Friday 31 August 2012

The Warriors

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Thursday 30 August 2012

Dollar Dash preview - A fistful of greenbacks



Criminals just don't rob banks like they used to. Nowadays, it's all about gritty drama and scare tactics; back then, robbers could simply slap on an eye mask, a striped shirt, and a burlap bag for hoisting cash before going to town on the local vault. At least, that's the kind of light-hearted, imaginary thievery that Dollar Dash evokes. This downloadable multiplayer melee from Kalypso and Candygun Games is an unexpected surprise, offering up a rowdy cash-grabbing romp that's a hoot with four players.




Like the early PSN title Calling All Cars, Dollar Dash harkens back to cartoony, 1920s-style heists where the criminals were little more than thugs and hoodlums. As one such kooky criminal, you'll take part in illegal paydays in 30 maps, each with their own goofy gimmick to change up the pace. At its most basic, gameplay involves running to and from your getaway truck, hauling sackfulls of moolah that'll slow your speed depending on how much cash you're carrying. But you won't be collecting your moolah free from harm: There are three other robbers who have their heart set on taking home the most dough.


There's no plot to speak of--just pure PvP action, with human or AI opponents. Playing from a top-down perspective, you'll have to maneuver your outlaw around a roughly screen-sized map, picking up power-ups as frequently as cash and coins. The twist is that any of the other crooks can sabotage you on your way back to the truck, smacking you upside the head to make you drop your money or knock you clean off the map. All 30 stages have a unique mechanic, like spike pits, moving conveyor belts, or laser-triggered security systems, so it'll be awhile before you know exactly what's coming before each match.



Things get even more hectic with the wide variety of power-ups strewn about each level, which serve as offensive projectiles (snowballs, fireworks, and plungers), devious traps (oil slicks and bombs), or handy utility powers (super speed or a shield made of Jell-O). You can also easily disable any items you don't enjoy from spawning on the map. The 20+ weapons and power-ups that aid you in your heist, combined with the modestly close-quarters combat, mean that the screen is often a jumble of colorful cartoon crime.


The playful mood is set straight from the get-go with some catchy menu music: Keith Mansfield's "Morning Broadway" (which was also sampled in a certain Danger Doom song). It's here that you can also customize your criminal's look, with some equally quirky gear like Jason-style hockey masks, bright blue mohawks, or other such accessories. There are also equippable upgrades that do more than change your aesthetic: Perks range from ability boosts to new taunts and victory dances, for when your victorious villain is celebrating on top of a Scrooge McDuck-worthy pile of money.



Besides the eponymous Dollar Dash mode, there's also Hit & Run (where cash is awarded for knocking out other players) and Save the Safe (our personal favorite, where players have to lug a single safe on their backs while fending off their greedy opponents). The game can be played online, but it's at its best when you're playing with three other would-be felons in person, hollering at your misfortune or the haul of money you had stolen at the last second. A few of the power-ups seem a little too strong--the rolling boulder could devastate all three enemies, and a force-pushing boombox was extremely annoying in the hands of another player--but all in all, Dollar Dash is thus far good fun. At $ 10, this frantic free-for-all could very well be a steal. Look for it when it hits PC, PSN, and XBLA this October.


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Tuesday 28 August 2012

Resident Evil 6 preview - Hands-on with the first hours of all three campaigns


Resident Evil 6 is one of the most anticipated sequels of the year, the next entry in one of the biggest franchises in gaming history. To date we've seen an incredible amount of RE6's settings and characters. We've met classic stars like Leon and Chris, old enemies like Ada Wong, and new characters like Jake and Helena. We've seen so much, yet so many questions remain about the massive game. Now we've at least had some time with a near final version of the first two chapters of each of the three campaigns, and while we may not know how it ends, we at least can be satisfied with knowing how it starts.





http://www.gamesradar.com/resident-evil-6-preview-hands-first-hours-all-three-campaigns/


The game begins with several bangs, as massive explosions toss Leon Kennedy and his partner Helena Harper into a car. They slowly recover their bearings, and it's revealed that they're trapped in the destroyed Chinese city shown in past trailers for the game. After only moments to introduce the controls, you're thrown into a crazy sequence of cinematic moments. You dodge falling planes, collapsing streets, do your best to fly a helicopter while shooting a zombie at the same time, and ultimately crash land. It's an exciting start, though with many more quick time events than we're used to in Resident Evil. QTEs were numerous in the demo, though we aren't sure if that's for the best or not.


Once the prologue is complete you start with any of the three campaigns, and it seemed only fitting to first continue with Leon and Helena. After a surprise outbreak in a small US town and killing the zombified President of the United States, the two federal agents are trapped in a city riddled with undead. Soon they're teaming up with a ragtag group of survivors that don't do a great job of surviving, and ultimately the two end up at a church which Helena says holds the secret to the infection. By the end of the second chapter that secret isn't uncovered, but dozens of undead and Ada Wong are. Overall the pacing of the Leon areas felt the most familiar to the series, but updated with current gaming concepts in mind.





http://www.gamesradar.com/resident-evil-6-preview-hands-first-hours-all-three-campaigns/


Next were the Chris Redfield chapters, featuring a mildly amnesiac, guilt ridden Chris that's pushed to confront the death of his squad and return to saving lives with the BSAA. Here Chris and his partner Piers faced the J'avo, the shape shifting, terrorist cell that's purposefully infected with the C-Virus. The virus causes damaged limbs to regrow in dangerous, ghastly ways. Chris' sections felt the most brainless. The majority of his story was based around clearing out a room of monsters, opening a door, then killing the next room full of monsters. Also, strangely, Chris' punches are usually more reliable than his bullets, leading players to often settle for melee damage over the using up ammo with less reliable shots.


Finally, we came to the Jake Mueller stages. The new hero of the series, a man that teams up with Sherry Birken, the now-adult girl from RE2. Jake is a snarky tough guy that seems to be only interested in earning money for his troubles, though he has moments of compassion that are counter to his supposed lineage as Albert Wesker's son. Jake's stages are a new touch for the series, with a bigger focus on cinematic action and hand-to-hand combat, mildly reminiscent of the Uncharted series. Of course, the hulking creature chasing Jake and Sherry fits in with RE history, as the unstoppable, perhaps unkillable Ustanak is continually chasing the two like a latter day Nemesis. Also, in Jake's section we got our first taste of how the campaigns intersect when Chris and his team make an appearance in a longish sequence.



Overall it was pleasantly surprising how long it took to play through the start of the three stories. In a world where 10 hour campaigns are becoming the norm, we spent at least that long on beginning the plots of the three leads. There are still some strange balancing and control hitches that may take some getting used to or hopefully be adjusted by the time it ships October 2, but so far Resident Evil 6 at least seems massive enough to earn its blockbuster hype, even if the gameplay hasn't totally proven itself yet.


Naughty Bear: Panic in Paradise preview - Adorable homicide


Naughty Bear is back to enact his revenge on the residents of Paradise Island. His fellow teddy bears have shunned him and moved to a tropical island without giving Naughty Bear an invitation. So, how is Naughty going to ratify this injustice? Why, go on a massive killing spree, of course.





http://www.gamesradar.com/naughty-bear-panic-paradise-preview-adorable-homicide/


Naughty Bear: Panic in Paradise allows you to take control of the brutally violent teddy bear as he takes on 36 short missions to assassinate his former friends. Each target requires Naughty Bear to devise unique assassination methods. For instance, in one mission, the target teddy bear, Ken "Danger" Clark, was throwing a superhero costume party that Naughty Bear needed to infiltrate. Ken Clark is also invulnerable to standard attacks, so Naughty is required to obtain a special rod hidden in the level to beat the ever-living, fluffy snot out of his target. But to unleash his revenge he must stealthily make his way through environments infested with teddy bear guards and defenseless teddy bear locals.


You'll get around by sneaking to and from vegetation patches, which seem to miraculously render Naughty completely invisible once he entered them--leaving any previously pursuing enemies to forget about him and go about their business. Naughty won't only have the target teddies' stuffing on his hands; The rest of the local populous is free to slice and dice. Enemies can be killed using Naughty's bare hands (pun intended) by beating them senseless with his fists. He can also pick up items like brooms and baseball bats to increase his melee power, or grab the target teddies by the neck and perform environmental executions. Special environmental objects are spread across each level that allows Naughty to perform an especially gruesome instant kill, like impaling a bear on a cactus or grilling their face on an open barbecue. 



In addition to bumping off the inconsiderate bears on his kill list, he'll also collect a variety of armor pieces and clothing that enhance his attributes. Some clothing will help Naughty avoid detection in similarly themed environments. If Naughty enters a superhero costume party dressed as a superhero, he blends in until he starts offing attendees. Some missions go as far as to require Naughty to strip the face off of his victims and wear it to gain access to secret locations.


Naughty Bear: Panic in Paradise looks like it is improving over the original with more collectible elements and new ways to creatively kill enemies. We're interested to see how it turns out when the downloadable title hits Xbox Live and PSN this October.  


Monday 27 August 2012

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive review


The core elements of the Counter-Strike series haven't changed much since the original Half-Life mod emerged in 1999. That trend continues with the newest update, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, for better and worse. Though the $ 15 downloadable title keeps the core of the series' gameplay alive, preserving the traditional maps, gun mechanics, and game modes, it lacks any innovation the FPS genre has introduced in the past decade and never introduces anything new of its own.



The fact that Counter Strike: GO hasn't become just another "knock off" of the Call of Duty franchise is reason enough for long time CS players to rejoice, but even they will be disappointed in the lack of fresh content. There are only a few new weapons. Plus, of the sixteen maps, half are recycled from previous installments in the franchise, including Dust, Dust 2, Office, Italy and Aztec. So, why migrate to CS:GO?


For one, the visuals from Counter-Strike Source have gotten an upgrade, providing updated visuals to the old maps and more detailed weapon and character models. In addition to the Hostage Rescue and Bomb Defusal matches, CS:GO adds two new gameplay modes. Sort of. Arms Race is Gun Game with a new name. There's unlimited respawns and you receive a different weapon after each kill. This is a much faster-paced gameplay mode than the other modes, since it allows you to jump right back into the action after a death rather than having to wait for the next round to start. It's a nice change of pace for CS:GO, especially if you are new to the series and haven't adjusted to its more conservative playstyle from modern shooters. 



Domination is a mix of the Bomb Defusal and Arms Race modes. The terrorists can plant a bomb at the bomb site (to which the Counter-Terrorists have to disarm) or either side can eliminate all opposing players to win the match. There are no respawns in a match, so be prepared to spend a lot of time on the spectator screen if you run around with guns blazing. Domination isn't nearly the draw as the other modes are, as you'll more than likely stick to playing either Bomb Defusal or Arms Race. It's even difficult to find any Domination matches that are fully populated.


Those that loved the slow-paced, deliberate gameplay of Counter-Strike 1.6 or Source won't be disappointed by any blasphemous changes to the formula. CS:GO keeps the core mechanics intact, but there are a few nit-picky changes that have been made. For instance, you can no longer screw a silencer onto the M4, and some of the old guns have been exchanged for more up-to-date versions (the MP5 is now the MP7). Also, some maps have had small paths added that open up congested choke points. While the lack of changes can be seen as a positive for long-time CS players, at the same time, it is also GO's greatest weakness.



Counter-Strike has an incredibly high learning curve for anyone new to the series. Besides a short tutorial that walks you through the basic controls, GO doesn't provide a real way to ease new players into a match. The majority of players online have extensive experience with the unchanged weapons and maps, so if you are a newcomer, you'll feel like a guppy in a shark tank.


For the experienced CS player, old tactics work just as well as they did before, but you won't be developing dramatically different, new strategies for your favorite game modes on the new maps. Bomb Defusal and Hostage Rescue make up the classic game modes, with six maps dedicated to Bomb Defusal and two to Hostage Rescue. CS:GO does add eight new maps, but those are dedicated to Arms Race and Domination. If you were hoping to play the traditional modes in some brand new environments, you're out of luck.



Counter-Strike: Global Offensive takes no chances and it's hard to tell who it was made for. Source and 1.6 players will feel at home with the tried and true CS mechanics and traditional game modes, but GO gives them few reasons to migrate, other than flashy graphics on a few of the old maps. Conversely, newcomers to the series will find Counter-Strike's steep learning curve rather discouraging. Essentially, you're getting most of the same content, including maps, weapons, and gameplay modes that gamers have been playing for over a decade, with only minor changes to a few of them. CS:GO, mechanically, holds up as one of the best shooters you can play, but offers few reasons to move over from the previous versions.


This game was reviewed on PC.


Sunday 26 August 2012

The Secrets of Arcelia Island [FINAL]

The Secrets of Arcelia Island [FINAL] | 486 MB

Unravel The Secrets of Arcelia Island as you, your father, and a small crew set off on this dangerous expedition! After getting shipwrecked in a storm, you wake up to discover you're alone on an island inhabited by strange creatures and plagued by four deadly curses. Find your father, survive the curses, and stop the tyrannical witch that is responsible in this fantastic Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure game!

*Fantastic graphics
*Incredible gameplay
*Explore Arcelia Island!

Download: 
Or:
Or:

NEW FIX:
COPY NEW FIXED EXE TO GAME FOLDER AND USE SERIAL

thanx to VELOCITY

Saturday 25 August 2012

Awakening 3: The Goblin Kingdom Collector's Edition [FINAL]

Awakening 3: The Goblin Kingdom Collector's Edition [FINAL]| 409 MB

After overcoming the Dreamless Castle and Moonfell Wood, you have come to the rugged, mountainous snow-peaked Goblin Kingdom. Princess Sophia, the only human seen in over a century in this part of the world, seeks answers from its wise King about the fate of the rest of her people. But dark portents await: things are not well in the Kingdom, and dark shadows lurk waiting to trap the unwitting Princess in Awakening: The Goblin Kingdom!

*Bonus gameplay
*Integrated Strategy Guide
*Wonderful Wallpapers

*Fixed Broken archive
*Extract & Play
*Fixed demo message
*Version 3.1 fixes a false positive detection that some AV software had issues with.

Download:

Use serial to register:
NAME:RockinRazz&AllThatJazz@VELOCITY
KEY:A330-20B7-5CD3-FD1C-337A-7CAF-CC98

thanx to VELOCITY

Friday 24 August 2012

Cory's Lunch Rush

Cory's Lunch Rush | 39 mb

Serve up some fast food fun in SC's Restaurant. Help take orders, gather food, and serve the customers in a fun, fast-paced environment. Play your way through two game modes, dozens of exciting levels and 15 unlockable achievements. Guide Cory as he builds his financial wealth and true independence in Cory's Lunch Rush.

Download: 
Or:

Murder Mystery: Who Killed Linda Neuman?

Murder Mystery: Who Killed Linda Neuman? | 121 mb

At the luxurious Paradise Island Resort, the Grand Fashion Show is just about ready to get underway. However, things come to an abrupt halt when the show's top model, Linda, is found murdered in her room. The hotel manager is concerned with his hotel's reputation and calls on the help of Detective Clara. However, as Detective Clara gets deeper into her investigation of the mysterious death of the famous model, she uncovers clues that lead her into a chaotic whirlwind of secrets and affairs. Just when she thinks she has found the perpetrator, she learns something else that takes her back to the drawing board. The plot thickens with each clue she finds!

Download: 
Or:
Or:

Thursday 23 August 2012

Blood Knights preview - Hands-on the vampire action-RPG


Blood Knights is a vampire-themed, isometric action-RPG with a heavy emphasis on cooperative play. Developers Deck 13 took inspiration from RPGs like Baldur's Gate, crafting a game that takes players to Transylvania where you and a friend slay vampires, werewolves, and other mythical creatures in local-only co-op.  We had a chance to play through the first dungeon and get a taste of the co-op-centric gameplay.  





http://www.gamesradar.com/blood-knights-preview-hand-vampire-action-rpg/


Blood Knight puts you in control of two vampires who must combine their skills to overcome each level's challenges. Jeremy is a dual-wielding melee fighter, while Liz is a ranged combatant armed with two crossbows. Each character has skills that complement the other: For instance, Jeremy has the ability to lift objects with his mind and pull them towards him, and Liz can lift objects and push them away. In co-op, we came across a large gap in a staircase. To get across, Liz needed to lift Jeremy and throw him across the gap, then Jeremy could lift Liz from the other side and pull her to him. The developers mentioned that this was one of the simpler examples of cooperative puzzle-solving, and that later puzzles would force players to interact with each other and work together in more complex ways.


Combat also emphasizes cooperative play. Jeremy takes the role of a tank, using his heavy armor and melee weapons to hold back groups of enemies, while Liz rapidly flings arrows and tosses bombs from a distance. A single character can easily become overwhelmed by a group of enemies, so it's important to watch your partner's back. Also, certain enemies can only be damaged by a specific character. Enemy archers will stand on distant ledges and must be shot down by Liz, while Jeremy's the only one who can break through shield-bearing enemies' defenses. 



Killing enemies, earning experience, and gaining levels will allow your characters to equip higher-level loot (which you'll find via chests and enemy drops) and unlock new abilities. One of the earlier skills we had access to was Jeremy's powerful slam skill that can be used to break objects, shatter shields, and set off explosive barrels; also made use of his whirlwind attack which quickly cuts down weaker enemies. Liz's fire arrows and grenades are useful for taking out groups of enemies at a distance or igniting out-of-reach explosives on fire to clear path-blocking debris. Along with the attack skills, the duo also earns vampire skills. The first you gain is the ability to share blood (your health) between the two protagonists, which allows you to revive a fallen partner or keep their health bolstered during a fight. To replenish your health, you can drain it from dying humans impaled on spikes spread across levels that act as a health font, or suck it straight out of the weaker enemies. 



Although Blood Knights is meant to be played with a co-op partner, a single-player mode is also available. Instead of controlling both characters, you'll be able to switch between the two on the fly with a button press. This inherently changes the gameplay, since the push/pull-style puzzle solving we explained earlier isn't possible with only one character on-screen. Unfortunately, single-player simply yanks those situations our entirely. It looks like you'll have to have a buddy play with you to get the full experience.


Blood Knights will be available for download on October 31 for XBLA, PSN and PC. 


WWE 13 preview - First hands-on


For more than a decade, the WWE franchise has been a stalwart pillar for THQ. Last year, the publisher freshened up its digital wrestling by ditching the SmackDown! brand and replacing it with the simplified WWE moniker. 2011's WWE 12 was a step in the right direction creatively, but now the developers are hoping that WWE 13 can be a real revolution for wrestling games. To that end, WWE 13 takes much inspiration from both current stars and a fondly remembered era.





http://www.gamesradar.com/wwe-13-preview-first-hands-/


The path THQ and developer Yuke's are taking the game is exemplified in the two cover stars. On the standard edition is CM Punk, a superstar who, for the past year, has been the voice of the voiceless in the WWE audience. Much like what WWE 13 aims to accomplish, Punk speaks to hardcore fans in a way no wrestler has for some time. The devs are hoping the gameplay updates will do the same for longtime players.


Last year saw the introduction of the impactful Predator engine, and WWE 13 intends to tweak it with increased match drama as its goal. The already-impressive collection of finishers has been expanded thanks to new mid-air versions of each move, alongside enhanced, table-breaking finishers. You could break the announcer's table with any regular move, but wouldn't you rather Triple H drop his opponent through the plywood with a contextually specific Pedigree?



Building up your finisher momentum plays into the other gameplay additions, like the context-sensitive Spectacular Moments. Place your opponent in the right spot, like the corner of some guard rails or atop the ropes, you can pull out an action that will have the announcers saying, "Oh, my God!" Among the moves we pulled off were busting through the guard rail (an homage to a Sheamus/Mark Henry match) and a super heavyweight top rope suplex that broke the ring, just as Big Show and Mark Henry did last year. By the way, the devs have told us the match can continue even if the ring breaks (though they weren't clear on how exactly that could work).


Those aforementioned super heavyweights also showcased another tweak to the engine that improves the physiology of the superstars. Now the wrestlers that break the scale are harder to pick up for standard moves – no more Rey Mysterio body slamming Khali – and their huge bodies have a more realistic bone structure. In general, the builds of the wrestlers were looking less uniform this year – a welcome change, given that the expanding roster needs increased physical diversity to tell the wrestlers apart.





http://www.gamesradar.com/wwe-13-preview-first-hands-/


Past those tweaks to the engine, WWE 13's second cover star points to its most notable franchise addition. As exemplified in special editions adorned by Stone Cold Steve Austin, WWE 13 includes a massive tribute to the Attitude Era. This was a time when characters swore more, did crazier things, and when WWE had some of the highest rated programs on TV. The infusion of attitude is first evident from the WWE 13 roster, which stands as the biggest in THQ history. It features more than 80 wrestlers, including Attitude stars Ken Shamrock, X-Pac, Godfather and the New Age Outlaws. But the classic characters are just the beginning.


Similar to the popular Road to WrestleMania campaigns of the past, Attitude Era is a single-player adventure through the late '90s glory days. You replay matches and recreate moments in the careers of icons like Shawn Michaels, Mankind, and The Rock. We played a chunk of Stone Cold's story, first recreating his transformative match at WrestleMania XIV against Shawn Michaels with Mike Tyson on the sidelines. Like last year's campaigns, the match had important moments to recreate with a well-timed press of a button, such as beating Shawn with a Stone Cold Stunner. Yet it's entirely optional to winning the match, something many wanted in WWE 12's story mode.



Attitude Era is filled with these kinds of little historic moments to give your matches some added spice (and unlock extras). We witnessed that in the second classic match, Stone Cold's first title defense against Dude Love, but they don't all work so well the first go-round. As we focused on pinning Dude Love, the optional objectives popped up, but it was fairly unclear what we were supposed to do since we'd forgotten the important moments of this 14-year-old fight. The descriptions of the objectives were a little vague, leading to some frustration on our part. Hopefully the goals will be clearer in the retail version.


Outside of the late '90s nostalgia and improved engine, it's worth mentioning that WWE 13 boasts an expanded Create-an-Arena mode. Your choices for making a custom ring have greatly expanded: you can now change the size of the arena, the type of audience, intro music, and even customize the entrance areas. The more hardcore contingent of WWE gamers usually appreciate when THQ deepens the creation tools like this, though it remains to be seen if similar expansions are in store for Create-a-Superstar or Create-a-Finisher.





http://www.gamesradar.com/wwe-13-preview-first-hands-/


At this point, we're used to Yuke's and THQ at least incrementally improving WWE games with each new entry, if not outright rebooting the franchise. Mechanically, WWE 13 appears to be about adjustment instead of starting from scratch, but the campaign is a different story entirely. Older fans will no doubt appreciate the nostalgia for the Attitude Era, and if you're the type to pick up WWE games for their single-player, the addition of this likely dense campaign is certainly welcome. Whether you're a fan of CM Punk or Stone Cold Steve Austin, WWE 13 looks to be the most hardcore series entry in sometime.


Dishonored - The Study of Stealth trailer


Dishonored lets you jump into the action to clang swords in a dual, summon rats to devour guards, and send enemies flying out windows with powerful gusts of air. But doing all that attracts a lot of attention. The latest trailer for Dishonored focuses on the silent side of assassinating the Victorian elite. Learn all the tricks to staying out of the enemy's line of sight, using darkness to your advantage, and distracting guards in the video below.





http://www.gamesradar.com/dishonored-study-stealth-trailer/


Get your hands on Dishonored on October 9 for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. For more information on Dishonored, be sure to check out our Dishonored preview.


Wednesday 22 August 2012

Watch the WWE 13 panel featuring Stone Cold Steve Austin and Mike Tyson


If you've been following WWE 13, then you know it has a huge focus on the Attitude Era, the time in the late 1990s when the wrestling organization was pushing the envelope and changing the TV world. In anticipation of SummerSlam last weekend, game publisher THQ lined up an all-star panel of professional wrestlers to talk about the game. It included Attitude Era icon Stone Cold Steve Austin, his WrestleMania XIV nemesis Mike Tyson, current champions CM Punk and Sheamus, all hosted by WWE Hall of Fame commentator Jim Ross. Watch as these superstars talk about the old days, current champions, upcoming feuds, and WWE 13 in this video any longtime wrestling fan will find informative.





http://www.gamesradar.com/watch-wwe-13-panel-featuring-stone-cold-steve-austin-and-mike-tyson/


We'll have an update on the game real soon, but in the meantime, check out our list of the WWE 13 roster to see the more than 80 wrestlers in the game.

The Political Machine 2012



2012 is an election year in America, meaning it's time for the Republicans and Democrats to go head-to-head in mud-slinging and filibusterering in hopes of winning over the hearts and minds of the country's voters. While this might seem like a noble attempt at democracy, it's actually anything but--with career politicians treating the American people like some sort of massive game of Risk and doing whatever it takes to get elected, the political process is actually much more like a video game than an actual democratic ordeal. It's because of this sad reality that Stardock's The Political Machine series works so well; it's essentially the Madden of democracy.


In 2012's edition, the game has been updated to feature a wide-range of artistically stylized politicians, allowing gamers to choose between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney (obviously), as well as other would-be candidates like Hillary Clinton, Al Franken, Ron Paul, and many others. It's also possible to create your own bobblehead character, choosing between dozens of different facial and body options to create the candidate of your choosing, complete with a political party and relevant issues. The creation tools aren't that polished, and it'll take a while to get your candidate looking just right, but with enough finagling you'll be able to create your own personal bobblehead.





http://www.gamesradar.com/the-political-machine-2012-review/


Check out the game's trailer to see The Political Machine in action

Once you've chosen your candidate, you'll do just what real-life politicians do: travel around the country stopping in the swing states worth the most electoral points and begging them to vote for you by telling them what they want to hear. You'll go to Ohio and promise to fix unemployment, head to Florida and set up a television advertisements supporting Medicare, fly up to New York to raise money, and then you'll swing over to California to complain about how your opponent supports Chik-fil-A. Everything you do, from campaigning to opening up new offices, raises or lowers your ranking among the Democrats, Republicans, and Independents in the chosen state, moving the needle towards your victory by bouncing around the poll numbers. Choosing (or creating) a candidate's positions doesn't really have much of an impact, though, due to the fact that raising your political awareness is based more around your ability to grovel than your actual stances.


Obviously, you're not alone. Your opponent is rampaging around the country doing the same thing as you are, attempting to stifle your political prowess around every turn. It's overwhelming at first--especially if you're not all that well-versed in American politics--but before long, the numbers and charts start to make sense, and a deeper layer of strategy shows. As you up the difficulty and enter into longer campaigns, you'll need to play things more strategically, since running from state to state and complaining about gas prices will only get you so far. It's quite rewarding, especially if you're a fan of the political system, to see if it's possible to win a difficult campaign by taking your opponent's home state or campaigning just on specific issues. Options like appearing on different cable news shows and meeting proxies for the likes of Bill O'Reilly and Stephen Colbert help vary the otherwise complicated map, and the ability to unlock new dialogue options for their interviews should put a smile on any politically-aware gamer's face.



But after you've campaigned a few times and beat out your opponents, fulfilling every political dream you could possibly have, there's very little to keep you playing. In 2008's The Political Machine, Stardock included historical and fictional figures, as well as several different campaign maps to keep things varied. It also helped keep the game accessible to those uninterested in American politics and relevant past the election. Not being able to campaign in the 1800s or attempt to win over an alien planet's people cheapens the overall value, especially considering these options were available in the last game. Being able to campaign online is good and all, but it's still a paltry offering that could have been much more worthwhile if there was more content, even if it was literally just the same content from 2008 adapted to the fit in with 2012's minor changes.


The Political Machine 2012 is a light-hearted, albeit somewhat cynical look at the American political system. In fact, it's this conflict that might cause the most strife for potential buyers--it's too absurdly mechanical for those uninterested in the process, and too bare-bones and lackluster for those willing to engulf themselves in it. Still, at a mere $ 10, it's a worthy purchase for any politically-minded voter, if not just to give them something to do besides arguing with people on Facebook and reading political blogs until the end of November. 


Tuesday 21 August 2012

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron review


High Moon Studio's retelling of the Transformers' escape from their dying planet Cybertron was left unfinished in 2010's Transformers: War for Cybertron. In its sequel, Transformers: Fall of Cybertron, continues the story of the Autobot/Decepticon civil war, reintroduces familiar characters from the cartoon series, and delivers the action-packed gameplay of the original – with a few changes.





http://www.gamesradar.com/transformers-fall-of-cybertron-review/


Fall of Cybertron takes place directly after the events of the previous game, with Optimus and the Autobots preparing their deep-space ship, known as the Ark, for evacuation from the mechanical planet. The campaign is structured differently from the previous title. Instead of two separate campaigns – Autobot and Decepticon – as seen in the prior game, Fall of Cybertron takes you through a single storyline that alternates between the two sides. For instance, in one mission, you'll play as Optimus Prime as he attempts to secure Energon resources for the Ark's evacuation. In the next, you'll take control of the Decepticon, Vortex, as he sabotages the Autobot transport carrying that same Energon supply. You'll see both sides of the conflict firsthand, which is great for those who enjoyed the dual perspective of the first game. But that's not all that's changed.


Fall of Cybertron forgoes the three-player co-op from the previous title, which in turn, negates the ability to choose the character you play in each level. You no longer have two companion characters following you around. Instead, characters like Jazz will move about the background, guide you through levels, and keep up the banter as you stealthily infiltrate a Decepticon base as the mission's designated Autobot, Cliffjumper. Each level is crafted with the transformer's abilities in mind. In some missions, you'll play as Optimus with a heavy emphasis on shooting or you'll do some platforming as the acrobatic Jazz, while others let you take to the skies as Starscream in amazing aerial/ground hybrid levels.



Each level type is fun in its own right. The shooting sections are solid, stealth missions go without a hitch, and aerial assaults are a blast. However, the melee-focused Dinobot section of the campaign is far from enjoyable. Rather than running into battle guns blazing, firing off missile launchers, and transforming at a moment's notice to rain-down a bombardment of explosives on enemy lines, you're forced to continuously mash the melee button and watch the same combo animation over and over, as you wail on Insecticons. The entire section was completely out of place and drags on for far too long. Even the instant ability to transform is taken away in exchange for a rage meter that (once filled) allows you to activate your T-Rex form.


Overall, the gameplay feels tighter and more focused. However, the inability to play as or interact with a larger roster of characters is disappointing. You'll see plenty of familiar characters, like Ironside and Shockwave, but you won't be able to interact with most of them in more than a short dialogue exchange. It is also a missed opportunity that the more prominent characters don't play boss roles to fill the overall lack of boss battles. Instead, you're stuck fighting generic, larger-than-usual transformers as they show up as "sort-of" mini-bosses to replace the massive boss encounters of the first game.



Throughout our playthrough, we noticed a significant amount of graphics pop-in and muddy textures. Walls appear blurry for a second or two after loading, and sometimes take several seconds for character textures to appear when fiddling with the armor options on the multiplayer menus. This lessens when we installed the game on Xbox 360, so be prepared to lose eight gigs of hard drive space.


After you finish the campaign, the multiplayer and Escalation modes provide a great reason to come back to Fall of Cybertron. Not much has changed from War for Cybertron's multiplayer, but engaging giant robots in a gun battle is just as fun as before. Successful kills and captured objectives earn experience points to unlock more weapons and upgrades, and you can customize youre Autobot and Decepticons with armor parts to make them stand out from the crowd.



Escalation – the Transformers version of Horde mode – is especially addicting. Players face wave after wave of hostile transformers. You'll choose from four character classes, each with unique support abilities including a projectile absorbing Flak Shield, Heal Beam, automated Battle Sentry, or the ammo replenishing Ultra-Power Core. When you get a kill in Escalation, you earn money, which you can use to purchase weapons, activate traps, and open doors to access new sections of the map. The enemies come out in droves, so sticking with your team and devising and effective battle strategy is the only way to survive.


Transformers: Fall of Cybertron is a solid action experience with a few issues that hold it back from greatness. The story campaign entertains and the multiplayer modes entice you to come back after the credits roll, but the out-of-place melee segments, polish issues, and dropped features from the first game make it fall short. If you're a Transformers superfan looking for more giant robot action or just looking for a fun shooter experience, Transformers: Fall of Cybertron will not disappoint. 


Harold preview - it's like playing a cartoon!


Ever wish you could play something as funny and well animated as a classic cartoon? We certainly have, and it seems Moonspider Studios wants to answer our prayers. Its upcoming PC and console release Harold captures the hilarious slapstick and awesome sound design of a classic animated comedy. It's no wonder; some of the development team is composed of ex-Warner Bros and Disney animators. As a result, Harold is something of a glorious mash-up of Dragon's Lair, Mario Kart and a Roadrunner cartoon.


When we say glorious, we mean it, as in the glory of heaven above. In Harold players take on the role of a guardian angel charged with looking after the wimpiest contestant in a punishing cross-country race. Imagine Fry from Futurama crossed with Lester the Unlikely and you've got Harold. Keeping your heavenly charge safe is not a job any angel could do sitting down. During our demo, keeping Harold out of pits and spike traps took quick thinking and fast fingers, and that was just keeping him alive. To push him to the front of the pack you'll need to shake loose all the little secrets of a level, which will reward you with rich animated cut scenes.





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Each level of Harold is a race where we, the guardian angel, didn't have direct control over our racer friend. Harold ambles along with his goofy, loping gait, too slow to ever have a snowball's chance in hell of winning without some help from above. To keep him on pace we had to look down the track, moving platforms and readying elevators in anticipation of his arrival. A bit like a Lemming, Harold would walk right of a cliff if we didn't put something under his floppy feet.


We might have been playing as a heavenly herald (get it?), but that didn't mean our behavior had to be strictly angelic. One of the most fun (and effective) ways of moving Harold up the ranks was by sabotaging the other racers. When you move a platform to grab your goofy little buddy, you can also move it out from under another racer, dropping them to doom and disastrous delay.



As much as quick thinking and twitch gameplay skills were important for leading Harold to success, knowledge of the map was also a key. Getting Harold to place third is enough to advance to the next level, but dedicated players will want to return for a bigger challenge. Harold is built with such replay value in mind, with multiple possible paths to take in each level. We also found a secret area that rewarded us with a shortcut, and a hilarious animated cutscene. It was short, sweet and full of quick little visual gags, definitely the kind of thing that will remain rewarding with multiple viewings.


Harold's music was also dynamic and just plain striking. Appropriately enough for a game about a helper from heaven, it was a gospel choir. Their heavenly voices build and build as Harold pulls past the competition, putting pressure on the player and adding a layer of beauty to the silly, cartoon inspired experience.



Make no mistake though, Harold is animated with microscopic precision, to the point where Moonspider should be expecting a call from Cartoon Network asking for the rights to a series. The developers slowed the game down to a frame-by-frame to show us how Harold stretched and snapped before shooting forward like a cannonball (after we'd provided a little "motivation" with a lightning bolt to his butt). However, we didn't need super slow-mo to appreciate how awesome the game looked. Every character in the race moved with its own distinct step, and levels came to life with an impressive mix of 2D and 3D animation. We had almost as much fun watching the developers play as we did holding the controller ourselves.


With its gorgeous animation, delirious sense of humor and angelic music, Harold is a truly promising, atypical upcoming release. Details on the game's release date are still cloudy; all we know is sometime next year. Games like Harold don't fall out of the sky too often, so we'll be keeping watch on this one.