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Archive for June, 2010

A Decade of Diablo II

Wednesday, June 30th, 2010

From the depths of hell the sounds of celebration and merriment are to be heard today. Not because another group of adventurers has vanquished the Lord of Destruction but because today the game celebrates its 10th anniversary.

Released on June 29th 2000, Diablo II instantly became a firm favourite of many RPG fanatic like myself. Its unending Demon slaughter combined with classic RPG design ideal, built on top of the well-built world of the first title, it would have been hard for it to fail.

Yet undoubtedly nobody, not even Blizzard themselves, could have expected that players would still be logging on to their Battle.net service for the game on a daily basis. The game also still receives update patches & regularly makes its way back into the PC games sales charts.

I personally have lost count about of the number of times I’ve reinstalled the game, compelled to play through it all again with a different class or build.

So let us raise a flagon of our best brew to Diablo, his Minions & all the great adventures we’ve had over the years killing them.

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Heroes of Three Kingdoms Q&A

Wednesday, June 30th, 2010
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Finishing off our series of Q&A’s with the guys at Perfect World Entertainment, we sent the DrunkenGamer once again, to talk to Andrew Brown, Production Manager for Perfect World Entertainment.

This time around, we turn our attention to their new and upcoming oriental MMO, Heroes of the Three Kingdoms which promises greatly detailed character creation and a massive choice of weapons to specialise in, all focused around three opposing factions fighting for domination. Great battles are plentiful and there’s more Kung Pow Beef than you can shake a chopstick at… Ok, we made that up, but we certainly want to find out more. (more…)

Split/Second Velocity (Review)

Tuesday, June 29th, 2010

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I’ve mentioned my love of arcade racing games in the past; realism can be damned for me. I want to be out there on the track power-sliding around corners, not in the garage calibrating my suspension.

The latest arcade racer to come out is Blackrock Studios, Split/Second: Velocity, and what makes this particular game stand out is probably best explained by the single-player campaign’s storyline.

You take on the role of a racer trying to make a name for themselves on the reality TV show ‘Split/Second’. Being reality TV, pure racing is hardly entertaining enough for the viewers, so they have rigged the tracks with an absolutely massive amount of explosives and all kinds of other traps; DrunkenGamer likes big bangs. (more…)

Battle of the Immortals Q&A

Tuesday, June 29th, 2010
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Continuing our series of Q&A’s with the guys at Perfect World Entertainment, we discuss their action RPG ‘Battle of the Immortals’.

To find out a little more about this interesting title, the ever inebriated DrunkenGamer talks to Product Manager, Jon Belliss about what makes this game different to any other Perfect World Entertainment title released to date. From its unique isometric view to its mount levelling system; it has certainly caught our attention, read on to find out more tantalising tid-bits about a game that promises to be just a little bit different.

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Forsaken World Q&A

Monday, June 28th, 2010
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The guys over at Perfect World Entertainment appear to be getting very good at creating top-notch free to play MMO’s, and with a new wave of MMO’s due, we figured it’s about time we learn their secrets. In our series of upcoming Q&A’s we’ve tasked the DrunkenGamer with getting to the bottom of their success.

In the first in a series of three Q&A’s, I got to fire some questions at Product Manager, Andrew Brown about the upcoming fantasy MMO Forsaken World, we talk about some of the games features, classes & monster AI. Oh and I try to get a promise that their vampires will never sparkle!

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Gran Turismo 5 Worth The Wait

Sunday, June 27th, 2010
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This may come across as naive fanboy-ism, but GT5 finally seems to be close to release and better yet, it looks to be “the ultimate driving simulator”.

Taking a look at some of the released details about the next-gen GT game, it’s hard not to be impressed. All the years of development look well spent, and granted it’s a bit overdue, but with graphics like this and the sheer volume of options, it’s easy to see where the time has been spent.

Not everyone is making a big song and dance over it though, but it is a groundbreaking game in the GT saga. With the addition of damage modelling, GT5 is moving on leaps and bounds from its predecessor. Finally we’ll be able to destroy some of the most beautiful cars in the world and then publish our videos to Youtube… That’s right, Youtube!
GT5 will allow you to post your replays online in both standard and high definition format to show the world your skills. It’s a bit of a gimmick, but with the advent of competetive gaming and 32-player online gameplay it’s sure to be a massive hit.

So that’s 1000+ beautifully crafted cars, 32-player online races, Youtube, damage modelling… what’s left that could possibly make it better?
How about track creation? Oh yes. GT5 will allow users to create their own tracks and upload them for the community to play on, finally we’ll get to see what the gaming community can come up with, no doubt some amazing track designs are already rattling around inside gamers’ heads.

Racing around in posh fancy cars trying not to scuff the paintwork is a tricky task, but what if you just wanted to get back to your racing roots? GT5 offers a go karting mode for some Lewis Hamilton-esque racing.

Still not content with all the awesomeness listed so far? ok, well there’s more. How does 70 circuits spread over 20 tracks, rally stages, Nascar and the Stig sound? That’s right, the Stig, the topgear legend will drive your car around the TopGear test-track. Ok, so it’s you in control, but Stiggy will sit at the wheel as you barrel around the circuit trying to best the rich and famous in your Chevrolet Lacetti.

Ok, so that’s enough promotion for now, but let it be known, come November 2nd, I’ll be taking a week off and not only will I have a new PS3, but I’ll have GT5 and a kick-ass steering wheel too! Oh, and if you don’t believe how stonking it looks, check out the gallery below!

Starcraft II gets new aerial units.

Friday, June 25th, 2010

starcraft-ii-korean-air-event-24-06-2010-a Not content with simply dominating its RTS gaming market, it seems Blizzard also has its sights on the skies above Korea as well

In a joint promotion between Blizzard Entertainment and Korean Air, two of the planes in their fleet have been specially wrapped to advertise the upcoming StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty.

The two planes will each be emblazoned with a giant image of Jim Raynor for the next 6 months.

However it doesn’t stop with just the planes. While we do not have pictures of them, the airline is also going to be wrapping four of their limousine buses with StarCraft II characters.

Check out the gallery after the jump for a closer view of the art

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AdventureQuest Worlds Q&A

Friday, June 25th, 2010
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Whilst most people judge WoW as the biggest MMO around, many seem to forget that it’s actually quite tiny in comparison with some of it’s browser-based bretheren. We caught up with Adam Bohn, Founder and CEO, Artix Entertainment, the guys behind the 100million-player strong AdventureQuest Worlds, to find out just what it takes to create such a universally loved game. (more…)

Landit Bandit has landed on the PlayStation®3 Network

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010

Swedish-based independent games developer, The Bearded Ladies, are proud to announce the launch of their retro-inspired helicopter-adventure game Landit Bandit on the PlayStation®3 Network

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The feel-good digital game of the summer has finally landed. Literally. Join eccentric characters Marley and Lander, as well as hot island babes and Tommy Gun-wielding penguins in Landit Bandit: a retro-looking, 3D casual-physics-based-helicopter game now available on the PlayStation®3 Network priced at a mouth-watering 12.99 Euros.

Landit Bandit has the depth of a cool-blue ocean and offers gameplay to suit a universal audience. Players can compete for the high-score on the global leaderboard – as well as battle head-to-head in 6 unique duels – or work co-operatively across a 20-level campaign against the backdrop of gorgeous 3D levels ranging from the picturesque desert islands to the cool, ice-filled tundra, each packed with enough humour to keep you laughing out loud from one level to the next.

David Skarin, CTO of The Bearded Ladies is elated at the release,

“To have our game on the PlayStation®3 Network is great. Its a testimony to the hard work and raw talent of our small independent studio. We’ve defeated a string of self-imposed, gruelling milestones and overcome technical challenges akin to the cerebral workout being offered in the game that would leave any bearded lady weeping. The release brings joy to our hearts, although the real excitement is going to come in monitoring the reaction of the players”.

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SteelSeries Unveil StarCraft II Line

Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010
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Alongside the July 27th launch of Blizzard Entertainment’s StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, SteelSeries is pleased to announce the release of original co-branded gaming peripherals for gamers eager to jump back into the epic struggle between the protoss, zerg and terran races.

SteelSeries will offer a complete gaming solution with the StarCraft II Limited Edition Zboard gaming keyboard bundle, which includes the SteelSeries Zboard Base with Z Engine II software, the Zboard Standard QWERTY Keyset for everyday use and the SteelSeries Limited Edition Zboard Keyset (StarCraft II). The specially designed Zboard Keyset (StarCraft II) provides labeled commands, in-game shortcuts, official artwork from the game, and three race-specific mods featuring unique abilities for each of the races. Through its unique Z Engine II software, gamers can also remap every key on the keyboard, guaranteeing a completely customized experience for each and every user. (more…)

Video of the Week

Mass Effect 3 – Better With Kinect

New Trailer confirms Feb 14th Release date! Past Weeks …