Geek Report » game

0 A.D. Video Game Goes Open Source

Anti-Trend — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 12:17:00 +0000

In a surprise move by development group Wildfire Games, their long-standing strategy game project, 0 A.D., has just been re-licensed under the GNU General Public License v2. Additionally, all game content and art is being released under the terms of the popular Creative Commons license.

0 A.D. is a historically-centric real time strategy game which is slated for release on multiple platforms including Linux and Windows. The game has been in closed development since 2001, but the developers felt they could make more progress by removing licensing barriers to attract fresh manpower to the project. Indeed, this decision may bode well for the project, significantly advancing both the speed of progress and the size of their user base.

LittleBigPlanet 1.07 Patch Released

Sniper — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 18:40:28 +0000

1.07 patch adds some new functionality that users should find very handy. The ability to search for levels using names or tags is the biggest addition, however my favourite is the ability to view highest rated, most hearted, newest and the busiest levels, which gives you a nice overview of whats hot or not, rather than wasting time going through random levels.

There’s also a new shop that shows all available content for download, read on for more details on that.

New Alan Wake Cinematic Trailer

Swansen — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 20:22:01 +0000

Yeah, you read that right, new Alan Wake stuff here. I mean, its only been like two years, so not a big deal, but there is a new trailer, or preview, i’m not sure what it would be at this point. teaser? Anyways, Remedy has also released some new gameplay details as well.

Light will play a very big part in the world around Alan. As enemies grow stronger in the darkness and in a world where light will gradually diminish through the coarse of the game. Of coarse, there is the crazy story and story elements i’m sure most of us are familiar with.

Little Big Planet Servers Online

Sniper — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 20:26:30 +0000

Well, the Little Big Planet servers are up and running but here in the UK we have no game to play! :( due out next week! The severs will also include all levels created during the beta phase. Good news for USA users though!

Latest MotorStorm Pacific Rift Screens

Sniper — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 22:40:21 +0000

Over at kotaku, they’ve posted some new screenshots of the upcoming racer for the Playstation 3! The visuals look very impressive! jump for more screens.

Intel Larrabee Game Implementation Concept

Swansen — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 15:36:40 +0000

Well, apparently, Intel has acquired the people behind Project Offset, which is pretty much the most exciting thing i have seen in a game in a LONG time, so i hope they don’t ruin it. Yes, i told you that story to tell you this, Intel is using the Offset engine for a Larrabee based game, and there really isn’t anything on it yet, but some concept art, but if you know anything about Project Offset, its a monster.

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Gears of War Xbox 360 Review

Sniper — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 15:46:16 +0000

Guns, guts and aliens, what more could you ask for? Gears of War delivers on all three, and does it fantastically. Even without a High-Def TV this game has mind-blowing graphics, from the incredible details on the landscape to the skin details on the characters, you can even see wrinkles that move with their face! The physics in the game are top-notch thanks to the Unreal 3 engine used to create all the effects.

The game really earned the 18 rating it received with the graphic gore contained within, like one of your guns has a chainsaw bayonet that, you guessed it, cuts the enemy in half.Not only does blood spray the surrounding area but also the game screen for a few seconds. Even the cutscenes use the in-game graphics and without a High-Def TV this game looks almost real. This is a game where you could literally spend all day admiring the graphics, even standing on a pier in the middle of a rainstorm with water below you will give you an unforgettable experience.

Sound, can’t fault it one bit, the music is atmospheric and well-timed, letting you know when enemies are nearby and when they’ve been dealt with, or if there’s an important event going on. The weapon sounds are excellent too, each weapon sounding unique and distinctive, and what’s more there is a specific enemy (called a Berserker) that locates you by sound, forcing you to use it to your advantage. The voice talent has been well implemented, the main character is voiced by John Dimaggio (Bender from Futurama), the in-game speech allows for some classic one-liners to pop up at just the right moment. Not to mention the speech in cutscenes is well-synced and believable.

Gameplay is where the game falls short, it doesn’t take long to complete, there are 5 Acts in all and if played well and on an appropriate difficulty setting can be finished in less than a week. There is a replayability aspect though in trying to beat all three difficulty levels which is no easy task. Also you have an option to team up with a friend and play the storyline co-operatively with no loss in quality or the storyline. The use of cover is very well-done, the game forces you to make use of the system otherwise you will die very quickly.

Playing the game from start to finish has a good chance of leaving you with a lot of questions, mainly because the game takes place 14 years after what is called Emergence Day, when the aliens rose from beneath the surface of the planet Sera to begin their war on the human race. Certain events take place between then and when the game begins that give your character a reputation, which is only hinted at during the game. But while it is confusing at times the storyline is a good one if you read into it, and the next two games in the series will shed a lot more light on the story as a whole.

In conclusion, this game is one of the best I have played in a very long time, it’s certainly a game I would recommend getting an Xbox 360 for, even if you never play anything else. The multiplayer aspect is something to keep the game going for a long time even after you play the single player mode to death.

Overall scores 9 out of 10