Epic Games: 十一月 2011

2011年11月30日星期三

PS3-60 Bethesda exec calls for single co

Bethesda Softworks game director Todd Howard has revealed that he's keen for the industry to adopt a one console as standard. Speaking to PSM3, Howard - also executive producer on The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - was asked which one thing he would change about working in the games market. He responded by saying he feels it takes a lot of effort to create a game for multiple platforms and would like to see games follow the same path of DVDs and Blu-rays."I'd like there to be only one platform. It's a lot of work to make the games look good on every platform you're on," said Howard."I often equate it to DVD or Blu-Rays. Once I've bought a DVD I can use it in my TV, in my computer, in my car, here, whatever. And I think it would be good for gaming if it was like that," he added.The 'One-console future', as it has come to be known, was famously put forward by Silicon Knights founder Dennis Dyack, who said it would be a "massive paradigm shift" that would lead to games becoming "better in quality, cheaper, and more widely available".However, while Dyack said it is an inevitability, Howard acknowledges it isn't necessarily a realistic future."They spend billions of dollars selling consoles at a loss for years, but then make the money back with games," he commented. "It's not like the industry is hurting, we're doing really well. But if I had one wish, you know, we would have better games for a single platform."Former SCEE president David Reeves told CVG last year that he could envisage a future in which Sony and Microsoft joined forces to create a single machine. Tamoor Hussain

Soulcalibur 5 Rumors Point To Ezio As A F

Soul Calibur 5News (12)Previews (2)ReviewVideos (9)Screenshots (34)Cheats and WalkthroughsSoul Calibur 5News (12)Previews (2)ReviewVideos (9)Screenshots (34)Cheats and Walkthroughs News has slowly been trickling out about Namco Bandai's upcoming fighter, Soulcalibur 5, but the one question on every fan's mind is, "who will the guest fighter be?" The series has a tradition of including notable figures from other franchises, such as The Legend of Zelda's Link and Spawn's... err... Spawn. A newly surfaced rumor suggests that the identity of the latest guest star is none other than Ezio Auditore, of Assassin's Creed fame.The rumor comes from an image captured during the liveblog of a Namco Bandai event by PS3blog (since removed, via CVG). The image is of the game's character select screen, and Ezio is pretty clearly one of the chosen fighters. The same post also mentions a release date of January 31, 2012 for the game, though like Ezio, this remains unconfirmed for now.Source: PS3blog.com

Force Unleashed dev making open-world RPG

A job ad tweeted by Clint Hocking, formerly of Ubisoft and currently creative director at LucasArts, has revealed the company is working on a new open-world RPG. The job listing doesn't give much away other than the genre of the game, although it asks for console development experience so a PlayStation and Xbox release is a safe bet.The last game to be released from LucasArts' game development team was Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2, which was met with less than stellar review scores.Hocking previously served as Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory and Far Cry 2 creative director before leaving the company for LucasArts last April. Tamoor Hussain

2011年11月29日星期二

PSN to be Fully Restored by the End of

Sony just sent out a quick update letting customers know that "all PlayStation Network services" should be back up and running by the end of today, June 2. That's for everywhere except Japan, Hong Kong and Korea, that is. [Sony]

Star Fox 64 3D TV ad shows multiplayer

Nintendo is cranking up the hype train as Star Fox 64 3D's September 9 release approaches, and here's the TV ad you'll be seeing on the box before long. It focuses on the multiplayer mode although it's single-player quest that we really can't wait for. It also makes us wonder what value is in the face feature cam when the guys you're playing are sitting a few feet away from you and can do their gloating in high detail at more than two frames per second. Get loads more footage in this five-minute gameplay video. Mike Jackson

Halo 4's Master Chief in high-res art

Here's a nice high-resolution piece of 'teaser art' of Master Chief as he will look in 343 Industries' Halo 4. It was actually much bigger than this, but we had to crunch down its immense resolution to a size more suitable for the internet than a banner for the side of the Empire State building. Halo 4 will, in case you missed the news, be the first game in the main series NOT made by Bungie, instead being handled by Microsoft studio 343 Industries. That studio talked of the pressures of gamers' expectations in this recent developer diary. Mike Jackson

Bethesda vs Notch Publisher makes legal

Bethesda has allegedly sent Minecraft creator Markus 'Notch' Persson a legal note claiming that the name of his new game infringes on its trademark. The Nordic developer wrote on Twitter moments ago: "Just got a letter from Bethesta's [sic] lawyers. They claim "Scrolls" infringes on their trademark and everyone will confuse it with Skyrim."[Update: Notch has added: "I still CVG Staff

Need For Speed The Run Limited Edition D

Need For Speed: The RunNews (4)Previews (3)ReviewVideos (9)Screenshots (19)Cheats and WalkthroughsNeed For Speed: The RunNews (4)Previews (3)ReviewVideos (10)Screenshots (19)Cheats and WalkthroughsNeed For Speed: The RunNews (4)Previews (1)ReviewVideos (9)Screenshots (19)Cheats and WalkthroughsNeed For Speed: The RunNews (4)Previews (3)ReviewVideos (7)Screenshots (5)Cheats and Walkthroughs Need For Speed: The Run will have everything connoisseurs of racing games demand. That is, unless you demand the world's most elite cars, you're going to have to splurge and buy Need For Speed: The Run Limited Edition for those. Need For Speed: The Run Limited Edition Trailer » NFS: The Run Limited Edition will come with the finest advancements in automobile technology with cars like the Lamborghini Aventador, Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and the Porsche 911 Carrera S. Your sweet new rides will be exactly what you need to race from San Fransisco to New York. $25 million dollars are at stake after all.Need For Speed: The Run, both standard and Limited Edition, are available now for pre-order. NFS: The Run will be released on November 15, 2011.

2011年11月28日星期一

Aliens Colonial Marines gameplay video h

Gearbox has released a short but oh so sweet gameplay trailer showing off some action from Aliens: Colonial Marines.Showing off a few marines coming up against the famous space monsters aboard the USS Sephora, this particular slice of gameplay was also used in the screenshots released during GamesCom last week. Check it out: Watch in HD 4 comments Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford said earlier this month that the game will be "very accessible". Tamoor Hussain

Black Ops Rezurrection DLC out now

Rezurrection, the new Zombies-focused Call of Duty: Black Ops map pack, is now available to download from the Xbox Live Marketplace. Announced earlier this month and due for release on PS3 and PC at a later date, the DLC features five Zombies levels. Four are remastered versions of CoD: World at War maps Nacht der Untoten, Verruckt, Shi No Numa and Der Riese, while the fifth is the all-new Moon.It'll cost 1200 MS Points (£10.28), but will be free to Black Ops Hardened and Prestige owners, "as a thank-you to the hardcore fans for their support from the start". You should be able to go into your download history and re-download the classic pack you already own, and the fresh download will include the new Moon map.There are some new screens of the DLC on this page, and you can check out a Rezurrection video preview here.Mark Lamia, studio head at developer Treyarch, said of the DLC: "Our Zombies fans are so incredibly engaged with us in the ongoing development of the franchise, and we're excited to deliver them our first all-Zombies content package. Rezurrection is Zombies nirvana, with four of our best Zombies experiences, topped off with the awesome, all-new level Moon." Tom Ivan

Video What's the best MMO game of the ye

Have you voted in the GamesMaster Golden Joysticks 2011 yet?The Joysticks is the only annual UK awards that is voted for by gamers - the people who go out and buy the games. With that in mind, check out the nominees in the Best MMO category below... and then go forth and elect your favourite over on the official Golden Joysticks site.And while you're at it, why not have a gander at the GJ Facebook and Twitter pages?This year's event will take place on October 21st at the Westminster Bridge Park Plaza. Watch in HD No comments yet, be the first! CVG Staff

2011年11月27日星期日

Halo 4 trailer teases concept art

343 Industries showed PAX attendees this weekend a new video for Halo 4 showing off some of the game's concept art and here it is below. 343 said: "This video is a cool little thing our video and audio team at 343 Industries threw together to give you a glimpse into some of Halo 4's concept art, atmosphere and aesthetic ideas."It added: "Although you shouldn't get too attached to any of the specific ideas or scenarios in here, it does represent some of our early, current and ongoing artistic effort."Halo fans interested in seeing what the Warthog will look like in Halo 4 will be able to get their eyes on it in Forza Motorsport 4's Autovista mode. Mike Jackson

Burnout Crash Video Features David Hassel

When B-list actors like David Hasselhoff appear in a video game trailer, I feel a sacred obligation to present them to you. The trailer in question is the new video forBurnout Crash! and features ex-Baywatch head lifeguard Hasselhoff wearing a chicken suit and playing Burnout Crash! on a Kinect. You don't see that everyday...unless you do the wrong drugs. Burnout Crash! "Chicken David Hasselhoff" Kinect Trailer »

New Ninja Gaiden 3 shots battle cloaked g

We've got a bunch of new screenshots of Ninja Gaiden 3. These have come fresh from the latest update to the official Japanese website. You may recognise a couple of them from previous media releases. Rather than whip them out we'll just give you the lot. Team Ninja head Yosuke Hayashi has said recently that the developer will look at the prospect of doing a Ninja Gaiden game on Vita after work on NG3 is complete. Mike Jackson

2011年11月25日星期五

Rollercoaster Tycoon rolling to 3DS - fir

Atari/Namco Bandai has confirmed the revival of theme park building sim Roller Coaster Tycoon, which is winging its way to 3DS next year. We remember playing Theme Park for hours on our Super Nintendos, but if you were more into PC gaming in the late '90s you might remember the brilliant Rollercoaster Tycoon. The full 3D theme park sim, which has sold 11 million units since its release in 1999, lets you build a full theme park an almost overwhelming number of options and a deep rollercoaster customisation tool. Then put on your business hat and manage every aspect of your park's finances until you're successful enough to move on to the next country and do it all again. Rollercoaster Tycoon 3D contains a new 'Coaster Story' mode, which promises to "blend together tutorials and park challenges into a cohesive and entertaining narrative".According to Atari: "Choose your own player character and set off on a journey around the world to expand your roller coaster empire. As you progress, you'll unlock tons of unique attractions, themes, amenities and more."The game will also have a 'Park Sandbox' mode which lets you jump in and just build a park. You'll also be able to share your park via the 3DS' "advanced networking capabilities" - whether this means StreetPass and/or full online functionality is unclear.The game's in development at n-Space - the team often responsible for DS versions of blockbuster games such as the Call of Duty series, Goldeneye 007 and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. It's set to launch in a vague '2012'. Check out the first trailer below: Mike Jackson

MEMEFIGHT Round 1 Analysis!

Attack of the Show took a look at some of the first round matchups in our MEMEFIGHTbracket, to highlight some of the best battles we've got going in the Round of 32. If you haven't voted yet, you need to get to the MEMEFIGHTpage and cast your opinion. Remember, we can't crown the best meme ever to hit the internet without your vote!Watch the video and see what you think of the AOTS analysis.Go to MEMEFIGHTand vote now! Welcome to MEMEFIGHT »

Driver San Francisco garage stunts trail

Ubisoft's launched a new Driver: San Francisco trailer ahead of the game's UK release this Friday.Harking back to the original Driver game, it shows protagonist Tanner performing a series of stunts in a car park. Watch the new and original versions of the scene below. Watch in HD No comments yet, be the first! Check out CVG's Driver: San Francisco review. Tom Ivan

2011年11月24日星期四

Rise Of Nightmares Video Verdict From X-P

Rise of NightmaresNews (1)PreviewsReviewVideos (6)Screenshots (5)Cheats and Walkthroughs Watch as X-Play's Blair Herter takes a look at the first M-rated Kinect game, Rise of Nightmares. One of the most common complaints about Kinect games is they are juvenile and geared towards children or families. Does the first mature game for Kinect answer our prayers? You can read our Rise of Nightmares review too. Rise of Nightmares Video Review »

Deus Ex Human Revolution dev diary shows

Square Enix has released a new developer diary for Eidos Montreal's Deus Ex: Human Revolution focusing on stealth gameplay. As lovers of all things Metal Gear Solid and Splinter Cell this style of combat is definitely piquing our interest. As you'll see in the developer diary below, hero Adam Jensen can be kitted up to the teeth with augmentations that increase his prowess when out of sight. If you want more Deus Ex footage, check out another of the 'Four Pillars of gameplay' movies.

Torchlight 2 X-Play Gameplay Preview

Torchlight 2News (3)Previews (3)ReviewVideos (7)ScreenshotsCheats and Walkthroughs Torchlight 2News (3)Previews (3)ReviewVideos (7)ScreenshotsCheats and Walkthroughs Torchlight 2 Gameplay Preview » Torchlight 2 looks to fix all the problems that fans had with the first game. Runic President Travis Baldree recently showed our Blair Herter the new multiplayer and the new outdoor environments while insisting it will remain $20.Torchlight 2 comes out later this year.

2011年11月23日星期三

SCE 'not concerned' by 3D TV adoption rat

SCEE senior development manager Simon Benson has said the platform holder isn't concerned by the reportedly slow consumer uptake of 3D TVs. "It's certainly not a concern for us on the game side, the major reason being... when we're adding 3D features to a game, it's not a significant overhead for us," he told Gamesindustry.biz. It's not like we have to justify being able to sell millions more games because of it, it's just another feature of the game."What we're talking about here is, in some cases we've had titles where 3D has been half a percent of overhead," he added. "It can literally be the render programmer spending a couple of weeks manipulating it... So often it's the case of it doesn't even hit the radar of whether we should or shouldn't, it can just be done."Clearly 3D TV sales are important to SCE parent Sony though, which has invested heavily in the technology. Benson said the price of 3D sets is coming down "all the time", suggesting "the margins aren't that different" between 3D and non-3D TVs, which should draw new customers in."We're not asking people to fork out twice as much here, and I think what probably going to happen over time is it'll be the case like now, if you try and go out and buy an standard definition TV you probably just wouldn't be able to," he said.At E3 in June, Sony revealed plans to release a PlayStation-branded 3D monitor designed to be affordable for all later this year.Last week, EA CEO John Riccitiello said 3D gaming hasn't caught on as the company once expected it might, and that the firm plans to refocus investment in other areas. Tom Ivan

Ubisoft drops From Dust DRM

Ubisoft is to release a patch for the PC version of From Dust that will remove online authentication DRM entirely. According to Rock Paper Shotgun, the publisher originally stated the game would require a one-off online activation, before later deciding it would always need an active internet connection to launch. If the latest post on the matter by a Ubisoft forum manager is to believed, that won't be the case for much longer."We recognize that one of our posts in the From Dust forum regarding the need for authentication in the game was not clear," it reads. "We sincerely apologize for the misunderstanding."Our tech teams are working on a patch that should release in approximately two weeks that will eliminate the need for any online authentication. This development time is required as we are working to ensure that those who have already started the game, and who's progress is currently saved on our servers, will receive and save their game information locally."Once the patch is ready, players who already have the game will automatically receive the update on their next login and subsequent game sessions will be 100% offline."Earlier this month, Ubisoft also backtracked on the use of always-on DRM for Driver: San Francisco following negative consumer feedback. Tom Ivan

Black Ops Rezurrection DLC out now

2011年11月22日星期二

Apple loses another iPhone prototype

Apple has reportedly yet again lost an iPhone prototype in a San Francisco bar. Mirroring a similar mishandling of a then-top-secret iPhone 4 last year, CNET reports that an employee of the technology giant misplaced an iPhone 5 prototype in San Francisco bar Cava 22 in late July.Apple is said to have electronically traced the missing handset to a two-floor, single-family home in San Francisco's Bernal Heights neighbourhood.However, when San Francisco police and Apple's investigators visited the residence, a man in his 20s denied knowing anything about the phone and police found nothing. Apple employees even allegedly offered the man money for the phone "no questions asked", but he continued to deny having any knowledge of its whereabouts. So far nobody's gone public with the missing iPhone, but we imagine Apple's a little concerned after the last missing prototype ended up getting flogged to a gadget site for $5,000. According to CNET, the new missing device may have been sold on Craigslist for just $200.A senior executive at Swiss carrier Swisscom reportedly said in July that Apple is targeting a September US release date set for the new iPhone. Andy Robinson

Sony games offline Saturday morning for P

All Sony Computer Entertainment published games will be offline for around five hours tomorrow morning due to PlayStation Network maintenance. thesixthaxis received the news from SCEE's European Community Moderator team, which said the downtime will run from 5:30am until 10:30am."Please note for the duration of this period SCEE titles only will not be available online, and there may be additional downtime after for testing purposes," it said.Strange it's only Sony games that'll be affected, but good too.Call of Juarez: The Cartel topped the latest UK PS3 sales chart ahead of Dirt 3 and LA Noire. Tom Ivan

New PES 2012 screens shoot in

Konami's released a new batch of screenshots for PES 2012, which you can see below. Last week, the publisher launched a new PES 2012 gameplay video detailing the improvements to one-on-one situations in this year's edition, as well as upper body feints, stepovers and other tricks.It also confirmed the UK and European release date of PES 2012 for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 as October 14. PSP, PS2 and Wii launch dates will be announced later in the year. Tom Ivan

2011年11月21日星期一

Halo Anniversary pre-order goodies detai

Microsoft's unveiled its pre-order incentive for Halo Combat Evolved: Anniversary: an official art booklet. At least it's better than a "premium map" (and a kick in the arse), eh? Customers who pre-order their copy with GAME and Gamestation will receive the special edition collector's booklet, which is based on the art book "Halo: The Art of Building Worlds" from Titan Publishing. Microsoft explains: "This 24 page, 170 x 135mm booklet contains a collection of ground-breaking art from the history of the Halo games including concept art, sweeping landscapes from the Halo universe, and of course the evolution of the Master Chief."Combat Evolved: Anniversary is out on November 15. Microsoft confirmed 3D support for the HD update last week. Andy Robinson

Troubled LA Noire dev in acquisition talk

LA Noire developer Team Bondi may be absorbed into Academy Award winning producer George Miller's KMM Studio in Sydney, according to reports. Kotaku sources claim Team Bondi is struggling to find publishing partners for its next game following a fallout with Rockstar and accusations of harsh working conditions, and that studio boss Brendan McNamara has been seen touring the offices of KMM, which is making the animated film Happy Feet 2 and the upcoming Mad Max movie.According to the source: "Brendan McNamara was seen walking through the buildings of Dr. D [a new digital production studio created by Miller] yesterday, where Happy Feet 2 is being made."Because Dr. D is filled with former Team Bondi employees who left due to the abusive work conditions, this unexpected visit was quite... unsettling - to put it mildly."The word is going round that Team Bondi is being folded into KMM studios, Team Bondi is pretty much doomed after the scandal and can't find any new supporters, so by doing this they can hide their name."KMM is currently headed up by God of War 2 director Cory Barlog, who was working on a Mad Max game to release alongside the new movie. Tom Ivan

Forza Motorsport 4 Deals And More In This

CheapyD at CheapAssGamer.com scours both the online and offline world for the best deals on video games, and to help out your wallets, we're bringing his weekly recap to you! Amazon has a $10 credit with Forza 4 and Xbox 360 4GB Kinect Bundle with $75 Credit promotions Best Buy offers a $25 gift card with the purchase of Forza Motorsport 4 and the Wireless Speed Wheel. SOCOM 4 and God of War: Origins Collection are $24.99 each. There is a also a $10 off coupon in this month's @Gamer magazine for God of War. Kmart provides $20 gaming coupons with the purchase Forza 4 and/or Ace Combat: Assault Horizon and $15 coupons with Dead Rising 2: Off the Record and/or Just Dance 3 $39.99 + $15 gaming coupon. Target offers a $75 gift card with the purchase of a Xbox 360 4GB Kinect bundle and a $20 gift card with the Mario Kart Wii Bundle ($134). Toys R Us includes $10 gift cards with Gears of War 3 and/or Forza 4 and $15 gift cards with Wipeout 2 (Wii). Save $20 on the Xbox 360 versions of Madden NFL 12, FIFA Soccer 12, NCAA Football 12, and NHL 12.Visit CAG for more details and the rest of this week's Sunday ad deals.Best of the Rest Assassins's Creed: Brotherhood $11.99 at Amazon Hunted $14 and more Deals of the Week at AmazonFollow Cheap Ass Gamer on Twitter at videogamedeals and ukgamedeals.

2011年11月20日星期日

Dark Souls video tells a chilling story

Namco Bandai has released another new video for its rock hard action RPG, Dark Souls.This one is the first part of a prologue video which it appears will be revealed in segments in the coming days/weeks, and sets the scene for a sinister plot. It comes accompanied by the blurb: "In the age of the ancients, the world was cold and unformed and ruled by everlasting dragons. Then came the flame and disparity with it..."This video joins one released earlier this week that frankly advises viewers to 'prepare to die'. Nice, that.Dark Souls hits Japan on September 22, followed by a US release on October 4 and a European release on October 7. Not long to wait. Watch in HD No comments yet, be the first! Mike Jackson

Deus Ex Human Revolution Easter eggs vid

If you've read our Deus Ex: Human: Revolution review courtesy of Xbox World magazine you'll know that the in-game world is jam packed with detail and nods to sci-fi nuts at every turn. Just to give you a few examples of the kind of fan-service you lot will be getting come Friday, we've cobbled together a little video highlighting some of the pop-culture Easter eggs you'll be able to uncover. Have a look: Watch in HD No comments yet, be the first! If you haven't already, have a look at our Deus Ex: Human Revolution PS3 vs. 360 comparison video. There's not much between the two but it might tip your buying choice one way or the other. Tom Pakinkis

Borderlands 2 arriving next year - report

Borderlands 2 is in development at Gearbox and set for release next year. The sequel will release on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC, with an official announcement from publisher 2K Games expected to be made soon, according to a Eurogamer source.Back in April the game was spotted on the CV of a freelance artist and animator.Borderlands was the surprise hit of 2009 and Gearbox has since supported the game with regular post-release DLC and updates.Given its fan-base, another game in the series seems like a given. When it is made official, here's what we'd like to see in Borderlands 2.

2011年11月18日星期五

Heroes of Newerth F2P ReReview

Heroes of Newerth: F2P ReReview By Mohammad Abubakr, OnRPG JournalistHeroes of Newerth is a multiplayer online battle arena by S2Games for Windows, Mac and Linux. It aims to provide an improved version of the Warcraft III mod Defence of the Ancients by allowing the game to run on its own engine. Since the game is not just a mod anymore the developers can tweak it to their liking and not have to worry about the restrictions placed upon the modding community.The game does not try to innovate and change how DotA was played. In simplest terms, HoN is DotA with improved graphics and the addition of many needed features. This means that DotA players will not have a hard time getting into the game and will only need to relearn names of items and heroes. S2Games does a good job providing the HoN equivalents on their wiki page. Although most of the game is exactly like DotA some of the features, heroes and items are unique to HoN. Since DotA was just a mod for Warcraft III, the developers were unable to add in features such as the ability to reconnect and improved graphics. HoN has solved these issues by allowing user reconnection and providing improved graphics. The graphics are not amazing compared to today's standards but are a big improvement from DotA graphics.It also offers a ranking and matchmaking system that players can use to join matches and compete. Your match making rating either increases or decreases depending on the result of the match. It is not affected by your individual performance and only relies on final team outcome. The rating does not change by a set amount but depends on your opponents. A rookie against a top player will receive more points than if the rookie was against another rookie.All your stats such as kills, deaths and assists are recorded and displayed on your player profile. This allows players to track their progress but also allows S2Games to keep track of leavers. DotA players could easily get away with leaving matches midway but in HoN users are punished for leaving. If your leave percentage gets too high you are only able to play in matches allowing leavers until you lower your percentage. I really love this system because just one disconnected player can ruin the entire game.Free players do have some restrictions placed upon them. A free player cannot play all of the game modes unless they have tokens which may be purchased from the shop. S2Games claims that this token system was put into place to ensure teams, which include free to play players, do not provide disadvantages to the team just because they do not have the counter-pick hero available. Tokens allow the player to choose any hero even if they do not own it. A token is consumed every game unless you are playing the all pick mode. Legacy players, players which previously bought the game, have unlimited tokens.Free to play players may become verified upon hitting level five or purchasing gold coins. The verified system lets players decide if they want to be matched up with newer players or not. It reduces the complaints from veteran players about new F2P noobs. Once you become verified you also receive three free tokens.The concept of HoN is very simple: control your chosen hero to destroy the opposing team's main building. Each team can be formed of up to five players and no team is allowed to select duplicate heroes. Each hero gains experience by killing creeps or heroes. The creeps of each faction, Hellbourne and Legion, continuously battle to try and take down towers and award gold to the player landing the last hit on them. You may attack your own team to deny experience and gold from the enemy or to control how the lane is pushed. Buildings may only be attacked if they are under 10% health to prevent abuse of the denying system. Some heroes can deny kills by using self damaging spells.While it seems very simple on paper, the game can be quite overwhelming with its large variety of heroes, items and game play mechanics. The community does not help solve this problem as it can be quite hard to find nice and helpful players in the MOBA genre. You will get yelled at for your mistakes to the point where you really do not want to play. Do not give up as this genre is very rewarding once you get past the steep learning curve.As of today there are 88 heroes split between the two factions Hellbourne and Legion. No player is allowed to select duplicate heroes but may pick from either faction in the all pick mode. There are various modes available such as random picks and draft mode which allows hero bans. Each mode has a casual mode available that makes the game easier to play by offering changes such as no loss of gold on death.The selection of free heroes rotates weekly and offers fifteen new choices for players. The in game shop allows players to purchase their favourite heroes with either silver or gold coins. Silver coins can be obtained simply by playing while gold coins can only be obtained with cash. The prices of heroes range between 100-400 silver coins on average and may take a while to get as you receive 4-10 coins per game which usually lasts around 40 minutes. Players that purchased HoN before it went F2P receive all current and upcoming heroes for free but must purchase early access to new heroes unless they want to wait. This early access feature is not liked by the B2P community of HoN because it may give players with money an advantage over other players.The shop also offers other items such as alternate hero skins and announcer packs which are all purchasable with silver or gold coins. Some premium items feature ridiculous prices for silver coins and must be purchased with gold coins unless you save up coins for a long time.The standard map is split into three lanes with three towers for each faction. Behind the third tower lies the melee and ranged barracks. Once these have been destroyed the creeps in that lane will grow stronger for the faction that killed the barracks. All of the lanes lead towards the main building which is protected by two more turrets.In between the three lanes there is the jungle. The jungle is split into two areas for both factions which spawn either neutral creeps which are easier to kill or legendary creeps which are harder to kill but provide greater EXP and gold. The normal setup for a team is two champions for top and bottom lane and a solo champion in the middle but a tri-lane or jungling setup is very viable.A river divides the two jungles and spawns a rune after a set time interval at either the top or bottom of the river. These runes offer heroes buffs such as double damage or invisibility. In DotA the runes spawn at the same time as the creeps but it has been changed in HoN to discourage level one rune fights.The bottom of the river is also the location of the boss monster Kongor. Kongor provides teams with gold, experience and an item drop. The item can be looted by any hero and gives the holder the ability to instantly revive upon death. The item does disappear after some time so it is wise to put it to good use.The secret shops have been replaced with observatories which only sell wards. All items can be bought from the main shop from your base. The shop was not very user friendly for new players but the HoN 2.0 patch has fixed this issue. Now the shop is organized into nice categories and even features built in guides. The guides are submitted by the community and provide newer players with suggestions for items, skill builds and tips for their selected hero.HoN has done a good job offering DotA with new features, engine and graphics. Due to the addition of unique heroes the metagame is different from DotA and can provide more viable play styles for players.Although the game can be very overwhelming for newer players, I advise you to continue learning about the game because once you get past the steep learning the game can be a lot of fun.Graphics: 3/5Controls: 4/5Features: 3/5Customization: 5/5Community: 2/5

Feedback -- Diablo 3 Beta And Star Wars

Star Wars: The Old RepublicNews (114)Previews (33)ReviewVideos (159)Screenshots (177)Cheats and Walkthroughs Battlefield 3News (50)Previews (14)ReviewVideos (35)Screenshots (24)Cheats and WalkthroughsBattlefield 3News (47)Previews (14)ReviewVideos (33)Screenshots (24)Cheats and WalkthroughsBattlefield 3News (55)Previews (14)ReviewVideos (36)Screenshots (24)Cheats and Walkthroughs Break it down. Stop. Feedback time. Yes, it's true Feedback, has decided to grace us with its presence. This week your expert panel is Adam Sessler, Jessica Chobot, Stephen Johnson and Leah Jackson.It happened, hell froze over, pigs are flying and Star Wars: The Old Republic has a release date. Is a late December release date going to help or hurt the MMORPG? Other news items include Dota 2 and Battlefield 3 beta and PS3 exclusives.The game of the week was Diablo 3's beta. Blizzard's next game is set for a 2012 release and is currently in beta. Is it shaping up to be the next great thing or more of the same? Feedback -- Diablo 3 Beta Impressions » The AUDIO MP3 of this episode of FEEDBACK is available here: Right-click and Save.You can't touch this. You can't touch this. But you can comment on this.

Halo 4 video 343 talks pressures of expe

343 Industries has released another two videos for Halo 4 following the Halo Fest panel this weekend. The first is a developer diary in which the game's executive producer, who's actually called Kiki Wolfkill, says "one of the most exciting parts of Halo 4 is really this team that we've brought together". Confident of Halo 4's future despite the departure of series creators Bungie, Wolfkill adds: "It's a team that brings a lot of talent and a lot of past accomplishments and I think we all came together and we were so excited about things that we set out do, it's been a challenge to not be able to talk about it."The other is a quick snippet of footage of the dev team taking to the great outdoors to record explosions - presumably for weapon fire. These join the Halo 4 video we posted yesterday which offered a look at some of the concept art and a preview of the soundtrack tone 343 has cooked up for the game so far.343 also revealed last weekend that Halo 4 is the first episode of the 'Reclaimer Trilogy'. Mike Jackson

2011年11月17日星期四

Devil May Cry HD Collection rated by ESRB

Retailers have already posted listings for the Devil May Cry HD Collection and even publisher Capcom has hinted at next-gen paint jobs for the series, but nothing has been made official yet. Now US ratings body the ESRB has added fuel to the fire with official ratings for Devil May Cry, Devil May Cry 2 and Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening.The significant bit? The ratings carry the PS3 and Xbox 360 as platforms.Other than that it's what you'd expect - blood, violence and "suggestive themes". Tom Pakinkis

Final Fantasy 14 Subscriptions Returning

Final Fantasy XIV OnlineNews (31)Previews (2)ReviewVideos (34)Screenshots (142)Cheats and WalkthroughsFinal Fantasy XIV OnlineNews (35)Previews (2)ReviewVideos (33)Screenshots (139)Cheats and Walkthroughs Final Fantasy 14 came into this world kicking and screaming late last year, riding a wave of negative reactions. The MMO was almost universally deemed to be broken and incomplete, prompting publisher Square Enix to issue public apologies and, ultimately, go free-to-play while the kinks were worked out.Enter Final Fantasy 14 Version 2.0. The reworked game will be arriving on Windows PCs soon, Square Enix confirmed in a website update from company CEO Yoichi Wada. The free play switch will be turned off "between late November and early December 2011" and subscriptions will return. Wada makes no mention of the still-absent PlayStation 3 version, but one thing at a time. First the game needs to actually... you know... work.Source: Final Fantasy 14 official website

Steam offers From Dust refunds

Valve has reportedly begun offering refunds to customers who purchased From Dust following complaints over publisher Ubisoft's online DRM. According to Rock Paper Shotgun, customers were originally informed that the god game would only require a one-off online activation, before Ubisoft changed its mind and started demanding an always active internet connection to launch the title.Ubisoft subsequently apologised for the "misunderstanding" by announcing plans to launch a patch for the game that that will remove online authentication DRM entirely, but it now appears to have gone a step further by asking Steam to offer refunds. If true, it's a big move by Steam, which doesn't usually offer refunds unless they're requested prior to a game's release.A couple of readers forwarded emails from Steam to RPS. They read: "Ubisoft has just announced that they are working on a patch that will eliminate the need for any online authentication for From Dust. The patch will release in approximately two weeks. If you don't want to wait for the patch or if you haven't played the game, per Ubisoft's request, we will issue refunds for this title. If you would still like your purchase of From Dust refunded, please reply to this ticket." Tom Ivan

2011年11月16日星期三

Nintendo to make a loss on every 3DS sold

While Sony and Microsoft systematically sell their new consoles at a loss - initially at least - Nintendo has always resisted such tactics, instead balancing production costs to maintain a profit margin on its hardware. But this is a practice Nintendo will forfeit with the 3DS, according to Bloomberg Japan (via Andriasang), who reports that Nintendo will indeed be making a loss on every 3DS sold after it introduces the drastic price cuts announced today. As reported earlier, Nintendo will chop around a third off the price of 3DS worldwide next month, following lacklustre sales in the early part of 2011.3DS' RRP will drop from $249 to $169.99 in the US on August 12. A cut to the European trade price will come on the same day. Nintendo is yet to confirm the exact drop for the EU, but has told CVG that it will be "around a third".Australia will also benefit on August 12, with 3DS dipping from $350 to $250. Meanwhile, Japan will see a price drop on August 11 - to 15,000, down from 25,000. The firm also announced a '3DS Ambassador' program that will award early adopters 20 free games in an effort to prevent them from 'regretting' purchasing the console early.

Free 3DS games for early adopters detaile

Following today's unexpected 3DS price cut announcement, Nintendo said it would offer 20 free downloadable games to early adopters in a bid to prevent them "regretting purchasing" the system. The 3DS Ambassador Programme is open to anyone who owns a 3DS system and uses a wireless broadband internet signal to connect to the Nintendo eShop at least once before August 12.Beginning September 1, eligible users will be able to download ten NES games for free including Super Mario Bros., Donkey Kong Jr., Balloon Fight, Ice Climber and The Legend of Zelda. These will be released later in the year as paid downloadable games for other 3DS owners.By the end of 2011, Nintendo will also offer Ambassadors ten exclusive Game Boy Advance Virtual Console games. These will include Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3, Mario Kart: Super Circuit, Metroid Fusion, WarioWare, Inc.: Minigame Mania and Mario vs. Donkey Kong. Nintendo says it currently has no plans to make these games available to the general public on 3DS in the future.

Dark Souls trailer warns Prepare to die

Namco's launched a new cinematic trailer for Dark Souls.Much like last week's GamesCom trailer, it threatens death from every angle, this time usually at the hands of giant beasts. Watch in HD No comments yet, be the first! Dark Souls hits Japan on September 22, followed by a US release on October 4 and a European one three days later. Tom Ivan

2011年11月15日星期二

Marvel Anime Sneak Peek - Iron Man and Wo

,jimmy choo outlet

Marvel on G4 continues tonight at 11PMET with new episodes of Iron Man and Wolverine. We wanted to make sure you remembered, and for your trouble, we've included a couple of sneak peek scenes for these episodes.First, from Iron Man, we meet a young girl who claims to be Tony Stark's daughter. What could this little scamp possibly mean by that?You're going to have to watch to find out. Marvel Anime: Tony Stark's Daughter? » And then,jimmy choo boots, our old buddy Logan is up to his old tricks, as the Adamantium man gets ever closer to exposing and dethroning his real enemy. But what secrets are his traveling companion Yukio hiding? Find out tonight @ 11PM,cheap jimmy choo! Marvel Anime: Wolverine On the Hell Road » Make sure you keep checking the Marvel on G4 site for more information about Iron Man and Wolverine, as well as the upcoming X-Men and Blade!Don't miss it!

Counter-Strike Global Offensive gets fir

Valve has released the first trailer and a few details for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, the latest iteration of its massively popular multiplayer shooter.Unlike previous Counter-Strike games,jimmy choo boots, Global Offensive is being developed simultaneously for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360. According to early reports it'll launch with at least seven maps,jimmy choo outlet, accommodating the game's trademark bomb defusal and hostage rescue modes.Maps included in the trailer are dust, Dust2, Aztec, Nuke, inferno, Italy and Office. As well as the classic arsenal of weaponry CS: GO will feature a few new additions including a decoy grenade and a Molotov cocktail, which is shown in the trailer.The trailer also reveals cross-platform play as well as mouse and keyboard support for PS3 players. Check out the trailer below to see it in action.Get More: GameTrailers.com,cheap jimmy choo, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive - Exclusive Debut Trailer, PC Games, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360For more nuggets of gameplay information heave a read of Valve's initial CS: GO announcement. Tamoor Hussain

Feedback Gets Competitive With EVO 2011,

Diablo 3News (75)Previews (19)ReviewVideos (54)Screenshots (235)Cheats and Walkthroughs The saga ofFeedbackcontinues. This week Adam Sessler was joined by Leah "I love StarCraft" Jackson,cheap jimmy choo, Blair "Boy-Blair" Herter and Fighting Words' host Ernie "Hadouken" Moreno. Adam and Blair debate over Diablo 3's auction house and Ernie shares his first hand experiences from EVO 2011. Plus,jimmy choo outlet, more details about the Nintendo 3DS price drop. You'll also learn something new about Leah Jackson and her ability to apparate. Feedback -- Diablo 3 Beta & Evolution 2011 Impressions » The AUDIO MP3 of this episode of FEEDBACK is available here: Right-click and Save.

2011年11月14日星期一

Nintendo confirms 3DS conference pre-TGS

Nintendo has confirmed reports that it plans to hold a 3DS-focused trade event just days before the Tokyo Game Show kicks off next month. That's according to the Wall Street Journal (via Edge), which reports that the September 13 event will be open to analysts, investors and press, but not consumers.The announcement of the press conference perhaps boosts the creditability of a new report claiming Nintendo's set to launch redesigned 3DS hardware, complete with a second analogue stick and "radically toned down" 3D visuals. Tom Ivan

Homefront Sequel Brings Together Crytek A

HomefrontNews (25)Previews (10)ReviewVideos (25)Screenshots (15)Cheats and Walkthroughs (47)HomefrontNews (23)Previews (10)ReviewVideos (25)Screenshots (15)Cheats and Walkthroughs (48)HomefrontNews (23)Previews (10)ReviewVideos (25)Screenshots (15)Cheats and Walkthroughs Homefronthad some problems. Some of you probably think that's putting it lightly. The game rode a wave of hype into stores earlier this year, but the end product from THQ's now-defunct Kaos Studios was a certifiable mess. The publisher has invested in Homefront as a franchise, however, which means a sequel has always been on the horizon. With Kaos gone, THQ has now turned to Crytek for the follow-up.The news was confirmed this morning, though it's going to be some time before we see how occupied America is faring in the wake of the resistance's victory at the end of the first game. The press release notes that the Homefront sequel is currently targeted for a 2014 console and PC release.Crytek is certainly a solid choice, and the team there clearly feels there are a lot of possibilities to explore in Homefront's basic Red Dawn-inspired story setup. "We see Homefront as a really strong universe that has a lot of potential and that has been expertly created and marketed by THQ," CEO Cevat Yerli said in a statement."We believe that bringing our level of quality, creativity and production values to the next Homefront title creates an opportunity for both THQ and Crytek to deliver a truly blockbuster game. It's really important to us that THQ has the faith in giving us a lot of creative freedom over one of its most important properties to allow us to bring the Homefront world to life in a new and innovative way."

New PS Vita games leaked

Images showing a few unannounced PlayStation Vita games have made their way into the pages of Famitsu and then been magically transported to the net for your viewing pleasure. Around 40 PlayStation Vita games are expected to be announced at Tokyo Game Show including Lumines: Electronic Symphony, Rayman Origins, Michael Jackson The Experience HD and Dark Quest, according to the Japanese mag. Others set to make debut showings at TGS include Dream Club Zero Portable, Ragnorak Odyssey, Sumioni and Moe Moe Daisensou. Check out a few of the shots below, via Kotaku.Sony has confirmed a 2011 release date for the Vita in Japan, but the handheld won't hit Europe or the US until next year. Tamoor Hussain

2011年11月13日星期日

Metal Gear Solid 3 HD screens

Hideo Kojima has released a few off-screen photos of the Metal Gear Solid 3 HD update, which you can see below. It follows the release of the first gameplay footage yesterday.The Metal Gear HD Collection will include updated HD versions of PS2 hits Metal Gear Solid 2 and Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence alongside former PSP-only entry Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. Ported to PS3 and Xbox 360 by Bluepoint, the studio behind the God of War Collection, the updated games will boast 1080p visuals and run at 60fps.The PS3-exclusive Ultimate version adds to the package with PS3 edition Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots and a PSN code to download the original PSone Metal Gear Solid. Tom Ivan

Halo Reach gets Anniversary gun with upda

Microsoft's detailed an upcoming Halo Reach title update set to introduce a Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary weapon to the Bungie FPS.The update, which is targeted for release in October, will see the return of the monstrously overpowered Halo: Combat Evolved Magnum pistol, which will be supported in special, classic playlists.In addition, the update will introduce several multiplayer fixes including a change to Armour Lock which sees the power absorb a level of damage based on the amount of remaining energy a player has, diminishing its effectiveness. Watch in HD No comments yet, be the first! Active Camo's duration has been reduced and the ability to block sword attacks using any weapon other than another sword has been disabled, says Microsoft."And for fans of precision firing, reticle bloom is now configurable, delivering increased accuracy when firing in rapid succession," it adds.The update will also enable Halo: Reach players using an Xbox 360 4GB console without a HDD to utilize Campaign and Firefight matchmaking, which previously required a HDD. Andy Robinson

Racing game genre decline not helped by '

The unfortunate demise of studios such as Black Rock and Bizarre Creations might be an indication of waning interest in the racing game genre. Activision boss Eric Hirshberg made it clear he thinks that a decline in the driving/racing game genre was a key factor in the decision to close the Project Gotham Racing studio, Bizarre Creations.However Jason DeLong, executive producer at EA and current steward for Need for Speed: The Run, has told CVG that enforced 'evolution' of the genre hasn't helped matters."I think one of the issues with racing developers is that they felt that things needed to change in order for things to continue to do well and as a result there's been a lot of quote/unquote 'innovations' in the racing space, which maybe was not necessarily the best focus" said DeLong.Continuing on the NFS veteran said he feels wish fulfilment is a big part of making a good racing game, often with the most successful titles being those that effectively satisfy the player's driving fantasies. "I think at the end of the day a successful racing game is one that makes someone feel like a hero. Being able to pick up a controller, get behind the wheel of a 500 horsepower car that costs $200,000 and just drive it masterfully across an amazing landscape, that is what people want. If you deliver on that promise then I think you're three-quarters of the way there" he added.EA showed off Need for Speed: The Run at E3, it is the first game in the franchise to feature 'out-of-car' action sequences.

2011年11月11日星期五

Diablo 3 requires constant internet conne

Blizzard has revealed that the long-awaited Diablo 3 will require players to be constantly connected to the internet, even after an initial authentication process has been completed. According to Blizzard's executive vice president of game design Rob Pardo, this requirement is due to the implementation of numerous new Battle.net and Auction House features.Those features include the following:A persistent friends list.Cross-game chat via the RealID system.Persistent characters that are stored server-side (no more having to play online once every 90 days, nor item duplication cheats).Persistent party system.Player-versus-player and public game matchmaking.Dynamic drop-in/out for co-opLarger item stash that gets shared among all of your characters (at the moment, up to 10)The auction house (allows players to sell loot for real money)The Achievement system and detailed stat-tracking, both of which feed into the final point:The Banner system, a visual way to display your skills that take into account earned achievements, the number of PVP victories etc. Banners can be clicked to teleport to other players.Blizzard's confirmed that Diablo 3 will be playable at GamesCom in Cologne, which takes place mid-August.

Battlefield 3 Xbox 360 to come on 2 discs

The Xbox 360 version of Battlefield 3 will arrive on two discs when the game releases this October. That's according to an image of a promotional poster being carried by Japanese blog Esutero (via PlayStation Lifestyle), which also says the PS3 edition will ship on one Blu-ray disc. We've contacted EA for comment.Last year, Lost Planet 2 producer Jun Takeuchi said that Capcom had to cut a significant amount of content from the Xbox 360 version of the game due to size issues with its DVD format.Microsoft has seemingly acknowledged what developers such as Castlevania: Lords of Shadow creator Mercury Steam have labelled an Xbox 360 "storage problem". In March, the platform holder reportedly began trialling a new disc format that will add an extra 1GB of storage to Xbox 360's ageing 7.95GB DVD format.Back in May, LA Noire shipped on three discs for Xbox 360. Tom Ivan

Deus Ex Human Revolution 'Classified Inf

Square Enix has released a Deus Ex: Human Revolution 'Classified Information' trailer. The tips-driven look at sci-fi title explores how to best approach situations using stealth, combat, social and hacking gameplay, as well as the benefits of using augmentations.It also gives you an overview of the story and key characters you'll encounter. Deus Ex: Human Revolution will be released on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC next month. The UK's Official Xbox Magazine awarded the game a 10/10 review score, while PC Gamer's world first review gave the game a 94% score. Tom Ivan

2011年11月10日星期四

PS3-60 Bethesda exec calls for single co

Ice-T unboxes Gears of War 3 Xbox, Lancer

It's going down. Ice-T yo, unboxing the limited edition Gears of War 3 Xbox bundle. That's right. Boom. Ahem. Rap star Ice-T voiced the character Griffin in the game, which is probably why Epic lobbed him the swanky Xbox almost two weeks ahead of its September 20 launch. It's a 320GB black and red 360 with two custom-designed controllers priced at $399. The bundle also includes a copy of Gears of War 3, a wired headset and a download token for bonus game content, including the Infected Omen Weapon Pack and the Adam Fenix character for use in multiplayer.Also, the power and eject buttons have been customised with unique sounds from the "Gears of War" universe, which is possibly the best perk of all, but Ice doesn't show you that because he probably hasn't the foggiest. But hey, it's Ice-T so that's okay.He also unwraps an awesome full-size Lancer model. Yeah boy. Mike Jackson

Legends of Xian - Historic Chinese Action

By Bryan King (Bryan), OnRPG JournalistLegends of Xian is adapted from Ming Dynasty, which is one of China’s most popular web games in 2010. Legends of Xian is a perfect combination of RPG, strategy, adventure and various styles. Based on history of China’s Ming Dynasty, the entire game features vintage character design, vast territories throughout ancient China, diversified game systems, and unique game setting. You'll have fun in heroic adventure, affairs management, level upgrade, and unforgettable battles; you'll find tons of in-game events, diversified equipment & a huge weapon refining system, an interesting slave system, and an exciting arena system. Legends of Xian’s character creation allows you to choose between three states within the ancient Chinese Ming Dynasty:Yongle State – Occupying the Central and northeastern areas, famous for its brave citizens and lionhearted warriors.Wanli State – Located in the northwest, noted for its valiant heroes from successive wars against the northern invaders.Hongwu State – Situated in the southern fertile lands, contains rich resources, and has an advanced economy and a powerful army.The sense of nationalism instilled in the early character customization is quite an interesting way to spark up rivalry between new players. Once you choose one of these three factions, their appearance doesn’t mean much, however, because their map design and playing style plays the same. Upon logging in, I was greeted by rather impressive, authentic Chinese music as opposed to many Chinese dynasty browser games. The music just has a soulful, well-produced ambience about it that many oriental based games seem to lack. Sound was very responsive, with each menu having a stylized “click” or confirm tool that wasn’t an annoyance, and can easily be turned off within the game’s extensive options system.The only annoyance I found within the game was within the combat sound’s confines. The repetitive slashing noises constantly droned on in all aspects of combat, including when my entire army consisted of… archers. I hope the LoX team addresses this.The game’s UI and graphics are pretty standard for a F2P browser game, especially considering how much information has to be handled by the player at once, between Buildings, Technology, Units, Unit Equipment, and so on and so forth, the game does a decent job of handling a sensory visual overload in a somewhat sleek and easy to explain interface. The game’s models look crisp, but it’s nothing stunning or spectacular. If you’re looking for client-oriented graphics, you won’t find it here. However, if you want a well-represented expectation of Ancient Chinese combat and management, you’ll find it here.For the most part, Legend of Xian’s gameplay hovers around basic PvE and PvP combat, however, players will find that this system later branches out into an open PK mode, siege battles, state wars, and clan wars. Considering this is all set up in a browser-game is an impressive feat. The game’s introduction allows a smooth transition into the combat, and by smooth… I mean almost a slippery slope.The first problem I encountered was how unchallenging the content was, for the first ten levels of my experience, I didn’t even see more than one move in battle, I killed all of my enemies in one shot, even when I was severely outnumbered in terms of population numbered. Every single time, I got “perfect victory”, returned to town, gave the NPC the quest item they wanted, and I was showered in EXP, resources, gold, and so on and so forth. The translation within the game is not perfect either, I often found myself stumped and confused at random NPC blurts (“I’VE WAITING BEEN!”) within the game, often getting in the way of me absorbing what I needed to do for the quest. This is a lukewarm aspect of the game, and the other features of the game are much more enticing than the game’s overall gameplay polish.Legends of Xian excels in the prospects of sound and has many enticing features that may just make it worth trying after a lazy day at work, or in short bursts of time. However, the gameplay does not make the game as worthwhile to play as more polished. If you’re a Chinese history nut, this game does provide some authentic information in an active environment for you to enjoy.+ Game’s music is very well done. + UI is streamlined for an accessible experience + Well done storyline.- Boring and unchallenging gameplay - Quest and NPC translation are distracting and lackluster - Combat sounds repetitiveGraphics/Sound – 4/5 Gameplay – 2/5 Features 3/5

2011年11月9日星期三

MS 'bullish' about Xbox 360 taking No.1 s

Microsoft is confident that a range of upcoming Xbox 360 games and bundles will be enough to help the console gain the No.1 position in Europe. According to MCV, the platform holder has dismissed the need to follow Nintendo and Sony by cutting Xbox 360's price or releasing new-look hardware.Robin Burrowes, Xbox Live marketing manager for EMEA, told the site: "We are... pretty bullish about getting to that No.1 position on the strength of our blockbuster games, with things we are launching like Gears and Forza."And we are working really closely with a number of third-party publishers on games such as Modern Warfare 3, FIFA 12 and Battlefield 3. These big, big titles are coming in the next few months. There's certainly going to be a lot of attention in that traditional space."Then we look at the second wave of Kinect titles, like Kinect Sports 2 and Dance Central 2," he added. "Selfishly from an Xbox Live point of view, a lot of those Kinect games have far better Xbox Live capabilities. It all gives us a strong sense of confidence that we can get to that No.1 position."Following last week's PS3 price cut, new European PlayStation boss Jim Ryan said the console typically outsells its rivals in mainland Europe by around 50 percent on a weekly basis, although he admitted that isn't the case in the UK.Earlier this month, Nintendo revealed a new Wii model, which retailers are expected to sell for as little as £79.99. Tom Ivan

Mass Effect 3 will say goodbye to Shepard

Mass Effect 3 will conclude protagonist Commander Sheperd's story, Bioware CEO Dr. Ray Mazuka has confirmed. Talking to our mates at PC Gamer during Gamescom, Mazuka described the third game as "a brand new beginning" saying that the Mass Effect universe will live on without The Shep."We have ambitious plans to continue this franchise going forward," Mazuka reassured our colleagues. "Mass Effect 3 is simultaneously a couple of different things; a thrilling and epic conclusion to the trilogy as we promised our fans we'd provide for Commander Shepard," he added. "But it's also a brand new beginning - it's an entry point for new fans and it's also a brand new beginning."Have a look at the latest Mass Effect 3 trailer, focusing on combat, which also came out of Gamescom. Tom Pakinkis

G4 University Your Complete Guide To Lan

G4 University Week has concluded its courses, but thanks to the magic of the internet, you can attend anytime you want. We've put together a full guide to all of the G4U content right after the break, so if you happened to miss anything, you can find it below. So get out there, get educated, and get a job!School Guides Singapore-MIT GAMBIT Game Lab in Boston The Gnomon Workshop The Guildhall at SMU University of Utah's Engineering Arts and Entertainment Program Northeastern UniversityHow To Become A... Video Game Producer Video Game Journalist Community Manager Video Game Artist Video Game Tester eSports CommentatorG4 University Professors: Job Advice From... Irrational Games' Ken Levine Adam Sessler from G4tv and X-Play Dr. Ray Muzyka and Dr. Greg Zeschuk from BioWare Professor Mike Capps from Epic Universal Interactive Executive Producer Pete Wanat Portalarium Founder Richard GarriottFrom The Professionals: Working As A... Concept Artist at Bethesda Softworks Writer at Blizzard Entertainment Composer from Video Game Composer Inon Zur Voice Actor on BioShock Infinite from Actors Courtnee Draper and Troy Baker Guerrilla Games Development Studio Senior Game Tester on Gears of War 3 Lead Character Artist at BioWare Associate Producer on God of War 3 Level Designer at Kaos Studios Sound Designer at Kaos Studios Associate Designer at Pandemic Studios Associate Producer at Harmonix Motion Capture TechnicianPutting It All To Use G4 University's Resource Guide Where To Apply For A Job

2011年11月8日星期二

Project Blackout - Tactically Twitchy

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By Michael Sagoe (mikedot), OnRPG Journalist。

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SG Interactive is taking a departure from their usual bright and colorful online games to bring us a gritty and violent look at modern warfare with Project Blackout (PB). Released back in 2010, Project Blackout is a multiplayer online first-person shooter, which contains a mix between tactical and fast pacing. PB looks and plays very similar to many FPS games before it, but is it hiding something to make it worth the download?。

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PB also features the option to change your character’s look with avatar items, but these items are restricted to head items such as face paint, masks and hats, and avatar sets that completely change the look of your player model altogether, and just like the weapons available, none of these can be tweaked. For such a modern game, it’s pretty disappointing that you’re only given access to bare bones customization options, and to make things worse, most of the customization is locked away from non-paying players, only being obtainable using points (real currency). The only other bit of customization available to all players would be the mission system and ACT ranks (Advanced Combat Training) that lets you tweak your character in various ways to fit your playing style.。

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The community of players for Project Blackout seems to be pretty large and active. Lobbies for both the newbie and open channels are usually full during peak hours and there’s enough variety in interest for game types that you won’t have much of a problem find a room for a game type that you’re willing to play. Working with random public players is about as average as online gaming communities can get: Most players keep to themselves and seldom communicate with each other, but you will occasionally get some nice, supportive players here and there, as well as the occasionally trash talker/sore loser/troll.。

That’s right. You know how most multiplayer FPS games have the option for you to pick up someone else’s gun if you’re out of ammo? Well you can’t do it here, unless you pay for it. The game literally takes features that are common with FPS titles and then sell them back to you… That right there made me pull out the WTF card.。

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Battling out in PB also feels average at best: Run, shoot, stab, crouch and throw a grenade or two while cooperating with your teammates. No matter how much better or worse your weapon is compared to your enemy’s, one or two well-placed shots to the head can pretty much do you in, and with all the different weapons available, PB has a strange balance between luck and skill.。

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Controls for PB are typical of your standard first-person shooter. There isn’t even a tutorial at the start of the game, but if you’ve played just about any first person shooter title before this one, you’ll know exactly what to do: Use WSAD keys to move, mouse to aim and shoot, R key to reload, number keys to switch weapons, etc. The only slightly unique feature in PB’s control scheme is being able to trigger weapon functions using your MOUSE2 button, which lets you use various features of your weapon such as looking down the iron sights of your rifle, steadying your grip for increased accuracy while gimping your mobility, speeding up your ability to switch between two magazine cases, etc. All firearms seem somewhat accurate to their real life counterparts.。

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In terms of cash shop balance, it’s WAY off. There are so many different boosters you can purchase to give yourself hefty advantage over non-paying players, such as quick reloading, extra grenades, faster/slower respawning and even (get this…) weapon pick up.。

The visuals of PB are simply not up to snuff in comparison to other modern shooters out there. They may look nice from a distance, but taking a closer look will reveal dank and blurry textures all over the place. Shadow effects, light reflections and all other effects simply look plain and dated. The only decent part with PB’s visuals comes from the wacky action ragdoll that makes dead bodies flail like crazy. As an added touch, every time you get killed in battle, there’s a deathcam attached to the head of your character, so you can watch every moment of your flailing dead body in glorious first person view, which adds a bit of shits-and-giggles value.。

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The core gameplay found in PB contains almost nothing out of the ordinary: Game modes available contain your standard matches including Team Deathmatch, Bomb Run, Elimination, etc. Nothing special or amazing regarding these modes since you can find them in just about every other multiplayer FPS game out there, but you can also play these modes with special conditions such as Sniper Rifle or Shotguns only. This adds a nice change of pace, but gets old quickly. There is one mode that I did manage to have a blast with, and that would be their recently added Dino Escape mode, where dinosaurs (controlled by live players) have to stop human players from escaping a Jurassic Park-Esque landscape, complete with a big ‘ol T-Rex.。

Overall, Project Blackout is a functional online multiplayer FPS title base on modern warfare and that’s about it. There’s nothing much here that sets it apart from the competition and has some wonky balance issues on the side. Give it a go if you need a quick fix, but there are far better alternatives out there.。

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When starting out, you’re not granted any customization options. You simply type in your desired player name and go. Once you check into the game’s item shop, you’ll find a hefty amount of different weapons, avatar models and other misc. items to choose from. The weapon selection is incredibly vast, but you can’t tweak or modify your weapons in any way, so if you were thinking about adding a nice little silencer or modified scope to that shiny new assault rifle you just bought, you can sort of forget that… unless, of course, the weapon you just purchased already has the features you were looking for.。

PC CHART Deus Ex Human Revolution unfaz

Square Enix's Deus Ex: Human Revolution takes the top spot on the UK PC sales chart for the second week running. Below it there are very few changes from last week - The Sims 3: Generations, The Sims 3, Football Manager 2011 and The Sims Medieval all hold their ground at No.2, No.3, No.4 and No.5 respectively.The little activity there is on this week's chart comes courtesy of Blizzard's World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, which moves up one place to No.6, making room for The Sims Medieval: Pirates and Nobles to debut at No.7.The Sims 3: Late Night, StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty and Portal 2 round off the top ten.Here's the full top ten for the week ended September 3:01. Deus Ex: Human Revolution (Square Enix)02. The Sims 3: Generations (EA)03. The Sims 3 (EA)04. Football Manager 2011 (Sega)05. The Sims Medieval (EA)06. World of Warcraft: Cataclysm (Blizzard)07. The Sims Medieval: Pirates and Nobles (EA)08. The Sims 3: Late Night (EA)09. StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty (Blizzard)10. Portal 2 (Valve)Check out the official UK All Formats games chart here.Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (C)2011 UKIE Ltd Tamoor Hussain

Amazon Announces Kindle Fire, A Color Tab

Amazon just announced the Kindle Fire, which lets you do a whole lot more than read books. The company released a total of four new Kindle devices, that range in price from the cheap-as-dirt $79 Kindle to the would-be iPad killer the Fire.The Android-powered Fire is full color and only costs $199. It's a color tablet featuring book-reading, video playing, web-browsing, cloud-storage, a touch-screen, and because nothing can be announced without them, games. Examples given include Plants Vs. Zombies, Fruit Ninja, and, of course, Angry Birds. But there will be thousands of apps and games available, as any Android app will run on the thing. The Fire is designed to be smaller than an iPad with a 7-inch screen, and it also supports Flash, unlike the iPad. It has 8GB internal storage, but the bulk of your Fire storage will be cloud-based.That's the positive side.The negative side: The launch version of The Fire is Wi-Fi only, so no 3G for you early adopters. It doesn't have a camera, either, but I think Icould live without either of those features in exchange for that outrageously cheap price.Part of Amazon's strategy obviously revolves around the services the retailer offers as well. “This is an end-to-end service,” Amazon's Jeff Bezos said in his announcement presentation in New York City, touting not only the book store but the Amazon Prime video streaming service with an annual $79 subscription.So now that you know a bit about The Fire, what do you think? Would you buy this or an iPad?

2011年11月7日星期一

Sony PS Vita to miss 2011 release in US

You heard it here first: Sony has confirmed a 2011 release date for PlayStation Vita in Japan, but the handheld won't hit Europe or the US until next year. Sony executive vice president Kaz Hirai announced the news today in Japan, according to the Associated Press.It's disappointing news for those outside of Japan, but we've heard US and European gamers won't have to wait too long for the portable's arrival. Sony had promised a "phased global rollout" starting later this year, and our sources indicate Vita will hit western markets in January or February. When it does launch in the UK, Vita will set you back £229 for the Wi-Fi model and £279 for the 3G version.If you can't wait until next year to get your hands on the device, Vita will be publicly available during the Tokyo Games Show this September. Or for the price of getting out to Japan, you could just import one - Vita is expected to be region free. Tom Ivan

Uncharted Dual Pack confirmed for US

Naughty Dog has confirmed it will release an Uncharted Dual Pack compilation in US next week. The Dual Pack, out September 6, includes the Greatest Hits versions of the first two Uncharted games in a single box; two of the best games this generation and they only want $39.99 for it. That, kids, is a sweet deal.It's also includes a 'Super Voucher' containing all of the DLC content from the UNCHARTED 2 GOTY Edition, as well as two DLC items from UNCHARTED 3 - the UNCHARTED 3 Announcement Nathan Drake PSN Avatar and the UNCHARTED 3 Announcement Dynamic Theme, as Naughty Dog explains. If you like yourself a good single-player romp, have a PS3 and haven't got either of these games, here's what you should do: grab a spanner, tighten that loose screw you have, then get them. Here's our gushing Uncharted 2 review.There's no Dual Pack announced for UK just yet, but you should be able to find them cheap if you look around. Here's a Dual Pack trailer. Mike Jackson

Dark Souls video tells a chilling story

2011年11月6日星期日

Video What's the best action game of the

Have you voted in the GamesMaster Golden Joysticks 2011 yet? The Joysticks is the only annual UK awards that is voted for by gamers - the people who go out and buy the games. With that in mind, check out the nominees in the Action/Adventure category below... and then go forth and elect your favourite over on the official Golden Joysticks site.And while you're at it, why not have a gander at the GJ Facebook and Twitter pages?This year's event will take place on October 21st at the Westminster Bridge Park Plaza. Watch in HD No comments yet, be the first! CVG Staff

Dead Island dev apologises for 'feminist

Another day, another controversial report with Dead Island at its core. Almost like some sort of marketing stunt. Someone with programming know-how and a really boring life, we imagine, has discovered a line of code hidden in Dead Island that names a 'feminist wh*re' skill for the female character Purna and posted it online. That skill doesn't appear anywhere in the actual gameplay, but has nevertheless sparked outrage. Developer Techland has moved to apologise for the slur, which it says 'a programmer considered a private joke', and promises disciplinary action. "It has come to our attention that one of Dead Island's leftover debug files contains a highly inappropriate internal script name of one of the character skills. This has been inexcusably overlooked and released with the game," it said. "The line in question was something a programmer considered a private joke. The skill naturaly [sic] has a completely different in-game name and the script reference was also changed. What is left is a part of an obscure debug function. This is merely an explanation but by no means an excuse. In the end that code was made a part of the product and signed with our company name."We deeply regret that fact and we apologize to all our customers or anyone who might have been offended by that inappropriate expression. The person responsible for this unfortunate situation will face professional consequences for violating the professional standards and beliefs Techland stands for."A serious matter or a big hoo-ha over nothing? You decide. But this is the second time in one week the folks behind Dead Island have found themselves apologising on behalf of the zombie shooter, after early purchasers through Steam discovered they were accidentally served a disastrously buggy development version of the game.Facepalm. Mike Jackson

Golf Star- Hole in Two

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GolfStar doesn’t reinvent golfing games. It’s similar to other games in its class but succeeds in being a fun, fluid and faithful representation of golf. Simple pick up and play mechanics will appeal to many and good course structure in addition to a large international community compensate for its uninspired visuals. The elevator music may grate, but it’s a welcome foray into the online multiplayer sports arena. GolfStar doesn’t take itself too seriously; it’s just fun online golf.。

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That’s not all; golfers also have access to special skills bought with Skill Points. These unique abilities live in an action bar at the bottom of the screen, similar to any traditional MMO you may have seen over the past ten years, and provide an ample number of special shots that can be used on the green. Twist shots, approach shots and bunker shots – There’s a skill for every situation you may find yourself in. Skills can be upgraded in time, further increasing their usefulness, giving a strong incentive to see games through and reap the rewards.。

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Golf is an interesting sport. To outsiders, it’s men swinging clubs at white balls in the hope they land in a hole. To fans, it’s a hugely challenging game that requires immense patience, skill and accuracy. Golf is often considered to be one of those sports that is more entertaining to play than to watch, but based on the sales of a certain well-known video game franchise fans love to sink their teeth into virtual renditions of their favourite sport. GolfStar aims to capitalize on this popularity and take “the game” into an online multiplayer arena. Hundreds of other club-wielding jumper-wearing players can tee off against one another, and although I was sceptical about how well such a basic premise could translate, I quickly discovered there’s a lot more to MMO golf than meets the eye.。

Golf games can’t help but be similar to each other. There’s only so many ways you can hit a ball and whichever way you look at it, the fundamentals of golfing were firmly mastered in video game form many years ago. Although I will try to avoid comparing it to other online golf titles, GolfStar doesn’t stray too far from the tried and tested formula. It has everything you would expect from a title in this genre, wrapped up in a sweet arcade presentation.。

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Once registered, a helpful tutorial guides you through the basics of the game. The core golfing mechanic is a relatively simple one. Two meters represent power and accuracy. Power is charged by holding the spacebar down and releasing it at the desired power level. Accuracy is determined by how close a reticule is to the centre of the accuracy circle. Both are simple timing games, and whilst you can reposition your shot and change clubs, that’s all it takes to take a shot in a basic game of GolfStar.。

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When you’re not teeing off, a central plaza area is where players meet, chat and establish games. It acts as a hub for all of the game’s features including stores, locker rooms, record lists and character development screens. The store funds the game, with real-world transactions paying for the most exclusive products available. Making up for the lack of character customization during the actual creation process, the store stocks a large amount of weird and wonderful clothing items for your golfer in addition to a variety of buffs, clubs and other items. They are not vanity items either, with many increasing the stats of your golfing hero. There are two currencies to get to grips with, one is topped up via real world money and the other is a reward for good play on the green (nice swings, accuracy and games). Naturally premium items require the use of paid-for Star Cash, but there’s a good amount of stuff available for those who play for free, even If the prices are a little steep.。

There aren’t a huge number of courses to choose from, but it’s still possible to have an enjoyable eighteen hole game with what’s available. Players take their shots at the same time too, so there’s no need to sit through another player’s excruciating attempts at getting out of a bunker before it’s your turn to swing. Clubs can be upgraded giving you the ability to hone and refine your arsenal to your particular taste and playing style. At the end of each game experience cash and items are dished out to the players, along with a neat podium scene before returning to the plaza.。

Of course all of this substance would be useless without a realistic interpretation of the sport. Thankfully, GolfStar gets the basics right. Trajectory, slopes, and wind direction all play a part in your swing. Trees need to be avoided, bunkers are as cruel as ever and the rough disrupts accuracy. It makes for a competent game of golf even with the simple control scheme. Putting is also well done, with a grid outline indicating the presence of slopes and the depth at which they sink. Every shot counts, and it makes a successful birdy all the more satisfying.。

Of course, hitting the spacebar key all day would bore anyone. Your golfer has many tricks up his sleeve and even more in his caddy. As your character levels up, ability points are earned on the green and deposited into four different areas - Power (increasing range), Impact (making nice shots easier to make), Control (improving accuracy) and Stamina (helps swings in rougher areas and increases consistency).。

By Neil Kewn (Murxidon) – OnRPG Journalist。

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Graphics - 3
Controls - 4
Features - 4
Customization - 3
Community - 5。

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GolfStar at its core is a social experience. Players are encouraged to mingle, chat and compete with one another, which is why I was confused by the sheer lack of customization options for my golfer. With only four characters to choose from and very limited facial options, players in GolfStar are clones rather than individual characters. The four free golfers that are available at creation aren’t particularly inspiring either, and I’m pretty sure one of them is too young to be playing eighteen hole golf in the first place. Perhaps someone else is driving the caddy.。

2011年11月4日星期五

Red Dead Redemption 'Myths & Mavericks' D

Rockstar's put a date on the latest - and totally free - Red Dead Redemption DLC (yes, it's still making Red Dead Redemption DLC). 'Myths & Mavericks' - which was teased in June and announced in July - will be with us on September 13 with new multiplayer maps and characters.Here's what you can expect:Maps/Modes (bolded locations are brand new to multiplayer)Cochinay - Gold Rush, Shootout, Gang Shootout, StrongholdNekoti Rock - Gold Rush, Shootout, Gang ShootoutEl Presidio - Gold Rush, Shootout, Gang Shootout Plainview - Gold Rush, Shootout, Gang ShootoutGaptooth Mine - Shootout, Gang ShootoutPike's Basin - Shootout, Gang ShootoutRio Bravo - Shootout, Gang ShootoutPerdido - Hold Your Own, Grab the BagBenedict Point - Hold Your Own, Grab the BagBeecher's Hope - StrongholdTorquemada - StrongholdArmadillo - StrongholdChuparosa - StrongholdTumbleweed - StrongholdNew Multiplayer CharactersLandon RickettsVicente DeSantaDrew MacFarlaneDeputy EliDeputy JonahJavier EsquellaNastasUncle Tom Pakinkis

Need for Speed The Run video interview t

Need For Speed The Run is looking very exciting indeed. It's a racing game with a full-fat plot that sees racers charging across the United States. This is a video interview, courtesy of the official PS Blog, with Executive Producer Jason DeLong talking about how the plot ties the racing action together, the different types of events players have to look forward to and how it got the reference needed to make a race across the entire US. You can also check out the latest Need for Speed The Run trailers and screens that came out of Gamescom last week. Mike Jackson

The Amazing Spider-Man Movie Getting A Ga

Activision and Beenox released Spider-Man: Edge of Time just 10 days ago. Meanwhile, we're just eight months away from the release of director Marc Webb's film reboot for Sony Pictures, The Amazing Spider-Man. Beenox, which also developed last year's Spidey game, Shattered Dimensions, is now busy working on a game based on the upcoming movie.The confirmation comes in the form of a poster at Activision's New York Comic Con booth, as spotted by IGN. The movie will be released on July 3, 2012 and it's reasonable to assume that the game might be coming at around the same time. NYCC has only just begun, and the poster's presence suggests that we'll be hearing more about it before the show ends on Sunday.Source: IGN

2011年11月3日星期四

Video What's the best action game of the

Have you voted in the GamesMaster Golden Joysticks 2011 yet? The Joysticks is the only annual UK awards that is voted for by gamers - the people who go out and buy the games. With that in mind, check out the nominees in the Action/Adventure category below... and then go forth and elect your favourite over on the official Golden Joysticks site.And while you're at it, why not have a gander at the GJ Facebook and Twitter pages?This year's event will take place on October 21st at the Westminster Bridge Park Plaza. Watch in HD No comments yet, be the first! CVG Staff

Starcraft 2 Journey To Diamond League

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Being in bronze league means you will rarely play epic matches because they are often full of all-ins and cheese. This means they will pump out units very early and not focus on developing a good economy. I play as a Zerg who is not very aggressive early on and hopes to create longer macro oriented games. This means that I will quickly setup multiple expansions and develop many workers early on to maintain many bases. Army units are seldom built until later on unless necessary to counter an aggressive opponent.。

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I was sure I had lost the game because almost all my drones at my expansions were gone but thankfully he was still on one base. He did not quit coming at me with banshees and eventually Vikings, so I thought it was a good idea to build some mutalisks. This way I could harass his only base which would drastically reduce his income and kill off his air army. With my ground and air army, I marched to his base, broke his wall and went right for the starports. I did not want to fight more air units, I hate them. He conceded after losing his starports.。

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Be sure to check out Kluey's Starcraft II Review if you're not familiar with the game! http://www.onrpg.com/MMO/Starcraft-II/review/Starcraft-2-Wings-of-Liberty---RTS-Perfection。

I was minding my own business mining on my three bases when the Terran decided to send some banshees my way. Keep in mind that unlike Terran and Protoss, Zerg have limited options to counter air early on. Air units appear frequently in bronze league so I built some evolution chambers early on just in case. These allow me to build spore crawlers which are the static air defense for the Zerg race.。

This is the beginning of a new series here at OnRPG, “My Journey to Diamond League”. These bi-weekly articles will record my matches and progress in Starcraft II. My goal is to advance from the bronze league to diamond. Due to the length of this article, the first column will be split into a 2 part series.。

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After watching MLG, I hopped back on Starcraft and used some of the new tricks I learned from the players and streamers. Now I am rank 8 bronze in my division, this is where my journey will begin.。

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My final game this week was against another Terran. After learning that I should always scout with overlords and run up his ramp from time to time, I saw that he was just getting mass marines and marauders. I later found out he also had tanks. Since he was only on one base, I had a big economic advantage. He did not bother attacking early on, as most people do when on one base so I went ahead and setup four bases.。。

I believe that I am good at video games. I can rank high in various genres including FPS,MMO and MOBA. What makes Starcraft different from the other genres is that you must manage more than one unit at a time. My one gaming weakness is multitasking; hopefully I will improve by playing Starcraft II.。

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His marine, marauder and tank army was no match for my roaches and banelings. While he did hold steady through my first assault, I was able to reinforce my army because of my massive income from four bases. The second assault overwhelmed his remaining defenses.。

While it is true that I have not played a lot of Starcraft before, I did play a couple of hours of Starcraft II when I bought it a couple months ago. I did not find myself playing it a lot because I was not enjoying myself. After seeing the pros play at MLG with their incredible speed and unique play styles, I was tempted back to the league.。

By Mohammad Abubakr, OnRPG Journalist。

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If an opponent is aggressive early on and continues attacking the same base it is considered to be an all-in. If I am able to hold off these acts of aggression, I will be able to overrun him with high quality massed units produced by my stronger economy. Sometimes opponents are smart and continue to develop an economy while forcing you to build army units to hold off attacks. This results in them getting ahead of you economically while throwing you off your game. This seldom happens in Bronze league because this league consists of new and less skilled players.。

My second game that same day was versus a Terran. While he did have a good plan to harass me with reapers it was not well executed on the micro level. He stood around with his reapers for too long to the point where I could easily fend off any harassment. Since he only focused on constructing one base and poked me ineffectual harassment, I continued to develop my economy. I achieved victory by destroying his main base with zerglings and banelings. I might have lost the game if he attacked me with his reapers because I was not building an army at that time. Keep in mind that reapers can jump over walls, so he could have easily harassed me multiple times without losing any units.。

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The ranking system is divided into seven leagues. These are bronze, silver, gold, platinum, diamond and masters. You might notice that I have only listed six; we will come to the seventh league later on. You may be promoted to these leagues based on your hidden matchmaking rating. This rating goes up or down depending on your matches. It does not increase by a set value so it is nearly impossible to calculate. A victory over a better opponent will award you with more points while a loss to a worse opponent will result in losing more points. When you begin the game, you must play five placement matches. Your initial rank will be decided based on your performance throughout these games. You may not view your win to loss ratio until you achieve master’s league. Also, each league is divided into separate divisions which each include 100 players. The final league is called the grandmasters league and this league only includes the 200 top players on the server which are selected by Blizzard.。

When I first did my placement matches I was surprisingly placed in silver league but due to my lack of knowledge, I got kicked down to bronze. That is the point at which I quit playing because I was busy with other games but frustration might have been a factor. I do not like losing.。

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Two days later I was put up against a Terran. I almost pulled an Idra (In case you did not get the reference, Idra is a professional player that left a won game because he thought he was behind.)。

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My opponent tried his best to delay his inevitable defeat by hiding buildings and setting up a lot of static defense. If he was really in such a hurry to progress to his next game, he should have surrendered sooner because the writing was on the wall early on.。

In simplest terms, Starcraft II is a game where the player must build up an army to take out his opponents buildings. Once all buildings have been destroyed the player loses. However, games will rarely get to the point where you are destroying all buildings. Players simply concede upon realizing the game is lost.。

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I employed one of the key strategies in Starcraft II during my first game; build up a good economy. My opponent was also a Zerg player but he did not want to develop his economy. His aim was to end the game quickly so he can move on to another match. Since bronze players often try to finish games quickly, I had setup static defense in the form of spine crawlers. His zerglings fell one by one to my superior defensive structures while my army of workers brought in huge hauls of crystal. I used this to my advantage and continued to enhance my own economy.。

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Now, let us dive right into the games.。

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I am not happy that I did not gain any ranks this week. I was busy with school exams so I did not have a lot of time to play Starcraft. In part 2 I will cover my second week and the beginning of my rise to Silver League! Look forward to seeing it early next week!

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