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Archived News:
A one-day open beta test for Survarium will commence tomorrow, with
this page
outlining how this will work. Downloads of the client for this survival MMORPG
from some of the developers of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. are available now to help prepare
for the beta, which will commence at 11:00 am Kiev time, which is something like
4:00 am EDT tomorrow. This comes with the following caveats: "This is a Beta
version of the PvP (Teamplay) game mode only. Freeplay and Co-op are not part of
this Beta test. Currently our game servers are located in Russia, so players
from other regions might experience connectivity issues due to long distances
and high ping rates. We are doing our best to minimize the technical problems as
much as possible." Thanks Rhialto.
This domain
registration for justcause3game.com was filed by Square Enix's corporate
domain registrar, according to
a tweet
by supererogatory, who goes on to speculate about when Just Cause 3 will be
unveiled, saying: "Guess we'll see that at E3." A third installment in
Avalanche's open-world action series is expected, but has not yet been
announced. Thanks
GameInformer.
A free weekend is now underway
on Steam for Rising
Storm, offering the chance to check out the new Game of the Year content
that was just added to Tripwire Interactive's multiplayer military shooter. The
free weekend runs until Sunday at 4:00 pm EDT, and the game is also currently on
sale for 75% off. You can find all the details on
Steam News.
In addition to the Red Storm weekend,
Steam News announces
that Company of Heroes 2
is also free this weekend, coinciding with a 66% off sale on Relic's World War
II RTS sequel. The game's free run also runs until 4:00 pm EDT on Sunday.
Mojang announces the launch of
Minecraft Realms in North America, which offers a way to host a Minecraft
world for yourself and your friends with a minimum of fuss. Here's how this
works: Realms is the easiest way for you to host a Minecraft world online.
You and your friends can work on an awesome creation, adventure into the depths,
or play one of our featured mini-games with just a few clicks.
The servers are always available, and can be restored to an earlier point if
something goes wrong. Realms is run by Mojang and simple to set up.
Realms is currently only available for the PC version of Minecraft, though we’re
planning on releasing it on other formats in the future. For more information,
check minecraft.net/realms
Minecraft Realms is currently available in Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia,
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Great Britain, Greece, Greenland, Hungary, Iceland,
Ireland, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, North America,
Norway, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Sweden, The Åland Islands,
The Cayman Islands, The Faroe Islands, The Isle of Man, The Netherlands, The
United Kingdom, and The United Arab Emirates.
BANDAI NAMCO announces the Windows PC edition of Dark Souls II is now
available, offering the sequel to From Software's notoriously difficult
action/RPG. Here's word on the game: BANDAI NAMCO Games America Inc. today
announced that DARK SOULS™ II for the PC platform has launched at select
retailers and via digital download on Steam worldwide (as of 3:00pm Pacific
Time). Dark Souls II is the critically acclaimed, punishing sequel to 2011’s hit
Dark Souls, a game that is regarded by critics and fans alike to be one of the
most challenging and rewarding experiences in videogame history. The PC version
of Dark Souls II will take players on a journey through a devastated world where
death and despair lurk around every corner; only those who posses strong-will
and cunning will survive to achieve glory. Dark Souls II delivers a constant
threat of death from bloodthirsty enemies and hellacious bosses as players face
soul-crushing challenges throughout the game.
Already having earned the adulation of game critics and fans with the
PlayStation®3 (91 Metacritic score) and Xbox 360 (92 Metacritic score) versions
of Dark Souls II; this latest version of the game will harness the power of the
PC platform and give PC fans the opportunity to further immerse themselves into
the richly designed yet unforgiving Dark Souls II world through increased
texture resolution and enhanced frame rates. Lastly, Dark Souls II on PC will
also support both gamepads and mouse-and-keyboard control options.
“FromSoftware has taken the time and great care to deliver Dark Souls II for PC
at the level that PC fans expect.” said Chris Gilbert, Senior Vice President of
Sales and Marketing at BANDAI NAMCO Games America Inc. “We’re looking forward to
fans enjoying the PC version’s upgraded graphical fidelity and its increased
frame rates that is sure to deliver an extra visceral punch and open a new
dimension to the great gameplay contained in Dark Souls II.”
Ubisoft now offers Trials Fusion for Windows, a sequel to Trials
Evolution, the platformer racing game. Here's the meat of the announcement:
Developed by RedLynx in collaboration with Ubisoft Shanghai and Ubisoft
Kiev, Trials Fusion offers players an unlimited array of obstacles and
challenges as they race against the clock – with players from around the globe –
to set track records.
The game builds off the same maddeningly addictive physics-based gameplay of its
predecessors while incorporating brand-new features, including the FMX tricks
system.
Create tracks, made possible by the fan-favorite Editor mode, that stretch your
imagination and skill, and put your friends to the test by sharing online with
the bustling Trials Fusion community.
Wadjet Eye Games announces the release of The Blackwell Epiphany, the
concluding installment in their long-running Blackwell RPG series. Here's the
deal: Independent developer Wadjet Eye Games is proud to announce that The
Blackwell Epiphany is now available as a PC download. This final installment in
their flagship Blackwell mystery adventure series sells for $14.99 from Wadjet
Eye's website, Steam, and GOG.
When her aunt Lauren died, Rosa Blackwell inherited a unique family legacy: the
companionship of a jazz era ghost named Joey Mallone and a talent for helping
the recently-dead cross over to the other side. Through four previous adventures
-- The Blackwell Legacy, Blackwell Unbound, Blackwell Convergence, and Blackwell
Deception -- players have seen the toll this work takes on the women of the
Blackwell family. So far Rosa has managed to hang on to her soul and her sanity,
helping numerous spirits along the way. But that's about to change in The
Blackwell Epiphany when she and Joey go up against a malevolent force that
literally tears souls apart. Is their partnership strong enough to withstand
this final trial?
The Blackwell games are mystery adventures with point-and-click investigative
gameplay and retro-styled pixel art graphics reminiscent of the classic Sierra
and LucasArts adventure games. Each installment has a self-contained plot that
can be enjoyed independently, with an overarching series storyline following
Rosa's transition from skeptical newbie to seasoned medium. Likewise, The
Blackwell Epiphany is designed to stand on its own while providing bittersweet
closure for players who have been with Rosa and Joey from the beginning. For
those who want to catch up on the adventure before embarking on the finale, the
earlier Blackwell games are available individually or in a 4-pack bundle:
http://www.wadjeteyegames.com/store/
Stardock is now offering a new Leader Pack DLC for Fallen Enchantress:
Legendary Heroes, their turn-based strategy game (surely there must be a way
to shoehorn a Shangri-Las
reference in here). The pack adds new leaders for all factions, each bringing
different items and abilities to the mix. Word is this is accompanied by a patch
that continues their enhancement of the base game: The Leader Pack adds an
all-new sovereign to each of the game's 10 factions. These leaders provide fresh
gameplay experiences with new abilities and items. Prove might makes right with
the hardy but magically impaired General Tarth, bring death magic to the
kingdoms of men with Sanjo of Gilden, or absolve Lord Relias' mistakes by
leading Altar to glory as Shirayn.
Players can also customize their own sovereigns with additional traits and
equipment. Treasure Hunters have supernaturally good luck at finding loot,
leaders with Lifeblood heal their own wounds with every spell cast, and anyone
wielding powerful Ruvennan Bracers is destined for glory on the battlefield with
their dramatically boosted combat capabilities.
Stardock has also continued its legacy of supporting all of its players with
patches and free post-release updates for all of its games. The v1.6 patch for
Fallen Enchantress: Legendary Heroes released on Tuesday, April 22, and includes
additional modding support, balance tweaks, and new unit abilities for all
players regardless of which DLC packs they have purchased.
- A bundle built for speed on
Humble Bundle.
- Mashed on
Steam. Save 15%.
- Nostradamus: The Last Prophecy on
Steam. Save 33%.
- Out of the Park Baseball 15 on
Steam. Save 10%.
- Realms of the Haunting on
Steam. Save 50%.
- Spice Road on
Steam. Save 10%.
- Street Racing Syndicate on
Steam. Save 50%.
- Vangers on
Steam. Save 30%.
- Warrior Kings on
Steam. Save 15%.
Link of the Day:
Rage of Thrones. NSFW (and not really new). Thanks JDreyer.
A new version 4.1 of Unreal Engine 4 is now available. The
Unreal Engine
website has the full patch notes for the new version, which adds support for
Xbox One and PlayStation 4 for their subscribers who are registered developers
with those respective platforms, along with preliminary SteamOS/Linux support,
though they say: "For now, deploying projects to Linux requires compiling source
from GitHub using a Windows computer." They promise the release of the Elemental
demo of UE4 "later today."
The Titanfall
Website has a rundown on what to expect from War Games, one of the maps in
the upcoming Expedition DLC for Titanfall, Respawn's multiplayer
mech shooter. The post offers a top-down layout and screenshots to show off what
designer Jason McCord calls one of their "most wallrunning friendly maps with a
fun visual hook and plenty of space for Titans to engage in large scale battles.
Here's more: War Games is a new map for Titanfall, based in a virtual
world where Pilots compete in simulated environments of Angel City, Rise and
Airbase Sierra.
When brainstorming ideas for the first Titanfall DLC map pack, the concept of a
level in the training mission simulator got a lot of people excited. Designers
imagined a level that was smooth, clean and abstract - a perfect place to design
easy-to-read battle spaces and wallrun paths. Artists had images of differently
themed areas mixed with digital artifacts and colorful lighting. The concept
maintained throughout development was "parkour playground".
The concept of a simulator level allowed for themed areas to act as the
hardpoints while the buildings between are in the smooth, featureless style of
the training mission rooms. The IMC start in an Airbase-style structure,
complete with working Marvins and a tank repair garage. Some areas throughout
the map will be "glitching out", providing landmarks that let you that you’re
fighting in a virtual simulator.
Apparently development of Clockwork Empires may not be going exactly like
clockwork, as
Gaslamp
Games announces a "scheduling change" (delay) to early access for their
upcoming steampunk/horror city-builder. They apologize to anyone they are
disappointing with this news, but explain it's for the long-term good of the
game: We have spent an intense few weeks considering our plans for the
next few months, and as a result, we’ve decided to push back early access of
Clockwork Empires to the summer. It’s a short delay from our original release
window for early access, but a delay nonetheless.
Almost everyone who has played the current version of Clockwork Empires can see
the promise of what we want the game to be when it’s done. The message that we
keep hearing is “don’t force this game out the door until it’s ready, because it
will be really special when it is”, and we want it to be there when you play it.
In the spirit of transparency, starting early access this spring would not allow
us to give you that – close, but not quite hitting the mark yet.
In the meantime, recruitment of pre-alpha testers continues apace. We’re sorting
out some compatibility issues with graphics cards, spending time figuring out
which UI decisions are correct and which need work, and generally putting in
more content to flesh out the game.
The Armchair Empire Infinite - And The Score Is...
Back in the magazine days, Computer Gaming World dropped review scores
for a handful of issues, and the kickback was incredible. Not since the
infamous "Canadian Corner" did the CGW offices receive so many
profanity-laced Letters to the Editor. Scores returned. Numerical shorthand
had trumped 500-word reviews. It was the number people wanted more than
anything meaningful. The something out of something.
- AMD Athlon 5350 & ASUS AM1I-A on
Neoseeker.
- AMD Radeon R9 290X custom-cooled cards from Asus and XFX on
The Tech Report.
- CalDigit Thunderbolt Station Docking Device on
TweakTown.
- CM Storm Havoc Mouse on
pcGameware.
- Cooler Master Elite 110 Mini-ITX Case on
Modders-Inc.
- Corsair RM1000 Power Supply on
AnandTech.
- Coolermaster Quickfire XT Mechanical Gaming Keyboard on
eTeknix.
- EVGA SuperNOVA 750G2 and 850G2 Gold Power Supply on
PC Perspective.
- G.SKILL RipJaws SO-DIMM 8GB 1600MHz DDR3 on
Vortez.
- HTC One M8 Smartphone Performance on
Legit Reviews.
- SanDisk Connect Wireless Flash Drive on
ThinkComputers.org.
- TP-LINK WPA4220KIT Powerline 300Mbps AV500 Wi-Fi Range Extender
on
TweakTown.
- Turtle Beach Titanfall Ear Force Atlas Headset on
Hardware Heaven.
- VisionTek CryoVenom R9 290 on
Pure Overclock.
We ended up making a chicken over the weekend, so last night I grilled the lamb
chops that I had planned. These came out so perfectly I am afraid to even try
them again... I just want to pull a Costanza and just thank everyone and leave
on a high note. Cheers!
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