Games Guide

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

World of Warcraft Wrath of the Lich King

In the cold, harsh northlands...The Lich King Arthas has set in motion events that could lead to the extinction of all life on Azeroth. With the armies of the undead and the necromantic power of the plague threatening to sweep across the land, only the mightiest heroes can oppose the Lich King's will and end his reign of terror for all time.

Blizzard Entertainment's latest expansion to World of Warcraft – Wrath of the Lich King – adds a host of epic content to the existing game world. Players will achieve soaring levels of power, explore a vast new continent, and battle other high-level heroes to determine the fate of Azeroth.

Features

* Master the necromantic powers of the Death Knight - World of Warcraft's first Hero class.
* Quest to level 80, gaining potent new abilities and talents along the way.
* Learn the craft of spell augmentation with the new Inscription profession.
* Brave the harsh new continent of Northrend, the icy domain of the Lich King.
* Engage in epic siege warfare, deploying mighty siege engines to lay waste to destructible buildings in your path.
* Transform your hero's look with new character-customization options, including new hairstyles and dances.
* Explore perilous new dungeons filled with some of the deadliest creatures -- and greatest treasures -- on Azeroth.
* And much, much more...

Official Game Website

Wrath of the Lich King Screenshots

Wrath of the Lich King Trailer

Release Date: 03 November 2008
Genre: RPG

Labels: Nov 08, RPG

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Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning

War is everywhere in Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning (WAR), the new MMORPG from the creators of Dark Age of Camelot®. Based on Games Workshop's popular Warhammer® fantasy war game, WAR features next generation Realm vs. Realm™ (RvR) game play that will immerse players in a world of perpetual conflict.

Realm vs. Realm Upon entering WAR, players must determine their allegiance and join an Army. Those inclined towards the side of good may fight for the Armies of Order as an obstinate Dwarf, noble High Elf, or loyal human soldier of the Empire. Those inclined towards darker deeds may side with the sinister Armies of Destruction as a savage Greenskin (Orc or Goblin), corrupt Dark Elf, or marauding human worshipper of Chaos.

RvR combat takes place on three fronts where ancient foes wage an unending war - Dwarfs vs. Greenskins, High Elf vs. Dark Elf, and Empire vs. Chaos. Players begin the game fighting their ancestral enemy, but are free to journey to other fronts to help their allies in their ongoing struggles.

The ultimate goal in RvR combat is the sacking of an enemy's capital city. To do this, an army must invade and take control of the opposition's homeland. Deciding battles take place on objective-based battlefields and in instanced scenarios - point-balanced battles that make use of NPC mercenaries known as Dogs of War.

For the first time, WAR's RvR system integrates both Player vs. Player (PvP) combat and Player vs. Environment (PvE) quests on the same map. Every aspect of the game, including PvE missions, is geared towards the greater war in some important way. However, players are not required to participate in PvP combat, and may aid in the RvR war effort and enjoy the game in its entirety via PvE content.

Drawing from a quarter century of highly detailed source material, Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning will bring Games Workshop's fantasy world to life in a way that will allow players to create characters destined for great deeds and glory on the field of battle.

Features

* Based on Games Workshop's popular Warhammer fantasy world. Dominated by force of arms and magic, this world provides a rich setting for hundreds of thousands of players to experience the epic nature of war and the glory of battle.
* Join one of six Armies and fight for the Armies of Order (Dwarf, High Elf and Empire) or the Armies of Destruction (Greenskin, Dark Elf, or Chaos). Wage war across three unique battlefronts.
* Next generation Realm vs. Realm game system integrating both PvP combat and PvE quests on the same map in support of the greater war.
* Engage in four levels of RvR combat:
* A robust combat system introduces Player Tactics (earned powers you equip prior to battle) and Morale Skills (combat options that increase in power when the momentum of battle is in your favor).
* Player models that change to reflect the relative power of a character (i.e., Orcs grow in size and Dwarfs' beards get longer). Customizable armor and a visual guild system allow a player to make their character truly unique.
* Embark on an epic quest to complete the Tome of Knowledge and unlock Warhammer lore, detailed monster information, and major story plotlines.
* Online play requires a subscription and Internet connection.

Official Game Website

WAR Screenshots

WAR Trailer

Release Date: 14 October 2008
Genre: RPG

Labels: Oct 08, RPG

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Sunday, April 27, 2008

Tom Clancy’s EndWar

World War 3 on a scale and level of intensity that has never been seen. The great War genre that Tom Clancy created with Red Storm Rising eventually comes to life with Tom Clancy's EndWar!

True to the Tom Clancy's video games' tradition of innovation and excellence, Tom Clancy's EndWar is an all-new breed of strategy game: a fusion of next-gen technology, superior design and first-class production values.

2020, with resources growing scarce every nation must look after themselves. Tensions between the US, Europe and Russia are near a breaking point. One spark will ignite the war to end all wars.

Features

* World in Flames: A chillingly realistic vision of World War 3, in the fashion of the best techno-thrillers. Set in 2020, Tom Clancy's EndWar explores a full-scale land war between superpowers. While the narrative engrosses the player in a massive global conflict, with battles taking place in American and European heartlands, on 40 real-life recognisable battlefields including Washington D.C., Paris and Moscow.
* Shock and Awe: Tom Clancy's EndWar exploits the capabilities of next-generation technology to deliver production values comparable to the best action titles, rendering the chaos and grandeur of tactical combat more vividly than any game before it.
* Control Amidst Chaos: The game's intense depiction of land warfare never overwhelms the player because Tom Clancy's EndWar's design and interface empowers him to constantly maintain situational awareness and execute orders with the dispatch of a tactical genius. Simplicity ensures that success depends on tactical decision-making, not manual dexterity.
* Massive Replayability: In every way possible, Tom Clancy's EndWar is designed for maximum replayability.

Tom Clancy’s EndWar Screenshots

Tom Clancy’s EndWar Trailer

Release Date: 10 September 2008
Genre: Strategy

Labels: Sept 08, Strategy

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S.T.A.L.K.E.R - Clear Sky

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky is a survival FPS game for PC based on a 'what-if' scenario of the second Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident. The game is created as a warning to mankind against mindless play with technologies. S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky is the official prequel to the renowned S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game by the Ukraine-based GSC Game World studio. The game is set in 2011 and brings forth the events to have preceded the third campaign of Strelok to the Zone center. S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky introduces an alternative look onto the events of the original game and offers the player to try himself out as a mercenary s.t.a.l.k.e.r. in search of his own path in the world of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

A group of stalkers has for the first time reached the very heart of the Zone - Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, and brings about a cataclysm on the brink of a catastrophe. An immense blowout of anomalous energy changes the Zone. There are no more reliable and relatively safe roads. The entire levels vanish in the outbursts of anomalies. Stalkers and even expeditions die or end up sealed on the lost territories. New areas, which remained unknown since the time of the Zone emergence, appear on the Zone map. The Zone continues to shake with blowouts. The Zone is unstable. The anomalous activity is at its maximum.

Official Game Website

Clear Sky Screenshots

Clear Sky Trailer

Release Date: 29 August 2008
Genre: Action

Labels: action, Aug 08

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Thursday, April 24, 2008

Spore

From the mind of Will Wright, the creator of The Sims, comes SPORE™, an epic journey that takes you from the origin and evolution of life through the development of civilization and technology and eventually all the way into the deepest reaches of outer space.

Tide Pool Phase Fight with other creatures and consume them to adjust the form and abilities of your creature. It's survival of the fittest at the most microscopic level.

Creature Phase Venture onto land and help your creature learn and evolve with forays away from your nest. The only way to grow is by taking chances! Tribal Phase Instead of controlling an individual creature, you are now caring for an entire tribe. Give them tools and guide their interactions as you upgrade their state of existence.

Civilization Phase Once your city is established, your creatures begin seeking out and interacting with other cultures. Make contact with an olive branch or a war cry. The goal for your creatures is to conquer the planet.

Space Phase The time has come to move on to other worlds in your solar system. Make contact, colonize, or terraform, then venture further to find other solar systems. A 'mission' structure provides new goals in your quest for galactic dominance

* Take complete control of your creature's fate as you guide it through the following six evolutionary phases:
* Tidepool phase: Fight with other creatures and consume them to adjust the form and abilities of your creature. It's survival of the fittest at the most microscopic level.
* Creature phase: Venture onto dry land and help your creature learn and evolve with forays away from your safe haven. Carnivore or Herbivore? Social or Independent? The choice is yours.
* Tribal phase: Instead of controlling an individual creature, you are now caring for an entire tribe of your genetic craftwork. Give them tools and guide their interactions as you slowly upgrade their state of existence.
* City phase: Bring your creatures' race into a new golden era by building up the technology, architecture, and infrastructure of their city.
* Civilization phase: Once your city is established, your creatures begin seeking out and interacting with other cultures. You can have them do so with an olive branch or a war cry-either way, the goal for your creatures is to unify the planet.
* Space phase: The time has come to move on to other worlds in your solar system. Make first-contact, colonize, or terraform, then venture further to find other solar systems scattered throughout a magnificently rendered galaxy. A 'mission' structure provides new goals and paths to follow as you begin to spread through the universe.
* A suite of flexible, intuitive creation tools leverages the creative imagination of the player. Creating an entire universe of creatures, plants, buildings, vehicles and planets has never been so easy or so fun. An infinite variety of design choices is just the beginning.
* The world you explore is populated with creatures, plants, buildings and vehicles developed by other gamers and downloaded from a central database. The server chooses creatures and civilizations that best match your chosen environment, your experience level, and your creature's ability. In turn, your creatures are uploaded to the server to be shared with other gamers.
* With procedural animation, your creatures and vehicles move based on how you construct them. They behave and interact based on your input and by their in-game encounters. That means there's no pre-determined path you must follow-the game evolves based on your decisions.
* Wonder what another gamer was thinking when they created and evolved a creature? Uncover information about each creature's origin in the Sporepedia, yet another way to explore the truly endless universe of creative expression that is SPORE.

Official Game Website

Spore Screenshots

Spore Trailer

Release Date: 07 September 2008
Genre: Strategy

Labels: Sept 08, Strategy

Posted by maradona at 10:41 AM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Starcraft II

StarCraft II continues the epic saga of the Protoss, Terran, and Zerg. These three distinct and powerful races will clash once again in the fast-paced real-time strategy sequel to the legendary original, StarCraft. Legions of veteran, upgraded, and brand-new unit types will do battle across the galaxy, as each faction struggles for survival.

Featuring a unique single-player campaign that picks up where StarCraft: Brood War left off, StarCraft II will present a cast of new heroes and familiar faces in an edgy sci-fi story filled with adventure and intrigue. In addition, Blizzard will again offer unparalleled online play through Battle.net, the company's world-renowned gaming

Features

* Fast-paced, hard-hitting, tightly balanced competitive real-time strategy gameplay that recaptures and improves on the magic of the original game
* Three completely distinct races: Protoss, Terran, and Zerg
* New units and gameplay mechanics further distinguish each race
* Groundbreaking single-player "story-mode" campaign
* Vibrant new 3D-graphics engine with support for dazzling visual effects and massive unit and army sizes
* Full multiplayer support, with new competitive features and matchmaking utilities available through Battle.net
* Full map-making and scripting tools to give players incredible freedom in customizing and personalizing their gameplay experience

Official Game Website

Starcraft II Screenshots

Starcraft II Trailer

Release Date: 13 September 2008
Genre: Strategy

Labels: Sept 08, Strategy

Posted by maradona at 8:44 AM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Prototype

You are ALEX MERCER, the PROTOTYPE™: a shapeshifter with amazing powers of combat, destruction, and deception. Consume targets for their form and memories to assume a perfect disguise, or instantly transform your body into an array of deadly biological weapons, cutting your way to the heart of the conspiracy forty years in the making.

Stalk the streets of New York City, searching for the life you lead before. Take the form of anyone in your path, using an arsenal of identities to confound. Exploit or annihilate your enemies. Mankind is your mask.

Wage a secret war against factions with complex agendas of their own, out to capture or kill you. They are your greatest threat and the key to the secrets of your past. Confront them, find those responsible and make them pay.

Features

* Unprecedented Abilities and Control — Play as the most powerful and dynamic character ever created with innovative shapeshifting powers and over the top parkour locomotion movement.
* Shapeshifting — Attack with brutal and devastating powers; instantly triggering hundreds of power combinations (Attack, Defensive and Sensory).
* Disguise — Assume the perfect disguise by transforming into any character and assuming the victim's powers, skills and abilities.
* Open-World Action Thriller— New York City is your hunting ground! Jam-packed, vibrant, fully interactive city filled with thousands of people and enemies out to destroy you.
* Conspiracy Based Storyline — Delve to the bottom of a conspiracy that has haunted the American government for decades. Who is responsible for your condition? Only you can find out!
* Multi-Player — 2 Person Co-Op Online Multi-Player.

Official Game Website

Prototype Screenshots

Prototype Trailer

Release Date: 16 August 2008
Genre: Action

Labels: action, Aug 08

Posted by maradona at 9:39 AM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Bionic Commando Rearmed

Bionic Commando Rearmed sees a return of the intense 2D side scrolling, shooting and grappling action from the much-loved 1988 Bionic Commando on the original 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System. Bionic Commando Rearmed brings the amazing gameplay up to date with stunning new visuals, new weapons, online rankings, a reworked musical score and the addition of a 2-player co-op mode. The title will also provide cross-game interoperability, as completing parts of Bionic Commando Rearmed will unlock new content and provide secret insight into characters and plot of the brand new Bionic Commando sequel coming later in 2008.

Features

* Classic Bionic Commando gameplay focused around the use of the bionic grappling arm
* 2-player co-op mode
* Total modern visual revamp, including dynamic shadows, particle effects and environmental damage
* Reworking of musical score
* Cross-game interoperability – complete specific parts of Bionic Commando Rearmed to unlock new content and hints for the Bionic Commando sequel
* In-game art designed by one of Capcom’s most talented artists, Toshiaki Mori

Official Game Website

Bionic Commando Rearmed Screenshots

Bionic Commando Rearmed Trailer

Release Date: Q3 2008
Genre: Action

Labels: action, Q3-08

Posted by maradona at 9:24 AM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Iron Man

Iron Man, one of Marvel’s most indestructible Super Heroes, is blasting onto video game platforms and the big screen next year. The epic, action-packed Marvel Studios production will be directed by John Favreau and stars Robert Downey Jr., Jeff Bridges, Terrance Howard and Gwyneth Paltrow. This third-person action game will immerse players in explosive militaristic combat from the film with loads of additional content created exclusively for the game.

Features:

* A DEVASTATING WEAPON: Iron Man alone battles armies of fighter jets, military tanks, armored Super Villains and more.
* POWER CONTROL: Players will direct power to different parts of Iron Man's suit, creating a variety of unique attacks.
* CHAOTIC BATTLEFIELDS: Open-ended battlefields create adrenalinepacked combat filled with unpredictable challenges.
* BEYOND THE MOVIE: The game includes additional plotlines and characters from the Iron Man Comic Universe that are not featured in the movie.
* OPEN WORLD: Players have complete freedom to move anywhere in the environment and make seamless transitions between ground combat and open air flight.

Iron Man Screenshots

Iron Man Trailer

Release Date: 2 May 2008
Genre: Action

Labels: action, May 08

Posted by maradona at 9:15 AM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Europa Universalis: Rome

Experience one of the most defining periods in world history in an experience crafted by the masters of Grand Strategy. The greatest cultural and military civilizations are brought to life through this epic title rife with great strategic and tactical depth.

Europa Universalis: Rome will cover the time period from the first Punic War to the start of the true Empire. Players will have thousand of gameplay choices ranging from country, culture, provincial and character options to name but a few, making each and every game infinitely customizable and truly unique. "Europa Universalis: Rome combines the best of the Empire Building, Conquest and Warfare genres, wrapped into a title that contains all main characteristics of a typical Paradox Interactive game", said Johan Andersson, Director of Development. "This project has the potential to become the most talked about grand strategy game to date."

Features

* Fully 3D map with integrated graphics and detailed topography Start at any date between 280 B.C. and 27 B.C.
* Choose between 10 different cultures, including the Roman, Celtic, Greek and Egyptian civili-zations, with more than 53 playable factions on a map spanning hundreds of provinces.
* Watch your characters develop new traits through political intrigue and various interactions with thousands of other characters.
* Trade, negotiate or fight with your neighbours and advance your technologies to unite the Mediterranean World.
* Robust multiplayer allows you to challenge up to 32 players either competitively or in co-op mode.

Hardware Requirements

* VISTA COMPATIBLE
* Microsoft Windows XP/2000
* 1.9 Ghz Intel Pen-tium or similar
* AMD 512mb
* RAM Direct X 9.0c
* 128mb compatible video card & support for pixelshader 2.0

Official Game Website

Europa Universalis: Rome Screenshots

Europa Universalis: Rome Trailer

Release Date: 15 April 2008
Genre: Strategy

Labels: April 08, Strategy

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Sunday, April 13, 2008

Haze

Twenty-five years in the future. Governments have outsourced military operations to private multinational corporations. As Jake Carpenter, a newly enlisted soldier in the Mantel army, you are seeking fulfillment and thrills by fighting for a good cause. Thanks to their high-tech arsenal of vehicles, deadly weaponry, and performance enhancing bio-medical support, the Mantel Corporation’s ruthlessly efficient soldiers are the most feared by terrorists, dictators, and the corporation’s political enemies. Your conflict begins in a war-torn country in South America, where you have been sent to fight a vicious rebel faction, The Promise Hand. At first glance, all is well, but things quickly begin to look a little strange…

Haze Screenshots

Haze Trailer

Release Date: 20 June 2008
Genre: Action

Labels: action, June 08

Posted by maradona at 9:11 AM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Saturday, April 5, 2008

Dead Mountaineer's Hotel

The remote hotel stands atop an ominous snow-peaked mountain, and death permeates every inch of the place. It was a crime, that much is sure, and the remote nature of the retreat means that the culprit is still roaming the halls.

Which of the guests is capable of this? Whose past hides sinister truths and who has the most to gain? Secrets will out and skeletons will not stay buried.

Based on a story by the famous Russian authors, the Strugatsky Brothers, Dead Mountaineer's Hotel will test all you detection skills as well as your ideas of right and wrong. The beautifully detailed, pre-rendered backgrounds provide the perfect backdrop to this twist on the traditional detective novel.

Do you have what it takes to unravel the threads behind this mysterious case, and where will you side should your own feelings conflict with the law?

Key features:

* Engaging storyline, with a non-linear plot that lets you make your choices.
* Over 120 gorgeous, pre-rendered locations.
* More than 15 3D character models featuring real-time shadows.
* Each with their own original stories and unique personalities.
* AI simulation for all inhabitants of the gameworld to track their movements at all times.
* Proprietary engine specifically developed for adventure games.
* 15+ hours of intrigue-filled gameplay.

Official Site

Dead Mountaineer's Hotel Screenshots

Dead Mountaineer's Hotel Trailer

Release Date: August 2008
Genre: Adventure

Labels: adventure, Aug 08

Posted by maradona at 8:47 AM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Codename Panzers: Cold War

During the Cold War conflict, a period in which the differences of opinion between the Allied occupying forces and the Soviet Union become ever sharper, an airplane accident occurs over Tempelhof Airport during the Berlin Blockade, with 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.

Features

Authentic "Cold War" era
Variable squads with powerful squad leaders and perso- nalisable units with visible function upgrades
Unique building combat system - buildings can be destroyed or occupied to gain an advantage
Fascinating storyline which follows the personal fates of both familiar Codename Panzers heroes and brand new ones alike
Detailed "movie-like" world simulation: a truly "alive" world
Single player campaign with 18 exciting missions.
Scenario Mode: replay missions already won/unlocked in order to increase your overall score
More then 20 multiplayer maps and 3 modes: Domination, Cooperative and Team Match
Physics-based building destruction. Each building will collapse in its own unique manner, using real-time physics simulation: pieces falling from houses are assigned to various categories according to their size and mass
Weather changes affect gameplay and visual effects: reducing sight, movement speed, range of fire and every parameter imaginable
Dual display support with strategic map for making strategic decisions
Brand new Gepard 3 graphics engine with full vertex and pixel shader 3.0 sup

Cold War Screenshots

Cold War Trailer

Release Date: 28 March 2008
Genre: Strategy

Labels: Mar 08, Strategy

Posted by maradona at 9:59 AM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Empire Above All

Evolution of real-time strategy continues. Action-RTS "Empire above all" blends traditional features of the genre with tactical and arcade elements for an immersive, dynamic, intellectual gameplay.

Reaching out for reality. Contemporary game means spectacular graphics, and "Empire above all" is no exception. Integration of latest technologies brings real shadows, glow and reflections, dynamic lighting, highly detailed models and amazing effects - making virtual world real.

Law of nature. Sinking buildings and still environments are left in the past. Owing to the integration of the innovative physics engine PhysX by Ageia, the world of "Empire above all" became fully interactive. Projectile hitting the house brings down the wall... Nearby blast throws a soldier off like a ragdoll... Wooden debris falling into the water float on the surface... Everything happens just as it would in real life!

"Empire above all" will support the revolutionary AGEIA PhysX Processor.

Unusual enemy. One of the major gameplay features of "Empire above all" is a fascinating struggle against strange monsters from another planets. Remember old arcades where you would spend countless hours trying to find a weak point of another boss? You'd better recall that skill, because every monster in "Empire above all" is unique!

Play the role. The story of "Empire above all" takes place in a world of a distant future, where humanity exchanged freedom for security, civil rights for stability and democracy - for totalitarism. Few rebels prepare doomed riots, alien ships scout the boundaries of human space. "Empire above all" is a chance to live in that time, to be carried away to the far future and stand up for the survival of Humanity in the dreadful war with Aliens.

Minimum system requirements:

1,7 Ghz P IV processor (or equivalent)
512 Mb of RAM
Radeon 9600 video card (or equivalent).

Empire Above All Screenshots