PC Game News

A "Codename Panzers: Cold War" single-player demo has been released, giving players a chance to try out the upcoming strategy game by Stormregion.

"During the Cold War conflict, a period in which the differences of opinion between the occupying forces of the Allies and the Soviet Union become ever sharper, an aircraft accident occurs over Tempelhof Airport during the Berlin Blockade resulting in grave consequences. The tragic collision of an American airplane carrying relief goods with a Russian fighter plane costs not only the lives of both crews, but also overstretches the already tense relations between the occupying forces. Under the command of the merciless Stalin, the Red Army has undergone a tremendous expansion at the end of the Second World War and has more-or-less been waiting for the right time to extend their territory to the West by attacking the NATO forces. This incident thus gives Stalin all the incentive that he requires!"

The 909MB demo can be downloaded from AtomicGamer, FileFront, FileShack, Gamer’s Hell, GameUpdates (torrent), or Worthplaying.

After the recent announcement of a delay for "The Godfather II", Electronic Arts today announced that the new ship date for the game is now April 7th for North America and the 10th for Europe.

"As a Don in the Corleone family, The Godfather II allows players to carve out their own story of deception, betrayal, and conquest in a 1960’s organized crime world. Interacting closely with major characters, your story will interweave with many of the key events from the film, such as the meeting of the Don’s in Cuba, blackmailing Senator Geary, and the Senate investigation of organized crime. Players will have to invest in their family, manage their business, and reach out to corrupt officials – all of which is done through the revolutionary Don’s View. The Don’s View is a 3D representation of the player’s criminal empire; it allows them to coordinate their strategy, plan hits on rival made men, attack enemy rackets, and much more. By letting players call the shots, The Godfather II delivers the ultimate organized crime experience.

For more information about The Godfather franchise, please visit https://godfather2.ea.com"

Digitalmindsoft has announced an open beta for "Men of War", the upcoming real-time strategy game, which is hosted on FilePlanet.

"By registering at FilePlanet.com, users can then download the beta and get unrivalled access to the World War II real-time tactical title. Once players have downloaded the beta, they can then challenge others online in the game’s varied selection of multiplayer matches."

The Worldwide Open Beta website can be found here:

https://www.fileplanet.com/promotions/men-of-war/

SouthPeak Interactive has announced that "X-Blades", the third-person action game by Gajin Entertainment, has been shipped to North American retailers.

"In X-Blades, players take the role of the beautiful treasure hunter Ayumi as she battles through waves of enemies in her search for a powerful and ancient relic. Armed with her trusty pistol blades, Ayumi relies on her acrobatic skills and lightning quick fighting style to cut a swath through the hordes of evil keeping her from her goal. If she becomes overwhelmed, Ayumi can add devastating and upgradeable magic attacks to her combos to defeat her enemies.

“Just by looking at X-Blades players can see that this won’t be another run of the mill action game,” said Melanie Mroz, CEO of SouthPeak Interactive. “The large and detailed worlds, combined with beautiful artwork and film-like cut scenes, are only the beginning of what X-Blades has to offer.”

“One of the many features you’ll find in X-Blades is the idea of letting the player choose their own character direction,” said James Seaman, Managing Director at TopWare Interactive. “The type of combos learned, magic abilities upgraded, and even the layout of the controller buttons are completely up to the player, giving them the opportunity to play Ayumi in any way they like. Add that level of personalization to the already top notch fighting engine and sexy art style, and you’ll find that X-Blades delivers for both anime and action fans alike.”

X-Blades is now available on Xbox 360 and the PLAYSTATION®3 for the suggested retail price of $59.99, and $49.99 for Games for Windows. X-Blades is rated M for Mature by the ESRB.

For more information visit www.southpeakgames.com or www.x-blades.com."

The list of new PC Game releases, DVD releases, and movies opening the week of February 9th, 2009.

PC Games:

• F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin
• X Blades

Movies Opening This Week:

• Confessions of a Shopaholic
• Gomorrah (limited LA/NY)
• Friday the 13th
• The International
• Two Lovers (limited)
• Under the Sea 3D

DVD Releases:

• 60 Minutes Presents: Obama: All Access – Barack Obama’s Road to the White House
• A History of Violence [Blu-ray]
• A Time to Kill [Blu-ray]
• Against the Dark
• Back to the Future
• Backyardigans: Robin Hood the Clean
• Blindness
• Chocolate [Blu-ray]
• Curious George: Robot Monkey and More Great Gadgets
• Daniel’s Daughter
• Donnie Darko [Blu-ray]
• Doom [Blu-ray]
• Friday the 13th the Series: The Second Season
• Frozen River
• Kennedy: The Complete Series
• Melrose Place: The Fifth Season, Vol. 1
• Miracle at St Anna
• My Name Is Bruce
• My Name Is Bruce [Blu-ray]
• Naruto Uncut Box Set, Volume 12 
• NASCAR: The Ride of Their Lives
• New Year’s Concert 2009
• Nights in Rodanthe
• One Foot in the Grave: Season 5
• Phineas and Ferb, Vol. 2: The Daze of Summer
• Pretty Woman [Blu-ray]
• Railway Friends
• Shaun the Sheep: Back in the Ba-a-ath
• Simon & Simon: Season Two
• Soul Men
• Tales from the Darkside: The First Season
• Terminal Invasion
• The Boondock Saints [Blu-ray]
• The Pelican Brief [Blu-ray]
• The Rundown [Blu-ray]
• Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!: Season 2
• Ultramarathon Man: 50 Marathons – 50 States – 50 Days
• Veggie Tales: Abe & the Amazing Promise
• W.
• Wallace and Gromit: A Close Shave
• Wallace and Gromit: A Grand Day Out

Microids today released new screenshots and the opening cinematic for "Still Life 2", the upcoming adventure sequel by GameCo.

"In her motel room, Paloma Hernandez, the journalist who covers the crimes of the East Coast Killer for a national television channel, has just finished her phone conversation with FBI agent Vic Mc Pherson, offering her a questionable deal in exchange for exclusivity in the investigation coverage.

That’s when someone knocks on the door… with little caution, Paloma opens and discovers with horror a threatening man wearing a gas mask…"

     
     

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Monolith have announced that "F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin" has been shipped to North American retail stores.

"F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin is a blend of advanced visceral combat mixed with seamless game pacing set inside a sinister and paranormal universe that begins shortly before the ending of F.E.A.R. A Special Forces squad is on a routine mission when the city of Auburn is rocked by a supernatural explosion. Alma, a girl with immense power and a thirst for revenge, has unleashed her wrath upon the city and thrown it into chaos. Tension builds as the squad must combat enemy forces and the supernatural as they struggle to find a way to stop Alma and uncover the mysterious forces arrayed against them before it’s too late.

As players move throughout the smoldering remains of Auburn in search of Alma, they must investigate the crumbling remains of schools, hospitals and alleyways as they are stalked by otherworldly creatures and enemies. Gamers will need to use everything at their disposal, including all-new weapons and superhuman abilities, to fight the supernatural forces arrayed against them and keep the entire city from succumbing to Alma.

In addition to a gripping single-player campaign, F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin supports up to 16 players for action-packed multiplayer match-ups. Multiplayer options include nine maps, four modes and a powerful mix of weapons, grenades and high tech machinery, including the Elite Powered Armor (EPA) mech suits that players can take control of in both multiplayer and single-player action.

F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin is rated “M” for Mature and is available for Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 for the suggested retail price of $59.99. It is also available for Games for Windows at retail outlets, as well as via Steam and Direct2Drive for the suggested retail price of $49.99. "

505 Games released a new video for "ARMA II", giving viewers more of a look at the upcoming first-person shooter sequel by Bohemia Interactive.

"Meet the civilians of Chernarus. The second of our video series introducing the factions and equipment of ARMA II, this time gives viewers a glimpse into the lives of the civilians of Chernarus, as they try to go on with their normal daily routines, whilst surrounded every day by the fear and uncertainty of a country chained to the threat of an upcoming coming civil war.

This short news report reveals the tense and fearful atmosphere in Chernogorsk city after a terrorist attack shatters the sleepy, idyllic atmosphere of Chernarus´ countryside."

The new video can be viewed at the official website.

Activision and Treyarch have released a new patch for "Call of Duty: World at War", bringing the WWII first-person shooter to version 1.2. Steam users will have to wait a couple of days as usual.

The ~500MB patch can be downloaded from AtomicGamer, FileFront, FileShack, Gamer’s Hell, or Worthplaying.

Items addressed in 1.2:

• Free Multiplayer Map! The tide is out and the sun is high – this daytime version of Makin sheds new light on the battle!
• Fixed exploits that allowed for power ranking servers.
• Fixed router related server authentication errors.
• Fixed HTTP Redirect functionality for downloading mods
• Fixed sound device crashes stemming from Emulated Sound Devices
• Fixed exploit which allowed players to color their name tag.
• Hits now register properly while targeted player is leaning.
• Enabled /cg_drawfps in multiplayer games.
• Fixed command-line +connect functionality
• /cg_fov no longer resets to the default value in between matches.
• Dedicated servers automatically reconnect to the Master Server in case the Master Server resets.
• "Accept Game Invite" is bound to its default key, F10.
• Implemented fix for attempting to join password protected servers from the server browser.
• Fine tuned Bolt-Action Rifles for balance.
• Screenshots no longer overwrite each other.
• Fixed various multiplayer map related issues and exploits.

"We are aware that /record is not on this list, but are happy to say we’ve already begun working on a Patch 1.3 which will address /record. More details on that patch will emerge after the 1.2 release."

A demo for "Grand Ages: Rome" has been released, giving players a chance to try out the upcoming strategy game by Haemimont Games.

":Grand Ages: Rome is a stunning strategy game based in Ancient Rome during the rise of Julius Caesar. As a member of a prominent noble family, players will be immersed in the intrigue and adventure of the rising Roman Empire, rubbing shoulders with some of the greatest historical figures of the era. Grand-scale city building and detailed combat scenarios unfold against a backdrop of breathtakingly detailed environments. Players can choose from historical campaign and freestyle game modes along with advanced online multiplayer controls."

The 875MB demo can be downloaded from Atomic Gamer, FileFront, Gamer’s Hell, Strategy Informer, or Worthplaying.

Valve has announced new details on the upcoming "Left 4 Dead" Critic’s Choice Edition, Downloadable Content, and Software Development Kit.

"The first L4D DLC – dubbed the L4D Survival Pack — is due for release this spring and introduces a new multiplayer game mode entitled, Survival, plus two complete campaigns for Versus Mode . A Critic’s Choice Edition of the game is also heading to retail stores this spring, and will include access to all the content introduced in the L4D: Survival Pack.

In addition, for PC gamers and aspiring developers, the first Left 4 Dead release for the Source Software Development Kit (Source SDK) will allow the creation of custom Left 4 Dead campaigns that will be discoverable via L4D’s matchmaking system. The SDK update is also due for release this spring, and is free of charge to all owners of L4D on the PC.

"Since Half-Life launched in 1998, Valve has made continuous efforts to expand the offering of its products beyond what’s included on the day of launch," said Gabe Newell, co-founder and president of Valve. "With Half-Life and Counter-Strike, and more recently Team Fortress 2, we’ve learned that we’re no longer making stand-alone games but creating entertainment services. With Left 4 Dead we’re extending that tradition by creating additional gameplay and releasing our internal tools to aspiring developers so they may also create and distribute new Left 4 Dead experiences."

Left 4 Dead is a survival action game from Valve that blends the social entertainment experience of multiplayer games such as Counter-Strike and Team Fortress with the dramatic, narrative experience made popular in single player action game classics such as the Half-Life series of games. Released in November of 2008, L4D has earned over 25 industry awards from outlets around the world.

For more information, please visit www.l4d.com "

Electronic Arts has launched a new website for "Battlefield 1943", an upcoming sequel in the series of war simulation games by EA DICE.

"Soldiers, it’s time to do your part in the action packed battles of the World War II Pacific campaign! Pick your path – be it as a rifleman crawling the trenches, a steel fisted tank commander, or ace fighter pilot dog fighting to protect the skies. Play as a lone wolf or with your friends, coordinating to turn the tide of battle, whatever you choose, you get to enjoy the thrill of a fully featured online shooter with the unique Battlefield sandbox experience.

Battlefield 1943 will be available on Xbox LIVE Arcade, PlayStation Network and on PC for download. This give players access to the famous action packed Battlefield gameplay quicker and easier than it’s ever been. Play as the US Marines or the Imperial Japanese Navy on match-made servers for optimal challenge, as you gain ranks and awards. Battlefield 1943 is your own version of one of the most famous campaigns in the history of the world!

By Land, Sea & Air!
Unleash wide destruction with Bombing Raids, Tanks, or Fighter Planes launched from Aircraft Carriers and enjoy one of the best experiences in any multiplayer game to-date.

Varied Locations & Up to 24 Players
Play with 24 players online in three beautiful and destructible locations from the Pacific theatre. Whether you choose Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima or the classic Wake Island, you’ll experience the best balance of infantry combat complemented by land, sea and air vehicles.

Frostbite-Enabled Destruction
Watch the beautiful Pacific Islands quickly turn into scarred battlefields as destruction rains upon you and your fellow soldiers as you fight to win the battle!

Through the Gun Experience
Use classic and iconic World War II infantry weapons with excellent feel to defeat your foes. Hit ’em hard from afar through your sniper scope or use explosives or melee weapons like bayonets to make it really up close and personal."

A trailer and a couple of screenshots are posted on the official website.

Crytek has announced that it has completed the acquisition of Free Radical Design. Based in Nottingham in the UK, Free Radical, known for their "TimeSplitters" series, will now be known as Crytek UK.

"Avni Yerli, Managing Director of Crytek, said, “We’re very excited about this step to expand Crytek into the UK with such an experienced and highly talented team. Free Radical Design is a great fit to Crytek and its culture, given that Free Radical has a proven track record on delivering high quality games. The combination of this team, the Crytek network and our CryENGINE technology will be a foundation for outstanding gaming experiences and a magnet for the best talent in the UK.”

About Crytek GmbH

Crytek GmbH ("Crytek") is one of the world’s leading independent development studios for interactive entertainment with its headquarters in Frankfurt am Main (Germany) and additional studios in Kiev (Ukraine), Budapest (Hungary), Sofia (Bulgaria) and Seoul (South Korea). "

Valve sends word of a new large update release for "Audiosurf", the popular music based game. The free update adds unicode support, enhanced community features, netbook play support, a new visualizer, and more.

"Audiosurf is a music-adapting puzzle racer where you use your own music to create your own experience. The shape, the speed, and the mood of each ride is determined by the song selected. Points are earned for clustering together blocks of the same color on the highway. The game also allows gamers to compete with others on the Internet for the highest score on any song they own.

The title was created by solo developer Dylan Fitterer, who came up with the design for Audiosurf after six months of running BestGameEver.com, where Fitterer released a new game every Friday. Fitterer’s favorite design produced during this period was Tune Racer, which was iterated and evolved into Audiosurf.

Owners of Audiosurf will automatically receive the International Update by connecting to Steam, where Audiosurf is offered for just $9.99.

For more information, please visit www.steamgames.com"

Fallen Earth, LLC today announced that closed beta sign-ups for "Fallen Earth", the upcoming MMORPG, have begun.

"Interested testers can sign up for the opportunity to receive a closed beta key at www.fallenearth.com and join thousands of fellow Fallen Earth players each week as the online community expands to accommodate more closed beta testers.

"This is a critical milestone for our team and an opportunity to showcase updated content and features," said Colin Dwan, project manager for Fallen Earth. "We are excited to see how players progress through all three sectors without any interference, and anxious to see where we can improve the overall experience."

The Fallen Earth team has been working very hard to improve and polish all aspects of the game. Recent updates include the creation of a comprehensive user tutorial and continued enhancements to balance the in-game crafting system. With the move to closed beta, players will have the opportunity to piece together aspects of the storyline, play freely through all three sectors, and gain a better understanding of how the game will look and feel at launch. Closed beta testing also allows the development team to better observe overall game play, perform system stress tests, and ultimately perfect the Fallen Earth game experience.

Set in the Grand Canyon in 2156 after a lethal disease destroyed most of mankind, the game features a classless advancement system, six factions and a unique crafting feature in which players can make 95 percent of game items. With 70 towns, real-time settings and interesting character modifications, all taking place within a post-Apocalyptic plot, Fallen Earth provides the ultimate player experience.

Fallen Earth will be released in Q2 2009. An exact launch date is forthcoming."