Strategy

03.25.12

Paradox Interactive and Radioactive Software is exploring American history with Gettysburg: Armored Warfare. The hybrid multiplayer third-person shooter and real-time strategy (RTS) game is available beginning March 27th for $9.99 on Steam and other digital distribution services.

03.23.12

Considering everything that Rovio has gone through with its multi-million selling Angry Birds franchise, it could’ve easily let success get to its head.  It could’ve sat back at all the cash raked in from the stuffed animals, fruit snacks and…sigh…upcoming CG movie and simply done nothing else for the rest of its career.  But no, like any intuitive game developer, it felt a challenge was necessary for its series, something new that would remind fans that they still gave a dang when it came to game development.  And say what you will about the company’s previous moves, but Angry Birds Space is that proof.

03.18.12

Sega and The Creative Assembly offer Total War: Shogun 2 fans the first expansion to the hit real-time strategy (RTS) sequel. The Fall of the Samurai offers a number of the modern weapons available on land and at sea. The expansion also introduces a new third-person mode, which offers direct fire-control over Gatling guns, cannon, and naval weaponry, and explores some of the new multiplayer options 

03.10.12

Rovio could probably sit around and talk for hours on end about how much cash they’ve raked in with their Angry Birds franchise.  Between the games, the stuffed toys, the upcoming movie, the advertising tie-ins, the candy…yes, there’s Angry Birds candy…there’s literally no end to this cash cow.  But that doesn’t mean the team has forgotten how to make the games special.  And on March 22, it takes the next logical step in the series, by launching the Angry Birds into…well, outer space.

03.04.12

There’s a reason Electronic Arts dropped a billion or so dollars into PopCap Games when they acquired them last year.  This development team single-handedly makes some of the most addictive games on the planet, ranging from the ball-dropping Peggle to the gem-switching Bejeweled to the shooting madness of Heavy Weapon.  There’s literally something for everyone.  Even Plants vs. Zombies, a game that sounds incredibly farfetched in concept, works oh so well, no matter what platform it’s on.  And this logic holds true to the PlayStation Vita version, which is as fun as any of the others.

03.01.12

Though it’s not exactly overflowing with content, the PlayStation Store for the Vita is loaded with some good games to choose from.  Hustle Kings offers some pool on the go; Super Stardust Delta has shooting thrills galore; and literally all of the system’s retail releases are available alternatively as downloads, for a slightly cheaper price.  But then there’s Escape Plan, a deviant little puzzle game where you guide two would-be heroes through a labyrinth of puzzles in an attempt to escape the clutches of a mad scientist.  There’s no question that this game is truly different from anything out there; the main question that leaves, though, is if it’s fun.

02.13.12

Two of Blizzard Entertainment’s most popular games are coming home in a new form. USAOPOLY, under license by Hasbro, Inc, used the 109th annual New York International Toy Fair to announce a partnership with Blizzard Entertainment to release fresh takes on two classic board games. MONOPOLY: World of Warcraft and RISK: StarCraft combine tried-and-true foundations with new designs and gameplay elements inspired by Blizzard’s popular gaming universes. Those who dare to engage will discover a new chance to claim supremacy, both over their friends and over the battle-torn lands of Azeroth and the Koprulu Sector.

02.07.12

Remember when Telltale was a small video game company that released a video game every one to two years. Last year alone Telltale released “Back to the Future” six episodic content and to close out the year, released “Jurassic Park”. Things have sure changed since then, but was it for the better? Has the Telltale dependence on licensed properties finally back fired on them in "Law & Order: Legacies".

02.02.12

Know what's great?  When an independent game darling gets its time to shine in the spotlight thanks to a generous publisher.  We're seeing a lot more of these hit the gaming scene, and personally, I love it, though a little more advertising for said product wouldn't be a bad thing.  This time around, Konami has published Puddle, a 2010 Independent Gaming Award darling made by Neko Entertainment.  Just in playing it for a few minutes, you see where its appeal lies.  Unfortunately, it doesn't really let on how tough the journey gets until you really get into it.

02.02.12

Is there anything that PopCap Games creates that ISN'T addicting?  Seriously.  We must've sat around for hours on end playing the holy hell out of Bejeweled 3 and mastering every bounce we possibly could out of Peggle.  But that's not enough, is it?  No, we have to unleash a full-scale war between plant life and the undead with the incredible strategy game Plants vs. Zombies.  Damn you, PopCap, I had stuff to do today!  But anyway, if you're not drawn in enough with the versions that are out there, they're releasing one that you can take anywhere with you on your PS Vita later this month.

02.01.12

Consoles and PC's have had a slow month interms of new AAA quality games arriving for your respected platform. While January got off to a slow start, it quickly recovered to bring us high quality tittles through digital distribution. Plenty of great downloadable arcade tittles were made available through XBLA, PSN and Steam, giving us many hidden gems on the digital marketplace. Let's look back at the games we reviewed over the past month.  

02.01.12

Every Tuesday, Sony brings its PlayStation faithful new content, add-ons for your favorite games, Themes and avatars for your PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable. Again another standard week of PSN goods you can get, but for the most part the main draw are going to be demos. Twisted Metal is finally going to hit store shelves and the fans of  the series will be eager to get their hands on the multiplayer demo now available.  

01.30.12

One of the first genre’s I ever got addicted to was tower defense games, but for awhile now tower defense games have long been stale. For a long time now, the genre hasn’t seen any dramatic changes, but still provided quality games for its fans. Recently, the genre has escalated to new heights thanks to advancements in smart phone technology and the integration of app marketplace. Developed by Futuremark Games Studio, Unstoppable Gorg attempts to reinvent the genre, but costly design choices ruin a potential hit.

01.26.12

When UTV Ignition introduced Quarrel to the App Store a few months back, it brought a successful -- and somewhat addictive -- mix of Risk and Scrabble, with folks putting together words in a limited amount of time and dominating pieces of a map to eventually overcome their opponent.  Pleased with how the game turned out, they then opted to introduce it to a different market, this time on Xbox Live Marketplace.  And the war of words continues to play out as expected, despite some hitches.