Painkiller Chat Log....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 7:50 AM MST Tuesday, October 28, 2003 [Comment on news]
ESReality has posted a chat log with People Can Fly's Adrian Chmielarz as he talks about their upcoming first person shooter Painkiller. Check it out!
Max Payne 2 Bonus Chapters Released....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 7:46 AM MST Tuesday, October 28, 2003 [Comment on news]
Remedy Entertainment has released two bonus chapters for Max Payne 2: the Fall of Max Payne. Installing the Bonus Chapters release will add two more Dead Man Walking Chapters (Upper East Side, Mona's Playground) into the game. For those of you who don't know, Dead Man Walking gameplay mode is only unlocked after you've completed the game. You can download the new maps at 3D Gamers, Worthplaying and Computergames.ro.
Call of Duty Q&A....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 7:41 AM MST Tuesday, October 28, 2003 [Comment on news]
Game Chronicles has posted a Q&A on Call of Duty where they talk with Zied Rieke, lead designer at Infinity Ward, about their upcoming World war II shooter. Here's a snippet:GCM: World War II-based games have found huge popularity as of late and a plethora of titles has been released to meet the demand. What do you feel triggered this resurgence of interest in WWII and how will Call of Duty differentiate itself from the competition?
You can catch the rest here.
Zied Rieke: World War II has always been popular. There are times that war-inspired films or games come out, which bring World War II back to the forefront.
Call of Duty will differentiate itself by three key features. First in Call of Duty you don’t fight the war by yourself. Secondly, World War II wasn’t the Americans vs. the Germans and in Call of Duty we show the war from the perspective of the British and the Russians, in addition to the Americans. Third Call of Duty is more intense and fun than the other titles, try the demo and see for yourself.
Battlefield 1942: Secret Weapons of WWII Review....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 7:37 AM MST Tuesday, October 28, 2003 [Comment on news]
Action Vault has posted a review of Battlefield 1942: Secret Weapons of WWII. Here's a snip from their conclusion:"Even though it could be considered to be in direct competition with the growing proliferation of freely available modifications based on the hugely popular shooter, Secret Weapons manages to carve a distinctive and enjoyable niche of its own. The maps are arguably more diverse and interesting than those of the solid first expansion pack, and the introduction of the titular war machines has helped to keep the experience fresh, while maintaining the 'rock paper scissors'-like balance of the gameplay. On the minus side, the graphics, although pleasing to view, appear not to have been enhanced over those of the year-old complement. However, having already racked up a number of hours within the confines of outlandish contraptions, this reviewer would venture that those who enjoy Digital Illusions' original game will find Secret Weapons to be a more than worthy supplement."
Valve Software Interview....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 7:31 AM MST Tuesday, October 28, 2003 [Comment on news]
Gaming Nexus has posted an interview with Valve Software's writer Marc Laidlaw where they talk about Half Life 2. Here's a nibblet:Gaming Nexus: Was it easier this time around writing on a universe and characters you were familiar with?
There are also a handful of screenshots included.
Marc Laidlaw: We didn’t really have a universe when we finished HL1. We had a single setting, Black Mesa, and that was it. So first we had to develop context for that setting. What we did have was a strong, iconic cast of characters who persisted outside the walls of Black Mesa. It was great fun to work with them again. I could write dialog for Dr. Kleiner till the stars go dim. It’s doubly fun because then my old friend Hal Robins records the lines, and they come out even better than I could have hoped.
Another Call of Duty Demo....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 7:27 AM MST Tuesday, October 28, 2003 [Comment on news]
Activision have released a second Call of Duty demo, "Dawnville," that depicts the events that immediately follow the ones in the first demo. You can grab the demo at FilePlanet.
Hidden & Dangerous 2 Review....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 7:25 AM MST Tuesday, October 28, 2003 [Comment on news]
Action Trip has posted a review of Hidden & Dangerous 2. Here's a snip:"The team at Illusion Softworks has done an excellent job on making the gameplay highly versatile. The mission objectives keep changing, and the settings are visually distinctive enough to make you feel like you're part of a global adventure, fighting the Axis forces all across the world. In one mission you'll stage an assault on a heavily fortified airport in North Africa. You'll mount a flak cannon and tear German tanks to shreds, or alternatively, get into a tank yourself and blow every poor Italian soldier that creeps out of his trench to bits. Another mission will take you deep into the jungles of Burma where you'll fight for every inch of the ground as you try to figure out the location of the enemy bunker through the dense foliage."
You can read the rest here.
NVIDIA ForceWare release 50 graphics driver....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 10:05 AM MDT Thursday, October 23, 2003 [Comment on news]
NVIDIA Corporation today introduced its new NVIDIA® ForceWare™ release 50 graphics driver, a new Unified Driver Architecture (UDA) engineered to provide unmatched performance and image quality on both Microsoft® DirectX® 9.0 and OpenGL® applications. In addition to its unmatched DirectX 9.0 application performance, this new graphics driver also delivers world-renowned compatibility, stability, and reliability across all NVIDIA GPUs.
The NVIDIA ForceWare release 50 graphics driver, complete with Microsoft DirectX 9.0 WHQL certification, is free of charge and available on www.nvidia.com immediately.“Over the last five years, NVIDIA has been on the forefront of software innovation with its Unified Driver Architecture,” said Dwight Diercks, vice president of software engineering at NVIDIA. “With the ForceWare release 50 graphics driver, NVIDIA continues to bring to market groundbreaking software technologies, such as our unified compiler technology, designed with one goal in mind—to enhance the end-user experience.”
The ForceWare release 50 graphics drivers include the NVIDIA unified compiler technology that translates shader programs so that they are optimized for the NVIDIA GPU architecture, substantially improving the performance of next-generation DirectX 9.0 titles such as HalfLife™ 2, XIII, and more. Performance in the DirectX 9.0 application HaloPC™ improves by up to 58% and DirectX 9.0-based Microsoft Flight Simulator™ 9 improves by 33%.
Other features of the NVIDIA ForceWare release 50 graphics drivers include:
Hidden & Dangerous 2....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:53 AM MDT Thursday, October 23, 2003 [Comment on news]
EuroGamer has potsed a review of the tactical action game Hidden & Dangerous 2. Here's a snip:"In H&D 2 there's a sense that you've got to have your wits about you 100 per cent of the time. You can't just assume you've cleared a section and can safely charge about making loads of noise. Time after time you'll find a straggler lurking, ready to fire hot lead into you before you've even had time to blink. Maybe he was disturbed by all the racket you were making during your approach and decided to stealthily investigate. Although it's fair to say the AI suffers from plenty of quirks and inconsistencies, this is a world away from the run and gun cannon fodder grunts that storm into the fray like so many shooters. To kill in H&D 2 is never less than an achievement in itself, because you'll rarely be allowed the time to get close enough to them to make it conclusive. It's a game of duck and dive against overwhelming odds, never allowing you to get too cocky, and always reminding you how fragile life really is."
Halo: Combat Evolved Reviews....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:47 AM MDT Thursday, October 23, 2003 [Comment on news]
There are several mixed reviews online of Halo: Combat Evolved. You can check them out at The Armchair Empire, PC Gameworld, and Gamehelper.
Computer Game Conference....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 3:23 PM MDT Wednesday, October 22, 2003 [Comment on news]
This weekend the Student Game Developers Association at the University of Texas at Dallas will be hosting their third annual game development conference with representatives from Eidos, Ensemble, Atari, Ritual and others attending. The three day event is free and open to everyone and will be full of speeches, workshops, presentations, competitions and LAN tournaments. Check it out!
Doom 3 Preview....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 1:33 PM MDT Wednesday, October 22, 2003 [Comment on news]
Computer and Video Games has posted a preview of the upcoming "Doom 3" title. The preview features interview bits from id Software's Todd Hollenshead and Tim Willits. Here's a nibblet:"...We've contracted Splash Damage to construct the maps, the guys that did such a great job on Enemy Territory," continues Tim. "We're still doing all the programming in-house - the special effects programming, the gameplay programming and so on - but they're doing the map design. They actually started the map that we showed at QuakeCon - they brought it to a certain point and then we finished it off."
The map in question has no name at present, but it's a classic small-scale affair with a central hub and several branching corridors. The central room is the power chamber pictured in the background here, featuring a bloody great laser cannon that fires periodically into a cylindrical well. Two platform levels ring the outer edge of the room, inviting rocket jumps and death-defying leaps, but you can also jump down into the bottom of the central hole via a series of rotating three-quarter platforms (though time it right or the laser will fry yo' ass). This is the key to the entire map, as the sinkhole houses a teleporter and the crucial power-up of the map: the Berserk.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Oblivion Lost Updated Impressions....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 7:54 AM MDT Wednesday, October 22, 2003 [Comment on news]
GameSpot got to see an updated version of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Oblivion Lost at a recent press event held by graphics card manufacturer Nvidia, and has posted some updated impressions. Here's a snip:"Though the developer showcased the same physics demo it showed at this year's ECTS, it also showed off an all-new demonstration that displayed the game's dynamic day-and-night cycles. The demonstration featured a new location, an actual Russian city that appears to be deserted and run-down in the game."
You can read the rest here.
Max Payne 2 Patch v1.01....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 7:20 AM MDT Wednesday, October 22, 2003 [Comment on news]
There has been a v.1.01 patch released for Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne. Here's more info:
You can grab the patch here from Take 2 Interactive.
Freedom Fighters Review....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:29 AM MDT Tuesday, October 21, 2003 [Comment on news]
GameSpy has posted a review of the recently released Freedom Fighters. Here's a bit from their intro to get you going:"There was a time in world events when the threat du jour wasn't terrorism, but communism -- the Soviet Union in particular. IO Interactive -- the makers of last year's Hitman 2 -- seem to remember those times, and have made good use of them as a backdrop for its new third-person shooter, Freedom Fighters.
The title is set in an alternate past where the Soviets beat the rest of the world to the nuclear punch and ended World War II by blasting Berlin back to the Stone Age. From there, the Reds marched across all of Europe, Asia, and South America. Back in the present, New Yorker Chris Stone starts his day as a plumber and ends it as a rebel freedom fighter railing against a Soviet invasion.
Through all of Freedom Fighters' missions, your main objective is always to replace the Soviet flag with Old Glory on some high-profile building in New York City. That main goal often requires you to first satisfy secondary objectives, like freeing a few prisoners of war or raiding a munitions dump. Indeed, the main goals are sometimes incredibly difficult without taking out that landing pad to drive off the attack choppers or blowing up a building to rid yourself of a sniper's nest. These groups of missions are loosely structured, so that you can hop back and forth between areas and objectives as you please."
New S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Oblivion Lost Screenshots....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:24 AM MDT Tuesday, October 21, 2003 [Comment on news]
The collection of screenshots on S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Oblivion Lost site has been updated with two brand-new pictures. Check 'em out!
Postal 2: Share The Pain....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 9:09 AM MDT Tuesday, October 21, 2003 [Comment on news]
Whiptail Interactive has announced there will be a multiplayer edition to Postal 2 called Postal 2: Share The Pain, and will feature exclusive SNATCH gameplay. Here's more: Notorious game publisher Whiptail Interactive is set to give thousands of twisted POSTAL 2 fans a stab at murdering their mates with the latest incarnation of the "Goriest Game of All Time"*, a multiplayer version of POSTAL 2. Built by world-renowned game developer Running With Scissors, 'POSTAL 2: Share The Pain' will go on sale in mid-November in all serious gaming outlets across the UK, Europe and North America. The multiplayer upgrade will also be available for existing owners of POSTAL 2 to download for free from the Postal 2 website at the same time as the launch.
You can get more information here.
"Who said killing hundreds of innocent people had to be a lonely affair? Now serial killers, mass murderers and lovers of blood, violence, death and gore can come together in the collective slaughter of 'POSTAL 2: Share The Pain'," confessed a proud Vince Desi, governor of gore at POSTAL 2 developer, Running With Scissors. "Of course, it's just a game..."
"All my sadistic dreams have now come true," sobbed a spent Chris Warrender, publishing director of POSTAL 2 publisher, Whiptail Interactive. "Players can now choose to play against each other as a variety of characters, including a gun-toting Gary Coleman, a PVC suited S&M gimp, a torturous Taliban terrorist or our very own POSTAL DUDE."
Gary Coleman, governor of California runner-up and celebrity guest star of POSTAL 2, added, "I may have been beaten at the ballot box by Schwarzenegger, but I can still go home and relieve myself by kicking the collective butts of his constituents with some multiplayer POSTAL 2 action."
World-renowned game developer Running With Scissors has taken the concept of multiplayer to disturbing new depths in 'POSTAL 2: Share The Pain'. Playing arenas are richly packed with weapons to maim, burn, gas, shoot and kill your opponents, as well as health bottles that can make you better or can be dropped strategically to callously snare opponents.
Features including super-slick gameplay and even slicker blood-splatteringly gory graphics ensure that 'POSTAL 2: Share The Pain' gives an even more bone crunchingly realistic feel than that experienced in any previous version of the game. Uprated weaponry is balanced so that each weapon offers players a different trade-off between accuracy and ease of use. 'POSTAL 2: Share The Pain' players also get a morbid warning when they are in someone else's gun sights and milliseconds away from death.
Multiplayer games offered include both standard DeathMatch and team DeathMatch tournaments as well as POSTAL 2's own version of Capture the Flag, called SNATCH, in which you fight to capture a POSTAL BABE.
'POSTAL 2: Share The Pain' includes the upgraded POSTAL 2 PC game with shorter transition times between levels and smoother, slicker gameplay in addition to the multiplayer option which can be played against friends and strangers online or over a LAN (local area network).
*As voted by ICE Magazine.
Nosferatu Interview....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 7:36 AM MDT Tuesday, October 21, 2003 [Comment on news]
GameZone has posted an interview with designer Stephan Ljungqvist about the upcoming fps-horror game, Nosferatu. Here's a snippet:Are you using an existing game engine, or was one developed specifically for Nosferatu?
SL: Our Architectural Generator Engine was specifically developed for Nosferatu and will allow the random generation of geometry for texturing, character spawning and reconstruction of the map layout and architectural design of the castle.
Max Payne 2 Review....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 7:31 AM MDT Tuesday, October 21, 2003 [Comment on news]
EuroGamer has posted their review of Max Payne 2: The Fall Of Max Payne. Here's a nibblet:"The first change you'll notice is the addition of Havok physics, and although it has been used in other games, MP2 is the perfect title to show it off in. From the word go you'll notice that even seemingly insignificant objects can be moved around and knocked over, with fairly comedic implications at times. Use the drinks machine and a can drops out, which Max can kick around to kill some time. At times though it's rather odd and inconsistent, with certain objects feeling like they have no weight, with limp sound effects and the inability to destroy them compounding this.
You can read the rest here.
But once the novelty value wears off of being a bull in a china shop, the effect during the numerous firefights lends the game an often astounding level of dynamic cinematic detail that varies every time depending on where the bullets hit. Of course, you'll have seen rag doll physics before, but you can't fail to be impressed when a goon gets blasted off the side of a building, crashing into scaffolding and creating a huge chain reaction of flying objects, shattered glass, broken step ladders and flailing limbs in slow motion. For graphics whores wanting to show off their top spec PC, then this is it, although it's worth mentioning that our now relatively humble P4 2.2GHz/512MB/GF4 Ti4600 never once stuttered even with everything turned up to full detail."
Call of Duty Interview....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 7:26 AM MDT Tuesday, October 21, 2003 [Comment on news]
Action Vault has posted a Call of Duty Interview where they sit down for a chat with President Grant Collier, Lead Designer Zied Rieke and Designer Steve Fukuda. Here's a snip:Action Vault: What's the game's style of combat, and what's the balance between direct combat and other types of gameplay such as stealth, sabotage, exploration / recon et al?
Steve Fukuda: In combat, your friendlies help you complete the mission at hand, traversing obstacles (climbing through windows, hurdling fences, dropping into trenches, climbing over walls) and taking cover as appropriate, and laying down suppression fire at the enemy. They can lean and fire around corners, adopt the right stance for the situation, and often most importantly, they will warn you of live enemy grenades that land nearby. These actions are not scripted as some may have believed, but are built into the AI. There is no command interface; the AI characters conduct themselves accordingly on their own.
Call of Duty's emphasis is on creating an immersive and intense combat experience whenever possible, so the game delivers direct combat in almost every mission. Some of the combat scenarios are adapted from historic battles and are more serious in tone while others, such as our vehicle-ride levels are intended to be more cinematic and full of specially created dramatic moments. Several missions are about defending an area you've captured and preventing the enemy from overrunning your position, until you are relieved by friendly forces. Although we have some stealth-oriented moments in the game, they are used to develop pre-battle suspense as opposed to imposing the traditional 'don't let the AI see you or else' game mechanic on the player.
Nosferatu: The Wrath of Malachi Ships....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 3:47 PM MDT Monday, October 20, 2003 [Comment on news]
iGames Publishing today announced that this Halloween’s most anticipated horror game, Nosferatu: The Wrath of Malachi, has shipped to retail stores nationwide. Inspired by the classic film, Nosferatu combines first-person shooter action with shocking horror elements in a gothic castle setting ridden with deadly, nightmarish vampires. “Nosferatu has all the ingredients of a perfect horror game - dark haunting graphics, frightening sound effects and a shocking style of gameplay that will keep gamers on the edge of their seats,” said Rick Bosch, CEO of iGames Publishing.
Developers Idol FX have delivered a seamless blend of atmospheric survival horror and intense first-person shooter action in Nosferatu. Players must search through the shadowy halls and dank dungeons of a massive castle to free their imprisoned friends and family…failure to rescue the prisoners will not only result in their death, but in the resurrection of an ancient supernatural being who will threaten all of mankind.
Nosferatu is accompanied by a spine-chilling musical score, eerie 3D graphics, real-time lighting, grainy screens and a random architecture generator which changes the castle layout and location of the characters, enabling players to experience the castle differently each time they play.
Nosferatu has an MSRP of $29.99 and has been rated M for Mature.
You can visit the official website for more of the Nosferatu underworld.
Halo PC Review....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 1:26 PM MDT Monday, October 20, 2003 [Comment on news]
3D Avenue has posted a review of the PC version of Halo. Here's a snip from their intro to get you going:"If you asked a few PC gamers earlier this year what some of their most anticipated titles were, chances are atleast someone would have said Halo. What interests most gamers here is the fact Halo was originally intended as a PC only game, however with such rich and unique offerings on the drawing board, Microsoft just couldn't help themselves after purchasing Bungie Software - they just had to make Halo the feature title for their soon to be released gaming console, the Xbox. Great news for console gamers at the time, but terrible news for PC gamers.
So after years of unstable promises, where one moment Halo PC was just an idea in the air, to another where it seemed almost certain, finally it was confirmed Gearbox Software would take over the task of molding Halo for the PC. Although they played no part in the development of the Xbox version, it was a strong point to suggest Halo's success was purely based on the fact the Xbox, or any other console for that matter, had never seen such an advanced First Person Shooter. We all know the PC is the home for FPS's, so obviously, our expectations are much, much higher. Can Halo survive with the big boys on the PC?"
Chrome Q&A....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 1:21 PM MDT Monday, October 20, 2003 [Comment on news]
GameGossip has posted a Chrome Q&A with Techland's Kacper Michalski talking very briefly about their FPS that's already out in Europe and is due out this fall in the US. Here's a nibblet:GG: Chrome has been described as a tactical shooter – what are some of the features in Chrome that make it different from other first-person shooters currently on the market?
KM: First of all, our AI is very demanding and it behaves in unpredictable ways. Running between four opponents equals death in 99% of the cases. The player should choose proper tactics depending on the terrain type, number of opponents, and available equipment and implants. It’s worth mentioning that the AI might act differently even in very similar circumstances. Because of this the player is unable to exactly predict AI’s actions. We wanted Chrome to be a tactical game and a realistic one at the same time – of course without any harm to the game’s playability.
MoH: Pacific Assault Movie....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 1:12 PM MDT Monday, October 20, 2003 [Comment on news]
There's a new movie now available for Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault, EA's upcoming Pacific theater sequel to MoH: Allied Assault. The clip runs over a minute, and shows off the technology behind the game. The movie is available in two different resolutions in QuickTime format from this EA FTP directory. You can also find a mirror on 3D Gamers.
Chrome Goes Gold in US....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 1:07 PM MDT Monday, October 20, 2003 [Comment on news]
Strategy First and Techland send word that their upcoming first-person shooter, Chrome, has gone gold and is scheduled for release in the US on October 28.“This game has been described as a cross between Rogue Spear® and Deus Ex®, so you can imagine why gamers are so excited about it!” says Steve Milburn, Director of Marketing for Strategy First. “Jumping in one of the mechs in multiplay and racing across a huge, open map dodging bullets…there’s nothing like it!”
The Story
Mega-Corporations are competing for control of the Valkyria System and its most precious resource…Chrome. Espionage, sabotage and theft are common practice, and no one is better at it than Logan… mercenary for hire. Become Logan in this first-person tactical shooter. Wield an extensive range of weapons. Operate vehicles on land, sea, and air. Learn that one man, the right man, can make a difference.
Features
For more information about the game please visit www.chromethegame.com or www.strategyfirst.com.
Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne Review....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 1:02 PM MDT Monday, October 20, 2003 [Comment on news]
Action Trip has posted a review of Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne. Here's a snip to get you started:"The game looks jaw dropping, and its visuals come at no expense to the frame rate. This is probably one of the best looking PC games out there. Everything looks perfect - the particle effects, use of pixel shaders (blurring effects), extremely realistic looking characters and texturing... Remedy has managed to create the most immersive and interactive game world yet. The physics model is spectacular, and is possibly only rivaled by the one in Half-Life 2. In fact, the physics become a major factor when it comes to solving some puzzles or killing bad guys in new and inventive ways. The out-of-this-world graphics and physics code become most apparent in levels where we see buildings collapsing or going up in flames, lots of explosions, etc. Although standard and very familiar the weapons are nicely balanced and very fun to use. One other important thing that adds to the game's addictiveness is the good difficulty balance. There will be plenty of bad guys around and it will be tough to go through some of the levels. You will feel challenged but never frustrated, and just when you think that some of the more linear maps are getting repetitive and boring the designers will surprise you with a nice break in form of a dream, different looking or puzzle-oriented level. Overall, my impressions of the core gameplay were largely positive. The technology behind it is brilliant and it draws you into the game world. It's not just the technology though; level designers have done an excellent job of including certain background details that make the virtual New York City come to life. Max Payne 2 has an excellent 'wow' factor. You can show it to your non-gamer friends as evidence of just how far video games have progressed in terms of technology and their cinematic value (and rub their noses in it like the heathen dogs that they are - Smap)."
Improving HALO PC Performance ....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 12:59 PM MDT Monday, October 20, 2003 [Comment on news]
The Adrenaline Vault has posted an interview with Gearbox's Randy Pitchford where they discuss some of the pre-conceptions people have had regarding Halo PC, and also the tweaks that can be made to further enhance the game's performance. You can check it out here.
Wow Long Time No See ....
Posted by
[Frag-girlie] @ 12:24 AM MDT Thursday, October 16, 2003 [Comment on news]
Hello everyone. How do you like the look of our new page? I would like to give a big thanks to Steel Dragon for the job well done and to Marty for hookin' us up with them. Thanks! :)
The site is still a work in progress for the next little while, so please be patient as we finish our migration. Nonetheless it's nice to be back.