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I could never really understand the obsession of setting their games in a nuclear winter setting in this part of the world. First there was GSC Game World with the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series and now we have A4 games, a bunch of developers from Ukraine with their rendition of a nuclear winter ravaged Moscow in the near-future. Based on the best-selling novel by the same name by Dmitry Glukhovsky, the game features Moscow, devastated in a nuclear war, leaving it’s survivors trapped below the wasteland in its intricate metro tunnels, as they try to survive in any which way possible. Is the game good enough to send chills down your skin as you fight your way through claustrophobic underground tunnels as you battle hideous mutants? Let’s find out.
When was the last time you hopped on to a propane tank in a game, shot the tank and then actually took off into the sky, riding the propane tank all the way? Or hijacked hovering helicopters? Taken off on a parachute while racing towards the edge of a cliff on a motorbike? Or actually ended up on flying 747’s, riding on its wings? If all these things sound crazy enough to not even make it into a video-game, then my friend, you are oh-so wrong for you haven’t yet paid a visit to the crazy-yet-fun world of Just Cause 2.
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Being a massive fan of the AvP universe, and having read all the novels in the series, I know I was waiting for this one. I wanted to play the story. I desperately wanted to see Machiko Noguchi kick ass, especially after seeing the first AvP movie make it so close to that story. I wanted to see Yautja battle with honor and the Xenomorphs tear through flesh and bone.
The AvP game of 1999 (which I consider the scariest game of all time), followed a standard movie based plot, while the follow up by Sierra wasn’t very memorable either. I was REALLY hoping that someone would finally go back to the novels and comics and do something different. However, this doesn’t really happen in AvP 2010. The story pretty much follows the AvP movie, throws in the predictable Weyland-Yutani capitalist-bastard angle and doesn’t leave much to remember.
11 years after AvP, Rebellion has reloaded the franchise with all new DirectX 11 based graphics that promises to scare the bejeesus out of you while your jaw drops in awe of the stunning visuals. So does AvP 2010 live up to the hype? Or is it one of those big-title releases that can’t put its money where its mouth is? Read on and decide for yourself.
When it released, Braid blew the entire world away with its art and some of the most amazing, innovative gameplay mechanics anyone had ever seen. And the fact that it snuggled comfortably into the Microsoft Xbox 360 exclusive stable all this time didn’t make the PC gamers all too happy, especially considering the PC version kept getting pushed back with each passing day.
Not anymore. According to Stardock software, the PC version of Braid is coming to their Impulse digital distribution platform come March 31, 2009! According to the pre-orders page on the ImpulseDriven site, the game will cost $19.95, almost $5 more than the Xbox LIVE Arcade version does, which should probably start another rant from the PC camp, but hey, at least you didn’t have to invest in a console, right?
Just when we were about to open our wallets and reach out for the credit card!
A quick look at our Steam account gave us this sweet piece of news, which comes right around the exact same time Xbox 360 owners (except for the sad saps in Japan) will be able to join in and try to answer the lifelong question of what would happen to you in case of a zombie apocalypse. Now that the demo is out and open for all on the PC and Xbox 360, fire up your Steam accounts and get that demo ASAP, in case you have unlucky, stupid or broke enough to not get the pre-purchase and the early demo access.
You need around 3.2 GB of free space for the demo which seems to be quite on the heavier side. Time for our so-called broadband lines to choke on this. See you tomorrow evening in co-op. Me, I’m just looking for a rusty hacksaw or a zombie-on-a-diet to get rid of my ugly, useless thumbs.
All Fallout fans in India rejoice. After Microsoft India washed it’s hands off the Xbox 360 version of the game and other major India distributors shying away from the PC and PS3 versions of the game, the future of the game indeed looked more bleak then a post-nuclear apocalyptic landscape. Thankfully, Steam has stepped right in to the save the day yet again!
For all those looking forward to having their PC hardware pawned all over again or just looking for a game that will show how PC will always be the big daddy of gaming, Crysis: Warhead is looming just in the horizon. Crytek’s lastet game, Crysis: Warhead will be seeing a 17th September release in North America and a world-wide release the very next day.
Ofvcourse, for us poor souls here in India, release dates hardly matter. For all those prepared to relive the month long wait just like Crysis, there is some good news in form of Steam. Crysis: Warhead will be available on Steam at a price-point of INR 1601.50 (USD 34.99). If you have some more dough to spare, you can grab the combo pack of Crysis and Crysis: Warhead for INR 2745.30 (USD 59.98). Both the packs are available for pre-purchase here.
Everybody seems to be celebrating this time of the year. Except us, of course, who’re working harder than ever on the Game of the Year awards and getting those awesome prizes out to you guys. But it looks like the Valve team wants to wish us a very Orange-y Christmas this year, especially if you look at the nice little security camera footage that’s being aired from inside the secret Aperture Science Holiday Vault – complete with the Gnome, the Weighted Companion Cube (aww!), the cake, lots of supply crates and a cute little turret hiding near them all, just begging you to go for the cake.
You can watch the video online here, or download the Flash Video file (Flash Player required) straight off our site here.
Download Aperture Science Holiday Vault 07 Surveillance Video (FLV/20.5 MB)
And that’s not all, you can also buy the official Orange Box OST off the Valve Store now, with great music from Episode Two, Team Fortress 2 and Portal, along with a special version of “Still Alive” by songwriter Johnathan Coulton and singer Ellen McLain, which isn’t available anywhere else. Or if you want to spend just on your games, they’ve even got the greatest holiday promotion going where you can pick up great games at 10% to 50% off their usual prices. Good tidings for everyone!
We love Achievements! No, we’re not outright whores, maybe just Achievement Nymphomaniacs. And we love it so much that we want to see the system implemented in games across all platforms, which at least Steam seems be doing for the PC. With the achievement system in place for Half-Life 2: Episode Two, Portal and Team Fortress 2, Valve has let it slip at the official forums that more achievements are on their way for other games in the Source catalog as well. So for all those PC owners raring to go at the One Free Bullet achievement, you may be able to do just that soon enough.
Valve’s Erik Johnson has said that Steam users should expect to see a whole lot of interestingly difficult achievements roll out across Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2: Episode One, Counter-Strike: Source and Day of Defeat: Source soon enough, with some of the multiplayer achievements rolling out even before the end of the year.
And oh, in case you are wondering about that pic above, yes, I am still left with one annoying achievement in Episode Two – the goddamn grub squishing one. I somehow always manage to miss one grub, and yes, I got the one at the end near the mine exit. Damn grubs!
The episodic experiment began in mid-2006 with Half-Life 2: Episode One and SiN: Episodes – Emergence. Grand stories were told about how episodic gaming would mark a major shift in the way games are developed and delivered. All fine and dandy, but a year and a half since all the grand posing, where exactly do we stand?
WARNING (and Disclaimer): Personal opinions, long sentences and an abrupt ending to follow!