PC Game News

A new "Prototype" trailer has been released, featuring some of the bosses in the upcoming action game by Radical Entertainment.

"Developed by Radical Entertainment, a critically acclaimed developer of open-world games, PROTOTYPE tells the story of Alex Mercer – a man haunted by his past, fighting a secret war in New York City. As the action spirals out of control, a conspiracy tied to his origins threatens the future of mankind itself. Mercer’s amazing shapeshifting powers allow him to become an exact replica and steal the skills or powers of anyone who crosses his path."

Valve sends word that the awaited Sniper/Spy update has been released for "Team Fortress 2".

"The TF2 Spy/Sniper Update is now available via Steam. To celebrate the launch and give players a chance to try the new content, Valve is hosting an extended TF2 Free Weekend. In addition, the game is being offered at 50% off its regular price on Steam. Both the sale and Free Weekend are on now. For more information, please visit www.steamgames.com"

Quebec developer Citeremis has announced the release of it’s side-scrolling RPG "Aztaka", which is available to purchase on the Citeremis website and Direct2Drive.

"Inspired by Aztec legend, Aztaka drops players into the middle of a war between mankind and the gods. Only Huitzilo, who is skilled in the arts of combat and magic, can save his people from the wrath of the Aztec deities.

Aztaka features richly detailed backdrops and fluid character animation, immersing players in a heroic quest to collect the seven Phonograms. Featuring 21 levels packed with mythological creatures, quests and puzzles, Aztaka provides a new universe for RPG/action fans to explore and discover.

“We worked on Aztaka for three years, with the goal of bringing the industry a fresh and unique RPG/action game with quality artwork and sound,” says Jonathan Mercier, executive producer and programmer at Citérémis.

With Aztaka, which combines role-playing elements with side-scrolling gameplay, Citérémis hopes to reach fans that played SNES and NES titles like Battle of Olympus, Zelda II and Metroid in the early days of console gaming. “Our goal from the start was to stir up feelings of nostalgia in those players and to convey to a new generation of players the magic of discovering a challenging and refreshing new world,” Mercier says.

The music in Aztaka features live musicians and a choir as well as a specially designed music and sound system that adapts to Huitzilo’s emotional state during gameplay.

“We created a new epic universe based on Aztec legends, and our partners followed our lead by providing artwork and music to match,” says Samuel Mercier, game designer at Citérémis. “Aztaka features massive hand-painted backgrounds, beautifully rendered characters, adaptive music and a stunning sound system from our friends at 3 Peak Audio.”

Visit www.aztaka.com to begin exploring this unique world."

Parkplay Media has announced that a closed befa for "Earth Eternal", an upcoming free-to-play MMORPG by Iron Realms, began this week.

"Earth Eternal offers users an incredibly immersive gaming experience with a broad range of character customization options and diverse environments. Set in a world where mankind no longer exists, the game incorporates a blend of original fiction, mythologies from Norse to Egyptian, and classic fairy tales into an epic, sweeping story that provides the stage for users to create their own, personal stories.

“MMOs can be daunting for those who haven’t played them before, so we wanted to create a dynamic, yet approachable experience with Earth Eternal; something fun for any level of gamer,” said Matt Mihaly, CEO of Sparkplay Media. “And by combining compelling full-featured, immersive MMO game play with story written for a Western audience we’re sure that Earth Eternal will have a wide appeal. We’re particularly excited to be able to offer all this in a browser.”

Earth Eternal is truly free-to-play. Everything that can be purchased can be earned through playing the game, but players have the option to purchase upgrades in the form of virtual items. Players choose from 22 (seriously!) unique races, ranging from the bear-like Ursine to the Faerie-born Cyclops to the hawk-like Atavians, and select from four classes – Knight, Rogue, Mage, and Druid. Unlike most MMOs however, players are not limited to skills and spells from their class – they can select many abilities from other classes as well, allowing players to either go deep or broad in their character builds.

Interested players can go to https://www.eartheternal.com/ to learn more about Earth Eternal and sign up for the closed beta test today."

Eidos has released a new trailer for "Battlestations: Pacific" that has little to do with the actual game and promotes a new bombshellbeauties.com teaser website with pin-up models.

"The new site lets users create their own WWII nose art, which appeared on the sides of fighters, bombers and other war planes of the era. The site features the talents of the lovely international pin-up model Tailor James along with the stunning newcomer Irena G striking classic WWII-style pin-up poses.

The user can rewind, slow down, speed up and even zoom in and out, frame by frame, to find the perfect pin-up pose for their nose art. The user can also place the pose onto one of four WWII war planes. With the flash-based paint tool, the user can even adjust the pin-up pose, add a background image, name and more. A postcard showing the new nose art on the WWII plane can be shared and turned into a desktop background."

To celebrate the release of the Sniper/Spy update tomorrow, Valve has announced that they will be holding another free weekend for "Team Fortress 2".

"To celebrate the Spy/Sniper Update coming this Thursday via Steam, Valve has made the Team Fortress 2 game files available for pre-loading. This allows players to have everything they need to play the full game over an extended Free Weekend, with no purchase obligation. For more information, please visit www.steamgames.com"

As planned, "Warrior Epic" launched yesterday, the free action MMORPG by Possibility Space.

"Lead an army of warriors into the wilderness, recover ancient artifacts and fend off barbaric tribes carrying the wicked heritage of the warmongers of ancient times.

Warrior Epic is an action-packed free MMORPG set in a vibrant fantasy world. Take command of a variety of Warriors through solo, PvP, and multiplayer dungeon-raiding adventures.

Combine strategy with your battle skills through the unique Spirit System. Build up your party of adventurers in your own customized Warrior Hall.

Warrior Epic is free to download and play with lots of opportunities to enhance your characters, your Warrior Hall, and your game experience with micro-transactions."

For more information head to: https://www.warriorepic.com/

The list of new PC game releases, DVD and Blu-Ray releases, and movies opening the week of May 18th, 2009.

PC Games:

• Fallout 3 Op. Anchorage and The Pitt (retail version)
• Terminator: Salvation

Movies Opening This Week:

• Dance Flick
• Easy Virtue (limited)
• Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
• Terminator Salvation
• The Boys: The Sherman Brothers’ Story (limited LA/NY/SF)
• The Girlfriend Experience (limited LA/NY)

DVD and Blu-Ray:

• 24: Season Seven [Blu-Ray]
• 3 Days of the Condor [Blu-Ray]
• 8 Simple Rules: The Complete Second Season
• A Bug’s Life [Blu-Ray]
• Batman [Blu-Ray]
• Charles Bronson Collection
• Crips and Bloods: Made in America
• Dragon Ball Z: Season Nine
• El Dorado (Centennial Collection)
• Fanboys
• Fargo [Blu-Ray]
• Friday Night Lights: The Third Season
• Kobe Doin’ Wok – A Spike Lee Joint
• Man Hunt
• My Bloody Valentine – 3D [Blu-Ray]
• Nightmare Castle
• Outlander
• Paul Blart: Mall Cop [Blu-Ray]
• Peyton Place: Part One
• Pigs, Pimps, & Prostitutes: 3 Films by Shohei Imamura (Criterion Collection)
• Pufnstuf
• Russell Brand in New York City
• Terminator 2: Judgment Day (Skynet Ed.) [Blu-Ray]
• The Friends of Eddie Coyle
• The Guild: Season One
• The Machinist [Blu-Ray]
• The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (Centennial Collection)
• Thomas & Friends: Team Up With Thomas
• True Blood: The Complete First Season [Blu-Ray]
• Valkyrie [Blu-Ray]
• WWE: Wrestlemania XXV – 25th Anniversary

ACE Team has announced "Zeno Clash 2", a sequel to the recently released first-person action game, which will continue the adventures of Ghat. In addition, a new update has been released that includes Health and Time counters in the Challenge mode.

"ACE Team is releasing a post launch Zeno Clash trailer to celebrate the announcement of ACE Team’s next project; Zeno Clash 2. The studio has begun planning the next game of the series which will continue the adventures of Ghat, who will struggle against new and old conflicts. Father Mother, the mysterious Golem and new characters will be making an appearance in the next title. The story will be set after the events that take place in the first game. ACE Team wants the next installment to be much larger in scope, so the new game will feature open ended gameplay with large explorable environments and RPG elements. The unique melee combat system that made the first game a success will also be expanded to feature even more brutal and engaging gameplay.

In addition to the announcement of this news we’d like to send word that a new update for Zeno Clash is being released today. The most noticeable changes are the inclusion of Health and Time counters in the Challenge Mode and Italian subtitles are now supported. ACE Team is still hard at work developing additional free DLC for Zeno Clash which will be released during the following weeks."

Acitivsion has released some more information on "Blur", the upcoming racing game by Bizzare Creations.

"The game drops players into heart-pumping, electrified racing action with 20 cars on a track all targeting the finish line and battling each other as they trade paint and collect intense power-ups, including the ability to blast other cars out of the way with huge bursts of energy, boost their speed, and more.

While controlling photo realistic cars, gamers can use offensive and defensive attacks as they battle for the lead and careen through real-world track locations ranging from L.A. and San Francisco to the streets of Hackney, UK and the treacherous roads of Barcelona, Spain.

“We did our homework and saw a huge opportunity to move beyond traditional racers and create a game completely focused on making racing ‘fun’ again,” said Martyn Chudley, creative director, Bizarre Creations. “Blur delivers a new style of racing experience for all gamers, regardless of their experience, skill or genre preferences. Everything the player does, both in their cars and with their cars, is a dramatic adrenaline rush; it’s a real blast!”

“We know that racing can be fun for everyone, and we are excited to enter this genre with a game that keeps players in the pack and combines fun with intense racing battles,” said Maria Stipp, EVP and GM of Owned Properties, Activision Publishing. “Bizarre Creations is one of the most creative studios in the industry with a rich heritage of top-rated racing games and we are excited to partner with them on Blur, which is set to break the mold of traditional racing games.”

Beyond the action-packed racing filled with fast curves, sneaky alternate routes, hair-raising jumps and fully realised damage models that provide for spectacular crashes, Blur’s narrative is presented through Bizarre’s innovative new community-based interface, reaching far beyond the game itself. This unique story-driving social network evolves dynamically as players compete in different races, make new friends, rivals and fans, and connect with other racers both in-game and in real life.

Looking beyond Blur’s single player story, gamers can engage in competitive and team-based multiplayer races with up to 20 players online, or on a single console via 4-player split-screen. Bizarre is especially excited to introduce Blur’s original social gaming experience – custom groups, where anyone can create unique multiplayer modes based on their favourite ways to play the game. These new modes are immediately shared through Blur’s social network, expanding the game in ways that are only limited by the gaming community’s creativity.

Blur is planned for release this autumn for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, and the PC."

If you haven’t heard already, the upcoming sniper update will actually be a sniper/spy update and will be released on Thursday via Steam.

"He is a puzzle, wrapped in an enigma, shrouded in riddles, lovingly sprinkled with intrigue, express mailed to Mystery, Alaska, and LOOK OUT BEHIND YOU! but it is too late. You’re dead. For he is the Spy—globetrotting rogue, lady killer (metaphorically) and mankiller (for real)."

An achievement list can be found on the TF2 website.

1C Company has released a new patch for "Men of War", updating the RTS game by Best Way and Digital Mindsoft with two new multiplayer maps and several fixes.

This patch contains multiple performance enhancements and fixes as well as the addition of some new maps.

• Added DesertWalk map.
• Added Rustle of Sands map.
• Added T-60, T29 tanks.

Fixed multiplayer maps:

• bazerville
• borovaya
• farmstead
• forest
• hunting

Fixed single-player maps:

• Baptism by Fire
• Moscow Is Behind Us
• Chasing Shadows
• Scorching Sands
• Desert Stronghold

Turning Point New additions:

• Kanawa mine
• Dead River
• Dunverde

For a complete changelist check the read-me in Start>Programs>Aspyr>MenofWar>Patch 1.11.3.0 Readme after applying the patch.

The 98.26MB retail patch can be downloaded from Aspyr, FileShack, or Strategy Informer. Digital distribution patches can be found on Aspyr’s site.

IDEA Games and Bohemia Interactive have released full details for "ArmA II" along with new screenshots, and word that the game is now going to be released a week earlier than expected, to June 19th.

Details:

"ARMA II, the ultimate military simulator, powered by the 3rd generation of the original Real Virtuality engine is the true sequel to the award winning and genre defining game which made the sandbox military conflict fantasies come true for millions of gamers!

Players will find themselves thrown into the very heart of modern conflict, facing the ultimate realistic gaming experience directly from the best: Bohemia Interactive, creators of the famous and award winning Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis and ArmA: Combat Operations. Below is a look at the full details of ARMA II as they gear up for its launch this summer.

Storyline:

The 27th U.S. Marine Expeditionary Unit has been deployed to the former soviet republic of Chernarus: a small country chained to the threat of an upcoming civil war. Force Reconnaissance Team "Razor" is among the first to fight. This elite five-man team is about to fall down the rabbit hole, trapped in a war not only for control of the country, but also the hearts and minds of its people. With the might of the USMC offshore and Russia anxiously watching from the north, the stakes couldn’t be higher. The fate of Chernarus is balanced on a razor’s edge…

Key features:

• Player-driven story: Players will have the opportunity to command members of Force Recon Team Razor through a branching campaign full of twists and surprises. ARMA II integrates a combination of preset conversations with dynamic queries about the game environment: the revolutionary "dynamic conversation system" which brings to the player a unique gaming experience in a movie-like style. Players can talk to soldiers in the field and civilians caught up during fights to gather the Intel they need to further advance in the game. As a pure military simulator, there are linguistic difficulties while speaking to native citizens if you don’t know their native tongue. Chernarussian’s NPC’s speak Czech, US NPC’s speak English and Russian NPC’s speak Russian, etc.
• Reality check: Bohemia Interactive’s standard 225 square kilometers of highly detailed sandbox landscape, modeled with stunning detail and precision and using real-world geographical data, covered by 235 megapixel of accurate aerial map (15.3602 pixels) and more than 1 million objects.  This game is a true environment master piece, never seen before in first person shooter type games with 81 weapons and 136 vehicle models created to an exacting real-world schematics with extreme precision, including 350 kilometers of roads, 50 cities and villages full of life.
• Authentic military simulation: ARMA II simulates various aspects of combat and environment effects form  bullet ballistics and deflection to material penetration, tracers, varying ammunition types and stopping power, to supersonic bullet crack and weather conditions. ARMA II benefits from the 3rd generation Real Virtuality engine featuring advanced and semi-autonomous AI. Players will compete with the ultimate next-gen AI: no scripts, no predefined pathways, and no repetitive gameplay. All units react to actual game situations and use the open environment to their advantage. Soldiers shout and use hand gestures based on real world military doctrine, actively seeking and using cover and also taking advantage of suppressive fire techniques. The ARMA II system is so complex and effective that the same simulation technology is used to train real soldiers in numerous countries around the world.
• Live war:  the campaign missions can be experienced in cooperative mode, or players can join for duty in the massive multiplayer battles with up to 50 players. Among standard MP modes is Warfare, introduced in ArmA: Armed Assault, a unique combination of RTS and tactical FPS which allows players to choose whether to control the combat with detailed base management or instead to operate guerilla hit-and-run tactics focusing on attack rather than defense.
• Unlimited Creativity: An intuitive and easy-to-use built in mission editor, together with powerful modding tools, infinitely extends the gameplay of ARMA II and moves it far above the standard gaming experience. More than 200 character models, 81 weapons, 136 vehicles are ready to be used in an enormous 225 square kilometers sandbox map. Players can use default models or create completely new models and mods can be shared with other players all around the world.

For more information on ARMA II visit www.arma2.com."

   

Cyanide Studios and Focus Home Interactive have announced the release of "Dungeon Party", the free-to-play dungeon-crawling MMO.

"After an exciting Beta period, during which tens of thousands of players were able to try the game, Dungeon Party is now ready to open its doors to the rest of the World.

Dungeon Party is an online, free-to-play game based on team play. In a totally crazy heroic-fantasy universe, groups of Heroes battle in teams of five in dungeons filled with lethal traps and horrible monsters… all in a quest to win the valuable treasures hidden inside… before the other team does!

In Dungeon Party, you create your characters and customize them via a huge variety of costumes and items. Styles are numerous and varied! Each player can equip their character with various potions, traps and other items, before throwing themselves into battle against the opposite teams.

Carefully choose spells and skills during the matches to adapt to the opposite teams’ strategies and to help your team the most.

In order to add some spice to the game, dungeons are also filled with numerous lethal traps and creatures haunting the place. They will make absolutely no distinction between the teams that are trying to grab the treasure chest, and will protect it zealously.

So make your way to the treasures thanks to the help of your teammates, fight-off the opposing teams and get out of the dungeon being victorious – and rich! Spend the money earned in the Online Shop to acquire new items, which will give you that little boost you may need to get the edge in your future matches!

Numerous new options will be soon available, such as the guild system to gather and help each other as friends, along with a level editor, that will allow you to create an infinite amount of new dungeons to share with your friends and the whole Dungeon Party community!

There are plenty of teams of Heroes waiting right now for you and ready to fight for the treasure, so join Dungeon Party right now for fun and delirious battles!"

Valve sent word of a weekend sale for "Call of Duty: World at War", the WWII FPS sequel by Treyarch. The 50% off sale price is now in effect at $24.99.

About World at War:

"Call of Duty is back, redefining war like you’ve never experienced before. Building on the Call of Duty 4®: Modern Warfare engine, Call of Duty: World at War immerses players into the most gritty and chaotic WWII combat ever experienced. Players band together to survive the most harrowing and climactic battles that led to the demise of the Axis powers on the European and Pacific fronts. The title offers an uncensored experience with unique enemies and combat variety, including Kamikaze fighters, ambush attacks, Banzai charges and cunning cover tactics, as well as explosive on-screen action through the all new four-player cooperative campaign. The addictive competitive multiplayer has also been enhanced with new infantry and vehicle-based action, a higher level cap, more weapons, and a host of new Perks, maps and challenges."