Total War: Shogun 2 Videos In German

The internets has given us four new in game videos of Total War: Shogun 2. The videos are by Gamestar, a German magazine so obviously it’s in German. No subtitles for now but you can enjoy the pretty graphics and take a guess at what’s being said. It’s a four parter(only 3 videos uploaded for now, will update if the fourth one is up) featuring a little bit of the campaign map, a land battle, and a siege. Thanks to NapoleonTotalWarFG on youtube for the videos. Videos after the jump…

Rift: Planes of Telara Beta Preview - Tentacles From The Sky!

Before I go on about Rift, let me just say, this comes from someone who isn’t a huge MMORPG player. I have never played World of Warcraft more than a few days and the only other MMO I spent more than a month playing is the Free to Play Lord of The Rings online. Rift: Planes of Telara is an MMO by Trion World. It has a unique premise and a lot of cool ideas. Impressions after the jump…

Core Blaze Trailer - A New MMO Announced

Developed by Redgate Studios with Gamania publishing it, Core Blaze is influenced by Eastern mythology and will feature a new quest line and outcome system. Whatever that means. It looks like a very action heavy MMO with combos etc. Core Blaze is being developed using Unreal 3 Technology, so at least you know it’ll look nice. Hmmmm lots of MMO posts today. Game set for release for the second half of 2011. Trailer after the jump…

VVVVVV Review - Full of Vin

Terry Cavanagh’s VVVVVV might just be the underappreciated(well at least in the mainstream) indie game of 2010. Sure, its got a lot of mentions in indie game of the year lists but it unfortunately didn’t win any. In my book, VVVVVV is a winner, or shall we say… a Vinner. It’s a platformer with some devious and killer levels. It’s a baby puncher too!

Cities in Motion Preview - Good Public Transport = Lots of Smiley Faces

Cities in Motion is a tycoon game(you know how much I love those) similar to the classic Transport Tycoon of ye olde days(by Chris Sawyer and published by Microprose, remember those guys?). Developed by Finnish development studio Colossal Order, it is a modern take on the transportation tycoon type games. You build a public transportation network in major cities and manage the corporate affairs of your company. It’s surprisingly good and could be a sleeper hit next year.

Civilization V Game Diary 2 - Hi Montezuma!

Around turn 10, I met Elizabeth. Can’t really do any diplomacy at this early stage. Lo and behold, shortly after that I met…wait for it….Montezuma! Great. Now I’ll have to really watch my borders closely and having a strong army becomes a priority. Of all the leaders, why Montezuma?

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam Review

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 was a revelation for PC first person shooters. The bigger Battlefield maps with a more streamlined class system and unlocks(which was a common thing with console shooters) made Bad Company 2 a lot more approachable than previous Battlefield games(even if the 32 player count was a drop from the massive 64 players of Battlefield 2). This is certainly reflected by the popularity of Bad Company 2 for the PC with the masses. So it goes without saying, I was pumped that the expansion, Bad Company 2 Vietnam, is now available. Is this a glorified map pack? Read on…

Star Wars The Old Republic The Trooper Trailer - Cue Iron Maiden Track

Well, I wish. No Iron Maiden, but hints on the Trooper class in the upcoming Bioware MMORPG, Star wars The Old Republic. While it looks like a typical DPS class like the hunter in WoW, as Bioware has said, they plan to make classes a lot more, ‘flexible’. So it remains to be seen just how versatile the trooper will be. Trailer after the jump…

Pocket Change - Christmas Sales!

Merry Christmas! For Christmas, many publishers are slashing prices off their entire catalogue(or at least most of them). Lots of discounts, lots of similar discount across publishers. I'm only highlighting some stuff here and there are way more discounts on the publishers sites if you're willing to trawl through their catalogue.

Super Meat Boy Enter Into The Unknown Update

Team Meats Super Meat Boy is quite a hit on XBLA and on the PC. It’s great to hear that the PC version will getting some pretty awesome updates that will put the focus on user made content. The next  update is due out on January and will feature a level editor, an online portal that lists out player made level, Super Meat World, a new world with 20 chapters that Team Meat will select from the user made stuff, and something called Enter into The Unknown. In the Unknown you will be playing random user made levels(based on difficulty that you pick). I’ll be putting out a review for Super Meat Boy some time in the near future so watch out for that.

Source: Team Meats Blog

Apox Goes Open Beta - Post Apocalyptic RTS

Apox is a post apocalyptic multiplayer RTS game by Blue Giant interactive. It features a cover mechanic, realistic line of fire and realistic ammo and supply system. Sounds a lot like Men Of War. If you’re curious, the devs have made the beta available to everybody. Go here, register for the beta. Invites to the open beta ends in 2 weeks time so hurry. The game is set for a January 6th release, so the beta won’t last very long. Trailer for good measure after the jump…

Fallen From The Moon - Mischievous Moon Boy

Fallen From The Moon is a flash game by the Flash game portal Gamystar Games. You play as a little boy that slept on the moon. Until one day, he falls from the moon. It’s a puzzle game where by each screen will require you to solve a puzzle by doing the right thing at the correct sequence to move on.

Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War II Retribution Trailer - For The Emperor or Chaos?

Retribution, Relics second stand alone expansion for Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War II has a new trailer out. It reveals Chaos and the Space Marines as the fourth and fifth race in the game. Retribution is turning out to be one mega huge expansion with Orks , Eldar, Tyranid and now Chaos having their own playable campaign with a Blood Ravens Space Marine opposing campaign. The stuff for the Tyranid campaign sounds really unique since they do play and behave a lot differently. If the Chaos Rising expansion was any indication, the Chaos campaign ‘could’ feature the same corruption mechanic. Retribution will also be ditching Games For Windows Live and will be going fully Steamworks(yay!). Due out for release on March 2011. Trailer after the jump…

Europa Universalis III Divine Wind Review

If Heir To The Throne did a lot to add even more depth and polish to an already remarkable game, Divine Wind is just Paradox saying, we listen to the fans and really care about making the best strategy games. It’s quite surprising that Paradox has gone this route and released an expansion to a now 4 year old game, but it bodes well to the loyal fans of theirs. Clearly, fans were clamouring for more depth with Asian countries, and Paradox giveth!

Steam Holiday Sales - It’s On!

It’s started! Steam’s holidays sales are a go today. A bunch of titles will get major discounts from today to January 2nd. Mac games get their own page. New deals everyday. Notable discounted games today include Super Meat Boy(USD3.49), Battlefield: Bad Company 2(USD$10.19), Portal(USD3.74) and many more. On top of the games, Steam is discounted a bunch of game packs(including indie packs) and a publisher catalogues. The Steam store looks all nice and book like. Really cool design. Go check the discounts out.

Steam Store

Tiny & Big Gets A Trailer! Debut Episode Slated For Next Year

Do you recall that funny little indie title I wrote about here called Tiny & Big: Up That Mountain featuring a lead character that has lost his pants? It seems they will be releasing the first episode titled ‘Grandpa’s Leftovers’ next year. They've also got a trailer out for it. Lots of slicing and dicing rocks and other traps. Trailer below…

Get DEFCON For Free

You can get Introversions classic strategy game, DEFCON, for free from the Green Man Gaming website. This offer lasts until December 27th so hurry! You’ll have to register an account, go here and click buy game and select voucher. Enter this promo code DEFC0-N4GMG-FUTU4. Copy this code and paste it in there. Download the game and enjoy. You'll need to get their lclient to download and play the game though. Start nuking your enemies cities and watch the deaths increase.

UPDATE: After you've redeemed the code, you'll get extra USD$4 into your credit. You can use that to buy another game. I highly recommended VVVVV.

Source: Bigdownload.com

Platformerman - Platforming As A Square Dot

Sick of glossy games that suck? You think gameplay is more important for something to be good? Well then, you might(or might not) want to take look at Platformerman. It’s as the title describes, a platformer. You are a man, well actually you’re just a square dot. You jump over things, hence platforming. Caphish?

Nusantara Total War - A Rome Total War Mod Centered On South East Asia

What’s new in the modding scene for Rome Total War? Well, how about Nusantara Total War? A Rome Total War Barbarian Invasion mod based on factions in South East Asia. Yes you can now play as Melaka or Aceh and battle it out with the Portuguese. Currently in open beta, it features 10 new factions, 140 plus historical units and comes with custom music. It’s only historical battles at the moment but the mod team is promising a campaign map for the 1.0 release. Info and preview videos below…

Battlefield Bad Company 2: Vietnam Release Trailer - Fortunate Son

It’s the 18th, the Vietnam expansion for Battlefield Bad Company 2 is officially out for PC gamers. Time to bust out those old records of Creedence Clearwater Revival(or digital mp3’s) and wear your bandanas. I’m be getting a hold of my copy this coming Wednesday and will have a review of this as soon as I can(possibly by the 27th). Watch the release trailer below…

Crysis 2 Be The Weapon Trailer

This is trailer season people. A new trailer for Crysis 2 has been released demonstrating your ‘options’ with the nanosuit. Looks awesome as always. Still, the setting in New York doesn’t really give you the vision you’d normally get in a tropical location. Unless of course, you get to scale a really, really tall building and get a vantage point to spot your enemies.Crysis 2 Releases on March 22nd 2011 for the PC, XBOX360 and PS3. Trailer below…

Pocket Change - Holiday Discounts!

Chritsmas! Well not yet but soon! This weeks discounts are pretty good. A lot digital distribution platforms have put large parts of their catalogue on sale. The shocker this week is Youbeli.com. And you thought brick and mortar stores don't have crazy deals. there's some pretty awesome deals here. While stocks last of course. So hurry. Discounts after the jump...

Dragon Age II Combat Walkthrough Video - Tactical Combat Still In

Dragon Age 2 lead designer, Mike Laidlaw gives us the lowdown on combat. He demonstrates the combat on the PC which is good since most of the uncertainty was with them making the PC version more of a console action RPG. He goes on to show that you can play this either as an action RPG or with a more tactical approach. I  have to say, it looks very similar to Dragon Age except it seems you won’t be able to zoom out as far as you could. Dragon Age 2 releases on the PC, PS3 and XBOX360 on March 11th 2011.  Video after the jump…

Total War: Shogun 2 Battle Report #2 Video

Creative Assembly has put out the second battle report video for Total War: Shogun 2 which this time showcases a castle siege. The siege demonstrates how the AI might use different tactics and is a little bit more sneaky. The siege looks a lot more complicated than the previous iterations. It a pretty lengthy video(16 minutes in all), so if you’re a little starved for Shogun 2 footage this will do quite well. Video below…

Natural Selection 2 Beta Gameplay Trailer - All Manner of Creepy Crawlies Attack

Unknown Worlds Half Life mod gone own game Natural Selection 2(the first was a Half Life mod) has been hotly anticipated for quite a while now. The developers have been taking pre order to help fund the game development and I’m happy to see that it’s now in beta and looking awesome. It’s a hybrid FPS/RTS game. Think Quake Wars meets Aliens. Trailer below…

Rock Of Ages Powerups Trailer - This Rock Can Sprout Wings!

Ace Team has a reputation now. For creating weird games in very unique settings. Their last(debut) title, Zeno Clash was a traditional first person shooter mixed with a brawler that featured a 7 foot bird man as you mother and other oddities. Rock Of Ages looks set to live up to Ace Teams reputation, but it isn’t a first person shooter or brawler. If you haven’t got the slightest clue what this game is about, watch this trailer. It’s a physics based strategy game that plays a little like Crush the Castle or Angry Birds, except it’s in 3D and you’re controlling this giant rock. Trailer below…

Civilization V Major AI Patch Gone Live!

There’s been a few big updates in for Civilization V until now but this one is the big one. It addresses(well we shall see) a lot of the AI foibles with the tactical combat. Which was one of my minor issues with the otherwise excellent Civilization V. And yes! They’ve added a tool tip to show you the AI leaders mood! You can read my review of Civilization V here. This is perfect timing for my Civ 5 Rome game diary. The change log is a long one. Patch notes after the jump…

Homefront Trailer Is A Little Too Close For Comfort

Kaos Studios(the guys that gave us Frontlines Fuel of War) upcoming first person shooter, Homefront, does a unique take on modern military engagement. The story might be a bit ripped off the headlines of today(albeit highly exaggerated). North Korea goes all out war and occupies the United States and large parts of the world. The story is being written by John Milius, they guy that directed Red Dawn. Homefront is set for March 8 2011 release for the PC, XBOX360 and PS3. Trailer after the jump…

FrontierVille - Evolution of Social Games?

There’s been much hulabaloo about Zynga and Facebook social games. Much of the friction is between those that develop these social games and the traditional game developers. Game developers claim that games such as Mafia Wars and Farmville are unethical as they exploit their user base using techniques that are based upon metrics and psychology.

Humble Indie Bundle 2 - Pay What You Want

It’s back! The Humble Indie Bundle is back with a sequel. Pay what you want for a bundle of five awesome indie games. The list of games are Braid, Cortex Command(awesome tactical game), Machinarium, Osmos, and Revenge of The Titans. You can pay absolutely anything for this bundle. You can choose how much of the percentage you pay you want to donate for charity. So it’s also for a good cause. You have 7 days left before this deal ends.

Check it out here

Europa Universalis III Divine Wind Released! New Trailer Posted

Paradox Interactive’s Europa Universalis III Divine Wind is now available worldwide at all major digital distributers(it should be out on Steam soon) including their very own GamersGate. You’ll have to own Europa Universalis III Complete and Heir To The Throne to be able to install this expansion. Divine Wind is sold at USD$19.99 and adds new elements to Asian civilisations namely, Japan, China and The Mongol Horde. There’s also been a bunch of enhancements on various aspects of the game and UI. This is also their first title that supports Paradox Connect features and has achievements (however, you can choose not to use it if you don’t want to). A review is forthcoming(give me a week or so). Release trailer after the jump…

UPDATE Warface Pre Alpha Crisper Footage - Guns and Shooting Other Dudes Confirmed!

UPDATE: I've linked a much clearer prettier video.

You can now view pre alpha footage of Cryteks free to play online shooter, Warface. The footage is a little blurry and low quality but this is all you get for now. If you’re excited, well, it depends on where you are from. It should debut in Korea and East Asian markets. Speculation is that they would open this up to other regions if this is successful. Video after the jump…

But That Was [Yesterday] - Moving On

But That Was[Yesterday] is a flash game by one Michael Molinari. It is describe on the site as a personal journey about learning to move forward in life. It’s one of those short artsy games that aren’t really games. They are more like experiences.

Dragon Age II The Making Of Part 1

Bioware released this video showcasing how they went about designing the sequel to Dragon Age Origins. They say that those that liked Dragon Age should have no worries about the new system. Video after the jump…

Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Announced

Bethesda unveiled their next entry in the elder scrolls series at the Spike TV Video Game Wards. It will be called Skyrim and does indeed take place after Oblivion. Which makes this perhaps the first elder scrolls game set in a previously done setting. Release date, 11.11.11. Trailer after the jump…

Mass Effect 3 Confirmed!

As teased by Gametrailers.com, the man with gun image was indeed from Mass Effect 3. They debuted a Mass Effect 3 trailer on the Spike TV Video Games Award show. Coming holiday 2011. Still no indication that it’ll introduce a new multiplayer mode as rumoured. Looks like you’ll be going to Earth. You can view the aforementioned trailer below…

Civilization V Game Diary 1 - Veni, Vidi, Maybe Not Vici

The next in my series of game diaries is Civilization V. If you haven’t read my review of it, you can do so here. It’s still an outstanding game made even better by the latest updates. For this game diary, I’ll be picking Augustus Caesar as my leader. I will be leading mighty Rome to be a city of culture and wealth(like it was). Will Rome stand the test of time?

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Pure Gameplay Trailer - Fire, fire fire!

With the release looming closer, DICE puts out another trailer on their upcoming expansion for Battlefield Bad Company 2. It’s pure gameplay. Not like the other trailers weren’t, but this one doesn’t  have any of the cool music the previous trailers has had. Features gameplay from two maps, Vantage Point and Hill 137. Coming out December 18th for the PC. Trailer below…

Pocket Change - Discounts Before Christmas!

Another week, and Christmas draws closer. Perhaps this week, publishers are holding back the truly awesome deals for Christmas. But there are still some good deals around. So take notice!

Civilization V Spanish & Incan DLC Coming Next Week

2K Games and Firaxis announced that Civilization V will be getting another DLC called the Double Civilization And Scenario Pack. The DLC will contain two new leaders in the shape of Isabella of Spain and Pachacuti of the Kingdom of Coscu(Inca). There will also be a new scenario that centres around the discovery of the trade routes to the east mainly the indies and China. The DLC will be out on December 16th for the price of USD$7.49. More details below…

One Chance - You Only Have One Chance

Once Chance is Flash game that is about choice. You play scientist John Pilgrim that is part of a scientist group that has accidently unleashed a killer virus. The game is about how you spend the last 6 days of your existence. It’s one heck of a game and you’ll have to experience it to know what I mean when I say YOU ONLY HAVE ONE CHANCE! They REALLY meant it! Spend you days wisely. My experience after the jump(spoilers)…

Europa Universalis III Divine Wind Meet The Team Video

No Paradox aren’t doing a parody of Team Fortress 2(although the title of the video certainly sounds that way). The fourth expansion to Europa Universalis III Divine Wind will be releasing soon on December 14th for the price of USD$19.99. If you don’t like reading huge change logs and lists, this video is a good primer on what’s new. Trailer after the jump…

I Was A Vegas Show Girl - Viva Las Vegas

I Was A Vegas Show Girl is an indie adventure game made for a competition over at TIGSource. Made using the DAGE engine(and engine specifically designed for crafting adventure games) IWAVSG tells the tale of a Vegas Show Girl, Sissy O Leary, who was murdered. You come back to life(life after death) thanks to your guardian angel and have been given a second chance.

The Witcher 2 Developer Diary 2 Part 2 - Drunkards Will Never Get Lost

CDProjekt releases part 2 of developer diary number two(that is about the game engine) on their upcoming game, The Witcher 2, which if you didn’t know, is on my list of most anticipated PC Games for next year. They talk about the engine and the work that went into ‘polishing’ it. Also the developer says the engine and I quote ‘Allows a drunkard to walk back to his home’. Blimey. They also divulge the minimum requirement for The Witcher 2. Video below…

The Great Steam Treasure Hunt - Win 100 Games Of Your Choice

Valve are having a treasure hunt. The treasure? Free games. All you have to do is complete any one of the objectives they’ll be putting out from today till the 19th and you’ll be entered into the pool of people eligible to win 100 games of their choice(winner announced on the 20th). The more objectives you complete, the more entries you get for this competition. On top of that, Valve will be granting five people their top five games on their wishlist for every two days. So get cracking on those wishlists and objectives.

Tiny & Big Up That Mountain - Pants!

Tiny & Big is a physics based puzzle platformer from Black Pants Game Studio. It reminds me a lot of Petri Purhos(Crayon Physics Deluxe creator) Cut It, where the object of the game is to slice pieces of objects and use physics to solve puzzles. In Tiny & Big, you play a Tiny who has gotten his pants stolen. Retrieve your pants!

Rift: Planes of Telara Trailer - They Came From The Sky!

Rift: Planes of Telara is an upcoming MMORPG by Trion Worlds who are also publishing Petroglyphs MMORTS, End of Nations. Rift is an MMO that allows for a lot more customisation of skills and roles. You can essentially define a more mixed class rather than the fixed class set that most MMO’s roll out with. Think of it like dual classing in D&D(except not as complicated). Trailer after the jump…

Nimbus Demo Impressions

Don’t let the cute graphics fool you. Nimbus, developed by Noumenon Games, is a very challenging casual puzzle game. In fact, I’m hesitant to call it casual at all since it will frustrate a lot of people. There are levels here that will make you tear your hair out. In Nimbus, you take control of a rocket ship thingie(I suppose it’s called a Nimbus) in search of this other rocket ship thingie that was kidnapped by a giant eye that came from the sky. Seriously.

Back To The Future Debut Trailer

Telltale Games released the first debut trailer for their Back To The Future game. The game will be split into a series of 5 episodes(like how they’ve done all their new adventure games). As a big fan of the Back to the Future movies, I’m stoked. What trouble will Mart McFly get into this time? Trailer after the jump…

Total War: Shogun 2 Multiplayer Unveiled! Rank Your General Up

IGN UK’s international man of mystery, Quintin Smith, has written a piece here detailing what’s new in Total War: Shogun2. The big news is that there will be a new persistent element in which you unlock new items for your general in multiplayer when you unlock an achievement in the single player game. There’s be a map of Japan where you'll conquer by fighting multiplayer opponents. Everyone is playing on their own map though so it wasn’t exactly what I had hoped for(for a world conquest like multiplayer mode). Highlights below…