Category: PC

Upcoming StarCraft Release Features Protoss “Mini-Campaign”

protoss
As we all know, the various species of the StarCraft universe will be getting their own complete campaign spread across three separate titles that will fully comprise StarCraft II. With the Terran campaign “Wings of Liberty” set for release sometime this year (hopefully), we all assumed that we’d have to wait until 2011 or later to play as the Protoss, but this may not be the case.

A Blizzard Community Team member confirmed on the official Battle.Net forums that the psychic aliens will get a small campaign separate from the Terran missions in StarCraft II. The Protoss portion of “Wings” is expected to be much shorter than the Terran sections and will only feature a small sampling of units and buildings, so it doesn’t exactly set one up for multiplayer. The main purpose of the mini-campaign is to break up the pacing and add a little variety to the single player offering.

What are your opinions on this new development in the seemingly never-ending stream of pre-release StarCraft news? It’s great that Blizzard continues to add new features to the game (even when they take essential ones out), but I’m of the opinion that StarCraft II needs to hit in 2010 or the sci-fi RTS will take a major hurting in the PR department. How do you guys feel, though? Is StarCraft II going to be worth the wait, and are you going to pick it up?

Source: Kotaku

He Said What? The Most WTF Quotes of ’09.

bush
Hope everyone had a safe and happy New Year! As we slip into 2010 and eagerly await the best first quarter of video game history, we look back and reflect on 2009 and what an interesting year it was for gaming. We had plenty of great games drop this year (Batman, Resident Evil 5, Assassin’s Creed II just to name a few), and we finally saw the release of the undeniable juggernaut, Modern Warfare 2. But, as great as this year has been, there’s been more than a few eyebrow-raising moments as well. Whether you’ve got Infinity Ward’s decision to use matchmaking on the PC, Bobby Kotick’s Emperor Palpatine-esque villainy or Microsoft and Sony’s bizarre desire to tap into the motion control market, 2009 has seen its share of shenanigans. 1up has put together a list of their top industry quotes of 2009, and I’ve gone through and picked out a few of my favorites:

“You ever wonder what the bottom of an Avatar’s shoe looks like? Well BAM! There it is!”

Kudo Tsunoda demonstrating Natal at the E3 2009 Microsoft key note.

“Games have been used for stimulation, but maybe it won’t be long until games are used for relaxation and even to fall asleep.”

Nintendo prez Satoru Iwata introducing the ultimate WTF, the Wii Vitality Sensor, at the E3 2009 Nintendo key note. Continue reading He Said What? The Most WTF Quotes of ’09.

GamerSushi Asks: What Are You Playing?

Assassins Creed 2It’s the New Year’s Edition of What Are You Playing, so let’s get to it.

I know that many of you dudes are probably cackling like mad and experiencing all the new gaming loot you got over the holidays, so I’m curious to see what the responses have been here. I know that Anthony has been playing the junk out of Uncharted 2, Modern Warfare 2 and Dragon Age: Origins, which I’m sure is true for others as well.

As for me, I’ve been playing a lot of Assassin’s Creed 2 and just loving it. While the first hour or so of the game starts off terribly awkward and almost clunky, the rest of it has been a blast. The game really opens up once you get your villa, and I can’t wait to see what else lies in store for Ezio and the Assassins. It’s one of those things where I’m getting more hooked to the game the more I play it, which doesn’t happen very often.

What about you guys? What are you playing? Go!

Assassin’s Creed: Initiation

TheDuoGroup makes really sweet videos. In fact, they make some of my favorite video game videos that I can remember. Just recently, they posted this awesome Assassin’s Creed video with all original art work and motion graphics, telling the story of Altair losing his ring finger and getting his assassin’s blade before the events of the first game. They do a remarkable job with it, and once again I am impressed with their work.

Right now, I’m loving Assassin’s Creed 2 so this is pretty cool to see. What do you guys think?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSUcfdpD7yg[/youtube]

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is Looking Hot

I never really played the first Battlefield: Bad Company game, but I hear it had some really cool features, and its multiplayer showed a ton of promise. Well judging from the preview of Bad Company 2 below, it looks like they’re taking what they learned from the first game and making a kick-ass follow-up. The multiplayer demo is looking all kinds of hot, so I’m actually excited about it. Maybe I’ll have to pick the first one up over the holidays on the cheap…

Who else is excited about this game? Go!

Splinter Cell: Conviction’s Co-Op Trailer is Sneaky

The way I see it, one of the finest co-op campaigns in gaming is the one from Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory where you play as two Third Echelon ninjas assisting franchise protagonist Sam Fisher in an alternate look at the story line. Conviction, the newest game in Ubisoft’s stealth action series, is going to feature a different take on the co-op mode that was presented in Chaos Theory. Whereas the campaign in CT ran parallel to the main story, this time around it serves as a prequel to the plot, probably giving us an explanation as to what has been going on in the Splinter Cell universe before the beginning of Conviction. Take a look:

How do you guys feel about it? Are you down for some co-op stealth shenanigans when the game drops in February?

Mythbusters Meets Modern Warfare 2

Oh, Modern Warfare 2. When will we stop posting about you? I’m not sure, but I do know that there is a nifty new video that combines the Discovery show Mythbusters and Modern Warfare 2, resulting in some awesome tricks that I had no idea existed. To be honest, I’ve never experienced anything remotely like this in matchmaking, so I’m curious how they came up with this stuff.

I believe I’ve posted before about a similar series done with Halo 3, which was created by the same dudes. Glad to see they’re still working together! Also, the bouncing throwing knives were incredible. You’ll see what I mean.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maCSZFEPwzc[/youtube]

Tons of Premiers at Spike’s VGAs

Spike’s Video Game Awards were last night, and for the most part I think the accolades handed out were fairly accurate. Besides doling out some weird monkey statues, the VGAs also played host to a smattering of game announcements from the obvious (Halo: REACH), to the puzzling (Green Day: Rockband), and finally to the completely mind-blowing. If you missed the first few minutes of the awards show like I did, you may have missed this trailer. I don’t want to ruin the surprise, so take a gander.

What did you guys think of the awards show, and, more specifically, what did you think of the premiers and the winners? Hit the jump for a couple more trailers.
Continue reading Tons of Premiers at Spike’s VGAs

Transformers Trailer is More Than Meets the Eye

I’ll be honest here, I loves me some Transformers. Although I am of the opinion that Revenge of the Fallen is the cinematic equivalent of water-boarding, there’s just no denying that watching twenty-foot machines that turn into jets and cars beat the lug nuts out of each other gets my motor running.

We’ve seen the Transformers battle it out on the silver screen and on television, but I’ve always wanted a good Transformers game. There have been some decent titles in the past, but nothing that has really grabbed me. The upcoming Transformers: War for Cybertron game by Bad Moon Studios, the development house behind the Bourne Identity games, may just do the trick.

What do you guys think of the trailer? Sure it’s computer-generated as opposed to actual game-play, but it’s got me hopeful. All I need is Soundwave messing up Autobots and I’ll be happy.

Dead Space 2 Confirmed!

deadspace2
When your magazine is owned by one of the largest video game retailers on the continent it naturally means that you’re going to have a bunch of exclusive info crop up in your publication. Game Informer has, over the last year, dropped a lot tantalizing data on the games we want and the January issue is going to be no different.

Though it may come as a bit of a surprise, given that the original didn’t sell nearly as well as EA hoped, Dead Space is getting a sequel and there’s going to be quite a few changes in store for everyone’s favorite space-zombie killing mute. First off all, Isaac is able to talk in the sequel, so perhaps he’ll start telling off all the people who insist he repair a toilet on the other side of a necromorph-infested space station. Other changes include the ability to float while in zero-g and fire your weapons as well. The game is going to take place on a space station called “Sprawl”, which is apparently going to be much larger than the Ishimura was in the first game.

Perhaps the biggest shake-up is the inclusion of multiplayer this time around. No one knows what it consists of at this point, but a lone man surviving against waves of player-controlled necromorphs would be pretty banging. Team Death Match and CTF game types are probably a safe bet, but we’ll have to wait for the January issue of Game Informer to get all the details.

What do you guys think of Dead Space getting a sequel? Are you excited that EA is giving the franchise another try? How do you feel about multiplayer and what do you expect from this second go-around?

Source: Kotaku

World of Warcraft Patch Trailer Announces the Beginning of the End

Say what you will about World of Warcraft and what it’s doing to PC gaming, there’s just no denying that Blizzard knows how to promote their product. This latest trailer is similar in style to the one that Blizzard released for the Ulduar patch a while back in that it sets the stage for the upcoming (and final) dungeon of the Wrath of the Lich King expansion.

Since the Lich King has been a big character in Warcraft lore for years, you can bet that there’s going to be some epic showdowns with the titular baddie. There’s also some pretty neat UI and game-play improvements, but I’m still most impressed with Blizzard’s ability to make a game this old look so good.

What else can we expect from this patch? Justice.

Review: Assassin’s Creed II

ac2The first Assassin’s Creed was a love it or hate it affair. The game was, to be honest, a proof of concept more than anything else, a playground where Ubisoft could test out a really impressive graphics engine. The game rightly caught flack for its repetitive nature and the general silliness of its sci-fi overtones, but there were a lot of people out there who believed that the series had some merit. The game ended up selling fairly well, so the green light was given on the sequel.

Whereas the original game took place mostly in 1191, the second Assassin’s Creed is set during Renaissance Italy around the late 15th century. While you still control hapless kidnap victim Desmond Miles during some sections of the game, you spend most of your time inhabiting the body of Ezio Auditore da Firenze, a brash young nobleman and banker’s son. The game starts off very similar to Grand Theft Auto where it walks you through a bunch of missions that teach you how the game’s mechanics work while setting up for the first big plot point. Some of the early missions are, admittedly, fairly stale but serve as a good introduction to the setting and some of the major characters you’ll be running across.

Ezio himself is far more likeable than Altair was in the first game. There’s no denying that Altair knew his business, but he wasn’t a sympathetic character. During the course of Assassin’s Creed II you’ll actually be rooting for Ezio as you pilot him through his trials and tribulations and, in a way, you’ll sort of feel like you actually grow with him. While the story does get kind of muddled around the end (I’m fairly sure the gaps in the plot will become downloadable content, but that’s just a guess), Ezio’s tale is full of likeable and hateable characters, and the writing and voice acting are both sharp.
Continue reading Review: Assassin’s Creed II

Review: Dragon Age: Origins

dragon-ageDragon Age: Origins is the newest RPG epic from Bioware, creators of other notable titles such as Knights of the Old Republic, Jade Empire and Mass Effect. Their newest game takes things a little more old school, returning the quest programmers back to the days of yore, where dungeons waited to be crawled and dragons were there for the slaying. The studio has repeatedly said that Dragon Age: Origins was always a spiritual successor to Baldur’s Gate, and they weren’t kidding. But is it any good?

Yes. Yes it is. Very good, in fact. This may spoil the rest of the review for you, but Dragon Age: Origins is simply one of the better RPG experiences in this generation.
Continue reading Review: Dragon Age: Origins

Aliens Vs Predator Banned in Australia, Developers Fire Back

avp
The Land Down Under is known for many things, like koalas, giant cans of beer and Crocodile Dundee (not to mention all around manly-man Saxton Hale from Team Fortress 2 lore), but it’s also home to some of the most draconian video game rating laws on the planet. How the system works is that if a title is rated over MA15+, then it’s “refused classification” and cannot be sold in the country. Big surprise, then, that the upcoming Aliens Versus Predator by Rebellion has been banned. The game features two of the most acclaimed movie monsters of our time, and the films they’ve starred in have never been stringy on the violence.

If a developer wants to skirt a ban then they have to modify the content of their game so it meets the harsh criteria. Bethesda and Valve have both bowed to the iron will of the Australian government, but Rebellion is not backing down. They’re not going to modify the content, and they have one of the sassiest PR responses I’ve ever seen:

“The content of AVP is based on some of the most innovative and iconic horror movies, and as such we wanted to create a title that was true to the source material. It is for adults, and it is bloody and frightening, that was our intent. We will not be releasing a sanitised or cut down version for territories where adults are not considered by their governments to be able to make their own entertainment choices.”

Take that, Australia! That’s a nice intelligent response, but I doubt it’s going to sway the Australian government. How do you guys feel? I don’t think we’ve talked about Australia’s ratings before, so give me you thoughts on those, too. On the subject of AVP itself, who’s picking this up? I know I am!

Source: Kotaku

Mass Effect 2 Features the Dreaded Disc Swap

masseffect2
We all know Mass Effect 2 is going to be, ahem, massive, but just how gargantuan is the upcoming sci-fi epic? Chris Priestly, community coordinator at BioWare, mentioned on the game’s official forums that Mass Effect 2 is going to be a two-disc game, three if you’re picking up the collector’s edition.

PC owners get the benefit of only using two discs for install, but 360 players will have to experience the awful exchange mid-game. It’s not going to be so bad though, as Priestly went on to break down just how the two-disc system is going to play out:

“Even though there is a disc swap, it occurs at a carefully planned place in the game (that does not interfere with gameplay) and is done once,” Priestly wrote on the Mass Effect 2 forums. “You do not swap back and forth. 1 swap and then done.”

Well, that’s a relief. I honestly don’t mind swapping discs, but it has been a while since I’ve needed to do that. The way I figure it, the more discs you use, the less time you spend in elevators. How do you guys feel? Is this a big deal for you, or not so much? Are you excited by the prospect of the sequel being so immense that it requires more than one disc?

Source: Kotaku

On Glitches and Cheating

gimlihax
Modern Warfare 2 is an incredibly fun experience online, whether you’re grouping up in one of the few rooms that allows party chat or going lone wolf like I tend to. The game is consistently rewarding, and I rarely feel frustrated to a degree where I consider quitting.

That used to be the case until a new exploit in the game became all the rage. You may have experienced a scenario where an enemy soldier sprints towards you with a Javelin launcher equipped, intent on suicide. You pop a few rounds into him, mutely thanking the newbie for an easy kill. Just as you begin gloating, the oncoming adversary explodes and takes you down with him. By using some sneaky controller manipulating, the griefer is essentially turned into a human bomb with a dead man’s switch. Killing him causes the Javelin to go off, triggering a massive explosion.

Fortunately, this new way to show your immaturity is being patched, and those who are caught using it face bans. This got me thinking, however. As much as this glitch peeves me, there are some legitimate things in Modern Warfare 2, and other games besides, that aren’t exploits per se but are incredibly underhanded.
Continue reading On Glitches and Cheating

EA Announces New Medal of Honor

The game announcements for Spike’s Video Game Awards keep piling up this year as Halo: REACH, TRON, and Star Wars have all dropped teaser trailers on us. This new one comes from the Medal of Honor series which is getting a complete reboot, taking the franchise out of World War II and setting it in modern conflict in Afghanistan. Little is known about the game so far except that the multiplayer is being crafted by Battlefield creators DICE and the character designs may or may not feature giant beards. Check out the teaser below.

How do you guys feel about this? Is it too little too late for Medal of Honor? Are any of you actually going to tune in to the VGAs this year, or just wait until all the trailers are put up on YouTube?

Blizzard Dispenses Advice for Failing MMOs

worldofwarcraft
If you’re setting out to make a successful MMO, I imagine that there’s one undercurrent of thought running throughout the entire design phase: be like World of Warcraft. It seems like a sound plan, seeing as how that game pumps out more golden Ferraris than a Twilight movie release, but it may backfire on you sooner than you think.

According to Blizzard Lead Producer Shane Dabiri, more WoW clones are not what MMORPG fans want right now. While he says that Blizzard finds it flattering that so many companies want to emulate their success with World of Warcraft (imitation is the most sincere form of adulation, after all), trying to pull the same maneuvers may not lead to the big hit that most developers hope for.

He goes on to say that people who have invested a lot of time in Warcraft don’t want to do the same things in a different game. As a Warcraft player myself, I couldn’t agree more. Before I moved over to Blizzard’s digital demolisher I used to play Star Wars Galaxies, which, while it had its problems, was a fairly unique and engaging game. All that changed when the development team took a look at Warcraft and said “we need to do that!”

Soon after that all the hybrid classes were gone, the economy got thrown out the window and Jedi ran all over the place like a herd of ill-disciplined children. Star Wars Galaxies tried so hard to be World of Warcraft but fell so far short it was almost embarrassing. Game after game has bowed to the mighty MMO, but there are few titles on the horizon that may challenge the market by being different. The upcoming Star Wars MMO by BioWare is my current favorite to at least show some decent competition, but I can’t pretend that DC Online isn’t making a strong bid either.

What do you guys think? Has World of Warcraft ruined the MMO scene, or will future MMOs learn a lesson and try something new?

Source: CVG

The Frustrated Gamer

dragon-ageOver the weekend, I did something I tend to do whenever I am slapped in the mouth with a good RPG: I played the junk out of it. The culprit this time around was Dragon Age: Origins, and I seriously jumped in to the thing completely, putting about 20 hours or more in within just a few days. This typically happens with Bioware games. Funny how that works out.

Anyway, last night I stay up particularly late because I sense that at 60 hours of play time, I’m nearing the game’s end. So, I make my preparations, I tackle the awesome final battle, and I get to the best part of any RPG- the last boss, which in this case, is a rather sweet demon/dragon. I battled long and hard, and ultimately, smote my foe. At this point, I kick back, and I get ready for the ending of the game (of which there are 4 possible).

About a minute into it, suddenly, my game freezes. Just like that. Right in the middle of the load screen. At this point, I’m annoyed and tired, but I decide that it’s not that big of a deal. So, I reload the final boss fight, which takes a few minutes, and prepare to do battle again. Now, this boss fight is no walk in the park. It takes about 10-15 minutes. Well, halfway through the second attempt, my game freezes again. I threw the controller down in frustration and went to bed.

So now, I’m tired and have not finished Dragon Age. The worst of both worlds. When’s the last time you guys felt this kind of frustration when gaming? Go!

Mass Effect 2 Roster Expands With An Old Friend

Today is Thanksgiving down in the USA, a holiday where we all take the time to reflect on things we’re grateful for by shoving our faces full of flightless fowl and pumpkin pie. Of course, me being Canadian, today is just a regular day (besides the fact that I’m home sick), but that doesn’t mean I can’t be appreciative. One thing I’m thankful for is that it’s only two short months until Mass Effect 2 comes out and officially kills my social life. Seriously, this game is still looking quite good, and the “Empire Strikes Back” feel BioWare is striving for has really gotten my motor running. In this new video for the upcoming sci-fi RPG, we’re re-introduced to Tali, the soft-spoken quarian crew member from the first game. It looks like there’s some political unrest among the nomadic race, and Commander Shepard’s right in the middle of it.

So, what’s your opinion on Mass Effect 2 so far? Is it going to be a sure-fire purchase for 2010, or are there other games that are vying for your attention? Just for fun, what game-related stuff were you most thankful for in 2009? Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate it!