Archive for the ‘OTHER GAMES’ Category

This generation of gaming consoles will last for some time considering a few big game releases on the horizon in 2011.  Two games, Id software’s Rage and Crytek’s Crysis 2 will be released in September and March of next year.  The current consoles are still powerful enough to run the very high tech game engines for each.  The id Tech 5 for Rage first demonstrated by Carmack himself in 2007 on an 8 core Macintosh with a 512MB Quadro video card is one bad-ass game engine.  It is rumored the engine will also power the hotly anticipated Doom 4 which has been confirmed by id software to be “deep in development.” Also, the Cryengine 3 game engine designed by Crytek will power the long awaited Crysis 2.  This engine is also very powerful and is said to support DirectX 9, 10, and 11.

Not much is known about id software’s next game Rage except that it is a new franchise about a post-apocalyptic world left behind from an asteroid impact. This game will allow the player to fight and drive in a combined first person shooter driving game.  I personally think the game will be much more in-depth than that and will probably include many RPG elements, although car combat and shooting will be at the games core. Rage is a huge game and id did voice some concern early in development whether they could release the game on 2 discs for the Xbox 360.  There are rumors that the 1 Terabyte game could be released on 3 dual layer DVD discs for the Xbox 360 and 1 Blu Ray disc for the PS3. Lately there has been talk that a version of Rage will be released on the iPhone!

Crysis 2 for release on all systems besides the Wii is the other huge release for 2011. Developed by Crytek in Europe the game will follow in the footsteps of the smash PC hit game Crysis.  Crysis is a game that not many people got to experience considering the very powerful and expensive gaming rigs required to run the game.  Very much a first person shooter at its core, Crysis 2 is set in New York city in the year 2023 during an alien invasion.  Combat will be urban in style where you’ll be able to strategically plan your movements and attacks in an evacuated cityscape wearing the high powered Nanosuit 2. Debates about whether the console version of this game will live up to standards is under discussion among gamers.  I was not impressed with the first teaser trailer released early this year for console versions.  Let us hope Crytek won’t disappoint us.  Crytek’s earlier console versions of FarCry and FarCry 2 where not bad so there is hope.  On a final note, the PC version of Crysis 2 will definitely outshine the console for those who can afford the latest and greatest hardware.  If you have an Alienware machine then your in for some awesome eye candy.

Project Aces developer of the Ace Combat series will be releasing another fantastic flight combat sim sometime next year 2011.  So, you haven’t finished Ace Combat 6 Fires of Liberation yet?  I haven’t either, but this is a perfect time to get back into the series before the new game arrives.  I love playing Ace Combat 6 hours on end.  I usually get stuck, put the game down for a few months and then eventually get back to it at some later date.  I love the game so its worth some of the frustration.

Namco Bandai games are great if a bit arcady.  I really hope their new game Assault Horizon won’t lean that way too much.  I want the Assault Horizon to not only sport ultra realistic aircraft and terrain, but also the combat and flight characteristics should be more realistic also.  Wait!  Unlimited missiles, bombs and guns aren’t all that bad.  Ok, I regress. I love blowing crap up!

The October 2007 release of Ace Combat 6 for the Xbox 360 was great, but a huge disappointment for fans of the series who were loyal to the PlayStation.  I personally think if that game were a PlayStation exclusive it could have been a huge PS3 system mover. Four years later the next Project Aces game Assault Horizon will give new ‘birth’ to the series taking it in a new direction for both the PS3 and the Xbox 360.  Few details are available, but the trailer looks fantastic! Take a look for yourself.

Producer and Executive Director Kazutoki Kono:

“For us, this is a rebirth of our premiere franchise, Ace Combat.” “It’s a chance for us to take the player in a completely new direction.”

“I’m confident that we’re creating a new type of intense and visceral action shooting experience with Ace Combat Horizon,” Kono continued. “We’re utilizing all of our collective vision and skills to deliver a phenomenal game. Players will be closer than ever to the combat, experiencing the impact of each shot fired.”

Some games that sneak out as little known originals or fantastic revamps of PC games for consoles really get me excited. Dark Star is one of these games for the Xbox 360 that was first released in 2006 for the PC as a star fighter simulation game. The game garnered great reviews for the PC back then, and this version for the Xbox is looking great as well. The game should introduce this generation of console gamers to an older and successful genre of space flight combat.

Dark Star One reminds me of space fighter games like the acclaimed Wing Commander series from the 1990′s played on PC’s.  There aren’t many games of this type released on consoles today and newer PC games of this genre like EVE require some decent hardware performance in order to get the full effect of the space environment.  Finally, we have something to play on consoles that not only looks stunning on an HDTV big screen in 1080p at 60 frames a second, but it is fun to play as well.

Dark Star One: Broken Alliance has depth.  The game follows its predecessor very closely. Space dog fights and exploring planets in the galaxy is something that rarely gets old.  The game is vast in scale offering over 30 hours of single player campaign play with more than 330 unique planets to explore.  The game also allow you to customize your ships with over 200 components.  The story in the game is also very in-depth featuring more than 40 minutes of voice acted cut-scenes and more than 90 minutes of original music score.

Although exploring the galaxy is fun in its own right, space combat is where its at.  Players can shape their own experiences in the game depending on what type of archetype they choose to pursue.  Whether you enjoy playing like a Mercenary or Smuggler is up to you. Over all, the game should satisfy gamers who love sci-fi although the only major complaint about Dark Star is the somewhat cheesy voice acting and somewhat simple and repetitive game-play.  If your a sci-fi fighter combat fan and can overlook some minor faults then your in for a great time!  I suppose the price could be a little lower for a revamped title from 2006.  Decide for yourself if the $50 dollar price is worth it for a game that has changed little except for the introduction of High Definition. Dark Star: Broken Alliance may well be worth the price for over 30 hours of gaming.

British game developer Just Add Water is working with studio Oddworld Inhabitants on several new Oddworld projects.  That is fantastic news!  I would have been excited about just one new Oddworld project.  There are several?  I’m elated!  Just Add Water is making the new games and is licensed on several platforms including the PS3, PSP, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS, and PC.  We should see Abe and maybe Munche return with renewed vigor.

After Munche’s Odyssey debuted on the original Xbox platform disappointed fans were waiting on the fifth game Squeek’s Odyssey which never debuted.  In the late nineties after several hit side scrolling games for PlayStation were developed, Oddworld Inhabitants transferred its license to Microsoft.  Munche’s Odyssey and Strangers Wrath did average business on the Xbox.  Both games disappointed fans since the games were only available on one platform and the design changed from classic 2D side scroll-er to a 3D design. Stranger’s Wrath further disappointed by jumping onto the First Person Shooter band wagon in 2005 leaving behind its core puzzler game style.  Although both Xbox games were interesting and innovative Oddworld Inhabitants ceased production on further games due to mediocre reviews and declining sales.  The studio decided to shut down and take a multi-year hiatus.  Oddworld Inhabitants is now said to be back working on a movie project with a game tie-in, and another separate game all its own.

Studio Just Add Water (JAW) is working closely with Oddworld Inhabitants since June 2009. That’s just over a year of work on the franchise.  Fans of Oddworld should breath a sigh of relief to know that Oddworld creators Lorne Lanning and Sherry McKenna have been working closely with JAW. This should ensure the games will remain true to their Oddworld roots and atmosphere.  JAW is the developer of the PlayStation Network and the game Gravity Crash for the PSP.  The studio should be announcing their new projects in coming weeks for multiple platforms starring your favorite Oddworld characters.  Lets see if they show anything this August at Gamescon.  Of note the JAW blog says these guys are true fans of the past Oddworld games.  The franchise is in good hands it seems.

JAW’s director:

“To work with the team at Oddworld has been amazing; being able to tap the minds of Lorne Lanning, Sherry McKenna and others has been fantastic,” said Just Add Water’s Managing Director Stewart Gilray.

“It’s almost symbiotic in that when something moves forward on any of the projects we just start chatting about new items, or what if we do this,” Gilray continued. “We’re all extremely excited to breathe life into the Oddworld universe and indeed to let it breathe life into us.”

This huge graphic from Kotaku.com says it all about the history of FPS’s.  I thought it would be appropriate to post it here at Dude’s Gamer Zone since Halo is a big part of that history. Enjoy!

Gamespy has been collecting stats on players enjoying Red Dead Redemption.  The huge graphic above has some amazing things to say about what players are doing on Xbox Live or the Playstation Network for the first 2 weeks of release.  Click to check it out!

As of July 1st more than 3.6 billion minutes have been logged on the game worldwide.  For more cool things to feast your eyes on join the Rockstar social club and track what YOU are up to:     Rockstar Social Club

The rumor mill for E3 is rife with ’secret releases’ by major game developers.  Sure, we can expect to hear more about Halo: Reach, Gran Turismo V, Zelda and the like, but what about surprises?  Secrets under raps at every E3 are what keep us tantalized.  Were hoping a publisher or developer will announce the next iteration of our favorite game.

Bethesda became my favorite role playing game developer of all time after I played through more than 200 hours of Oblivion.  Elder Scrolls Oblivion captivated me as I became part of a huge living breathing world like none I have ever entered before.  I played the main story line as well as all of the rewarding side quests in the core game and came back for more.  I also love BioWare and their fantastic RPGs too, but Bethesda was able to capture my attention in a way I can’t explain.  I never spend that much time on a single game.

Increasing speculation that Bethesda is ready to drop a ‘nuke’ by announcing the next Elder Scrolls game is growing.  After all, it has been more than 4 years since the release of the last Elder Scrolls game Oblivion.  Four years is enough time to release another game for this generation of consoles.  Bethesda PR person Pete Hines even said back in April the company has no surprises to announce at this years E3.  So why the speculation?  Game journalists, consultants, and investors just don’t believe Bethesda is not working on another Elder Scrolls game.  Of course they are building another award winning Elder Scrolls.  The last game was a huge success, so of course any smart company would wish to duplicate that.  The silence from Bethesda Softworks increases speculation which is great for any game.  Will the next Elder Scrolls use the same successful gameplay mechanic from the last game or will it cross over into an MMO like Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic?  I loved the original Xbox release of KOTOR and am disappointed I can’t play the MMO on the Xbox 360 or PS3.  Maybe the next generation of consoles will be capable of playing the game, but I won’t hold my breath waiting for KOTOR.  I will for Elder Scrolls!

The next Elder Scrolls could be announced at this years E3 2010.  I’m sure Bethesda will talk about new releases like Brink, Hunted, id softwares Rage, and Fallout 3 New Vegas.  Maybe Bethesda has too much on their plate and may think E3 isn’t the right place to announce a new Elder Scrolls game.   If its not announced at this years E3 I will bet it will be announced sometime later this year.  I hope its a single player RPG with improved everything!  Nothing can get me more excited about a new game secret announcment than Elder Scrolls.  Except maybe a Halo 4 announcement from Microsoft for the next Xbox platform.

The Dude had just recently ordered Red Dead Redemption from Rock Star Games via Amazon.  I wanted the golden guns pack add-on more than the War Horse add-on from Best Buy or the Game Stop deadly assassin outfit pre order incentive.   I’ll be eagerly awaiting the games arrival via UPS or FedEx this week May 18th.  Red Dead Redemption is a sandbox style game set in the old west unlike Grand Theft Auto and it’s 2 times as large as GTA San Andreas and 3 times as large as GTA IV!  Wow!  No, I’m not pulling your horsies leg.  The map spans the states of Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and northern Mexico.  With a map so large your probably asking, “How do I get around such a large play area?”  No Lear jets in this game.  Well, its the old west so of course you’ve got trains, horses, steamboats, wagons, and yes you can hoof it on foot.  Just watch out for the bears and mountain lions.

Here’s information about each region from Rock Star Games:

NEW AUSTIN
♦ based on: New Mexico, Texas

New Austin is home to scattered townships and forts – but far from tamed. Savage outlaws and wild animals still roam the open spaces, and wary travelers share the newly cut roads with as many bandits as farmers. Trains and coaches move quickly between the larger towns, but a sidearm is a necessity when traveling by horseback.

NUEVO PARAISO
♦ based on: Mexico

Red soil, enormous mesas and scorching midday sun make passing through these lands an unforgettable journey. In quieter times, the locals are not likely to bother a stranger – but there is talk of a civil war brewing in the hills, and mounted army patrols are quick to extinguish any signs of trouble.

WEST ELIZABETH
♦ based on: Wyoming, Colorado

Home to the bustling Blackwater, one of the many modern, burgeoning new townships that sprung up across America in the dying days of the Old West.
West Elizabeth may provide a taste of early 20th century modernity, but also its fair share of wilderness and danger. From the wolves prowling the snows of Nekoti Rock to the fierce Grizzlies in the forests above Manzanita to the ruthless card sharks at the tables in Blackwater – traveling the North requires caution and wile.