that neither developers nor AMD can prevent.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1426491/nvidias-gameworks-program-usurps-power-from-developers-end-users-and-amd

News::Batman: Arkham Origins Review | Pluggedin

This is a prequel that shows the shape of how Arkham came to be. It's not a funny tale but it does have a Joker. Batty Beginnings The game jumps back to a day when a much younger Batman was winging his way in and out of the shadows to take down common criminals. After about two years of on-the-job training he's mastered all his signature moves, purchased all the high-tech gear and vehicles needed, and already put millions into the full renovation of a cave beneath his stately manor. The Dark Knight is now good enough at his new gig that the bad



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1426533/batman-arkham-origins-review-pluggedin

News::Witcher 3: Final Game In The Franchise - An Epic Villain Gets Revealed In The Gorgeous New Gameplay

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will be the final game in the franchise. Playing once again as the monster-slayer Geralt (also referred to his nickname The Witcher), youll explore an even bigger world with more content that could even rival games like Skyrim and youll finally fight the Wild Hunt, a band of spectral horsemen who have been involved with Geralt since first Witcher. The trailer reveals the leader of the Wild Hunt, and it shows just how fierce he and his men can be.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1426575/witcher-3-final-game-in-the-franchise-an-epic-villain-gets-revealed-in-the-gorgeous-new-gameplay

News::Concept Art of Unreal Engine 4-powered sandbox survival-creation title Eden Star

Flix Interactives upcoming first-person scifi survival-creation game gets a bunch of fresh concept art, showing off the main character, the futuristic locales and the weapons players can utilise in Eden Star.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1426603/concept-art-of-unreal-engine-4-powered-sandbox-survival-creation-title-eden-star

News::ArmA Tactics Review | Combo Caster

ArmA Tactics is a turn-based strategy game from Bohemia Interactive, similar to Jagged Alliance. As you can see by the name belongs to the ArmA series, military simulator that became super popular due to mod DayZ. Besides the PC is playable on tablets and smartphones. Players have to control up to 4 soldiers to perform missions established in large environments. Even before we saw the transition between FPS and strategy, making quite remember what the Guerrilla with Killzone did.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1426494/arma-tactics-review-combo-caster

News::Battlefield 4: Second Assault Review | GameGrin

Battlefield 3 had some fantastic maps that have become favourites with series veterans and newbies alike. Once DICE announced they would be bringing back four fan favourite maps from BF3, a lot of talk was of which maps they would bring back.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1426468/battlefield-4-second-assault-review-gamegrin

News::Air Conflicts: Vietnam Review | Combo Caster

Air Conflicts: Vietnam does one thing well, you know what it is. This game arcade bitComposer says be and it is. The only realism that we find comes from your story, set in the Vietnam war. Unfortunately everything else just accumulates problems after problems. Starting with the controls. The mouse and keyboard layout is completely useless and even use the command of the Xbox 360 does not work as we would like having a scheme too unusual and unfamiliar keys.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1426454/air-conflicts-vietnam-review-combo-caster

News::NYT-Game Theory: BioShock Infinite and Video Game Reviews

Consensus in game criticism seems to be reached far too easily. While games and gaming culture are certainly being more rigorously discussed by specialist and general-interest outlets, there appears to be a lack of diversity in our critical voices and a scarcity of established, strong personalities to act as arbiters of varied public tastes and opinions.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1426451/nyt-game-theory-bioshock-infinite-and-video-game-reviews

News::Battlefield 4: China Rising Review | GameGrin

With two of the best maps in the game and a few weapons worth playing with, China Rising adds more than enough to justify itself.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1426472/battlefield-4-china-rising-review-gamegrin

News::Nvidia Playing Dirty With GameWorks Semi-Propriety Nature May Pose Serious Danger to AMD

Nvidia GameWorks is a very significant program by Nvidia. However the GameWorks library follows proprietary code nature. Simply put it leaves AMD at the mercy of Nvidia to optimize Code for Radeon GPUs.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1426429/nvidia-playing-dirty-with-gameworks-semi-propriety-nature-may-pose-serious-danger-to-amd

News::Kristi's Top 5 Anticipated Games for 2014

As the year is coming to a close, Kristi has decided to do what Zebra has done, a top 5 of list of games she's excited for that's releasing next year.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1426406/kristis-top-5-anticipated-games-for-2014

News::Broken Sword 5: The Serpent's Curse: Chapter 1 Review | Cubed3

Starting all the way back in 1996, Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars has such a fantastic reputation for being one of the all-time greats in the world of point-and-click adventuring. So popular was it that UK developer Revolution decided to give it the Director's Cut treatment a few years back, even releasing it on Nintendo DS and Wii.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1426410/broken-sword-5-the-serpents-curse-chapter-1-review-cubed3

News::Best And Worst Box Art Of 2013

You can't judge a game by its cover, but that shouldn't stop you from judging the cover itself. Box art should represent the characters, themes, and action of a game and look cool to boot. Gamers see amazing and awful cover art on games spanning the entire spectrum of quality, and these are our picks for the best and worst examples of 2013.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1426441/best-and-worst-box-art-of-2013

News::ef the latter tale Review: a Mature, Heavy Romance (Twinfinite)

Visual novels are definitely catching good wind in their sails here in the West, thanks especially to the Ace Attorney series and the Zero Escape titles. But these only scratch the surface of the medium. Most visual novels claim romance as their primary genre, and today Twinfinite reviews the honest-to-goodness straight-from-Japan officially localized and licensed ef the latter tale, translated and published by MangaGamer (site NSFW), which tells the stories of three couples and their hardships.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1426537/ef-the-latter-tale-review-a-mature-heavy-romance-twinfinite