SPORE
PC Games
Publisher Electronic Arts has released the minimum system requirements for EA Maxis' long-awaited galaxy-spanning evolution simulator Spore.
Spore is slated to arrive on PC and Mac September 7, with a Nintendo DS edition, titled Spore Creatures, hitting on the same day.
The game's creature creator will be available for PC and Mac on June 17, a move meant to help populate the title's vast online universe.
FOR WINDOWS XP
o 2.0 GHz P4 processor or equivalent
o 512 MB RAM
o A 128 MB Video Card, with support for Pixel Shader 2.0
o At least 6 GB of hard drive space
FOR WINDOWS VISTA
o 2.0 GHz P4 processor or equivalent
o 768 MB RAM
o A 128 MB Video Card, with support for Pixel Shader 2.0
o At least 6 GB of hard drive space
Read on for further details on Spore's requirements, including video cards, Windows Vista warnings, Mac system compatibility and more.
When launching the game, some Microsoft Vista users may receive a warning about running out of address space along with a link to the Microsoft Knowledge Base. If you see this message, it is recommended that you follow the instructions and go to the website listed in the message to update your system.
For computers using built-in graphics chipsets, the game requires at least:
o Intel Integrated Chipset, 945GM or above.
o 2.6 GHz Pentium D CPU, or 1.8 GHz Core 2 Duo, or equivalent.
o 768 MB RAM
Supported Video Cards
o ATI Radeon series
+ 9500, 9600, 9800
+ X300, X600, X700, X800, X850
+ X1300, X1600, X1800, X1900, X1950
+ 2400, 2600, 2900,
+ 3650, 3850
o NVIDIA GeForce series
+ FX 5900, FX 5950
+ 6200, 6500, 6600, 6800,
+ 7200, 7300, 7600, 7800, 7900, 7950
+ 8400, 8500, 8600, 8800
o Intel Extreme Graphics
+ GMA 950, GMA X3000, GMA X3100
Laptop versions of these chipsets may work, but may run comparatively slowly. Standalone cards that are installed in vanilla PCI slots (not PCIe or PCIx or AGP), such as some GeForce FX variants, will perform poorly. Intel integrated chipsets featuring underclocked parts, such as the 945GU, GML, and GMS, will not perform adequately.
Integrated chipsets such as the ATI Xpress and the NVIDIA TurboCache variants will have low settings selected, but should run satisfactorily.
Please note that attempting to play the game using video hardware that isn't listed above may result in reduced performance, graphical issues or cause the game to not run at all.
The NVIDIA GeForce FX series is unsupported under Vista.
MAC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Spore requires at least the following:
o Mac OS X 10.5.3 Leopard or higher
o Intel Core Duo Processor
o 1024 MB RAM
o ATI X1600 or NVidia 7300 GT with 128 MB of Video RAM, or Intel Integrated GMA X3100
o At least 4.7GB of hard drive space for installation, plus additional space for creations.*
This game will not run on PowerPC (G3/G4/G5) based Mac systems (PowerMac).
For computers using built-in graphics chipsets, the game requires at least:
o Intel Integrated Chipset GMA X3100
o Dual 2.0GHz CPUs, or 1.7GHz Core 2 Duo, or equivalent
Supported Video Cards
o ATI Radeon series
+ X1600, X1900, HD 2400, HD 2600
o NVIDIA GeForce series
+ 7300, 7600, 8600, 8800
o Intel Extreme Graphics
+ GMA X3100
This game will not run on the GMA 950 class of integrated video cards.
Quoted from: shacknews
2010/06/25
Mercenaries 3 unmasked
Mercenaries 3 unmasked
PC Games
Mercenaries 3
Four days after it teased sequels to Dead Space, Army of Two, and Battlefield: Bad Company, EA has confirmed that another follow-up is being planned. During a post-earnings conference call this afternoon, EA CEO John Riccitiello revealed that his company is planning a third installment in the Mercenaries series, developed by its Pandemic Studio.
Mattias will be back for another payday. (In this economy, why not?)
"There will be a Mercenaries 3 and, if I have anything to do with it, there will be a Mercenaries 10," declared the outspoken executive. The proclamation was a brief bright spot in an otherwise dour afternoon in which EA revealed it was laying off 6 percent of its workforce and reported a loss of $310 million for the July-September quarter.
Riccitiello's ardent support may surprise some, given the occasional thumping Mercenaries 2: World in Flames received from critics. However, despite mixed reviews, the game has been a commercial hit. As of September 30, the oft-delayed title had sold 1.9 million copies internationally--as many units as Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 and nearly as many as Spore.
Quoted from: gamespot
PC Games
Mercenaries 3
Four days after it teased sequels to Dead Space, Army of Two, and Battlefield: Bad Company, EA has confirmed that another follow-up is being planned. During a post-earnings conference call this afternoon, EA CEO John Riccitiello revealed that his company is planning a third installment in the Mercenaries series, developed by its Pandemic Studio.
Mattias will be back for another payday. (In this economy, why not?)
"There will be a Mercenaries 3 and, if I have anything to do with it, there will be a Mercenaries 10," declared the outspoken executive. The proclamation was a brief bright spot in an otherwise dour afternoon in which EA revealed it was laying off 6 percent of its workforce and reported a loss of $310 million for the July-September quarter.
Riccitiello's ardent support may surprise some, given the occasional thumping Mercenaries 2: World in Flames received from critics. However, despite mixed reviews, the game has been a commercial hit. As of September 30, the oft-delayed title had sold 1.9 million copies internationally--as many units as Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 and nearly as many as Spore.
Quoted from: gamespot
Alone in The Dark 2008
Alone in The Dark
Reviews
I've never played a game that has thrown me in more directions than Alone in the Dark. At times Eden's ambitious survival horror game touches on brilliance, dazzles with blockbuster spectacles and revels in originality. Its problem is that these moments make up a small portion of the game - a game which suffers from almost every longstanding gaming irritant and problem I've written about a thousand times over. Despite wanting to love it and enjoy its many clever puzzles, disappointment, frustration and annoyance set in all too often.
You play as Edward Carnby, who awakens in a fairly groggy state at the start of the game in a room with an old man (Paddington) - who soon becomes a pivotal character in the game. Strangely, Ed is the very same character from the old Alone in the Dark games, presumably sent through time to the modern day. From the off you're asked to blink in order to clear your vision, just one of the game's real-world gameplay mechanics which are both genius and immeasurably annoying. You're in an apartment block overlooking Central Park, New York, and soon enough things take a turn for the worst. The building begins to break apart, fissures appear along walls and demons possess the bodies of the living. You must get out alive, and it's here that the game's controls become the real villain of the piece.
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Alone in the Dark is really a handful of games rolled into one. At times it's a Resident Evil 4 like third-person game, but it's also a first-person shooter, a third-person varied camera adventure game and a driving game. You're free to switch to first-person at any time, although the game decides if the third-person view should be over the shoulder or from a cinematically placed camera. After only a few minutes it's all too obvious that deciding against a singular view point is one of the developer's biggest mistakes.
The opening sections are really there for spectacle, tutorial purposes and to meet the main secondary characters (the aforementioned Paddington and Sarah, an art dealer), with the proper game not really beginning until you enter Central Park itself, but the foundations have already been laid. From a third-person viewpoint you can use melee weapons, moving the right analogue stick around to attack. Anything you can pick up can be used as a weapon, and while it's a little clunky it works well enough. You'll probably want to fire your gun at an incoming enemy, but you can't do so from a third-person viewpoint. Switching to a first-person viewpoint allows you do use projectile weapons, but here the aiming is so fiddly (and the enemies are often so unpredictable) that hitting anything is harder than it looks.
Throughout the game you'll be constantly switching between the two views, and it doesn't make for good gameplay. A third-person over the shoulder view that also allowed for Resident Evil 4 style shooting would have been fine, as would a Condemned style first-person view that also allowed melee combat. Having both simply complicates matters. This is even before the game's inventory system is factored in to the gameplay - something you'd assume would have little to no effect on the actual in-game action.
Your inventory in Alone in the Dark is accessed in real time by Carnby looking down into his jacket. It features slots for numerous items, with bottles, canisters and other throwable objects on the right, gun and torch in the middle, and everything else on the left. With limited space storage is always a problem, and you'll regularly have to drop items in order to pick up others - whether it be an essential health spray or much needed bottle of fuel. You can equip one item in each hand, allowing for various combinations, and even combine items before equipping, allowing for such things as sticky bombs or Molotov cocktails.
The story and characters can't carry the gameThe story and characters can't carry the game
It's an incredibly fiddly and tricky menu to work with, made worse by the fact that monsters can walk up and batter you while you're trying to combine your leftover items to make something half useful. A handy 'favourites' system allows you to assign up to four left/right hand combinations for quick selection (a lighter in your right hand and bottle of whisky with a bandage jammed in it in the left, for example), which removes a layer of fiddling, but there are so many combinations that you'll always be tinkering with things in your inventory. As great as the real inventory system seemed on paper and in presentations, in practice it simply doesn't serve to improve the game.
Take this situation as an example of how mind numbingly annoying the game can be at times. You're in a lavatory, desperate for a health spray (spraying this over your wounds heals you, and yes, it's done in real time) while just seconds away is a group of blood-thirsty crazed enemies. You set the door to the room on fire to act as a barrier, and then loot the room, hoping for that illusive white canister. You see one in a cabinet, but you're not allowed to pick it up as the right side of your jacket is full. You haphazardly dump items on the floor, freeing up space, then return to the cabinet. For some reason you aren't allowed to pick up the health spray until you've picked up everything else around it. Gahhh. The fire is about to die out and you can sense a horrific mauling. Quickly you grab the items, switch to your inventory and dump it all again. You're now able to grab the spray. Quickly you press right on the d-pad to bring up the healing interface, press the right trigger to begin spraying and then get smashed in the face by a demon monster. You're skull has been crushed and it's time to try that all over again. Did I say Alone in the Dark is annoying?
System Requirements: (Minimum System Requirements)
OS: Windows XP/Vista
Processor: Pentium 4 @ 2.8 GHz (3.2 GHz for Vista)
Memory: 1 GB
Hard Drive: 10 GB Free
Video Memory: 256 MB (nVidia GeForce 7600 GT/ATI Radeon X1950)
Sound Card: DirectX Compatible
DirectX: 9.0c
Keyboard & Mouse
System Requirements: (Recommend System Requirements)
OS: Windows XP/Vista
Processor: Core 2 Duo 2.2 GHz Or higher
Memory: 2 GB
Hard Drive: 10 GB Free
Video Memory: 512 MB (nVidia GeForce 8800 GT/ATI HD2900)
Sound Card: DirectX Compatible
DirectX: 9.0c or 10 (Shadder 4.0/Dx10 Sopport Window Vista)
Keyboard & Mouse
Quoted from: videogamer
Reviews
I've never played a game that has thrown me in more directions than Alone in the Dark. At times Eden's ambitious survival horror game touches on brilliance, dazzles with blockbuster spectacles and revels in originality. Its problem is that these moments make up a small portion of the game - a game which suffers from almost every longstanding gaming irritant and problem I've written about a thousand times over. Despite wanting to love it and enjoy its many clever puzzles, disappointment, frustration and annoyance set in all too often.
You play as Edward Carnby, who awakens in a fairly groggy state at the start of the game in a room with an old man (Paddington) - who soon becomes a pivotal character in the game. Strangely, Ed is the very same character from the old Alone in the Dark games, presumably sent through time to the modern day. From the off you're asked to blink in order to clear your vision, just one of the game's real-world gameplay mechanics which are both genius and immeasurably annoying. You're in an apartment block overlooking Central Park, New York, and soon enough things take a turn for the worst. The building begins to break apart, fissures appear along walls and demons possess the bodies of the living. You must get out alive, and it's here that the game's controls become the real villain of the piece.
Advertisement
Alone in the Dark is really a handful of games rolled into one. At times it's a Resident Evil 4 like third-person game, but it's also a first-person shooter, a third-person varied camera adventure game and a driving game. You're free to switch to first-person at any time, although the game decides if the third-person view should be over the shoulder or from a cinematically placed camera. After only a few minutes it's all too obvious that deciding against a singular view point is one of the developer's biggest mistakes.
The opening sections are really there for spectacle, tutorial purposes and to meet the main secondary characters (the aforementioned Paddington and Sarah, an art dealer), with the proper game not really beginning until you enter Central Park itself, but the foundations have already been laid. From a third-person viewpoint you can use melee weapons, moving the right analogue stick around to attack. Anything you can pick up can be used as a weapon, and while it's a little clunky it works well enough. You'll probably want to fire your gun at an incoming enemy, but you can't do so from a third-person viewpoint. Switching to a first-person viewpoint allows you do use projectile weapons, but here the aiming is so fiddly (and the enemies are often so unpredictable) that hitting anything is harder than it looks.
Throughout the game you'll be constantly switching between the two views, and it doesn't make for good gameplay. A third-person over the shoulder view that also allowed for Resident Evil 4 style shooting would have been fine, as would a Condemned style first-person view that also allowed melee combat. Having both simply complicates matters. This is even before the game's inventory system is factored in to the gameplay - something you'd assume would have little to no effect on the actual in-game action.
Your inventory in Alone in the Dark is accessed in real time by Carnby looking down into his jacket. It features slots for numerous items, with bottles, canisters and other throwable objects on the right, gun and torch in the middle, and everything else on the left. With limited space storage is always a problem, and you'll regularly have to drop items in order to pick up others - whether it be an essential health spray or much needed bottle of fuel. You can equip one item in each hand, allowing for various combinations, and even combine items before equipping, allowing for such things as sticky bombs or Molotov cocktails.
The story and characters can't carry the gameThe story and characters can't carry the game
It's an incredibly fiddly and tricky menu to work with, made worse by the fact that monsters can walk up and batter you while you're trying to combine your leftover items to make something half useful. A handy 'favourites' system allows you to assign up to four left/right hand combinations for quick selection (a lighter in your right hand and bottle of whisky with a bandage jammed in it in the left, for example), which removes a layer of fiddling, but there are so many combinations that you'll always be tinkering with things in your inventory. As great as the real inventory system seemed on paper and in presentations, in practice it simply doesn't serve to improve the game.
Take this situation as an example of how mind numbingly annoying the game can be at times. You're in a lavatory, desperate for a health spray (spraying this over your wounds heals you, and yes, it's done in real time) while just seconds away is a group of blood-thirsty crazed enemies. You set the door to the room on fire to act as a barrier, and then loot the room, hoping for that illusive white canister. You see one in a cabinet, but you're not allowed to pick it up as the right side of your jacket is full. You haphazardly dump items on the floor, freeing up space, then return to the cabinet. For some reason you aren't allowed to pick up the health spray until you've picked up everything else around it. Gahhh. The fire is about to die out and you can sense a horrific mauling. Quickly you grab the items, switch to your inventory and dump it all again. You're now able to grab the spray. Quickly you press right on the d-pad to bring up the healing interface, press the right trigger to begin spraying and then get smashed in the face by a demon monster. You're skull has been crushed and it's time to try that all over again. Did I say Alone in the Dark is annoying?
System Requirements: (Minimum System Requirements)
OS: Windows XP/Vista
Processor: Pentium 4 @ 2.8 GHz (3.2 GHz for Vista)
Memory: 1 GB
Hard Drive: 10 GB Free
Video Memory: 256 MB (nVidia GeForce 7600 GT/ATI Radeon X1950)
Sound Card: DirectX Compatible
DirectX: 9.0c
Keyboard & Mouse
System Requirements: (Recommend System Requirements)
OS: Windows XP/Vista
Processor: Core 2 Duo 2.2 GHz Or higher
Memory: 2 GB
Hard Drive: 10 GB Free
Video Memory: 512 MB (nVidia GeForce 8800 GT/ATI HD2900)
Sound Card: DirectX Compatible
DirectX: 9.0c or 10 (Shadder 4.0/Dx10 Sopport Window Vista)
Keyboard & Mouse
Quoted from: videogamer
Bionic Commando Rearmed
Bionic Commando Rearmed
20 years after the 8-bit classic was released, Bionic Commando Rearmed recreates the world of the original with a complete "2.5D" visual revamp. Bionic Commando Rearmed preserves the original's mix of swinging and shooting in an intense 2D side-scroller, all to the tune of a brand-new soundtrack based on the classic 8-bit music from the NES masterpiece.
But Rearmed is far more than just a remake - it features all-new modes such as the 2-player co-op play, smarter enemy AI, new bionic arm abilities, new weapons, bigger bosses and online rankings. Faithfully sticking to the story of the NES game, Bionic Commando Rearmed tells the story of Nathan "R.A.D." Spencer's first mission, sent in to retrieve captured agent Super Joe from the hands of the Imperials. Fans of the original story can expect to see all the characters from the NES version, as well as the memorable moments that made the title so popular with fans. Rearmed will also link-up to its 3D "big brother", coming to PC, with unlockable content, in-game hints and a story that spans both games.
Features
* Classic Bionic Commando side-scrolling gameplay, updated with new abilities, weapons and bosses
* 2-player co-op mode
* Total modern visual and audio revamp
* Cross-game interoperability – complete specific parts of Bionic Commando Rearmed to unlock new content and hints for the Bionic Commando sequel
* Challenge Rooms – obstacles courses and swing puzzles that test your skills, with your best times ranked against other users in online leaderboards
* Top-Down Stages – the return of the top-down scrolling gameplay of the original’s “Enemy Encounter” stages, with remixed music from the classic Commando!
* Multiplayer – up to 4 players can face off in a frantic melee of shooting and swinging!
* In-game art designed by Shinkiro, one of Capcom’s most talented artists
Minimum System Requirements
* Microsoft(R) Windows(R) XP (Service Pack 2)/Microsoft(R) Windows(R) Vista
* Intel Pentium 4 2 Ghz/AMD XP 2200+
* 1GB RAM
* 650 MB free hard drive space
* 128 MB DirectX(R) 9c compatible card/ nVIDIA(R) GeForce 6600 GT/or ATI equivalent, Pixel Shader 3.0 Compatible
* DirectX(R) 9 compatible sound card
* Internet connection
* Keyboard
Recommended System Requirements
* Microsoft(R) Windows(R) XP (Service Pack 2)/Microsoft(R) Windows(R) Vista
* Intel Core 2 Duo E6400/AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+
* 1 GB RAM
* 2 GB free hard drive space
* 256 MB DirectX(R) 9c compatible card/ nVIDIA(R) GeForce 7900/ ATI Radeon(R) X1850 or better
* DirectX(R) 9 compatible sound card
* Internet connection
* Xbox 360 Controller for Windows
Quoted from: direct2drive
20 years after the 8-bit classic was released, Bionic Commando Rearmed recreates the world of the original with a complete "2.5D" visual revamp. Bionic Commando Rearmed preserves the original's mix of swinging and shooting in an intense 2D side-scroller, all to the tune of a brand-new soundtrack based on the classic 8-bit music from the NES masterpiece.
But Rearmed is far more than just a remake - it features all-new modes such as the 2-player co-op play, smarter enemy AI, new bionic arm abilities, new weapons, bigger bosses and online rankings. Faithfully sticking to the story of the NES game, Bionic Commando Rearmed tells the story of Nathan "R.A.D." Spencer's first mission, sent in to retrieve captured agent Super Joe from the hands of the Imperials. Fans of the original story can expect to see all the characters from the NES version, as well as the memorable moments that made the title so popular with fans. Rearmed will also link-up to its 3D "big brother", coming to PC, with unlockable content, in-game hints and a story that spans both games.
Features
* Classic Bionic Commando side-scrolling gameplay, updated with new abilities, weapons and bosses
* 2-player co-op mode
* Total modern visual and audio revamp
* Cross-game interoperability – complete specific parts of Bionic Commando Rearmed to unlock new content and hints for the Bionic Commando sequel
* Challenge Rooms – obstacles courses and swing puzzles that test your skills, with your best times ranked against other users in online leaderboards
* Top-Down Stages – the return of the top-down scrolling gameplay of the original’s “Enemy Encounter” stages, with remixed music from the classic Commando!
* Multiplayer – up to 4 players can face off in a frantic melee of shooting and swinging!
* In-game art designed by Shinkiro, one of Capcom’s most talented artists
Minimum System Requirements
* Microsoft(R) Windows(R) XP (Service Pack 2)/Microsoft(R) Windows(R) Vista
* Intel Pentium 4 2 Ghz/AMD XP 2200+
* 1GB RAM
* 650 MB free hard drive space
* 128 MB DirectX(R) 9c compatible card/ nVIDIA(R) GeForce 6600 GT/or ATI equivalent, Pixel Shader 3.0 Compatible
* DirectX(R) 9 compatible sound card
* Internet connection
* Keyboard
Recommended System Requirements
* Microsoft(R) Windows(R) XP (Service Pack 2)/Microsoft(R) Windows(R) Vista
* Intel Core 2 Duo E6400/AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+
* 1 GB RAM
* 2 GB free hard drive space
* 256 MB DirectX(R) 9c compatible card/ nVIDIA(R) GeForce 7900/ ATI Radeon(R) X1850 or better
* DirectX(R) 9 compatible sound card
* Internet connection
* Xbox 360 Controller for Windows
Quoted from: direct2drive
Beijing 2008
Beijing 2008
Embrace the competitive spirit of the world's most prestigious sporting event and represent your country as you compete for the highest honor - the Gold.
Appearing on next-gen consoles, the game delivers a far more entertaining and immersive Olympic experience with superior graphics capturing the fine emotional detail of each event where a fraction of a second means the difference between winning and losing. With brand new gameplay mechanics challenging your time, speed, and coordination, you will strive to break records alone or with up to seven friends online as you lead the US team to victory in 38 authentic Olympic events.
• Olympic Games Mode: Organize your daily schedule and customize your national teams with players skilled in agility, power, stamina and speed for competition across 38 events. With up to three friends, participate in either single-event or multi-event challenges in Competition mode.
• New Gameplay Mechanics: There are a variety of controls across all events, including a time-based system where timing, power and angle are essential, a rhythm-based method that requires increasing and sustaining speed, and a targeting system to help you hit targets accurately.
• In the Zone: This gameplay feature puts you right into the athlete's mind and closer to the action than ever, with time to accurately control every move.
• Global Online Competition: For the first time in Olympic video games history you can compete online. Competitions, exhibition events and leaderboards allow you to become the ultimate Olympic armchair athlete.
• Capturing the Olympic Spirit: As the only 2008 official Olympic video game, Beijing 2008 offers full Olympic branding and transports you right into the heart of the action in ultra-realistic recreations of the Beijing stadiums.
System Requirements:
Minimum System Requirements:
OS: Windows XP
Processor: Pentium 4 @ 2.4 Ghz or Equivalent
Memory: 1 GB
Video Memory: 6600 Nvidia graphics card or ATI equivalent with support for Pixel Shader 3.
Sound Card: DirectX Compatible
DirectX: 9.0c
Keyboard & Mouse
DVD Rom Drive
Recommended System Requirements:
OS: Windows XP / Vista
Processor: AMD or Intel Dual Core Processor
Memory: 1 GB
Video Memory: 7800 Nvidia graphics card or ATI equivalent.
Sound Card: DirectX Compatible
DirectX: 9.0c
Keyboard & Mouse(Xbox 360 Controller Recommended)
DVD Rom Drive
Quoted from: gamepressure
Embrace the competitive spirit of the world's most prestigious sporting event and represent your country as you compete for the highest honor - the Gold.
Appearing on next-gen consoles, the game delivers a far more entertaining and immersive Olympic experience with superior graphics capturing the fine emotional detail of each event where a fraction of a second means the difference between winning and losing. With brand new gameplay mechanics challenging your time, speed, and coordination, you will strive to break records alone or with up to seven friends online as you lead the US team to victory in 38 authentic Olympic events.
• Olympic Games Mode: Organize your daily schedule and customize your national teams with players skilled in agility, power, stamina and speed for competition across 38 events. With up to three friends, participate in either single-event or multi-event challenges in Competition mode.
• New Gameplay Mechanics: There are a variety of controls across all events, including a time-based system where timing, power and angle are essential, a rhythm-based method that requires increasing and sustaining speed, and a targeting system to help you hit targets accurately.
• In the Zone: This gameplay feature puts you right into the athlete's mind and closer to the action than ever, with time to accurately control every move.
• Global Online Competition: For the first time in Olympic video games history you can compete online. Competitions, exhibition events and leaderboards allow you to become the ultimate Olympic armchair athlete.
• Capturing the Olympic Spirit: As the only 2008 official Olympic video game, Beijing 2008 offers full Olympic branding and transports you right into the heart of the action in ultra-realistic recreations of the Beijing stadiums.
System Requirements:
Minimum System Requirements:
OS: Windows XP
Processor: Pentium 4 @ 2.4 Ghz or Equivalent
Memory: 1 GB
Video Memory: 6600 Nvidia graphics card or ATI equivalent with support for Pixel Shader 3.
Sound Card: DirectX Compatible
DirectX: 9.0c
Keyboard & Mouse
DVD Rom Drive
Recommended System Requirements:
OS: Windows XP / Vista
Processor: AMD or Intel Dual Core Processor
Memory: 1 GB
Video Memory: 7800 Nvidia graphics card or ATI equivalent.
Sound Card: DirectX Compatible
DirectX: 9.0c
Keyboard & Mouse(Xbox 360 Controller Recommended)
DVD Rom Drive
Quoted from: gamepressure
Devil May Cry 4
Devil May Cry 4
Gameplay in Devil May Cry 4 is similar to previous games in the series. The player must fight through levels called "missions", occasionally solving puzzles or gathering items. Performance in a mission is graded from D being the bottom grade through C, B, A, and S being the highest grade. Grades are based on items used, Red Orbs gathered, time taken, and the amount of Style Points accumulated. Each Style Point grade has its own tag-word. The stylish grade shows up on the side of the screen and starts at "Deadly"(D); progresses through "Carnage"(C), "Brutal"(B), and "Atomic"(A); then, progresses through one last bar of grade containing the phrases "Smokin'"(S), "Smokin' Style"(SS), and lastly "Smokin' Sick Style"(SSS). Stylish combat is the main focus of the game, which is conveyed through unbroken combos of varied attacks while avoiding damage. The player must avoid enemy attacks to continue performing combos, often by memorizing attack patterns.
The Devil Trigger is a super state that enables the player to become more powerful adding a slow but steady health regeneration, with increased damage done. Devil Trigger can be activated by pressing the button to trigger it when the minimum amount on the gauge is filled or when the player is near death during combat, and also through items called Devil Stars.
Dante performing one of his signature moves, the Stinger attack
Some changes introduced into Devil May Cry 4 are the presence of two playable characters, Dante and Nero, and a slight modification to the shop system. A new currency, Proud Souls, is used to buy new abilities while Red Orbs are used to buy items. Proud Souls are rewarded at the end of missions and the amount varies depending on how well the player performed. Cost of abilities also increase with the purchase of other abilities, though all abilities can be sold back for the original price.
The player plays as Nero throughout most of the game. He starts and ends the game with his Red Queen sword, Blue Rose revolver, and the powers of his Devil Bringer (his demonic right arm). The Red Queen features an Exceed Gauge that can be charged up, allowing for subsequent attacks that are more powerful than regular slashes, until the gauge empties. The Exceed Gauge can also be filled by pressing the rev button at the peak of each slash, which allows for more powerful combos capable of breaking the opponent's guard. Nero also has the powers of his Devil Bringer, and can use it to pull himself towards enemies or vice-versa. The Devil Bringer may also be used for context-sensitive throw attacks, leading to high damage and various effects depending on the enemy. Nero's Devil Bringer also gains new abilities during the course of the game, such as being able to detect secret missions or caches of Red Orbs. Nero eventually gains the ability to use Devil Trigger after getting the katana known as Yamato, which increases his Devil Bringer's power, thus changing his Devil Bringer attacks into more powerful versions with different animations.
The player plays as Dante through seven missions, taking over halfway through the game. His gameplay is similar to that of Devil May Cry 3, with him having access to multiple melee and ranged weapons which he gains after boss battles, and being able to cycle through them freely in combat, being no longer limited to equipping two weapons of each type as he was in the previous game. Dante also starts with his four styles (Trickster, Royal Guard, Sword Master, Gunslinger), each of which grants him different abilities, but he may now switch them at will with buttons or pads on the PlayStation 3 controller or the Xbox 360 controller, unlike in Devil May Cry 3. He also gains the Dark Slayer style near the end of his appearance, which only has one style level and can be accessed by pressing a direction button twice. Styles do not level up through experience as in the previous game, but must instead be upgraded in the shop screen in between missions or at statues. Dante can also enter Devil Trigger; in his Devil Trigger he gains most of the benefits that Nero's Devil Trigger has, though, as he does not have the Devil Bringer, he gets animation and property changes on some of his normal attacks instead.
System requirements
* Windows XP/Vista
* Intel Pentium 4 3 GHz, Core 2 Duo or AMD equivalent
* 512 MB RAM / Windows Vista 1 GB RAM
* 5.0 GB free space (PS3) / 7.0 GB free space (PC)
* GeForce 6600 with 256 MB of VRAM (SM3 Required)
* DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card
Quoted from: wikipedia
Gameplay in Devil May Cry 4 is similar to previous games in the series. The player must fight through levels called "missions", occasionally solving puzzles or gathering items. Performance in a mission is graded from D being the bottom grade through C, B, A, and S being the highest grade. Grades are based on items used, Red Orbs gathered, time taken, and the amount of Style Points accumulated. Each Style Point grade has its own tag-word. The stylish grade shows up on the side of the screen and starts at "Deadly"(D); progresses through "Carnage"(C), "Brutal"(B), and "Atomic"(A); then, progresses through one last bar of grade containing the phrases "Smokin'"(S), "Smokin' Style"(SS), and lastly "Smokin' Sick Style"(SSS). Stylish combat is the main focus of the game, which is conveyed through unbroken combos of varied attacks while avoiding damage. The player must avoid enemy attacks to continue performing combos, often by memorizing attack patterns.
The Devil Trigger is a super state that enables the player to become more powerful adding a slow but steady health regeneration, with increased damage done. Devil Trigger can be activated by pressing the button to trigger it when the minimum amount on the gauge is filled or when the player is near death during combat, and also through items called Devil Stars.
Dante performing one of his signature moves, the Stinger attack
Some changes introduced into Devil May Cry 4 are the presence of two playable characters, Dante and Nero, and a slight modification to the shop system. A new currency, Proud Souls, is used to buy new abilities while Red Orbs are used to buy items. Proud Souls are rewarded at the end of missions and the amount varies depending on how well the player performed. Cost of abilities also increase with the purchase of other abilities, though all abilities can be sold back for the original price.
The player plays as Nero throughout most of the game. He starts and ends the game with his Red Queen sword, Blue Rose revolver, and the powers of his Devil Bringer (his demonic right arm). The Red Queen features an Exceed Gauge that can be charged up, allowing for subsequent attacks that are more powerful than regular slashes, until the gauge empties. The Exceed Gauge can also be filled by pressing the rev button at the peak of each slash, which allows for more powerful combos capable of breaking the opponent's guard. Nero also has the powers of his Devil Bringer, and can use it to pull himself towards enemies or vice-versa. The Devil Bringer may also be used for context-sensitive throw attacks, leading to high damage and various effects depending on the enemy. Nero's Devil Bringer also gains new abilities during the course of the game, such as being able to detect secret missions or caches of Red Orbs. Nero eventually gains the ability to use Devil Trigger after getting the katana known as Yamato, which increases his Devil Bringer's power, thus changing his Devil Bringer attacks into more powerful versions with different animations.
The player plays as Dante through seven missions, taking over halfway through the game. His gameplay is similar to that of Devil May Cry 3, with him having access to multiple melee and ranged weapons which he gains after boss battles, and being able to cycle through them freely in combat, being no longer limited to equipping two weapons of each type as he was in the previous game. Dante also starts with his four styles (Trickster, Royal Guard, Sword Master, Gunslinger), each of which grants him different abilities, but he may now switch them at will with buttons or pads on the PlayStation 3 controller or the Xbox 360 controller, unlike in Devil May Cry 3. He also gains the Dark Slayer style near the end of his appearance, which only has one style level and can be accessed by pressing a direction button twice. Styles do not level up through experience as in the previous game, but must instead be upgraded in the shop screen in between missions or at statues. Dante can also enter Devil Trigger; in his Devil Trigger he gains most of the benefits that Nero's Devil Trigger has, though, as he does not have the Devil Bringer, he gets animation and property changes on some of his normal attacks instead.
System requirements
* Windows XP/Vista
* Intel Pentium 4 3 GHz, Core 2 Duo or AMD equivalent
* 512 MB RAM / Windows Vista 1 GB RAM
* 5.0 GB free space (PS3) / 7.0 GB free space (PC)
* GeForce 6600 with 256 MB of VRAM (SM3 Required)
* DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card
Quoted from: wikipedia
Mass Effect 2
Mass Effect 2
The system requirements for the PC version of Mass Effect 2 have been revealed, along with the surprisingly barebones DRM that BioWare will employ in the sequel -- which is to say very little DRM at all.
"The boxed/retail PC version of Mass Effect 2 will use only a basic disk check and it will not require online authentication," wrote BioWare community director Chris Priestly in his announcement post on their official forum. "This is the same method as Dragon Age: Origins. Digital versions will use the retailer's protection system."
As for the system requirements, you can find the quite reasonable prerequisites (both minimum and recommended) below.
PC MINIMUM System Requirements
OS = Windows XP SP3 / Windows Vista SP1 / Windows 7
Processor = 1.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo or equivalent AMD CPU
Memory = 1 GB RAM for Windows XP / 2 GB RAM for Windows Vista and Windows 7
Hard Drive = 15 GB
DVD ROM = 1x Speed
Sound Card = DirectX 9.0c compatible
Direct X = DirectX 9.0c August 2008 (included)
Input = Keyboard / Mouse
Video Card = 256 MB (with Pixel Shader 3.0 support). Supported Chipsets: NVIDIA GeForce 6800 or greater; ATI Radeon X1600 Pro or greater. Please note that NVIDIA GeForce 7300, 8100, 8200, 8300, 8400, and 9300; ATI Radeon HD3200, and HD4350 are below minimum system requirements. Updates to your video and sound card drivers may be required. Intel and S3 video cards are not officially supported in Mass Effect 2.
PC RECOMMENDED System Requirements
Windows XP SP3 / Windows Vista SP1 / Windows 7
2.6+ GHz Cure 2 Duo Intel or equivalent AMD CPU
2 GB RAM
ATI Radeon HD 2900 XT, NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT, or better recommended
100% DirectX compatible sound card and drivers
DirectX August 2008
NOTES: For the best results, make sure you have the latest drivers for your video and audio cards. Laptop or mobile versions of the above supported video cards have not had extensive testing and may have driver or other performance issues. As such, they are not officially supported in Mass Effect 2. Intel and S3 video cards are not officially supported in Mass Effect 2.
Quoted from: 1up
The system requirements for the PC version of Mass Effect 2 have been revealed, along with the surprisingly barebones DRM that BioWare will employ in the sequel -- which is to say very little DRM at all.
"The boxed/retail PC version of Mass Effect 2 will use only a basic disk check and it will not require online authentication," wrote BioWare community director Chris Priestly in his announcement post on their official forum. "This is the same method as Dragon Age: Origins. Digital versions will use the retailer's protection system."
As for the system requirements, you can find the quite reasonable prerequisites (both minimum and recommended) below.
PC MINIMUM System Requirements
OS = Windows XP SP3 / Windows Vista SP1 / Windows 7
Processor = 1.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo or equivalent AMD CPU
Memory = 1 GB RAM for Windows XP / 2 GB RAM for Windows Vista and Windows 7
Hard Drive = 15 GB
DVD ROM = 1x Speed
Sound Card = DirectX 9.0c compatible
Direct X = DirectX 9.0c August 2008 (included)
Input = Keyboard / Mouse
Video Card = 256 MB (with Pixel Shader 3.0 support). Supported Chipsets: NVIDIA GeForce 6800 or greater; ATI Radeon X1600 Pro or greater. Please note that NVIDIA GeForce 7300, 8100, 8200, 8300, 8400, and 9300; ATI Radeon HD3200, and HD4350 are below minimum system requirements. Updates to your video and sound card drivers may be required. Intel and S3 video cards are not officially supported in Mass Effect 2.
PC RECOMMENDED System Requirements
Windows XP SP3 / Windows Vista SP1 / Windows 7
2.6+ GHz Cure 2 Duo Intel or equivalent AMD CPU
2 GB RAM
ATI Radeon HD 2900 XT, NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT, or better recommended
100% DirectX compatible sound card and drivers
DirectX August 2008
NOTES: For the best results, make sure you have the latest drivers for your video and audio cards. Laptop or mobile versions of the above supported video cards have not had extensive testing and may have driver or other performance issues. As such, they are not officially supported in Mass Effect 2. Intel and S3 video cards are not officially supported in Mass Effect 2.
Quoted from: 1up
Penumbra: Black Plague
Penumbra: Black Plague
In adventure games there are only so many times you can strap a cell phone to a cat to distract an NPC before you jump up, swat aside your monitor, and bellow "Blast! This doesn't make sense!" at an unsuspecting family member or roommate. It took a while for developers to hear the cries of sheer bewilderment and disorientation from their faithful player base, and thankfully those pleas' sonic reverberations jiggled through the Earth's particles and into the minds of Frictional Games when they started planning the Penumbra series. The follow up to Overture, Black Plague is the second and final Penumbra game, and the better of the two.
Perhaps the best part about Black Plague is, quite simply, that the puzzles generally make sense. Use a lighter on a barrel of oil to set it on fire. Put a coin in a pop machine to get a can. Soak a cloth in alcohol to make if flammable. I'm getting pretty fed up with adventure games that try to tell a story, but then fracture all sense of pacing and continuity by forcing you to spend hours running between locales, trying to figure out how dials in one room are affected by punching keypads and manipulating jigsaw puzzles in another. As you sneak your way toward uncovering the Shelter's true nature and what lies beyond, you might get tripped up here and there by puzzles, but even if you're stumped the eventual solution won't strike you as unintuitive for the sake of padding gameplay hours. One issue with making the puzzles more coherentis, by the end, it feels as though not enough was done with the physics-focused adventure to really stand out, or really wow you. Some of the puzzles are fairly pedestrian and tend to repeat themselves, the valves and switches in particular. Even so, it's a far less frustrating experience than with more traditional point-and-click adventure games.
The physics provide a solid hook. You wander around in a first-person perspective snatching up boxes, rolling barrels, and opening drawers to find keys, flashlight batteries, and glow sticks. Instead of just clicking on a drawer, though, you click a button to grab on, then actually have to mimic a pulling motion with the mouse (or move backwards while holding on) to open it. With valves you actually have to make a circular motion, with levers you have to pull them down, and with doors you have to push them open like you would in real life (meaning push on the outer edge of the door, not the hinges, dummy). Now I don't want to say every game out there needs to let me open doors realistically to be interesting, but in an adventure game like this that relies on a sense of atmosphere and immersion, little things like this make me feel more rooted in the game world and more connected with my surroundings. Black Plague, like Overture, doesn't deliver on this mechanic flawlessly, but it does make improvements.
First off, you don't have to fight dog patrols like you did in the Overture. There are grotesque roaming enemies, but they're relatively infrequent and easy to disregard. Without the threat of dogs jumping on your face, the puzzles tend to be more enjoyable. The physics system works just fine when you've got time to assess the situation, but its limitations and awkwardness come screaming to the forefront whenever you're suddenly dropped into a twitch situation. Trying to fight things with pickaxes in the first was one of my major problems, since the fighting system was an unwieldy mess. Here you don't get any weapons and there are only a handful of instances I can think of when twitch elements are thrust upon you, though I won't go into them because, well, spoiling things isn't very sporting.
The narrative still proves to be clumsy at times, but there a few things at work in Black Plague's story that make it more digestible than Overture. First off, since you're already embroiled in the mystery of the Shelter, you don't have to deal with Overture's flimsy exposition and implausible justification for protagonist Philip to suddenly interrupt his life and risk everything to visit a remote area of Greenland. Frictional built in another mechanic that toys with your sense of perception, heightening the already powerful atmosphere that exists here. I don't want to give too much away, but essentially it forces you second-guess that what you see and hear is a reality – if only it had been developed to a greater extent and utilized in more creative ways.
From looking at screenshots of this game, you may have been affected with a pang of nausea. And no, that's not because the screenshots feature horrific beasts dripping with filth, but instead because the graphics are so damn ugly. And they are, for sure, but don't let that turn you away from this game. While the bland environments and general lack of detail won't impress you in any way, the game still manages to weave dread and foreboding into its atmosphere, a feat which many flashier games fail to achieve. Part of it could be because the graphics are so dark, but for me the atmosphere was threaded together by the combination of perspective, soundtrack, and the physics, as well as a few more off-beat sequences, such as one video similar to an orientation film from Lost's Dharma Initiative. Sequences where Philip has to strap on a gas mask, limiting vision to a tiny section of the screen, forcing you to plunge into darkened areas of the unknown with flashlight, flare, or glow stick made for some harrowing experiences. Combine that with the harsh rasps of breath through the mask's filter and scratches in the mask's see-through plastic and it's even more affecting, even if the wall textures make you think you've downed a handle of vodka.
Oh, and as with any game like this, do not play it in a bright room. Turn off the lights and make sure you're alone – it's better that way. If you're one of those gamers who siphons pride from your confident resilience against fear when it comes to movies or games, you're still going to jump a few times while playing through this one. Granted these moments are a cheaper sort of scare as ghoulish things spring suddenly from shadows, but considering the game's already unnerving atmosphere, they don't feel as hackneyed as in other games that try similar mechanics.
Minimum System Requirements:
- OS: Windows 2000/XP
- Processor: Pentium 3 @ 1 GHz or Equivalent
- Memory: 256 MB
- Video Memory: 64 MB (nVidia GeForce 3/ATI Radeon 8500)
- Sound Card: DirectX Compatible
- DirectX: 9.0c
- keyboard & Mouse
- CD/DVD Rom Drive
Quoted from: ign
In adventure games there are only so many times you can strap a cell phone to a cat to distract an NPC before you jump up, swat aside your monitor, and bellow "Blast! This doesn't make sense!" at an unsuspecting family member or roommate. It took a while for developers to hear the cries of sheer bewilderment and disorientation from their faithful player base, and thankfully those pleas' sonic reverberations jiggled through the Earth's particles and into the minds of Frictional Games when they started planning the Penumbra series. The follow up to Overture, Black Plague is the second and final Penumbra game, and the better of the two.
Perhaps the best part about Black Plague is, quite simply, that the puzzles generally make sense. Use a lighter on a barrel of oil to set it on fire. Put a coin in a pop machine to get a can. Soak a cloth in alcohol to make if flammable. I'm getting pretty fed up with adventure games that try to tell a story, but then fracture all sense of pacing and continuity by forcing you to spend hours running between locales, trying to figure out how dials in one room are affected by punching keypads and manipulating jigsaw puzzles in another. As you sneak your way toward uncovering the Shelter's true nature and what lies beyond, you might get tripped up here and there by puzzles, but even if you're stumped the eventual solution won't strike you as unintuitive for the sake of padding gameplay hours. One issue with making the puzzles more coherentis, by the end, it feels as though not enough was done with the physics-focused adventure to really stand out, or really wow you. Some of the puzzles are fairly pedestrian and tend to repeat themselves, the valves and switches in particular. Even so, it's a far less frustrating experience than with more traditional point-and-click adventure games.
The physics provide a solid hook. You wander around in a first-person perspective snatching up boxes, rolling barrels, and opening drawers to find keys, flashlight batteries, and glow sticks. Instead of just clicking on a drawer, though, you click a button to grab on, then actually have to mimic a pulling motion with the mouse (or move backwards while holding on) to open it. With valves you actually have to make a circular motion, with levers you have to pull them down, and with doors you have to push them open like you would in real life (meaning push on the outer edge of the door, not the hinges, dummy). Now I don't want to say every game out there needs to let me open doors realistically to be interesting, but in an adventure game like this that relies on a sense of atmosphere and immersion, little things like this make me feel more rooted in the game world and more connected with my surroundings. Black Plague, like Overture, doesn't deliver on this mechanic flawlessly, but it does make improvements.
First off, you don't have to fight dog patrols like you did in the Overture. There are grotesque roaming enemies, but they're relatively infrequent and easy to disregard. Without the threat of dogs jumping on your face, the puzzles tend to be more enjoyable. The physics system works just fine when you've got time to assess the situation, but its limitations and awkwardness come screaming to the forefront whenever you're suddenly dropped into a twitch situation. Trying to fight things with pickaxes in the first was one of my major problems, since the fighting system was an unwieldy mess. Here you don't get any weapons and there are only a handful of instances I can think of when twitch elements are thrust upon you, though I won't go into them because, well, spoiling things isn't very sporting.
The narrative still proves to be clumsy at times, but there a few things at work in Black Plague's story that make it more digestible than Overture. First off, since you're already embroiled in the mystery of the Shelter, you don't have to deal with Overture's flimsy exposition and implausible justification for protagonist Philip to suddenly interrupt his life and risk everything to visit a remote area of Greenland. Frictional built in another mechanic that toys with your sense of perception, heightening the already powerful atmosphere that exists here. I don't want to give too much away, but essentially it forces you second-guess that what you see and hear is a reality – if only it had been developed to a greater extent and utilized in more creative ways.
From looking at screenshots of this game, you may have been affected with a pang of nausea. And no, that's not because the screenshots feature horrific beasts dripping with filth, but instead because the graphics are so damn ugly. And they are, for sure, but don't let that turn you away from this game. While the bland environments and general lack of detail won't impress you in any way, the game still manages to weave dread and foreboding into its atmosphere, a feat which many flashier games fail to achieve. Part of it could be because the graphics are so dark, but for me the atmosphere was threaded together by the combination of perspective, soundtrack, and the physics, as well as a few more off-beat sequences, such as one video similar to an orientation film from Lost's Dharma Initiative. Sequences where Philip has to strap on a gas mask, limiting vision to a tiny section of the screen, forcing you to plunge into darkened areas of the unknown with flashlight, flare, or glow stick made for some harrowing experiences. Combine that with the harsh rasps of breath through the mask's filter and scratches in the mask's see-through plastic and it's even more affecting, even if the wall textures make you think you've downed a handle of vodka.
Oh, and as with any game like this, do not play it in a bright room. Turn off the lights and make sure you're alone – it's better that way. If you're one of those gamers who siphons pride from your confident resilience against fear when it comes to movies or games, you're still going to jump a few times while playing through this one. Granted these moments are a cheaper sort of scare as ghoulish things spring suddenly from shadows, but considering the game's already unnerving atmosphere, they don't feel as hackneyed as in other games that try similar mechanics.
Minimum System Requirements:
- OS: Windows 2000/XP
- Processor: Pentium 3 @ 1 GHz or Equivalent
- Memory: 256 MB
- Video Memory: 64 MB (nVidia GeForce 3/ATI Radeon 8500)
- Sound Card: DirectX Compatible
- DirectX: 9.0c
- keyboard & Mouse
- CD/DVD Rom Drive
Quoted from: ign
Sins of a Solar Empire
Sins of a Solar Empire
Sins of a Solar Empire is a science fiction real-time strategy computer game developed by Ironclad Games and published by Stardock Entertainment for Microsoft Windows computers. Sins is a real-time strategy (RTS) game that incorporates some elements from 4X strategy games; promotional materials describe it as "RT4X." The game was released on February 4, 2008, its first content expansion titled Entrenchment was released as a download on February 25, 2009, and its second content expansion title Diplomacy was released as a download on February 9, 2010. A package that combines the original game with the two expansions was released at that time with the name Sins of a Solar Empire: Trinity.
System Requirements:
Minimum - Windows XP SP2/Vista/7, 1.8 GHz Single-Core Processor, 512 MB RAM (1 GB for Windows Vista), 128 MB DirectX 9 3D Video Card (Radeon 9600 / GeForce FX 6600 and above), DirectX 9.0c Compatible Sound Card, DVD-ROM Drive, 3 GB Hard Drive Space, Keyboard and Mouse, DirectX 9.0c, Broadband Connection Required for Internet Multiplayer, Impulse required for installation (of digital download) and updates.
Recommended - 2.2 GHz Dual- or Quad-Core Processor, 1 GB RAM (2 GB for Windows Vista), 256 MB DirectX 9 3D Video Card (Radeon X1600 / GeForce 7600 and above)
Sins of a Solar Empire is a science fiction real-time strategy computer game developed by Ironclad Games and published by Stardock Entertainment for Microsoft Windows computers. Sins is a real-time strategy (RTS) game that incorporates some elements from 4X strategy games; promotional materials describe it as "RT4X." The game was released on February 4, 2008, its first content expansion titled Entrenchment was released as a download on February 25, 2009, and its second content expansion title Diplomacy was released as a download on February 9, 2010. A package that combines the original game with the two expansions was released at that time with the name Sins of a Solar Empire: Trinity.
System Requirements:
Minimum - Windows XP SP2/Vista/7, 1.8 GHz Single-Core Processor, 512 MB RAM (1 GB for Windows Vista), 128 MB DirectX 9 3D Video Card (Radeon 9600 / GeForce FX 6600 and above), DirectX 9.0c Compatible Sound Card, DVD-ROM Drive, 3 GB Hard Drive Space, Keyboard and Mouse, DirectX 9.0c, Broadband Connection Required for Internet Multiplayer, Impulse required for installation (of digital download) and updates.
Recommended - 2.2 GHz Dual- or Quad-Core Processor, 1 GB RAM (2 GB for Windows Vista), 256 MB DirectX 9 3D Video Card (Radeon X1600 / GeForce 7600 and above)
Beowulf
Beowulf
Beowulf. You are Beowulf, legendary Norse warrior with the strength of 30 men. Arrogant, self-serving, and lustful for gold and glory, you journey to Denmark as Beowulf to destroy a bloodthirsty beast wreaking havoc on a frigid land.
But evil persists, and you succumb to its lure of even greater fame, quietly maneuvering to claim the Danish throne. As King, you must face the consequences of ambition, even as war descends on the realm.
Lead your thanes into battle, slay the Titans of a dying age, and crush the enemies that threaten to annihilate both your kingdom and your people.
Only then, when you look Destiny in the eye, will you know what kind of hero you truly are.. Beowulf the Legend!
Beowulf for PC Full Game Features:
* Play through 30 years of the Beowulf story not seen in the Beowulf movie
* Unlock an army of up to 12 thanes
* Grab allows you to hold on to walls or climb
* Fight in hand-to-hand combat with enemies and giant monsters.
* Use legacy experience points to gain thanes, replace weapons
* Combos, parries, and skills increase as you progress
* Unrivaled graphical experience
* No shipping, waiting or CD-ROM necessary
* Unlimited play
User Reviews Beowulf Game:
"The Beowulf PC game is a fantasy action adventure game inspired by the Beowulf movie. Beowulf the movie was in turn inspired by an ancient poem. Beowulf the PC game is a combat oriented game in which you assume the title role of Beowulf. The Beowulf PC game delves deeper into the adventure of Beowulf and you play through 30 years of the Beowulf story not seen in the Beowulf movie. This allows you to experience more of Beowulf's life and mold your own legacy. During the game you can unlock an army of up to 12 thanes as you increase your heroic experience (by saving thanes, killing giant monsters, etc.) You have special powers to help you defeat evil. Carnal Power allows you to use stronger attacks and special weapons such as pillars. Grab allows you to hold on to walls or climb, as well as fight in hand-to-hand combat with enemies and giant monsters. You can use legacy experience points to gain thanes, replace weapons, and upgrade your carnal abilities. The mystical world of Beowulf comes to life in stunning fashion in this Beowulf PC game. It's powered by the next evolution of the award-winning YETI technology used to create the critically acclaimed Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter and Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2. This allows Beowulf to deliver an unrivaled graphical experience. The Beowulf PC game is a truly awesome experience in gameing!" - Zoomer
System Requirements
Windows:
- Windows XP/Vista
- P4 3.0 GHz
- 1 GB RAM
- DirectX 9.0c
- 256MB DirectX 9.0c Video Card
- DirectX-compliant Sound Card
- Hard drive space: 7 GB
Mac:
- Sorry, not available
Quoted from: planetozkids
Beowulf. You are Beowulf, legendary Norse warrior with the strength of 30 men. Arrogant, self-serving, and lustful for gold and glory, you journey to Denmark as Beowulf to destroy a bloodthirsty beast wreaking havoc on a frigid land.
But evil persists, and you succumb to its lure of even greater fame, quietly maneuvering to claim the Danish throne. As King, you must face the consequences of ambition, even as war descends on the realm.
Lead your thanes into battle, slay the Titans of a dying age, and crush the enemies that threaten to annihilate both your kingdom and your people.
Only then, when you look Destiny in the eye, will you know what kind of hero you truly are.. Beowulf the Legend!
Beowulf for PC Full Game Features:
* Play through 30 years of the Beowulf story not seen in the Beowulf movie
* Unlock an army of up to 12 thanes
* Grab allows you to hold on to walls or climb
* Fight in hand-to-hand combat with enemies and giant monsters.
* Use legacy experience points to gain thanes, replace weapons
* Combos, parries, and skills increase as you progress
* Unrivaled graphical experience
* No shipping, waiting or CD-ROM necessary
* Unlimited play
User Reviews Beowulf Game:
"The Beowulf PC game is a fantasy action adventure game inspired by the Beowulf movie. Beowulf the movie was in turn inspired by an ancient poem. Beowulf the PC game is a combat oriented game in which you assume the title role of Beowulf. The Beowulf PC game delves deeper into the adventure of Beowulf and you play through 30 years of the Beowulf story not seen in the Beowulf movie. This allows you to experience more of Beowulf's life and mold your own legacy. During the game you can unlock an army of up to 12 thanes as you increase your heroic experience (by saving thanes, killing giant monsters, etc.) You have special powers to help you defeat evil. Carnal Power allows you to use stronger attacks and special weapons such as pillars. Grab allows you to hold on to walls or climb, as well as fight in hand-to-hand combat with enemies and giant monsters. You can use legacy experience points to gain thanes, replace weapons, and upgrade your carnal abilities. The mystical world of Beowulf comes to life in stunning fashion in this Beowulf PC game. It's powered by the next evolution of the award-winning YETI technology used to create the critically acclaimed Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter and Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2. This allows Beowulf to deliver an unrivaled graphical experience. The Beowulf PC game is a truly awesome experience in gameing!" - Zoomer
System Requirements
Windows:
- Windows XP/Vista
- P4 3.0 GHz
- 1 GB RAM
- DirectX 9.0c
- 256MB DirectX 9.0c Video Card
- DirectX-compliant Sound Card
- Hard drive space: 7 GB
Mac:
- Sorry, not available
Quoted from: planetozkids
Blacksite Area51
Blacksite Area51
The sequel to 2005's Area 51 remake, BlackSite continues Midway's first-person foray into Nevada with a mission-driven game promising multiple solutions for every scenario. Players control a former Special Forces assassin named Aeran Pierce, who along with his AI-controlled squad, will battle an assortment of alien and mutant creatures threatening the small town of Rachel, Nevada. Morale plays a part in each teammate's attributes, with players rewarded for using tactics and punished for engaging enemy forces against overwhelming odds.
Your squad's aim, fatigue, and desire to fight are all influenced by the decisions you make, which could spell the difference between a successful mission and a trip to the morgue. Commands given to the squad are mapped to a single button, allowing players to quickly order individuals to use a sniper rifle, plant explosives, or drive vehicles. The latter includes a choice of ATVs, HMMWVs, helicopters, and civilian automobiles. In addition to the cinematic single-player campaign, BlackSite features deathmatch, team deathmatch, capture the flag, siege, and other multiplayer options for up to 16 combatants.
Minimum System Requirements
OS: Windows XP/Vista
Processor: Pentium 4 @ 3 GHz
Memory: 2 Gb
Hard Drive: 15 Gb free
Video Memory: 256 Mb
Video Card: Pixel Vertex Shader 3.0
Sound Card: DirectX Compatible
Network: Broadband Internet Connection for Online Features
DirectX: 9.0c
Keyboard
Mouse
DVD Rom Drive
Quoted from: allgame
The sequel to 2005's Area 51 remake, BlackSite continues Midway's first-person foray into Nevada with a mission-driven game promising multiple solutions for every scenario. Players control a former Special Forces assassin named Aeran Pierce, who along with his AI-controlled squad, will battle an assortment of alien and mutant creatures threatening the small town of Rachel, Nevada. Morale plays a part in each teammate's attributes, with players rewarded for using tactics and punished for engaging enemy forces against overwhelming odds.
Your squad's aim, fatigue, and desire to fight are all influenced by the decisions you make, which could spell the difference between a successful mission and a trip to the morgue. Commands given to the squad are mapped to a single button, allowing players to quickly order individuals to use a sniper rifle, plant explosives, or drive vehicles. The latter includes a choice of ATVs, HMMWVs, helicopters, and civilian automobiles. In addition to the cinematic single-player campaign, BlackSite features deathmatch, team deathmatch, capture the flag, siege, and other multiplayer options for up to 16 combatants.
Minimum System Requirements
OS: Windows XP/Vista
Processor: Pentium 4 @ 3 GHz
Memory: 2 Gb
Hard Drive: 15 Gb free
Video Memory: 256 Mb
Video Card: Pixel Vertex Shader 3.0
Sound Card: DirectX Compatible
Network: Broadband Internet Connection for Online Features
DirectX: 9.0c
Keyboard
Mouse
DVD Rom Drive
Quoted from: allgame
Gears of War
Gears of War
And that's too bad, because Gears of War still probably would have won plenty of awards had it been released this year. It's a deeply satisfying action game--one that I never expected to like, but that ended up keeping my attention to the very last mission, a real rarity these days. It really does set a new standard for third person shooters. 
Gears looks great on the PC, but not leaps and bounds ahead of its Xbox 360 incarnation. Under the highest settings possible, you won't be pin-pointing any significant differences between the two, although the textures certainly seem to look sharper than ever. Performance on a high-end system is very smooth, with only a few hiccups here and there as the game accesses a texture in advance. Minimum system requirements clock in at a 2.4Ghz Intel chip, 1GB of RAM, and an Nvidia 6600 graphics card. 
Even considering these gripes, Gears multiplayer is still a great time. King of the Hill is a bit like the Annex gametype, and sees two teams racing to stand in the middle of a small circle, usually spawned in the middle of a map. The longer one team occupies the ring, the more points they accumulate. Because the edge of the ring is typically just outside of cover, players will need to balance between standing in the open and covering teammates from outside. And because the ring is such a hot-spot, plenty of carnage ensues in the battle over the tiny piece of territory.
Operating System: Windows XP
Processor (CPU): 2.4GHz Intel | 2.0 GHz AMD Athlon or better
Memory (RAM): 1GB
Hard Drive Space: 12 gigabytes free hard drive space
Video Card (GPU): NVIDIA GeForce 6600 | ATI X700 or better
Audio: DirectX Compatible
Misc.: Online Multiplayer – Games for Windows – LIVE Silver Membership (included)
Quoted from: shacknews
Gears of War PC Review
Epic's Gears of War port is probably going to go unnoticed by a lot of PC gamers this holiday season. With a record number of solid FPS titles to choose from--including the technically impressive Crysis, the multiplayer king Team Fortress 2, and the just-released juggernaut that is Call of Duty 4--heading back to last year's widely-named Game of the Year seems a bit like buying old news.
The reason Gears works so well is its laser focus on basic elements of gameplay--namely controls and level design. It is a textbook example of how clever designers can lay out a vast set of seemingly simple blocks and boundaries, that when painted over with the impressive Unreal Engine 3, feel fun to run through as a lumbering marine for hours on end. The control scheme that allows for the visceral, duck-and-cover gunfights never gets boring, and in its transition to the PC, the game's intense action loses none of its pop.
But what does the PC version add to the package? For starters, you've got five new single-player chapters, wedged into the beginning of Act 5, serving as a lead-in to the train sequence of the original. Like Christopher Lee in The Return of the King, the dinosaur-like Brumak played an insignificant role in the first iteration of Gears, but makes an appearance in this extended cut to provide a decent boss-fight. The levels leading up to this confrontation consist of more wide-open enemy encounters and close-quartered battles with wall-crawling aliens--nothing particularly fresh for the series, but all fitting seamlessly into the original scope of the game. All in all, this new content isn't worth another purchase for Gears 360 owners, but it is a great incentive for prospective PC players looking to take the plunge.
In making the shift from gamepad to keyboard and mouse, the big question was whether Gears' controls would retain their natural feeling. The short answer is that they do. If you're using a keyboard, the run-and-gun, scoot-and-chainsaw actions are easily achieved with either a double tap of the "W" key, or a single tap of the spacebar key. Using both in tandem is almost more intuitive than the original "A for all" setup on the 360.
Compensating for the increased accuracy of a mouse pointer, Epic has added a good deal of kickback to the weapons, which makes keeping your aim hovering on an enemy's face more of a task. Though it might sound like a somewhat crude solution to gameplay balance, it doesn't feel at all out of place or bothersome. And if you're not fond of the changes, you can always just plug a PC-compatible Xbox 360 controller into your box. The game will actually detect the connection of a controller on the fly, and disable the added recoil immediately.
The combat feels more or less the same regardless of your preferred implement for serving up destruction. Sure, sniping is a little easier on the PC, and machineguns a little more unwieldy, but neither of these changes affect the experience in any meaningful way. It's still all about outflanking the enemy for that bloody chainsaw kill, or vectoring a grenade to land straight onto a sniper's lap.
Unfortunately, the DirectX 10 support has turned out to be a bit of a bust, with almost no graphical improvement over DirectX 9. This is compounded by the rather annoying fact that anti-aliasing can only be enabled when in DirectX 10 mode. And those turned off by the out-of-game presentation in Epic's Unreal Tournament 3 won't find any solace here--the menus are a direct copy of Gears' console screens.
Another problem can be found in the game's method of serving up online action. Gears has a very strong multiplayer component, enhanced in the PC version by the new gametype "King of the Hill," and the addition of three maps. Along with the standard multiplayer modes, both online cooperative play and LAN networking are available to Gears PC players, and none of these requires you to pay a fee--the game only asks that you sign up for a Games for Windows Live account. While this process is pretty painless--GFW Live resembles the intuitive Xbox Live, and in fact those with Xbox Live accounts are already signed up for the service--you will need to pay for a Gold account in order to use any online matchmaking functions.
This subscribers-only restriction to online matchmaking is somewhat understandable when you consider that the same service on the Xbox 360 also requires a Gold account. However, those not shelling out for a monthly subscription on the PC will have only a basic list of matches to choose from, a list which glaringly lacks a column for displaying your ping to each game. And though a Live Gold account is easily justifiable on the Xbox 360--required in order to play multiplayer at all--the same can't be said for PC-only gamers. Because the only major incentive to a GFW Live Gold account is matchmaking, this seriously reduces the value of the service in comparison to Xbox Live, forcing Gears-hungry consumers into a conundrum. The solution is undoubtedly a simple one--most will not pay for the service, thus somewhat crippling the multiplayer component in comparison to the 360 version. It's a strange situation, and hardly ideal.
If you haven't played Gears, and you're interested enough to have read this far, do yourself a favor and pick it up. Despite the less-than-perfect multiplayer solution, everything from the original game is more or less intact, and the new content adds up to a very well-rounded package. While the single-player component will be a great ride for a weekend, the multiplayer matches will likely keep you entertained for at least a month, which is far longer than most games can boast. With the included level editor being released to the modding hounds, one would hope the game's life will extend even further.
Gears of War for PC Mimimum RequirementsOperating System: Windows XP
Processor (CPU): 2.4GHz Intel | 2.0 GHz AMD Athlon or better
Memory (RAM): 1GB
Hard Drive Space: 12 gigabytes free hard drive space
Video Card (GPU): NVIDIA GeForce 6600 | ATI X700 or better
Audio: DirectX Compatible
Misc.: Online Multiplayer – Games for Windows – LIVE Silver Membership (included)
Quoted from: shacknews
TimeShift
TimeShift
As many of you people might have already realized (go stone yourself if you haven't), that there are literarily TONS of great games coming out (or already came out) in the latter part of 2007, and the game TimeShift might have being overshadowed by other widely anticipated games such as Crysis, Halo 3, Half Life 2, UNreal 3, CoD 4...ect...
I for one, really had my eyes on Crysis all the way back to last November, and never would have considered buying TimeShift if not being my...accidental encountering with the demo some times ago...
With all the games coming out, it is very easy to overlook some of the less anticipated titles...and TimeShift being one that is DEFINITELY overlooked..
The game itself is very gravitating. The system requirements are surprisingly low, and you can probably do away with the game with a 2.0 P4 and an okey GPU (i.e. Nvidia 6200 or ATi 1300). Yet, when you turn the settings all the way up, the game looks ABSOLUTELY gorgeous. SM3 definitely plays an improtant part in the game, the ambient and the surroundings are very well defined and detailed, along with a HIGHLY destructible environment...
As for the concept, I can't say that the game overhauls the FPS genre, but it definitely spices the things a bit by allowing you to either slow, stop, or reverse the game time, while leaving the protagonist uneffected. Maybe I do have a fetish for chronographical concepts, but still, the idea of being able to manupulate time with one's suit definitely wins my likings (especially after experiencing the dissappointing Nano-Suit from Crysis). Anyways, though the game still follows the general FPS concept, but it does have certain new additions to make the game stand out.
There's not much to be said about the sound effects of the game, for it is not especially Spectacular...but still, it is DEFINITELY solid and realistic, and the gunshots really sound like that you would hear from real life....Dialogues are okey, not cheesy or overly pompous, just about right...
Just one more thing for you to consider:
Since your suit regenerates health for you (at a quite fast rate), the game seems overly easy...I was able to blast my way through the first 5 levels on hard without dying, which might make the GRAW fans think twice before buying this game...
Still, despite the greatness(es) of the game itself, there are certain bugs to consider:
- The game crashed to desktop a few (2 or 3) times during the play, and although the game's Checkpoint system is able to get you back close to where the game crashed, it is still a nuisanse to have the game crash on you during intense firefights....>_< hope a patch would fix it soon...
- Thought the system requirements are fairly low (you can do away with a system that's below the minimum requirements), the game simply looks horrible if you turn the texture quality to medium or low, and it is pretty irksome when the supposedly high-end weapons appear murky and distorted, and when the timeshift effect appear half-baked.....so, in essence, you DO need a decent system if you want to really enjoy the game...
-Lastly, there are collision problems with bullets not registering properly when aimed at certain parts of the body (i.e. the peripherals), and it's really awkward when with all this great physics system implemented to the environment, the bullet is simply passing through parts of the body as if nothing was there....>_<
All in all, if you are a fan of FPS and like fast paced actions, you should DEFINITELY check this game out, and if you feel dejected by the bugs with the game, wait for a while, and hopefully the developers will release patches to fix the problems listed above....
Min System Requirements:
* Pentium4 – 2.0 GHz or higher, or AMD equivalent
* 512 MB or more system RAM
* 8x or faster DVD drive for retail SKUs
* Hard Drive: 8 GB or more free space
* 128 MB DirectX 9c compatible card with pixel shaders 2.0 b support
* 100% DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card
Quoted from: gamespot
As many of you people might have already realized (go stone yourself if you haven't), that there are literarily TONS of great games coming out (or already came out) in the latter part of 2007, and the game TimeShift might have being overshadowed by other widely anticipated games such as Crysis, Halo 3, Half Life 2, UNreal 3, CoD 4...ect...
I for one, really had my eyes on Crysis all the way back to last November, and never would have considered buying TimeShift if not being my...accidental encountering with the demo some times ago...
With all the games coming out, it is very easy to overlook some of the less anticipated titles...and TimeShift being one that is DEFINITELY overlooked..
The game itself is very gravitating. The system requirements are surprisingly low, and you can probably do away with the game with a 2.0 P4 and an okey GPU (i.e. Nvidia 6200 or ATi 1300). Yet, when you turn the settings all the way up, the game looks ABSOLUTELY gorgeous. SM3 definitely plays an improtant part in the game, the ambient and the surroundings are very well defined and detailed, along with a HIGHLY destructible environment...
As for the concept, I can't say that the game overhauls the FPS genre, but it definitely spices the things a bit by allowing you to either slow, stop, or reverse the game time, while leaving the protagonist uneffected. Maybe I do have a fetish for chronographical concepts, but still, the idea of being able to manupulate time with one's suit definitely wins my likings (especially after experiencing the dissappointing Nano-Suit from Crysis). Anyways, though the game still follows the general FPS concept, but it does have certain new additions to make the game stand out.
There's not much to be said about the sound effects of the game, for it is not especially Spectacular...but still, it is DEFINITELY solid and realistic, and the gunshots really sound like that you would hear from real life....Dialogues are okey, not cheesy or overly pompous, just about right...
Just one more thing for you to consider:
Since your suit regenerates health for you (at a quite fast rate), the game seems overly easy...I was able to blast my way through the first 5 levels on hard without dying, which might make the GRAW fans think twice before buying this game...
Still, despite the greatness(es) of the game itself, there are certain bugs to consider:
- The game crashed to desktop a few (2 or 3) times during the play, and although the game's Checkpoint system is able to get you back close to where the game crashed, it is still a nuisanse to have the game crash on you during intense firefights....>_< hope a patch would fix it soon...
- Thought the system requirements are fairly low (you can do away with a system that's below the minimum requirements), the game simply looks horrible if you turn the texture quality to medium or low, and it is pretty irksome when the supposedly high-end weapons appear murky and distorted, and when the timeshift effect appear half-baked.....so, in essence, you DO need a decent system if you want to really enjoy the game...
-Lastly, there are collision problems with bullets not registering properly when aimed at certain parts of the body (i.e. the peripherals), and it's really awkward when with all this great physics system implemented to the environment, the bullet is simply passing through parts of the body as if nothing was there....>_<
All in all, if you are a fan of FPS and like fast paced actions, you should DEFINITELY check this game out, and if you feel dejected by the bugs with the game, wait for a while, and hopefully the developers will release patches to fix the problems listed above....
Min System Requirements:
* Pentium4 – 2.0 GHz or higher, or AMD equivalent
* 512 MB or more system RAM
* 8x or faster DVD drive for retail SKUs
* Hard Drive: 8 GB or more free space
* 128 MB DirectX 9c compatible card with pixel shaders 2.0 b support
* 100% DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card
Quoted from: gamespot
Clive Barker's Jericho
Clive Barker's Jericho
Stephen King once wrote: “I recognize terror as the finest emotion and so I will try to terrorize the reader. But if I find that I cannot terrify, I will try to horrify, and if I find that I cannot horrify, I’ll go for the gross-out.” Reverse the priority of those goals, and you’ve got a pretty good approximation of Clive Barker’s modus operandi. Barker recognizes a good gross-out and as long as he’s got that going he doesn’t stoop to horror or terror. Who needs suspense when you can suspend a morbidly obese man from meathooks, depict his self-disembowlment, and then cover your audience in his projectile-like, poisonous entrails?
That precious moment is only one among many gross-outs in Jericho, Clive Barker’s second video game. Barker, whose best known films include the classic Hellraiser and the classless People Under the Stairs, is apparently responsible for everything in the game, from the script and the creatures on down to the minutia of how corpses disappear. That attention to detail and unity of vision makes Jericho, the story, a tad tidier than its low-budget production would portend. But as a game, Jericho can’t overcome bad level design, repetitive gameplay, and a short single-player campaign with no replay value.
Barker’s original premise is initially promising. Taking Biblical apocrypha as a source, Jericho invents the myth of the “First-Born”, God’s first creation which was incarcerated the desert of Al-Khali. The First-Born wants to escape and does so six times throughout human history. Each time it gets out, however, seven gifted human warriors entrap it again, but also trap a “time-slice” of their own epoch with it (I would have preferred “time-wedge” or “time-nugget”). The game begins with the seventh emergence, and with your team of “occult warfare” specialists sent in to stop it.
There are two neat benefits of the story. On one hand, the game takes place in specific historical milieus—from WWII to the crusades to the Roman Empire. On the other hand, you have seven different playable characters, which you can switch between at any point in the game. These features, and the endless ick of the monsters, are the only things to recommend what turns out to be a rather bland experience.
For one thing, not all of the characters are equal. Church can immobilize enemies by cutting herself (yup, she’s a cutter) and then dispatch them with her katana. A keeper. Jones can teleport himself into another person’s body but can’t control them or do much of anything else. Expendable. In general, a few of the characters are for battle, and the rest you keep around for the odd puzzle. Can’t get through a locked door? Jones, you’re in!
That wouldn’t be so bad if you didn’t have to tend to your flock like a doting soccer mom. In battle, your teammates die off as quickly as their lack of intelligence will allow, and you often find yourself running from one corpse to another resurrecting them. Since you only lose when your whole team is dead at the same time, it doesn’t matter who you’re controlling—you will always be a tireless Florence Nightingale.
And even when you do get to participate in the combat, the experience is underwhelming. There are only a handful of different types of monsters in the game, and you’ll be seeing the same baddies on level five that you killed in level one. Some of the neater tricks include being able to guide a sniper bullet through multiple targets, but for the most part you take control of one of the bad-ass characters on your team and shoot away.
For all the detail put into the different characters and the few grotesque monsters, the levels themselves are austere and confining. There are no pick-ups in the game, nothing at all in the levels besides the ubiquitous, improbable crates and barrels. And the long corridor-like environments reuse textures often, making the third battle with a mutant demon seem a carbon copy of the first and second. Walking on a bed of human carcasses might be novel at first, but a few miles in and they might as well be mulch.
The boss battles, however, are where Jericho gets to show off its best features. The bosses themselves are grotesque, and the battles usually involve some light puzzle elements involving your characters’ special skills. They are also tough in the old-school way. Not only do you have to perform something very difficult to even hurt the boss, but you’ve got to do it oodles of times.
Given how much repetition is in the game, one would think it was much longer than its six to eight hour length. The lack of any kind of multiplayer hurts it further. And the final stake to the heart is the appallingly abrupt and inconclusive ending. Since Clive Barker is a seasoned writer, one would think that he wouldn’t need denoument defined for him. Just because the story is a horror story doesn’t mean it can be axe murdered in the final moments.
And you can tell that the game meant to be a horror story. There are frequent loading screens upon which long passages of Barker-esque prose appear. Although for the most part the script in the game is only as bad as a pulp horror movie, these text passages replace the fine English word “while” with the made-up, ostentatious “whilst”. That fact alone makes it hard to imagine a Clive Barker comeback in this timeslice.
But Clive Barker is not the only “celebrity” in the game. The main voice in the game is that of Spike from Cowboy Bebop. Overvoicing lines might work for anime, but it doesn’t work here. Still, this is nothing new for videogames, and most of the other audio is mediocre. The overbearing musical score disappears when the last enemy in an area is dead, performing the time-honored function of letting the player know when it’s time to move on.
Still, it’s hard not to like all the blood and gore. Germany rose to the occasion, banning the game from sale within its borders. And although it shouldn’t be censored for content (indeed, the gross content is about all it has going for it), Jericho won’t satisfy either those looking for a good scare or those looking for a good shooter.
System requirements
Nothing to fear.
Stephen King once wrote: “I recognize terror as the finest emotion and so I will try to terrorize the reader. But if I find that I cannot terrify, I will try to horrify, and if I find that I cannot horrify, I’ll go for the gross-out.” Reverse the priority of those goals, and you’ve got a pretty good approximation of Clive Barker’s modus operandi. Barker recognizes a good gross-out and as long as he’s got that going he doesn’t stoop to horror or terror. Who needs suspense when you can suspend a morbidly obese man from meathooks, depict his self-disembowlment, and then cover your audience in his projectile-like, poisonous entrails?
That precious moment is only one among many gross-outs in Jericho, Clive Barker’s second video game. Barker, whose best known films include the classic Hellraiser and the classless People Under the Stairs, is apparently responsible for everything in the game, from the script and the creatures on down to the minutia of how corpses disappear. That attention to detail and unity of vision makes Jericho, the story, a tad tidier than its low-budget production would portend. But as a game, Jericho can’t overcome bad level design, repetitive gameplay, and a short single-player campaign with no replay value.Barker’s original premise is initially promising. Taking Biblical apocrypha as a source, Jericho invents the myth of the “First-Born”, God’s first creation which was incarcerated the desert of Al-Khali. The First-Born wants to escape and does so six times throughout human history. Each time it gets out, however, seven gifted human warriors entrap it again, but also trap a “time-slice” of their own epoch with it (I would have preferred “time-wedge” or “time-nugget”). The game begins with the seventh emergence, and with your team of “occult warfare” specialists sent in to stop it.
There are two neat benefits of the story. On one hand, the game takes place in specific historical milieus—from WWII to the crusades to the Roman Empire. On the other hand, you have seven different playable characters, which you can switch between at any point in the game. These features, and the endless ick of the monsters, are the only things to recommend what turns out to be a rather bland experience.
For one thing, not all of the characters are equal. Church can immobilize enemies by cutting herself (yup, she’s a cutter) and then dispatch them with her katana. A keeper. Jones can teleport himself into another person’s body but can’t control them or do much of anything else. Expendable. In general, a few of the characters are for battle, and the rest you keep around for the odd puzzle. Can’t get through a locked door? Jones, you’re in!That wouldn’t be so bad if you didn’t have to tend to your flock like a doting soccer mom. In battle, your teammates die off as quickly as their lack of intelligence will allow, and you often find yourself running from one corpse to another resurrecting them. Since you only lose when your whole team is dead at the same time, it doesn’t matter who you’re controlling—you will always be a tireless Florence Nightingale.
And even when you do get to participate in the combat, the experience is underwhelming. There are only a handful of different types of monsters in the game, and you’ll be seeing the same baddies on level five that you killed in level one. Some of the neater tricks include being able to guide a sniper bullet through multiple targets, but for the most part you take control of one of the bad-ass characters on your team and shoot away.
For all the detail put into the different characters and the few grotesque monsters, the levels themselves are austere and confining. There are no pick-ups in the game, nothing at all in the levels besides the ubiquitous, improbable crates and barrels. And the long corridor-like environments reuse textures often, making the third battle with a mutant demon seem a carbon copy of the first and second. Walking on a bed of human carcasses might be novel at first, but a few miles in and they might as well be mulch.The boss battles, however, are where Jericho gets to show off its best features. The bosses themselves are grotesque, and the battles usually involve some light puzzle elements involving your characters’ special skills. They are also tough in the old-school way. Not only do you have to perform something very difficult to even hurt the boss, but you’ve got to do it oodles of times.
Given how much repetition is in the game, one would think it was much longer than its six to eight hour length. The lack of any kind of multiplayer hurts it further. And the final stake to the heart is the appallingly abrupt and inconclusive ending. Since Clive Barker is a seasoned writer, one would think that he wouldn’t need denoument defined for him. Just because the story is a horror story doesn’t mean it can be axe murdered in the final moments.
And you can tell that the game meant to be a horror story. There are frequent loading screens upon which long passages of Barker-esque prose appear. Although for the most part the script in the game is only as bad as a pulp horror movie, these text passages replace the fine English word “while” with the made-up, ostentatious “whilst”. That fact alone makes it hard to imagine a Clive Barker comeback in this timeslice.But Clive Barker is not the only “celebrity” in the game. The main voice in the game is that of Spike from Cowboy Bebop. Overvoicing lines might work for anime, but it doesn’t work here. Still, this is nothing new for videogames, and most of the other audio is mediocre. The overbearing musical score disappears when the last enemy in an area is dead, performing the time-honored function of letting the player know when it’s time to move on.
Still, it’s hard not to like all the blood and gore. Germany rose to the occasion, banning the game from sale within its borders. And although it shouldn’t be censored for content (indeed, the gross content is about all it has going for it), Jericho won’t satisfy either those looking for a good scare or those looking for a good shooter.
System requirements
Minimum Specification:
- Windows XP / Vista
- CPU: Pentium 2.4 GHz or Athlon XP 2400+
- RAM: 1 GB
- Graphics Card: GeForce 6600 / Radeon X1600
- DirectX 9 Compatible Sound Card
- 6 GB Hard Drive Space
- 2x DVD-ROM Drive
Recommended:
- Windows XP / Vista
- CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo or Athlon 64 X2
- RAM: 1 GB
- Graphics Card: GeForce 8800 or Radeon X1950 XTX
- Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Sound Card
- 6 GB Hard Drive Space
- 2x DVD-ROM Drive
Half-Life 2 The Orange Box
Half-Life 2 The Orange Box
This article is about the video game compilation. For the telecommunication and engineering hardware, see Orange box.
The Orange Box
The cover of The Orange Box
The box art depicts Half-Life's Gordon Freeman, a sign from Portal, and the heavy class from Team Fortress 2.
Developer(s) Valve Corporation
EA UK (PlayStation 3 version)[1]
Publisher(s) Valve Corporation
Distributor(s) Electronic Arts (retail)
Steam (online)
Engine Source engine
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Mac OS X
Release date(s)
October 9, 2007[show]
Windows and Xbox 360
NA October 10, 2007[2][3]
EU October 19, 2007[4]
AUS October 25, 2007[5]
Windows (download)
October 9, 2007[6]
PlayStation 3 (retail)
NA December 11, 2007
EU December 11, 2007[7]
AUS December 20, 2007[8]
Genre(s) First-person shooter, puzzle, compilation
Mode(s) Single player, multiplayer
Rating(s) BBFC: 15
ESRB: T–M
OFLC: MA15+
PEGI: 16+
Media Blu-ray Disc, download, DVD-ROM
System requirements
Minimum:
1.7 GHz processor,
512 MB RAM,
128MB Video card,
20GB available Hard drive space,
DirectX 8 level graphics card,
Windows 2000/XP/Vista,
Internet connection[9]
Input methods Keyboard and mouse, gamepad
The Orange Box is a video game compilation for Microsoft Windows, the Xbox 360, Mac OS X and the PlayStation 3. The Windows and Xbox 360 versions were produced and published by Valve Corporation and released on October 10, 2007 as both a boxed retail copy and a Windows-only download through Valve's Steam service. The PlayStation 3 version was produced by Electronic Arts and released on December 11, 2007 in North America and in Europe. Valve has also released a soundtrack containing music from the games within the compilation.
The compilation contains five games, all powered by Valve's Source engine. Two of the games included, Half-Life 2 and its first stand-alone expansion, Episode One, were previously released as separate products. Three new games are also contained within the compilation: the second stand-alone expansion, Half-Life 2: Episode Two, the puzzle game Portal, and Team Fortress 2, the multiplayer game sequel to the Quake modification, Team Fortress. A separate product entitled The Black Box was planned, which would have included only the new games, but was canceled.
The Orange Box has received critical acclaim and Portal was recognized as a surprise favorite of the package. The PlayStation 3 version of The Orange Box has been noted for several technical shortcomings that were not present in the other versions, which were later fixed through various patches. It has sold over 3 million copies as of November 2008.
Overview
features five complete games compiled into one retail unit: Half-Life 2 and its two continuations, Episode One and Episode Two; Portal; and Team Fortress 2. All of these games use Valve's Source engine.
Through the Steam platform for the Windows version, the games can collect and report in-depth data such as where the player's character died, completion time, and total victories in multiplayer modes. This data is compiled to generate gameplay statistics for Episode One, Episode Two, and Team Fortress 2.
Although Half-Life 2 has the largest proportion of Achievements, there are 99 spread across all five games, exceeding the 50-achievement limit that Microsoft maintains to feature the most Achievements of any Xbox 360 product. These Achievements include killing a certain number of monsters, finding hidden weapon caches, or other tasks specific to each game.
All the games except Half-Life 2 contain in-game commentary that can be enabled, allowing the player to listen to the developers discuss the creation and purpose of particular sections and components of each game. This has been a feature of every Valve game since Half-Life 2: Lost Coast due to the commentary's popularity in that game, according to Erik Wolpaw, lead writer for Portal.
Quoted from: wikipedia
This article is about the video game compilation. For the telecommunication and engineering hardware, see Orange box.
The Orange Box
The cover of The Orange Box
The box art depicts Half-Life's Gordon Freeman, a sign from Portal, and the heavy class from Team Fortress 2.
Developer(s) Valve Corporation
EA UK (PlayStation 3 version)[1]
Publisher(s) Valve Corporation
Distributor(s) Electronic Arts (retail)
Steam (online)
Engine Source engine
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Mac OS X
Release date(s)
October 9, 2007[show]
Windows and Xbox 360
NA October 10, 2007[2][3]
EU October 19, 2007[4]
AUS October 25, 2007[5]
Windows (download)
October 9, 2007[6]
PlayStation 3 (retail)
NA December 11, 2007
EU December 11, 2007[7]
AUS December 20, 2007[8]
Genre(s) First-person shooter, puzzle, compilation
Mode(s) Single player, multiplayer
Rating(s) BBFC: 15
ESRB: T–M
OFLC: MA15+
PEGI: 16+
Media Blu-ray Disc, download, DVD-ROM
System requirements
Minimum:
1.7 GHz processor,
512 MB RAM,
128MB Video card,
20GB available Hard drive space,
DirectX 8 level graphics card,
Windows 2000/XP/Vista,
Internet connection[9]
Input methods Keyboard and mouse, gamepad
The Orange Box is a video game compilation for Microsoft Windows, the Xbox 360, Mac OS X and the PlayStation 3. The Windows and Xbox 360 versions were produced and published by Valve Corporation and released on October 10, 2007 as both a boxed retail copy and a Windows-only download through Valve's Steam service. The PlayStation 3 version was produced by Electronic Arts and released on December 11, 2007 in North America and in Europe. Valve has also released a soundtrack containing music from the games within the compilation.
The compilation contains five games, all powered by Valve's Source engine. Two of the games included, Half-Life 2 and its first stand-alone expansion, Episode One, were previously released as separate products. Three new games are also contained within the compilation: the second stand-alone expansion, Half-Life 2: Episode Two, the puzzle game Portal, and Team Fortress 2, the multiplayer game sequel to the Quake modification, Team Fortress. A separate product entitled The Black Box was planned, which would have included only the new games, but was canceled.
The Orange Box has received critical acclaim and Portal was recognized as a surprise favorite of the package. The PlayStation 3 version of The Orange Box has been noted for several technical shortcomings that were not present in the other versions, which were later fixed through various patches. It has sold over 3 million copies as of November 2008.
Overview
features five complete games compiled into one retail unit: Half-Life 2 and its two continuations, Episode One and Episode Two; Portal; and Team Fortress 2. All of these games use Valve's Source engine.
Through the Steam platform for the Windows version, the games can collect and report in-depth data such as where the player's character died, completion time, and total victories in multiplayer modes. This data is compiled to generate gameplay statistics for Episode One, Episode Two, and Team Fortress 2.
Although Half-Life 2 has the largest proportion of Achievements, there are 99 spread across all five games, exceeding the 50-achievement limit that Microsoft maintains to feature the most Achievements of any Xbox 360 product. These Achievements include killing a certain number of monsters, finding hidden weapon caches, or other tasks specific to each game.
All the games except Half-Life 2 contain in-game commentary that can be enabled, allowing the player to listen to the developers discuss the creation and purpose of particular sections and components of each game. This has been a feature of every Valve game since Half-Life 2: Lost Coast due to the commentary's popularity in that game, according to Erik Wolpaw, lead writer for Portal.
Quoted from: wikipedia
SEGA Rally Revo
SEGA Rally Revo
This product is also called Sega Rally in Europe.
Background
Set to redefine the rally genre with vibrant next generation graphics, intuitive controls, competitive bumper-to-bumper racing and fully reactive environments. SEGA Rally will once again be leading the rest of the pack with a wonderfully vivacious and realistic graphical world that is every gamers driving fantasy.
SEGA Rally will encourage players to put the pedal to the metal and enjoy thrilling head-to-head racing. Skilled driving will go hand-in-hand with pure luck as you hurtle around looping tracks in a wide selection of 4WD, 2WD & Classic vehicles that react quite differently depending upon the racing surface. SEGA Rally offers a vast variety of fully deformable environments and surfaces, from littered gravel tracks, all weather tarmac roads, to snow driven trails - no two laps let alone a race will ever be the same!
Player's rallying skills will be tested to the limit as aside from the sleek motors on offer, Sega Rally also offers players an advanced AI that takes into account the racing surface to adapt their driving style to suit. Single player and multiplayer split screen, along with online capabilities will offer race fans an unbelievably competitive and first class driving experience.
Features
* An unrivalled mix: Fun, playability, rally-inspired surfaces and cars that react differently depending upon the track.
* Adrenaline-fuelled racing: Close, exciting head-to-head racing across looping tracks with a variety of different surfaces.
* Deformable environments and surfaces: No two laps
* let alone a whole race
* will be the same with fully reactive environments.
* Wide variety of vehicles: Choose from a selection of 4WD, 2WD and Classic vehicles.
* Competition: Advanced AI takes account of the racing surface and adapts competitors' driving style to suit.
System Requirements
* Microsoft Windows XP or Microsoft Windows Vista
* Pentium 4 2GHz processor or equivalent AMD Athlon 64 processor
* 1GB of RAM
* 128MB PCI express graphics card supporting Shader Model 2.0
* DirectX 9.0c
* 5GB free hard disk space
Quoted from: neoseeker
This product is also called Sega Rally in Europe.
Background
Set to redefine the rally genre with vibrant next generation graphics, intuitive controls, competitive bumper-to-bumper racing and fully reactive environments. SEGA Rally will once again be leading the rest of the pack with a wonderfully vivacious and realistic graphical world that is every gamers driving fantasy.
SEGA Rally will encourage players to put the pedal to the metal and enjoy thrilling head-to-head racing. Skilled driving will go hand-in-hand with pure luck as you hurtle around looping tracks in a wide selection of 4WD, 2WD & Classic vehicles that react quite differently depending upon the racing surface. SEGA Rally offers a vast variety of fully deformable environments and surfaces, from littered gravel tracks, all weather tarmac roads, to snow driven trails - no two laps let alone a race will ever be the same!
Player's rallying skills will be tested to the limit as aside from the sleek motors on offer, Sega Rally also offers players an advanced AI that takes into account the racing surface to adapt their driving style to suit. Single player and multiplayer split screen, along with online capabilities will offer race fans an unbelievably competitive and first class driving experience.
Features
* An unrivalled mix: Fun, playability, rally-inspired surfaces and cars that react differently depending upon the track.
* Adrenaline-fuelled racing: Close, exciting head-to-head racing across looping tracks with a variety of different surfaces.
* Deformable environments and surfaces: No two laps
* let alone a whole race
* will be the same with fully reactive environments.
* Wide variety of vehicles: Choose from a selection of 4WD, 2WD and Classic vehicles.
* Competition: Advanced AI takes account of the racing surface and adapts competitors' driving style to suit.
System Requirements
* Microsoft Windows XP or Microsoft Windows Vista
* Pentium 4 2GHz processor or equivalent AMD Athlon 64 processor
* 1GB of RAM
* 128MB PCI express graphics card supporting Shader Model 2.0
* DirectX 9.0c
* 5GB free hard disk space
Quoted from: neoseeker
World in Conflict (Single Player)
World in Conflict (Single Player)
Rank And File
I wanted to like World in Conflict – I really did. Breathless reviews dripping with words of love-wrought sweat, describing impressive visuals and Soviet power, tend to make me giddy. Unfofrtunately, World in Conflict is not all that it's cracked up to be. In no place is there a graphical or storytelling failing; indeed, if one completely ignores the gameplay, World in Conflict is excellent. Pity it wasn't made as a movie.
When I first sat down to the game, the cinematics and high-quality graphics put me in the mindset of playing a fantastic game. Good particle effects, quality animation during in-game cut-scenes, and short movies between levels - all highly stylized and interestingly writing - reeled me in. Just dropping a nuke is absolutely amazing, as if you were in a movie, only you didn't have to put up with Tom Cruise's general insanity. Combined with excellent script-writing, which made no scene feel like a waste, World in Conflict starts to look good.
The unusual thing about the graphics is that combat is most manageable when you're zoomed far out of the combat. At that distance, all the tanks look similar, so you'll spend a lot of time squinting at the different icons than the actual models to distinguish your vehicles. Aside from having slightly thicker lines, the icon for the medium tank looks identical to the icon for the light tank. I can already feel the prescription on my glasses changing.
Stepping back from the graphics and the gameplay, World in Conflict is extremely well-written. While pacing is a little awkward at moments, the dialog is solid and the voice acting is wonderful. The arc of the single-player campaign covers a Soviet invasion of Seattle and Europe, and how a particular army unit fights off the Soviet advance. While some of the details strain credibility, once you get beyond the start, the rest of the game follows an interesting and reasonable track. Bits of real-world military projects make their way into the script in meaningful ways, so those of us that remember late 80's politics will remark on how well tuned the game is to its setting.
When played, however, World in Conflict is itself conflicted. The user interface and unit balance conjures up a reduced version of Supreme Commander. Your individual units aren't tough, and you'll watch lighter vehicles and infantry die at a high constant rate unless you're extremely precise in how you manage them. At the same time, the emphasis on taking cover in buildings, regular off-map reinforcements and abilities, and a constant sense of total war across the battlefield strongly evokes Company of Heroes. World in Conflict is neither game while trying to be both.
The primary conceit – and the only interesting feature that World in Conflict brings to the RTS genre – is force management through points. Players of tabletop Warhammer will be well familiar with this idea. Each unit has a certain point value, and at the start of a battle, you select units until you're out of points, drop 'em into the battlefield, and go. This puts emphasis on getting the most bang for your buck, so having repair vehicles is a must. Infantry, thanks to their short lives and their lack of offensive power, are never worth the investment. You'll spend pretty much the entire game running around with a bunch of tanks, an APC for wasting infantry, and two repair vehicles. This set-up nullifies just about every situation.
Much of your success depends on calling off-map artillery at the right places. Or, more accurately, called down wherever you feel like. The artillery is governed by a point system, where each major artillery strike has an associated cost, and you steadily regenerate points both over time and by defeating opponents. As the game is balanced, however, there's no reason to discriminate carefully – calling down regular artillery strikes wherever you feel is not only possible, but preposterously effective. There's nothing to prevent you from leveling a city with artillery before rolling through. Good bye centuries of culture, hello smoking ruins!
Unit balance is also awkward. There are supposedly three factions, but there's really only one faction with three different skins. Not only is there no distinction between sides, but it's actually pretty hard to distinguish units. Allegedly different tanks are near equivalent in feel and appearance. Sure, heavier tanks can deal and take more damage, but most every unit behaves the same.
Infantry, apart from being generally cannon fodder, are strange. While tank-killer infantry are amazingly effective against, well, tanks, they're pretty much useless against lighter vehicles and other infantry. This is not wrong, per se, but it ends up reducing much of World in Conflict to a rock-paper-scissors styled gameplay in a genre where that just doesn't cut it. When compared against the richly defined unit roles and capabilities in Company of Heroes, World in Conflict feels preposterously vanilla.
While there are special abilities that can be used to turn battles, they really don't scale well in the game, and in late levels I found myself ignoring them entirely in favor of tight formations and lots of artillery. Shock, awe, yawn. Who knew dropping 200 mortar shells onto a city can be boring?
Another oddity is how the other side is so curiously silent. The Russian soldiers never say a thing. There's never any Soviet radio chatter, and the sounds are so indistinct that you can't differentiate one side from another by ear. Music isn't particularly noticeable either... except when it's horrible. There's one cut-scene where extreme devastation is being shown to the dulcet tones of... 80's pop. Wait, when the hell did Aerosmith and Paula Abdul become epic war music?
Multiplayer mode is where World in Conflict comes closest to being fun. Though many of the problems of the single-player balance haunt the multiplayer experience, the point-based reinforcements offer a rapid and unique kind of game, with more importance on picking your battles than controlling resources. There's a lot of fertile ground in that style of online play, though World in Conflict is ultimately too bland in its underlying mechanics to exploit this opportunity properly.
Overall, World in Conflict is not bad, but if you've been keeping up to with other RTS titles, it will not come across as much other than a well-written single-player experience. But for folks who have not jumped on Company of Heroes – and if you haven't, what's wrong with you? - World in Conflict is a perfectly viable game. It's not bad – it's just not particularly good, either. At the end of the day, World in Conflict would have made a better movie.
Quoted from: afterligh
Bioshock 2
Bioshock 2
Minimum
OS: Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7
Processor: AMD Athlon 64 Processor 3800+ 2.4Ghz or better, Intel Pentium 4 530 3.0Ghz Processor or better
Memory: 2GB
Graphics: NVIDIA 7800GT 256MB graphics card or better, ATI Radeon X1900 256MB graphics card or better
DirectX: DirectX 9.0c
Hard Drive: 11GB
Sound: 100% DirectX 9.0C compliant sound card or onboard sound
Recommended
Processor: AMD Athlon 64 X2 5200+ Dual Core 2.60Ghz, Intel Core 2 Duo E6420 Dual Core 2.13Ghz
Memory: 3GB
Graphics: NVIDIA 8800GT 512MB graphics card or better, ATI Radeon HD4830 512MB graphics card or better
Other Reqirements
Initial installation requires one-time internet connection; Ability to save game, earn achievements, receive title updates and online play requires log-in to Games for Windows LIVE; software installations required including Microsoft Visual C++2008 Runtime Libraries, Games for Windows LIVE client, Games for Windows LIVE Client Patch, Sony DADC SecuROM, Microsoft DirectX.
Quoted from: tweaktown, bigdownload
For a game that was basically a classic style shooter on rails, BioShock really impressed the absolute hell out of me. With 'choose your own adventure' style shooters becoming more and more of a benchmark in the industry and with more and more PC shooters suffering from 'consoleitis, I was pleasantly surprised when the "spiritual successor" to System Shock 2 was released in Q3 2007, as it really brought good story telling and unique gameplay ability into focus, regardless of any influences the console versions may have had on the PC version. BioShock 2 will look to do much the same, as not a whole lot has changed, but fans of the original will appreciate some significant perspective changes to the storyline and the inclusion of online multiplayer is sure to pique the interest of the PC gaming faithful (even if it is only for a little bit).
Firstly, let me point out that I did play the retail package and not a downloadable version from a service such as Steam, so my first criticism for BioShock 2 appeared rather quickly - the retail version is a 'Games for Windows' game. Now, I'm not one of those PC gamers who detests the Microsoft initiative to combine their two gaming communities (in fact, I'd like to see them go further and develop a '1 disc plays both' market), but in this case siding with GFW for the retail package was a bit of an annoyance, mainly because you need to insert the disc every time you play the game. COD: MW2 had it right - make it Steam on the retail disc. It seems like a safer bet in general - who the hell is criticizing Steam anymore these days?
With that out of the way, the BioShock 2 experience tends to get much better. The game really doesn't waste much time getting you hooked in the same style gameplay and storyline that worked so well in the original. Before you know it, it will be much later in the night than it was when you first clicked on the single player mode from the main menu, and you really won't want to peal yourself away from your PC.
If by some occurrence you didn't play the original but happen to pick up this sequel, don't worry too much as the game does a very good job of subtly explaining the story behind the BioShock world without appearing to cater towards the new comer. I won't get too deep into this story in this review, since I assume most readers of TweakTown interested enough to check out this review have played the original, but let me try and be ultra brief - you control a man in a giant combat designed scuba suit with a gas powered drill on his right arm, i.e. a Big Daddy, in a deteriorating underwater city known as Rapture, set in the 1960's with heavy steampunk influences. Really, though, I'd definitely recommend starting with BioShock before trying out BioShock 2, if only to extend the enjoyment two fold.
Perhaps the best reason for this recommendation is because, as touched upon above, you get to be a Big Daddy. Now, that simply won't mean much to a new comer, but to the BioShock fan, even just the idea of this should spark anticipation and excitement because if there is one thing that lasted after playing the original, at least with me, it was how awesome and tough some of those Big Daddy fights were, so to wear its shoes, literally, is a big deal that you should be able to appreciate.
As it would happen, though, being a Big Daddy hasn't really changed the gameplay all that much from the original. Honestly, you don't really seem to be as powerful and intimidating as you'd expect. It's true you're an earlier model Big Daddy and hence not as "refined" as the Big Daddy's from the original, but besides the clunky noise you make while walking around at times and the occasional reminder in the storyline, you'd easily forget you're meant to be a Big Daddy. You seem to be just about as susceptible to attacks as you were as a 'human' in the original version, at least in the first half or so of the game before you unlock more abilities and powers, but even most of these were in the original game, too.
With this said, it isn't really the combat aspects to the gameplay that best taps into the fact you're a Big Daddy. Rather, it is the new elements in the gameplay that do this. For example, as a Big Daddy, you can now protect a Little Sister as she collects 'Atom' from dead bodies just like in the original, except from the other perspective. What this effectively translates into is a 'mini-game' inside the game where you face waves of enemies trying to get to the Little Sister as she collects the Atom, and these onslaughts are downright fun and addictive. Harvesting Atom with a Little Sister is often not a requirement in BioShock 2, but you'll want to do it as much as you can because the action rarely gets any better, not to mention the more Atom you collect, the better your abilities become and the more fun the game becomes. Combined with the game's awesome creativity in killing baddies through combining weapons like trip mines and various guns with your abilities like telekinesis and electricity blasts, the Little Sister Atom collecting defending moments represent BioShock 2 at its best.
However, that's not the only epic moment you'll find in this game. Don't think BioShock 2 spells the end of the Big Daddy fights just because you happen to be a Big Daddy yourself. Usually the act of acquiring a Little Sister in this game involves taking on a Big Daddy and stealing her away, so those epic one on one battles which defined the original game remain in BioShock 2. On top of this, BioShock 2 introduces a new character type into the mix - the Big Sister. This sleek and agile foe can often pose the biggest challenges of all.
In fact, I sometimes found the Big Sister fights to be a little too difficult. I don't like to admit when a game is too hard, but there are times when Big Sister fights in BioShock 2 are basically impossible without serious disturbance to the game's flow. This is because of a few circumstances coming together at once.
First of all, Big Sister fights usually happen out of the blue with little warning. The game will tell you when a Big Sister is coming for you, and gives you a few seconds to prepare, but that's it. You can't stalk and carefully plan an attack on a Big Sister because they're stalking you. Secondly, these random attacks tend to happen just after you've finished a Little Sister defence successfully, and these Little Sister defences can really do a number on your health and ammo supplies. So basically what can happen is an unavoidable Big Sister fight approaches when you're close to death as it is and are low on ways to kill it. However, like in the original, there is really no such thing as 'defeat' in BioShock 2 because, as soon as you die, you respawn somewhere nearby with no significant loss in storyline progression, and the Big Sister is still after you. So yep, you guessed it, you die again - and again, and again, and again, until eventually you've killed the Big Sister, even if it means whacking her a few times with your drill attached to your arm each respawn and only taking off minimal health at a time. As I'm sure you can imagine, and as I'm sure plenty of other BioShock 2 gamers have already experienced, these moments can be very annoying and put a screeching halt to the game's fast pace.
Fortunately, I only experienced this phenomenon maybe two or three times in the entire gameplay, which otherwise flows brilliantly with very few breaks in action. Even if you're not shooting something, you always have something to look at, to listen to, or to think about. Playing BioShock 2 chews through your time like a Hummer does fuel. Even though the gameplay is not really as open ended as you might think, the addictive nature is impossible to deny, and the minor amount of RPG elements in the game do enough to cover any repetition issues before you manage to finish it. The variation in weapons is solid and the special abilities your character posses, ranging from freezing enemies into ice blocks to burning them alive, continues the unique gameplay seen in the original. Oh, and the graphics aren't too bad, either. Simply put, the single player in BioShock 2 is going to be tough for any PC game to top in 2010.
The multiplayer mode in BioShock 2, however, is probably not going to enjoy the same sort of success. In a way, including a multi player mode for the sequel was a requirement as it was really the only major addition 2K could make to the series without messing with the success that was the single player mode. Without it, BioShock 2's 'back of the box' feature list would not have been as legitimate, so its presence does sort of come off as meeting the bare minimal requirements on 2K's behalf.
That's not to say the MP mode is trash, however, or that it's necessarily just there for show. It's good enough for a bit of fun after the single player mode is out of the way. Along with the standard deathmatch style modes, BioShock 2 MP also has a few fairly specialized modes involving Little Sisters and Atom collecting, which are definitely worth checking out. The whole MP interface however feels much more like an Xbox 360 game than it does a normal PC game, and the limit of 10 players also doesn't lend itself to the PC platform, but the maps are suitably sized, so the action doesn't suffer. Perhaps the real issue here is the fact PC gamers right now have a choice between COD: MW 2 and BF: Bad Company 2 when it comes to online shooters, both of which are games that consider MP the primary mode of play, so it's only natural for a BioShock 2's secondary class MP mode to fall short in comparison.
As with a lot of sequels in the gaming world, if you enjoyed the original, then you'll logically enjoy BioShock 2. The storyline is extended and equally as engaging as before, and the gameplay is at worst moderately better and more exciting, if not quite a bit so thanks to the change towards controlling a Big Daddy. While the multiplayer doesn't really stack up, it's enough to sweeten the deal just that little bit more to make BioShock 2 a must have PC game in 2010. If you haven't played the original, do so, and then get this sequel. Looking at the single player alone, you'll have a hell of a time trying to top that combination of gaming fun and enjoyment any time soon.
System RequirementsMinimum
OS: Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7
Processor: AMD Athlon 64 Processor 3800+ 2.4Ghz or better, Intel Pentium 4 530 3.0Ghz Processor or better
Memory: 2GB
Graphics: NVIDIA 7800GT 256MB graphics card or better, ATI Radeon X1900 256MB graphics card or better
DirectX: DirectX 9.0c
Hard Drive: 11GB
Sound: 100% DirectX 9.0C compliant sound card or onboard sound
Recommended
Processor: AMD Athlon 64 X2 5200+ Dual Core 2.60Ghz, Intel Core 2 Duo E6420 Dual Core 2.13Ghz
Memory: 3GB
Graphics: NVIDIA 8800GT 512MB graphics card or better, ATI Radeon HD4830 512MB graphics card or better
Other Reqirements
Initial installation requires one-time internet connection; Ability to save game, earn achievements, receive title updates and online play requires log-in to Games for Windows LIVE; software installations required including Microsoft Visual C++2008 Runtime Libraries, Games for Windows LIVE client, Games for Windows LIVE Client Patch, Sony DADC SecuROM, Microsoft DirectX.
Quoted from: tweaktown, bigdownload
