Netdragon voiced new details today in regards to their latest project Absolute Force Online. Seven playable game modes have been announced for this MMOFPS but the company has yet to reveal if all will be available in the upcoming closed beta towards the end of November.
The first five modes are familiar to FPS scene, they consist of Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, Zombie Mode and Squads, Netdragon boasts the other two modes Arsenal and Vehicle to be unique gaming experiences but veteran gamers may disagree. Arsenal Mode resembles a typical gungame mode where players will start with low tier weapons and advance to higher tiers with the more kills they get while Vehicle mode sees players mount fully customizable helicopters and engage in aerial combat, so far only vehicle mode has a set team size restriction made up of five a side.
All modes can be played through either Classic or Exclusive Hero Battlefield, Classic is strictly first person and Exclusive is interchangeable between first and third to suit the preferences of each player.
For more info check out the site Here and stay tuned for further updates.
Take-Two, the publisher of Borderlands 2, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, etc, might be opening new offices in the gambling capital of the world, Las Vegas according to some documents between the publishing company and The City of Las Vegas Redevelopment Agency. If they do open a new facility, it would employ a minimum of 150 persons full-time, all of whom would earn a “gross average hourly wage, including overtime, of at least $18 per hour.”
The agreement also states that, in order for Take-Two to be eligible for the (up to) $600,000 in incentives, 15 percent of all full-time employees must be “fuIl time residents within the Agency’s redevelopment area” as well as “members of racial minorities, women, disabled or veterans.”
The purpose of the facility is still uncertain, and whether this could be a new studio or a satellite testing office us unknown. It’s worth noting, however, that while $18 an hour sounds like QA/testing wages, the minimum average that has been stated in the agreement may not be the actual average if this deal is completed.
Nia: Jewel Hunter Developer: Forest Moon Games Publisher: Forest Moon Games Platform: iPhone (reviewed), iTouch, iPad Release Date: October 31, 2012 Price: Free-Available Here
Overview
In Nia: Jewel Hunter, you play as Nia who has been transported to Egypt via elevator in order to find the Jewels that are located over there by going into pyramids and temples. You will have to unlock levels by gaining a certain amount of coins but you will find it all worth it when you see the gorgeous levels since they are in 3-D.
Story
The game over all does not have a story but, there is an overall theme for the game that can count as a story. Just like all great adventurers do at least once in their life time, you travel over to Egypt but with Nia, it was not by choice. She was transported there after she got into an elevator that acted like a teleporter. While Nia is there she is determined to over come treacherous traps, open hidden doors, and collect coins. Doing all of the following mentioned will allow you to collect the bounty of jewels each of the levels contain and then escape the pyramid or temple unharmed and try to return back to where she is from.
Gameplay
The gameplay is one of the many aspects that makes this game great. As you first start off on the first level, you will learn the basics of how the game is played. No, it is not a tutorial level but just a level so you have time to learn the ropes. As you continue and unlock level after level, you will notice that as the level number increases, so does the skill required to complete the level.
The game’s controls are simple and easy to understand. You have two ways to play the game, you can either touch the screen or you can use the buttons that are on the screen (you must switch between the two in the menu at the start of the game). Please note that they are currently warning everyone not to use the touch controls until the 1.1 update is released in order to keep the game from malfunctioning. I personally feel (after using both types of controls) that the buttons work better for the game and I didn’t have any technical issues with the touch controls but, the buttons just felt better for some reason.
In the game, you must collect coins and jewels. The coins actually play a major purpose in the game because they are how you unlock new levels. The great thing about that is that you must go back and replay levels and collect more coins or you might not have enough to progress to the next one. The jewels on the other hand will be collected and placed on an ancient wall. Once you collect all of the jewels, you will unlock the next set of levels that the game contains.
Audio & Visuals
The game graphics are very pleasing. Yes, they may no be as good as some of the games that have been releasing lately on the App Store but, the developers chose good and kept a simpler 3-D design for the game. This goes for both the character and the environments. The look of Nia is cute and interesting overall and she is colored nicely with the purple outfit that she wears. The environments are also pretty good but I feel that some of them could have looked better if they would have included more objects in the background and in the sand.
The games audio fits the environment you are in, with its unique Egyptian sounds that you get from it, you begin to feel that you just like Nia, have been teleported and have landed in Egypt. The game does feature sound effects like when you jump or push a button to open the door and those sound crisp and clear when they are used.
Overall
Overall, Nia: Jewel Hunter is an actual jewel in a bunch of rocks. The game features brilliant graphics, great gameplay which will lead you to having to replay levels (gives it some replay value), and some audio that is really clear and crisp. For only the price of absolutely FREE, I feel that everyone should go and pick up the game right now.
Wreck-It Ralph, star of the recent Disney film that has the same name, can be seen cruising next to Sonic in this Sonic & All Stars Racing Transformed trailer.
As you can see above, Mr. Ralph is sporting a signature truck that comes with a big wrecking ball , a very luxurious air boat, and a very classy helicopter! You also will be able to play as some other characters like Sonic (Sonic franchise) and Vyse (Skies of Arcadia).
You can go see Wreck-It Ralph in theaters right now and the game will launch November 18 on Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii U, with Vita and 3DS versions releasing on December 11.
Online multiplayer first-person shooter Ravaged has now released their demo to the public. This demo includes two game modes from the full version and two fully usable maps. With the full game delivering eight huge maps, over 40 vehicles and weapons and some brutal gunplay set in a Post-Apocalyptic World, the demo helps players to experience a taste of the carnage.
Developer 2 Dawn Games has also just released a patch that effects the full retail and demo versions of the game, adding in:
· Dedicated server files for players and clans to host their own games.
· Improved browser filter options.
· Quick Match option (for joining the best server).
· The Liberty map has been added to the demo.
· The demo includes two modes: Capture the Resources (Canyon) and Thrust (Liberty).
· Additional protection has been provided to re-spawning players, including 1) When in the main base, re-spawning players get 15 seconds of “god mode”; 2) There is no protection when main base is final target for opposing team in Thrust.
· Weapon-based vehicles are more balanced.
· The harpoon, crossbow and rocket truck artillery have been balanced.
· The minimum votes for kicking has been adjusted.
· “Spectate” button has been moved.
· Selected weapon highlighting has been fixed.
· Performance optimizations.
The full game is out now on Windows PC for $24.99 or the new demo can be tried absolutely free from Steam! Ravaged features fun driving, crazy melee combat, cool characters and diverse gamemodes all set in a Post-Apocalyptic wasteland! What more could you want?
The action RPG from Soldak, Drox Operative, has had it’s beta patched to 0.929 today. This patch brings with it a bunch of fixes and additions. In addition to this patch, the two newest races to the game have been revealed. These are: Shadow and Humans.
As you can probably guess, the human race is very much human in appearance. They look, well, like us. They’re also really good at economics and expansion. The next race, the Shadow, are much better at being spies and defensive. They look much more like old elven men with wrinkly faces than people.
Desperate Housewives: The Complete Eighth and Final Season Studio: Cherry Alley Productions Publisher: ABC Studios Format: DVD Release Date: 3 October, 2012 Price: $49.98 – Available Here
Overview
Desperate Housewives has had a long and successful run, and is it any surprise? Much like the housewives it represents, it prides itself on being able to be many things at once – a comedy, a drama, a romance, a mystery, so on and so forth. The eighth season has the same range mixed with that quirkiness that is beloved by Desperate Housewives fans. The eighth season is a great send off to a highly successful show, with all the humour, drama and suspense of the first seven seasons.
Story
There’s a certain charm to Desperate Housewives, in the characters, as well as the situations they find themselves in. Desperate Housewives manages to toe that line of having them in dark situations but still somehow finding that comedic beat. That isn’t just the skill of the writers, but the cast – especially in the main four actresses. They perform well individually, as well as with each other, and its in the comfort and surety they have in their characters.
The last season was always guaranteed to have a huge amount of drama, and given the fact that at the end of the previous season Carlos clocked a rape-y Gabby’s step father on the back of the head, it’s no surprise that the housewives spend a good deal of stuck in the middle of super drama. No thanks to an extremely vengeful police department who decided to put the girls in their crosshairs.
The season has so many different story lines and arcs that it seamlessly moves through, the most of which has to do with Bree. She goes through such drastic character changes through the last season, not only from beginning to end but in the middle as well. Marcia Cross handles these changes expertly and entirely seamlessly.
Another big character change was in Gabrielle, who becomes the provider for the family by the end of the season. Her and Carlos’ marriage has undergone some serious renovation and by season’s end they turn the tables on their established relationship from the first seven seasons. It’s nice to see them reach a place where they find what works for them and have come to terms with their marriage and made it work.
Lynette and Tom struggle with their separation, but being Lynette and Tom, they do manage to find their way back to each other. And considering the fact that it is Lynette and Tom, it makes you cheer when they do.
Lastly, Susan. Out of the main four she suffers the most unfortunate storyline. I won’t go into it, but it really makes you feel for her, and Desperate Housewives pulls off something you never thought they’d do. And it manages to not get annoying, but instead the angst and naturally depressing nature of the storyline I tempered well with the innate humour of the show.
There is some mirroring of the first season, especially in the finale of the series. It’s nice to have that nostalgia, especially for people who have been following the show since it’s inception. In fact, it might even lead to you brushing off the first season and looking back on how far they’ve come.
Visuals/Audio
Desperate Housewives is, as always, looking great with impeccable styling. The neighbourhood is a character of it’s own right, as it always has been, and the way that it’s shot helps keep it that way. The set dressing is wonderfully done, and the cinematography is great.
The incidental music and soundtrack works really well, as it always has, and it never overdoes the music or underdoes it. It does well at emphasizing moments, as well as improving the humorous moments.
Extras
The special features included in the DVD have a few of the deleted scenes, bloopers, and featurettes about wrapping up the end of the series. It’s nice to see the end of series through the eyes of the cast and crew, and it’s really sweet. Especially since, like their characters, the actors have evolved over the course of the show.
Overall
Desperate Housewives is an ultimately entertaining and has a cast of characters that we have all come to know and love. Even though it has had eight seasons, they’ve still managed to keep it interesting and different – with some continuing character development that will draw you right on in.
It’s easy to fly right through the season, and you might find yourself having a bit of a marathon with the show.
So the Wii U is coming to some countries in a little over 2 weeks and some a little on 3. The Wii U is interesting because it is the first dedicated game console to require a tablet controller as a part of its man to machine interface. What’s even more interesting is that from the tablet controller, players are able to access certain features of the console without the need for a TV.
One of these are the Wii U’s web browser. Now this browser is pretty odd in some regards, but some of these seem like licensing issues rather than technical ones. For instance, the Wii U will be HTML 5 compatible, but not flash compatible. It also does not support any plug-ins.
Be sure to check out the official Nintendo spec sheet for more info.
Apprope have just released it’s popular SLENDR game that appeared on the PC on the popular Android mobile platform. The game is available on the Google Play store for what appears to be free. This is great for gamers as free games are always fun.
For those of you that don’t know about SLENDRs history, it is essentially a game based on the Slenderman internet meme. What started as a creepy-pasta based on some scary images has now become this viral phenomenon. Don’t let him touch you.
For more information on the meme visit the Know Your Memesite on the topic. Also be sure to visit the Google Play store site for more information on the game.
Bethesda has teased a new trailer that will be arriving on Monday, November 5. The announcement was made on their official twitter account and a teaser image went along with it (viewable above).
The only project that Bethesda has formally announced is Skyrim so as of right now, this is the only game that can be potentially be related to this announcement (Bethesda recently published Dishonored and will publish The Elder Scrolls Online in 2013, those games are developed by Arkane and ZeniMax Online, respectively). It was revealed via Skyrim’s 1.8 update that a new piece of content was discovered and is entitled “Dragonborn” in which players will get the chance to ride dragons. Whether or not this is related to the announcement being made Monday is currently unknown.
Keep your eyes posted on here for the official trailer for the announcement when it is released on Monday.
Take-Two, the publisher of Borderlands 2, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, etc, might be opening new offices in the gambling capital of the world, Las Vegas according to some documents between the publishing company and The City of Las Vegas Redevelopment Agency. If they do open a new facility, it would employ a minimum of 150 persons full-time, all of whom would earn a “gross average hourly wage, including overtime, of at least $18 per hour.”
