By John Walker on December 15th, 2009.
The Mass Effect 2 videos keep on coming. They can’t be stopped. It’s an AVALANCHE! A brand new one arrives to tell us about the new Sentinel class, and then there’s the video showing off all the actors they’ve rounded up for providing voices this time out. It’s an astonishing cast. You’re compelled to watch.
By Jim Rossignol on December 15th, 2009.
The rather interesting real-time strategy title from Eugen Systems, R.U.S.E. – which is currently in beta – has just released some more multiplayer footage. No news for the people already playing it, but it’s definitely worth a glance for the rest of ye. For some notion of what the game is like to play, have a gander at my Eurogamer preview. I’ve enjoyed what I’ve managed to play so far, and I suspect the beta will be very useful for the purposes of balancing this up to a shine.
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By Alec Meer on December 15th, 2009.
Alternate post title: Conumdra. For this is a short semi-text adventure from Tom Jubert, who’s best known for writing the Penumbra series of heavily bephysicsed action-puzzlers. Apparently ir/rational began life as minigame for inclusion in one of the Penumbras, but now find itself standalone.
It is a free videogame.
Therefore you will play it.
It tests your logic and deductive reasoning.
Therefore you may be too lazy to play it.
But you should.
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By Alec Meer on December 15th, 2009.
By way of beautiful/monstrous coda to today’s (well, yesterday’s. I’m up toooooooooo late) Advent Calendar entry, please enjoy this taste of the Saints Row 2 videogame’s singular madness.
Occasionally, your self-designed character will sing along to what’s playing on the in-game radio. That can be strangled enough by itself, but this… This is what it sounds like when doves die. Or, more accurately, when all six possible main character voices’ howling, babbling versions of A-Ha’s Take On Me are composited together into a freakish but highly chucklesome chorus of mangled Scandinavian pop. Don’t have nightmares.
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By Alec Meer on December 15th, 2009.
I don’t entirely understand the word ‘jonesing.’ But I’m going to use it anyway. Like so: if you’re jonesing for a fix of Starcraft 2, this will surely make you adequately jonesinated. It’s a longish video showing off a slice of the game’s singleplayer story mode. Does this add purpose and drive to solo-play RTS, elevating it into grand, heroic warfare rather than dicking around with build queues and waypoints, or is it just a whole lot of scripting? Could it -gasp! – even be both?
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By Alec Meer on December 14th, 2009.
Crivens – and here were we all thinking the first L4D2 DLC would involve fictional hoary old rockers the Midnight Riders. In fact, Valve are doing something gosh-wow-what? different.
First DLC The Passing arrives in Spring. It features four very familiar faces. Clue: it’s not Zippy, George, Bungle and Geoffrey.
There will be much rejoicing. Except by people who don’t do that sort of thing.
By RPS on December 14th, 2009.
As we reach the pivotal 7/12ths point of the seasonally festive advent-o-calendar, our fingers perhaps beginning to develop the first sign of blisters from prising open cardboard doors to reveal gaming goodies behind, our stamina remains strong. But equally our minds turn to crime. Crimes involving poo and machine guns. But to whatever could that refer? Only obeying the firm instruction of the one true leader of the Autobots can unravel such a mystery.
By John Walker on December 14th, 2009.
So my plan to have a quick play of the Saira demo turned into my whole morning. A new game from Nifflas is a reason to sit up straight and start downloading. The creator of the gorgeous Knytt Stories has created his first commercial game, and it’s a rather beautiful thing. For those familiar with his previous games – tiny slivers on the screen, creating platforming worlds with the barest few pixels – you’ll be pleased to learn that while it’s technically a lot more advanced, it remains completely true to his themes and style, and a lot more involved.
By Jim Rossignol on December 14th, 2009.
Setting a shooter in the ruins of Dubai seems a little cheeky. Poor old Dubai, they must be regretting that thing where they decided to metaphorically and literally build on sand. Anyway, 2K’s shooter is set in the near-future ruins of the city, and looks rather exciting. The blurb from 2K says: “Spec Ops: The Line is a provocative and gripping third-person modern military shooter that challenges players’ morality by putting them in the middle of unspeakable situations where unimaginable choices affecting human life must be made.” Unimaginable! Wow, that must be pretty extreme, because I can imagine some pretty outlandish choices. The trailer (below) has a Heart Of Darkness-meets-Gears of War vibe going on. Could be interesting. The game is slated for release during Take-Two’s 2011 fiscal year, which begins on November 1, 2010.
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By Quintin Smith on December 14th, 2009.
Tis’ the season to be playing unwieldy grand strategy games! The Total War series has been losing my interest for a few years now (which is to say I now break for meals when playing them), but hope remains for my post-Christmas weight loss. I’ve finally found some time to check out the geektacular Europa Universalis III, and it just might just have what it takes to starve me down to size. Read about my attempt at steering the tiny Irish province of Connacht to glory, riches and global reknown after the jump. (Spoiler: It doesn’t go very well.)
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By Jim Rossignol on December 14th, 2009.
A new crafting page on the Team Fortress 2 website explains a few things about the forthcoming update – and ongoing war – that we hadn’t been expecting. Essentially, you’ll be able to turn unwanted unlocks into ones you actually want. This process will apparently rely on “blueprints”, which sounds a bit like Eve Online to me. “Blueprints,” says the TF2 site, “some of which you’ll get right off the bat, others of which you’ll have to puzzle out on your own, will tell you which ingredients you’ll need to combine to make different items… Think of blueprints as recipes, but instead of making Chicken Cordon Bleu, they makes guns! And hats! And Sandviches.” Interesting. Expect more info in the week.
