Four Ways Civilization V Justifies Its Existence
Written by from on March 10th, 2010 | 0 CommentsYou don’t mess with Civilization . If you aren’t a Civ fanatic already, then you should know that Civilization is a veritable cornerstone of PC gaming; it’s a franchise that defines the turn-based strategic experience, that exemplifies the “intricate systems interacting with each other to produce addictive gameplay” motif, that invented the “just one more turn” phrase within PC gamers’ minds, and is often named the best game in PC history. Civilization titles are rare — the “okay, this is pretty much the best one, there’s no way to do but down after this” game that is Civilization IV came out way back in 2005. So it’s no small feat for Firaxis to be making Civilization V . Fact is, with a series this storied and iconic, the developers can’t simply get away with making it look prettier and making the number bigger. They have to make a game that makes the five year wait worth it, especially after its near-perfect predecessor. So what will Civ V do? From a recent, 20-minute demonstration, here are four major changes that V is making to justify its existence.
True Crime: What Happens When A Developer Wants To Make The Departed Into A Game
Written by from on March 10th, 2010 | 0 CommentsThere’s a pretty bizarre moment in the original True Crime: Streets of LA where it transforms from an expected hip-hop laden urban crime game into a poor knockoff of Big Trouble In Little China. Instead of remaining consistent, the game decided to stop having you take on thugs, and started having you fight zombies, dragons, and flying skulls. Well, I can safely say that even though I’ve only seen a small snippet of the upcoming (and subtitle-less) True Crime , from the way executive producer Stephen van der Mescht describes it, there won’t be a crazy “why did I go from shooting guys to punching dragons?” moment in this next installment. In fact, True Crime is a complete reboot. Not only is it an entirely new game and locale (not an unfamiliar thing, since the previous two games changed main characters and switched from Los Angeles to New York), but an entirely different developer, United Front Games (the studio behind the upcoming
Final Fantasy XIII Launch Party Photo Gallery
Written by from on March 10th, 2010 | 0 CommentsFinal Fantasy XIII Launch Party Photo Gallery A celebration in San Francisco bringing the cast and creators of Final Fantasy XIII out for the game’s launch. The red carpet entrance to Regency Hall, and the start of the festivities.
Final Fantasy XIII Launch Party Event Montage
Written by from on March 10th, 2010 | 0 CommentsSquare Enix pulls out all the stops in celebration of their RPG’s release.
More Need For Speed: Shift DLC On The Way
Written by from on March 10th, 2010 | 0 CommentsWith Ferrari having finally returned to the Need for Speed stable of automobiles, Electronic Arts is releasing even more DLC for last year’s Shift. The new Exotic Racing Series Pack will be launching next week on Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network, and will run you 800 Microsoft Points ($10.00). It includes the Honda NSX and the BMW M1 Procar, among others. You can find the full list below. The pack will be available March 18.
Gran Turismo 5 Nights Trailer
Written by from on March 10th, 2010 | 0 CommentsNew footage of Gran Turismo 5 that includes some night racing and a NASCAR rally.
Infinity Ward Teases Modern Warfare 2 DLC with "Mapathy" Site
Written by from on March 10th, 2010 | 0 CommentsWe wouldn’t fault you for getting a little sick of the default maps in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 , and neither would Infinity Ward, apparently. The developer began teasing new multiplayer levels today by posting Twitter links to Mapathy.com — a clever little site dedicated to spreading awareness of the intense ennui that accompanies months and months of playing on the same maps. According to the site, a person suffering from Mapathy “no longer derives pleasure from blowing up people hiding in the cockpit or on top of the crane,” and it continues, “More than 20 million people may be at risk for Mapathy.” Assuming you haven’t already jumped ship to Bad Company 2 , those symptoms probably sound all too familiar. Like pretty much every other imaginary ailment with a marketing budget, however, there is a cure for Mapathy: new maps. And according to the teaser site, that cure is headed for Xbox Live on March 30. Infinity Ward’s Robert Bowling assures us that PlayStation 3 and PC users will eventually get their hands on the DLC as well, but that announcement is coming at a later date.
EA Sports Offers Early Look at New MMA Game
Written by from on March 10th, 2010 | 0 CommentsAn early look at EA Sports MMA reveals that Strikeforce will be the main promotion featured in the game. You can compete not only in the Strikeforce hexagonal ring, but also have your fighters pound away at each other in a circle cage or boxing ring. The game’s strike control system, mapped to the right stick, is based on Fight Night ’s “Total Punch” control scheme. Defense also plays a part in the game as you dodge, parry, and duck while moving around the ring. You need to be wary of your fighter’s stamina; as it can be lessened by taking punches to the body, grappling, and also by missing punches you throw.
Just Cause 2 Rocket Launcher Jump Gameplay
Written by from on March 10th, 2010 | 0 CommentsThe latest video in Just Cause 2’s Anatomy of a Stunt series features a speedboat and a rocket launcher combining to make a flashy kill.
Capcom Reveals Final New Character for Super Street Fighter IV
Written by from on March 9th, 2010 | 0 CommentsCurious what tricks Capcom has up their sleeves for the final additional character in Super Street Fighter IV ? Wonder no longer, because IGN got the first glimpse at Hakan — a totally original brawler created specifically for the updated version of Street Fighter IV . From the looks of the footage, Hakan appears to be a grappler along the lines of Zangief or Abel. Don’t let that mislead you into believing he’s just another musclebound clod in impossibly tight shorts, however. What separates this new guy from the rest of the pack are his bright orange, Jersey Shore -esque tan and the almost supernatural amount of… uh… lubrication dripping from his chiseled body. Yeah, Hakan is one slippery fella. And he takes advantage of his trademark greasiness by sliding all over the ring at lightning speeds. The end result looks to be a fighting style that’s just as unique as it is vaguely unsettling.