Review by Mat C Heavy Rain Developer Quantic Dream Publisher SCEE Released February 23, 2010 Available for PS3 Time Played Finished Verdict: 5/5 Gold Star “Anticipated as much for its storytelling narrative as it has been criticised for offering little but a string of elaborate Quick Time Events (QTEs), the arrival of Heavy Rain has not been a quiet one. Sony have even gone so far as to actually market it with an advertising campaign; …
I’ve been reading a lot recently about the nominated finalists and Student Showcase winners for this year’s Independent Games Festival and there looks to be some cracking titles on the way. It’s worth noting that there’s been loads of features across the web on the IGF and this article is by no means an extensive look at the event; just a quick glance at the titles that have piqued my interest. The full listing of …
Picking out Steerpike’s sentiments of freedom within a videogame, it took me back to when I first started playing online video games. Ultima Online was my first, and a game which at the time gave the impression of unparalleled freedom…
You’ve doubtless heard of Ubisoft’s appalling new DRM solution: that PC games from Ubi require a constant internet connection, and will in fact kick you out of the game if your connection drops during play. People who’ve gone hands-on with it describe it as worse than originally expected.
Will be be cracked? Sooner or later, though the cleverness inherent in this solution is considerable. This is one of the very few DRM solutions that might actually work – and by “work,” I don’t mean it might prevent pirates. I mean “work” the way Ubi means it.
So check this out. It would seem some large and scary dudes showed up at Modern Warfare developer Infinity Ward’s Encino offices and… lurked. Apparently they’re a gift to the studio from owner and industry goliath Activision/Blizzard. Meanwhile two of the company’s top dogs, Vince Zampella and Jason West, weren’t in the office – they were at Activision. In a meeting. Now we hear that CTO/CCO West, at least, has been fired. Activision recently made …
Review by Lewis B Peggle Developer: PopCap Games Publisher: PopCap Games/Apple Released: 27th February 2007, May 2009 (App Store) Available for: iPhone/iPod Touch (version reviewed) PC, Xbox 360, PS3, Nintendo DS, Java ME, Windows Mobile and MAC OS Time Played: N/A Verdict:5/5 Gold Star As one of the most addictive puzzle games I have ever played, Peggle deserves and justifies the praise it has received since its launch. A quirky, vibrant game with great visuals, …
I was talking about Heavy Rain with MrLipid the other day and he asked me how I thought it’d wind up performing. It’s kind of a tricky question for this game, because general consensus seemed to be it’d either do quite well or go down in flames. I hedged my bets and said it would probably move a million units in the United States, which is very good – not blockbuster, but no one at …
I love Dragon Age Origins. I really do. And Mass Effect too. They are slick, engaging games that hold my attention, more or less through to the ending sequence. BioWare has delivered the goods recently, ladling out Mass Effect 2 and threatening to release a followup expansion to Dragon Age. What is there not to like? Well, a lot of things. The silly dialogue with its stilted choice system. And the story. Snort. Right. But …
My greatest fear is to be trapped alone in a confined space with a blind human, in total darkness. They have a heightened sense of smell and hearing, and are searching for me. I’m not actually sure where this specific fear comes from, but so far Penumbra: Overture is ticking two out of three…
It’s a QTE game. Anyone who sez otherwise is incorrect.
Review by Lewis B Beneath A Steel Sky: Remastered Developer: Revolution Software Publisher: Revolution Software/Apple Released: 23rd September 2009 (App Store) Available for: iPhone and iPod Touch Time Played: Finished Verdict: 4/5 Thumbs Up Revolution Software really have set a precedent on the iPhone for adventures games. Beneath A Steel Sky: Remastered has a wonderful control scheme, fantastic dialogue, challenging puzzles and all for a fabulous price tag. Anyone who owns an iPhone who …
GP reports that Philadelphia newspaper The Bulletin has published an article warning parents of the Morningstar’s recent involvement in videogame development. Apparently Lucifer has decided that games are a great way to slurp up tender new souls, what with all the angel killing and stuff in games like Bayonetta. The article warns against pacts with the devil, explains why it’s mean to kill angels, alerts us to The Adversary’s new tool, and calls out various …
I hadn’t heard of Hot Blooded Gaming until this morning, when GP linked to this piece by Kreyg, the site’s founder. A thoughtful, melancholy article about how videogames acted as a guiding force in his life – a protector during dark times and a limitless resource of joy whenever it was needed. I’ve always felt that it takes real courage to write articles like this one, to wear your heart on your sleeve the way …
Having still not plucked the courage up to brave Penumbra: Black Plague, I was pleasantly surprised to see that horror masters, Frictional Games, have released a new and really quite brilliant teaser trailer for their upcoming cack-your-pants-fest, Amnesia: The Dark Descent. I’ve been following their (very interesting) blog for a few months now and this is looking and sounding very promising indeed. If Penumbra: Overture is anything to go by, I’m scared already. Full details …
The prognosis is dire, I’m afraid. It’s time for PC gaming to start a heavy drinking and smoking habit and to make a list of “Things I Want to Do Before The End.” It’s terminal cancer, and not the good kind either. It’s the kind that will most certainly kill it, but slowly and only after putting it through a protracted and agonizing battle with false cures, hopes, and pain. The cancer might even go into remission once or twice, but it will triumph in the end.
We’ve heard this prediction before, of course, and as a passionate PC gamer, I was always quick to dismiss it. PCs offered prettier and deeper games than their console brethren. After a month with my new PS3, however, I’ve decided that the end of the PC age finally approacheth, and right soon.