Hardware News

BioShock Preview

May 31, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

The fellas over at Computer and Video Games.com have thrown up a preview on Irrational Games' upcoming first person shooter, BioShock. Here's a bit on some of the interesting weaponry in the game:

"The weapons are cobbled together with household items," explains Levine, pointing at the odd-looking pistol on-screen. "The ammo feed is made from a tomato tin and there's a model airplane engine to power the automatic chamber. Weapons are modifiable too - the weapons system alone is more complex and deeper than in any other FPS."
It makes sense too - you wouldn't find conventional weaponry in an isolated utopian society. As Levine presses onwards he comes across a rotating machine-gun turret made using a gun and an office chair. Little touches like this attempt to flesh out the world Irrational are so keen to convey in Bioshock, and it seems to work.

Half-Life 2: Episode One Preview

May 31, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

GameSpot is the latest website to fire-up a preview on Valve Software's soon-to-be-released Half-Life 2 expansion pack, Episode One. Here's a little something to nibble on:

Spending so much time with Alyx also has the benefit of helping to flesh out the story better. Not only do you have someone to provide a running commentary of what's going on, but you also grow more attached to Alyx and her sense of humor. Don't worry about missing out on other old friends, though, because all the major characters from Half-Life 2 make an appearance, including one or two that you don't expect. The original top-notch voice cast is back, and the script provides even more character warmth and humor than before. (Dr. Kleiner's cameo is a particular hoot.) Meanwhile, if you were hoping that Gordon Freeman would get a voice, forget about it. As ever, since the entire episode takes place from Freeman's perspective, and since you play the game in Freeman's shoes, providing a voice would ruin the immersion of the game.

Games of Summer Article

May 31, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

The FiringSquad has posted an article taking a look at many of the games set to be released this summer. So if you're itching for something new to play, you may want to give this a look. They cover everything from Rise and Fall: Civilizations at War to Prey. Click here for the goods!

Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter Review

May 31, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

Getting back into the swing of things, GameSpy has whipped up a review on Red Storm Entertainment's tactical shooter, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter. There's nothing like some good squad combat. uNF:

There's plenty in this GRAW that the developers get right. The urban setting of Mexico City is a tactical nightmare, or a wannabe squad-leader's dream come true, depending on how you look at it. To succeed, you'll have to learn how to "bound" from cover to cover and maintain a 360-degree level of security at all times. Flanking maneuvers and setting up a good crossfire are keys to survival. If you stay exposed to enemy fire for too long you'll get killed, guaranteed.

Half-Life 2: Episode One Preview

May 30, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

Keeping this slow news day rollin', Game Informer Online has taken a hands-on look at Valve Software's upcoming Half-Life 2 expansion pack, Episode One. Here's a bit on Alyx's AI:

Episode One plays quite differently from Half-Life 2 in the sense that its a single player cooperative game with Alyx. Throughout most of the episode, you and Alyx will team together to solve puzzles, cover each other, and take on waves of enemies. The AI for Alyx is quite intelligent, and when you encounter an obstacle she knows what you are trying to accomplish. In one area, youre staged in a three story car garage where theres antlions coming out of holes. Shell cover for you while you plug up the holes. In another stage Alyx acts as a sniper picking off enemies as you progress down the road. Alyx isnt invincible, however, so youll still need to protect her. She seemed to have a ridiculous amount of hit points, but if youre not careful she will die and youll have to start a section over again.

Hitman: Blood Money Review

May 30, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

The ActionTrip has whipped up a review on IO Interactive's recently released Action-Stealth title, Hitman: Blood Money. With a final score of 83/100, this one sounds like a keeper. Anyways, here's a snippet on the game's eyecandy:

Besides the storyline, one of the strongest points of this game is the art direction, which is superb. Each of the levels will feel unique and intricate. Each new mission presented a visual treat and an interesting environment to explore. The strategic addition of a great number of characters in certain scenes (like in the Mardi Gras mission) gives a dose of believability and authenticity to the game world (even though there would be just several NPC archetypes in each of these massive scenes). Hitman: Blood Money looks very pretty and that has mostly to do with great art direction, rather than the DX 9 bells and whistles.

Hero Online Interview

May 30, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

The RPGVault kicks things off by interviewing Jack Stanley, Lead Game Designer behind Netgame's upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, Hero Online. They chat about the game's storyline, character development and more. Here's some juice:

Jonric: How much of a story element will we experience within the game, and to what extent is it significant?
Jack Stanley: One of the great things about Hero Online is how involved the storyline is with regards to the game. Within the first set of quests that a player will undergo, they will immediately be thrust into the storyline of the game where he or she must discover the whos and hows of the previous hero's murder. From there, the quests and story continue to... well, I'll leave it up to the players to find out.
Hero Online's story and quest system really give the player a single-player RPG feel while still maintaining all the great elements of a spectacular MMORPG. It's one of those "you have to play it to really see it" type things; you really do have to play Hero Online to see how awesome and involved the story is to the game.

Gothic III Preview

May 29, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

The folks over at GamersInfo.net have shot-up some E3 impressions on Piranah Bytes' upcoming RPG, Gothic III. Here's a little something on how the game handles player choices:

This brings us to the most intriguing, and perhaps unique, part of the series, something rarely seen outside MMO games. All the players actions have a consequence, and the NPCs remember everything! So remember that shop you rob may comeback to haunt you down the road. There are many factions in the game which the player can curry favor, the two most dominant being the Orc and Human factions. Depending on their stance the player can set to free the human race and destroy the Orc horde, betray humanity and side with the Orcs, or even play something in between and try and cultivate standing on both sides. All are equal options in Gothic III and all have some consequence for the player.

WoW: The Burning Crusade Preview

May 28, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

Keeping this weekend kickin', GameDaily has thrown together a short preview on Blizzard Entertainment's upcoming World of WarCraft expansion, The Burning Crusade. Here's a bit on the spiffy new races:

As with every race in WoW, these two have some inherent powers that are available from conception and have some limited use throughout the entire game. The Blood Elves have some very differently styled powers than most races. Their powers involve draining creatures around them to save up charges, which can be used to restore mana or even silences everyone in a radius. While these sounds both insanely cool and insanely overpowered, we can trust that Blizzard will spend a great deal of time tweaking them and perhaps even retooling the entire idea right up until that far away launch date (which is very tentative anyway). The Draenei, on the other hand, have much more traditional (in WoW terms, that is) powers, such as a natural bonus to jewel crafting (the new profession) and a small regeneration spell. The good news is, unlike many of the natural abilities of the other races, the regen effect will become slowly more powerful with the character, retaining its usefulness through level 70.

Hitman: Blood Money Patch Released

May 27, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

The folks over at IO Interactive have released a new patch (v1.1) for their Action-Stealth title, Hitman: Blood Money. Weighing in at 10megs, the download includes some performance enhancements and other bug fixes. You can get your paws on this puppy at one of the following mirrors:

Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Q&A

May 27, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

GameProducer.net has Bethesda Softworks' Gavin Carter in the hot seat this evening, answering questions regarding his job as a producer and their hit RPG, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. So how does a day at work play out for him?

GameProducer.net: Then some questions about your hit game Oblivion. Can you describe us a typical day in Oblivion production?
Gavin Carter: A typical day involved artists churning out new content, designers setting up their quests in the editor, and programmers squashing bugs and implementing new features. A typical day for me usually started with checking my email and making sure I had no loose threads left to resolve. Then Id begin going over our TestTracker bug and task database, assigning the new bugs to specific programmers to look at and bugging people to finish up tasks that were due. Usually we do meetings in the afternoon, and then Id finish off by double checking that the schedule document still conformed to what we had in tracker.

Titan Quest Dev Diary

May 27, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

Also over at GameSpot this evening is a developer diary written by Iron Lore's Jeff Goodsill regarding their upoming Action-RPG, Titan Quest. Here's a snippet on the game's different monsters:

The world is rich with monsters and creatures that have been inspired by mythology, such as satyrs, harpies, centaurs, gorgons, Minotaurs, and cyclopes. There are stone statues that come to life and traps to avoid. With more than 80 different creatures, and multiple variations of each, you can expect to find something new at every turn. We have more than 20 key boss and miniboss encounters, each having specialized skills that will require cunning, patience, and skill to overcome. You will find it advantageous to keep a variety of skills, equipment, and tactics in reserve.

Click here to keep reading!

Rogue Trooper Review

May 27, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

GameSpot has slapped up a review on Rebellion's third person shooter, Rogue Trooper. Scoring a 6.7/10, you may want to read up on this one a little before buying. Anyways, here's a clipping:

The net effect of the four-characters-in-one design is a wide variety of options for dealing with the challenges you face on the battlefield. In any given battle you'll be sniping enemies, planting explosives, tossing grenades, using mounted weapons, setting minesand purchasing ammo. That's right, you have to purchase all of your ammo through an inventory screen. It might not sound like a big deal, but when you're in the middle of an intense firefight trying to deal with snipers, dropships, bombers, ground troops, turrets, and mechs all at the same time, the last thing you want to do is pause the game and manage your inventory. It's nice to have the option to equip yourself on the fly as you see fit, but it's also a quick way to completely remove the fun and intensity of a great battle. Even if you try to strategically manage your supplies between battles, you can't carry much, so you'll invariably end up running out of ammo during the frequent and extended combat sequences in the game.

ParaWorld Interview

May 27, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

The FiringSquad has caught up with SEK's Thomas Langhanki for a brief Q&A regarding their upcoming Strategy title, ParaWorld. They chat about the game's storyline, factions and more! Here's a taste:

FiringSquad: There are a ton of RTS titles already out there. How will Paraworld differ in terms of gameplay from the host of other strategy titles?
Thomas Langhanki: ParaWorld has a fast pace and is focussed on battles. We know that the settings appeals to lots of playing because it differs from settings often used in other titles and, hey, dinosaurs! We also incorporated other, unique types of units players are going to have a great time with.
ParaWorld also features something youve already seen briefly the Army Controller. It does make a tremendous difference in terms of controls and its something not featured in any other game. You always know the status of every single unit, you can always access it or use it to send them to other positions. Its simply something youll miss in other games once you got used to it.
And theres also a number of smaller ideas or technical features such as a dedicated server version and Dualcore support due to the multithreaded nature of the engine.

SiN Episodes: Emergence Review

May 26, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

The peeps over at PC.IGN have thrown up their take on Ritual Entertainment's recently released first person shooter, SiN Episodes: Emergence. Here's a little something on the game's firepower:

And while there are only three weapons in the game (and from what we understand, that's the entirety of SiN's arsenal), the pistol, shotgun and assault rifle each have heft and distinct tactical usage. The pistol's stopping power is on par with that of Halo, and it has a railgun-style alt-fire that's handy for plugging someone in one hit from a distance. The shotgun will kill the regular enemies in one hit at medium distance, and its alt-fire is basically the normal mode on steroids, good for one-shotting the tougher baddies. The assault rifle's main mode is underpowered, but it can fire grenades. Each alt-fire uses distinct ammunition you'll need to collect, but it's usually available in droves after taking down a rush of enemies who also drop little health packs and ammo.

Read on

New F.E.A.R. Patch Released

May 26, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

Hitting us with a little download lovin', Monolith has released a new patch (v1.05) for their hit first person shooter, F.E.A.R.. Included are two new multiplayer modes (Control and Capture All), two new maps and more! Hit one of the following mirrors to get your "game on":

The Witcher Interview

May 26, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

Gamingnext has CD Projekt's Michał Madej in the hot seat tonight, answering some questions regarding their upcoming Action-RPG, The Witcher. Topics range from the combat system to it's NPC interaction. Here's some juice:

For those that are new to The Witcher, can you give us a rundown of what the games about?
Most importantly, The Witcher is a role-playing game. Real, back-to-basics stuff, which guarantees you a stirring experience: slip inside the heros skin, discover his world and take part in an historical story of epic proportions, some of which you write yourself. The fact that we have strong classic roots does not in any way mean that we are out of date. Just the opposite; were delivering a classic tale relayed in a modern and contemporary style. From the advanced graphics engine, fast-moving and tactical combat and unique character development, to quirky and unusual story-lines, were dealing with a state-of-the-art game.
The game itself takes place in a world created by acclaimed author Andrzej Sapkowski whos very popular in Europe in his unconventional fantasy novels. The hero is Geralt, a monster-slayer, a super-warrior, mutated during childhood and schooled in the arts of battle and magic. The story-line of the game, put very simply, is made up of epic threads (mixed up with different political forces) and the witchers own story, which tells of stolen secrets and a search for the heros true identity.

Huxley Preview

May 26, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

MMORPG.com keeps things rollin' with some E3 impressions on Webzen's upcoming massively multiplayer online first person shooter, Huxley. Here's a snippet on the game's environments:

The environments are what you expect in an FPS as well. Its high quality and clean with some great textures to give it that realistic feel youve come to expect in a game. Its a nice piece of work. Also outside were ships you could use for transport around the map. I have to admit one of my weaknesses is flying. I do all right enough but I bumped into more than one building as I worked on getting a feel for the lift of the thing. I was told that you could not fly over the buildings but had to go around. I think that was wrong however because later I was able to once I had enough loft to actually clear from a distance away. Maybe its all just down to the handling.

Heroes of Might and Magic V Review

May 26, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

GameSpy has fired-up a review on Nival Interactive's recently released turn-based strategy title, Heroes of Might and Magic V. Here's a nugget on the heroes unit improvements:

Most of the new stuff in Heroes V is more along the lines of Heroes III design tweaks rather than anything terribly innovative. Heroes now take part in combat either by getting a free whack at an enemy group, casting a spell, or activating a skill. This is a nice addition as it doesn't make the free attack too powerful, so your heroes are not one-person killing machines (see Heroes IV), but it makes them more useful than just adding combat bonuses and casting spells. (One oddity is that your hero gets a free attack even if attacking a castle with fortified walls which doesn't make a lick of sense.)

The Witcher Impressions

May 25, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

The RPGVault has slapped up their two cents on CD Projekt's E3 showing of their upcoming Action-RPG, The Witcher. Here's a snippet on the gameplay:

The game appears to incorporate a compelling combination of core elements. The setting contains many familiar fantasy archetypes but still exudes a distinctive personality. Combat, which is naturally a significant aspect of the play, looks gripping, with over 200 animations, a selection of attacks emphasizing speed, strength and effectiveness against multiple opponents, a quick but not frantic pace, and a control system in which timing your mouse clicks properly produces increased damage. Also of considerable interest is a moral emphasis wherein decisions have both positive and negative consequences, meaning there is no clear best choice. This also suggests high replayability. As you can easily see for yourselves, the visuals are both detailed and highly attractive.

Included are some spiffy screenshots. So don't miss them! ;)

Jeremy Soule Interview

May 25, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

GameSpy has sat down with industry music-man Jeremy Soule, regarding his work over the years and specifically his work on ArenaNet's Guild Wars: Factions expansion. Here's something to chew on:

GameSpy: Speaking of which, how did you land the gig with Guild Wars Factions?
Soule: When you work with a number of different companies, you tend to meet people who then go to other companies, and you then meet the people there. It's kind of a spidering effect. So I knew the art director at ArenaNet from my days at Squaresoft, and a couple animators there as well, and I was curious about what they were up to, so I went to their website. And when I saw the screenshots for the original Guild Wars, it just blew me away. It was one of the most beautiful games I'd ever seen. I just knew I had to be involved. Luckily, the head of the studio at the time was a fan of my music.

Half-Life 2: Episode One Golden!

May 25, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

The fine folks over at Valve Software have announced that their upcoming Half-Life 2 expansion pack, Episode One, has gone gold and should be hitting stores on June 1st. Here's a clipping from the press release:

Bellevue, WA, May 22, 2006 - Valve®, developer of the blockbuster series Half-Life® and Counter-StrikeTM, announced Half-Life® 2: Episode One has gone gold. Episode One is the first in a trilogy of episodes that will conclude by Christmas of 2007.
Half-Life 2: Episode One advances the 15-million unit selling franchise and launches the first in a new, three-part series that leads far beyond City 17. Half-Life 2: Episode One does not require Half-Life 2 to play, and will be available via Steam® and at retail stores in North America for just $19.95 on June 1st. Also included in Episode One is a first look at Episode Two, which will ship by year's end.

Titan Quest Preview

May 25, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

Moving right along, PC.IGN has posted a preview taking a look at some of the different monsters in Iron Lore's upcoming Action-RPG, Titan Quest. Here's a nugget on the Djinn:

The turmoil that is wreaking havoc in the Orient has awoken the sleeping spirit of the Djinn. The race of Djinn genies that have remained dormant for thousands of years is now awake and taking vengeance on the ancestors that once persecuted them. These ghostly spirits are said to inhabit caves, graveyards, and the underground, and any other dark space that the unsuspecting might wander.

Click here for more!

Dark Messiah of Might and Magic Q&A

May 25, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

GameSpot starts things off by kicking up an interview with Romain de Waubert de Genlis, the Producer behind Arkane Studios' upcoming Action-Adventure title, Dark Messiah of Might and Magic. Topics range from classes to the multiplayer modes. Here's a clipping:

GS: Could you give us a little more detail about the "dynamic campaign"? Is it a territorial-based game about controlling specific points, like Battlefield or Unreal Tournament 2004?
RWG: The core gameplay on a single map is very close to Battlefield. You have to capture flags on the map, allowing you to spawn there, and the more flags you have, the quicker your opponents' "reinforcements" will drop.
However, there is more to the crusade mode. In most multiplayer games, the map cycle is rigid, and you have very little impact on it. In this mode, we make the next map load automatically, depending on the outcome of the battle. On top of that, all maps are linked together geographically. So if you win battle after battle, you will really have the feeling of going deeper into enemy territory, while the landscape will change and your tactics will adapt to the situation.
We will, of course, allow for the possibility of the community creating their own custom multiplayer campaigns by editing the campaign map list.

Ken Rolston Interview

May 24, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

[H]Consumer has fired-off some questions at Bethesda Softworks' Ken Rolston regarding his contribution to The Elder Scrolls franchise and his time in the gaming industry in general. Here's some juice:

The encounters in Oblivion -- enemies, equipment, and treasure -- are indexed to the player's current level. Why did you do it this way?
Rolston: Morrowind stops being much of a gameplay challenge long before you've exhausted the narrative and setting content. Encounters indexed to the user level addresses that problem directly. I think leveling was, at first, perceived as a cure for the obvious balance flaws of Morrowind. But as we refined leveling gameplay during development, we appreciated how it made the game more fun in every way. It does feel a little artificial, and, to some extent, it robs the player of the joy of getting the crap kicked out him. But I think minor refinements in leveling practice for the next Elder Scrolls projects can reduce those blemishes to a large extent.

Click here to keep reading.

New Battlefield 2 Patch

May 24, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

Dust off the old modem, because Electronic Arts have released a new patch (v1.3) for their hit multiplayer shooter, Battlefield 2. Including the usual bug fixes, this puppy also sports air-dropped vehicles, a single-player co-op mode and more! Hit one of the following mirrors to start downloadin' sucka (/Mr T voice):

Warhammer Online Interview

May 24, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

MMORPG.com has GamesWorkshop's Erik Mogensen in the hot seat this evening, answering questions regarding Mythic Entertainment's upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. They chat about working with Mythic, the different classes and more! Here's a taste:

MMORPG.com: With all of Warhammers colorful armies, what made you comfortable with the choice of the six races of Empire, Greenskins, Chaos, Dwarf, High Elf and Dark Elf for launch?
Erik Mogensen: We let Mythic suggest which races to put into the game initially. Theyre the guys that know the market and what would suit an MMO, plus they know what races interested the members of the development team. GW believes that in order to get the best out of a computer game, the dev team need to feel passionate about what theyre working on, so there was no way I was going to try and enforce a choice of races. Of course we had made a list of races we thought would work, and as it happenes, it lined up pretty well with Mythics own choices. Great minds think alike?
The idea of having 3 racial pairings has been around since the earliest discussions about WAR, and that helped us choose the 6 immensely. Greenskins vs. Dwarfs, High Elf vs. Dark Elf, and the Empire vs. Chaos are probably the three biggest baddest grudge matches in the Warhammer World so ended up being ideal choices for RvR.

Gothic III Preview

May 24, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

The guys over at GameSpy have chimed in with their take on Piranha Bytes' upcoming RPG, Gothic III. Here's a bit on how your reputation in the game world effects things:

Indeed, monitoring your reputation appears to be one of the game's dominant mechanics. Depending on your actions, your standing with the various factions in the game will change. Anger a certain faction enough, and you'll no longer be welcome in their settlements. If you find yourself in the doghouse with a given group, you can always attempt to repair your reputation by providing various services, but there is a point of no return; give a faction enough dirt, and the representatives who would be giving you quests will forever hurl axes at you instead.

Guild Wars: Factions Review

May 24, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

PC.IGN gets things rollin' with some impressions on ArenaNet's Guild Wars expansion, Factions. With a final score of 8.5/10, this one sounds like a keeper! Anyways, here's a snippet on the new assassin class:

An assassin will also have access to preparation abilities which themselves complement one another; Critical Eye gives you an increased chance for a critical hit, and Way of Perfection gives health back to you when you get a crit. But Shadow Refuge gives you massive health regeneration. Oh, and Dark Escape looks good too. Yet I'm still a monk, so I need to throw some proper healing in there. And I also want to be able to remove hexes You get the idea. It can be agonizing, but it's an interesting challenge. What is perhaps more agonizing is buying skills in PvP, because they're relatively expensive (in terms of player time investment to gain the faction points), and you can't sell them back or anything if you find that they don't mesh well with your play style.

Warhammer Online Preview

May 23, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

Finally tonight, GamersInfo.net has slapped up a preview on Mythic Entertainment's upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. Here's a bit on the inclusion of Realm vs. Realm lovin':

It was mentioned that like Mythics other big MMO, Dark Age of Camelot (DAoC), Warhammer Online will make use of a Realm vs. Realm (RvR) style of PvP with the game's most natural enemies facing each other; Dwarf vs. Orcs, Humans vs. Chaos, High Elves vs. Dark Elves. Now its unclear how these factions will interact, but the developers were clear that unlike DAoC, Warhammer Online will not have an artificial border, all zones will be open. They want players to be able to try and get a large army together and make an assault on Praag or Altdorf if they chose.

Dave Perry Interview

May 23, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

The FiringSquad has sat down with former Shiny founder, Dave Perry, for a quick chat regarding his departure and his new company, GameConsultants.com. Here's a bit on what his new company has to offer:

FiringSquad: What specifically will your new company bring to its clients and how much will you be charging for your services?
Dave Perry: We generally charge an hourly rate, the majority of which goes to my consultant. Their name is kept private under NDA, and the company that hires us is under NDA also. So basically that allows me to deliver the biggest names in the industry safely, the people who's games you have in your top 10 list. Frankly those are the people that others really wish to consult. This is not about me or my abilities, it's about the walls I can tear down, and the direct access I have to talent. I had originally expected to be consulting on things like design, programming, investors, Hollywood etc... However I'm already involved in foreign titles, distribution and packaging as well! Interestingly I know great consultants in these areas too, some that have broken records, and it all comes with having been around for a long time and meeting a lot of interesting people. So for me, this is a natural move, and it's already turning out to be a lot of fun!

Hitman: Blood Money Demo Released

May 23, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

Wetting our appetite, IO Interactive has released a 759mb demo from their upcoming Action-Stealth title, Hitman: Blood Money. Included in this bad boy is the game's first mission "Death of a Showman". Hit one of the following mirrors to get downloading:

Rock on! ;)

New Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Content

May 23, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

The peeps over at Bethesda Softworks have released a new purchasable addon for their hit RPG, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Entitled The Thieves Den, this $1.89 download offers some nice stuff for all you shady character types. Here's a list of what's included:

A fully detailed enviroment for your character to own and explore
Free sleeping space: never pay for an inn again!
Five upgrades for your lair
Hire vendors designed especially for thieves, rogues, and assassins
As you upgrade your lair new pirates will join your crew and provide you with income
Over 45 new items
15 new spells

Rise of Legends Review

May 23, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

Getting the day started, GameSpy has thrown together a quick review on Big Huge Games' recently released Strategy title, Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends. Here's a snippet on the game's factions:

The game's three factions have virtually nothing in common from an artistic perspective, and that clearly gave the artists a chance to make the game graphically stunning. Vinci units and buildings are ramshackle structures of ducts, rotating gears and pulleys, and pipes spewing foul black smoke. The Alin build beautiful floating palaces with spinning glass decorations and golden minarets. And the Cuotl are based off of the heavy basalt architecture of the Mayans, which means lots of monumental pyramidal structures and units that look like stone idols come to life. Even the game's settings match the artistic look of the races that live there. The lands of Vinci are built with the soft, autumnal colors and diffuse brushstrokes of a Renaissance oil painting. The Alin lands are blindingly bright, filled with a brassy glare and the sharp yellows and whites of the deep desert. Finally, the tangled jungles of the Cuotl are dark green and black and have the sharp-edged geometric character of Mayan carvings. They're all different, and they're all gorgeous.

NeverWinter Nights 2 Preview

May 22, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

The folks over at the NWVault have shot-up a three part preview on Obsidian Entertainment's upcoming Action-RPG, NeverWinter Nights 2. Here's a nugget on the game's crafting system:

The next demo he gave was on the crafting system. Upon loading the module, the first thing that struck me was how cool the workbenches looked. They were very detailed and rich in appearance, and far exceeded what I thought they might look like based on various work benches in the first game. He then opened up a script that contained all 520 recipes that are used in the game which are then converted into 2das for use in the game. There are some basic functions that are used to create your own recipes and take certain parameters like what spell id to use, what visual effects to use, what object to apply the enchantment to and what reagents and magical items are required. Using the same template you will be able to add your own recipes to the list though with so many, that should cover a lot.

SiN Episodes: Emergence Review

May 21, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

The FiringSquad has fired-up a short review on Ritual Entertainment's recently released Source engine-powered first person shooter, SiN Episodes: Emergence. Here's a snippet on the game's eyecandy:

Visually the game has a comic book art style so dont expect the hyper-realism of Half-Life 2. Again, the game doesnt have a variety of enemy characters but the designs are solid as is the level design and textures. As with the original SiN, there is a lot of interactivity and level secrets in the game and the physics engine is put to good use. Flammable tanks that are scattered all over the game that can be use to take out enemies (apparently in Freeport gas tanks are a new design choice) and there are mutagen tanks as well that you can shoot to breath in its vapors and thus slow events down temporarily to get an edge on the bad guys (dont breath in too much or it will sap your health).

Read on!

SpellForce 2: Shadow Wars Review

May 20, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

Finishing off the evening, GameSpot has kicked up a review on Phenomic's Strategy/RPG title, SpellForce 2: Shadow Wars. Walking away with a final score of 8.2/10, this one might be worth a look! Here's a bit on the game's strategy features:

When you're not hacking and slashing your way across the map, you will have the opportunity on occasion to do some real-time strategy management. Thankfully, the complex economy from the original SpellForce feels like it's been streamlined, so it's just a matter of setting some workers to gather the three main resources, put up a handful of buildings, and start churning out various military units to beef up your heroes. Command and control of all these different units is easy thanks to the slick interface. While you can use regular real-time strategy conventions to create unit groups, SpellForce 2 goes a bit further by letting you easily designate targets for various groups or telling a hero to unload a particular spell or skill on a specific target with just a couple of mouse clicks.

Prey Dev Diary

May 20, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

The latest Prey developer diary has Human Head Studios' Chris Rhinehart taking a look at his busy time during this past E3. Pretty fun read that shows how crazy E3 can be. Here's a taste:

Our flight left at the crazy early hour of 7:40. I didn't get any sleep the night before, so I literally slept the entire flight. Fell asleep when we took off, woke up when we landed. I tell you, it's like a portal opened up in front of the plane.
When we arrived, we first had a panicked call from 2K asking when we were showing up, as the machine needed to be tested. We headed straight to the convention center to start setting up the game.
Of course, something went wrong right away. The map cycle script wasn't working. In fact, it appeared to not be included in the build at all! A bit more investigation and I realized that we had brought along the wrong build. See, we generated two builds for E3, the recent one and one from a week before (as a backup stability build in case there was anything wrong with the newest one). We brought along that older build, but neglected to grab the newest one. Oops.

Click here to keep reading!

Warhammer Online Interview

May 20, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

The GameZone has fired-up the second part of their interview with Mythic Entertainment's Mark Jacobs regarding their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, Warhammer Online. The two chat about everything from the game's current state to competing with WoW. Snip:

Q: Having been in this business for a while, what do you think are the key ingredients to making an MMO that people are going to want to play?
Jacobs: There are different stages. There is the beginning, the middle and the end, and at each stage you have to give the player what they want. For us, the endgame is all important. Thats the difference between Camelot and EverQuest, and Camelot and WoW. Mythics endgame is the strongest endgame of any endgame out there. You look at our RvR (realm versus realm) system, it is the most interesting, it is the most exciting, its the one that has held its ground for four or five years, even against a juggernaut like WoW.
For us, with Warhammer, it is the endgame as well. We have to have a solution thats better than Camelot, better than WoW, better than anything else out there. And if we do that, then the players will stick. And that is why we are putting so much time into the RvR system. (In Warhammer) It will be for RvR what WoW was for PvE (player versus environment). Blizzard crushed the PvE experience; they nailed it 100%. We want to do that for RvR.

Age of Conan Preview

May 20, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

The guys over at PC.IGN have thrown together a preview on Funcom's upcoming Online RPG, Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures. Here's a snippet on the game's character creation:

Character creation from a visual standpoint is much more robust than your average MMO. Not only can players pick the sex and size of their character along with basic traits like hair style, hair color, eye color, and such, but the body can be given any number of sizes and the face can be deformed to create a near infinite amount of faces using sliders much like those found in Oblivion or The Sims 2. Hell, you can even create a character with a broken nose as Gaute demonstrated.

Guild Wars Factions Review

May 20, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

Getting us ready for the weekend, Boomtown has slapped up a review on ArenaNet's Guild Wars expansion pack, Factions. Here's a little something on the new classes:

What good are graphics without solid gameplay though? Luckily though GW: Factions delivers in this department as well. Players must create a character and go through the process of customisation. Here you must choose a name for your character, their sex, their physical appearance and, most important of all, their class. Along with the expansion come two new classes, the Assassin and the Ritualist. The Assassin, as the name implies is all about quick kills. In and out action. The Ritualist wields a variety of shamanic spells and can summon forth minions to fight and aid their master. As would be expected from NCsoft it has made these characters integrate seamlessly with the other six classes already on offer.

SiN Episodes: Emergence Review

May 19, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

The ActionTrip have chimed in with their take on Ritual Entertainment's recently released Source engine-powered first person shooter, SiN Episodes: Emergence. Time to break out a soda and get reading! uNF:

That said, I can tell you that SiN Episodes starts out really slowly, in a true fashion of old-school FPS games - with lots of generic bad guys to kill and some less than thrilling opening levels - but, it gradually heats up as you keep at it, following the general principal of FPS design seen in games like Half-Life. The player will feel like he is acting out the story, rather than being a passive observer of the events unfolding. The game does a good job of shifting between indoor and outdoor environments, as well as gradually increasing the difficulty and the variety of enemies, introducing new characters, environments and weapons into the story as you progress. Level design is good enough to keep the gameplay dynamic and engaging at all times (though very linear). This used to be the hallmark of old-school FPS design and it's sort of good to see it implemented so well in a modern game. Visually, SiN retains the cartoonish look and feel of the original, while offering a vastly more interactive and physics-based environment, courtesy of the Source engine. The fact that it runs on the Source engine also means that the frame rate will remain very solid, even on mid range rigs.

Irrational Games Interview

May 19, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

Computer and Video Games.com have sat down with Irrational Games' Ken Levine for a short chat regarding the gaming industry, Bioshock and much, much more! Here's a nugget on BioShock's setting:

Your games are always set in fantasy worlds - what do you think of all the 'realistic' war and gangster games around these days?
Ken Levine: When we started Bioshock, the designers were trying to be realistic, trying to make a real underwater base. I said 'look, the people who live here are not realists, they're people who want to build something extraordinary'. They're saying we can beat the ocean, we can beat God, and in order to do that we had to create a stunning underwater environment. And really show this conflict between the ocean and the people that live under the sea. We made a lot of adjustments to the team to make sure we were building something that people would see and say 'wow!'.

Paraworld Impressions

May 19, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

As the E3 coverage continues to trickle in, GameSpot has thrown up some impressions on Sunflowers' upcoming Strategy title, Paraworld. Here's something to nibble on:

Aside from the use of dinosaurs, Paraworld distinguishes itself with a unique army controller. This appears as a tool bar along the left side that lists all your units, arranged by their current rank. As you fight and defeat enemies, you will collect skulls which are used as currency for you to manually promote your units, by dragging them from the bottom ranks and dropping them in the top ranks, which will bestow them with higher stats. The very highest rank is reserved for only three units, while lower ranks can be filled with larger portions of your army. This adds a strategic element to the game, as you must carefully choose which units you want to promote to the highest levels. Bringing your titan up to the top or one of the game's nine hero units usually makes the most sense, as a fully promoted titan or hero can bestow bonuses upon your entire army. An in-game day-night cycle that affects the disposition and behavior of neutral dinosaurs on the map rounds out Paraworld's major distinguishing features.

America's Army Preview

May 19, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

The folks over at GameSpy have fired-up a quick preview on two future updates for the U.S. Army's hit first person shooter, America's Army. Bring on the co-op lovin'! Snip:

The name of this new co-op mode is "Overmatch," and it's been promised for a long time. You and up to 11 of your friends can form up a 12-man Special Forces A-Team. There will be at least two co-op maps available, with at least one including a new drivable, up-armored Humvee with either a .50 caliber machine gun or a Mark 19 automatic grenade launcher mounted on top with the Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station, or CROWS. This is basically a powered turret that lets you operate a weapon via remote control from inside a vehicle. Now you'll be able to safely mow down insurgents from the relative safety of your armored HMMWV.

Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter Review

May 19, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

PC.IGN gets things rollin' with a review on Ubisoft's tactical first person shooter, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter. Here's a bit on the weapons at your disposal:

There aren't quite as many guns here as there have been in previous Clancy games but there's something for every taste -- from the M99 sniper rifle to the crowd-pleasing MK48 to the Scar assault rifles. Don't be turned off by the limited selection however; there are a range of attachments you can employ to customize each weapon. Each attachment (like a scope, silencer, grenade launcher, etc) has an effect on your weapon's accuracy, stopping power and stability. Finding just the right tool for the job takes a while but it's well worth it. Unfortunately, there are no smoke grenades or flashbangs anywhere in the game so you'll need to be quick on the trigger.

So is this sucker worth your hard earned money? Read on to find out!

Hitman: Blood Money Goes Gold!

May 18, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

Are you ready for the bald mans return? Well, the guys over at Blue's News have word that Eidos' upcoming Action-Stealth title, Hitman: Blood Money, has gone gold and should be hitting stores on May 30th. So keep an eye out for it, all you assassins in training!

WoW: The Burning Crusade Interview

May 18, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

Sticking with GameSpot, they have also fired-up an interview with Blizzard Entertainment's Jeff Kaplan regarding their upcoming World of WarCraft expansion, The Burning Crusade. They chat about the Draenei, the Outlands, PvP and a whole lot more! Here's some juice:

GS: What do you have planned in terms of player versus player for the expansion?
JK: We're building a PVP objective into every new Outland zone for outdoor world PVP. They're different for each zone. Hellfire Peninsula actually has three objectives that are very close to each other. Picture an outdoor Arathi Basin that's always ongoing. We're going to have some other big announcements that have to do with the PVP system, but that will be closer to launch, so we're not ready to talk about that yet.

Rise of Legends Review

May 18, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

GameSpot has kicked up a review on Big Huge Games' recently released Strategy title, Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends. Walking away with a final score of 7.6/10, this one might be worth a look! Anyways, here's a snippet on the game's visuals:

Great art design almost makes you forget about some of these issues. You can just sit and gawk at the Vinci's buildings and units in action, as they look like steam-powered constructs made out of Tinkertoys, with turning wheels and pistons everywhere. Alin cities float, and have those curvy towers that look like something out of the 1,001 Arabian Nights. Their fiery afreeti are something to behold when they attack en masse, too. The Cuotl are a bizarre blend of old and new, with industrial structures that give off a deep red glow and units that blend Mayan mythology with futuristic technology. There is nothing quite like springing a pack of hissing, robotic death snakes backed by a phalanx of Mayan warriors with lasers on an unsuspecting foe.

SiN Episodes: Emergence Patch

May 18, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

The folks over at Ritual Entertainment have released a new patch for their recently released first person shooter, SiN Episodes: Emergence. Fixed in this puppy are some issues with the challenge system, sound-stuttering and more! Click here for a list of what's new or just load up Steam to start downloading. ;)

Vanguard: Saga of Heroes E3 Preview

May 18, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

Keeping the E3 content coming, MMORPG.com has thrown together some impressions on Sigil Games' upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes. Here's a nugget on the game's different mounts:

Players will start earning mounts at level 10. Not all mounts are your typical horses there are horses of many colors, unicorns, giant canine beasts, ships, and even magnificent flying dragons. As you progress through the levels and must travel farther from towns and outposts, you will be able to purchase faster mounts. Butler hopes that the ratio between mount speed and distance to hunting areas will keep travel time at about 20 minutes tops.

Age of Conan Preview

May 17, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

Finishing off the evening, GameSpot has taken a brief look at Funcom's upcoming Online RPG, Age of Conan. Hand to hand is one thing, but some good old mounted combat lovin' is another! uNF:

After watching hand-to-hand battles, we then watched mounted combat in action; players will apparently be able to purchase horses (or win them through special trials), which can be improved with various upgrades, including barding and other types of armor. Mounted combat is built around charging opponents with mounted weapons. Essentially, a longer distance between players' horses and their targets will let them build up more running speed, which translates into more damage from a charging attack. Players participate in mounted combat by pressing and holding their attack key, then releasing it just as they pass an opponent. Of course, players will also have the option of using ranged weapons, such as bows, which can be aimed and fired in real time from a first-person view. Also, they'll be able to use sorcery, which Godager suggests will use the game's six-directional action interface.

BioWare Austin Interview

May 17, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

MMORPG.com has fired-up an interview with BioWare Austin's Richard Vogel and Gordon Walton regarding their new studio and unnamed massively multiplayer online RPG. No new info is revealed, but it's still an interesting read that might hint at things to come. Read on:

The two have been around a long time. Vogel said his favorite time was the first year of Ultima Online. It was a point when the genre was new and no one truly knew what would happen. The way the players broke the intended gameplay was actual where much of the fun was found. They also liked what Mythic did with realm vs. realm combat in Dark Age of Camelot, a PvP mechanic that they think no other MMO has topped to date.
We want a global game, they said, before adding that their initial focus will be North America. Walton added that MMORPGs in Asia were approximately four years ahead of North America in terms of penetration (the number of people willing to play) and technical infrastructure (connection speeds).

Warhammer Online Preivew

May 17, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

The peeps over at Warhammer Alliance.com have shot-up a quick preview on Mythic Entertainment's upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. Here's a nugget on the game's Tome and how it works:

Now, a little bit more about something that really interested me, and that is the "Tome". As some of you might have noticed in our E3 gallery, there is a screenshot of a book which you can see to the right. Now, what is cool about this particular book is that as you explore the world, influence friends, and of course kill monsters, chase people, and engage in quests - in short play the game � your personal Tome will fill up with information and tidbits concerning the deep lore and rich history of the Warhammer universe. This allows you to explore and view over 25 years of rich Warhammer history later at your leisure, and also prevents Mythic from having to shove the required history down your throat through seemingly endless quests (ala DAoC, and almost every other MMO currently out there). As shown in the pictures, you have your personal Bestiary showing how many giants you have killed, and with the Tome, you now begin to see the detailed history of the giant class unfold. When you first start out you have no information about giants, so after you kill your first one you get a simple picture in your book. Over time, the more you kill, the more back story you begin to see, until eventually you know all that you want to know about giants. On the right hand side of the "Tome" you will find tabs, and when I moused over them, I could see the individual titles.

The Witcher Impressions

May 17, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

After watching a demo at this years E3, Voodoo Extreme has slapped up some impressions on CDProjekt's upcoming Action-RPG, The Witcher. Here's something to nibble on:

The Witcher spins the tales of fantasy writer Andrzej Sapkowski and boasts strong Eastern European / Russian undertones. As for the storyline itself, The Witcher isn't a strictly linear RPG, but offers alternate story paths. The main quest line is said it include around 30 hours of gameplay, with an additional 50 hours should you do all the side quests. You aren't stuck in the paths of good and evil, as The Witcher lets you play however you wish. There's also alternative endings as well that differ with the choices you make in the game.

F.E.A.R. Extraction Point Preview

May 17, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

Getting things started, GameSpy has whipped up a preview on TimeGate's upcoming F.E.A.R. expansion, Extraction Point. Here's a bit on the new Shadow puppet enemies:

The last actual combat of our demo was against a new enemy: the shadow puppets. These near-invisible enemies will remind players of the ninja assassins from F.E.A.R., darting about and generally scaring the bejeezus out of you. Once spotted, they were pretty easy to kill with slo-mo on (Vivendi says they should be a little easier to kill than the assassins), but spotting them was really the hard part; it's easy to imagine players spinning and firing wildly, hoping to hit an enemy that may or may not be there.

Crysis Preview

May 16, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

Continuing their E3 coverage, GameSpy has thrown together some impressions on Crytek Studios' upcoming first person shooter, Crysis. Here's somthing to nibble on:

One thing Crytek was eager to show off during the E3 demo was your ability to interact with the environment. To start, we shot down a couple of trees until the immediate area was cleared of any foliage taller than a foot high. Next, we shot the gas tank on a nearby jeep, setting it on fire and causing it to explode a few seconds later. (Crytek says events like this have a random element to them, so you won't always know when the explosion might happen.) Finally, we ran up to a small, thin-walled shack with a few enemy soldiers inside. In most games, you'd run inside and clear the building out; instead, we blew out one of the walls with a rocket launcher, causing the building to collapse and crush any soldiers inside.

Star Wars: Empire at War Patch & Map Editor

May 16, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

The folks over at Petroglyph Games have released a new patch (v1.04) for their hit strategy title, Star Wars: Empire at War. Including a bunch of gameplay tweaks, the big addition is a map editor! Hit one of the following mirrors to get downloading:

Mmmm...custom maps!

Armed Assault Interview; Part 2

May 16, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

The RPGVault has fired-off some questions at Bohemia Interactive's Paul R. Statham regarding their upcoming tactical shooter, Armed Assault. They chat about mission design, multiplayer modes and more! Here's a taste:

Jonric: What would you like to tell our readers about the multiplayer portion of the game and how it will differentiate your game?
Paul R. Statham: Many games of genres similar to Armed Assault focus primarily on single-player or multiplayer, with the "runt" part receiving little developmental focus and serving merely as filler to put a check in a feature box. In Armed Assault, multiplayer can mean quick blastathons lasting minutes, or intense, militarily structured wide-scale conflicts lasting hours, perhaps even days. The choice is really up to the gamer, which is where the choice should be.

Armed Assault will provide the gamer with rigorous, varied and challenging multiplayer that significantly complements the depth of the campaign and engine. There are various different multiplayer modes, some of which are the common and well understood types such as deathmatch, team deathmatch and capture the flag... and, of course, the very popular cooperative. There are also other multiplayer modes that may be less familiar to the average gamer; some examples are Flag Fight, Sector Control, and Hold Location.

Silverfall Preview

May 16, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

Also over at GameSpot this evening is a short preview on Monte Cristo's upcoming Action-RPG, Silverfall, after getting a chance to check it out at this years E3. Here's a snippet on the game's eye candy:

Visually, the game looks as good as anything around at the moment, complete with real-time lighting and reflections, weather effects, and a realistic day/night cycle. The characters have a slight outline to differentiate them from the background, and this gives them the pleasant side effect of looking quite stylish as well. What's more, the environments are very nicely drawn, with some good variety between locations, and the rag-doll physics make it possible to knock enemies down stairs and over ledges.

Read on!

Warhammer Online Preview

May 16, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

GameSpot kicks things off with some updated impressions of Mythic Entertainment's upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. Here's a bit on the combat morale system:

The game's third tier of combat is the "morale bar," a meter that gradually fills up over time while you're in combat (and fills up more quickly when you're grouped with other players--one of the game's many incentives to join up with others online). The meter is marked by several special morale abilities that can be used once the meter fills past each one; the strategy behind using morale abilities will come down to deciding whether to quickly use your weaker, lower-level abilities immediately or hold off until your meter is completely full to use your most-powerful attack. Since your morale meter depletes when your character isn't in combat, you'll be encouraged to make frequent use of these powerful abilities, which will appear onscreen with bright, colorful particle effects, such as hovering runes for dwarf priests or cascading meteor showers for goblin shaman.

Stronghold Legends Preview

May 15, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

Also over at GamSpy tonight are some E3 impressions of FireFly Studios' upcoming Strategy title, Stronghold Legends. Castles, dragons...what more could you ask for? uNF:

Bradbury illustrates how to counter the classic Stronghold stalemate of towers brimming with archers holding the enemy at bay. "We're going to fix archer dominance once and for all," he says. A kamikaze bat dives into a formation of archers, knocking them every which way. A black dragon burns up a bunch of them. Something called a creeper rushes up to a tower stocked with archers. "He's impervious to arrow fire," Bradbury explains. The creeper climbs the tower and uses his special power to convert the archers to his own side. This is a demo for people who hate archers.

ParaWorld Preview

May 15, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

Chugging right along, GameSpy has tossed up a brief preview on Sunflowers' upcoming Strategy title, ParaWorld. Here's a snippet on the game's new Army Builder feature:

The other feature of note is the Army Builder. Prior to each battle you "buy" units to build your base army group. Each battle (and multiplayer match) has a set number of points from which to construct your starting force. You may opt to buy expensive, powerful units that cost a lot of points, or tons of low-level cheap units, or perhaps a mix of the two. Once the game starts you can build structures and units just like a regular RTS game, but the ability to start with a significant, custom-built starting force is a novel idea. You can also save your army lists so if you want to use the same army over and over it's as easy as clicking a button.

NeverWinter Nights 2 Impressions

May 14, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

Keeping the weekend rollin', PC.IGN has fired-up a preview on Obsidian Entertainment's upcoming Action-RPG, NeverWinter Nights 2. Here's a snippet on the game's new companion system:

The companion system is in place now so you'll be able to grab two extra NPCs to carry around with you and help you in your quests. Unlike the original Neverwinter Nights, you can actually control these NPCs directly rather than simply issuing orders to them. The Infinity-era pause and unpause order system is in place here for folks who would prefer to direct their followers that way.

Click here for more! ;)

The Witcher Preview

May 14, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

The folks over at GameSpy have thrown together some impressions on CDProjekt's upcoming Action-RPG, The Witcher. Here's something to sink your teeth into:

While admittedly fast-paced once combat ensues, The Witcher is highly story-driven. There are over 300 cut-scenes in the game, but you don't just sit back and watch the events unfold the entire time -- you'll be forced to make several morally ambivalent decisions. In our demo, The Witcher captured a bandit and had to decide what to do with him. Kill him? Set him free? Torture him? Wait for other Witchers to arrive and discuss it with them? What makes this interesting is that your decision, regardless of what it is, has a unique and direct impact on later events. If you set the bandit free, someone will die 12 hours later because he's alive to commit the crime. Wait for the Witchers and the story will go in a different direction. According to the developers, there are literally hundreds of "butterfly effect" branches like this.

Gothic 3 Interview

May 13, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

Getting their 'chat on', the RPG Vault has sat down with Piranha Bytes' Kai Rosenkranz for a quick Q&A regarding their upcoming RPG, Gothic 3. Topics range from character development to the game's combat system. Here's a taste:

Jonric: What will the combat system be like, and what kinds of improvements are you implementing this time?
Kai Rosenkranz: We have improved the combat system to feel more natural and fluid - looking at it, combat should not feel like a series of slashes with a sword, but more like a moving, whirling fluid motion. This makes combat more dynamic and fun, but you still just need a mouse and two buttons to execute the various maneuvers we offer. Some of the more powerful attacks and special combat skills like dual-wielding swords are opened up through skills learned by the character.

Spore Impressions

May 13, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

Keeping the previews coming, the FiringSquad have chimed in with their take on Maxis' upcoming evolution title, Spore. Here's some impressions after watching the demo:

With the new creature now completed we saw how it worked on its home planet. We saw it attack other animals and put out a mating call for people of its own kind. Then the demo jumped out a bit and we saw how the game turns from a bio sim to a city sim, as your create gains technology and creates it own series. Again with the editor you can create any kind of look to the series you want. The demo then jumped ahead yet again as we saw the final change as the civilization evolve into space flight (and yes you can design how your spaceship looks like as well.

Click here for more!

C&C 3: Tiberium Wars Impressions

May 13, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

Time to get excited RTS fans! GameSpy thrown together some E3 impressions on Electronic Arts' much anticipated Strategy title, Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars. Here's a bit on the game's spiffy engine and the mysterious new race:

Yes, this Command & Conquer will feature a third faction, something not of this world. Is this new alien presence the source of the Tiberium infestation? That'll have to remain a mystery for now: we saw nothing of the mystery race in the demo. What we did see was a beautiful engine. C&C3 will take place in 2047, with much of the planet already devastated by Tiberium. "Red zones" are completely uninhabitable, having been overrun. "Yellow Zones" contain significant Tiberium deposits, usually nestled amongst the ruined remains of Earth's once-sprawling cities. The last bastions of organized civilization are in the heavily-fortified "Blue Zones," which look like gleaming futuristic cities.

Splinter Cell: Double Agent Preview

May 13, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

Sticking with the guys at GameSpot, they have also taken a quick look at Ubisoft's upcoming Action-Stealth title, Splinter Cell: Double Agent. Here's a bit on Sam's outfit:

We've noted before that Sam Fisher will be doing a lot of costume changes between missions, dressing appropriately for the environment he's in. During our hands-on, we learned this will affect his gear in a given mission. In the Kinshasa level, for instance, Fisher's lacking his typical loadout of thermal and night vision (it's too hot for that suit, after all). Here he only had a pair of sunglasses, though we found it amusing that we could flip these on and off with the same D pad control as the night goggles, and this would simply make the environment brighter or darker depending on whether we were wearing them or not.

Tabula Rasa Hands-On

May 13, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

Starting off their daily E3 coverage, GameSpot has thrown up some hands-on impressions on NCsoft's upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, Tabula Rasa. Bring on the gameplay lovin'!

One of the areas that's playable on the E3 show floor is basically a gigantic science fiction WWII-style warzone, complete with trenches and everything, dropships sending in reinforcements, huge buglike creatures suddenly bursting out of the ground, and more. Fond memories of Starship Troopers quickly came to mind as we fought our way through this area, alongside computer-controlled comrades, only to meet our demise at the "hands" of a gigantic enemy mech. A variety of great-looking enemies was present in this sequence, suggestive of the game's distinct sci-fi setting. Switching weapons was a simple process, and we can imagine that the battle might have been considerably more complex in a group setting. Still, it felt like a solidly action-packed experience; online RPGs are typically laborious and time-consuming, so it was refreshing to get a quick fix of action like this from Tabula Rasa. Richard Garriott always intended for it to be the sort of game that people could play for short bursts at a time if they wanted to.

Vanguard Preview

May 12, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

Finally tonight, GameSpot has slapped up their take on Sigil Games' upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes. Here's a bit on the game's impressive housing system:

Much more development time has apparently been invested into developing player housing and character customization. According to Butler, the beta version of the game already contains more housing-related content and options than Star Wars Galaxies, including a total of more than 8,000 different craftable items, which can all be placed in a player-owned house with an easy-to-use mouse-driven interface that lets players quickly place objects on tables, on walls, or on the floor. Housing will also have a highly customizable permissions system for entry, so you'll be able to, for instance, turn your home into a public shop that's open during certain hours of the day, then automatically converts to a private dwelling in off-hours.

Click here for the goods.

WoW: The Burning Crusade Impressions

May 12, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

The E3 lovin' just keeps on coming! GameSpot has thrown up some impressions on Blizzard Entertainment's upcoming World of WarCraft expansion, The Burning Crusade. Here's a snippet on the new Draenei's racial abilities:

The new race will also possess new innate abilities, including a heal-over-time skill called Blessing of the Naaru, though it won't be overwhelmingly powerful ("it's on par with a renew or regrowth [spell]," explained the producer) but will scale up with your Draenei character's level and be useful enough for reducing downtime (the time required to sit and recover from wounds after battle). The new race will also have an innate ability called Heroic Presence, which functions a bit like a paladin character's aura and grants all characters in the Draenei character's party a bonus probability to hit their targets. The race will begin with a substantial plus-15 skill bonus to the expansion's new trade skill of jewel-crafting, which will let players fashion magical trinkets, as well as magical gems that can be added to the expansion's new socketed items.

Sounds pretty nice. All I can say is...for the horde! ;)

Ghost Recon 3: Advanced Warfighter Patch

May 12, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

The folks over at Ubisoft have released a new 15mb patch (v1.06) for their tactical first person shooter, Ghost Recon 3: Advanced Warfighter. Fixing various gameplay bugs, you can grab this sucker from one of the following mirrors:

Now get downloading!

Prey Impressions

May 12, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

Keeping the E3 content flowing, PC.IGN has taken a very short look at Human Head Studios' upcoming first person shooter, Prey. Here's a snippet on the game's multiplayer and weapons:

The multiplayer game sports eight multiplayer levels and offers Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch modes. You'll use human and alien weapons, and you'll have use of primary and secondary functions on every single weapon available. At this point, the best thing to do is simply watch the video. Prey is on our radar as one of the most prominent games of E3, and it should be on yours come this July.

Keep reading!

Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning Preview

May 12, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

Sticking with GameSpy, they have also fired-up some impressions on Mythic Entertainment's upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. Here's an interesting feature for the journal:

Another nifty feature is a journal that tracks everything that you kill in the game. The more times you kill a certain creature, the more info about that creature is revealed, such as spell and weapon weaknesses. Mythic is using this "tome" with a sticker book mentality as a way to collect all of your kills in one handy place. Every quest that you have completed also goes down in your journal, just to show you how much time you have devoted to the game for better or for worse.

The Movies: Stunts and Effects Preview

May 12, 2006 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky

Kicking things off, GameSpy has whipped up a preview on Lionhead Studios' upcoming The Movies expansion pack, Stunts and Effects. Here's a nugget on the new stunt doubles:

Once a character has been hired as a stunt person, they can then be assigned as a specific stunt double to an actor. Whenever a film calls for a dangerous scene, it'll now be the stunt double, not the precious star who risks his skin. That, however, means that players will have to take new factors into account when running their studios. One of these is "resemblance." If the stunt double is physically too different from the star, it reduces the believability and audience enjoyment of the movie. On the other hand, if the player decides (or worse, the prima donna star insists on doing the stunt themselves) there's the possibility of injury. If a needed celebrity has to spend several weeks in a studio hospital it can cause major delays in filming and major financial hassles for the studio.