I'm afraid Enclave 2 was cancelled due to rights issues with the original - now defunct - publisher.

They'd put a lot of work into it too. I know they've now had long overdue success and recognition with Riddick (remember, these are some of the same guys who worked on the cancelled 'Into The Shadows' and 'Sorcery' years ago), but it'll be a terrible shame if they can never make a sequel to Enclave, and improve on an already excellent game (perhaps with a more complex combat system), and introduce some of those dropped features like multiplayer.

Almost right, Mercury Steam are the Scrapland developers started by Rebel Act alumni, Enlight is the publisher.

I suppose you'd just called it a dynamic, 'cinematic' camera, since 'fixed camera' isn't really an accurate description.

I know what you mean, it can take some getting used to, and I've always preferred a chase camera for third person games, but you do get used to it.

The 'backgrounds' aren't static, they're fully 3D levels like in any other 3D game (it uses the same engine as Enclave and Riddick - albeit a very different version of it from the latter), the only difference is the camera system they decided to use on KotT.

I highly recommend using a gamepad for this game, a dual analogue one ideally, as it really helps with the movement and combat.

Eh? 2D backgrounds? It is entirely 3D, it just has a dynamic camera rather than a behind the shoulder one. You can even go into first person. What game were you playing?

This comment was edited on Jul 30, 11:54.

I recommend hack 'n' slash fans give this whirl. It's not going to set the world alight, neither is it a contender for Severance\Blade of Darkness' crown or even quite up to the quality of Starbreeze's previous title Enclave (though the melee combat is an improvement), but it's a good solid game.

I enjoyed it from start to finish on the XBox, then proceeded to play the much nicer looking PC version about two thirds of the way through.

Oh and I recommend using a gamepad, it's just horrible with a mouse and keyboard.

/realises Doom 3 is, quite understandably, all anyone cares about right now

Did anyone notice the gushing company and product ass kissing going on the article body. Hardop kissed all these companies asses and praised their products. I don't like it, it seems like bias when you are groveling like that. It leaves me unsettled.

Really?

"VisionTek X800Pro is still easily one of the best all around video cards you can buy today. Thanks go out to VisionTek for their support of this guide".

I thought that was smoothly done, LOL

I don't know about Blue, but I've never bought a "top of the line" piece of hardware because of the ludicrous price drops that occur only a few months after launch.

Absolutely. I just don't understand early adopters of graphics cards in particular, it's money down the drain. I intend to stick with my 256mb 9800 Pro for some time yet, at least through the Doom 3 and HL2 gen.

Even if your 9800 Pro is the 128mb version Blue, I don't know what you're worried about, I would have thought it'd be fine. I'd venture the 2.6GHz cpu is the weakest link if anything. My gaming machine is an XP 2800 with a gig of ram and aforementioned 9800 pro, and I don't plan on replacing any of that at least until the end of this year.

Something very fishy is going on. First of all we hear Tool might be doing a track for the game, then Chris Vrenna releases the 'title track' that sounds uncannily like Tool (only it's, well rubbish).

In fact it's so similar to their sound (except of course it's rubbish) that I can't believe Adam Jones or someone wasn't involved with it.

Was the original rumour a case of Japanese whispers after someone heard this track perhaps?

And it really does completely lack atmosphere doesn't it. It show promise at the start, as other have said, but then that riff... it's terrible.

The Quake 1 title track was excellent, not to mention the rest of it. I'm with everyone else in hoping Doom's in-game 'music' is a return to Quake style creepy ambient stuff. I'm sure it will be.

Actually the drums sound a lot like Danny Carey to me, and it's even got some Maynard style whispering in there. This has to be Tool, perhaps Chris Vrenna just mixed it?

Edit: and yes, it's not very good is it

This comment was edited on Jul 19, 12:09.

Yeah the weapons are crap.

Kreed is ok btw, I picked up the Russian version off Ebay some time ago and enjoyed it for a while. It looks nice enough, but it's too late for their engine to be particularly impressive.

It's basic FPS stuff. I'll be checking out the demo later though, to see if being able to understand the dialogue and read the in game text improves the experience

Hehe, off topic from the word go

Callisto from Finland, who I'm a huge fan of, are I believe (judging by liner notes and lyrics) Christian in a very non-overt way, though I'll add the disclaimer that I may be wrong about that and they might even just be being ironic (shall I call Alanis?).

If I can appreciate them and their lyrical themes as much as I do without feeling any inner conflict(!) then anyone can

If you enjoy dark, atmospheric alternative metal (think Isis) check them out: http://www.sitruunamaailma.fi/callisto/news.html

This comment was edited on Jun 23, 12:07.

All I can say is I'm bowled over. I'll never forget that first time I played TDP, and I've been rekindling my love for the first two games in recent weeks, but I was doubtful of IS's ability to capture the unique atmosphere of the series. Now I just can't wait to get the full game and get into the story.

There are a few things that bug me of course - arrow trails are silly, I don't like the new frob highlight and so on - but overall it's great, and it's got me in its grip just from this demo. Good job IS.

Now I'm even more glad I preordered a US copy ahead of the UK release, which should be here in a day or two. Can't wait. Welcome back Garrett!

If you do away with the keyboard in favor of some kind of console joystick, well what's left?

There's a weird tilting keyboard\mouse dealie that sits on your lap: http://www.gamespy.com/articles/512/512393p1.html

It's released on my birthday. I might take the unprecendented step of telling my other half what not to get me, just in case


This comment was edited on May 10, 11:39.

PC Gamer gave Horizons a 50% rating

Previews

Someone should dig out X-Com: Alliance and finish it.

Is that only Xbox?

Yep. It's gone gold and will be out on June the 1st, developed by Starbreeze.

New Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay movies on IGN, I can't wait for this game:

http://media.xbox.ign.com/media/639/639071/vids_1.html?fromint=1

So name some of these million good modern day shooters without monsters then

Did you somehow miss the miriad war games over the last few years? Call of Duty, BF, Medal of Honour, Vietcong et al? All the the Soldier of Fortune, Tom Clancy, Swat and Delta Force series etc? What about NOLF, XIII etc? Not to mention Counter Stike and all it's clones.

That's just the ones I can think of off the top of my head, and just the FPS's too (what about Hitman, Max Payne, GTA, Mafia, Splinter Cell et al?).

The really big AAA titles this year - Half-Life 2, Doom 3, Halo 2 - might be sci-fi oriented, but just look at the rest. For those of us who really can't stand all this real-world and military stuff the aformentioned three biggies (along with Far Cry, STALKER and Painkiller) are very welcome and long overdue IMO.

Edit: typos
This comment was edited on Apr 6, 08:35.

Yup, I thought the same: The graphics looked great, the environment was realistic, the weapons too - nice setup for a CS/HL2Online-Killer - but no: MONSTERS!

What's wrong with 'monsters'? Jesus, if you want real world games it's not like you're spoilt for choice these days. If you just want to kill human enemies in a modern day setting with real world weapons then there are plenty of games out there for you. They also lack atmosphere and are for the most part IMHO monumentally boring and unmoving.

STALKER is and always was (well not quite always) a sci-fi game set in the near future in the Chernobyl exclusion zone several years after a second explosion, where you'll come across radioactive anomalies and all manner of strange mutant beasties. If that's not your cup of tea then fair enough, but don't complain about it.