PC Game News

Tripwire Interactive today announced "Killing Floor", an upcoming first-person co-op survival horror game set in London.

Killing Floor is a first-person co-op survival horror, set in and around London after a mad scientist’s "specimens" have broken loose and gone on the rampage.

The game features:

• Co-op game mode for up to six players obliterating multiple waves of specimens
• Solo game mode for offline play
• Watch those crucial and violent creature deaths in slomo "ZEDtime", even in multiplayer
• 9 different monster types trying to eat your face off, armed with everything from teeth and claws, through to chainsaws, chainguns and rocket-launchers
• 12+ weapons for the players to chose from, ranging from knives and fire-axes up to pump shotguns, rifles and a flamethrower
• Add in a welder, medical tools and body armor to help the players survive
• Persistent Perks system, allowing players to convert their in-game achievements into permanent improvements to their character’s skills and abilities
• Players choose which Perks to play with, so they can best balance out a co-op team to survive the horrors
• Open, non-linear play areas: choose when and where to fight – or run; weld doors closed to try and direct the monster horde
• Full support for Steamworks features, including Steam Achievements and Friends
• Fully-configurable, allowing players to change things as simple as the difficulty level or number of creature waves, or go so far as to set up their own favorite waves of monsters
• Includes SDK for the creation of new levels and mods

For more information over the coming weeks, see the Killing Floor website and forums: www.killingfloorthegame.com

Paradox Interactive has announced that they have acquired the worldwide publishing rights to "East India Company", the upcoming naval strategy game by Nitro Games.

"The game developed by Finland based Nitro Games Ltd. is based on the historical East India Companies of the 18th century. Players will enjoy building the world’s largest trading empire and engaging in fierce battles in spectacular naval battle mode.

“East India Company is an excellent addition to the Paradox portfolio of quality games. With a combination of challenging gameplay and outstanding production value, East India Company is sure to impress the most demanding gamers”, Says Fredrik Wester, Executive VP of Paradox Interactive.

“We are very pleased to have Paradox Interactive publishing the game.” said Jussi Tähtinen, CEO of Nitro Games. “We feel that their long history and experience in publishing successful titles in the strategy game genre is essential in bringing East India Company to the worldwide market.”

East India Company brings strategy games to new levels giving the player a full control from company management to taking the  Direct Command of a single ship in a naval battle with accuracy previously unseen in strategy games. Through trading, diplomacy and war the players will rule the nations from Europe to Far East.

Read more about the game: https://www.eic-game.com/"

A new DLC pack for "Far Cry 2" is now available to purchase via Steam, extending the first-person shooter by Ubisoft with new weapons, vehicles and multiplayer maps. The pack is currently priced at $4.99.

About:

Three brand new weapons, which can be found in the armory:

• Silenced Shotgun
• Sawed-off shotgun
• Crossbow

Two new vehicles, which can be found at various locations throughout the the game in place of cars or other vehicles:

• Unimog (big truck)
• Quad

Five new Multiplayer maps:

• Cheap Labor
• Last Resort
• Lake Smear
• Fort Fury
• Jungle Seizure

All the new weapons and vehicles will be available in Single-player and Multiplayer modes.

A new patch for "The Settlers: Rise of an Empire" has been released, bringing the real-time strategy game by Blue Byte to version 1.7.

Version 1.7

• This v1.7 patch removes the DVD copy protection on the retail edition.

The 161.4MB patch can be downloaded from AtomicGamer, FileFront, FileShack, Gamer’s Hell, Strategy Informer, or Worthplaying.

Frogster has announced that the free to play MMORPG "Runes of Magic" has officially been launched.

"From today players can immerse themselves in the first chapter called ‘Rise of the Demon Lord’ and experience the wonders of Taborea. Runes of Magic is available as a free download from the official website: www.runesofmagic.com.

Anyone who has not yet registered can do so for free at the official website www.runesofmagic.com and leap into the adventures right away. Players with existing accounts can continue to use their characters created during the beta. Fans can also expect an expanded game world in comparison with the previous open beta phase version. New quests and an epic quest series, as well as new instances offer fresh game content. A final fine-tuning of the German and English translations and bug fixes have also been implemented. The fantasy world will soon been expanded with the addition of ‘Ravenfell’, a coastal area with a distinct pirate flavour. The game world will be further complemented by regular updates following the release."

Paradox Interactive has released the intro trailer for "Elven Legacy", the upcoming turn-based strategy game by Ino-Co.

"With over 100 various units in nine arms and five powerful heroes, Elven Legacy delivers a world filled with magic and a thrilling storyline with multiple endings. Through an epic quest to restore the former glory of the Elven race, this fantasy strategy game offers both depth and scope. With the accompanying tools, players can also create their own missions and campaigns, and share them through multiplayer.

Elven Legacy is scheduled for retail release in April 2009 and will be published worldwide by Paradox Interactive and will also be available on all leading digital download portals for a suggested retail price of $29.99 / €29.99."

Focus Home Interactive and Cyanide have announced that open beta for "Dungeon Party" has begun. To celebrate, a new "meet the Wizard" trailer was released.

"Dungeon Party is a free PC online game developed by Cyanide and based on team play. Plunge into a wild heroic-fantasy universe and play against each other in teams of heroes across dungeons filled with deadly traps and monsters to try and collect the treasures they hold. In Dungeon Party you can create and customize your character with different costumes and objects. A holiday-making sorcerer, a thief straight out of a night club, or a gothic hangman…all styles are possible! Each player can equip his character with different objects and weapons before the battle against opponent teams starts.

You’ll have to develop your character through the matches and carefully choose which spells and skills could help the best your team. In order to spice up the game, deadly traps and hunted creatures are scattered throughout the dungeons. These creatures won’t make any difference between the teams and protect their treasures with a lot of zeal. Kill monsters will give you more experience points which allow you to buy faster new spells. Bosses and mini-bosses will be harder to beat but will also give you a greater amount of points and, most of all, will help you to seduce the Chest. "

You can register for the open beta on the official site.

Paradox has released a new video for "Restaurant Empire 2", giving viewers a look at the upcoming simulation game by Enlight.

"For the first course, some competitive cooking is suggested with the chance to carve out your name amongst other legendary master-chefs. Sharpen those cooking skills and select the best recipe in your repertoire. Then select the finest ingredients and step out and taste the exhilarating atmosphere of the cheering crowds as they look on. Enhance your chef’s chance of winning by testing your own skills against a myriad of mini-games and challenges."

There isn’t an official announcement, a common practice with Ubisoft these days, but it should be noted that "Tom Clany’s H.A.W.X." has been shipped and should now be available in North America.

"Developed by Ubisoft’s Bucharest studio, Tom Clancy’s HAWX delivers an intense and authentic aerial combat experience by fully leveraging the benefits of the next-generation platforms. The story begins in the year 2012. As the era of the nation-state draws quickly to a close, the rules of warfare evolve even more rapidly. More and more nations become increasingly dependent on private military companies (PMCs), elite mercenaries with a lax view of the law. The Reykjavik Accords further legitimize their existence by authorizing their right to serve in every aspect of military operations. While the benefits of such PMCs are apparent, growing concerns surrounding giving them too much power begin to mount.

Tom Clancy’s HAWX is the first air combat game set in the world-renowned Tom Clancy video game universe. Cutting-edge technology, devastating firepower and intense dogfights bestow upon this new title a deserving place in the prestigious Tom Clancy franchise. Soon, flying at Mach 3 becomes a right, not a privilege."

The list of new PC Game releases, DVD and Blu-Ray releases, and movies opening the week of March 16th, 2009.

PC Games:

• Grand Ages: Rome
• Men of War
• Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X.

Movies Opening This Week:

• Duplicity
• I Love You, Man
• Knowing
• Sin Nombre (limited)
• Super Capers (limited)
• The Great Buck Howard (limited)

DVD and Blu-Ray Releases:

• Barbie Presents: Thumbelina
• Bob the Builder: On Site – Skyscrapers
• Bunnytown: Hello Bunnies
• Clear and Present Danger/The Hunt for Red October [Blu-ray]
• Elegy
• Goal 2: Living the Dream
• National Geographic: Monster Black Holes
• Punisher 2: War Zone [Blu-ray]
• The Robe [Blu-ray]
• The Spectacular Spider-Man, Vol. 2
• The Velveteen Rabbit
• Top Gun/Days of Thunder [Blu-ray]
• Twilight
• Ufc 91: Couture Vs Lesnar 
• Walled In

Electronic Arts has announced "Mass Effect 2", a sequel to the RPG released last May for the PC, which will be the second in a trilogy.

"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…

“We’re going to surpass the extraordinary gaming experience we brought our fans in Mass Effect by delivering intensified combat and expanded weapon options as well as increased depth of planet exploration, all while delivering a powerful, emotionally engaging story,” said Dr. Ray Muzyka, General Manager and CEO, BioWare and General Manager and Vice President, EA. “Mass Effect 2 is shaping up to be an unforgettable RPG-shooter experience, taking players on a non-stop roller-coaster ride filled with stunning plot twists and no-holds-barred action.”

Mass Effect 2 is coming to PC and the Xbox 360 video game system in Early 2010. To see the exclusive new Mass Effect 2 teaser trailer check out the website here: www.masseffect.com"

Telltale Games has announced that the first "Wallace & Gromit" episode will be released next Tuesday, the 24th.

"In Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Adventures, the world of West Wallaby Street comes alive in four brand new stories you can play. Like the films, each Wallace & Gromit episode finds the earnest inventor and his faithful canine companion embarking on ambitious new ventures laced with unexpected (and always amusing) complications. Players will experience all of their favorite elements from the acclaimed Wallace & Gromit films: imaginative storylines; warm, character-based humor; creative contraptions; physical comedy; and a distinct visual style."

The digitally-distributed four episode series of Wallace & Gromit adventures will be delivered monthly from https://www.telltalegames.com."

Valve has announced the arrival of in-game downloadable content to Steam, giving developers and publishers the chance to sell additional content for their games.

"The first game to take advantage of this new in-game DLC capability is The Maw, by Twisted Pixel Games. Their first DLC releases are levels entitled The Maw: Brute Force and The Maw: River Redirect. Each DLC level expands The Maw storyline by fitting in-between the original levels as "deleted scenes."

Twisted Pixel CEO, Michael Wilford, says "We’re happy that we can now offer Steam customers significant expansions to the Maw story, delivering more Maw directly to gamers while they’re still playing the game."

DLC can now be added to any game on Steam, regardless of whether it was originally purchased via Steam, at retail, or via other digital outlets. It is also a feature of Steamworks, the suite of free tools and services available to game developers and publishers.

For more information about The Maw or Steam, please visit www.steamgames.com."

Bethesda has released a new trailer from the next DLC pack for "Fallout 3", which will be based in Pittsburgh and will be titled "The Pitt".

"The Pitt was originally a place of pure chaos, full of rape gangs and torture squads. As part of the early recon when the Brotherhood of Steel first arrived in the East Coast area, Owyn Lyons led his paladins in an attack against the Pitt from over Mount Wash, later called "The Scourge". Even though they were completely outnumbered, they still razed the place to the ground.

As they swept through the Pitt the Brotherhood policed up every non-mutated child they could find, of which there were around twenty. Lyons brought the children back to the Citadel, which was still under construction, and enlisted them into the Capital Wasteland Brotherhood of Steel. One of these children grew up to be Paladin Kodiak.

While not as much of a threat as before the Scourge, the Pitt is still a center of raider and slaver activity."

Uforia has announced that "Three Kindoms: The Battle Begins" the MMORPG by G-rex Soft, will be officially launching at 8PM Pacific Standard Time.

"Three Kingdoms: The Battle Begins is a new free-to-play MMO based on one of the most well-known Asian novels of all-time.

"Three Kingdoms: The Battle Begins has received a great response in just the few short weeks since we announced it and held some beta tests," said Mike Min, Game Operations Producer of Uforia. "Now we are inviting the community and fans and MMO players out there to come and enjoy the full Three Kingdoms: The Battle Begins experience."
 
Players who created a character during last week’s Open Beta will be able to keep and play with that character.  Many changes were also made to the PK balance system to make for more even game play.

Starting on Tuesday and available to Three Kingdoms: The Battle Begins players, there will be monsters dropping special items.  These items can then be traded to special NPCs available only for the commercial launch for great in-game prizes.

For more information about Three Kingdoms: The Battle Begins visit https://threekingdoms.uforia.com/intro.aspx"