The Sims 3 - Generations (Exp. Pack)

[ 1 DVD ]

• Published by : EA Games
• Developed by : The Sims Studio
• Genre : Virtual Live / Exp. Pack

The Sims 3: Generations bucks Sims expansion conventions. Previous Sims 3 expansions have offered meaty updates that enhance the classic life-simulation experience with new gameplay features and a glut of new items, like world exploration, hands-on professions, and even a vampire nightlife. The changes and nuances are more subtle in The Sims 3: Generations. I still got a kick out of giving my Sims über-hairy man chests, making "Woo-Hoo" in the shower, lighting bags of dog feces on fire, and creating home videos of my various shenanigans. But the value proposition falls a little short. 

The Sims 3: Generations focuses on fleshing out and expanding the depth of the different stages of your Sims' lives instead of drastic changes to the core game. Unfortunately, it's hard to pinpoint the bulk of the new content unless you really dive back into the flow of Sim life and experiment. Even then, much of it is easy to miss. New options are woven into each of the main phases of Sim-life, from stumbling around as a toddler to growing old. Most of the updates don't jump readily out at you, though it's the teen and adult stretches that see the most interesting and exciting changes. Some of the more forgettable new features are strange additions, like optional body hair for male characters or the Sim mid-life crisis. But at least a few updates in The Sims 3: Generations have a meaningful impact on the gameplay.

Younger Sims in Generations will find extra content themed around imagination, creativity and playfulness. Babies come with a doll that can turn into an imaginary friend that only they can see. Fiddling around with chemistry can make their invisible pal a permanent addition to the household, which is a cool touch. This introduces a subtle extra level of task-oriented gameplay that made it more fun to manage my Sim kids. Hardcore Sims enthusiasts will eat up the new kid-centric items like playground structures, tree houses, and hop scotch pads, but I got more mileage out the updated toy boxes that let me encourage my virtual tykes to dress up in silly costumes and act out fantasy roles. Watching them parade around the house in a pink T-Rex suit or brandishing a magic wand as a wizardly prince is at least worth a few laughs, even if it's not a huge addition. 

Things really ramp up for teen Sims. They can throw parties and attend special social events, and pubescent Sims also have raging hormones to contend with. They'll undergo wild mood swings at random – usually to comic effect. When this happens, they're prone to acts of rebellion, which is where Generations' new prank feature shines. Rebellious Sims can rig faucets to explode, plant whoopee cushions, and stick hair dye in the shower, and pranks get crazier when pulled on neighbors. It's easily my favorite fresh element in the game, as it injects some extra randomness and added comic relief into the daily grind.

At one point my angst-ridden teen followed me to the abode of a potential love interest to cause trouble. He hurled eggs at her porch and flung them at my prospective date when she came outside to yell at him. This continued until the cops came to haul him to jail for the night. Good times.

Thankfully Generations also grants parents the ability to punish their brats, from simple grounding and chores to boarding school. The dynamic between pranks and punishments makes for some hilarious moments. It was also amusing to see my younger Sims take things into their own mischievous hands when left unsupervised.

Adults have new opportunities to cut loose too. Expanded party events let you throw elaborate wedding ceremonies and bachelor/bachelorette parties, but it's not a free-for-all. There's a new romantic relationship system that tracks any romantic activities you engage in throughout your travels, and other Sims take notice of your romances. You earn a reputation based on whether you're faithful or attempt to steal other people's spouses. While it's another opportunity to wreak havoc, it's a rather dull addition though.

Other notable features were also worth exploring. The new Daycare profession has neighborhood Sims dumping their kids on your doorstep each day, and it was surprisingly fun to juggle their occasional tantrums, emergencies, and happiness. Purchasing new video camera items lets your characters record short home movies that they can watch on their TV sets. The best part was sitting down and popping these in the TV to replay those wacky moments, and this is easily one of the most creative features added into Generations.  

Gameplay Trailer :

System requirements :

Minimum System Requirements:
Operating System: Windows XP/ Windows Vista/ Windows 7
Processor: Intel Pentium 4 @ 2.0 GHz / AMD Athlon XP 2000+
Hard disk space: 6.3 Gb
RAM: 1 Gb
Video Card: 64 Mb @ nVidia GeForce FX 5900 / ATI Radeon 9500
Sound Card: DirectX Compatible
DirectX: 9

Recommended System Requirements:
Operating System: Windows Vista/ Windows 7
Processor: Intel Core 2 DUO @ 2.5 GHz / AMD Athlon 64 X2 5200+
Hard disk space: 6.3 Gb
RAM: 2 Gb
Video Card: 768 Mb @ nVidia GeForce GTX 260 / ATI Radeon HD 4850
Sound Card: DirectX Compatible
DirectX: 9

DiRT 3

[ 2 DVD ]

• Published by : Codemasters
• Developed by : Codemasters
• Genre : Rally/Offroad Racing

Rather than sticking to the tarmac or the over-driven asphalt, Codemasters has always stayed true to the off-road sport in their series.

Why settle for bank turns or a straightaway, when you have nature making the course for you? Keeping true to their origins, DiRT 3 is the best in the franchise’s history: but not without some tragically annoying costs that cause enough bumps during campaign play to make for a long ride.

In DiRT 3 players set-out to achieve three fundamental goals: race, win, and repeat. Doing any of these has never been more challenging or as gratifying – flying down the back roads in Monaco, rain on your face, while slipping on mud (and God knows what else). Precision and concentration are the name of the game as the driving mechanics are near perfection. With tuning options once again returning, you’ll need every bit of customization to plow through rain, snow, sleet, or dry and cracked terrain.

The level of precision that DiRT 3 shows off is only doubled by the quality of the graphics. Driving around in Kenya, Finland, Monaco, Norway, Los Angles, or Michigan – each track has been meticulously deigned and sculpted, giving you the impression that you’re really behind the wheel of a Suzuki SX4. What’s more, remember all of those instances of bad weather? It’s not just for show: playing without your lights or wipers could spell instant disaster and force you to restart a race. Codemasters did a fantastic job of utilizing weather conditions as an integral factor of a race – and not just for cosmetics.

Though, speaking to both failing and your wheels, DiRT 3 harbors an impressive 50 vehicle selection, including rally cars from the 60s, 70s, 80s, and even a few semi-trucks for discipline-related challenges (more on that later on). Players earn new vehicles by finishing races and leveling up – rather than purchasing them, gamers will have the chance to stay busy between the main tours and new discipline-specific tours.

Fans of the series will already be acquainted with the main tours – and will be able to earn their wings, feel out the controls, and gather a fair collection of cars just from the initial standing. The Discipline’s however, hold races to test your ability to win under harsh weather conditions, tight banking, bad lighting – and will even give you heavy time-trials once all is said and done (multiplying replay value).

That is, if you can get over the announcers. Potentially the biggest drawback, the biggest complaint, and the biggest pitfall to otherwise a superb title is the talking boxes that refuse to be silent. Ushering in every race with a minimum five-minute introduction of what it is, how you will complete it, and who is in it, the announcements are there to fill your time. Unlocking new tracks or cars, racing well (or anything in between) causes a video to pop up – with voices that will tell you what you already surmised.

That said, career play is only half the fun, and Codemastes has created something wholly different and unique in the driving universe that is, in a word, fantastic. Gymkhana is essentially a multiplayer variant, that’s turned on its head. Putting most drivers on an even footing, the challenges are based on concepts you would normally see in a first-person shooter: capture the flag, cat-and-mouse (a form of tag mixed with oddball), and a few others.

Each challenge in Gymkhana is fast-paced, neck-to-neck, and profanity ridden with enjoyment. It’s a fantastic way to earn some experience to help level up – and give you a break from a harrowing time-trial or race that is causing you some frustration. Of course, don’t worry if objective-styled gameplay doesn’t make your mark: standard multiplayer is still there to allow you to go-up against others on your favorite tracks, or to have your friend sit sidesaddle as your Trailblazer – telling you which way to go.

Perhaps one of the less needed pieces of the puzzle (but wouldn’t hurt to have) is furthering the YouTube feature included in the game. Whenever a player finishes a race or does something “spectacular” (such as complete a flawless run), the fan manager will ask you if you want to upload a video of your run to a YouTube account. The problem is, there is a 30-second upload limit, capturing almost nothing worth bragging about, save for maybe a split-second win, a fatal crash that was entertaining, or some other tomfoolery.

All in all DiRT 3 is an amazing piece of work, despite the horrendous (and inescapable) announcers. With new levels of precision, creativity, ingenuity, as well as simple fun, Codemasters has done an amazing job of making sure that die0hard fans of the series as well as newcomers will have something to brag about.

Gameplay Trailer :

System Requirements :

DiRT 3 Minimum System Rquirements
*OS: Windows XP/ Windows Vista/ Windows 7
*Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo @ 2.8 Ghz / AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+
*Memory Ram: 2 Gb
*Hard Disk Space: 15 Gb free
*Video: 256 Mb @ nVidia GeForce 8600 / ATI Radeon HD 2600
*Sound Card: DirectX Compatible
*DirectX: 9
*Keyboard / Mouse
*Installation: DVD-Rom Drive

DiRT 3 Recommended System Requirements
*OS: Windows Vista/ Windows 7
*Processor: Intel Core i7 @ 2.8 GHz / AMD Phenom II X4 @ 3.2 GHz
*Memory Ram: 3 Gb
*Hard Disk Space: 15 Gb free
*Video: 1 Gb @ nVidia GeForce GTS 450 / ATI Radeon HD 6670
*Sound Card: DirectX Compatible
*DirectX: 9
*Keyboard / Mouse
*Installation: DVD-Rom Drive

Fable III

[ 2 DVD ]

• Published by : Microsoft Game Studios
• Developed by : Lionhead Studios
• Genre : RPG

There's something about a virtual fantasy world populated by autonomous computer-controlled people that sparks the imagination like little else can. I get a tidy, miniature world to aid, patrol and destroy as I see fit. I feel a rush of dizzying power because the outcome is solely decided by me. If I don't want to watch a town get torn to shreds by balverines, I can conjure fireballs and slash my sword to save it. Or I can strip the town of its protective lanterns and watch as the monsters rip up screaming, innocent residents. Fable III is at its best at times like these, but they're far too infrequent. There are bursts of creativity and moments when you're sandwiched in evocative moral dilemma in Lionhead Studios' most recent version of Albion, but they're buried beneath heaps of underdeveloped characters, tired stories and shallow mechanics.

If you've never played Fable and missed out on the Xbox 360-only Fable II, there's no need to worry about doing homework for Fable III. All you need to know is explained at the beginning: the king is evil and needs to be removed from power. It's not the most original story setup, but forces me, as the hero, to flee the castle and mingle with locals across the fantasy realm of Albion in an attempt to amass enough support to topple the king and assume control of the land. Fable III's hook is that it doesn't end when I put on the crown. It forces me to make promises to those I help and, once on the throne, to decide whether or not to honor my word or break it.

It puts me in an uncomfortable spot. The characters I spent time saving don't simply fade into the background as I make progress. Instead they come back with demands, expecting me to help them out when I'm in charge. Most of the time, helping out clashes with the greater need to keep the kingdom safe, forcing me into a precarious balancing act as I juggle the worth of my word and the safety of Albion. It's a great concept, but it feels like someone yanked it out of the oven before it had much of a chance to rise.

The problems start with the characters, a majority of whom are walking clichés distinguished more by their style of clothing and accents than their actions. What should theoretically be a gut-wrenching decision as I consider whether or not to ignore their demands and promote child labor or establish a brothel falls flat. With the exception of my mentor and frequent companion Walter along with Logan, the villain king, the characters are imbued with such one-dimensional personalities that few feel like anything more than diorama props. When, as king, I break my promise, it's tough to feel anything but the key underneath my finger to input a command that tells them to get lost.

In between Fable III's main story recruitment missions there's plenty to do, but little that's genuinely interesting. There are side quests, though most are genre-standard escort and kill tasks. I can buy and operate property, but am given only the most basic options for customization, reducing what could have been an intriguing game of empire management to a dull, tedious process punctuated by a tinny sound effect as income is regularly added to my in-game wallet. I can kill or court Albion's citizens, but the juxtaposition of goofball humor with the potential for senseless violence strips meaning from the encounters. Even as citizens are screaming 'murderer!' to my face, I can initiate a silly dance, do a fetch quest, go on a date, and moments later be married, own a house and have a child. It gives the process of forming lasting, fulfilling relationships all the emotional heft of tying up shoelaces.

Even in spots where Fable III introduces elements of intrigue and mystery, like when I'm tossed into a murky desert cavern and forced to fight off horrors as an ominous voice hisses threats, it stops short of exploring the angle to the fullest. The horrors are supposed to be the greatest evil in the land, yet show up seemingly randomly two-thirds of the way through the game and are only encountered a handful of times. It lends an unfinished quality to the experience, where it seems as though Fable III spends so much time on the chase for the crown that many other elements that should be important feel rushed and sloppily mashed together.

It's hard to care, then, about finding all the collectibles hidden throughout the world, participating in chicken racing mini-games, sniping malcontent gnomes, and running around hand-in-hand with citizens when the components of the larger-scale conflict are so crudely stitched up. Then when I'm finally on the throne, Fable III offers a dismally limited number of choices to make. It's like an action movie that focuses so much on the load-up sequence it forgets about delivering a proper payoff.

At least there's style and humor in Fable III. Some of the writing is genuinely funny in a crass kind of way. It doesn't build any significant foundation of character, but will make you laugh from time to time. Albion is still a pretty place, and the character models, animations and environments adhere to a cohesive and colorful fantasy motif. From the mist that gathers in graveyards to the afternoon sun streaking over the sparkling sands of a desert wasteland, it's easy to appreciate the care that went into delivering a vibrant fantasy setting. Lines of voice acting are professionally delivered by the likes of John Cleese, Simon Pegg and more. A handful of quests, such as a clever take on Dungeons & Dragons, tell great stories and provide plenty of entertainment, but these are disappointingly isolated, making Fable III doubly frustrating because these moments tease the potential for a better game.

The combat doesn't help distract from the issues with story and shallow characterization because it's so stubbornly inflexible. Melee weapons, guns and magic are used in essentially the same way the entire game through. Mechanically it requires a wearingly repetitive cycle of rolling and firing, which proves to be an effective method of dispatching nearly everything encountered, even with the difficulty cranked. For a game that so frequently reminds me of the significance of choice and commitment, it's especially disappointing to be given a combat system that incorporates none of it. The gradual evolution of the weapons' appearance and power as I purchase upgrades and meet goals is a nice touch and conveys a solid sense of progress, but it fails to add any lasting excitement to a combat system that is, quite simply, boring.

To mix things up it's possible to bring another player into the game. You can take on quests together, open Demon Doors to secure hidden loot and even get married. It's certainly a welcome option, though is more of an added frill than a core part of the experience. The interface managing all this, while fancy, isn't particularly well suited for the PC. Though you can play with a mouse and keyboard if you want, having to click and hold buttons to input decisions doesn't really make sense, and the method of selling items at shops and browsing custom closing options could have been made less cumbersome. That being said, the game plays just fine with an Xbox 360 controller.

Gameplay Trailer :

System requirements :

Minimum System Requirements
* OS: Windows XP SP3, Vista or Windows 7
* CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo 2GHz or AMD Athlon X2 4000+
* RAM: 2 GB
* HDD: 12 GB free disk space
* Graphics: 256  MB Graphics Memory
* Sound Card: DirectX 9 Compatible
* DirectX: Version 9.0c

Recommended System Requirements
* OS: Windows XP SP3, Vista or Windows 7
* CPU: Core to Duo 2.9 GHz
* RAM: 4 GB
* HDD: 12 GB free disk space
* Graphics: 512 MB Graphics Memory
* Sound Card: DirectX 9 Compatible
* DirectX: Version 9.0c

Supported Graphics Cards:
Minimum – NVidia 7600GT or ATI HD 2600 Pro
Recommended – Nvidia 260GTX 896MB or ATI 5770 1GB or higher
Fable 3 Gameplay HD Video

The Witcher 2 - Assassins of Kings

[ 4 DVD ]

• Published by : Atari
• Developed by : CD Projekt Red
• Genre : Action RPG

The world of The Witcher 2 is a volatile, violent place filled with selfish, furtive characters. As monster slayer Geralt of Rivia, you'll need to not only combat beasts and bandits, a case of amnesia and the public perception that you're responsible for regicide, but also navigate between powerful figures and unravel complex conspiracies amidst a huge cast of power-obsessed monarchs and magic users. It's an adventure where choices that appear inconsequential slap the story in unexpected directions and one that doesn't compromise its fiction in the name of convenience or accessibility. In some ways those qualities are flaws, but they also contribute to a world that feels convincing, making its initial inaccessibility seem inconsequential relative to the intrigue and revelations embedded further in.

The characters in The Witcher 2 exist in a land of monsters, celestial bodysnatchers and magic, and though there are stereotypes walking around, they're not all typical video game fantasy fare. Even the supposed heroes are hopelessly self-serving, arrogant and impudent. This isn't a game afraid to paint its characters as racists, sexists, drunkards or just generally reprehensible people governed by fear and uncertainty, including Geralt and his friends. Those styled as saviors and leaders possess far more flaws and secrets than they initially let on, and as a result the characters don't feel like Pez dispensers of brittle phrases, they feel human. 

There are so many involved in the game's labyrinthine plot of conspiracies, ancient curses and power grabs it's easy to get lost. If you didn't play the 2007 original, expect to spend a while reeling in bewilderment. There's a journal to help you sort out the main personalities, but little to aid you when characters speak only in colloquialisms. Toss in a few storytelling elements that seemingly pop up at random, like stylized animated flashbacks and moments where control is briefly switched from Geralt to other characters, and The Witcher 2's pacing can be disorienting. Despite that, it lends further authenticity to the world that a ruler of a region would not take the time to explain himself when referencing names and places. Geralt too, a well-traveled figure of renown, would hardly need someone to describe the difference between Aedirn, Kaedwen and Temeria. So while characters don't often launch into detailed explanations, it fits the fiction considering Geralt is not the genre-standard naïve paragon of morality stepping away from his home town for the first time.

Geralt slides into the background of major conflicts and, though he provides critical assistance, he is never the obvious hero. He is feared by townsfolk and soldiers because of his appearance and reputation, and he's as flawed as you want him to be. Decisions can be as minor as determining how to deal with a small-town drug peddler to undercutting the significance of one of the game's major motivations in the pursuit of love. There's no +7.2 to your evil rating when you choose to punch someone in the face. There's no morality meter at all. Instead, the quests and opportunities change to accommodate your version of Geralt. It lends an exhilarating mutability to the experience, as dialogue responses could trigger results as mundane as a quest giver's disappointment or significantly alter the path of the main progression, even going so far as determining on which side you stand in major conflicts.

Though The Witcher 2 does not offer a huge number of quests, none feel like arbitrary endeavors. Even the basic kill quests feature multiple steps, requiring you to explore the terrain surrounding the game's population centers, hunt creatures and eventually strike at nests and more formidable creatures. Some involve stealth, some collection, and all are wrapped in enough story to make the label "side-quest" seem inadequate. Whether it's venturing into the depths of a foreboding forest ruin and dealing with furious spirits or negotiating with a succubus in a mountainside warren, with few exceptions the quests in The Witcher 2 refuse to blend together into forgettable haze.

It's a little disappointing the voice acting and writing aren't consistently on the same level as other aspects of the game. Many lines for Triss, Geralt's initial love interest, aren't delivered with the conviction of others on the cast, Geralt's expressions in combat are repeated too often, and for as many hilariously brusque uses of profanity as there are, some of the cursing feels as though it's merely there to mask a lack of substance. Still, it's a dramatic improvement over the original Witcher, and only noticeable here because so many other aspects of the game are so stunning. 

The visuals, in particular, are consistently gorgeous. Though I experienced some performance issues on launch day, a driver update allowed smooth play on max settings with a GeForce GTX 580 card, and the game still looks great at lowered settings. Provided you can turn everything up, the resulting virtual vistas are unmatched in modern role-playing games. From the towering heights of besieged ramparts at the game's outset to the glittering forests surrounding the riverside town of Flotsam, The Witcher 2 is one of the prettiest games you can play. The lighting effects as beams bloom through trees and light up mountain peaks make adventuring all the more exciting, and the animations are far more natural and plausible than in Geralt's previous adventure. The special effects impress, and so do the more subtle effects like the detail jammed into every one of Flotsam's worn and dirty shacks, or the waterfall that cuts through Vergen's rocky mountain walls. It's a world constructed with care where everything feels custom-built, nothing cut-and-paste.  

Gameplay Trailer :

System Requirements :

Minimum Requirements
•Windows XP SP2 / Windows Vista SP2 / Windows 7 (32/64-bit)
Intel Core 2 Duo 2.2 Ghz or AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+
1 GB RAM for Windows XP / 2 GB Windows Vista and Windows 7
512 MB RAM video card, supporting Pixel Shader 3.0 (Nvidia GeForce 8800 or ATI Radeon HD3850)
DirectX 9.0c compatible Sound Card
16 GB free HDD
DVD x8, compatible with DVD9

Recommended Requirements
•Windows XP SP2 / Windows Vista SP2 / Windows 7 (32/64-bit)
Intel Core 2 Quad or AMD Phenom X4
3 GB RAM for Windows XP / 4 GB Windows Vista and Windows 7
1 GB RAM video card, supporting Pixel Shader 3.0 (Nvidia GeForce GTX260 or ATI Radeon HD4850)

DCS: A-10C Warthog

[ 1 DVD ]

• Published by : The Fighter
• Developed by : Eagle Dynamics
• Genre : Jet Simulation

Target acquired! A line of Russian T-72B tanks, teasingly stationary against the spinach-green plain, lights up my A-10C’s HUD. If I was playing almost any other combat flight game, I would likely press a key or two to lock on, then squeeze a joystick button to deposit a 1,000-pound CBU-97 cluster bomb on the enemy.

I’m not playing a “game,” though. I’m playing Eagle Dynamics’ meticulously authentic DCS: A-10C Warthog simulation, and establishing a firing solution on those tanks is serious business. Set the appropriate CBU-97 ordnance on the left multi-function display stores management page with a series of button presses; configure release parameters (ripple settings, time of fall, minimum altitude, eject velocity, escape maneuver) with several more virtual button and switch clicks; cycle master mode control to CCIP (Constantly Computed Impact Point) bombing; enter a shallow dive toward the tanks; and release the bomb when the CCIP pipper in the HUD hits the sweet spot. The kills you work for are the most satisfying.

All of this can be confusing and exhausting for flight sim neophytes—doubly so in the heat of battle—but for the perpetually demanding hardcore simulation crowd, DCS: A-10C represents combat-flight nirvana. Every single switch, gauge, button and display in the fully clickable virtual cockpit is completely functional, while the (almost) classified avionics and high-fidelity flight modeling deliver piloting challenges rarely seen outside of a full–dome, military-grade cockpit simulator. Super­ficially, everything from its 100,000-polygon aircraft models and intricate damage system to its expansive HDR-enhanced Crimean Peninsula terrain graphics is absolutely gob-smackingly gorgeous.

It’s not completely inaccessible, for those willing to learn. A terrific set of interactive, narrated training missions and animated control cues provides a great starting point. An “active pause” cheat that lets you stop in mid-air to flip switches and configure your weapons is another godsend—it gives you time to pore over the nearly 900-pages of PDF manuals for hints. There’s also a “game mode” option that lightens the workload (but don’t expect arcade-game simplicity). Eventually, jet-jock wannabes can perform anything from cold engine start-ups to bitch-slapping Russian tanks with a laser-guided Paveway.

When you’re ready, A-10C has 19 standalone missions and three linear—albeit randomized—campaigns that boast enough contiguous AI action to seriously distract you en route to your own mission goals. Toss in a convenient random mission-generator, a mission editor with its own precipitous learning curve, and a co-op multiplayer game for up to 32 players (sadly not compatible with DCS: Black Shark yet) and A-10C is easily the most feature-packed combat jet-study simulation since 1998’s Falcon 4.0.

DCS: A-10C Warthog isn’t for everyone—this is a simulation that demands dedication to reveal its true worth, and only those prepared to put in the time and effort to mine its treasure trove of avionics challenges will see that reward. The Hog is a relatively easy aircraft to fly, but doing so while battling armed forces with this brutally realistic weapons delivery platform is one of the most challenging—and intensely satisfying—undertakings you’ll ever face in a PC flight sim.


Gameplay Trailer :

System Requirements :

• Operating System: Windows XP, Vista and 7
• CPU: Core 2 Duo E6600 or AMD Phenom X3 8750 or better
• RAM: 4 GB
• Hard Disk Space: 20 GB
• Video Card: Shader 3.0 or better; 512 MB NVIDIA GeForce 8600GT or better
• Sound Card: DirectX 9.0c-compatible
• DirectX: 9.0C

Battle vs Chess

[ 1 DVD ]

• Published by : South Peak Games
• Developed by : TopWare
• Genre : Board

Developed by TopWare Interactive and Gaijin Entertainment, Battle Vs Chess aims to bring the classic tabletop game into the modern age, without removing the essential qualities that have made it popular for centuries. Familiar chess pieces are brought to life as richly detailed 3D models, with players seeing the spectacular results of their actions in their quest for domination of the board. 

The traditional white and black armies have evolved into an army of light with their brave knights in shining armor, pitted against the wicked dark army of demons and beastly golems. Each piece is intricately animated and as players move them around the board they spring into life, ready to wage war. If a square is occupied by an enemy unit, they enter into a brutal clash that sees the foe removed from the board in bloody combat. 

Another evolutionary element Battle vs. Chess brings to the arena is the addition of the optional Action Mode. If selected, instead of entering a scripted animation when attacking, players challenge their opponent in a beat-'em-up style encounter. Using a variety of weapons, fighting techniques and combos, players must best their opponent in a fast-paced flurry of blows and special moves –adding a whole new meaning to the phrase checkmate.

Gameplay Trailer :

System Requirements :

1.1 Operating Systems
---------------------

Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2
Microsoft Windows Vista
Microsoft Windows 7
 
1.2 Minimum System Requirements
-------------------------------

CPU: P4 2.5 GHz single core
System RAM: 512 MB (768 MB for Microsoft Vista)
Video Card: Pixel Shader 3.0 compliant video card with 128 Meg Ram
Sound Card: 100% DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card
Hard Drive: 1 GB

1.3 Recommended System Requirements
-----------------------------------

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo or AMD Athlon 64 X2
System RAM: 1 GB
Video card:   Pixel Shader 3.0 compliant video card with 256 Ram
                (Nvidia Geforce 7900 GT or better)
Sound Card: 100% DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card
Hard Drive: 1 GB

1.4 DirectX
-----------

DirectX 9.0c or higher       

Hydrophobia Prophecy

[ 1 DVD ]

• Published by : Dark Energy Digital
• Developed by : Dark Energy Digital
• Genre : Horror Action Adventure

It’s not unheard of to see a game ported from one platform to the next, nor is it uncommon to see a period of years pass between platform appearances. What is rare is to see a developer take a game back to the drawing board before allowing the game to be reintroduced. Hydrophobia was originally released during Microsoft’s Game Feast in September 2010, envisioned to be the first chapter in a trilogy. Unfortunately for Dark Energy, Hydrophobia’s developer, the game met with criticisms from critics and average gamers alike. Many remarked at the high quality of the game’s water effects, but griped about unimpressive voice acting, repetitive combat, and floaty controls. For more on the original XBLA release of Hydrophobia, hit up our review here.

With the Steam release of Hydrophobia Prophecy, Dark Energy has shown a level of responsiveness to criticism that is admirable. Certain aspects of the game have been improved, making this the definitive version to play. The story hasn’t changed dramatically. Set in the near future, climate change has caused a significant rise in sea level. Combined with a population explosion, the world’s elite have taken to the seas in the Queen of the World, a floating city celebrating its 10th anniversary. On this momentous occasion, a mysterious announcement from the Nanocell corporation is anticipated. The people living aboard the Queen of the World have high hopes that the news will herald a solution to the damage done to the planet.

During the celebration, the Queen of the World is invaded by a group calling themselves the Neo-Malthusians. These fanatics believe that the only way the human race will survive is to violently reduce the population to 500,000. It’s never made quite clear how they managed to infiltrate the ship or why they are targeting it. Mila, leader of the terrorists, is maniacal. She leads her legion of zealots through the ship, murdering everyone in her path, before finally engaging Kate in a final battle.

Kate is plunged into this battle for survival as the ocean rushes in around her. At the outset of the game, we are shown glimpses of Kate’s fear of water. This is reinforced throughout the game by haunting voices of Kate as a little girl. These sounds are woven throughout the soundscape, sneaking up on you during already tense moments. This helps address the complaint from the original release that Kate seemed too comfortable traversing what should have been her worst nightmare come true. While the game still doesn’t go far enough to reinforce her hydrophobia, it’s a good step to remind players that Kate isn’t just scared because of the terrorists, but her latent fear of water, too. As you can imagine, in a game entitled Hydrophobia, the water is the star of the show. Not only does it look realistic, but it moves realistically. For better or for worse, when a door opens and waves come rushing in, the player is nearly helpless. It becomes extremely difficult to control Kate until the water level equalizes. Swimming controls are intuitive and responsive, which is important since you’ll be spending almost as much time below the water as above.

Additional complaints in the original release focused on movement and how it was displayed on screen. Kate looks much more realistic as she runs, climbs, and mantles through her environment. Unfortunately, there was a consistent graphical glitch as I jumped or dropped to a hanging position. Kate would fall past the hanging point at the end of the jump and then suddenly appear hanging. While this does add to the tension, I don’t think this is what the developers were going for. The animation has been smoothed out to avoid the jarring movements. Kate also controls much more tightly. I played part of the original release immediately before playing through Prophecy using my 360 controller. I did spend time with the KB/M controls and found them to be smooth and precise. The purpose for playing the majority of the game with the 360 controller was to get a good feel for how things have improved between releases.

The controls have been tightened up, almost to a fault. Kate is ultra responsive, but the button presses seemed finicky to me. Getting into cover occasionally required multiple presses, as did crouching into stealth mode. Combat offers five different ammo types for your sidearm. You start with unlimited sonic rounds, but soon find remote explosives and real bullets. The environment is littered with explosive barrels and electrical wiring which, when shot down, can shock your enemies. The gameplay alternates between shooting and acrobatic endeavors, much like the Uncharted series.

Hydrophobia Prophecy features a cover system. In this newest iteration, a floating cover system is introduced. Kate can grab onto items and shield herself from bullets flying her way. This is also used to solve two puzzles in the game, enhancing the player’s connection to the water.

Another thing that many people commented on was the quality of the story and the voice acting. Kate’s dialog has been tuned up and, except in a few instances, her forced accent is gone. Scoot has been completely reworked. In the original game, he was a pudgy, cheerful, Scottish man. Now, he’s slimmer, rougher and the dialog is more sarcastic. His gruff American accent is a significant change, and it works. He’s not cheery, but his encouragement and support seems more realistic, helping establish a stronger relationship with Kate. Again, these changes don’t come without flaws. Many times throughout the game, the dialog completely cut out. I was forced to turn subtitles on so that I didn’t miss anything. There was even one point where I’m sure that Scoot voiced a line that was meant for Kate.

As for the narrative, Dark Energy has added cutscenes, introduced a new character to put a face to the NanoCell corporation, and gave much more dialog to Mila, the villain of the story. The game also comes to a true conclusion with a final boss battle. Players of the original Hydrophobia got to experiment with hydro powers in the challenge room. Now, these have been incorporated into the main story. Very near the end of the game, Kate develops the power to make water towers and hurl items trapped within them. These are used sparingly through the last bit of the game, but are an essential part of the game’s only boss battle. In many ways, the hydro powers reminded me of the game Psi-Ops. The telekinesis skill in that game was interesting, but had the tendency to frustrate, due to being bound to the physics of the game. This often created unexpected situations, leaving the player at the mercy of the physics engine. This was exactly how I felt during the conclusion of Hydrophobia Prophecy. The hydro powers are interesting, but they are too touchy to be so large a part of the final battle, especially since players have very little time to get used to them.

Thankfully, despite the flaws, Hydrophobia Prophecy is fun to play. Plus, if you find something that irks you, the game comes complete with a feedback menu. Using this tool, you can communicate your likes and dislikes to the developer. Choose a general category like graphics, audio, narrative, or controls, vote up or down, and choose a descriptor from a long list. Unfortunately, you can’t add specific notes, but it shows a remarkable concern for the quality of the game. Dark Energy is to be commended for their interest in community feedback and for releasing an improved version of the game rather than a half-hearted port.

Gameplay Trailer :

System Requirements :

OS: Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo or AMD Athlon X2
RAM: 2 GB
HDD: 8 GB free disk space
Graphics: 512 MB Graphics Memory
Sound Card: DirectX 9 Compatible
DirectX: Version 9
Supported Graphics Cards:
NVidia 8600GT with or Radeon HD 3650

BRINK

[ 2 DVD ]

• Published by : Bethesda Softworks
• Developed by : Splash Damage
• Genre : Sci-Fi First-Person Shooter

Set in a nearby future, Brink attempts to do something different with multiplayer gaming by focusing on free-running and parkour. With some good ideas, Brink borders on fun, but its repetition and lack of depth keep it from being a real contender.

Brink is set atop a floating city called The Ark that has been isolated for over twenty years. A bastion for surviving humans, the Ark is split into two zones, one guarded by security forces, the other by rebels. Brink immediately asks you to choose a side, but, you can take your persistent character through both sides of the bland story, making it pointless. In fact, during character creation, the only permanent choice is a character's facial appearance and their tattoos. Beyond that, you can change your size, look, weapons, class, and faction on a whim. This makes starting multiple characters almost irrelevant, except that experience maxes out at level 20. 

There are four classes in Brink, but there's a disappointing lack of definition between them. Due to the nature of Brink's maps, classes require constant changing. One objective might need repairs from an Engineer, while another might have a Medic heal a VIP. But classes don't really play differently. I was often confused when I couldn't drop a turret only to remember I was a Soldier, a class with a different set of skills. There's not much of a chance to pick and master a favorite class.

Brink's one shining aspect is SMART (Smooth Movement Across Random Terrain). Using SMART, holding a single button lets you navigate up walls, over obstacles, and through the game world. Depending on your body size, you can do more or less with movement, but overall this finesse is fantastic. Nothing in Brink feels quite as good as sliding under gunfire into someone, taking them out with a shotgun.

However, it's easy to forget which size your character is in first-person perspective, as movement abilities don't change dramatically. While the Large size allows miniguns and shotguns, they still move only slightly slower than the Medium size. Only Small characters can really burst through levels, leaping off of walls and finding clever passageways. 

Brink offers 50 skills to unlock, but only 20 are assigned to a specific character. While some high-level skills can really augment how the game is played, such as the Cortex Bomb or firing while incapacitated, a first level player can generally compete with a twentieth level player if they know FPS games. No skill choice is set in stone, so the ability to reassign points at any given time is available.

Brink gives experience upon completing objectives, killing enemies, and helping the team. There is no incentive to become a lone wolf -- there are more points for reviving a teammate than going it alone. Brink's lack of stat tracking is glaring, though. As of this writing, the "Online Stats" option is grayed-out in the menu.

While Brink's campaign explains both sides of story, the missions don't need to be played in order. Brink's entire campaign can be played solo or online. Any gaps in a match's player count are filled in with bots, which can't really compete with the real thing. The AI always makes a full team push to their objective at the last second, so you always know where to be.

With private servers and more customization than on Xbox 360, Brink feels at home on the PC. Using a comprehensive search function, hundreds of options pop up to show exactly what game type, and which rules, a match has. In addition to this search prowess, PC offers up full control over match rules including friendly fire, buffs, and player count. The Xbox version lacks this fine-tuning ability that can help ease a player into the right kind of match.  

You can jump sides at any point outside of a mission, and even general multiplayer just presents the same set of missions, shuffled like a deck of cards. Cut-scenes vaguely indicate a reason to fight. Each faction has a leader and a goal, but neither is very interesting, and the player merely shows up as a background character as other NPCs discuss mission plans and story details.

There are eight maps in Brink, and depending on the faction, the goals are slightly different. Teams either place explosives, hack devices, escort a VIP, or operate machinery on one side, or simply do the opposite for the other faction. Unfortunately, there are only so many ways to tackle these same objectives time and time again on a small number of maps.

Brink's objectives are repetitive, but the level design is better. Because different sizes of characters allow access to different areas, discovering the full breadth of a map will take quite a while. But again, since objective locations never change, I realized there are a finite number of ways to get things done, and grew weary of certain maps. With a game dedicated to the online experience, there truly needs to be more content in this department. 

Time plays a huge factor in every match of Brink. While a bomb timer makes sense, there are some truly odd design choices based on an arbitrary ticking clock. For example, when one team needs to save a VIP, the other team's job is to stop them. But when downing the VIP, the team must guard the body lying on the ground for up to ten minutes, just keeping the enemy at bay and waiting for the clock to run out like it's the end of their shift. The waiting is frustrating, especially when dominating a match or if stuck helplessly battling a talented team.

At least the visual design of the overall package looks cool. Brink's elongated characters have a style all their own and leveling up unlocks new clothing options. In the menus, the solid character models and appearance choices look fantastic. Characters also appear cleanly in both cut-scenes and in-game, but throughout the game the backgrounds don't hold up to the characters. Certain textures delay while loading, so they pop into focus throughout playing. The walls and ground look bland up close, but this version does not suffer from the murky overtones of its Xbox counterpart.  

Gameplay Trailer :

System Requirement :

Minimum System Requirements
* OS: Windows XP SP3, Vista or Windows 7
* CPU:  Intel Core 2 Duo @ 2.4 Ghz / AMD Athlon 64 X2 5200+
* RAM: 2 GB
* HDD: 8 GB free disk space
* Graphics: 512 MB Graphics Memory
* Sound Card: DirectX 9 Compatible
* DirectX: Version 9.0c

Recommended System Requirements
* OS: Windows XP SP3, Vista or Windows 7
* CPU: Intel Core i5 @ 2.66 GHz / AMD Phenom II X4 @ 3.0 GHz
* RAM: 3 GB
* HDD: 8 GB free disk space
* Graphics: 1 GB Graphics Memory
* Sound Card: DirectX 9 Compatible
* DirectX: Version 9.0c

Supported Graphics Cards:
Minimum – nVidia GeForce 8800 / ATI Radeon HD 2900
Recommended – nVidia GeForce GTX 460 / ATI Radeon HD 5850

Section 8 - Prejudice

[ 2 DVD ]

• Published by : TimeGate Studios
• Developed by : TimeGate Studios
• Genre : Sci-Fi First-Person Shooter

As a downloadable sequel to 2009's retail-bound Section 8, nearly every aspect of Section 8: Prejudice belies its budget price. It includes a lengthy single-player campaign and a multiplayer offering that is just as robust as most full price offerings.

The single-player campaign revolves around the 8th Armored Infantry, a military group that makes Halo's ODSTs look like pansies by comparison. Forget dropping from orbit in a fancy landing pod, the insane members of Section 8 do so in nothing more than a high-tech suit of armor. Much of Prejudice revolves around the concept of orbital drops, as both players and equipment are regularly shot down from space.

Every mission begins with protagonist Captain Alexander Corde dropping from orbit, rocketing to terra firma and landing with dramatic flair. As Corde, players take part in a reignited war between Section 8 and the Arm of Orion, which just happens to be a different group of suicide-diving soldiers. Corde chases the enemy leader Salvador around the galaxy, making stops on several markedly different planets.

Whether Corde is trudging through the snow -- frost slowly accumulating on his weapons -- or carefully traversing pools of lava with his jet pack, the scenery rarely gets stale. Missions are likewise peppered with a few eye-catching set pieces, my favorite being the orbital bombardment described at the beginning of this review.

The campaign did have a few hangups, however, notably whenever Corde has to work with a computer-controlled partner. In one mission an AI-controlled tank did absolutely nothing to stop a missile turret from destroying it. Likewise, there was another mission in which a friendly mech completely ignored a soldier blasting the objective we were supposed to protect. These issues can be overcome -- and admittedly I was playing on hard difficulty -- but it was definitely frustrating.

As meaty as it is, the campaign is really just a precursor to Prejudice's main multiplayer course. Online play leverages the orbital drop mechanics to the fullest, allowing players to drop to literally any point on the map. Once on the ground, players earn money to spend on calling in everything from defensive turrets to supply depots to tanks. Incidentally, the tank -- packing a cannon, a minigun, missiles and a mortar -- may be my favorite of all time.

There are two multiplayer modes. Swarm is a cooperative mode that tasks players with defending an objective from waves of AI opponents. Conquest is a more traditional multiplayer mode centered around territorial control.

Players are divided into squads and tasked with capturing control points. Similar to other team-based shooters, capturing these will accrue victory points over time, with 1000 points securing the win. What sets Prejudice apart from its competition is the Dynamic Combat Mission (DCM) system which is activated throughout the match, providing special missions that reward teams with extra victory points and combat bonuses.

DCMs range from escorting AI VIPs to planting airstrike beacons in an enemy controlled area. While the primary objective is always to hold onto as many control points as possible, completing DCMs can really cement a victory, or pull a losing team back from the brink.

Prejudice also has a very, very long list of unlockable equipment. Players earn experience for making kills, completing DCMs or performing other actions (calling in equipment, healing, etc). As levels are earned, a myriad of equipment options are unlocked, including incendiary ammunition, EMP grenades and various weapon modifications. Armor is also customizable, allowing players to mix and match modules that increase damage, add radar stealth or improve accuracy. Oh, and jet packs come standard.

Both dedicated servers and player-hosted servers are available. The former allow up to 32 players, while the latter caps at 16. Matches can be filled out with bots as well. Overall, the online system works very well, though it fails in one key area that almost every shooter gets right these days. Namely, there is no pre-game lobby, and there is no way to gather a group of friends together before a match.

Prejudice does its best to keep friends on the same team, though its automatic balance system forces players to switch teams in a lopsided match. Making matters worse, private matches are unranked and don't allow players to earn experience. In other words, if you want to play a match with just your buddies, you won't be able to unlock any new equipment. To be fair, in the handful of public matches I was able to play, it seemed like friends were usually all moved to the same team by the time the server was full. Still, the complete lack of a party system is a very strange omission (and an unforgivable one to some).

Which brings me back to that mental refrain. Despite the matchmaking quibbles and the occasionally stilted friendly AI, Section 8: Prejudice is a tremendous package, one that easily keeps up with -- and in some cases surpasses -- the retail competition. After dropping from orbit, summoning a missile turret and launching a mortar attack (while simultaneously jet-packing to safety), it's kind of hard to focus on the complaints. All I can hear is, "This costs fifteen dollars."

Gameplay Trailer :

Sytem Requirements :

Minimum Requirements
HDD: 5.5 GB free disk space
Operating System: Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7
CPU: ProcessorIntel 3.0GHz, 2.0GHz (dual core), or AMD AthlonXP3200+
RAM: 2 GB
Graphics: 256 MB Graphics Memory
Sound Card: DirectX 9 Compatible
DirectX: Version 9

Recommended Requirements
Operating System: Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7
CPU: Intel 3.0GHz, 2.0GHz (dual core), or AMD AthlonXP3200+
RAM: 2 GB
HDD: 5.5 GB free disk space
Graphics: 512 MB Graphics Memory
Sound Card: DirectX 9 Compatible
DirectX: Version 9

Supported Graphics Cards:
NVIDIA GeForce 7800 or ATI Radeon X1900 (Minimum)
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 or better (Recommended)
Publisher: TimeGate
Developer: TimeGate
Release Date: May 4, 2011
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Platforms: Windows, XBOX 360, PS3

The First Templar

[ 1 DVD ]

• Published by : Kalypso Media
• Developed by : Haemimont Games AD
• Genre : Historic Action Adventure

The First Templar is a billed as a vaguely historical adventure. Indeed it is, but not because it's set during the crusades. No, The First Templar is historical because it's a look back at dated game design, a testament to how things were once done, and how they should never be again. 

This is the story of a Templar named Celian, a knight who is on a quest to recover the Holy Grail. His journey takes him all over the Middle East, with stops in historical cities like Acre. At its core, The First Templar is a hack-and-slash adventure, wherein you'll be pushed through a series of environments, bludgeon tons of enemies and solve mind-numbingly easy puzzles. It's nothing I haven't seen done better many times before.

Moments into The First Templar you know you're playing a budget game. The menus and user interface are bad with generic fonts and an intrusive heads up display. The screen is simply too crowded – especially in split-screen cooperative play – and it takes away from any of the ambience or occasional beauty the environments have. Games like Dead Space have shown that UI can be both elegant and serve a purpose, while The First Templar's is just phoned in.

The character animations and lackluster graphics don't help The First Templar, either. This looks like a game from several years ago, and no matter how good a performance the voice actors might be trying to give, they're always hampered by the mechanical nature of the character's movements. Graphics aren't everything, but these are so behind that they detract from what is already a mediocre experience.

Looks aside, the major appeal of The First Templar is its story and combat. Unfortunately the story is weak and clichéd, with all the predictable twists and turns I'd expect out of a cheesy action film. The characters aren't particularly interesting, and there isn't enough dialogue between them or background given to the world to make it more than an excuse to put you in a bunch of different environments.

No matter how varied the environments are, though, the levels boil down to the same thing. Your character is funneled down one long path, forced to fight waves of imbecilic enemies and be beaten over the head with the solutions to any puzzles before them. Combat is basically a button mashing affair, where you can generally beat everyone around you just by swinging away like a mad man. Some later fights do force you to block and dodge, but this is mostly because they throw a ton of really dumb enemies at you, rather than presenting enemies that are genuinely challenging and fun to fight.

The "puzzles" in The First Templar break up the pacing so it's not all a combat grind, but it almost always just tells you what to do. Either your characters can look around and just see symbols telling them what to do, or text will pop up in the HUD and just say it. Even side objectives aren't left for you to discover, as arrows simply point the way to all the "hidden" chests and treasures. 

You might think that having a cooperative option for the entire campaign could save The First Templar, but you'd be dead wrong. Split-screen cooperative play crowds the screen even more, and playing online means you need to find a friend who made the same purchasing error you did (unless you want to brave a random game). I like that you're always travelling with an AI partner so cooperative play makes sense story wise, but I felt it better to suffer alone this time around.  

Gameplay Trailer :

Sytem Requirement :

Minimum System Requirements:

Recommended System Requirements:

CPU:

2.4 GHz Single-Core

CPU:

2.4 GHz Dual-Core

RAM:

1 GB

RAM:

2 GB

VGA:

256MB DirectX 9.0c, Shader Model 3.0 (Geforce 6 Series, ATI X1300)

VGA:

512MB DirectX 9.0c, Shader Model 3.0 (Geforce 8 Series, ATI HD4800)

DX:

DirectX 9.0c

DX:

DirectX 9.0c

OS:

Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7

OS:

Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7

http://gamesystemrequirements.com/

HDD:

5 GB

HDD:

5 GB

Sound:

DirectX 9-compatible

Sound:

DirectX 9-compatible