Category: Preview

Preview: Half-Life 2: The Orange Box

Gordon and Alyx From Half-Life 2 Ep. 1 and 2

We’re only weeks away from the premiere of yet another fabulous game, Half-Life 2: The Orange Box. The Orange Box is a compilation of 5 games: Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2 Episode 1, Half-Life 2 Episode 2, Portal, and the highly acclaimed Team Fortress 2.

Half-Life 2 has been upheld as one of the best PC games to date. With beautiful graphics, a revolutionary physics engine, and both a compelling story and gameplay, it alone justifies the $59 price tag. Thankfully the developer Valve is packaging in even more! The Half-Life episodic content, Episode 1 and Episode 2 has been additionally added in, but the best surprise is the addition of the action-packed puzzle game Portal.

Portals is another game set in the Half-Life 2 universe where you play as a yet unnamed female character who has possession of an experimental portal gun. With the portal gun she can create wormholes wherever she pleases. In the demo, the character was able to put one wormhole above another and create an infinite freefall or use the momentum gained from the acceleration of gravity from falling into one portal to jet out of the other in order to reach a faraway platform. This is something you HAVE to see yourself. It is a revolutionary gaming experience.

Heavy from Team Fortress 2

The last, and certainly not least addition to this compilation pack is the multiplayer game, Team Fortress 2. You play as one of nine different stylized characters in a multiplayer combat driven arena. Each of the characters have their own specific abilities and strengths. For example, the Spy can become invisible or disguise himself as an opponent character, the Engineer can build gun turrets, teleportation points, and health stations, the Heavy can endure brutal damage and deal it just as well, and the Scout can run incredibly fast and double jump. This unique and engaging multiplayer experience might be the threat to Halo 3 for best multiplayer game of the year.

The Orange Box will be released for the Xbox 360 and PC on October 9th and on the PS3 on the 13th.

Roll this beautiful game footage!

Tsunami of awesome games to strike you in November!

Mass Effect Box Art

2007 is one hell of a year to be gamer. 2007 marks further integration of video games into the entertainment mainstream as well as a grand evolution of video games in general. If the record-breaking BioShock is not a signal obvious enough, let me remind you to save up your money, ’cause the fun hasn’t even started.

Microsoft has recently announced that Bioware’s highly anticipated RPG Mass Effect will be hitting stores on November 20th. There is no doubt that this game, with its novel innovations will make ripples on the gaming industry. But Mass Effect is accompanied by several over games, to be released in November. Let’s take a quick look at what’s going to come.

Gears of War (PC, coming November 1st)
Gears of War. Love it or hate it, you can’t deny that Gears of War made a mark on the Xbox 360 gaming scene with its intense action and breathtaking graphics. Epic proved their worth once again, by creating the first game to harness the powers of the Unreal Engine 3. Gears of War will be coming out for the PC this November, which should quench the PC enthusiasts’ thirst for some GoW action!

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (PC, XBOX 360, PS3, coming November 5th)
Call of Duty, one of the most successful World War II shooters finally crawls itself out of the trenches and into the choppers as it advances to Modern Warfare. The intense action of the previous games combined with modern technologies and settings is bound to make a mark. Call of Duty 4 is reported to feature more unpredictable action, more yelling officers and like always, addictive multiplayer!

Blacksite: Area 51 (PC, XBOX 360, PS3, coming November 5th)
Area 51 managed to garner some attention back when it was released, but Blacksite is one game that’s rather overshadowed by the giants (read Halo 3). Developed and published by Midway, Blacksite: Area 51 will feature squad-based action as you infiltrate a secret government facility. Adding to the list of clichés is an enemy gallery full of aliens and plenty of ass-kicking action. And yes, Blacksite is also a game using the Unreal Engine 3. To be specific, it will use the very version that is under development for Stranglehold, the much-antipicated “John Woo game”.

Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn (Wii, coming November 5th)
The hugely successful Fire Emblem series is known for its brilliant storylines, unique and addictive strategic role-playing action as well as its colourful characters. Fire Emblem crosses the generation gap and enters the Wii, offering radiant new action with the Wiimote. Build support relationships between your characters as you command the “Dawn Brigade” to victory. Also featured is widescreen support, which will make for some cinematic Fire Emblem action!

Empire Earth III (PC, coming November 6th)
Take control of a civilization and turn it into a great empire in the third version of the popular Empire Earth series. Span all the human eras, from stone age to the future. Lots of new features include taking defeated enemy armies under your wing, as well as a new freeform campaign mode. Also, look out for strategic missions to add some colour to your game. This is the game for all you strategy maniacs!

Assassin’s Creed (PC, Xbox 360, PS3, Various dates in November)
Assassin’s Creed comes from the team that brought you Prince of Persia: Sands of Time. Assassin’s Creed is also one of the most awaited games, as well as one of the most unique stealth games. Set in the medieval age, you take control of an assassin as he is tasked to well, assassinate targets. You use the city to your advantage, melding with the people, taking camouflage and using every damned visible object in the game to your advantage.

Super Mario Galaxy (Wii, coming November 12th)
Super Mario Galaxy is the supposed spiritual successor to the highly acclaimed (and damn right it was) Super Mario 64 (which was the same to the phenomenal Super Mario Bros.) This time, Mario will take his adventures to the galaxy, with planet-hopping and Italian accents galore! Demonstrated by the big daddy Shigeru Miyamoto himself, we have no doubt that Super Mario Galaxy might just be the game that’ll have you reaching for the Wiimote again!

Unreal Tournament 3 (PC, PS3, coming November 12th)
Unreal Tournament, Epic’s flagship series of games makes a return with UT3. The latest iteration is slated to include a new gametype, Warfare, more “in-your-face” action, and a complete revamp of playing style from the speed-based UT2004. UT3 will also feature seamless PS3-PC integration, as well as mod support for the PS3 version. Unreal Tournament 3 is the game to buy if you like long nights of merry fragging.

Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway (PC, Xbox 360, PS3, coming November 13th)
Brothers in Arms is considered to be one of the finest WW2 shooter series, and with good reason. Like before, the third version of BiA will feature a compelling storyline, strategic squad-based action that goes beyond the usual gun-slinging action and of course, dramatic and visually appealing graphics powered by the Unreal Engine 3. Join Matt Baker in the singleplayer of the game to open up the “Hell’s Highway” or frag friends in the new revamped Multiplayer segment of the game!

Crysis (PC, coming November 16th)
Come on, you can’t not know this game and still be a PC gamer. Crysis the pet project of Crytek, the previously unknown developer that made a massive mark with the hugely successful Far Cry. Crysis will feature DirectX 10 graphics, alongside a slew of other graphics technologies to offer you an absolutely cutting edge visual experience. With a rather random story that involves North Korea and aliens, Crysis will be a ride of coolness with its hot “Nanosuit” that looks awesome, functions even more awesome!

Rock Band (Xbox 360, PS2, PS3, coming November 20th)
Rock Band is Electronic Arts’ famous competitor to Activision’s very successful Guitar Hero series of games. Rock Band may be dropping in a while after Guitar Hero III rolls in, but that matters not, does it? Rock Band is reportedly published by MTV, while EA is playing distributor. Many are considering this game to be a cross between Guitar Hero and Karaoke Revolution. Whatever this ends up becoming, Rock Band is something to keep an eye on!

Enemy Territory: Quake Wars (Xbox 360, PS3, coming November 27th)
Quake Wars is the long awaited RTS game from the Quake franchise, one of gaming’s forefathers. Take control of futuristic weapons, vehicles and units as you wage war against the alien Strogg or the humans. Establish bases, deploy structures and conquer obstacles to ensure that you are ahead of your enemy at all times. Quake Wars will certainly be something to look forward to for console strategy fans, and may even succeed in drawing fans of the FPS series into strategy!

So, what do y’all think? Think we missed out your favourite game coming out in November? Think a game doesn’t deserve to be on this list? Think we should quit our jobs and go back to the zoo? Drop us some comments, then!

Gearbox’s next shooter to offer “near-endless variety” in stuff

Borderlands 1

Yep, it’s me – the Garbled Zombie giving you your near-daily fix of awesome games. Today we shed light on Borderlands, under development at Gearbox, the famed dudes who made the Brothers in Arms series, the Halo: Combat Evolved PC port as well as several Half-Life expansions. All in all, Gearbox is one kickass developer, that I’m sure will not disappoint.

Borderlands was revealed when Game Informer showed off the cover for their September issue, which is where we’ll probably learn more. The game will be published by 2K, another splendid company. It’s going to be a post-apocalyptic sci-fi (deja vu?) and will feature 4-player online co-op, several RPG elements and vehicular action.

What gets the gears rolling, though is the game’s “content generation system” that will make for “near-endless variety in mission, environment, enemy, weapon, item and character customization”. Now that sounds too sexy to be true. A game that reinvents itself over and over?

As you can see, comparisons between this and id’s Rage are rife, with both looking near-identical now. I wonder if after the famed id-Epic rivalry, is id going to lock horns with Gearbox? The gossip keeps building, but till then we’ll wait for Borderlands, which will be coming out in Holiday Season, 2008. As you can probably guess, it’ll be coming out for the usual stock – the PC, PS3 and the Xbox 360.

Check these screenies out, by the way.

Borderlands 1 Borderlands

From the horrors of Dungeon Siege… Space Siege!

To be completely frank, Dungeon Siege wasn’t the best RPG I’ve ever played. And its story wasn’t the richest I’ve seen. But Gas Powered Games aren’t quitting and last month, they announced Space Siege – a sci-fi version of Dungeon Siege. A brand new trailer has also come up which you’ll find at the bottom.

The game boasts a “deep and compelling storyline”, which I’m highly skeptical about and “intense” action. The trailer definitely looks like it is in with the times and even bears a slight resemblance to Mass Effect, which is good. Maybe GPG can save itself after all. The only premise we know of right now is that a colonization ship is under siege by aliens who have annihilated Earth. At least the title “Space Siege” makes more sense than “Dungeon Siege”.

You will play as Seth, a robotics specialist who becomes hero of the day. The story will be fraught with moral dilemmas as you will have to decide whether you want Seth to pick up robotic upgrades and other such useful prosthetics at the sake of your ‘humanity’. The irony the writers wish to express here, is that you are trying to save the human race, but giving up your humanity. I like that.

These cybernetic modifications will actually play a large role in the story, as it may alienate (pun intended) Seth from the people he’s trying to save. NPCs will react differently and quests will differ as you get new modifications for every part of your body (if only Seth were female…).

This interesting new game will make its way to your PC next year, with no other details announced as of yet. Check out the official press release here, and the official site here. The official trailer can be found in The Pipeline (above).

Sierra and Radical working on PROTOTYPE

Prototype Preview

Sierra Entertainment will be releasing a new open-ended, do-anything sort of game next year, under development by the almighty Radical Entertainment, known for games like Scarface: The World is Yours and The Simpsons Hit & Run. The game is titled ‘PROTOTYPE’ (the caps are entirely intentional) and will be set in New York City.

The game will revolve around a man named Alex Mercer, who has had a disturbing past and is currently raging a war. Things go downhill and you find yourself wrapped up in a story full of deception, double-crossing, conspiracy and perhaps more video game clichés.

Mercer will have unique powers that allow him to change shape and morph into anyone who crosses his path, complete with skills and powers. While I wouldn’t the call the ability particularly innovative, I’d like to see it in a video game! This ability will be no doubt connected to Mercer’s shady past which he must uncover while saving the world. C’mon, when are there going to be more original plots?

But good plot or not, Kelly Zmak, president of Radical Entertainment made me happy with the following lines:

Radical Entertainment set out to create the most dynamic video game character ever imagined. From free-form movement to over-the-top combat action; PROTOTYPE can climb or wall-run across any surface, jump 30 stories high, and destroy anything that crosses his path. Our team at Radical has built upon the technology that drove our previous best-selling games and now has the freedom to dream big and imagine a powerful character in a sprawling city like New York, cloaked in a conspiracy and ripped from today’s headlines.

Sounds real sexy, doesn’t it? I just hope these uber abilities aren’t some lame stuff added near the end of the game for an hour. I hate it when they do that.

PROTOTYPE will be coming out for the Xbox 360, the PS3 and your good ol’ PC in the Summer of 2008. Watch for it, but first check out these screenies:

Prototype Image 1 Prototype Image 2 Prototype Image 3 Prototype Image 4

A glimpse into Far Cry 2!

Farcry 2 Logo

We brought you news of Far Cry 2’s announcement some 11 days ago. And in a most predictable manner, we have some more news of the same. Luckily, it’s more useful news that actually says something other than “Brace yourselves. Greatest game yada yada awesome graphics yada yada”

Far Cry 2 will be free from any special alien, magical, mutant or Force powers and you won’t be seeing any nanosuits in it. Jack Carver won’t be in it either. And no Tropical islands. No Trigens.

This begs the question, what is there in Far Cry 2? I’ll tell you what is. African Savannahs. Hungry animals. Angry people. The story will involve charging the protagonist for killing an arms dealer who supplied arms to two sides of a conflict in a failed state. The player will then be involved in many more plots, missions and conflicts. The whole concept of the game will be to shape itself around the player. So the story essentially builds on the player’s actions. Now where have I heard that before?

Far Cry 2’s producer Louis-Pierre Pharand reveals:

The game takes place in two fully open worlds that are five kilometres on a side, with the second world ‘unlocking’ roughly one-third of the way through the game. This gives a playable area of 50 square kilometres, through which the player is allowed to freely travel at any time.

Sounds real sweet to my ears.

[Via CVG]