PC Game News

The title is misleading, but I find it amusing. Let me clarify. GOG.com — the super convenient service that let’s you download DRM-free games (which are good and old… that’s important) at avery low prices with extras, like a game’s soundtrack, artwork and so on — will now include games from the development team, Epic. As expected, they’re all Unreal games.

"Today GOG.com, the best place for digitally distributed, DRM-free PC classics, announced an agreement with Epic Games, Inc. that will bring several titles in the renowned studio’s Unreal series to GOG.com. Under the agreement, Unreal Gold (including the Return to Napali expansion pack), Unreal Tournament: Game of the Year Edition, Unreal II: The Awakening Special Edition and Unreal Tournament 2004: Editor’s Choice Edition will soon be added to the GOG.com games catalogue, completely DRM-free, compatible with modern operating systems, packed with bonus materials and sold at unreal prices.

“Epic Games redefined the first-person shooter with the Unreal series, and we’re very happy to welcome them to the growing list of companies that share our vision of digital distribution,” said Adam Oldakowski, Managing Director of GOG.com. “We know that a lot of gamers have been waiting for new deals, and we’re sure that the Unreal games will satisfy their lust for alien blood and intense multiplayer action… DRM-free, of course.”

“Epic has partnered with GOG.com to make our time-honored Unreal series more accessible than ever before,” said Jay Wilbur, vice president of Epic Games. “GOG.com provides an affordable way to buy our back catalogue of games and get up and running with minimal effort.”

The Unreal games have already begun to appear in the GOG.com games catalogue with today’s release of Unreal Gold (https://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/unreal_gold) and Unreal Tournament: GotY Edition (https://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/unreal_tournament_goty). More titles, as well as announcements of additional publishers and new site features, will appear in the coming weeks."

This is cool, but I can’t believe Planescape: Torment isn’t available yet.

If you don’t have the will to go to your nearest retail store to pick up the latest EverQuest II expansion, then a cooler, less exhausting method is available.

"GamersGate today announced the digital release of Everquest II: The Shadow Odyssey.

Everquest II: The Shadow Odyssey is the fifth expansion for the critically acclaimed EverQuest II franchise. This all-in-one compilation pack follows the award-winning and best-selling Rise of Kunark™ expansion. New players and veterans alike will journey through a massive amount of exquisite content unlike anything ever before seen in EverQuest II. The Shadow Odyssey stretches well beyond the fantasy realm and propels the EverQuest II world into a new era of excitement and adventure.

Click here to go to the game on GamersGate: https://www.gamersgate.com/index.php?page=product&what=view&sku=DD-EQ2TSO"

A new patch for the multiplayer portion of "Crysis Warhead" has been released, bringing multiplayer to version 1.2.

The 45.5MB patch can be downloaded from AtomicGamer, FileFront, FileShack, Gamer’s Hell, Strategy Informer, or Worthplaying.

Fixes

• Fixed:Several client and server crashes
• Fixed: Several memory leaks
• Fixed: "" in level names in levelrotation.xml will now work
• Fixed: Incorrect weapon recoil after zooming
• Fixed: Claymore mines sometimes did not detect enemy players
• Fixed: Potential exploits using client cvars
• Fixed: Players not able to skip intro movies
• Fixed: Reloading and shooting with the AY-69 will not cause a second reload animation anymore
• Fixed: Saving of Favourite Servers and Last Played Server list

Improvements  

• Balance: Reduced prices of AY and SMG
• Balance: Increased price of Shotgun
• Balance: Reduced price of the PS-Radar Kit
• Balance: Adjusted weapon recoil by any SMG and Assault Rifle type weapons.
• Balance: Reduced Kill radius of any Explosive Weapons
• Balance: Adjusted splash radius of any Explosive Weapons
• Balance: Reduced rate of fire of the Grenade Launcher
• Balance: Adjusted C4 vehicle damage
• Balance: Increased LAW rocket Speed
• Balance: Increased AAA Rocket speed
• Balance: Increased AAA Rocket turn speed
• Balance: Adjusted AAA Gun damage
• Balance: Reduced splash damage of VTOL rockets against infantry
• Balance: Increased damage of Helicopter rockets
• Balance: Increased SOCOM damage
• Balance: Increased AY69 damage
• Balance: Adjusted Stand to Prone modifier for weapons
• Balance: Adjusted Stand to crouch modifier for weapons

Full Changelist
 

Electronic Arts has announced that "Need for Speed Undercover" has been shipped and is available at North American retail stores. The game will be available in Europe on Friday.

"Need for Speed Undercover features stunning Hollywood-style live-action in-game movies in which the player is recruited by Federal Agent Chase Linh, played by Maggie Q (Mission Impossible III and Live Free or Die Hard), to go deep undercover in order to infiltrate and takedown a ruthless international crime syndicate. Posing as a wheelman, the player will be required to prove themselves by completing jobs, racing through speedways, dodging cops and chasing rivals.

Need for Speed Undercover also features its signature real-world damage and car customization for over 55 of the hottest licensed vehicles including the Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG, Audi R8, Porsche 911 GT2 and the all-new unreleased 2009 Nissan 370Z.

The all-new Heroic Driving Engine delivers an unprecedented level of control allowing the player to execute incredible high-performance moves at 180 mph. The player will need to master the Heroic Driving Engine in order to evade the cops and take out opponents while navigating over 100 miles of open roads, including an expansive highway system. These causeways are the setting for the high-speed, high-stake chase sequences that will push the player to the limit. An enhanced new A.I. mechanic delivers a realistic high-energy action driving experience with ultra-aggressive and intelligent cops using actual high-speed pursuit techniques to take the player down.

Need for Speed Undercover is developed by Black Box in Vancouver, B.C. The game will be available for Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system for a MSRP of $59.99. It will be available on the Wii™ for a MSRP of $49.99 and on PCs, the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and PSP® (PlayStation® Portable) for a MSRP of $39.99. It is also available on the Nintendo DS™ for a MSRP of $29.99. For gamers on the go, they can download the mobile platform for a MSRP that starts at $2.99. The game is rated T by the ESRB and 12 by PEGI. More information can be found at www.needforspeed.com."

Valve has announced that "Left 4 Dead" is now available to begin playing for gamers using Steam.

"The PC version of Left 4 Dead, Valve’s zombie thriller, is now available via Steam to gamers around the globe. The title will be available for the PC and Xbox 360 at retail stores on Tuesday, November 18 in North America and worldwide on Friday, November 21. For more information, please visit www.steamgames.com"

EA has released a new patch for "Spore," bringing the unique simulation game by Maxis to version 1.03.

Patch Fixes

• Fix for esc key not bringing up Options in Galaxy Game Entry
• Fix for creator backgrounds appearing on small sporepedia cards
• Update to help keep achievements on the server in sync with achievements in the game
• Freebies: 24 Exoskeleton limbs

This patch is available for both PC and Mac.

The 107MB patch can be downloaded from The Official Site, FileShack, or Worthplaying.

Two new Project Origin videos today and both of them are concerned with the actual design and conception of the sequel to F.E.A.R. — the game that pushed Monolith into the stratosphere of stardom. The No One Lives Forever games should’ve done the job, but nope, unfortunately. I really want a sequel with the tone and wit of the first installment. I digress.

The first video delves into the design and the changes to the sequel’s ebb and flow. More outdoor environments and less repetitive level design seems to be Monolith’s agenda. The second video talks about the story. The character you play as, Alma, the state of F.E.A.R.’s world and so on. The original always had compelling fiction and Project Origin will hopefully expand on that. Fortunately, you’ll have to wait until the early next year for Project Origin, which means one less game to eat up your paycheck.

November is MMO-fest. First Lich King, Shadow Odyssey today and Mines of Moria tomorrow. If you play all three, I wish you the best of luck and I hope you don’t fail all your classes, lose your job or a lot of other tragic things because of massive priority shifts. Mines of Moria is a particularly special release, because it’s the very first retail expansion pack for LotRO. As expected, Mines of Moria dumps loads of new content on players. The underground mines, new enemies, new loot, new classes and so on.

In a most dangerous move, the latest Everquest II expansion is to be released today. That’s pretty crazy, considering Lich King came out just a few days ago. Whatever the case, a new launch trailer for the expansion provides a look at what’s to come for Everquest II fans. 20 new zones, zombie pirates and some really impressive looking locales, especially considering the age of the game’s engine.

Valve has released a new TV spot for "Left 4 Dead," preparing for the anticipated title that is set to be released tomorrow.

"The second Left 4 Dead television commercial starts its run on network and cable television tomorrow – Tuesday, November 18- the same day Valve’s zombie thriller launches on the Xbox 360 and PC at retail outlets in North America. The title will be available at retail outlets in the rest of the world this coming Friday, November 21. The commercial is part of a $10 million marketing campaign for the highly-anticipated title, which is available for a special pre-order price until the time of launch at participating retail outlets and via Steam. For more information please visit www.L4D.com"

A demo of "A Vampyre Story" has been released, giving players a chance to try out the upcoming adventure game by Autumn Moon Entertainment and Crimson Cow.

"The point-and-click adventure game A Vampyre Story tells the tale of the beautiful, gifted opera singer Mona De Lafitte, whose life is brought to an abrupt end by a vampire baron named Shrowdy Von Kiefer. Henceforth, Mona is doomed to a miserable existence as a creature of the night in Von Kiefer’s gloomy castle in Draxsylvania. Confronted with her seemingly hopeless fate, she decides to run away and try to fulfil her dream of singing at the Paris Opera. Accompanied by her mischievous bat Froderick, Mona must face a number of challenges in her odyssey and learn not only to accept her vampire nature, but also to use the abilities she has acquired to her advantage."

The 445MB demo can be downloaded from AtomicGamer, FileFront, FileShack, Gamer’s Hell, or Worthplaying.

Talk about a trend. Assassin’s Creed used mellow music for its trailers, then Mirror’s Edge followed suit (admittedly, the music is pulled from the game’s soundtrack), Prince of Persia’s line of trailers have gone a similar route and even Call of Duty: World at War has taken a stab at it. This latest and perhaps final trailer for the latest Crystal Dynamics-developed Tomb Raider games, Tomb Raider: Underworld, impresses with some great cut-scenes, all grounded by music that shouldn’t work, but does wonderfully. November 18th is the release date, so get ready for some more Lara.

The Fistful of Frags website has been updated announcing the release of beta version 2.1.

"We continue our effort to improve Fistful of Frags with this new beta. First of all, we have completely redone the animations for Colt Navy, coachgun, Smith carbine and Henry rifle! There is also some important modifications done to bow, there´s only one bow type which fires any kind of arrow, and is also available a new arrow type. Fiery arrows aren´t very western like but we ensure they are hilarious, fun and make possible some new tactics too. Finally, the bug which prevented servers to be displayed in Steam´s server browser is fixed.

Apart from these important additions we have added some other new fx´s, fixes and gameplay changes."

You can find a list of mirrors and view the changelog at the official Fistful of Frags site.

Funcom has announced the released of the largest content update for "Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures" to date.

"By visiting the vast, new outdoor area of Ymir’s Pass players will now be able to find new quests to solve, new characters to meet, new monsters to slay and a dramatic new storyline to unravel. The update also includes a new dungeon – The Amphitheater – that holds one of the most epic and memorable monster encounters ever created for the game.

"This is an important update that opens up a lot of new gameplay content for players who have already passed the level fifty mark," says Game Director Craig Morrison. "In the months ahead we will introduce even more new content, and coming up soon are two exciting new high-level dungeons intended for players who have reached the maximum level. At this stage adding more content and keeping people entertained is very important to us!"

This free update is available to all ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’ subscribers and the content will be downloaded automatically when launching the game. In the months following the launch of the game, Funcom has addressed several of the key concerns voiced by the players and have also added a series of new content and features. Recently the live servers received a major update to the player-versus-player part of the game, allowing players to become criminals based on their actions when battling other players. New armor, weapons and other content have also been added, and from a technical perspective the game has also seen major improvements in terms of stability and performance. Funcom remains determined to keep updating and improving the game, and will keep players posted on the updates that are planned in the months ahead.

‘Age of Conan’ launched in May this year and immediately topped sales charts around the world. It has received more than thirty magazine covers and more than fifteen major awards, including numerous "Best MMO of E3" awards and the "Best Online Game of Show" award at GC 2007. The game has received numerous glowing reviews, including a 9.4 score from US website GameZone. ‘Age of Conan’ is a key title in Microsoft’s Games for Windows line-up, as well as a showcase title for nVidia thanks to its jaw-dropping graphics.

For more information on the game and instructions on how to order your copy today, visit www.ageofconan.com."

Microids has released a trailer for the recently announced "Still Life 2," giving players a look at the upcoming adventure sequel by Microids and GameCo.

"Still Life 2 allows players to play and manage two characters bound by the same fate: Victoria McPherson (FBI agent, story’s main character) and Paloma Hernandez (journalist, kidnapped and held captive by a dangerous criminal). Each heroine provides her own game experience and gameplay.

Developed by GameCo in Real Time 3D and produced by Microïds, Still Life 2 reveals the ending of Still Life and spells a new investigation for Agent Victoria McPherson. The game will be released in Q1 2009."