I first got acquainted with the Need For Speed series by clocking my flatmate’s copy of Need For Speed Underground. Later, I spent long hours with Most Wanted, acclaimed by many as the best in the franchise.
Regrettably, more recent instalments of the long running racing series have begun to look more and more like a money grab. So, not surprisingly, EA have decided to go with a full reboot with Need For Speed Shift. Instead of illegal street racing, races are now on the track (including several real life tracks such as Laguna Seca). The game is also closer to a simulation than an arcade racer, while still keeping that familiar Need For Speed edginess. Read the rest of this entry »
Motorstorm first broke onto the scene hand in hand with the arrival of Playstation 3. In fact for a long time it was pretty much the only game you saw being demo’ed in the gaming shops to truly show off the fun that was Playstation 3. Its wonderful blend of fast paced and mostly realistic racing with crazy fun vehicles and outlandish crashes made it a must for Friday nights with the boys! So after taking a short detour to the Pacific Rim, with its volcanic scenery and crazy hot tracks, Motorstorm heads not only to the breathtaking yet lethal and unpredictable setting of Alaska, but also onto PSP. Finally the fun goes portable and into pretty extreme snowy and icey conditions. Read the rest of this entry »
Unlike previous Call of Duty games on PC — and most other first-person shooters, not to mention most other genres, too – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 will be shipping without the usual multiplayer server browser, instead making use of a new matchmaking service called IWNet. A petition asking Infinity Ward to reconsider its decision to allow traditional dedicated servers has now been signed by nearly 130,000 individuals. Amazon.co.uk’s reviews section for the PC version of Modern Warfare 2 is littered with more than 125 1-star reviews, most all of which are complaining about IWNet and the perceived restraints it brings with it. It’s clear that we’re not dealing with a few fanboys who are crying foul, even if it is nothing more than the vocal minority. Read the rest of this entry »
A big-screen adaptation of Kane & Lynch is on its way, and the first major casting has been announced. GameDaily interviewed Hollywood producer Adrian Askarieh, who said that Bruce Willis has been cast as the titular character Kane. He also says casting for Lynch will start shortly, and Lionsgate will be the distributor. “After Bruce Willis read [the script], he called it one of the best action scripts he’s ever read,” said Askarieh, “and Bruce is an expert in terms of action scripts because he’s read everything over the last 20 years.” Simon Crane is set to direct, after being the second unit director on movies like Tomb Raider and Troy.
While the movie won’t be a direct translation of the original game, it’s said to share the premise and some action sequences. “It’s essentially the story of a mercenary teaming up with a schizophrenic psychopath to save his wife and daughter.” He also says that filming is likely to take place in spots like South America and Europe, but nothing is set in stone quite yet. Here’s hoping that with big-name casting, Kane & Lynch will be one of the rare exceptions to the rule of game franchise movie quality. [1up]
A new patent filed by Sony has popped up that shows what looks like a stick-like controller for the PlayStation 3 with four face buttons on top, and can be held and operated with one hand (via Siliconera).
The patent was filed in the U.S. by Sony Computer Entertainment, and the device is described (evidently using the vaguest terms possible) as a “hand held game controller.” You know, as opposed to all those game controllers that are held in the mouth.
This raises an obvious question: What on Earth could this controller be for? The fact that it’s held in one hand suggests it might possibly be the future “nunchuck” to Sony’s upcoming “wand” motion controller, but then the fact that there only appears to be four face buttons on this thing makes that possibility unlikely. As Siliconera notes, another possibility is that this is a new quiz controller, possibly for an upcoming new entry in Sony’s Buzz! series. [1up]
What I want to know after looking at the illustration above, is what are all those rabid Sony fanboys going to be doing with thier other hand…
Ok, it’s probably only fair to point out that this is a preview rather than a full review – we’ll be doing a full review later – based on completing the first mission plus optional tasks. One thing you learn fast with Dragon Rising is that this is not your ordinary first person shooter, and its definitely not Call of Duty: Modern Warfare either. If a bullet in Dragon Rising hits you, you’re in serious trouble. If it doesn’t kill you outright you’re going to have to administer first aid fast, and put up with the effects of the injury for the rest of the mission. You see Dragon Rising is probably the first military simulator to hit the consoles, and as such there is no ducking for cover as you recover from taking half a clip from an enemy machine gun. One wrong move and you’re dead. Back to the last check point and try it again. Just don’t expect your enemy to be sitting in the same place as he was last time – he won’t be. Read the rest of this entry »
When I first played Gran Turismo on the Playstation 2 format I was so bad. In fact my wife regularly beat me. Now that’s not to say that she’s not good at racing games, but more an indictment on my previous complete and utter lack of co-ordination when trying to use a thumb joystick when simulating driving. Like my history with gaming in general, I was always less partial to the games that really didn’t come close to being a really good simulation of the real thing. So of course when they released Gran Turismo Prologue for Playstation 3 everything changed. The cars were beautiful, the scenery actually looked real and the amazing camera angles on the replays were so realistic. I fell in love with the High Quality of racing on a PS3. When that visually stunning experience was backed up with the dual shock controller all of a sudden it all became real to me. I started winning races, and therefore winning credits and on to buy a wider range of cars to race with. Now my wife was in trouble… I was actually getting better than her and hence now I race against the machine while she reads a book. Read the rest of this entry »
Still can’t get enough Queen, even after today’s 10-pack of Rock Band DLC? Then keep on the lookout for Lego Rock Band when it launches early next month, because minifigures of Brian May, John Deacon, Roger Taylor, and, yes, Freddie Mercury will be showing up as playable characters in the kid-friendly band sim. Read the rest of this entry »
Not only are we doing our own little competition with Madman, that you can enter just by turning up to their stand and saying GameGuide sent you, but madman are also giving away a swag bag full of goodies to the tune of $500 just for spending $50 or more at their clearance stand:
Hi Everyone, Be sure to check out the Madman stand at the Auckland Armageddon Expo this coming Labour Weekend at the ASB Showground’s in Greenlane Auckland. (Saturday 24th October – Monday 26th October). Come meet our Promo team at the Madman Interactive stand 122 – 123, check out the range of Games from RPG, Action, Adventure, Horror, to Racing and Family titles, all priced to clear. Every purchase of $50.00 or more at the Madman Interactive Clearance Stand at Armageddon goes into the draw to win the ultimate Xbox 360 games bundle. 1 x Sacred 2 Fallen Angel Collector’s Edition (Xbox 360) 1 x Stoked (Xbox 360) 1 x Risen (Xbox 360) 1 x G Force (Xbox 360) 1x Divinity 2 (Xbox 360) Risen T Shirt Collectable Risen Figurine Double Pass to Spookers Halloween Double Pass to Snowplanet A Madman Coffee Mug Value $500.00 Plus get the opportunity to spend some Hands on time with Cursed Mountain, Risen, Divinity 2, Venetica and more.
Sounds like it’s a no-brainer if you’re going to be at Armageddon this weekend to spend at last a little time over at the Madman stand.
There is something about me..