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PC Previews

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Shoot Many Robots Preview: More Than One Way to Shoot a Robot

Posted on August 30, 2011 by Taylor Bliss in PC Previews, Previews, PSN Previews, XBLA Previews | 2 Comments

We had a meaty preview for Shoot Many Robots back during PAX East 2011. Now, a few months later and another PAX attended, the guys from Demiurge Studios had a whole new mode to show off and lots of new details surrounding the game’s release. I had a chance to get my hands on the new Survival Mode at PAX Prime, and once again walked away impressed with this cooperative run ‘n gun shooter.

The Survival Mode will be of the now often-used ‘Horde’ style, pitting you against waves of increasingly difficult robots that must be destroyed. The mode will be integral in moving up in the RPG elements of the game. Your robot slaughter will facilitate loot and nut drops that will get you set up with more powerful gear, as well as currency that will let you buy anything else you might be missing from your arsenal.

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Firefall preview: Shooting from the hip

Posted on August 27, 2011 by Dave Voyles in PC, PC Previews, Previews | 30 Comments

boom

As I made my way across the show floor at PAX East back in March, my gaze was instantly drawn to the oddly familiar, large logo overhead that was bathed in a lightning-blue hue. The word Firefall was drawn on the the sign and instantly recalled the familiar Starcaft logo; the similarities stop there though.

FireFall is a PC-exclusive, class-based FPS…..Hey wait, we weren’t done yet! I didn’t get to telling you about how it’s completely free to play! As I mentioned in my previous story on Firefall last week, this title has adopted the recently popular freemium, or also commonly known as free-to-play model. This is a bold step in what could prove to be an outstanding experience, should the community latch on. This was my third opportunity with the game; the first two coming at PAX East and again at GamesCom.

My experience with FireFall at PAX was far different from my previous outings with the title. In the latest build, not only was the Engineer class finally revealed, but the MMO elements of the world finally came to life. This sudden change of pace for the game was welcome and certainly makes it more appealing due to the variety of added elements.

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Hard Reset preview: Blinded by the light

Posted on August 15, 2011 by Dave Voyles in PC, PC Previews, Previews | 2 Comments

Hard Reset initially caught me off guard. I went in expecting something of a cross between Blade Runner and Deus Ex, and what I got was exactly that, albeit more on the action side of things than the role playing or character-driven storyline side. That’s not to take anything from Hard Reset or say that it’s a poor product by any means, because it’s not – in fact it’s just the opposite.

The visuals in Hard Reset were top notch from the get-go and never slowed down. The lush colors that rained from the dynamic lighting provided an atmosphere that engrossed me from beginning to end. Overhead, I saw roadways, towering steel structures and vehicles eagerly flying by, all of which were tinted with a sense of despair: reminiscent of the hopelessness one would experience in a city such as that of Midgar from the 1997 title Final Fantasy VII.

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Orcs Must Die! trailer reveals a true alternative to the Hadouken

Posted on May 18, 2011 by Dave Voyles in News, PC, PC News, PC Previews, PSN, XBLA, XBLA News, XBLA Previews | Leave a comment

The great debate over whether the force push was a viable alternative to Ryu’s Hadouken can finally be settled thanks to the latest trailer for Robot Entertainment’s Orcs Must Die! As our nameless hero sports his Wind Belt, he is imbued with a combination of both powers, allowing him to vault orcs across the castle with a blast from his hands. It also grants the ability to carry large objects, useful for explosive barrels or sending a helpless orc flying toward his green-skinned buddies in a game of catch. A lava bath works as well, although we can’t take responsibility for what it does to your skin.

If you’d like to know more, take a peek at our Orcs Must Die! hands-on from PAX East, and look for it on the PC and consoles this year.

Orcs Must Die! preview: Tower defense with a twist

Posted on April 2, 2011 by Dave Voyles in PC, PC Previews, Previews, PSN, XBLA, XBLA Previews | 1 Comment


Even weeks later, all the PAX news still hasn’t come forward. We got the chance for another hands on with another title that was playable there. Orcs Must Die! Is a dungeon/tower defense game currently in development by Robot Entertainment. Comprised largely of former Ensemble Studios employees, older gamers will remember them for their well received RTS Age of Empires which was popular on the PC in the late 90s. Most recently, their last title before being disbanded was Xbox’s Halo Wars. I had the opportunity to catch up with designer Dave Leary, who walked me through their upcoming title, and here’s what I had to say.

As I started up Orcs Must Die! I was already planning my strategy based on what I had seen of the player in front of me. I was brought to a menu screen where I could select a number of weapons and defenses to best defend the siege upon my castle. I chose to go with the approach of utilizing the best stationary defenses I could muster, while simply providing supporting powers with little in terms of direct damage. The individual before me took a far different stance – he favored direct damage performed by his character, and only brought a handful of stationary defenses with him into battle.

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Serious Sam Double D preview: Quadruple the insanity

Posted on March 23, 2011 by Mike Wall in PC, PC Previews, Previews, XBLIG Previews | 4 Comments

he's got firepower

There are about a billion games that provide a massive arsenal that can be used to create legions of orphaned alien babies, but how do you cope with all of the choices? How do you handle the stress of determining if today is a shotgun day or an Uzi day? Serious Sam has obliterated those stressful decisions with a ridiculous contraption called the Gunstacker. Soak it in, ladies and gentlemen (okay, probably mostly gentlemen). The Gunstacker allows Sam to wield not twice, not thrice, but frice quadruple the firepower of those boring old games! It’s the ultimate tower of power that stacks four weapons into an unwieldy Erector Set of death.

I admittedly don’t have much experience with the Serious Sam franchise, but after playing through the one-level demo of Serious Sam Double D, developer Nate Fouts’ enthusiasm for working with the character was evident. Double D is a 2D run-and-gun shooter made by Mommy’s Best Games; think of it as Contra with a demented sense of humor. The version I played was pretty early, and while the quantity of enemies, weapons and levels is still up in the air, the game shows a lot of promise.

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Shoot Many Robots preview: Scraping off the rust

Posted on March 17, 2011 by Dave Voyles in PC, PC Previews, Previews, PSN, PSN Previews, XBLA, XBLA Previews | 2 Comments

Growing up, I was always a huge fan of the Metal Slug series. The cooperative elements paired with cartoon-like demeanor offered a fresh quality to the run-and-gun shooter. Despite the number of sequels it spawned, it unfortunately never caught on well with Western audiences. Fortunately, developer Demiurge Studios has taken that formula and placed their own influence on it.

Shoot Many Robots opened with my character, P. Water Tugnut, dressed in eccentric outfit and stationed in a mobile home while waiting out the eventual robot apocalypse.  I could almost smell the stench of my RV as I lingered over a filthy toilet which served as a storage container as well, allowing me to change a number of items on my character, including head gear, clothing and armament. The comedic influence shined through as I selected a pair of tight leather chaps that allowed me to dash across the floor quickly and a football helmet which displayed the description “Makes you run faster. Why? We’re not quite sure.”   Read more

Bastion preview: Not your ordinary action RPG

Posted on March 14, 2011 by Dave Voyles in PC, PC Previews, Previews, XBLA, XBLA Previews | Leave a comment

look at the reaper!Rarely does a game command both a distinct visual style and drive the character and player into a world through a compelling narrative, but fortunately, Bastion manages both. Developer Supergiant Games is based out of San Jose, CA and comprised largely of former EA employees, and last week at GDC I had the opportunity to interview creative director and writer Greg Kasavin about the title. I also played the game at GDC, where I was immersed in the world, and when I played it again at PAX, my initial thoughts were fully reinforced.

As “the kid” awoke from his slumber, the world around him remained in a dream-like state. Surrounding him were platforms that raised from the ground as the environment had him floating in the heavens, miles above the world’s surface. Walls rained from above, encompassing him within their boundaries. All the while, the hand-painted backdrops that remained out of focus further reinforced the notion the kid had never actually awoken. The story of the Bastion revolves around the construction a safe haven in the wake of the Calamity, a devastating event that shattered the world. Miraculously the adventurer survived, and is bound to journey into the unknown in search of supplies and survivors.

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