PC Game News

Chris created a video review for "Mass Effect 2", the new sci-fi RPG sequel by BioWare. The full write-up will be posted later tonight.

"The Mass Effect trilogy is a masterful science-fiction adventure set in a vast universe filled with dangerous alien life forms and mysterious uncharted planets. In this dark second chapter, Saren's evil army of Geth soldiers has just been defeated, and humans, still struggling to make their mark on the galactic stage, are now faced with an even greater peril…"

Red Eagle Games and Obsidian Entertainment have announced an agreement in which Obsidian will work with Red Eagle in the development on a new MMO franchise based on Robert Jordan's best-selling fantasy series, "The Wheel of Time."

"The Wheel of Time is one of the greatest and well-received fantasy series of all time," said Chris Avellone, Chief Creative Officer of Obsidian Entertainment. "Games set in Robert Jordan's universe have the chance to deliver on the epic storylines and the complex characters that the series is known for – and this is one of Obsidian's strengths. It's a natural fit."

"The development team at Obsidian Entertainment has demonstrated time and again that they can successfully blend storytelling with technology to craft a superior RPG game experience," said Rick Selvage, Chief Executive Officer of Red Eagle Games. "Obsidian Entertainment is the ideal development partner to help Red Eagle Games take Jordan's beloved characters from the printed page to exciting new forms of interactive media."

"Obsidian Entertainment is thrilled with this opportunity to work with Red Eagle Games in developing games based upon The Wheel of Time series," said Feargus Urquhart, Chief Executive Officer of Obsidian Entertainment. "The Wheel of Time is a rich universe that lends itself to incredible gaming possibilities."

"The details of Jordan's meticulously crafted series have captivated readers since 1990, when The Eye of the World, the first book in the series, was published. Eleven additional books, including one prequel, have since been added to the series and have consistently appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List with the last five of his novels in the series debuting at No. 1. Jordan passed away in 2007 at the age of 58, but his publisher, Tor Books, subsequently announced that a final trilogy of novels will bring his epic series to its long-awaited climax. The most recent installment in the series, entitled The Gathering Storm, was published in October of 2009 by Tor Books. The last three novels are being penned by fantasy writer Brandon Sanderson using notes, audio recordings and draft materials left with Jordan's wife and editor, Harriet Rigney.

Jordan's wildly popular books have been translated into 24 languages, and have sold about 44 million copies worldwide. According to Tor Books, the publisher of The Wheel of Time novels, there are about 65,000 The Wheel of Time fan Web sites as a part of a vast global on-line fan community."

Previously announced as a DirectX10 exclusive that would require Microsoft Vista (or greater), the anticipated "Alan Wake" game is reportedly no longer headed to the PC platform and will now be an Xbox 360 exclusive title. StrategyInformer received the following from a Microsoft spokesperson:

"Some games are more suited for the intimacy of the PC, and others are best played from the couch in front of a larger TV screen. We ultimately realized that the most compelling way to experience "Alan Wake" was on the Xbox 360 platform, so we focused on making it an Xbox 360 exclusive. Both Microsoft and Remedy have long histories in PC game development. This decision was about matching this specific game to the right platform."

For PC gamers, this news is extremely disappointing and brings into question Microsoft's real intentions for PC gaming in general. How much can a platform be neglected by the company before developers start thinking more broadly about alternative operating systems? Personally, I wouldn't be using Windows if it wasn't for the games.

Capcom today announced that "Dead Rising 2" will be released in North America on August 31st, in Europe on September 3rd, and in Japan on September 2nd.

"The Dead Rising series is renowned for letting players pick up and use everyday items to fend off hordes of the undead, but Dead Rising 2 adds a new twist with combination weapons. Take two objects, add a roll of tape plus the inventiveness and skilled hands of Chuck Greene and hey presto, an innocent water gun and a can of gasoline become a deadly flamethrower, while a garden rake and car battery combine to create an electrified zombie prod.

Creating and using combination weapons will not just result in novel ways to tackle Dead Rising 2’s shuffling cast of thousands as the more combo weapons a player uses, the more Prestige Points (PPs) they will rack up. Earn enough PPs and Chuck levels up, which in turn delivers its own benefits."

Paradox released a new developer diary video that features Philippe Thibaut, game director at AGEOD.

"Rise of Prussia takes players to an 18th-Century military conflict seldom covered in games or popular culture, placing them in charge of one of two sides involved in the Seven Years’ War. The development team’s focus on historical accuracy is evident throughout the game, as players lead the Prussian-British coalition or the alliance of Austria, Russia, France and others into battle. Can they repeat history and lead the Prussians to victory, or will one of the bloodiest conflicts of its time end differently in the player’s hands?

The game is scheduled to be released via digital distribution portals on March 9th. For more info please visit https://www.paradoxplaza.com/games/rise-of-prussia"

Futuremark today released new screenshots from "Shattered Horizon Moonrise," an upcoming DLC pack for the recent first-person shooter set in space.

"The Moonrise pack, which will be free to all players, includes four new environments effectively doubling the number of levels in the game.

In Shattered Horizon, a catastrophic explosion on the Moon has filled near-Earth space with billions of tons of rocky debris. Teams of players fight in zero gravity to control the limited supplies that mean the difference between survival and death in the cold of space.

The four Moonrise levels are set around the shattered Moon, taking the fight deeper into space and showing a new side to the conflict. The screenshots released today show hints of exotic new locations: an MMC cargo ship lured into a trap by the ISA, a huge mass driver installation, the broken remains of a luxury lunar hotel and fragments of what was a massive communications dish on the Moon.

Although a release date for the Moonrise pack has not yet been announced, Futuremark Games Studio confirmed that a small group of selected players is helping them test near-final content.

For more information visit https://www.shatteredhorizon.com/"

The list of new PC game releases, DVD and Blu-Ray releases, and movies opening the week of February 8th, 2010.

PC Games:

• BioShock 2
• Sins of a Solar Empire: Diplomacy
• Windchaster

Movies Opening This Week:

• My Name is Khan (limited
• Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
• The Wolfman
• Valentine's Day

DVD and Blu-Ray Releases:

• A Serious Man [Blu-Ray]
• Army Wives: The Complete Third Season
• Bad Girls of Film Noir 2
• Bad Girls of Film Noir, Volume 1
• Bronson [Blu-Ray]
• Couple's Retreat [Blu-Ray]
• Dangerous Man
• Dante's Inferno [Blu-Ray]
• Dare
• David Lean DVD Collection
• Emma: The Miniseries
• Gary Unmarried: The complete First Season
• I Hate Valentine's Day [Blu-Ray]
• Ice Castles
• JAG: The Final Season
• Rod Serling – Studio One Dramas
• Running Man [Blu-Ray]
• Sara Silverman Program: Season Two, Vol. 2
• Second Sight – Complete Collection
• Serious Moonlight [Blu-Ray]
• Stargate SG-U: 1.0 [Blu-Ray]
• Stephen Romano Presents Shock Festival
• Studio One – Twelve Angry Men
• The Life and Times of Tim; The Complete First Season
• The Patty Duke Show: Season Two
• The Penguins of Madagascar Operation: DVD Premier
• The People Speak – Extended Ed.
• The Phantom [Blu-Ray]
• The Stepfather [Blu-Ray]
• The Time Traveler's Wife [Blu-Ray]
• The Ultimate Dambusters Collection
• Vega$: The First Season, Vol. 2

2K Games today announced that "BioShock 2" has been shipped and is now available worldwide.

"Building upon the original game that shipped more than three million units worldwide, BioShock 2 delivers a single and multiplayer video game experience that is both an artistic achievement in entertainment and a highly addictive first-person shooter.

"BioShock represented a watershed moment in the gaming industry when it illustrated that games, like feature films, can be viewed as art – both in art design and in the rich depth of the narrative," said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. “Most importantly, the media are stating what we’ve known all along; that whether or not you’ve played the original, BioShock 2 is a worthy successor to one of the best games of all-time that should not be missed.”

The single player serves as a sequel to the original game and provides fans with an unsettling storyline, dazzling visual design and the evolution of the genetically enhanced shooter gameplay. Set almost a decade after a grueling civil war consumed the once magnificent city of Rapture, evil reverberates through the halls and a wickedness once thought gone forever returns along the Atlantic seaboard. An unspeakable series of kidnappings from local seaside communities by an unseen monster leads to the repopulation of Little Sisters in Rapture’s failed utopia under the ocean. Players must step into the boots of one of gaming's most iconic characters, the Big Daddy, as they traverse through the fallen city, fending off attacks from an army of genetically modified Splicers, while searching for escape and the key to their survival.

Multiplayer in BioShock 2 provides fans with a rich and engrossing prequel experience that expands upon the fiction of Rapture’s origins. Set during the year before Rapture’s descent into chaos, players assume the role of a Plasmid test subject for Sinclair Solutions, a key provider of Plasmids and Tonics in the underwater city that was first explored in BioShock. Players will enter into areas from the original title as they struggle to gain superiority in franticly paced battles.

BioShock 2 was developed by 2K Marin in collaboration with 2K Australia, Digital Extremes and 2K China for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Games for Windows–LIVE, and is rated M for Mature by the ESRB.

For more information on BioShock 2 please visit www.bioshock2game.com, www.cultofrapture.com and www.somethinginthesea.com."

The "Myst Online: Uru Live" website has been updated with word that the open source version of the game has been launched. However, the account registration server is overloaded and it apparently won't be back up until tomorrow.

"Everything takes longer than expected these days. Cyan Worlds’ plans are to move MO:UL to open source, and we finally have some good news. We’ve taken a first step and started a MO:UL server, so the Ages of Uru are available again. We’ve opened all the Ages, and added most of the goodies in MO:UL. We’re referring to it as MO:ULagain – feel free to explore and enjoy.

And the cost is pretty good. Free!

If you’re so inclined, we’ve provided a way for you to donate via PayPal to help offset our costs, and show your support. Five or ten bucks would go a long way toward helping pay the server and people bills. (No promises, but we’re trying to figure out a way to show our appreciation to supporters by giving you a little something extra in MO:ULagain.) But don’t feel obligated – we’re just glad to have the cavern open once again."

A registration and donation page is up but again, the registration link on that page is currently down.

LucasArts and Traveler's Tales have announced "LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars," the next installment in the action adventure series.

"Developed by the same team at Traveller’s Tales that created the critically acclaimed LEGO® Star Wars and LEGO® Indiana Jones™ series, the game will ship on the Wii™, Nintendo DS™, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, and Xbox 360®videogame and entertainment system from Microsoft and Windows in the Autumn of 2010.

“LucasArts continues to set the bar for next-generation family entertainment,” said Darrell Rodriguez, president of LucasArts. “The LEGO® Star Wars franchise is a massive hit with fans, bringing in sales of over 20 million units worldwide. We’re thrilled to extend this experience to LEGO® Star Wars III: The Clone Wars, delivering the humour and fun players expect from this award winning franchise.”

“LucasArts is an amazing partner, and working with them on the next iteration of the LEGO® Star Wars series continues to be a great experience,” said Tom Stone, director at TT Games. “The team at TT is working hard at making this simply the best LEGO® game ever with all new gameplay and features never before seen in a LEGO® game.”

LEGO® Star Wars III: The Clone Wars will include all the characters from both seasons of the hugely popular animated television series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, as well as some fan-favourite characters from the beloved theatrical Star Wars Saga. The game will feature brand new battle modes, giving players unique, head-to-head combat and an upgraded level builder, allowing the creation of customized bases and in-game battlefields. Play either as a Jedi or Separatist with all-new character abilities, such as Squad command, Lightsaber slicing, Lightsaber jumps, long distance Jedi attacks and Grapple Tie-Ups, all within a new, easy-to-navigate hub.

For more information on LEGO® Star Wars III: The Clone Wars please visit https://www.lucasarts.com/games/legostarwarsiii/."

A new trailer for "Metro 2033" has been released, giving viewers a look at the upcoming post-apocalyptic FPS from 4A Games.

"Set in the shattered subway of a post apocalyptic Moscow, Metro 2033 is a story of intensive underground survival where the fate of mankind rests in your hands.

In 2013 the world was devastated by an apocalyptic event, annihilating almost all mankind and turning the earth's surface into a poisonous wasteland. A handful of survivors took refuge in the depths of the Moscow underground, and human civilization entered a new Dark Age.

The year is 2033. An entire generation has been born and raised underground, and their besieged Metro Station-Cities struggle for survival, with each other, and the mutant horrors that await outside."

Bethesda Softworks today announced that "Fallout: New Vegas," the upcoming next installment in the Fallout series in development at Obsidian Entertainment, will be released in Autumn of this year. In addition, a new trailer has been released.

"Fallout: New Vegas, the follow-up to Fallout® 3 – the 2008 Game of the Year – brings this beloved franchise to a location only Fallout could do justice: Vegas. Fallout: New Vegas takes all the action, humor, and post-apocalyptic grime and grit of this legendary series, and raises the stakes.

For more information on the game, please visit the official Fallout site: fallout.bethsoft.com. Fallout: New Vegas will be featured in magazine cover stories around the world in the month of February. Check the official site for updated details."

To celebrate the third anniversary of the release of "War Rock," GamesFirst announced the release of a new gameplay mode titled "War Rock: Siege War."

“Our players have been patiently waiting for War Rock’s Siege War expansion,” says GamersFirst’s War Rock Producer, Jon-Enee ‘Neume’ Merriex. “We are thrilled to be able to offer this new game mode just in time for our 3rd Anniversary. Along with our live in-game events and our new Clan system, Siege War is sure to push War Rock into a new era of game play!”

New Items

• Brand new 10-day items in the marketplace.
• New Top Gun items that customize your Fighter Jets!

Promotions

• Dollar Daze Event – Special featured items offered for just a dollar!
• Upgraded version of the Gold Premium, with special add-ons.

In-game Events

• X-Fire Live Broadcast (February 4th at 1pm PST): The GamersFirst team gives a walk-through of Siege War mode with our Player Moderators!+

For more information visit WarRock.com.

Battlefront.com and Russian developer Snowball today announced "Combat Mission: Afghanistan," an upcoming stand-alone game based on the Russian-Afghan wars.

"Combat Mission Afghanistan is the first collaboration between Battlefront and a third party studio to create a completely new game in the Combat Mission series. CM Afghanistan is a standalone game and not an expansion, and does not require any of the other games to play!

CM Afghanistan covers two periods of the Russian-Afghan wars – the initial phase 1980-1982, and the later years of highest activity 1985-1987 – in two campaigns and ten standalone missions. CM Afghanistan is not just a mission pack: based on the latest CM engine in development, the game includes not only all new artwork, terrain, new units, new weapons, and new nations, but also introduces some completely new game features, such as exit objective zones and more!

Players are able to take command of Soviet or DRA (Democratic Republic of Afghanistan) Army units as well as mujahedeen guerilla forces. CM Afghanistan is currently in development and is expected to be ready for release in Q2 this year, 2010. It will be available in retail throughout Eastern Europe directly from Snowball, and in an english version worldwide only from www.battlefront.com/afghanistan!"

An "Aliens vs. Predator" multiplayer demo has been released on Steam, giving players a chance to try out the upcoming new version of the game by Rebellion.

"The multiplayer demo will allow gamers the chance to play as all three species – the Colonial Marine, the Predator and the Alien – and pitch their skills against each other in Deathmatch mode on Refinery, one of the game's multiplayer maps."

Game info:

"Aliens vs Predator is an entirely new title for PC and high-definition consoles from acclaimed British developer Rebellion, the team behind the 1999 original PC gaming classic.

Bringing the legendary war between two of science-fiction's most popular characters to FPS fans, AvP delivers three outstanding single player campaigns and provides untold hours of unique 3-way multiplayer gaming.

Experience distinctly new and thrilling first person gameplay as you survive, hunt and prey in the deadly jungles and swamps surrounding the damned colony of Freya's Prospect."