PC Game News

G4Box and Wicked Interactive have announced that the open beta for "Cross Fire", an online military first-person shooter, will launch tomorrow.

"The Open beta will go live tomorrow, Friday, January 30, 2009 at 12 PM EST. In the open beta, anyone and everyone is invited to play the game for free, without any download or subscription fees. At 12 PM EST on January 29, 2009, the Cross Fire servers will go down in preparation for the open beta launch.

"We are very proud to be taking Cross Fire to the next level by launching the open beta," said Stanley Yu, Chief Executive Office of Wicked Interactive.  "We have invested a tremendous amount of time and energy in bringing Cross Fire to this stage, in order to provide players with the best possible game experience," added Howard He, Chief Executive Officer of G4BOX, "The Cross Fire Open Beta will deliver a wealth of new features we know players will enjoy."

The open beta launch marks the beginning of Cross Fire’s persistent military-ranking and stat-tracking features. Player-progress will be tracked from the open beta onward so that players may accurately gauge their skills against the rest of the Cross Fire community. The Cross Fire open beta will also introduce in-game friends lists and clan formation features, in addition to numerous new maps, weapons, and items. 

To celebrate Cross Fire’s open beta launch, Subagames is hosting a number of events and promotions. During the first week of open beta, players will enjoy a 50% increase in the amount of GP earned in-game. This will allow Cross Fire players to purchase more of the new open beta weapons and items. In addition, the first 30 clans to register during the open beta will do so for free, at absolutely no GP cost!

Cross Fire is free-to-download-and-play. https://crossfire.subagames.com"

Ubisoft today announced new details about Prince of Persia Epilogue Downloadable Content, which is scheduled to be released for the consoles on February 26th. There was no PC date in the announcement.

 Prince of Persia DLC continues the story of the Prince and Elika with a brand-new epic adventure. Game features include:

• New Region: The Underground Palace – A corrupted underground palace from which the Prince and Elika need to escape in a new epic journey.
• New Power: Energize – Reconstruct destroyed areas of the environment to create a path and rush through it before it vanishes.
• New high pace: The new trap challenge – The Prince and Elika will face more cunning foes, cleverer traps and level design, adding more to the difficulty level in over 3 hours of gameplay.
• New Attack: Sprinting Clash – A duel move that lets you or the enemy trigger a sprint attack, charging towards each other, clashing your weapons fiercely.
• New Unlockable Skins: Finish the game and unlock exclusively, from the early development of the game, the Prototype characters of the Prince and Elika.

Focus Home Interactive has released a new trailer in a series over the next few days in preparation for the game’s launch in Q2 of 2009.

"Today marks the second day of our Blood Bowl video series, and this time, the demonic legions of Chaos take to the pitch to bring pain to all who oppose them. Watch as the legions of Chaos punish the Humans for daring to face off against them. In the end, the Human team’s only hope is to cheat by calling in a blast of fire from above and steal the ball away in the confusion!

An ultra-violent mix of American football and other team sports, Blood Bowl takes place in the popular Warhammer universe, and allows players to build the ultimate “fantasy” teams. Would-be team managers can build bone-crushing teams composed of Orcs, Elves, Humans, Dwarfs and many more fantastic creatures – then throw them into the arena for the ultimate blood sport! Blood Bowl is strategic, action-packed and violent, requiring players to use their best tactics, team design – and a dose of pure ruthless bloodlust always helps too!

Published by Focus Home Interactive and developed by Cyanide Studio, Blood Bowl is being developed for the PC and the Xbox 360™ as well as for the handheld systems Nintendo DS™ and Sony PSP™ and is set for release on Q2 2009."

THQ has released a new "Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II" Ork faction trailer, giving viewers more of a look at the soon to be released real-time strategy game by Relic.

"Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II is set in the grim, war-ravaged world of Games Workshop’s Warhammer 40,000 universe – a dark, futuristic, science-fiction setting where armies of technologically advanced warriors, fighting machines and hordes of implacable aliens wage constant war. Developed by critically acclaimed RTS developer Relic Entertainment, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II ushers in a new chapter in the acclaimed RTS series, as ancient races – including the dauntless Space Marines and savage Orks – clash across ruined worlds on a mission to claim the galaxy and preserve their own existence. Powered by the re-vamped Essence Engine 2.0, the next evolution of Relic’s proprietary game engine made famous in the award winning Company of Heroes, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II will deliver fast-paced RTS action with ferocious melee and ranged combat in fully destructible environments. Immersing players in an in-depth non-linear single-player campaign and a fully-co-operative multiplayer mode, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II is set to deliver the most visually-stunning Warhammer 40,000 setting ever created."

The list of new PC game releases, DVD releases, and movies opening the week of January 26th, 2009.

PC Games:

• MLB Front Office Manager

Movies Opening This Week:

• New in Town
• Taken
• The Class (limited)
• The Uninvited (A Tale of Two Sisters rip-off)

DVD Releases:

• Any Given Sunday [Blu-ray]
• At the Coliseum
• Batman
• Blossom: Seasons 1 & 2
• Cheers – The Final Season
• Closing the Ring
• Downfall [Blu-ray]
• Fireproof
• Groundhog Day [Blu-ray]
• Hulk Vs.
• In Bruges [Blu-ray]
• Lakeview Terrace
• Live at the Royal Albert Hall
• M.A.N.T.I. S: Complete Series
• Meerkat Manor Season 4
• My Uncle Silas – Series 1
• Open Season 2
• Operation Valkyrie
• Pride and Glory
• Red, White and Brown
• RocknRolla
• Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired
• The All-New Superfriends Hour: Season One, Vol. 2
• The Bourne Trilogy 
•  The Invaders – Seasons 1 – 2
• The Love Boat – Season Two – Vol. 1
• UFC 88: Breakthrough
• Whirlwind
• Zodiac [Blu-ray]

Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment and Monolith have announced that "F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin" has gone gold and is scheduled to be released on February 10th.

"The second heart-stopping shooter by Monolith (after F.E.A.R.) continues the spine-tingling supernatural suspense story of an escalating paranormal crisis that threatens to destroy a major American city. At the center of the calamity is the mysterious Alma, whose rage against those who wronged her triggered a chain of events that has spiraled completely out of control. Now that she has been loosed upon the world, the consequences will be unimaginable."

Valve has announced that the "Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II" Multiplayer Beta on Steam has now been opened to everyone.

"The beta will feature all four playable races, five multiplayer maps, and Microsoft’s Games for Windows – LIVE TrueSkill Matchmaking.

Warhammer® 40,000™: Dawn of War® II, developed by THQ’s internal studio, Relic Entertainment, is a Real-time strategy (RTS) game set in the grim, war-ravaged world of Games Workshop’s Warhammer 40,000 science fiction universe.  Featuring vicious front-line combat, destructible environments, a fully cooperative multiplayer mode, four unique playable races, and a non-linear single player campaign with branching storylines, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II delivers the ultimate sci-fi fantasy RTS experience. The game is scheduled for release on February 23, 2009 for Windows PC, and will be available through worldwide retail and online outlets.  For more information on Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II, please visit www.dawnofwar2.com."

The "Fallout 3: Operation Anchorage" add-on to "Fallout 3" is now available to purchase and download via Games for Windows Live. It should be noted that you will need to buy the game with Microsoft Points, even for the Windows version.

"Operation: Anchorage

Enter a military simulation and fight in one of the greatest battles of the Fallout universe—the liberation of Anchorage, Alaska from its Chinese Communist invaders. An action- packed battle available now as an add-on for Fallout 3.

Key Features

• Enter a top-secret battle simulator which allows you to test and use both new and old weaponry, with nearly unlimited amounts of ammo at your disposal!
• Adds hours of extended gameplay to explore the Alaskan tundra with a new or existing character.
• Gain access to new weapons, exotic armor, and items—even a Chinese Stealth Suit!
• Chose your strike team to help you through your quest.
• Exclusive new perks and achievements!"

More details can be found on the GFWL site.

Shrapnel Games has released a new patch for "War Plan Pacific", bringing the turn-based strategy game by KE Studios to version 1.0.1.0123.

The patch not only shoots down the dreaded Model 99 Bug but enhances the overall gameplay experience.

The patch includes the following fixes/additions to the full retail version of War Plan Pacific:

Bugs

• If an invasion fleet without carriers attacked a base without any defending aircraft (either carrier or land based) the invasion would silently fail. Fixed.
• Saving and reloading on turn 1 no longer provides the Japanese extra SNLF groups.
• Task Force mission text now updates if transport groups are added or removed (changes from Raid to Invasion and vice-versa).
• Occasionally "ghost" patrol icons would remain even after all patrols were cancelled. Gamers no longer have to be spooked by these, as this has been fixed.
• Spelling errors in scenario files fixed.

Enhancements

• Music and Sound now support three levels: Full (louder setting for those playing using laptop speakers), Quiet and Off.
• Added extra feedback for base growth. Now bases will show a lighter colored segment of their size bar to indicate growth during the previous turn. Note: this only appears during single player games to maintain compatibility between versions for multiplayer.
• The Allied AI has received several boosts. It is slightly less aggressive in raiding the Home Islands, more aggressive in reopening the Sea Lanes, and not as static during the first turn.
• Increased reaction moves. Task forces on patrol can now respond to action up to 72 hours sailing time, instead of the one day limit in the initial release. The reaction limit can also now be changed in the scenario file. In multiplayer games both players must have patched to the latest version or the mechanic will default to the original one day limit.

The 24MB patch is available to download on the Shrapnel Games website, AtomicGamer, FileFront, Gamer’s Hell, or Worthplaying.

Digital Mindsoft has opened up closed beta registrations on its forum, giving selected participants the chance to test the upcoming real-time strategy game before it is released.

"Men of War takes place in Europe during the height of World War II. The story unfolds across three different campaigns played out through the eyes of Soviet, Allied and German soldiers. Each campaign has its own structured timeline bringing a different story of the war to life spanning across Russia, North Africa, Ukraine, Greece, Germany, Italy and the Pacific. The main Soviet campaign sees two student comrades, Smirnov and Kuznetzov, join the army and quickly become brothers in arms as they rise through the ranks and experience the rigors of war."

Head to the Digital Mindsoft forums to register.

Blog post title is vague, because I don’t know what I’m going to write about. Well, there’s that *cough* Mirror’s Edge video review I worked on *cough*.

Excuse me.

I’m still getting a handle on editing, because 10 minutes is pushing it. I’m still trying to sound sexier, but that’s proving to be impossible. Sound quality varies, but that mostly has to do with recording my voice over the course of days and I just sort of forgot about mic placement.

Anyway, I want to make one for every game I review. While they might not be official 2404 video reviews, they are the same thing as my written reviews in terms of general flow and opinion (obviously), except there are pictures moving at a really fast rate while some douche blabs on about some game. Oh, and the written review should be up super soon. This seems kind of backwards compared to most (all) sites, but that’s why we’re cool. Sometimes.

Back in September, Wired ran an editorial titled "Grand Theft Auto IV Could Save Games for Windows". Oh, the IRONY! LIVE can be attributed to many of the problems people have experienced with the plagued GTAIV, so can this atrocious software please just die already?! Not only have people had issues with GTA but also the recent behemoth RPG “Fallout 3”. At one point, I thought it would be incredibly magnificent to play online with 360 users but that hope at seamless integration is long forgotten. Instead, we are annoyed with irrelevant pop-up windows. Does anyone even use the LIVE features? We don’t need multiple gaming services (example: GTA Steam version/Rockstar Social whatever/LIVE). Steam succeeded as the winning gaming services long ago and this time Microsoft, you won’t be able to compete. 

Playlogic today announced the launch of a new website for the upcoming naval action game "Age of Pirates 2: City of Abandoned Ships".

Treasure and adventure waits for those who are courageous enough to delve into the dangerous world of Age of Pirates 2. Start your buccaneering career by choosing to go it alone and become the most feared pirate on the seven seas or prove your loyalty and take the coin of one of four different navies; French, English, Spanish or Dutch.

Sail the high seas as a swashbuckling dread pirate or as a dashing naval captain. Explore strange new countries and undiscovered civilizations, raid and plunder merchant ships, fortified ports and cities. But beware, the dead do not sleep easy, and in the dark South American jungles myth and reality intertwine. Solve the ancient mysteries of a vanishing tribe, cross swords with the most notorious swashbucklers ever to sail the ocean blue and make sure that no foe ever sets foot on land again.

Features:

• Face fierce ship-to-ship combat or stand toe-to-toe with the most feared swordsmen in the Caribbean
• Choose from 3 different characters and 3 different classes, Merchant, Corsair and Adventurer, each with their own quest line with more than 10 missions
• Four main campaigns with over 40 quests
• Over 40 quest generators allowing for an additional infinite amount of quests
• New combat system for faster fights
• Choose from 3 weapon classes: light, medium and heavy
• New “P.I.R.A.T.E.S.” role playing system with the following characteristics: Power, Impression, Reaction, Authority, Talent, Endurance, Success
• Advanced trading system
• Meet real-life historical characters such as Jamaican governors Colonel Thomas Lynch and Thomas Modyford
• Accurate maps of the Caribbean with a vast array of land-based locations, from dense South American jungle to dark Caribbean cave complexes (3 times the size of the ‘Caribbean Tales’ world)

Loot the website at your own leisure. The coordinates are: www.ageofpiratesthegame.com

Ubisoft announced that it has formed an agreement with Massive Entertainment to publish "World in Conflict: Soviet Assault", the upcoming strategy expansion. Players who already own the game will also have the option of downloading the expansion online.

"World in Conflict: Soviet Assault allows players to relive the Cold War in a dramatic, gritty, real world setting driven by compelling characters and storyline. This one of a kind strategy game offers players a unique team-oriented experience on chillingly realistic battlegrounds. Soviet Assault features all-new characters, gameplay from the Soviet perspective, ten new films, new multiplayer maps and more.

"The teams at Massive Entertainment have worked hard to ensure that they are bringing new original content to the popular World in Conflict brand," said John Parkes, marketing director at Ubisoft EMEA. "Fans have been eagerly awaiting Soviet Assault, and Ubisoft is excited to be able to bring them great new material."

For more on World in Conflict: Soviet Assault visit www.worldinconflict.com"

THQ and Relic have launched a new community website in preparation for their upcoming real-time strategy sequel "Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor".

"This new community site features developer blogs from Relic Entertainment, community forums, exclusive content and the latest in-depth information about the Company of Heroes franchise, including the upcoming Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor.

About Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor

Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor is the next standalone chapter in the critically acclaimed Company of Heroes franchise – a series that received multiple Game of the Year awards from IGN, GameSpot, GameSpy, Yahoo Games, and more.  Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor introduces a new “direct-fire” feature that allows players more tactical control of their units and more strategic options in-game, and features three new single-player campaigns, new multiplayer modes, new units, and additional maps.  Developed by THQ studio Relic Entertainment and powered by Relic’s proprietary Essence Engine™, Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor is fully compatible with Company of Heroes and Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts, allowing players who own the entire series complete access to the epic battles of World War II.  Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor ships to retail outlets worldwide on April 13, 2009.  For more information, please visit https://community.companyofheroesgame.com."