Many games in today’s market seem remarkably similar and rely heavily on proven gameplay concepts. Thus, when a developer takes a novel approach with a new property in hopes of pushing a genre in an exciting and unique direction, it invariably turns a few heads.
As such, Airtight Games’ Dark Void captured the attention of many after being revealed thanks to its combination of third person combat, a “vertical” cover mechanic and the ability to use a rocket pack. It sounds promising on paper… but at the same time, such elements could be a recipe for disaster when interwoven – it all depends on execution. So, is this game a worthwhile endeavor, or a mess? (more…)
Saber Interactive appears to have an affinity for creating science fiction videogames. Their 2007 FPS, TimeShift, allowed players to control time while immersing them in an alternate universe where society has been ravaged due to a rebellious uprising against a despotic regime.
Although the meticulously crafted digital world of Inversion moderately resembles what was seen in Saber’s previous title, the premise is not at all similar. You will assume the role of Davis Russell from a third person perspective as he combats invaders known as the Lutadores. With some help from his ally, Leo Delgado (whom another player will be able to control in the co-op mode), Davis has recently escaped from a Lutadore prison encampment to search for his missing daughter. The Lutadores were also responsible for the death of his wife and Davis is understandably seeking vengeance. (more…)
It is finally here. Infinity Ward’s follow up to one of the most highly regarded shooters of the current gaming generation, Modern Warfare 2, is now loaded cozily in millions of consoles around the world. As of this writing many news sources are reporting that this title has broken release day sales records, selling an estimated 4.7 million copies. With all of the hype and controversy one question remains: Is MW2 worthy of the attention it has received? As a courtesy to others, this review is spoiler free. (more…)
Rubi Malone is a complete and utter badass. She drinks, swears, has tattoos, a foul temper, and possesses a set of lethal skills that serve her well as a “professional problem fixer” in the seedy underbelly of society. You’ll have a riot playing as her in Artificial Mind & Movement’s WET, a third person action shooter that’s meshed Matrix-style acrobatics with gun slinging and swordplay. In many ways, it’s like Stranglehold with a sword and more platforming. But to peg WET as a knockoff of Stranglehold with a few new tricks won’t do it justice, as it’s far more endearing and fun.
As Rubi, you’ll make use of a variety of impressive maneuvers in bullet time to annihilate waves of enemies throughout the campaign that has her caught in the middle of a war between two drug syndicates. The foes that you’ll encounter aren’t overly cunning or difficult and you’ll be able to take them out with relative ease. But the goal is to do so with style. The game will reward you with Style Points as you rack up kills, and these can be used to purchase upgrades and new skills. The key to increasing your score is to drop enemies with as much flair as possible, and this is achieved by making good use of Rubi’s acrobatic abilities.
Firing your gun while Rubi is in mid air or performing various stunts such as sliding will trigger slow-mo and split targeting. One weapon automatically locks on to a nearby enemy, while you’ll have to manually aim the other, and this allows you to take out multiple hostiles at a time. This trick has been implemented extremely well and it’s one of the key ingredients that makes WET so satisfying. Sliding on the ground in slow motion while firing at two grunts at the same time and finishing another off with a violent slash of your sword is beyond entertaining. It’s moments like these that make WET such a treat to play. Just wait until you shoot at enemies upside-down as Rubi makes her way down a ladder – it’s insanely fun. (more…)
In light of the successful launch of Red Faction: Guerrilla’s Demons of the Badland DLC last week, THQ has revealed that a second pack will be released on September 17, while a third is scheduled to arrive in October. (more…)
Dark Corners released on Tuesday (July 28) for 1200 MS points, and with seven new maps comes a “deleted scene” for the campaign. Assuming the multiplayer portion of Gears of War II is a big part of your Gears experience, this is a heck of a lot of bang for your buck. What’s even more inviting about this deal is the fact that none of the maps are real stinkers, and the deleted scene doesn’t ruin the Gears gameplay.
The deleted scene, “Road to Ruin” takes place after Dom euthanizes Maria. On their way to the Nexus, Dom and Marcus either choose to traverse the Locust highway in “stealth” by donning Theron Armor or, in classic Gears style, with guns blazing. The “stealth” mechanic is best described as “stealth, the Gears way.” The scene is broken up in to five distinct sections, so if stealth doesn’t go exactly as planned in one section, you can try again after getting to the next segment.
It is not the most robust stealth mechanic, as you simply have to remain a certain distance away from the Locust guards. It never really gets too heart-pounding, however, and the best way to tackle the highway is with a classic guns blazing style. You’ll get to fight the usual assortment of Locust baddies as well as some of the bigger, meaner beasts. The most disappointing thought about the whole Road to Ruin scene is the fact that they actually took it out. It really brings the Locust underworld together. Before seeing this highway in action, it’s easy to mistake the Hollow as a couple unconnected temples and the Nexus, without much in between.
Moving on to the multiplayer maps, (more…)
In the upcoming cooperative shooter, Army of Two: The 40th Day, players will be faced with moral dilemmas and their choices will not only influence gameplay, but affect the direction of the storyline as well.
“These new morality choices are an innovative new feature that we believe will give a new layer to the cooperative experience in the game,” said Alex Hutchinson, Creative Director EA Montreal.
EA has recently announced that renowned comic book artists Chris Bachalo and Jock have contributed illustrations to demonstrate the impact of these “morality moments.” (more…)
Today Capcom announced that the PC version of Resident Evil 5 will release on September 14 in North America. European territories will receive the game on September 18.
Extra features for the PC version include new costumes, an improved mercenaries mode with three times as many enemies and the inclusion of NVIDIA®’s new GeForce® 3D Vision technology. The wireless 3D Vision glasses are sold separately.
Head over to NVIDIA’s official site to download the Resident Evil 5 3D Stereo Benchmark.
The Russian developer BIART officially announced U-Wars today, a third person shooter that offers an underwater action experience. Development began in late 2007, and the game is currently scheduled to arrive in mid 2010 for the Xbox 360, PC and PSP. (more…)
Blue Omega’s Damnation is an ambitious title; one that blends acrobatics, verticality, massive environments and shooting mechanics in an alternate history where Steampunk merges with the Old West. Damnation aims high with an objective to change the landscape of the shooter genre forever. It has been the target of a fairly negative reception overall, but has Damnation been unjustly gunned down by the gaming world?
In Damnation, America is presented as a place of utter melancholy and a society left in shambles from war. As Hamilton Rourke, you are part of a resistance known as the Peacekeepers, who are in the midst of a chaotic struggle against Prescott Standard Industries, a corporation lead by a militant industrialist attempting to assert complete control over the war-torn nation. Adding to the gloomy premise of battling in the wastelands known as Damnation is Rourke’s quest to locate his missing fiancé.
Like many games today, Damnation is powered by the Unreal Engine. Its overall appearance can be described as “hit and miss,” though. Distant landscapes are striking, and gazing into the horizon of the massive environments can often reveal picturesque vistas. However, when certain textures are inspected closer, (more…)
