Archive for the ‘Shooter’ Category:
Mass Effect 2 Collector’s Edition announced
EA has announced the Mass Effect 2 Collector’s Edition (you knew it was coming, right?). The fancy edition contains everything you expect, an art book, a making-of DVD and issue 1 of the Mass Effect comic book, all neatly packed in a tin box. The Collector’s Edition will retail for $70 on the Xbox 360 and $60 on the PC.
Army of Two: 40th Day Extraction trailer
EA has released a new trailer for Army of Two: The 40th Day, showing off some footage from its new game mode, “Extraction”.
Tags: army of two 40th day
Resident Evil Zero gets Wii release date
Capcom has revealed the release date of the Wii exclusive Resident Evil game. Called Resident Evil Archives: Resident Evil Zero, the game will be released on December 1. The game is not a new title by any means, but a remake of the 2002 GameCube title of the same name, which will receive a minor visual overhaul with added motion controls, just like Resident Evil 4 did for the Wii.
Tags: resident evil zero
PC version of Manhunt 2 to be released Nov 6
Rockstar’s controversial Manhunt 2 game — which has had its fair share of attention and controversy — will be released on the PC via Direct2Drive next week, and will be slapped with an AO rating, meaning “Adult Only”, the toughest rating any game can receive.
The PC version will support 3D monitors, so you can indulge yourself into even more gore, and will retail for only $30 when released next week. Unfortunately, the release is for North America only.
Tags: manhunt 2
SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3 gets delayed to 2010
Last month we learned that the PSP title SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3 would be hitting store shelves on November 24rd. Today, Sony has announced that the game is getting a delay to January 12th, 2010. But what gives?
Producer Mark Rogers says that the delay will give them more time to properly market the game and give it the proper attention it deserves. Then again, they probably just don’t want to release it in the same month as Modern Warfare 2.
Top 10 upcoming DirectX 11 games
Windows 7 is out, and with it is the latest version with DirectX — DirectX 11. The new graphics API is an evolution from DirectX 10, but it doesn’t only include more features, it’s faster than the previous version (unlike the DX9 to DX10 transition). Among the new features is Tessellation, which increases the amount of visible polygons, and multi-threaded rendering, which takes advantage of multicore CPUs a lot better than previous DX versions.
While only ATI’s 5000 series of graphics cards support DX11, Nvidia will join the club later this year, when new games which support the standard will emerge as well. We’ve picked top 10 games that are confirmed to include DirectX 11 support when released.
10: Battleforge (EA Games, out now)
Battleforge is the only game that’s currently available that supports DirectX 11. While it’s a card-based RTS with out much action to fully shocase the new visual features, the game was patched with DX 11 goodies, which provided smoother gameplay and better visuals. While it’s still not a Crysis-caliber game, it’s officially the first game to support the new API.
9: The Lord of The Rings Online (January 2010)
While LOTR: Online was released a few years ago, the game has received visual overhauls over the years, and it’s no different with DX 11 — the upcoming LOTR: Online patch will include DX 11 features, and will be developed in cooperation with AMD.
8: DIRT 2 (Codemasters, December 2009)
DIRT 2 was released on the Xbox 360 and PS3 a few months ago, but the PC version was delayed until December so Codemasters could implement DirectX 11 features into the game, with an added investment into the game by AMD (makers of the only DX11 available graphics cards on the market). And it appears the wait will be worth it for PC gamers, as DIRT 2 for PC will support tessellation, delivering more fluid crowd, particle and water animations.
7: F1 2010 (March 2010)
Codemasters not only have a rally game with DX11 support, the developer/publisher is also working on a new F1 racing game, which will used an enhanced version of the DIRT 2 engine, and will include even more DX11 features. Look for F1 2010 when the new F1 season starts next March.
More »
Modern Warfare 2 added to Steam
Modern Warfare 2 has been officially added to Steam, and is now available for pre-order and pre-load, however, it’s still the same price, $60 — no discount. The Steam version of MW2 will use Steam’s auto update and anti cheat systems, and will include Steam achievements as well.
In related news, you can get ArmA 2 with a 50% discount, only $25. If you wanna know if it’s worth it, check out our ArmA 2 review.
20 games to look forward to in 2010
While 2009 is drawing to an end, and with all the great AAA titles only weeks away, keep in mind that 2010 is going to see more top-notch titles released than the last few years. Here are 20 games that should/will make an impact next year, and while a lot more games are coming out, we obviously couldn’t include them all — our list grew from ten games to twenty games simply because even we were surprised how many title are lined up for 2010. Here’s our 20 games for 2010, in no particular order.
Postal 3 (PC, Xbox 360, PS3, Running With Scissors, Q2, 2010)
The original Postal was both hailed and damned for its controversial content, and the sequel, Postal 2 only made it better (or worse, if you’re a politician looking for some media attention). Postal 3 will expand on the sandbox style gameplay, and will even feature director Uwe Boll (who made the 2008 Postal movie) in a cameo role.
APB (PC, Xbox 360, March 2010)
After developing Crackdown for the Xbox 360, which has since become a cult classic on the console, Realtime Worlds shifted all their manpower to APB (All Points Bulletin), a revolutionary MMO set in a huge city where players battle each other as either law enforcement agents, or criminals. A kind of GTA online, as creator David Jones (the man behind GTA) is noted saying APB is “the bastard child of everything we’ve been striving towards over the 15-20 years”.
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (PC, PS3, Xbox 360, March 2, 2010)
Battlefield: Bad Company almost managed to perfect something no other FPS had done before: creating a fully destructible battlefield, where walls would no longer provide infinite cover — one tank shell and you better be looking to hide somewhere else. Coupled with a single player campaign and a solid multiplayer, Bad Company has been one of the most played FPS on the Xbox 360 and PS3. Bad Company 2 will bring “destruction 2.0″, taking destruction to a whole new level, this time, entire buildings and towns can be leveled to the ground.
Heavy Rain (PS3, February 2010)
Heavy Rain has been highly anticipated ever since it was first showcased at E3 2006 for the PlayStation 3, the film-noir, thriller-styled game will feature an intertwined storyline, with four playable characters, all looking for a serial killed going under the name “The Origami Killer”.
Halo Reach (Xbox 360, Q4 2010)
The next chapter in the Halo series and Master Chief’s battle against the Covenant was unveiled at E3 2009, without any further details other than the game would be the last Halo game to be developed by Bungie. Owners of Halo 3: ODST will have a chance to check out the game’s multiplayer beta in the middle of 2010, by then we should have more details on Reach.
Red Steel 2 (Wii, February 16, 2010)
The original Red Steel was the very first Wii game that was revealed, and rode a wave of anticipation until its release — as a Wii launch title — where it showed a flawed control scheme, dated visuals and uninspiring gameplay. Red Steel 2 is said to correct all those issues, and will require (and be bundled with) the Wii Motion Plus accessory, giving it a true 1:1 control input, paving the way for some great sword fights. We sure hope so.
Crysis 2 (PC, PS3, Xbox 360, Q4 2010)
The original Crysis is still bringing even the most powerful PCs to their knees, and is still hailed as the best looking game available, at least if a tropical island is what you crave. Crysis 2 continues the story where the original left off, and will use the new CryEngine 3, creating an even more immersive world. There aren’t many details of the game yet, but one thing is for sure: start saving for a new PC rig.
More »
Top 10 multiplayer FPS games of all time
While some indulge themselves in MMORPGs, at the other side of the spectrum of multiplayer games, first person shooters have had players battling in fast paced action for a far longer time — no quest reading or storytelling here, it’s guns blazing and the laws of headshots. Here’s our top 10 pick of the greatest multiplayer first person shooters of all time.
10: Team Fortress 2 (2007)
Valve’s successor to Team Fortress not only received a complete visual overhaul, it also became one of the most stylized multiplayer shooters of today, complete with its own sense of humor. The continuous (free) updates from Valve have kept players involved for a long time, with new weapons and maps added frequently.
9: Battlefield 1942 (2002)
Swedish developer DICE broke on to the gaming scene with Battlefield 1942, which would go on to become one of the most popular online shooters for the next few years. For the first time, gamers could participate in large scale, 64 player matches with big assortment of classes, tanks, planes, jeeps, battling over huge maps — it was warfare like never seen before, and it took the FPS scene by storm.
8: Halo 3 (2007)
Microsoft’s first Halo game on the Xbox 360 was received with one of the biggest launches in gaming history, and the polished multiplayer, which offered a ton of modes, detailed rankings, achievements and maps, have secured the game a top spot in the most played Xbox 360 games ever since. On top of that, the new The Forge mode made it possible to edit the maps as well, adding a new layer of gameplay.
7: Quake 2 (1997)
Quake 2 is widely considered the game that popularized the multiplayer shooter on the PC, and was one of the first to offer custom created content, such as maps, to be shared among fans and modders. It was also one of the first games to be officially selected in the Cyberathlete Professional League, a testament to its legacy.
6: GoldenEye 007 (1997)
While Quake opened the eyes of the general gaming crowd to the PC multiplayer first person shooters, GoldenEye 007 did it for the console crowd. It wasn’t the first console FPS game to offer multiplayer, but it was by far the first hit and a major breakthrough. Released in 1997 on the N64, the multiplayer part wasn’t originally a part of the game, and developer Rare assigned the job to a single programmer, Steve Ellis, who created the multiplayer version virtually by himself from the single player mode.
5: Unreal Tournament 2004 (2004)
Following the release of UT 2003, which received a mixed reception from the fans, Epic Games almost started from scratch and created what would become the most popular UT game ever, especially among modders, who were given the tools not only to create new maps, but completely different games, like Red Orchestra and Frag-Ops.
4: Tribes (1998)
In terms of multiplayer shooters, Tribes was a huge success, and was a game that pioneered some multiplayer FPS aspects that exist to this day. The game had a ton of exciting modes, revolutionary gameplay, not to mention 40 maps, some of which were huge, even by today’s standards.
3: Quake 3 Arena (1999)
Quake 3 Arena is perhaps one of the most fast paced multiplayer shooters ever made, and is generally considered the “founding father” of all the frag fests. It was the first Quake game that was exclusively multiplayer-oriented, and was minimalist in eye candy and aesthetics, only focusing on what really matters: gameplay.
2: Battlefield 2 (2005)
DICE brought the chaos and large scale warfare of WW2 into a modern day scenario, and Battlefield 2 became and instant classic, perfectly balancing the line between realism and accessibility — far better than any other military multiplayer shooter had done before. Or since. And despite being considerably buggier than competing games, the sheer quality of the gameplay — not to mention the detailed statistics and awards system — has meant that the game is still one of the most popular online shooters, despite being 4 1/2 years old.
1: Counter-Strike (1999)
Originally released as a mod to Half-Life, Counter-Strike immediately took the world by storm and has since consistently been the most played multiplayer shooter in the world. And with the update coming with Half-Life 2, CS: Source, the new visuals have kept it at the top spot. A proper sequel, Counter-Strike 2, is expected to be released with HL2: Episode 3 next year, and will most definitely continue the reign on the online multiplayer FPS scene.
Tags: multiplayer fps
APB beta to go live next week
If you were one of the lucky people who got accepted in the All Points Bulletin beta you should be happy to hear that the beta will go live sometime next week.
News of this comes to us from Realtime Worlds CEO Gary Dale who took center stage during the Tech Media Invest conference to let us know of the beta’s next week appearance. Furthermore, he said that those who didn’t get accepted into the beta need not worry as Realtime Worlds plans on accepting more and more people as the game’s release date grows nearer.
via eurogamer
Heroes of the Fall content pack for Battlefield Heroes makes its debut
Battlefield Heroes is a completely free to play game so it was generally assumed that EA wouldn’t be putting much effort into release additional content for it. However, considering the game’s success EA has gone ahead and released the Heroes of the Fall content pack for the game.
The change list, included after the break, is quite long with some notable features being the all new Riverside Rush map, new items and a whole slew of bug fixes.
Public Uncharted 2 multiplayer beta available today
Naughty Dog has recently announced that that public multiplayer beta for Uncharted 2: Among Thieves will be made available on the PlayStation Network at some point today.
According to the PlayStation blog, 4 maps, 4 competitive modes and 2 co-operative modes in addition to Cinema for replay viewing and a Stage map for machinima making will be included with the 1.3GB multiplayer demo.
Not planning on downloading it? You crazy.
Red Faction: Guerilla Smasher Pack detailed
The latest addition to Red Faction: Guerilla’s library of DLC is to be called Smasher Pack and will be made available on October 1st for the 360 and PS3 and will be priced at $4.99.
Anyways, the contents of the pack includes 8 maps for the offline Wrecking Crew mode in addition to the new found ability to use mechs in multiplayer; a feature players have been asking for ever since the title hit store shelves.
That’s about it, we’ll keep you updated on more news as the Smasher Pack’s release date grows closer.
via destructoid
WET review
If you though your game collection was overwhelmed with shooters, in particular, third person shooters, here comes WET, or Wet, as we’ll call it from now on. It’s a third person action game (doh) which brings its own unique style to the genre — picture grind-house horror and bloodshed mixed up with Max Payne-slow-mo kind of action sequences. Then you get Wet. However, as stylish as the game is, there’s isn’t much underneath the surface.
In Wet, you play as Rubi Malone, a dark haired tough chick who’s got an axe to grind with pretty much everyone, and she’s got a series of moves, from kicking and punching, to sliding and, if all fails, you have your good ‘ol guns to save you. The game is non-stop action, the story and dialogue are kept to a minimum, as you’ll be pumping lead into foes pretty much the whole time. More »
Tags: WET review
SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3 out on November 24th
First announced back in April, SCEA has announced via the Playstation Blog that SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3 will be released exclusively for the PSP on November 24th.
If you’ve been paying attention you’ll know that Fireteam Bravo 3 is set to be the first SOCOM PSP title to feature multiplayer co-op over both Ad-Hoc and Infrastructure modes. This means you’ll be able to link up with 2-4 players and progress through the game’s campaign wirelessly.
Considering the community behind the SOCOM franchise this most likely won’t be the last Fireteam Bravo PSP title we’ll be seeing.