Call of Duty 2 Impressions @ VE07:15 pm
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- Games: Action(0 comments)
Earlier today I picked up the Call of Duty 2 Collector's Edition which comes on DVD format with a making of the game movie, some tear jerking WW2 vet stories (yes, I still tear up when I see these things, so stop laughing at me) and developer commentary / walkthroughs. Watching the extras really puts you in the mood, although they obviously contain some spoiler material. Is it worth the extra ten bucks? Well, considering how long it took to install, I'd say yes just so you don't have to swap out a gallizion CD-ROMS. Then again, I am a sucker for collector's editions.
Much like the original Call of Duty 2, the sequel sports the same high production values and the presentation is excellent. Visually, the game is stunning and runs quite smooth at 1280x1024, although even at 800x600 resolution with the options cranked up, the game still looks great, so don't be afraid to turn it down if needed. Improved AI was a high priority for Infinity Ward, and they certainly did not disappoint. Squad mates are able to call out enemy locations very well, and are good at flanking and support. Same goes for the Germans. At the higher difficulty levels it becomes a grenade toss-a-thon, so going second or third level might be the way to go.
The interface takes some getting used to, and the health system is a bit odd. You regenerate health rapidly while resting which is unusual for a game like this, but then again picking up health packs and instantly gaining health isn't so realistic either. Personally, I don't have a problem with it, as there is less downtime and more forward gameplay. Controls are good, but take a couple levels to get used to. Overall I'm pleasantly surprised at how good Call of Duty 2 is. If you were a fan of the original and have a decent system, I'd certainly give this game a look. Full review coming up after we finish it. My fortune cookie at lunch said I was in for a Daring, dashing adventure and Call of Duty 2 is exactly that.
Here are a few screenshots snapped off from the second level of the Russian campaign:
The first game was a blockbuster hit a few years ago and still has a huge community around it, so I think a lot of people are going to be waiting for this one. What did you guys think of the first game?
Exile, Avernum, and Geneforge
Into Shareware games? Inside Mac Games interviews Jeff Vogel, founder of Spiderweb Software on various game titles they are developing.
Havok
Gamecloud interviews Jeff Yates about their game physics software company. Havok is the physics engine that is used in many popular games these days.
Postal Movie Interview Vince Desi talks to Gamecloud about the movie adaptation of Postal. I can see headlines about this movie already...
Namco and Flagship Studios today released new screens from "Hellgate: London," the highly-anticipated Action RPG you've got to see to believe. Set in the ruins of London and its subterranean transportation system, "Hellgate: London" puts you in the role of a powerful hero fighting to drive back the demonic hordes and seal their entryway into the world of humans.
These new screens showcase the female Templar, as well as enemies and environments both above and below ground. The Templar character class uses both ranged and melee weapons in their battles against the minions of the underworld, and with over 100 different weapons to choose from, they're well equipped to dual-wield their way to victory!
Civilization IV Tech-Tree Snafu01:40 pm
- Andrew Burnes
- Games: Turned-Based Strategy(2 comments)
If you opened your copy of Civilization IV today and found a French-language tech tree card you will be delighted to hear that you weren't the only one, for a change - instead of returning the game to the store, 2K Games suggests you visit this page and fill out your details so they can send you an English version for nowt.
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Lockdown Now For PC Too12:10 pm
- Andrew Burnes
- Games: Action(2 comments)
Ubisoft just sent over an announcement and some screenshots revealing that the previously console-exclusive Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Lockdown is now also going to be available for the PC, albeit in 2006:
Today Ubisoft, one of the world's largest video game publishers, announced that the premier multi-player franchise Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Lockdown, the fourth installment of the multi-million unit selling franchise, will ship worldwide in early 2006 for the PC. The console versions of Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Lockdown were released earlier this year.
The Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six franchise, hailed for its immersive single-player and multi-player experiences, continues with Lockdown as Team Rainbow, the world's premier counter-terrorist unit, is called on to fight a deadly bioterrorism threat. The crisis takes Rainbow into new territory and new situations, as for the first time the hunter becomes the hunted.
All-new features, specific to the PC, add to the tensest close-quarter battles ever experienced online. New features include:
Enhanced Tactical Experience
Deadlier enemies with improved tactics require quick and intense decision making. But move too fast and you'll find the enemy waiting for you…
Hostages that must be navigated through the level and accounted for during firefights. Keep them safe and get them out alive!
New Multiplayer Features
"Class Style" gameplay for multiplayer, allowing more specialization
Multiplayer reward system
New "Free-for-all" game type
The return of 3 classic maps - 747, Mint, and Bunkers
Re-imagined missions, more challenging than ever before
Re-vamped Rivalry Mode: Rainbow vs. Mercenaries, battling over three different objective types simultaneously. No two Rivalry matches play out exactly the same way!
New Equipment
Enemy use of Lock Fusers in single-player gameplay presents new challenges to the player
Laser Trip Mines, Virus grenades, and C4 explosives add new options to the multiplayer arsenal
New Weapons and Attachments
20 new weapons - 42 overall
6 brand new weapons never used before in a Rainbow game
14 fan favorites from franchise history
Customize your weapon to suit your style of play: Silencers, Scopes, red-dot sights, hi-cap magazines.
(Click to Enlarge!)
Hit the comments for a developer interview regarding the PC iteration. (EDIT: Scratch that, the boards are hosed.)
In Other News...12:15 am
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- In-House: In Other News...(8 comments)
Quake IV is starting to grow on me as the second half of the game picks up quite a bit. AI is still weak sauce after playing F.E.A.R. but I dig the pace of the game and the whole not getting lost in the levels thing. I don't think it's going to win any awards, but overall Quake 4 is pretty Raven.
Spring semester doesn't start until Jan. 15th so I have a little time to kill before that begins. VE is just a part time gig so I think we can fit both in if I go easy on my exotic dancing assignments. Going back to school was always something I wanted to do, and I figure I better go before I look so old that people think I'm an undercover cop or something. I still need to hook up with a counsilor to see what I'm short on.
PS- I am so getting Call of Duty 2 today.
Today's question:
With all these hot games released recently, are you still really looking forward to the Xbox 360?
The boards are acting funky, so apologies in advance.
Tuesday , October 25, 2005
SpikeTV Award Nominees07:04 pm
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- Games: General News(12 comments)
SpikeTV is once again looking to impress gamers in its annual game of the year awards. Presenters include Samual L Jackson "Do they speak English in What?!" The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Vin Diesel and others. Interested onlookers might notice that some of the games are from last year (e.g. - World of WarCraft) and many have yet to be released (i.e. - King Kong). There is no Xbox 360 catagory, even though Microsoft's new console is coming out before the end of the year. The announcement is way too long to stick on the front page, so here's the short version (the rest are in the comments):
Valve, a leading entertainment software company, announced today that Half-Life 2 for Xbox has gone gold and will ship to retail outlets around the world on November 15, 2005. Half-Life 2 has been called "the Xbox prospect of the year" by IGN.com and is one of the most highly anticipated video game releases of the year.
The follow up to one of the most critically acclaimed and best selling action games of all time, Half-Life 2 takes the suspense, challenge and visceral charge of the original, and adds startling new realism and responsiveness. Half-Life 2 opens the door to a world where the player's presence affects everything around him, from the physical environment to the behaviors - even the emotions - of both friends and enemies.
Screenshots and such can be found on the newly redesigned Xbox.com.
Hotswap your way to victory! It's time to prepare for all-out war on the modern battlefields of the world. Electronic Arts announced today that Battlefield 2: Modern Combat is available now on the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system and Xbox video game system from Microsoft.
The first-ever Battlefield 2 console installment drops players into the heat of battle on the high tech frontlines, entering a new modern era of combat with more firepower and new expansive environments. The single player game highlights the innovative "Hotswapping" feature, allowing players to instantly take control of any soldier in their squad to stay in the middle of the action at all times. Players will fight on both sides of a vicious conflict, and in the end must choose which army they will lead to victory.
In addition to the single-player campaign, Battlefield 2: Modern Combat can be enjoyed within an online multiplayer environment that supports up to 24 players. Players can choose to fight for one of four military superpowers: the United States, the Chinese, the European Union, or the newly formed Middle East Coalition. Players can also increase their rank and garner promotions that are tracked globally.
Midway today announced that EARTH 2160, the highly anticipated sequel in the top-selling and critically-acclaimed EARTH series of real-time strategy (RTS) titles, has gone gold and will ship to stores on Monday, November 7.
Gamers can visit earth2160.midway.com to pre-order EARTH 2160 and receive a bonus DVD with eight additional maps and a retail version of EARTH 2150. The Web site also features faction profiles, unit descriptions, storyline details, trailers and more.
Developed by Reality Pump, EARTH 2160 sees conflict arise as the remnants of the Eurasian Dynasty, Lunar Corporation and United Civilized States terraform Mars following Earth's destruction. As the civilizations independently rebuild, a group of imprisoned alien renegades is awakened from suspended animation. The groups must either battle it out or band together as they try and survive the new alien threat.
In addition to standard RTS features such as resource acquisition, base building and destruction of enemy bases, EARTH 2160's modular construction allows players to customize buildings and units. The title also allows for detailed customization of vehicles. EARTH 2160 takes advantage of the latest cutting-edge pixel and vertex shaders, giving the game a look and feel that is well ahead of other RTS titles running on more traditional graphics engines.
If you want to check it out, a Demo is available on most of the popular download sites.
Anarchy Online
Jonric of RPGVault interviews Morten Byom of Funcom on the current status of Anarchy Online.
Civilizations 4: Sid Meier
CV&G; has interviewed Sid Meier on Civ 4.
Epic and Cliff Bleszinski
Gamasutra intereviewed Cliff Bleszinski of Epic's future, Gears of War, etc.
Horizons: Empire of Istaria
Gamersinfo has interview with Horizons Chief Technology Officer, Rick Simmons.
The Saga of Ryzom
MMORPG.com has an interview with Jessica Mulligan, who serves as the Executive Producer of the game.
The Warriors
CV&G; has an interview with Rockstar Games Jeronimo Barrera about The Warriors.
Call of Duty 2 Review @ IGN08:41 am
- Andrew Burnes
- Games: Action(16 comments)
Call of Duty 2 fails to become IGN's 'bestest World War 2 shooter ever' thanks to the introduction of a Halo-esque health regeneration system, but does receive a more than average 8.5/10:
Many of you who grabbed the single-player demo noted that the game didn't run all that great. All I can tell you is that the retail version appears to have been optimized. Textures look great, and there's lots of shiny stuff going on. Normal mapping is fairly subtle, except for a few elderly character models who look like they're bathed in a sheen of sweat. It's not quite on par with FEAR, but I think even the hardcore shooter fan will find little to complain about. Most importantly: I saw little sign of cutting corners for multi-platform development (as the game is also coming out on the 360). I'm pleased to report that everything looks quite sharp.
The game also auto-detects 16:9 and 16:10 widescreen ratios, as well as the funky 5:4 ratio for LCD monitors (like 1280x1024). You'll have a solid selection of performance tweaking options, or you can let the game set what it thinks will be optimal settings. With a 6800GT, 3.0GHz P4 and 1GB of RAM, the game plays quite smoothly at 1280x1024, with anisotropic filtering (to make textures look nicer) and 4xAA (to reduce jagged edges). There were slowdowns when it rained and when there was a lot of smoke on screen, but it was otherwise quite playable with the latest official nVidia drivers. Speaking of those guys, there's also an "Optimize for SLI" toggle, but I don't have the luxury of two hot boards, so let's move on.
Anyone lucky enough to grab a copy already care to share first impressions?
Soldiers ... strap up those boots, tighten that buckle and grab your helmet, it's time to return to battle as Activision, Inc. has shipped Call of Duty 2 to retail outlets nationwide. Powered by Infinity Ward's proprietary new engine, the sequel delivers an unparalleled portrayal of the chaos and intensity of war with life-like authenticity, amazing special effects, advanced A.I. technology, the most realistic squad combat and explosive action. Call of Duty 2 for Windows PC is rated "T" (TEEN -- blood, mild language and violence) by the ESRB and carries a suggested retail price of $49.99.
"The original Call of Duty set a new benchmark for epic intensity. Our team was committed to raising the bar once again with Call of Duty 2 by delivering an experience that immerses players in the action and takes them on a journey that's as close to war as they will ever want to get," states Grant Collier, president, Infinity Ward. "We've brought the action to life by creating a context-sensitive dynamic battle chatter system, unparalleled smoke effects, adding non-linear gameplay, open mission objectives and the most alert A.I. ever. Gamers will feel like they're playing their own epic war movie."
Set across three Allied campaigns: Russian, British and American, Call of Duty 2 offers the ultimate character-driven experience, as gamers can play through each storyline to its completion, or choose to engage the enemy in historic battles chronologically from 1941 through 1945. Players have the freedom to take on mission objectives in any order as they see fit, yet must utilize actual combat tactics like outflanking and fire and maneuver to succeed.
CoD's getting whopped in the poll - a sign people really are sick of World War II, no matter the quality of an individual title?
2K Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., and FIRAXIS Games, the world renowned video game developer, today announced that Sid Meier's Civilization IV for the PC has shipped to retail stores in North America. Sid Meier's Civilization IV will be in retail stores in Europe on November 4.
Sid Meier's Civilization IV comes-to-life like never before in a beautifully detailed, living 3D world that expands the gameplay experience. This latest installment takes the franchise to new heights with the addition of new ways to play and win, new tools to manage and expand your civilization, all-new easy to use mod capabilities and various multiplayer modes and options.
"With more than six million units sold, the Sid Meier's Civilization franchise is recognized as one of the greatest PC game franchises of all-time," said Christoph Hartmann, Managing Director of 2K Games. "Sid Meier's Civilization IV expands on the popular gameplay in the Civilization series with new features including religion, some of history's most influential people and for the first time in the Civilization series, a full 3D engine."
"The Civilization series is very close to our hearts," said Jeff Briggs, Founder, President and CEO of FIRAXIS Games. "We've worked diligently to make Civilization IV even better than its worthy predecessors, and are really proud of the end result."
"Each new Civilization is a major undertaking," added Sid Meier, Director of Creative Development at FIRAXIS Games. "Creating Civilization IV was a monumental task, but everyone at FIRAXIS was determined to create the best Civ experience yet, and I think we succeeded. Fans will absolutely love this game and folks new to the series won't be able to resist."
Now it's time for an Alpha Centauri sequel, do you not agree?
Leading video games developer and publisher Namco Hometek Inc. announced today that "SOULCALIBUR III" has shipped to retail outlets throughout North America. The latest installment of the most celebrated weapon-based fighting series of all time, "SOULCALIBUR III" continues the tale of souls and swords with three new characters, an incredibly robust character creation system and an unprecedented variety of brand-new gameplay modes. Exclusively for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, "SOULCALIBUR III" is rated T for Teen and carries a suggested retail price of $49.99.
"With three all-new characters, unique gameplay modes and an updated fighting engine, 'SOULCALIBUR III' delivers on the expectations of being one of the most respected and distinguished fighting games of all time," said Yoshi Niki, business unit director at Namco Hometek Inc. "In this installment, players can create personalized characters with unique fighting styles and personalities to truly immerse themselves in the 'SOULCALIBUR' universe."
"SOULCALIBUR III" introduces new characters Tira, Zasalamel and Setsuka to a roster of more than 25 returning fighters as they struggle for possession of the legendary swords, Soul Calibur and Soul Edge. The game marks the debut of an unprecedented amount of new gameplay modes, adding to replay value and providing more content than ever for fans to unlock and enjoy. In addition to the existing roster of characters, players can construct their own warriors in the game's Character Creation mode, selecting from a wide variety of clothing and accessories, fighting styles and weapons to create a truly unique and impressive addition to the lore of the "SOULCALIBUR" series. The original characters can be played in the various VS modes of the game. In addition, characters can be created for use in the Chronicles of the Sword mode, an original mode that expands upon the series' traditional gameplay with real-time strategy elements. Players can also fight to fulfill a series of special objectives such as taking down a massive living statue or collecting coins from opponents in Soul Arena mode, learn all of the game's new moves and combos in Practice mode, and view unlocked game content in Museum mode.
Rogue Trooper is a Rebellion title that uses the Sniper: Elite engine, and Zero Tolerance is an entirely new title that I have no further information on, but is perhaps a 2005 update of the old Mega Drive game; previews of Tomb Raider: Legend can be found here and here.
Set in the 1950s, the third-person action game puts players into the bulbous gray head of Crypto 137, an alien who has landed on Earth and is intent on destroying it. The game takes a comic approach and spoofs '50s Hollywood B-movies.
"The goal is to make the show as good and as funny as the video game," said former "King of the Hill" writer/co-executive producer Jim Dauterive, who will develop the project.
In Other News...12:15 am
- Robert 'Apache' Howarth
- In-House: In Other News...(16 comments)
Sorry for the slow news yesterday, I think I caught that bird flu or something. I feel like poo. So anyhow, I'm thinking of going back to college next semester and finish my degree. 10 years is a long enough break... Let me be the first to make the preemptive English major jokes. :)
Today's question:
Are you looking forward to checking out The Lost Coast this week?
Remember to update your Steam client if you haven't loaded her in awhile and beat the rush.
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